Cherry Mobile Alpha Luxe Price Php 4,999, Specs, Initial Impressions : Most Affordable 5-inch HD Windows Phone in the Market

Been playing with the Cherry Mobile Alpha Luxe unit - that CM gave me during their recent W.O.W (We're on Windows) Event - for a few days now and, off hand, I'm thoroughly impressed with the device.

As many of you know, I've been a Windows Phone owner since 2010 - via HTC HD7 - and I have quite a number of Nokia Lumia smartphones that I still use for work - including Nokia Lumia 1020, which remains to be the best cameraphone in the world today. I guess I can say I've seen this platform grow through the years.

When I learned that Cherry Mobile, the Philippines' largest electronics player, has finally adopted Windows Phone in its new 'Alpha' line of smartphones, tablets, and hybrids, I knew that it would be a start of even bigger things for the operating system and for Microsoft's mobile devices arm.

By finally allowing all phone makers to use Windows Phone for free, Microsoft has democratized the use of the platform and this can only result in more product choices for every consumer.

In the local tech scene, Cherry Mobile is particularly known for releasing Android smartphones combining great specs with sheer affordability. This is a business model that has worked wonders for the brand and has allowed thousands if not millions of Filipinos - especially entry-level consumers - to become tech savvy without having to break the bank. And in many ways, it is also one of the many reasons why Android has become the leading mobile operating system in the country.

By partnering with Cherry Mobile, Microsoft can jump on the local handset giant's marketing strategies - as well as its unquestionable popularity - to boost the interest of Filipino consumers in the Windows platform for mobile.

And for us, consumers, this is great because we can finally get devices like Cherry Mobile Alpha Luxe, which combines CM's value for 'money proposition' and all the strengths of Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system. Apart from looking for more expensive than it actually is, the Luxe also comes with technical specifications and features that are better than what you'd expect from a WP device with price tag of only Php 4,999.

Flaunting a clear and brilliant 5-inch HD IPS OGS display panel protected by scratch-resistant and shatter proof Dragontrail Glass by Asahi,  Cherry Mobile Alpha Luxe is equipped with an 8 MegaPixel main camera with BSI Sensor, 2 MegaPixel front cam for selfies, a 480p video recorder, Dual SIM Dual Standby capability, 3G HSPA+ support, and a removable 2,000 mAh battery pack.

As for its innards, the device runs Windows Phone 8.1 (version 8.10.12393.890) with its 1.2 GHz Quad Core ARM Cortex A7 and Adreno 305 based MSM8212 chipset by Qualcomm that's complemented by 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage that's easily expandable via microSD card slot supporting up to 32 GB.

I've been testing and reviewing the smartphone for a three days now and it's so good, I can't believe it only costs Php 4,999. The display looks great; The touch response is smooth and lag-free; And all the Microsoft apps are a joy to look at and navigate. Thumbs up, Cherry Mobile and Microsoft!