Cherry Mobile Omega XL Review: Bigger Is Better

Cherry Mobile Omega XL

INTRODUCTION:

Phablet earned a good reputation from many consumers for having the characteristics of a phone and a tablet in a more pocketable solution. The Cherry Mobile Omega XL features a 6-inch capacitive touchscreen display protected by an Asahi Dragontrail glass.

It is an Android smartphone powered by a reliable 1.3GHz quad-core MT6582 MediaTek processor  matched with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory.

>>For unboxing, please kindly see it HERE.

>>For hardware, display and benchmarks, please kindly click HERE.


INTERFACE:

E-Warranty

When you first booted up your phone, it will prompt you with the E-warranty wherein you need to register your Omega XL for an additional 3 months warranty for a total of 15 months. You can skip or cancel it at any time and go back to it from the app drawer.

Lockscreen

The lockscreen is the same with most of the smartphone we reviewed, there is a padlock icon inside a circle wherein you can slide it to the right to unlock the device. You can also swipe it to the left for the camera interface or drag it upward for the Google Now.

If you have a missed call or a new message, you can drag it towards the circle and your device will be unlocked and will display that specific information.

Lockscreen Widget

The lockscreen widget can be accessed by swiping from the edge of the screen, the right to left action will bring up the camera interface while the opposite action can be assigned to Calendar, Clock, Email etc.

Homescreen

The homescreen has the Cherry Mobile logo on its wallpaper, below the display are 5 shortcuts, the middle always acts as your gateway for your apps while the remaining four can be configured based on your preference.

Default Apps

Default Widgets

The default apps consist of 20 applications, none of them can be uninstalled without root access, they are arranged in 4x4 format. There are 6 pages of default widgets which you can place in the homescreen, it has a 2 rows by 3 columns layout.

Notification & Quick Toggle Settings

The notification area and quick toggle settings can be accessed by one and two-finger swipe from the top of the screen respectively. The latter is where you can change the most commonly used settings like WiFi, Bluetooth and Data Connection by just a single press on its icon. The former is where you can see all your notifications as well as the option on what you can do with them, example, a screenshot can be shared directly from there.


DUAL SIM FUNCTIONALITY:

SIM Management

It supports dual SIM dual standby, to change your preference about the usage of each SIM card, you can go to Settings>SIM Management. From there you can change your default SIM for calls, messaging and data connection.


TELEPHONY:

Dial Pad

The dial pad has a smart dialing function, it can detect matching contacts whether your input is based on name or number. When you are ready to call, it will prompt you which SIM card you want to use (unless you already chose your default SIM for calling).

Calls

When there is an incoming call, the photo of the caller will appear (if it is available) plus 3 options on how you can respond to it - cancel, cancel with a message and answer. There are default messages you can send to the caller or you can compose a custom one.

The call quality is good, both ends have loud and clear reception. The screen automatically turns off when you placed it near your ear during a call.

Call Logs

The call logs list all your previous calls - incoming, outgoing and missed. You can filter from which SIM card you want to be displayed.


PHONEBOOK:

Contacts

Groups

The phonebook is composed of contacts and groups, you can create/display items to/from your phone, SIM or online account.


MESSAGING:

Messaging

When you have a new message, it will pop-up on your screen, if two or more messages arrived, the latest one will be displayed on top. From there, you can reply, close the notification or view them.

On the messaging app itself, the messages are arranged based on time stamped. In a specific conversation, the recipient message is on the left with gray background while your message is on the right with blue background. Each message has the time when it was sent/received as well as the SIM card used.

New Message

When creating a new message, simply click the folder icon with a plus sign on the lower left corner. The recipient input space accepts both name and number, if you want to send a message to multiple persons, simply add a semicolon between each number/name.

The SMS share the same editor with MMS, to send one , simply attached any file to the message and it will automatically convert to MMS.


EMAIL:

Email

For people who reads email on the go, there are Android email and Gmail installed, both are highly usable and easy to use. Setting them up is also simple, just enter your email address and password and you are good to go. It supports multiple accounts and you can adjust the frequency of the sync intervals.


MULTIMEDIA:

Gallery:

Gallery

Gallery Options

The gallery is where you can view all your photos and videos, you can view them by Albums, Location or Times. You can also choose which type of view you want - grid or filmstrip. You also have the privilege to share them locally or online.

Photo Editor

There is also a photo-editor available to enhance or add effects to your photos, simply chose the edit option or click the three overlapping circle icon found at the lower left corner of your picture.

Video Player:

Video Player

The player will list all the files with video extension, those that can be played will have their corresponding thumbnail and length, otherwise they are not playable. It has good codec support, it can decode videos with .avi, .3gp, .mp4, .mov, .flv and .mkv file extension up to 1080p resolution.

Music Player:

Music Player

The player will list all the audio files on your device, you can view them by artist, albums, songs or playlists. The music player interface is simple, the navigation controls are located at the bottom while the music information is displayed above it. The songs will continue to play even if you minimize the player or even if you turn off the screen.

FM Radio:

FM Radio

As usual, the FM radio needs a wired headset for it to work. The channels can be searched manually or automatically, the broadcast can be played through the headset or loudspeaker and you can even record them in order to save on your device and play them at a later time.

Camera & Video:

Camera & Video

Like most local branded phones, the camera and video has the same interface, their shutter keys can be found on top of each other on the right portion of the screen. Above it is the thumbnail of the last photo or video taken while below it is where you can access its settings.

Camera & Video Settings

The settings give you the access to tweak some of the basic photo and video options like exposure, white balance, etc. The main camera can shoot a 13MP photo and can record a 1080p video.

Below are the complete video information:

Fine - 1920 x 1088 at 30 fps
Audio -  mp4a: MPEG-4 AAC LC 24000Hz  128 kb/s tot , stereo (2/0)
Video - avc1 H.264/MPEG-4 AVC

High - 1280 x 720 at 30 fps
Audio -   mp4a: MPEG-4 AAC LC 48000Hz  128 kb/s tot , stereo (2/0)
Video - avc1 H.264/MPEG-4 AVC

Medium - 640 x 480 at 30 fps
Audio -   mp4a: MPEG-4 AAC LC 48000Hz  128 kb/s tot , stereo (2/0)
Video - avc1 H.264/MPEG-4 AVC

Low - 176 x 144 at 30 fps
Audio -   mp4a: MPEG-4 AAC LC 48000Hz  64 kb/s tot , stereo (2/0)
Video - avc1 H.264/MPEG-4 AVC

Sample Shots:

Afternoon

Zoom In

LED (bulb) Lighted Room

Close-up

Dark Room With Flash

Dark Room With Assisted Light

Dark Room Without Flash

The camera of the Omega XL is one of the best I have seen so far from the smartphones I reviewed and the best among Cherry Mobile phones. You still got a crisp image even if you use the digital zoom, you also got a clear image even the subject is just an inch away. The flash is powerful enough to light up near object and you can even use the LED flash for lighting up the subject or use it as a video light.

There is a one-stage physical shutter key found below the volume keys, however, I find the on-screen shutter more comfortable. There is also a front LED flash as an added camera feature, you may not frequently use it for your selfies but it is a good thing to have.

Browser:

Browser

Opera Mini

There are two browsers installed in the Omega XL by default, the stock one and the Opera Mini, due to low PPI, you need to view the webpage in its mobile mode when surfing the net.

Gaming:

Pou

Find Objects

Candy Crush Saga

Zombie Tsunami

Subway Surfers

Temple Run 2

Dead Trigger 2

Dungeon Hunter 4

Asphalt 7

From casual games to graphics-intensive games, they all worked well without issues or hiccups with the Omega XL.

Install Location

If you have inserted an SD card to your phone, it will become its default storage and default installation location.


CONNECTIVITY:

3G & Tethering

This phablet has a dual SIM slot wherein both are capable to have a 3G connection (only one at a time), simply go to Settings>More>Mobile Networks>3G Service>Enable 3G to setup which one will have that capability. You can share the HSPA+ connection via WLAN hotspot, Bluetooth or USB tethering.

WiFi

The WiFi has 802.11 b/g/n standards, signal detection and reception is good, the connection is very reliable and stable.

USB Computer Connection

When you connect it to your PC it will ask what type of connection you want, USB Storage, MTP, etc. The Bluetooth and 3.5mm audio jack complete the connectivity list.


PRODUCTIVITY:

Calculator

Calendar

Clock

File Manager

Sound Recorder

To Do

The organizing and productivity tools include Calendar, Calculator, Clock, Sound Recorder, File Manager and To Do, all which are just stock Android applications. If you want to add document editor/viewer, just go to the Play Store.


GPS:

GPS

The GPS has A-GPS and EPO assistance, I was able to get satellite lock in about 10 seconds.


BATTERY:

I used the phone for about two weeks as my primary phone, and all I can say is that the battery can get the job done. I used it for emails, calls, texts, web surfing, a few minute of games and at the end of the day the battery has still juice left on it.

Video (left) & HD Gaming (right)

1080p video playback lasted for more than 6 hours while playing Asphalt 7 lasted for about 4 hours before the 15% battery warning popped up.


CHERRY MOBILE APPS:

Software Update

The software update, as the name implies, is an application wherein you can check the latest available software for your phone.

Cherry Play

The Cherry Play is the Cherry Mobile's version of Play Store.

Fun Club

The Fun Club is an SMS based subscription wherein you can subscribe to an item you want for Php2.50 per message.


OTHERS:

Facebook & KakaoTalk

The KakaoTalk and Facebook are both pre-installed on your phone.

Google Apps

You Tube

The usual sets of Google Apps are all installed.

Day Dream

The Day Dream is like a screen saver, it activates when your phone is docked or while charging. You can set the clock, colors to appear or even your photos.

Search

This is an app wherein you can search any item on your phone and on the web, the search engine can be set to Google, Yahoo or Bing.

SIM Toolkit

The SIM ToolKit is where you can access some of the features of your SIM card.


CONCLUSION:

The Cherry Mobile Omega XL is not just big in size, it is also huge in terms of performance. It is one of the most solid quad-core phones I had from them, both inside and out.

PROS:

Fast and fluid
Excellent camera
Nice and solid build

CONS:

Low resolution screen

Specifications:

• Dual SIM , Dual Standby
• 6" capacitive IPS OGS qHD (960x540) touchscreen display, 5-point touch, Asahi Dragontrail glass protection
• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• 1.3GHz Quad Core Cortex-A7 CPU, Mali-400 GPU, MediaTek MT6582 chipset
• 1GB of RAM
• 4GB internal, expandable up to 32GB via microSD
• 13MP auto focus BSI main camera with LED flash
• 8MP secondary camera with LED flash
• WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi Direct, WiFi Hotspot
• 3.5 Audio Jack
• Stereo FM Radio
• MP3/MP4 Player
• Micro USB 2.0
• Bluetooth v3.0
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity, Light
• Price: Php7,999