Arc Mobile Nitro 450QD Price Php 5,499, Quick Review, Specs, Unboxing, Antutu Benchmark Test Score

Several weeks back, in a meeting that I had with Jordan Ng - Product Manager of Arc Mobile Philippines, I asked him, "There are already a lot of local players in the Android devices game. What makes Arc different from all of them?"

He told me, "We always try to offer the best products we have at the cheapest price possible. That's what makes us different and that's always our goal. Yes, we have low profit margin but we know that if we sell enough units, we can be successful."

Playing with the company's current flagship, Arc Mobile Nitro 450QD, I believe that the company has met that goal.

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With official suggested retail price of only Php 5,499, Arc Mobile Nitro 450QD is currently the most affordable quad core Android smartphone in the Philippines - if not anywhere in the world. The smartphone runs Android 4.2.1 operating system with 1.2 GHz Quad Core ARM Cortex A7-based MediaTek MT6589 chipset and comes replete with a number of decent features.

arc mobile, arc mobile nitro 450qd

The device sports a 4.5-inch IPS LCD with qHD resolution, 4 GB of internal storage expandable via microSD card slot, a 720p HD video recorder, and a 5 MegaPixel main camera with fixed focus lens and LED flash -- it doesn't have a BSI sensor for brighter photos even in low light conditions but it gets the job done. (Sample photos and videos to follow) As for connectivity, the handset - powered by a 1,800 mAh removable Li-Ion battery pack - supports WiFi, Bluetooth, and 3G HSPA+. And to those who are asking, yes, just like any post-Eclair Android phone (Froyo and up), it works as a WiFi Hotspot.

arc mobile, arc mobile nitro 450qd

Design-wise, Nitro 450QD comes with a rounded build reminiscent of Samsung Galaxy Wonder and Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V from two years back. The top and bottom ends have faux metal caps, which somehow make the handset look more expensive than it actually is. Frankly, while I don't think it's the most handsome phone you can get these days, it's by no means devoid of looks. Heck, I think the young consumers and the sporty ones would actually find it very cute.

One criticism that Arc Mobile Nitro 450QD gets from users who are very particular about technical specifications is its rather limited RAM size of only 512 MB. During our internal testing, however, we found that the handset delivers a very smooth touch and gaming experience as reflected in its Antutu Benchmark Test scores. If anything, I think the strongest suit of 450QD is its lag-free performance, which I'm sure everyone would appreciate.

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Interestingly, when I first ran Antutu on the handset three weeks ago, it only gave a score of 9,730.

arc mobile, arc mobile nitro 450qd
After updating Antutu to the latest version and running it again last night, surprisingly, my Arc Mobile Nitro 450QD got a far higher score of 13,739, which I think is more reflective of the kind of performance it delivers.

All things considered, Arc Mobile Nitro is a handset that all budget-conscious Android fans should have in their list of devices to check out. Yes, it may not be the most svelte handset out there, its camera is nothing to scream about, and it may not have the biggest battery pack - I only get around 8 hours of regular use with it, but when you consider its very low Php 5,499 price tag and the fact that it's a legit Quad Core smartphone delivering the kind of performance one would expect from such a device, it's not a release that we can easily ignore. I give it 9 out of 10 TP Stars.

To wrap this up, let me share with you a few unboxing shots.

arc mobile, arc mobile nitro 450qd

arc mobile, arc mobile nitro 450qd

arc mobile, arc mobile nitro 450qd

arc mobile, arc mobile nitro 450qd
You get the Arc Mobile Nitro 450QD unit itself, the 1,800 mAh battery pack, the USB charger, standard earphones, microUSB to USB connector cable, and the user manual.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)
Name Arc Mobile Nitro 450QD
Type Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen)
Price Category Midrange
Dimensions68.2 x 134.15 x 10.5 mm
Weight 156 grams
Available Colors White, Black
Operating System Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean
Display 4.5 inch, qHD, IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Processor 1.2 GHz Quad Core Cortex-A7 MediaTek MT6589 chipset
RAM 512 MB RAM
Internal Storage 4 GB options, expandable via microSD card slot
Camera 5 MegaPixels, 2592 Ñ… 1944 pixels, fixed focus, LED flash, non-BSI Front: 0.3 MegaPixels front camera non-BSI
Video Capture HD 720p 30 frames per second for main camera, TBD for front camera
Audio and Video Playback MP4, DivX, Xvid, FLV, MKV, H.264, H.263, MP3, WAV, eAAC+, Flac
Ports microUSB v2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP, EDR, 3G HSPA+
GPS Yes, A-GPS
Sensors Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyroscope
Network 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
SIM Card Type Mini SIM (Regular)
Battery Removable Li-Ion 1,800 mAh battery
Uptime TBD
Value-Added Features Dual SIM Dual Standby, Android 4.2 right out of the box, Cheapest Quad Core Android smartphone in the Philippines
Announcement July 2013
Availability July 2013
Price Official SRP: Php 5,499