Cherry Mobile Explorer Action Cam Review

Table of Contents

Camera and Performance

The Explorer can capture stills from 6MP, 8MP and 12MP. It can record videos at 720p resolution @ 30fps and 60fps, and 1080p @ 30fps in H.264 format. It supports microSD cards of up to 32GB capacity and features Timelapse, Photo Burst, and Loop Recording.

When it comes to image quality, it’s something that you would consider as decent. Details are a bit lacking while the colors lack a bit of punch. There’s also a hit or miss when it comes to white balance. Dynamic range is good though while the wide-angle lens lets the Explorer capture wide subjects without fuss.

#gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

When it comes to low-light shooting, the Explorer can capture images with acceptable details, however, the images are peppered with noise. It actually reminds us of the quality of cameras of entry-level smartphones offered a few years back. It’s ok though for Instagram-sized uploads but looks dirty if you blow it up.

As for videos, quality is almost similar to stills but we noticed that the dynamic range is better and uses in-camera sharpening with some HDR. There’s no optical image stabilization so expect shaky videos if you’re in motion. We also noticed that the Explorer has a maximum recording time of 31 minutes and 48 seconds and then stops. It doesn’t automatically start recording which is annoying if you want to go longer than that. As for the audio, it’s very audible but sounds distorted when it comes to loud sounds.

Watch the sample below recorded in .MOV format.

Battery Life

Powering the Explorer is a tiny 1,000mAh battery. Not exactly large and we don’t want you to expect much either. When it comes to battery life it is only capable of 1 hour and 37 minutes worth of videos from a full charge. It will last a few hours if you’re just snapping photos but expect to charge it a few times if you’re gunning for a whole day of use. On the other hand, you can use it while plugged in to a power bank.

Conclusion

The Cherry Mobile Explorer is a good entry-level action cam designed for casual users. It has a good build, decent camera, WiFi connectivity, built-in display, and comes with a lot of accessories including a waterproof case.

cm-action-cam_20

There are downsides, of course, like the very limited battery life and the inability to continuously record videos. Image and video quality is also sub-par if you compare it to more expensive action cams like the GoPro, but for its asking price of Php3,999, that’s not bad at all.

Cherry Mobile Explorer Action Cam specs:
12 megapixel camera
170-degrees HD Wide Angle Lens
1080p. 30fps & 720p, 60fps, 30fps video recording
Loudspeaker
Microphone
WiFi
Built-in Monitor
1,000mAh battery
Supports iOS & Android

What we liked:
* Good build and design
* Comes with a lot of accessories
* WiFi connectivity
* Affordable

What we didn’t like:
* Limited battery life
* Can’t continuously record videos (maxes out every 31m and 41s)

Diangson Louie

This article was written by Louie Diangson, Managing Editor of YugaTech. You can follow him at @John_Louie.

https://www.yugatech.com

7 Comments

Markus says:

8 years ago

Pangit nung iOS app ninyu. Hindi gumgana
- Reply
jam says:

9 years ago

Compared to SJCAMs .. which one is better? Thinking of giving myself an action cam this christmas. Hope you can recommend.
- Reply
Peter John Lee says:

9 years ago

Their pricing is off. Just buy a Xiaomi Yi Cam for 3799 at greenhills, 100% better quality.
- Reply
Alfred says:

9 years ago

since it’s an action cam, I was looking for a video where there was actual “action” to see how it fares without the onboard image stabilization. Instead all there is are still shots, panning, and a stationary video of traffic. Wonderful.
- Reply

Louie Diangson says:

9 years ago

We’re still working on the “action” part. Will upload a new sample once it’s ready.

Anthony Suarez says:

9 years ago

This looks like a rebadged SJ4000.
- Reply

usahoiqw Uhsaqao says:

9 years ago

I don’t think so…

Rebranded, yes. But I think it’s some other brand and NOT the original SJCAM SJ4000 as the latter brand has OIS and better Pixel quality compared to the previous.
I think it’s just some Chinese copycat existing in the market then took by Cherry Mobile under their brand