Cherry Mobile Flare S8 Pro Price is PHP 5,999 : Here's How It Looks In The Flesh

"Of the three new Flare S8 models that you have just announced, the Pro is the one I like the most. This one has hit written all over it."

That's what I told Nico Tan, Cherry Mobile Product Marketing Officer, the first time I got to play with their trio of new Flare S8 smartphones.

Priced at only PHP 5,999, Cherry Mobile Flare S8 Pro doesn't just look more expensive than it actually is but also comes with technical specifications that you'd usually find in 2019 Android smartphones that are priced twice as much.

As you can see in these actual unit photos, this model has a trendy design language that's highlighted by the rounded corners and edges, high-gloss finish, and gradient look.

This is the Twilight Purple version, which has an eye-catching Purple to Violet hue change. Cherry Mobile Flare S8 Pro is also available in Midnight Blue (Blue to Black Gradient) and Emerald Blue (Green to Blue Gradient); I intend to also show you those version in a future post. So please stay tuned.

Apart from having attractive aesthetics, this new Cherry Mobile device also has stellar features that make it a solid yet budget-friendly upgrade coming from entry-level Android smartphones from the past two to three years.

In front, it sports a 6.5-inch HD+ TrueView IPS display that's large enough to make viewing experience more enjoyable when you're scrolling through social media apps, viewing photos, watching videos, or playing 3D games. On top of that, the larger virtual keyboard makes thumb-typing a breeze.

If your current entry-level handset takes dark, blurry photos and you're dreaming of being able to snap clear and crisp images just using your daily phone, you'd be glad to know that the Cherry Mobile Flare S8 Pro has a Dual Rear Camera module that's powerful enough to make a decent point-and-shoot camera substitute.

This set-up is made up of a high resolution 20 MegaPixel primary shooter plus a 5MP depth sensor that enables bokeh or shallow depth of field effect for portraits wherein the background of the subject is beautifully blurred.

If you love taking selfies, Cherry Flare S8 Pro also has a 20 MegaPixel front-facing camera housed in the notch above the screen. Given that many affordable handsets from yester-years merely had less than 5MP selfie snappers, this is certainly a notable upgrade.

For millennials and young professionals who are concerned about security and privacy, this model has a Fingerprint Scanner at the back and Face Unlock integrated in the front cam which both add a veritable layer of protection against those who want to check your photos, videos, messages, and other files without your consent.

Great for starting mobile gamers, Cherry Mobile Flare S8 Pro runs its Android 9.0 Pie operating system with a fairly powerful and energy-efficient 12nm Octa Core MediaTek Helio P22 processor that's good enough for running popular titles like Mobile Legends Bang Bang and Arena of Valor without too much stuttering or lags.

The chipset is complemented by 4GB of RAM for smooth multitasking experience and a sizable 64GB of expandable storage. This combo along with the large 4,000 mAh Li-Ion battery pack make this model quite a powerhouse for its price.

My only gripe about this handset is that it doesn't have a 3.5 mm audio jack -- but I guess this also presents a great opportunity for many Pinoy consumers to use those nifty and convenient Bluetooth Earbuds more often when listening to their favorite music tracks while they are out and about

Great design, large and brilliant screen, reliable cameras, great internal hardware for its price, and budget-friendly proposition: These are the hallmarks of the Cherry Mobile Flare S8 Pro, making it a real game changer in its price bracket.

If you're interested in this particular Cherry Mobile device, feel free to watch my exclusive interview with Nico Tan about the many selling points and stellar features of the Cherry Mobile Flare S8 Pro in the video above. Keep sharing!