Cherry Mobile Flare S4 Plus Review

Performance and Benchmarks

When we talk about this phone’s performance, there’s no doubt that it performs really well. With an octa-core processor and a generous 3GB of RAM, multitasking on the device — from opening and closing apps to switching windows — is very easy. Here are some of the benchmark scores we got from the device:

* AnTuTu 5.7 – 33,594
* Quadrant Standard – 21,599
* Vellamo – 2,171 (Chrome), 1,125 (Multicore), 1,520 (Metal)
* 3DMark – 4,411 (Ice Storm Extreme), 182 (Slingshot ES 3.1)

Playing games on the device are a breeze, as the device can handle the intensity on resource-heavy ones such as Asphalt 8 and Hungry Shark Evolution, though it suffers minimal heat in the upper-back part. The same can be said when doing intensive tasks on the phone, wherein it only suffers minimal heat at the back plate, but greatly affects the metal frames much like other smartphone that bear the characteristic such as the Samsung Galaxy S6.

Connectivity and Battery Life

As for the phone’s connectivity, we didn’t encounter any issues when we used them. WiFi connects pretty fast, as well as the 4G mobile data connection, which is still dependent on your present location. It’s also worth noting that there’s a HotKnot feature built in, so you’d be able to share files when the phone comes in contact with another device bearing the same feature.

With an 2,800mAh battery, the Flare S4 Plus can last for up to 1 1/2 days of moderate use, which includes calls, SMS, occasional mobile data browsing and leaving the WiFi on for a long period of time. Our PCMark battery test indicated an 8 hours and 6 minutes of work battery life, with the phone keeping its cool below the 38-degree Celsius mark. The device ranks alongside other smartphones in our database such as the ASUS Zenfone 2 ZE550ML and the Samsung Galaxy A8, both of which sport fairly higher batteries at 3000mAh and 3050mAh, respectively.

Conclusion

Cherry Mobile has always positioned the Flare to be the king of the budget tier, but this line has gone a premium facelift as it introduced three new models last year. The biggest of the three, the Flare S4 Plus, is a device bearing a capable performance, a good camera, a near-stock Android experience coupled with occasional wireless updates, and a fairly modest battery life (not for power users) for a price commonly reigned by bang-for-the-buck champs.

With that being said, the losses on some of a smartphone’s common features are very evident. There’s no LED notification light, the navigation icons are a bit cramped at the bottom and you can’t see at dimmed places, and there’s that really bad afterthought of exchanging your second SIM for additional storage via microSD (Well, if you are a Dual-SIM user, that is.).

Its price tag, Php7,999USD 136INR 11,555EUR 130CNY 993, can also be a tough deciding factor considering you have newer phones in the market that sport unique selling points such as the ASUS Zenfone MAX’s 5000mAh battery for a few hundred pesos higher at Php8,495USD 145INR 12,272EUR 138CNY 1,054, or the ZTE Blade A711 that sports a Snapdragon 615 chip priced lower at Php7,690USD 131INR 11,109EUR 125CNY 954. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a phone that does not sacrifice that premium feel for less, here’s that best bet.

Cherry Mobile Flare S4 Plus specs:
5.5-inch FHD OGS IPS display @ 1980 x 1020 resolution, 400ppi
Dragontrail glass
1.3GHz MediaTek octa-core processor
3GB RAM
16GB internal storage
microSD card support (uses one SIM tray)
16MP BSI rear camera with LED flash
8MP front camera
Dual-SIM
4G LTE
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS, A-GPS
Android 5.1 Lollipop
2,800mAh battery

What we liked about it:
* Decent performance
* Good camera
* Near-Stock Android OS with OTA Updates

What we didn’t like about it:
* No LED Notification Light, Navigation button backlight
* Heats up on the sides
* Non-removable battery
* Hybrid SIM/microSD card tray