Starmobile Diamond S3 Initial Review: Big Brother of the Navi

Starmobile Diamond S3 Initial Review: Big Brother of the Navi

Starmobile Diamond S3 c

Meet the Starmobile Diamond S3

The Starmobile Diamond S3 is quite literally the big brother of the budget-friendly Starmobile Navi. Not only does it have the same GLONASS technology on top of GPS and aGPS, it also has the same angular/tapered back design. There are big differences though including a larger IPS display with OGS technology, better camera optics, and USB OTG compatibility. We were able to get some hands-on time with this during the recent podcast episode and we’d like to share with you guys our initial impressions.

>>> SEE ALSO: Starmobile Navi Full Review

Before anything though here’s the full spec sheet for your perusal.

Starmobile Diamond S3 Spec Sheet

  • 1.2GHz Quad-core Processor, Broadcom 23550 Chipset
  • Broadcom VideoCore IV Graphics
  • 1GB RAM
  • 4GB internal Storage, expandable via MicroSD
  • 5.5-inch IPS Display with OGS technology, qHD Resolution (200 ppi)
  • 8.0-megapixels primary camera with LED Flash
  • 2.0-megapixels secondary camera
  • Dual SIM, Dual Standby
  • 3G, HSPA+, WiFi, WiFi Hotspot, Bluetooth, FM Radio
  • GPS, aGPS, GLONASS
  • USB OTG Compatible
  • 2,300mAh Battery
  • Android Jelly Bean 4.2
  • SRP: Php8,990

Definitely a fascinating proposition. Let’s dive deeper.

>>> SEE ALSO: Starmobile Diamond S1 Initial Review and Hands-on

Tapered and Angular Design

Starmobile Diamond S3 b

The Starmobile Diamond S3 sports the same tapered angular build with its back plate. Unlike the Navi though the tapered corners actually curve inwards which gives it a very unique and fascinating design. It felt comfortable to hold but a bit hard to use with just one hand since it does have a massive 5.5-inch display (yes, this is a phablet through and through). Instead of the glossy coating, the Diamond S3 has more of a matte finish.

Up front we have the 5.5-inch screen. Display quality is decent but definitely not the best you can buy at this price range. Thankfully it’s at least qHD resolution and that’s actually enough to let it pass off as HD because of the superb viewing angles (IPS) and the thinness of the screen which makes it seem like the icons are floating (OGS).

Starmobile Diamond S3 d

The usual ports and buttons we found alongside the device. Nothing else out of the ordinary.

Fast and Fluid with Rare Delays

Starmobile Diamond S3 e

The Starmobile Diamond S3 runs the same processor as the Starmobile Navi (1.2GHz Quad-core Broadcom 23550 Chipset). Paired with 1GB RAM, it was able to give us an initial smooth and good Android Jelly Bean experience. We rarely had any lags or delays with basic functions like transitions, messaging, and multi-tasking. Unfortunately we weren’t able to try any games on the Diamond S3 but based on our experience with the Navi it should be able to handle pretty much most of the games you’d want to play.

>>> SEE ALSO: Starmobile Diamond D2 Initial Impressions

Is GLONASS Useful?

Just like the Navi as well, Starmobile is heavily marketing the GLONASS technology which is installed in the Diamond S3. Like what we explained in our full review of the Starmobile Navi, GLONASS is an additional set of satellites from Russia that adds on to the satellites provided for by GPS and aGPS. The additional satellites from GLONASS should ideally help with GPS-related apps by letting it lock on to you faster or more accurately.

Starmobile Diamond S3

We’ll do our best to secure a review unit once the commercial models hit stores so we can give you guys a more comprehensive take on this new smartphone. Keep checking this space for updates! 🙂

>>> SEE ALSO: Starmobile Diamond S2 Initial Review

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

Latest Reviews

Best Phones in the Philippines

Best Guides

Recent Posts