I recently got a care package from Cherry Mobile, something a little different from the typical phone I get from them every now and then. This little thing, the Cherry Ion is a much more timely product, one you might have even thought of picking up. It’s a personal air purifier that uses negative ions to create a bubble of cleaner air wherever you go.

The Cherry Ion itself is pretty small, which I’m not sure is obvious if you were to watch the video. And although it isn’t a phone, it shares a few aesthetics we’ve seen from quite a few phones here and there.

The color variant I got was the black/silver variant, which definitely gives off iPhone vibes. The other color options are still pretty iPhoney, such as white/gold, white/pink, and white/rose-gold.

Taking out the rest of the accessories, we see an adjustable lanyard that lets you wear the Cherry Ion around your neck. Then we have an included micro USB charging cable. Finally, there’s an included manual, which you can go through if you want. But all you really need to know is how to turn it on or off, which you don’t really need a manual for.

So this is everything you get in the box, and it’s just about all you need. It’s a really glossy affair, though you can always wipe it off your shirt to clean it off if it triggers your OC tendencies.

So what’s it like to actually be wearing the Cherry Ion? Some of you might appreciate that the lanyard’s fit is adjustable. I have a pretty large head though, so no need for me to tighten it. Well, it’s certainly smaller than a phone, but not unobtrusive like most fashion accessories.

It takes barely more than a second to turn it on, and once you do, a green LED indicator lights up to let you know it’s working its magic.

So Should You Buy the Cherry Ion?

Okay, so being this household’s designated alay, I had a lot of opportunities to use the Cherry Ion so here are my thoughts. Its small enough to be worn like an accessory and most strangers will leave you alone though it does remind me of the MP3 players I liked to use back when I was in college.

The two brush-like antenna at the top are what the negative ions emanate from, and though it isn’t much of an issue, you might feel a bit of tickling when those bits brush against you.

Still, that’s how the Cherry Ion works, giving the air and everything in it, such as pollen and dust, a negative charge, so that they latch onto things with a positive charge, typically things like the wall or floor.

The Cherry Ion is great for what it is though I would never advise anyone to use this in place of a proper face mask.

So take from this what you will. If you think the Cherry Ion is for you, it’s just Php3,500 to pick one up.