Kata F2 Review, Faster Than F1

Kata F2 Review, Faster Than F1

INTRODUCTION:

Kata Digital Philippines recently released another budget-friendly smartphone offering, a quad core Android device that goes by the name of Kata F2.

CPU-Z

The Kata F2 is the successor of Kata F1 and a refresh version of Kata F1s. It sports a 1.3GHz quad core MediaTek processor coupled with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. These internals are a huge leap from the dual core chipset, 512MB RAM and 4GB of ROM found in the F1. If we analyze that number, we can simply say that the F2 doubled what F1 has to offer. Meanwhile, when compared to the F1s, they have almost similar specs, except for having a bigger battery capacity.


UNBOXING:

Unboxing and Hands-on Video

The retail package includes the unit, battery, charger, USB cable, headset and user manual. To learn  more about the physical aspects of the Kata F2, please kindly watch our video unboxing and hands-on above.


DISPLAY:

Display

It has a 4.5-inch display with qHD resolution, which translates to about 245 pixels per inch, the pixel density is good enough for a phone this size, texts are crisper and images are sharp. In addition, it also has IPS technology, which provides good viewing angles. However, the touchscreen panel only supports up to two fingers, this may hinder you on doing 'speed typing' or limit games that you can play.


SENSORS:

Sensors

The Android Sensor Box and CPU-Z show that it has three sensors, namely accelerometer, proximity and light. The first two works just fine, however, the ambient light sensor is always stuck at 50 units no matter how bright or dark the surrounding.


BENCHMARKS:

Antutu, Quadrant & Vellamo

It scored more than 19K in Antutu, more than 7K in Quadrant, about 57 fps in NenaMar2 and 1674, 1220 and 812 in Vellamo Browser, Multicore and Metal respectively . These benchmark results are similar to other devices that are using the same chipset, that being said, we expect that its performance would be on the same level as well.


SOFTWARE:

About Phone

It runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat with almost stock user interface. The UI's look and feel are the same with other Kata phones that we reviewed before, such the home screen, lock screen, basic functions and multimedia. The main difference of the Kata F2 is that it does not have app drawer, all icons and apps are arranged in the home screen. If you want to know more about the interface, you can read our Kata B1s review or even our Kata i3s review.


CAMERA and VIDEO:

Daylight

Close-up

Close-up

Low-light

The main camera has an 8MP main shooter, the auto focus capability is quite fast and able to focus very well even in slightly dim lighting condition. When there is an ample source of light, it is capable of producing good quality images. However, the resolve details are less stellar when compared to other camera phone with the same resolution. Nonetheless, the output pictures are still nice, especially in its price point.


GAMING:

Dungeon Hunter 4

Despicable Me

Like most MediaTek MT6582M devices, the Kata F2 can handle casual games very well and can even play some graphics-intensive titles such as Asphalt 7 and Dungeon Hunter 4 smoothly. Despicable Me aka Minion Rush, which is well-known game for using lots of resources is also playable, although, there are times you will experience skipped-frames or hiccups, especially if you already run quite far.


CONNECTIVITY:

Connectivity

It supports dual SIM with 3G capability, you can share this high speed connection via hotspot or tethering. WiFi and Bluetooth are also on-board, both of them are working properly without any issue encountered during the review period. Other connectivity features are wireless display, micro USB port and 3.5mm audio jack.


PRODUCTIVITY:

WPS Office & Evernote

The basic productivity apps and organizing tools, such as Clock, Calendar and ToDo are installed. Meanwhile, the WPS Office for document viewing and editing is also pre-loaded plus, Evernote, a well-known note-taking app is pre-installed as well.


GPS:

GPS

With data pre-loaded, the GPS is able to get a satellite lock is less than 10 seconds with an accuracy of about 10 feet.


BATTERY STATS:

Battery Stats

The 1850mAh battery can last through the day with light to moderate usage, that includes few texts, few minutes of calls, light browsing and checking of social media accounts once in a while. Meanwhile, enabling mobile data with several apps constantly updating in the background, means a shorter battery up-time. During our video-loop test, it managed to last more than 5 hours before the low battery warning appeared.


CONCLUSION:

The Kata F2 is definitely twice as fast and twice as powerful than the original Kata F1. It is a budget-friendly smartphone that does not feel like one, it is a nice looking device and can accomplish most of the everyday tasks. So, if you are thinking to upgrade from the F1 or planning to buy a new phone, the Kata F2 is one of the choices you can look at.

PROS:

Quad core processor
1GB RAM and 8GB ROM
Good build quality

CONS:

Only 2-point touch
Light sensor not working properly
Cannot move apps to SD

Kata F2 Specifications:

• Quad band 2G, triple band 3G
• Dual SIM (regular+micro), dual standby
• 4.5-inch IPS capacitive qHD (960x540) touchscreen display
• Dimensions: 135.07mm x 68.72mm x 8.95mm
• Weight: 135 grams
• Android 4.4 KitKat
• 1.3GHz quad core Cortex-A7 CPU, Mali-400MP GPU, MediaTek MT6582M chipset
• 1GB of RAM
• 8GB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB
• 8MP auto focus main camera with LED flash
• 5MP secondary camera
• Multimedia player
• FM Radio
• 3.5mm audio jack
• GPS with A-GPS
• WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
• Micro USB 2.0
• Bluetooth v4.0
• Sensors: accelerometer, proximity
• 1850mAh Li-ion removable battery
• Price: Php3,999