The Cherry Mobile Candy TV vs the MyPhone A618: Clash of the Php3k+ Androids

Cherry Mobile Candy TV vs MyPhone A618

Just the other day, Cherry Mobile announced the Candy TV and W100 on their Facebook page. What is so notable about this affordable duo is that they feature 1Ghz CPUs and IPS screens at a much lower price than even the cheapest offerings from more recognized brands like Alcatel, Samsung and LG. Today, we’re featuring the Candy TV because it is the cheaper of the two at Php3,299 and will likely attract attention because of its built in TV. When I first saw the promotional images for the Candy TV, I immediately compared it with the MyPhone A618 because of the similarity of features, particularly the built in mobile TV) and the price point. Here are the results of that comparison.

The Screen

The MyPhone A618 has a 3.2 inch capacitive TFT LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 320 x 240 (QVGA). That’s the same size as the screen on the LG Optimus L3, and a bit larger than that of the Galaxy Y. Because it’s a budget TFT solution, colors start looking washed out as soon as you tilt the phone in your hand by a few degrees. The QVGA resolution also looks horrible as pixellation is evident even when you’re not holding the MyPhone A618 that close to your eyes. Another nasty side effect of the poor resolution is that there will be a more limited selection of apps that you can download and install on your phone from the Google Play app market.

On the other hand, the Cherry Mobile Candy TV sports a larger 3.5 inch capacitive IPS LCD touchscreen with a 480 x 320 resolution (HVGA). The screen size is the same as that on the iPhone 4 or 4S, although certainly not as sharp. Still, the HVGA resolution is of the Candy TV is much better than that of the MyPhone A618, and there’ll be more compatible apps from Google Play that will play nice with your phone. As I mentioned on my previous post about the Candy TV and W100, IPS displays have much better color reproduction compared to budget TFT screen like the one found on the A618. That means the colors won’t look like they’ve been scrubbed with bleach, even when viewed at wider angles. There will still be some color shifting, just not as bad.

The Cherry Mobile Candy TV screen definitely wins this comparison because it isn’t just larger than the one on the MyPhone A618, but sharper as well. IPS is also a superior technology over standard TFT, and it’s a nice surprise to find it on such an affordable phone.

Winner: Cherry Mobile Candy TV

The CPU and RAM

The MyPhone A618 is powered by an 800 Mhz single core processor. That isn’t bad, considering the popular Samsung Galaxy Ace had a CPU that was clocked at the same speed. In terms of performance, the lower resolution means there will be less graphical information to process, so the A618 should be quite zippy. Of course, that zippiness will be hampered by the limited 180Mb of RAM. Android has a number of background processes, apps and information rich widgets that can quickly eat up your RAM if you don’t keep your eye on it. And with only 180Mb of RAM, there won’t be that much to begin with. You’ll have to limit yourself to using one app at a time while keeping widgets to a minimum.

The Cherry Mobile Candy TV features a 1Ghz single core processor. In comparison, many of today’s mid-end Android smartphones are powered by 1Ghz+ chips. Even with the higher resolution, the bump in processor speed more than makes up for it, so performance should be a bit better than on the A618. The Candy TV also has 256Mb of RAM, but it isn’t that much better than on the A618, so again, you’re multitasking will still be quite limited.

This round’s winner is the Candy TV once again, although by a smaller margin this time around. I still find it remarkable that they were able to keep the price down despite featuring a 1Ghz chip, especially when you consider that the CPU of the original Galaxy S was clocked at the same speed.

Winner: Cherry Mobile Candy TV

Camera

To be honest, I don’t expect much from budget smartphones in therms of imaging quality when it comes to their cameras. Still, a camera is often included, and amateur shutterbugs will be pleased that the MyPhone A618 comes with a 3.2mp fixed focus rear-facing camera. It’s not the kind of camera you’d want to use to immortalize timeless memories, but it will do for random photo opportunities with the barkada. There’s no front-facing camera though, so video calls on apps like Skype are a no-go.

While the A618 comes with a relatively serviceable rear-facing camera, the 2mp fixed focus unit on the Candy TV leaves a lot to be desired. The low megapixel count means there will be very little detail from any photos that are taken. However, the Candy TV does come with a 640 x 480 (VGA) front-facing camera, so you will at least be able to make video calls over WiFi if you wish.

The rear-facing camera on the A618 should result in better shots over the Candy TV, but the Candy TV makes up for it by having a front-facing camera that will allow you to maximize Skype and other similar video call apps. No winner here.

Winner: Tie

Internal and Expandable Storage

Internal storage on the A618 is rather paltry at just 170Mb. That’s good for just about 34 mp3 files. Thankfully, it’s expandable via microSD up to 16Gb, but the limited internal storage means a limited amount of space that can be used for installing apps.

The Candy TV fares much better with 512Mb of internal storage, or the equivalent of about 102 mp3 files. More internal storage means more apps that can be installed at any one time, and it is likewise expandable, but up to 32Gb via microSD.

Apps are what help a user maximize their smartphones, so a limited ability to install more apps will really hamper the user experience. That’s why the winner here is pretty clear.

Winner: Candy TV

Connectivity and Other Features

Unfortunately, neither phone has 3G, but they do have EDGE, WiFi, and Bluetooth connectivity. The A618 doesn’t have GPS, and while Cherry Mobile didn’t specify if the Candy TV supports GPS, the low price point leads me to doubt that it doesn’t have it either. Both phones enable file transfers and charging via a micro USB slot, and they also have dual SIM functionality and mobile TVs, which most Filipinos will appreciate.

Winner: None

Cherry Mobile Candy TV

Conclusion

While information is rather limited on the Candy TV right now, I think it’s safe to say that it outclasses the A618 in just about every spec worth comparing. I would personally recommend the Candy TV to anyone who asks my opinion on the best budget Android handset out there, at least if they don’t need 3G connectivity (in which case I would recommend the Cherry Mobile W100). Hopefully it does indeed come with GPS, and I’ll update this page if it does. I’ll probably even get rid of my own A818 and go for it myself.

Update: I just got the W100 last week and it has GPS, so there’s hope for the Candy TV yet. Read my full review of the W100 here. If you own a Candy TV or have had the chance to play around with one, please tip me in the comments whether it has GPS or not. Thank you 🙂

Source: Cherry Mobile Facebook Page and IlonggoTechBlog

10 thoughts on “The Cherry Mobile Candy TV vs the MyPhone A618: Clash of the Php3k+ Androids

  1. nice post! im planning to buy myphone a618 but after reading your comparisons i decided to buy cherry mobile candy tv instead.. thank you very much! your post is a great help! keep it up! Godbless!

  2. Cool! Glad you liked the post. I bought the W100 myself, which is similar in specs to the Candy TV. I’m loving the speed of the W100 so I’m sure you’ll love the Candy TV as well 🙂

  3. Candy tv is quite entertaining,the tv, apps and games etch…and knowing the price so affordable,..I’m not satisfied but I don’t ask for more for the price of 3,299 only with 1ghz processor,ginger bread os…nice!..I don’t regret that I have candy tv in my hand,I am actually planned to buy alcatel blaze glory and it cost 5k+ and it has no tv and only have 450mhz processor…good thing before I go to the shop at sm i checked out 1st some other phone and candy tv specs captivated me…

  4. If you want to browse using sim cards don’t use candy tv because it doesn’t support 3g…

    But candy tv is multi funtion if you use wifi connection,I’m quite satisfied about it…

    It has no gps also…

    But then again I am happy with my candy tv…

    1. Just want to check how is your candy tv now? do you think it is still worth it? I’m planning to buy it over W100 and flare because of the TV and radio. May I have your thoughts on this?

      1. omg!!
        does this mean i cant use this fon on my sim promos?
        like that of 24 hours facebook use registation?
        i wanted to buy..

        please help..i dont have internet at home and my only connection would be from my sim..

        can or cannot?thanks! 🙂

    1. Yeah, storage space is really limited. A smartphone is only as good as the apps that are installed on it, and unfortunately, as fast as the Candy TV might be, it’s really limited in this area.

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