The Cherry Mobile Cosmos X is the most affordable among CM’s Cosmos line, which is their next-generation series of Android phones having high-end specs (HD display, high-megapixel BSI camera), and here’s our honest-to-goodness review on it.
As a backgrounder, I’ve been using this as my primary phone for over three weeks now. I wasn’t able to maximize it though as I only have one SIM to use for it and I don’t connect to 3G, just WiFi. Anyway, lets get on to the review shall we?
Design
The Cosmos X is something you won’t be ashamed of when you whip it out of your pocket. Not only does it have a really good display but it also looks good due to its ultra-slim frame. When I saw it during the launch, I wasn’t too impressed with it because it looks plain but slapping the red shell (included in the box) on it changed my perception.
The front is fully covered by Gorilla Glass with no physical buttons present. There’s a screen protector included in the box but it’s really not needed. On top of the display is the 8-megapixel front camera with BSI sensor. There are no notification LEDs on this phone.
On the top side of the Cosmos X you’ll see 3.5mm jack and the really tiny Power button which is quite tricky to press. On the right side is the slim volume rocker and another tiny button for the camera shutter. On the left is the exposed microUSB port and that’s about it for ports and buttons.
The back panel is made of plastic with a shiny, glossy finish that’s a real smudge-magnet especially on the black one. On the upper left corner is the protruding 18-megapixel rear camera with the flash below it. This camera placement makes it easy for your finger to get into every shot. There’s also the star-shaped hole on the bottom right corner for the speakers which is appreciatively loud.
Pry the back panel from the corner and you will find the 1800mAh battery, along with a regular SIM slot (3G) which is your primary number, a microSIM slot (2G), and the microSD slot inside. The microSIM slot is hot-swappable so you don’t have to to power your phone off to change it.
I like how you can definitely feel the slimness of this phone. It’s comfortably light as well (without feeling fragile) which is good if you’re the person who puts their phone on their pants pocket. Overall, the design looks really sleek and beautiful. Just don’t like the tiny Power button and the placement of the camera and how it protrudes but we’ll give it a pass.
Display and UI
One of the highlighted feature of the Cosmos X is its 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display. If you’re not familiar how AMOLED displays look, you will be blown away with the vibrant and sharp display you can get from this phone. I’m more used to IPS LCDs so going with AMOLED was a nice experience.
This phone runs on Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean with a little bit of Cherry Mobile customization and its icons that looked like something borrowed from Samsung’s TouchWiz. The lockscreen circle only unlocks the phone but you can add some apps like Messaging or Calendar so you can easily access them by swiping from the left edge. Swiping from the right edge of the screen will launch the camera app. Swiping from the top edge will bring down the notification and settings bar without unlocking the phone.
Cherry Mobile has added some useful widgets and apps like TouchPal keyboard, Movie Studio, and a capable Video Player app. However, you may also find extra apps that you probably won’t use and won’t be able to uninstall.
Performance
Running the show for the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X (actually the whole Cosmos line) is a MediaTek MT6589 quad-core processor clocking at 1.2GHz. This is currently MediaTek’s top-of-the-line quad-core chip although there’s a configuration that has a 1.5GHz clockspeed (used by Cosmos Z).
The phone also has 1GB RAM and 4GB internal storage which really translates to a measly 1GB worth of storage available for users. A microSD card is a must.
Now if you want to take a look at benchmarks, here’s the Quadrant score.
That 3862 is not exactly promising for a quad-core phone. Phones running on a budget Qualcomm quad-core chip can easily pass the 4k mark. I would like to think that the HD resolution contributes to the not-so-high score but this is still just a synthetic benchmark. And it has the same result as that of the Cherry Mobile Omega HD 2.0 which also uses the same chip.
Now for Antutu, the 1976 score is actually good. Better than other quad-core phones powered by a budget Qualcomm Snapdragon chip.
But how does it perform in actual usage? Well it went well actually. Navigating through screens were snappy, swipe actions are responsive, launching of basic apps like Messaging, Contacts, and displaying their contents were quick, and web pages loaded rather fast on its default browser. Only time I encountered a crash was while browsing Google Play so that’s forgivable.
As for games, I only played two games. Minion Rush which the phone handled quite poorly (too choppy for an enjoyable experience) although I heard that the Android version is really resource-intensive. The other game was Defense Technica which is a tower defense with 3D graphics and the Cosmos X did a great job running it.
Watching an almost 2GB MKV HD video was handled quite well by the Cosmos X (no sound though but that can be resolved with an app download). Skipping and scanning through the video didn’t stutter and still played smoothly. Oh and picture quality was really good with excellent contrast and deep blacks thanks to the AMOLED display.
Call quality is really good on both ends of the call. The speaker is loud enough to converse properly even inside a noisy mall environment with a clear enough reception on the other end. WiFi is also strong and quick to connect so I think MediaTek did a good job with the radio chip on their SoC.
Camera
The Cosmos X has an 18-megapixel autofocus camera at the back with a BSI sensor and a LED flash to go with it. But before we get to the camera quality, I would like to point out that the camera button on the side doesn’t launch the camera from sleep or lock mode even when pressing it for a long time. You can only launch the camera app with that button when the phone is unlocked.
This phone has touch-to-focus and capturing image is fairly quick (despite the click sound being delayed). It also has the usual camera features including HDR, panorama, multi-angle shot, beauty shot, and different color filters.
Here are some shots taken with the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X.
For the most part, colors are accurate although a bit over-processed hence the smooth look. It should serve well for Facebook or Instagram photos. BSI works on this phone as low-light indoor shots still appear bright even without the use of flash.
The rear camera is also capable of recording Full HD videos at 30 fps.
Battery
I used the Cosmos X with just one SIM inside. I used it mainly for calls and SMS with a bit of surfing when WiFi is available. No 3G, some short games, videos, and camera use. The 1800mAh battery lasted me for a day and a half before the battery indicator turned red. That’s already considered long for a smartphone and I think the AMOLED screen and the 28nm MediaTek chip contributed to that stamina.
Verdict
Overall, the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X is worth the P9,999 retail price. What I love is the slim design (except for the tiny buttons) especially the red back panel, and the HD Super AMOLED display. It’s really a good device for watching HD videos provided you slap a high-capacity microSD into it. The camera is quite decent for social media use even in low-light situations without the need of a flash. After over three weeks, I still enjoy using the Cosmos X.
| Cherry Mobile Cosmos X Specs: |
|---|
| 4.7-inch Super AMOLED HD display, 1280 x 720, 312 ppi |
| 5-pt multi-touch screen, Corning Gorilla Glass 2 |
| 1.2GHz quad-core processor MediaTek MT6589 |
| PowerVR SGX544 @ 286Mhz GPU |
| 1GB RAM, 4GB internal storage (1GB available to user) |
| microSD slot up to 32GB |
| Android 4.2 Jelly Bean |
| 18-megapixel rear camera with BSI sensor and LED flash |
| 1080p video recording @ 30fps |
| 8-megapixel front camera with BSI sensor |
| 3G/HSPA+ |
| Bluetooth 4.0 |
| FM Radio |
| 1800mAh Li-Ion battery |
| SRP: Php9,999 |
48 comments
camera looks ugly…
Yes, pangit. When will the local finally get something correct. Nice specs naman,
Pero super pang it ang camer !
kung pangit tlga ang kinukunan pangit tlga, gaya ng muka mo. hahahaha.
sa pag-timpla yan ng camera settings, kahit DSLR sa kamay ng hindi marunong gumamit parang lumang 3mp digital camera lang . . pagkabili ko ng cosmos X ko medyo na disappoint ako sa camera kasi nasanay ako sa settings ng Omega HD ko . . yung disappointment ko is that kelangan ko naman matutunang timplahin yung camera ko . . which after 2 months of using masasabi kong na-master ko na . . kelangan talagang e-bagay mo yung exposure, white balance, ISO at iba pang settings depende sa environment mo hindi yung click ka lng ng click tapos magrereklamo ka bakit blurred
. . pero for an all around good setting i recommend using ‘cloudy’ white balance, mas nagiging sharper yung picture tapos merong konting yellow tint na mas natural tingnan. .
bakit ganon yung Cosmos ko, 8months palang saakin, then Cant connevt to the camera, pag nag seselpi or mag pipictutes na ako, then nawala a yung apps ngcamera
definitely, camera so underpar.
so is camera the overall factor of the phone?
A 10,000 phone with no LED notification. That’s a very basic but important feature even low end phones have.
i’ll pick this up when the price hits P4999 sometime next year.
Yes camera looks ugly, but shots looks like they are taken from dslr. I often get praises from other people not knowing that cherry mobile x is the one taking those shots. Also I don’t mind if this doesn’t have a led notification. That just adds to the battery consumption, besides you can’t get it all with phones. Specially budget friendly phones.
@ferzd sorry that won’t happen. If you notice cherry mobile’s strategy they started from a very low priced dual core phone then up. So there’s really nowhere to go now but up. Have you seen a CM flare that was priced lower than 4k?
sir I beg to differ, this is easily outclassed by a dslr.. have you seen the park shot.. my dslr (even point and shoot) can do better that that even at iso 3200. There is so much smearing of the details and overprocessing. Even if the weather is bad, dslr shots or even high end point and shoots are’nt this bad
Well of course it does not look exactly like dslr shots and yes it’s not a point and shoot. You need to focus and wait(a lot) to get a perfect shot evry now and then. What I’m saying is you’ll be impressed by the camera on this one. Sometimes with the right angle, lighting, right focus and the correct scene used the shots will look like dslr.
For the price and the spec touted, I would expect the camera to be better than this. An old Galaxy S II can shoot better pics than this. It’s not even worth comparing to a point and shoot which BTW, also needs to focus before taking a shot. It’s an 18 megapixel BSI camera and at that, it should be able to beat previous flagships in output. Heck, even 5MP cameras from midrange phones can beat this in terms of picture quality: color accuracy, detail resolution, etc. I’d really like to see those “shots that will look like dslr”.
I purchased this phone as soon as it get out of the market, because of the features it’s almost like samsung. And I expected too much on the “18megapix” camera. Looks more like a shot from an IPhone 1st gen. So on the 3rd day I sell it…. 18 megapixels lol!
Here guys, I assume flickr doesn’t lower the quality of the photos like facebook right?
http://flic.kr/ps/oe1ar
By the way I have a friend who also bought this phone and happens to be a good photographer. Let’s just say he knows his way around a dslr. He’s also impressed with the phones camera so I’m not sure where you guys are coming from with the comments. I suggest you compare the phones camera side by side with another cosmos x.
as i said in another comment, sa pagtimpla yan ng settings ng camera(white balance, iso, exposure,etc.) JP, your memories of the iphone 1st gen cam as being great is just a fond memory, like when you thought how great the graphics was in Ghost Fighter(yu yu hakushu), but when you watch it again, it looks so old and the movements aren’t as fluid as in your memory,
my GF’s iphone 4’s(she sold 3 months ago) camera already looks old and not-so-good when i got used to using my old Omega HD, and my brother’s iphone 3gs is no where near good that he constantly complains about it,
kahit DSLR, sa kamay ng hindi marunong gumamit, parang lumang 3mp digital camera yung end result . .
napataka ako dito bakit blurred yung binigay na samples . . pero . .
here are pictures taken from my Cosmos X(i’m not a photographer, just someone who like taking pictures of interesting stuff, medyo shaky kamay ko at yung 1st pic hindi 18mp gamit ko):
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/853/khy9.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/703/1kh4.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/18/pdlk.jpg/
pictures i took with my Cosmos X, the camera is great, if you know how to use it :
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/853/khy9.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/703/1kh4.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/18/pdlk.jpg/
would have been very nice if they’ve put a larger battery
medyo sablay yung auto white balance nya… mabluish tint yung photos eh. pero ok naman yung exposure.
like the looks though except for the camera na nakausli.
for a local brand cell phone
the price is to much
local brands are also coming out with better specced phones so expect them to have phones that are priced higher than before. hindi sila pwedeng maging kuntento sa mga midrange specs.
1800mah? kaya nya b tlagang isupport yng cosmos? kc omegaHD has 2100mah pero nglalast lng xa ng less than a day.
Kudos to local brands (not only cm) for actually “trying” to compete with int’l brands.. It’s a good phone as long as you keep in mind the price and it’s name.. I wanna see those guys critisizing this phone (and all local brands) create their own phone and see how people would react, f*in bastards thinking they’re freaking perfect when all they do is comment.. haist!
how about the headset i mean the 3.5mm jack most cm issue is that thing when i connect my CM Flare on other original Earphones the music is kinda disturb like hell kindly fix it?
no problem sa audio jack, i used the JBL earphones i reviewed recently and wala naman naging problem.
Omega Hd2.0 o etong cosmos x?? Helllp!! Di ako makapili.. Feeling ko kase mahina ang cosmos sa games? Baka kase naibihos lahat sa 18mp na cam yung sulit factor nya e di naman ako ma picture. Thanks!!!
parang mas gusto ko design neto and yung Super AMOLED screen.
low color accuracy T_T,I wish next time Cm release a phone it has it own dedicated image sensor like lumia,or has a better color accuracy
bk8, much better b ang super amoled rather than Dragontail glass ng ohd?
Gorilla Glass vs Dragontrail, wala namang noticable difference ang dalawa. ang Super AMOLED i-compare mo sa IPS LCD ng omega hd. maganda super amoled for videos and games kasi deep contrasts.
specs and price is okay for a local brand phone, concern ko lang is matibay ba ang cm phones? planning to buy next week i need your help
wala pang 2 months kong ginagamit and cant say kung matibay na. so far so good pa namnan.
Bkt hnf itry ng cherry mobile ang window phone?mag maguhustohan ko tong brand na to kung meron…
mahal ata maglicense ng windows phone since hindi sya open platform. and dahil dun, liliit kita pag nag windows compared to android.
I am thinking what would I buy? This cherry mobile cosmos x or starmobile knight?? I want to replace my aging titan tv eh..
almost the same lang naman sila in terms of specs. can’t go wrong with any of the two i guess
i need help.. correct me if i am wrong. but i think myphone 919i is better that OHD2 but which is better cosmos X or 919i? i am very pleased with 919i’s reviews so i cant tell im still saving for the money im in the 10k range any help?
halos pareho lang in terms of specs. up to you if you want the bigger but chunkier phone or the smaller but sexier one. 200mAh battery difference nilang dalawa rin.
hi ask ko lang if ung camera shutter speed ba niya is mabilis. kasi sa myphone ko ang bagal mag picture talagang prone siya mag blurry if gumalaw ka saglit. compared ko kasi sa xperia arc s ko di tlga nag blur ung pics kasi bilis ng shutter at auto focus niya. im considering buying this cm cosmos dahil sa camera niya. okay ba ung auto focus niya? mabilis naman? 🙂
Hi! I’m so impressed by this CS Cosmos x review. Just a few days ago, my phone broke and I’m looking for a nice phone to replace it. Na excite tuloy akong bumili nito. I think for the price of 10k, it’s really worth it. I don’t like the cam kasi nakausli, but it’s 18 mega-pixel so ok na rin.
Thank you for sharing this review! Now I finally found what I’m looking for.
Sir, I just bought my cosmos X yesterday and I observed that whenever I use the phone like surfing the net or taking pictures, the phone heats up, but when I’m not using it, it goes back to normal or does not heat up anymore. Is this normal? Or my phone is defect? Have you encountered this situation? Pls reply. I would really appreciate it 🙂
yes . nag h-heat up nga yung akin na rave 2.0 .. pero ok lang naman kailangan lang ng pahinga .
sir ung skin my blue and red dots .when unlocking and locking the screen ..dun lng sya lumalabs
same po
PAHELP naman po.. pag kiniclicked q un camera after i rwboot lumalabas app isnt installed after a few sec nwawala na… pero i dowloaded the camera 360 front lng po un gumagana… advice naman po tnx
Cherry mobile cismos x is a shit android phone
ung sa cosmos x ko nkkainis 4 months ko lng nagamit dhil bgla xiang nagblackscreen..4 months din bago naibalik at naaus.. tapos ung pagbalik pa ang dami ng gasgas.. Ndi naging worth it ung 9,999 ko.. 🙁
Hi, pano pag error downloading sa playstore tapos insufficient kahit mataas nmn memory ko. Tapos nag automatic pala aya mg save sa phone storage pano gawin mg auto save sa ad card.