We go hands-on with the P1!

Aside from the Flare P1 Plus, Cherry Mobile is also looking to dominate the sub-5K market with their new, budget, dual camera equipped P1. The new device is pegged at just Php 3,999 – which makes it the most affordable dual camera phone that’s available to buy right now. Today we’ll take a look at the P1 and see what makes it tick.

Cherry Mobile Flare P1

• 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6580 quad-core processor
• Mali T720
• 1GB of RAM
• 5-inch HD IPS display, 1280 x 720
• 16GB of expandable storage
• 13-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel secondary camera, LED flash, AF
• 5-megapixel front camera
• Dual SIM
• 3G, HSPA+
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
• 2350mAh battery
• Android Nougat

Initial impressions: photography-focused budget phone

While there’s certainly phones in the P1’s price range that look and feel premium, the P1 is definitely not part of that particular cadre. The P1 is a budget phone, and it looks like it – it’s completely made out of plastic, and despite Cherry Mobile’s attempts to make it look more appealing via use of metal coloration on the back and on the frame, the phone still looks (and feels) like a budget device.

That’s not to say that the P1 looks terrible – it actually resembles Samsung’s more affordable J series of smartphones from the front. Turn the phone over though, and you’ll see the Flare P1’s main selling point – two rear cameras that promise to give you the same shooting experience as the one found on more expensive dual-camera phones.

Because of the budget nature of the P1, the back is removable though the phone uses a non-removable 2350mAh battery. You get two SIM slots plus a microSD slot on the rear. The power button is on the right, alongside the volume rocker, with the 3.5mm jack and USB port on the top. The speaker grilles are at the bottom of the phone.

The phone uses a 5-inch, HD IPS display, and backlit physical Android navigation keys.

Let’s talk about the phones cameras: the Flare P1 has a 13-megapixel rear camera paired with a 2-megapixel secondary camera. Like the Flare P1 Plus and other more premium dual camera equipped phones in the market today, the second camera works in tandem with the first by providing depth information, allowing the phone’s software to blur out the background via software.

Does it work on the P1? It does, but we found that the blurring effect wasn’t as convincing (or as well thought out) as the offerings of more expensive brands. From the shots we took we think that the Flare P1 chooses a central point in the scene as the anchor point, keeping that particular area in focus while it blurs the surroundings. It works for some photos that have a definite central subject.

As for the regular image quality of the phone, it’s good enough for a budget device, though we’d have to spend more time with the device to give you a definite verdict.

The Flare P1 uses a MediaTek MT6580 quad-core processor, paired with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. Just like the Flare P1 Plus, the Flare P1 is not a performance-focused phone – it’s a phone that’s made for taking photos. The device has Android Nougat on board though, which is nice.

That’s pretty much it for the Flare P1. Priced at Php 3,999, the Flare P1 is certainly one of the most affordable dual-camera phones out in the market today. We’ll still have to see for ourselves if the dual-camera is worth the asking price and reduced specs compared to its competitors though.