SKK Mobile Platinum Price Php 9,999, Specs, Review, Antutu Benchmark Test and Quadrant Standard Scores, What's Included in the Box?

"Mac, SKK Mobile sent you this," my mom told me while handing me the package. That was Wednesday last week and I just arrived home from a meeting in Makati.

SKK Mobile Platinum, SKK Mobile, SKK Android Smartphones

Since I move around a lot for meetings and events, my mom usually receives all gadgets and gifts that companies send me through her office in Quezon City.

I thanked her and I immediately - excitedly - tore off the courier's plastic packaging.

SKK Mobile Platinum, SKK Mobile, SKK Android Smartphones

Turned out it wouldn't be that easy to get to what's inside. The box was so heavily taped and bubble-wrapped, which I made me all the more excited to see what it contained.

SKK Mobile Platinum, SKK Mobile, SKK Android Smartphones

I had a hunch SKK would send me their newest flagship, the Platinum -- and I was right. A friend from the company messaged me a week prior and he said SKK wants me to check out their new top-of-the-line release; I didn't imagine, however, that they'd send it to me that soon. Thanks, SKK Mobile!

SKK Mobile Platinum, SKK Mobile, SKK Android Smartphones

The retail package, which sells for only Php 9,999, includes the SKK Mobile Platinum unit itself, the 1,800 mAh Li-Ion battery pack, the charger, earphones, warranty card, user manual, microUSB to USB connector cable, free screen protector and smartphone case.

SKK Mobile Platinum, SKK Mobile, SKK Android Smartphones

To those who are wondering, SKK Mobile is a new player in the local Android smartphones and tablets game. I think what sets them apart from other companies is that they try to keep the prices of their releases below Php 10,000 while still offering competitive products.

SKK Mobile Platinum, SKK Mobile, SKK Android Smartphones

So let me talk about the eight things I like about SKK Mobile Platinum and the one thing about it that could have been better.

1. Cool Design As soon as I opened the box, I was instantly impressed by how good the phone looks. I got the Black variant with Red accents and it looks stunning. Frankly, I think its design - replete with glossy finish, slightly concave glass face and faux metal lining - is totally reminiscent of that of the far more expensive HTC Butterfly.

SKK Mobile Platinum, SKK Mobile, SKK Android Smartphones

2. Custom User Interface -- or at least a few parts of it There are certain sections of the interface - especially the home screen and the settings page - that kind of look like they were inspired by Samsung's TouchWiz. This is something fresh on a handset from a local player.

SKK Mobile Platinum, SKK Mobile, SKK Android Smartphones
You can activate or turn on the Suspension Window by going to the Display setting and ticking on the box. The tab design reminds me of Multi-Window on Touchwiz but it doesn't have the same functionality; Really, it works more like a quick access bar.

3. Large Display Platinum flaunts a 5-inch IPS LCD screen with HD 720 x 1280 resolution, which is a joy to look at.

4. Powerful Innards The phone's 1.2 GHz Quad Core ARM Cortex A7 CPU and PowerVR SGX 544MP GPU in its MediaTek MT6589 chipset plus the 1GB of RAM deliver smooth touch response, efficient multitasking, and powerful gaming and web-browsing performance that a lot of users will surely appreciate.

SKK Mobile Platinum, SKK Mobile, SKK Android Smartphones
During our testing of the handset in the TP Hideout, SKK Mobile Platinum got a score of 4,015 and 13,530 in Quadrant Standard and Antutu Benchmark Test, respectively.

SKK Mobile Platinum, SKK Mobile, SKK Android Smartphones

5. Good Cameras You get two camera on this release; A 13 MegaPixel autofocus shooter with LED flash at the back and a front-cam with a whopping 8 MegaPixel sensor -- both of which have BSI sensor for enhanced low light performance, and are also capable of recording HD videos. I particularly like the front-cam as it takes clear and crisp selfies ideal for sharing on Facebook and Instagram. The back camera, on the other hand, delivers average photos and it could really use a more powerful LED flash. (Sample photos to follow.)

SKK Mobile Platinum, SKK Mobile, SKK Android Smartphones

6. 16 GB of Internal Storage (around 13GB User Available) This is a real treat on a device that costs less than Php 10,000. And what's even cooler is that the phone has a microSD card slot so if you find yourself consuming all that space, you can always add more to it.

7. Affordable Price Tag SKK Mobile Platinum is one of the most affordable flagship handsets out in the market. It's really amazing that for just Php 9,999 you can already get a well-crafted phone that has all the features that I mentioned above plus Dual SIM Dual Standby capability, and WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G HSPA+ connectivity support.

8. Freebies! It's really generous of SKK Mobile to have included a free case and screen protector in the package. The case, shown in the photo below, doesn't only protect the phone from scratches and bumps of regular use but also looks quite attractive.

SKK Mobile Platinum, SKK Mobile, SKK Android Smartphones

Overall, I think SKK Mobile Platinum is a great release that's worthy of my recommendation. However, it does have one point for improvement; Its rather short uptime. The handset only has 1,800 mAh battery pack that is quite small for a device of its caliber. I only get around 8 hours of regular use from the phone, which is not bad but is not stellar either. (Had it come with a 2,500 mAh pack, Platinum would have been the phone to beat in its price echelon.) If you're getting this release, I would suggest that you also get a power bank and install a good battery saver app just to make sure that it won't run out of juice before the day ends.

All things considered, TP Friends, I give this smartphone 9 out of 10 TP Stars. I'm a fan of gadgets that give great value for money and this release definitely does that. If you're on a tight budget but you want a good-looking Android phone with a nice screen, good front cam, and sizable storage, I would suggest that you check out SKK Mobile Platinum.