Starmobile Icon Initial Review: Quad-core with 8MP rear and 5MP front cameras!

Meet Starmobile’s newest quad-core Android 4.1 smartphone!

Super Selfie Photo Machine!

Starmobile names their smartphones in alphabetical sequence. The last device was the entry-level Starmobile Hit. After a few months of waiting we now have the next one and this is potentially a powerhouse. Ladies and gents meet the Starmobile Icon. The device packs a quad-core processor, qHD display, 4.5-inch screen, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. What’s quite surprising about this particular smartphone though are the cameras. At the back we have an 8.0-megapixel shooter with BSI, HDR, auto-focus, and LED flash. At the front? Well it has a 5.0-megapixel BSI snapper with autofocus. Wait… say that again? Yes, you read that right. This is a mean selfie machine!

Starmobile Icon Spec Sheet

Quad-core Qualcomm MSM 8225Q Processor
1GB RAM
4GB Internal Storage*, expandable up to 32GB via microSD Card
4.5-inches capacitive touchscreen, qHD display, 540 x 960 resolution
8.0-megapixel rear-facing camera with BSI, autofocus, HDR, LED Flash
5.0-megapixel front-facing camera with autofocus and BSI
Dual Sim, Dual standby*
3G, WiFi, WiFi Hotspot, Bluetooth, FM Radio, GPS/aGPS
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
1,800mAh Battery
Comes a free Jelly Case and 4GB microSD Card

*To be confirmed

Read on for our initial impressions!

Hardware: Red logo on Black matte FTW

Not bad looking at all

The chassis of the Starmobile Icon is mostly made of hard plastic with a black matte finish. The 4.5-inch form factor makes it easy to use with one hand but the device is not the slimmest smartphone in the block measuring in at 10.5mm thick. It’s not really bulky but you will initially notice the slightly thicker body.

10.5mm

Just like the Starmobile Diamond V3, the logo of the Starmobile Icon is in red which signifies that this is a quad-core smartphone. That said, the red logo at the back with the black matte finish backplate looks absolutely gorgeous!

Gwapo a.

Over-all we have no complaints with the hardware. The phone is solid, compact, and sleek.

How about the software?

We’re happy to report that the quad-core processor and 1GB RAM does Android 4.1 Jelly Bean justice. Just like the Starmobile Diamond V3 we barely felt any slowdowns or lags during our hands-on time. Switching apps felt snappy and the animations/transitions were fluid and smooth.

Good Android Jelly Bean experience on the Starmobile Icon

Unfortunately we weren’t able to run any benchmark tests so we couldn’t quantify the performance of the Starmobile Icon. Hopefully we’ll be able to get a unit on Wednesday during the media launch so we can run this through the usual battery of tests that we have when we do smartphone reviews.

How much and when?

No word yet on exact pricing but it will be under Php10,000. We will know for sure on Wednesday. As for availability it will hit Starmobile kiosks and stores nationwide by mid-June.