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| MyPhone My28S Review, A Smart Phone for the Masses |
INTRODUCTION:
MyPhone is on the offensive in the smartphone industry, and it goes to show with the latest rounds of leaks that have surfaced as of late. More to the point, the local tech giant has also entered the sub Php1K handset arena, and it's looking to boost its reaches with its partnership with Smart Communications. Enter the MyPhone My28S – a compact 4-incher that's easy on your pockets, both in a literal sense and in a figure of speech.
UNBOXING:
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| Retail Package |
Smart's signature design is heavily applied to the packaging of the My28S glance – you can easily see the company's trademark green and blue color scheme upfront once you prop out the BvS advertising sleeve. Nothing is amiss here as far as the standard inclusions go: there's a wall charger, headset, USB cable, a manual, the battery, warranty information and so on. On Smart's part, the telco giant did include two SIM cards – a Smart and a Talk N' Text SIM, both of which are already inserted and ready to go.
PHYSICAL:
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| Front |
We're digging the design cues here – the My28S features a simplistic and straightforward design is great in both aesthetics and functional sense. Smart's logo sits below the earpiece, while beside it are the proximity sensor, the selfie camera, and an LED flash. Down south are three capacitive buttons with Google's Material Design, which, sadly, aren't backlit.
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| Back |
Both the volume rocker and the power button are at home on the left side of the device, while the micro USB port and the 3.5mm audio jack sit at the top. On the flip side, there's the primary camera with an LED flash, and below it is MyPhone's branding as well as the speaker.
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| Side |
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| Top |
The problem once again, is the back panel that feels a bit stiff to the touch. It holds even more true when you try to take it out or lock it in as it feels like it's going to break the more that you pull it or put it back in.
See Also: MyPhone My89 Leaks Ahead of Launch, 5.5-inch Full HD, Ten-Core, 32GB ROM, 4GB RAM for Only Php6,999
DISPLAY:
There's a 4-inch WVGA (400 x 800) display at the front of the My28S. There's no need to complain about the resolution here, since that amount of pixels translates into a 233ppi pixel density all thanks to its small display panel. Color accuracy and sharpness are both pretty basic for what it's worth, and it's doable even in today's standards so to speak.
SOFTWARE:
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| Home Screen |
For stock Android lovers, you'll be pleased to know that the My28S sticks to its core. It's the pure Android 5.1 Lollipop UI, which should give you a familiar ground on how to go around with it. Bloatware is kept to a minimum, and they're the ones that you would probably use more often than not. Your daily essentials such as Facebook, Viber, Twitter and Instagram are in tow, and Smart also bundles it with the iflix and Spinner app. The Pinoy app is also on board, which you may not use as much as the others.
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| Installed Apps |
PERFORMANCE:
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| Benchmark Scores |
Running inside the My28S is a Spreadtrum SC7731 chipset with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and Mali 400 GPU paired with 512MB of RAM. That doesn't really sound as appealing to most users, but it's adequate enough to deliver a smooth UI navigation, web browsing, and a little bit of light gaming. Above image shows some benchmark results.
Also Read: MyPhone My88, 5.5-inch FHD Octa Core 3GB RAM Android Marshmallow for Php5,999
CAMERA:
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| Camera Interface |
There really isn't much you can expect from a budget smartphone when it comes to photography, and the same holds true with the My28S. Its 5MP fixed focus camera can take mediocre snapshots at best, and you'll have to rely on good lighting to achieve even that. On the back, its 2MP selfie camera spells the same quality despite the inclusion of a front-facing flash.
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| Sample Shot - Day |
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| Sample Shot - Day with HDR |
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| Sample Shot - Afternoon |
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| Sample Shot - Closeup |
CONNECTIVITY:
The My28S comes with a dual SIM slot – both of which are already fitted with a Smart and a Talk N Text SIM card for your convenience. The standard connectivity options are all there as well – WiFi and Bluetooth are on board, and there's a micro USB jack and a 3.5mm audio port as well.
BATTERY:
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| Battery Stat |
Based on our testing process, we were able to achieve about 20 hours of mixed and regular usage with the My28S' battery. That took about downloading apps, a couple of texts and little calls, but very minimal web browsing and gaming. But then again, your mileage may vary.
CONCLUSION:
The sub Php1K offerings in the market today is easily the best option for the masses. Of course, trade-offs have been made and corners are cut to achieve such a price point. All of which have been necessary to offer the sweetest spot in the budget spectrum, and that is what the MyPhone My28S emphasizes on.
Pros:
Php888 price tag
Design is a cut above the budget spectrum
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Few bloatware
Programmable Menu Key
Cons:
512MB RAM and 2.12GB usable storage are quite limiting
Capacitive keys aren't backlit
Back panel feels stiff
MyPhone My28S Specifications:
- Dual SIM (micro+standard), dual standby, supports 3G/HSPA+
- 4-inch capacitive WVGA (800 x 480) touchscreen display
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
- 1.2GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU, ARM Mali 400 GPU, Spreadtrum SC7731
- 512MB RAM
- 4GB internal storage, expandable via micro SD
- 5MP main camera with LED flash
- 2MP secondary camera with LED flash
- Multimedia player
- FM radio
- 3.5mm audio jack
- GPS with A-GPS
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
- Micro USB 2.0
- Bluetooth
- Battery: 1450mAh Li-Ion, removable
- Price: Php888