Arsenal VR One Hands On Review: Glitter and Glamor

Arsenal Devices VR One

It’s not every day that a new brand enters the market, nor is it every day that I get to try out their first ever offering. If for this reason alone, I was already excited about getting some hands on time with the newly launched Arsenal VR One. And to be fair, it had another thing going for it: aesthetics. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a midranger look this good since the Gionee S5.5. Of course, that’s not the only factor buyers consider. What sets the VR One from the rest? Watch my video hands on review below or keep on reading as I attempt to find out from my initial encounter with Arsenal Devices’ unica ija.

Build Quality and Design

Despite being a midranger, it’s difficult not to be impressed with the Arsenal VR One’s premium design and build quality. Its frame is crafted from a single block of aluminum, with the 5.2 inch Full HD LTPS display in front protected by Gorilla Glass 3 with 2.5D contoured edges. The curvature of the screen creates a seamless effect as it flows into the chamfered edges of the aluminum frame.

Aluminum Unibody, Display Protected by Gorilla Glass 3

I’m perfectly fine with the fingerprint scanner being built into the home button, but it would have been nice if they had gone with capacitive navigation buttons to go along with it. Instead, you get onscreen navigation buttons, including another home button. It’s minor, but can get on some people’s nerves (e.g. me).

Back

The white variant I’m using has a silver white finish on the back with the antenna bands recessed into the body.

Glittery Finish

My favorite touch though is the glittery finish on the white variant that would have made Robert Pattinson proud.

Performance

The Arsenal VR One is equipped with the tried-and-tested MediaTek MT6754 SoC with an octa-core CPU and Mali 720 graphics. It’s a respectable chipset, although it’s beginning to show its age. Thankfully, not a lot of apps have pushed the limits since this chip came out so it should still handle most of what the Play Store can throw at it.

Hands-on Impressions

Initial Impressions

At the moment, the Arsenal VR One seems like a tough sell. The combination of aging chipset and Php11,999 price tag isn’t going to win over any fans at the onset. However, once it’s actually in your hands, it feels so nice you won’t want to let go. It’s already taken over as my main phone for more reasons than simply writing a review. It’s not without its kinks though. But I’ll save that for the full review.

Arsenal VR One Specs

  • 5.2″ Full HD JDI LTPS display (1080 x 1920 resolution, 424ppi)
  • MediaTek MT6753 SoC
    • octa-core processor (8 x 1.3GHz)
    • Mali 720 MP3 GPU
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow
  • 3GB RAM
  • 32GB internal storage, expandable via microSD (up to 128GB)
  • 13mp rear camera with BSI sensor and LED flash
  • 8mp front camera
  • 4G/LTE, dual SIM (2x micro)
  • WiFi
  • Bluetooth
  • GPS with A-GPS
  • 2,800mAh battery, non-removable
  • Fingerprint scanner
  • Price: Php11,999

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