Flash Plus 2 Hands-on and Initial Impression

Flash Plus 2 Hands-on and Initial Impression

INTRODUCTION:

Flash may not be that dominant in the upper segment of the smartphone market, but they are pretty much well-known in the entry and mid level categories, especially in the bang-for-the-buck classification. The Flash Plus is an evident proof of its success and remains so in the hearts of the budget-conscious consumers. That being said, it is no brainer that the TCL-owned company will release its successor, which is simply named as Flash Plus 2.

CPU-Z Information

The Flash Plus 2 has a display that measures 5.5 inches diagonally, has IPS panel and Full HD resolution. On the inside, it employs Mediatek's Helio P10 chipset that has an octa core CPU and Mali-T860MP2 GPU, the same thing found on another china-made Elephone P9000, albeit at lower frequencies, 1.8GHz and 550MHz for the central processor and graphics unit respectively.


HANDS-ON:

Front

The front is mainly dominated by the 5.5 -inch 080p IPS display, which in our own taste looks sharp, vibrant and has high contrast. Above the screen, you will find the earpiece grill, LED notification light, hidden sensors, secondary camera and its accompanying LED flash. Meanwhile, the lower bezel holds one of the interesting features of the Flash Plus 2, the fingerprint sensor incorporated in the home screen, it is quick and can easily recognize registered prints.

Back

Back without Cover

The back, together with the sides, are all part of the metal shell that wrapped around the device, which in turn gives the illusion of a unibody design, wherein fact, it is actually removable. Once removed, it will show you the hidden micro SD and SIM slots as well as the non-replaceable 3000mAh battery. Going back in the outer shell, you will get to see the main snapper flanked with its LED flash on the right, the Flash marking written in italics and loudspeaker grill at the bottom.

Top

Bottom

Left

Right

The top holds the 3.5mm audio jack and secondary microphone, the bottom has the micro USB and the primary pinhole mic, while right side keeps the power and volume keys. In terms of overall appearance, it is way better than its predecessor, a taste of premium and flashy characteristics.

We managed to play with the phone for quite a while, and we can say that it is pretty snappy when it comes to navigating throughout the interface and it remains buttery smooth, even with multiple apps opened in a background, of course, do not push it too much as it only has 2GB of RAM.

Benchmark Scores

In terms of raw processing power, it scored around 40K in Antutu, more than 15K in Quadrant and 3775 in PC Mark respectively. These results are at par with other devices that we reviewed having the same or similar chipset, giving us a hint on how this thing will perform in real life.

The primary camera on the back can shoot photos up to 13MP resolution, it employs a phase detection auto focus for faster and accurate subject acquisition. In real life usage, the focusing ability is quick, even in not so desirable lighting condition.

Sample Shot - Night

Indoor

Without HDR

With HDR

Closeup with Flash

Above are the sample shots we made, the images are generally OK, but not something that will make you wow. Photos have enough details, contrast is good and color reproduction is near accurate.


INITIAL IMPRESSION:

The Flash Plus 2 is a huge leap compared to its predecessor, boasting a more powerful internals, better aesthetics plus extra miles in the form of fingerprint sensor and HiFi audio chip, and yet, still carry an affordable price tag. In terms of specs-to-price-ratio, it is sure to score an A+!

Flash Plus 2 Specifications:

• Dual micro SIM, dual standby, supports 4G/LTE
• 5.5-inch IPS capacitive FHD (1920x1080) touchscreen display
• Dimensions: 152.6mm x 76.4mm x 8.2mm
• Weight: 157 grams
• Fingerprint scanner
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• 64-bit octa core CPU (4x1.8GHz + 4x1.2GHz), 550MHz Mali-T860MP2 GPU, MediaTek MT6755M Helio P10 chipset
• 2GB/3GB of RAM
• 16GB/32GB internal storage, expandable up to 128GB via micro SD
• 13MP f/2.0 phase detection auto focus main camera with dual-tone LED flash, OmniVision OV13853 CMOS sensor
• 5MP secondary camera with LED flash
• Multimedia player
• Asahi Kasei Microdevices AK4375 32-bit DAC
• NX9890 audio amplifier
• FM Radio
• 3.5mm audio jack
• GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS
• WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual band 2.4GHz/5GHz
• Micro USB Type-C with OTG
• Bluetooth v4.1
• Sensor: accelerometer, light, proximity, compass
• Battery: 3080mAh lithium-ion, quick charge, non-removable
• Price: Php6,990/Php8,490
• Colors: luna silver, venus gold