Cherry Mobile Cosmos X, X2, S and Z in a snap

Cherry Mobile announced last night in an event held at Esplanade, its new Cosmos series of smartphones. The Cosmos series is Cherry Mobile's new series of higher end handsets and brings in new technology to the locally branded phone line-up, including two 720p devices with Super AMOLED displays and one with a Full HD IPS display. The phones will be priced from Php9,999 to Php11,999 and will hit the market between August and September this year.

All four phones have similar screen sizes, between 4.7 to 5-inches, and offer similar technology all being powered by MediaTek 6589 chipsets, boasting of 1 GB of RAM and having displays protected by either Dragontrail or Gorilla Glass. It may be a bit confusing deciding which of these for phones you should wait for. 

Cherry Mobile Cosmos X - Coming in below the 10k barrier 

If Cherry Mobile has only announced the Cosmos X, it would have been a very impressive handset. Now it simply looks like the cheapest of the four.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• 4.7-inch HD (720 x 1280) Super AMOLED display
• Dual sim support
• 4 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
• 1 GB RAM
• 1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589 processor
• PowerVR SGX544 graphics processor
• 18 MP autofocus primary camera with LED flash
• 8 MP front camera
• HSPA+
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• A-GPS
• 1800 mAh battery
• SRP: 9,999
• Expected release date: Late August 2013

Design wise, this phone has a rather ungainly off-center camera dimple at the back. Now the specifications do not look bad, it is just not as good as the others, and with four phones being released, we can nitpick.

Cherry Mobile Cosmos X2 - My own personal favorite

The Cherry Mobile X2 will cost Php1.6K more than the Cosmos X, but it offers a lot for the price. Internal storage is bumped up from 4 GB to 16 GB. The battery goes from a run of the mill 1800 mAh unit, to a much better 2200 mAh rating. Style wise, this is also one good looking phone.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• 4.8-inch HD (720 x 1280) Super AMOLED display
• Dual sim support
• 16 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
• 1 GB RAM
• 1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589 processor
• PowerVR SGX544 graphics processor
• 18 MP autofocus primary camera with LED flash
• 5 MP front camera
• HSPA+
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• A-GPS
• 2200 mAh battery
• SRP: Php11,699
• Expected release date: August 2013

My only personal gripe is that it uses a Samsung like home button. I prefer capacitative buttons or soft keys. Still, this is the one I want.

Update: The Cosmos X2 appears to be based on the Konka V981. Pictures at this link.

Cherry Mobile Cosmos S - I suspect this will be the favorite

The Cherry Mobile Cosmos S might become the favorite among the four, being the most well rounded package. It is not a dual SIM phone though. 

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• 5-inch HD (720 x 1280) IPS display
• Dual SIM support
• 16 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
• 1 GB RAM
• 1.5 GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589 processor
• PowerVR SGX544 graphics processor
• 18 MP autofocus primary camera with LED flash
• 8 MP front camera
• HSPA+
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• A-GPS
• 2500 mAh battery
• Estimated SRP: Php10,999
• Expected release date: September 2013

Cherry Mobile Cosmos Z - Full HD

The Cherry Mobile Cosmos Z brings 1080p displays into the arena. 'Nuff said.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• 5-inch Full HD (1080 x 1920) IPS display
• 16 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
• 1 GB RAM
• 1.5 GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589 processor
• PowerVR SGX544 graphics processor
• 18 MP autofocus primary camera with LED flash
• 8 MP front camera
• HSPA+
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• A-GPS
• 2000 mAh battery
• Estimated SRP: Php11,999
• Expected release date: September 2013

I have my own reservations with how useful a 1080p display is on a 5-inch phone. I have a comparison between a Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy S 4 posted here. But really, each person has his or her own opinion. And, in a way, that looks like why Cherry Mobile is launching four new phones. It is covering all the bases.