While most people would drool over the latest high-end smartphones in the market, there is still a segment for budget and entry-level buyers. People would buy mobile phones as a transition phone, temporary device while traveling in the country, or a phone for frugal people who are simply concerned about its basic use. The Starmobile Play Plus is one of the very affordable smartphones in the market for Php 2,290. Its specs is a far cry from the Starmobile Knight Spectra I reviewed before. The Starmobile Play Plus with its modest specs of Android Marshmallow 6.0, 5” display and 1.2 Ghz Quad-core processor was able to pull-off some surprises.
Starmobile Play Plus
The Starmobile Play Plus is one of the cheapest smartphone currently in the market for Php 2,290. For its price here are the key specifications it offers:
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- Dual-SIM, Dual Standby
- 1.2GHz Spreadtrum 7731C quad-core processor
- 512MB of RAM
- 8GB of internal storage, expandable to 32GB via microSD
- 5-megapixel camera with LED flash
- 2-megapixel front camera
- Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot
- 3G, HSPA+
- Bluetooth
- GPS, A-GPS
- Gravity, Accelerometer, Light, Proximity
- 2000mAh battery
The Play Plus comes in three colors – champagne, white and black. For this review, I had the black unit. This 5-inch display phone has the right size for me on-hand. It does feel a bit heavy than usual but felt solid despite the plasticky finish.
No-Frills Performer
I made sure to curb my expectations when it comes with this phone knowing it has entry level. The 5-inch display may not have the best viewing angle but its large real-estate does offer comfortable viewing on general use. I was also afraid I won’t be able to do much with its measly 512MB RAM, but I guess the combination of the quad-core processor and efficiency of Android Marshmallow 6.0 with the Starmobile Play Plus resources still managed to make the smartphone function smoothly.
The telephony essentials, from the calls to messaging, are there and working well as expected . Internet, web browsing and social media apps like Facebook and Instagram can be used without a problem. Gaming is a surprise. While I don’t expect Pokemon Go to work here, games like Clash of Clan does run fine. Watching movies here is also easy. It’s native video app ran my MKV and MPG movies files without hiccups. There’s camera imaging also but the 5MP camera is just mediocre. Just good to know its there. Listening to audio files is all good, just use a better headset. There’s also an option to expand the storage up to 32GB, more space for movies and music!
Starmobile Play Plus is a no-frills affordable phone performer that gives you the essentials of any mobile device. Priced at Php 2,290, there’s a good balance with its features.
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