Review: Cherry Mobile Cosmos X quad-core phone

Specs of the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X (Price: P9,999 or approximately US$240):

1.2GHz MediaTek 6589 quad-core processor
4.7-inch Super AMOLED HD (on-cell) screen - Gorilla Glass 2 | 5-point
HSPA+ | 3G | Wi-Fi b/g/n | Bluetooth | GPS
Dual-SIM (1 standard SIM and 1 microSIM)
18-megapixel BSI rear camera with flash | 8-megapixel BSI front camera
4GB ROM | 1 GB RAM (microSD up to 32GB)
1,800mAh battery
135 x 69.7 x 7.9mm
Android Jelly Bean 4.2
Local brand Cherry Mobile has been on the frontline of the budget-class business since the boom of Android phones and tablets in the Philippines. And for good reason: The company's Android line has generally shown a marked improvement in both design and performance over its predecessors, thus rewriting the rules on what to expect from a budget device.
Cherry Mobile's latest Cosmos series continues that trend. The firm's once again stretching the boundaries, this time with smartphones featuring thin-and-light designs, Super AMOLED displays, and full-HD visuals (for one model). The phone that caught our fancy happens to be the most affordable of the bunch: the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X.
The handset is priced at P9,999, making it an attractive option for anyone shopping in the quad-core bargain deck. But does it offer enough value over equally stacked budget smartphones? After weeks of using the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X as our daily driver, we answer that question in this review.
Hardware
The Cosmos X is made of glossy plastic all right—except the execution here is a tad bit more mature and refined. Hardware buttons have a nice, tactile feel to them, and there are no gaps around the edges as the removable backplate snaps tightly into place. The phone's also sleeker and lighter than your average, pedestrian-looking Android.
The top is home to the headphone jack and the power/lock button. The micro-USB port sits on the left-hand side, and the volume rocker and hardware shutter buttons can be found on the right.
The face features a full touchscreen and skips physical navigation buttons for on-screen keys, as Google intended. Round the back, there's an odd-looking, star-shaped grille which covers the rear-facing speaker and an 18-megapixel sensor which leaves the handset with a ridiculous bulge that its ODM [original design manufacturer] could have skirted had the company settled for a more industry-favored sensor size.
More megapixels doesn't necessarily translate into exceptional results, and unfortunately for the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X, the argument applies here. But more on that later in the review.
Pop off the back cover and you'll find a 1,800mAh battery, two SIM slots (one fits microSIMs; the other is for regular-sized cards), and a microSD card slot.
Cherry Mobile was generous enough to throw in an extra back cover and a flip case.
Cherry Mobile Cosmos X

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