Ever since I got the Galaxy Note, I had been searching for a beater phone that I could take with me on those midnight commutes and errands to places like Divisoria and Quiapo. After all, the Note has been an excellent phone for awhile now (made obsolete by the current wave of quad core phones), but it does tend to attract a lot of attention from potential pickpockets, snatchers and holduppers. Since then, I’ve had the chance to use the A818 and W100, but while both of them fit the “beater phone” description to a “T”, I always felt I was giving up a lot when transitioning from my Note to either of those phones. These days though, it’s the Cherry Mobile Flare that I bring with me on trips and errands where I wouldn’t be comfortable whipping out my Note. I have to say, it feels like my search for the perfect beater phone is over.
When I say “beater phone”, it’s the kind of phone that you wouldn’t mind taking a beating or being exposed to all sorts of smartphone hazards. It already came with a screen protector pre-installed, so all I had to do was cover the back with a carbon fiber sticker. Such stickers can easily be found at auto specialty shops, but they can be a bit hard to cut so they fit the Flare perfectly, so I bought one from an enterprising seller from an unofficial Cherry Mobile Flare user group on Facebook. Now I can put it in the same pocket that I keep my keys and spare change! Another thing I like is it doesn’t feel like I’m giving up that much performance when I switched from my Note to the Flare. Not only does it make a great phone for browsing the net, but it also plays most of my favorite games. Finally, it’s the kind of phone that I can confidently whip out on a jeep while commuting during rush hour. This is important, because I tend to get bored easily. With my Note, I’d be too paranoid about snatchers to use it on a jeep, but not so with the Flare.
That last part is what’s important to me. Since bringing the Flare with me on commutes, I’ve been able to watch movies, access the internet, and play the occasional game while passing the time on the way to my girlfriend’s apartment or to cover an event for NoypiGeeks. I guess it has to do with it being as affordable as it is. Of course, as much as I use it on commutes, I suppose I will eventually become a victim of snatching, but at least it’ll be the Php4k Flare rather than the Php20k+ Note. Still not decided if you want to buy this phone yet? Check out my Cherry Mobile Flare review over on NoypiGeeks.
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