Cherry Mobile’s Flare X is one of the more respected lineups of the local brand’s offerings. The first Flare X still has active user groups to this day and its follow up, the Flare X2 was also one of the company’s best phones when it came out at the time. However, it’s been a while since the Flare X has seen a refresh, which is why it was exciting to see a number of leaked photos sporting the Cherry Mobile Flare X3 moniker just a few days ago. It was even more exciting when I was invited to see it in person!
Hands-on Video
Design
As the lone local brand that’s still able to compete in any significant way against the onslaught of Chinese offerings, I was absolutely floored by the Flare X3 as soon as I first saw it. The Flare S7 Plus was already a handsome phone, but this takes the design to a different level.
First, it comes with a 6.18 inch Full HD+ notched display. Unfortunately, the notch is about as large as on the Flare S7 Plus, which as good as it looks is still a minor annoyance to me.
Second is its purple gradient finish underneath a glass back, which is significantly more premium than the plastic finishes I’ve seen from the competition.
Finally, a metal frame completes the premium look, with an easy to discern power/lock button and side fingerprint scanner that both seem to enhance the detail of the frame.
Camera
A lot of you may be curious as to what kind of camera setup the Flare X3 may be sporting. It comes with a triple rear camera configuration (12MP+5MP+2MP) and I’m told the 3rd camera is meant to enhance black and white (contrast, detail, etc). The front camera arrangement will be a 20MP+2MP configuration. Image processing is said to be enhanced by AI, which is the norm among mid to high end phones these days.
Interestingly, the unit responsible for the leaked photos we saw in days past didn’t actually have its camera app updated yet and didn’t have a proper Night mode. That means those low light images were captured with only normal image processing instead of something that would have enhanced low light further! I’m looking forward to testing a unit that actually has its camera software updated to see how well it does at night!
Other Key Specs
Of course, the Flare X3 is more than its cameras. For one thing, it packs the respectable Helio P60, but even more exciting is it comes with a whopping 6GB of RAM. This configuration is enough to score roughly 125K in Antutu.
Another key feature is its side-mounted fingerprint scanner that’s embedded in the metal frame. I wasn’t able to test how quickly it unlocked the phone, but it’s such an enhancement to the design that I actually look forward to trying it out.
Finally, it runs a fairly vanilla implementation of Android 9.0 Pie. Although I was told that the software isn’t final, they intend to keep it mostly stock. There was however a theme engine that should allow users to still change the look of the software with a single touch without having to install a 3rd party launcher.
Is the Cherry Mobile Flare X3 Worth Waiting For?
Is it? That’s a good question. Aside from the 5 AI cameras and 6GB RAM, the Cherry Mobile Flare X3 specs are roughly similar to the Flare S7 Plus that preceded it. Of course, it’s been a while since that phone launched, so hopefully they’ll still keep the SRP roughly the same or even cheaper! If you’re eager to find out, the Flare X3 is slated to launch mid-July. Stay tuned!
Cherry Mobile Flare X3 Specs
| DISPLAY | Type | IPS |
| Size | 6.18" | |
| Resolution | FHD+ | |
| Aspect Ratio | 19:9 | |
| Multitouch | Yes | |
| PLATFORM | OS | Android 9.0 Pie |
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio P60 | |
| CPU | Octa-core | |
| GPU | Mali G72 MP3 | |
| MEMORY | RAM | 6GB |
| ROM | 64GB | |
| Expandable? | Up to 256GB | |
| CAMERA | Primary | 12MP+5MP+2MP Triple Rear Cameras |
| Secondary | 20MP+2MP Dual Front Cameras | |
| CONNECTIVITY | Network | Up to 4G+ |
| WLAN | Yes | |
| Bluetooth | Yes | |
| GPS | Yes | |
| FM Radio | Yes | |
| USB | Type-C | |
| BATTERY | mAh | 4,000mAh |
| MISC | Fingerprint Scanner | Yes, Side |
| Colors | Twilight Purple | |
| Body | Front and Back Glass, Metal Frame | |
| Price | TBA |
