Lost in the sea of octa-cores? Don’t despair!
With the announcement of MyPhone’s octa-core smartphone, the Infinity, the local octa-core scene has just gotten a little bit more crowded. If you’re lost and confused about the current (and upcoming) octa-core offerings in the PH market, we’ve assembled this guide to help you choose which smartphone is for you. We’re compiling all the octa-core devices we’ve reviewed (in one form or another either through a full review or just the initial unboxing) and hopefully this list will be able to help you choose what smartphone is right for you. This list is in no particular order.
THL T100
THL T100 specs
- 1.7GHz Octa-core Processor MediaTek 6592 Chipset
- Mali 450 Graphics
- 2GB RAM
- 32GB Internal Storage, Expandable via MicroSD Card (64GB)
- 5.0-inch Full HD IPS OGS Display (1080p)
- Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- 13.0-megapixels primary camera with LED Flash and Auto Focus
- 13.0-megapixels secondary camera
- Dual SIM, Dual Standby
- 3G, HSPA+, WiFi, WiFi Hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS/aGPS, NFC
- USB OTG Compatible
- Android Jelly Bean 4.2
- 2,700mAh Battery
- SRP: Php 12,899
The THL T100 holds the distinction of being the first octa-core smartphone that we managed to review back at the beginning of the year. While its appearance in Novo7 Tech’s stores was delayed because of customs problems, it still managed to impress us with its solid build and combination of hardware.
Read: THL T100 Prototype Review
THL T200
THL T200 Cyborg specs
- 1.7Ghz MediaTek MTK6592 Octa-core processor
- Mali 450MP4 GPU
- 2GB RAM
- 6-inch IPS Full HD OGS display, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, 1920 x 1080p resolution
- 32GB of storage, expandable via microSD up to 64GB
- 13-megapixel ISP main camera, F2.0 aperture
- 8-megapixel front camera
- Dual SIM, dual standby
- NFC, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, A-GPS, USB OTG
- 3G, HSDPA
- 2500mAh battery (comes with one extra)
- Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
- Php 14,999
The THL T200 is another octa-core device brought over by Novo7 Tech. The THL T200 is positioned to compliment the T100 in terms of screen size, as the T200 has a 6-inch screen, putting it squarely in phablet territory while the T100 has a 5-inch display. While we were only able to get a hands-on review with the T200, we were impressed by how punchy, bright and vibrant the display was, as well as the solid build quality of the device.
Starmobile Diamond X1
Starmobile Diamond X1 Spec Sheet
- 1.7GHz Octa-core MediaTek Processor
- 2GB RAM
- 8GB Internal Storage, Expandable up to 64GB via microSD Card
- 6.0-inches HD IPS Display, Scratch Resistant Glass
- 18.0-megapixels primary camera with Autofocus, Flash, and BSI
- 8.0-megapixels secondary camera with BSI
- Dual 3G SIM, Dual Standby
- 3G, HSPA+, WiFi, WiFi Hotspot, GPS, aGPS
- Yamaha Speakers
- Android Jelly Bean 4.2
- 2,300mAh Battery
- Php 13,990
The Diamond X1 is Starmobile’s first ever phablet device, and is one of the few devices on this list (that we’ve reviewed) that only has an HD display. Nevertheless, we were impressed by the performance of the Diamond X1, it’s camera and solid build, even though it has a removable back and is not a sealed device.
Read: Starmobile Diamond X1 Retail Unit Review
Starmobile Octa
Starmobile Octa specs
- 1.7GHz MediaTek MT6592 octa-core processor
- Mali-450MP4 GPU
- 2GB of RAM
- 5-inch full HD OGS IPS display, Asahi scratch resistant display, 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 32GB non-expandable memory
- 18-megapixel AF rear camera with BSI and dual LED flash
- 8-megapixel camera front facing camera, wide lens with BSI and LED flash
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, USB OTG, NFC
- 3G, HSPA+
- Dual SIM, dual standby (micro SIM)
- 2300mAh battery
- Android 4.2
- Php 16,990
Starmobile’s Octa ruffled a lot of feathers when it was initially announced back in March, and put forth questions about the possible price ceiling for locally branded devices. It’s the most expensive of all the octa-core smartphones in this list but has the most features of any current and future smartphones. We dived deep into the Octa when we got the review unit, and we found that its performance, quality of the optics, NFC and the convenience of wireless charging merit the somewhat high price tag of Php 16,990.
Cherry Mobile Cosmos Z2
Cherry Mobile Cosmos Z2 specs
- 1.7GHz MediaTek Octa-core processor
- Mali 450-MP
- 2GB RAM
- 5-inch IPS OGS, full HD display, Dragontrail glass protection, 1920 x 1080 resolution
- Dual SIM (one micro SIM, one regular SIM)
- 16GB storage, expandable via microSD up to 64GB
- 18-megapixel BSI camera with autofocus
- 8-megapixel front camera
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS
- OTG ready
- WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi direct
- 2000mAh battery
- Android Jelly Bean 4.2
- Php 12,999
The Cosmos Z2 holds the distinction of being Cherry Mobile’s first ever octa-core smartphone. We loved just how thin that thing was, and how great it felt in our hands while we were using it. While it suffered from mediocre battery life (like most of the octa-core smartphones in this list) and random restarts, it’s still a pretty good octa-core smartphone for people looking for an affordable but stylish and powerful device.
Read: Cherry Mobile Cosmos Z2 Review
Cherry Mobile Omega Infinity
Cherry Mobile Omega Infinity specs
- 1.7GHz MediaTek MT6592 octa-core processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 5.5-inch full HD IPS display
- 32GB of non-expandable storage
- 18-megapixel camera with flash
- 8-megapixel front camera
- Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, Miracast ready
- 3G, HSPA+
- 2900mAh non-removable battery
- Android 4.2
- Php 14,999
The Cherry Mobile Omega Infinity is the company’s follow-up to their Cosmos Z2. While we haven’t gotten to fully review the Omega Infinity yet, our initial impressions are pretty positive – it’s got a nice, solid and premium (if formulaic) design and build, and uses a lot of aluminum in its construction. The Omega Infinity also addresses the biggest problem with most of the octa-core smartphones included in the list – battery life. The Omega Infinity has a particularly large 2900mAh battery in its aluminum shell, so it’ll be interesting to see just how far the device can go when it’s stretched to its limit when it comes to battery endurance.
Read: Cherry Mobile Omega Infinity Unboxing
MyPhone Agua Infinity
MyPhone Infinity specs
- 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6592 processor
- Mali 450MP GPU
- 2GB RAM
- 5-inch IPS full HD display, Corning Gorilla Glass 2, 1080×1920 resolution
- 16GB internal storage, non-expandable
- 16-megapixel main camera, with autofocus and LED flash
- 5-megapixel front camera
- Dual SIM, dual standby
- 3G, HSPA+
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, USB OTG
- 2350mAh battery
- Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
- SRP: Php 12,999
The MyPhone Infinity is the newest octa-core smartphone of the bunch, literally just officially announced yesterday (although leaked a few months before). Nevertheless, our initial unboxing impressions of the device led us to believe that MyPhone has a strong contender in the Infinity, though users may be turned off by the non-expandable 16GB of storage and the sealed design. The premium front and back design of the Infinity makes it look premium, and most potential buyers would find the Php 12,999 price of the Infinity more than palatable.