Cherry Mobile Comes Out With the W100 and Candy TV! Get a 1Ghz CPU for as Low as Php3,299!

Cherry Mobile has already introduced some budget Android handsets in the past, such as the Candy, Candy Chat, Cosmo and Stellar. However if you were to take a look at the specs right now, they do leave a lot to be desired. For example, despite being offered for as low as Php2k at one point, both the Candy and Candy Chat come with dinky little 400Mhz processors, which is hardly any good for more than the most basic of apps. Heck, even Angry Birds would lag if you attempted to play it on the affordable duo.

Of course, all that has changed now that the local mobile phone brand has come out with two new handsets: the W100 and Candy TV. Rather than skimp on the processor, both of them feature 1Ghz single core Snapdragon CPUs running Gingerbread 2.3. It’s not ICS, but Gingerbread is much more stable than Froyo and fixes a lot of the force close issues that plagued earlier versions of Android. Also, they both have 3.5″ capacitive IPS touchscreens. Gone are the days when you had to press firmly for the screen to register anything, which was the case for a lot of Cherry Mobile’s cheaper Android offerings. For the uninformed, IPS LCD screens are much better than TFT LCDs because of the better and more accurate color reproduction, not to mention wider viewing angles. That means, the screen doesn’t suddenly appear to look washed out as soon as you tilt the phone by a few degrees. The resolution on either screen is only HVGA though (480 x 320), but that’s on par with what can be found on the Samsung Galaxy Y or LG Optimus L3.

Cherry Mobile hasn’t released a more detailed spec sheet on either phone yet through their Facebook page, but what we do know is that the W100 is 3G capable for faster browsing speeds on the go and comes with dual cameras (3mp for the rear-facing shooter). Then there’s the Candy TV, which isn’t 3G capable, so you’ll have to make do with 2G browsing speeds if you have the sudden need to update your Facebook status on your commute to work. What it does have is a mobile TV receiver instead, so you can pull out a retractable antenna and look like a dork in public while catching the news. The Candy TV also has dual cameras, but the rear-facing shooter is only rated at 2mp. Both phones come with WiFi connectivity, so you don’t have to sacrifice precious load credits if there’s a hotspot nearby. They also come with 512Mb of internal storage, which is expandable up to 32Gb via MicroSD. There are no details as to how much RAM they have yet, although I strongly suspect it will only be 256Mb. I would recommend 512Mb of RAM for decent multitasking, but 256Mb will suffice as long as you only actively run one app at a time. There is no news if they have Bluetooth connectivity or GPS support, but I would be surprised if Bluetooth support wasn’t included.

I’m not aware if these phones can be found at Cherry Mobile stalls and concept stores yet, but the W100 will retail for the stupidly affordable price of Php3,499 while the Candy Chat will sell for Php3,299. To put things into perspective as to how much value you’re getting, the Galaxy Y only comes with a 3″ TFT LCD touchscreen and an 832Mhz CPU while retailing for about Php5k. I’m really hoping that the W100 comes with GPS so I can use it with apps like Runtastic, Endomondo or Nike+ Running from the Google Play Store, as I would rather use it instead of having to strap my gigantic Galaxy Note to my arm and screw up my balance on the rare occasion that me and my girlfriend decide to jog. Sadly, the super affordable price gives me that sinking feeling that GPS is a no-go. I’ll be crossing my fingers when I head out to a Cherry Mobile kiosk later in the work. I’d still probably replace my MyPhone A818 anyway even if it didn’t have GPS, purely because of the better screen and faster CPU.

W100 Specs

• 1Ghz single core Snapdragon CPU
• 3.5″IPS capacitive touchscreen at 480 x 320 resolution (HVGA)
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• WiFi and 3G capable
• Dual Cameras (3mp rear)
• Dual SIM
• 512Mb internal storage, expandable up to 32Gb via MicroSD
• SRP: Php 3,499

Candy TV Specs

• 1Ghz single core Snapdragon CPU
• 3.5″IPS capacitive touchscreen at 480 x 320 resolution (HVGA)
• Mobile TV
• WiFi and 2G capable
• Dual Cameras (3mp rear)
• Dual SIM
• 512Mb internal storage, expandable up to 32Gb via MicroSD
• SRP: Php 3,299

Source: Cherry Mobile Facebook Page