Review: Starmobile Knight Luxe is Apple on a budget

MANILA -- The Starmobile Luxe is a 5-inch smartphone with good specs and above average performance. The design isn’t for everyone. But if you like the design trends blazed by Apple, this is an affordable Android alternative that’s worth a look.

Starmobile has always been one of the more reputable local smartphone brands. It may not be as prolific in releasing new models as other smartphone vendors, but when it brings something into the market, it’s always something special.

I know this because I’ve been using one of its phones for more than two years now. The first model of its Knight series has been my constant companion in mountain biking and motorcycling trips, thanks to its awesome 18MP main shooter and 8MP selfie cam.

Also, way back then, people kept mistaking it for an iPhone, which was kinda cool because Apple had yet to release a 4.7-inch phone two years ago. I guess this was also a sign that Starmobile valued good design.

Starmobile Knight Luxe specs

1.4GHz octa-core ARM Cortex A7
2GB RAM + 16GB ROM
5-inch AMOLED Multitouch Capacitive screen
HD 1280 x 720 pixels (294ppi)
Android 4.4 KitKat
Front (5MP FF) and Rear (13MP AF Samsung ISOCELL) Cameras

The Starmobile Knight Luxe is one of the newer additions to the Knight series. Compared to the old Knight, this new model has grown a bit in size by adding an extra 0.3 inches in screen real estate for the full 5-inch experience. The Luxe also boasts a more powerful octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage.

These are all very respectable specs for a phone that costs less than P7,600. Two years ago, a phone with such specs would have cost 15k at least. It really amazes me how smartphone makers have taken the PC Age’s Moore’s Law and put it on steroids.

Anyway, what really strikes the user when he gets hold of the Luxe is its design.

Look and feel

While the original Knight was thoroughly plastic, the Knight Luxe has kept up with the designs of the times and now sports an aluminum frame for a much more premium look. This definitely feels more solid compared to my old phone.

Apparently, Starmobile was also trying to jump on the champagne gold iPhone bandwagon and made a version of the Luxe which bears an uncanny resemblance to that blingiest of bling gear. This was the unit sent to me for review.

When I got the review unit last August, I opened the box and a gold-colored Starmobile Knight Luxe began bling-blinging right before my eyes.

I thought: Heck, what is this? Some people may like their tech gear looking like jewelry, but I just wasn’t one of those guys. To quote Batman in the Lego Movie: “I only work in black. And sometimes very very dark gray.” The Luxe was just too shiny for my taste.

However, a quick perusal of the Starmobile website revealed that the Luxe also came in more standard and traditional colors. If you’re like me and bling is not your thing, you should definitely check out the Luxe’s other variants.

Performance

Blingy looks aside, this is a very capable phone for its price range. Swiping and pinching menus is very smooth. The Amoled screen gives sharp and crisp colors, and is bright enough even in daylight-- just don’t expect Super Amoled levels of brightness and saturation.

If you’re just upgrading from an old phone, you will love the Luxe’s 2GBs of RAM, 16GB of storage, and octa-core processor. Games like Dead Trigger load fast and run smoothly. You also don’t need to worry about running out of memory as there’s more than enough RAM and ROM for all your social media consumption.

Like I said earlier, Starmobile made a name for itself two years ago with the original Knight which boasted of 18MP rear camera and a monster (back then) 8MP selfie shooter. This was at a time when flagship phone from major brands were content with 8-12MP main cameras and 2-5MP front facing cameras.

The original Knight’s 8MP selfie shooter was so good that it was even better than the main cameras of other smartphones within its price range back then. Strangely enough, Starmobile dialed down the selfie shooter on the Knight Luxe to just 5MP. The Luxe, however, still takes decent shots with its front facing camera.

The main camera, meanwhile, seems unchanged from two years ago. It’s still a pretty capable shooter, and the new interface from Android Kitkat is much nicer to use, but like the older Knight the Knight Luxe sometimes has problems with getting details from shadows. But at this price range, asking for G4 or S6 levels of photo sophistication may be asking too much. All in all, the Luxe still rates as a very capable camera for a budget to mid-level phone.

Verdict

 This phone is a really good deal. If you’re upgrading from a two-year old phone running 1GB of RAM with Android Lollipop, the Knight Luxe is worth considering.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

How Google plans to give every Filipino Internet access

MANILA - Google on Tuesday launched the Android One line of affordable smartphones in the Philippines, as it aims to provide easy Internet access to every Filipino.

In an event held in Makati City, the tech giant revealed the entry-level smartphones will be distributed by local partners Cherry Mobile and MyPhone in the next few weeks.

The smartphones -- Cherry One and MyPhone Uno -- will feature the latest version of Android Lollipop, billed as the "fastest, most responsive Android experience ever."

It will also come with the company's new user interface, and additional features to help conserve data and battery life.

"We want to see a future where every single Filipino is introduced to the Internet," said Kenneth Lingan, Google's country manager for the Philippines.

According to the company, there are 44 million Filipinos connected to the Internet. The number is six million shy of half of the country's total population, which breached the 100 million mark last July.

Google also expects that an additional 10 million Filipinos will be able to have first-time access to the Internet in 2015, propelling the country ahead of South Korea in terms of Internet population.

Lingan explained that having the Internet accessible to as many Filipinos as possible would not only benefit overseas Filipino workers and their families, but also have a lasting effect to the country's economy.

For instance, in the agricultural sector, farmers can tap online tools to find information to improve their yields, creating a more efficient workforce.

"Imagine this happening in every sector in our country," Lingan said.

 

'The Android One initiative'

The Philippines is the sixth country to have access to Google's line of affordable smartphones, after India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.

The Android One is an initiative launched by Google in India last September, in an attempt to make smartphones and consequently, Internet access, available to more consumers in developing countries.

It is a "reference platform" that allows device makers and local manufacturers to easily make low-cost smartphones.

Caesar Sengupta, Google Vice President of Product Management, likened the Android One initiative to "your favorite grandmother's recipe" of the local popular dish, pork adobo.

Simply put, he said Google provides the recipe, and their partners choose the ingredients.

"If you're making adobo, you want to pick the right pork. You start with a great recipe, put in the right ingredients, and you will get fantastic results," he added.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com