It was the week when I was like a kid in a candy store experimenting with a new phone, the new Starmobile Play Max which is bundled with up to 600MB free data each month from Smart. Imagine my excitement turn into disbelief when my youngest daughter Lucia said this: ” Can I also get a phone mommy? My classmate Alejandra has one.”
It was, to me, a milestone moment. After all, my older kids didn’t have phone until they were 14 years old or so. But one thing led to another and the Starmobile Play Max suddenly changed hands from me to my youngest kid. The handover was made faster by the fact that something went wrong with her tablet a few days before.
This is a highly tech-savvy generation and young kids intuitively know how to press icons on the screen. I was even amazed that Lucia was able to download Spotify without my teaching her how to 🙂
We all know the thing about adults having a main phone and a second phone. But what about someone having a gadget for the first time? The Starmobile Play Max appears the perfect idea for a starter phone, with its affordable price of only P3,290.
Aside from the free Smart mobile internet included in the package, an advantage of this phone is its carrying the latest Android mobile operating system, the Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Even more amazing is its being equipped with 4000mAh battery. This is touted to be the biggest, most high-powered battery in its class but we’ll talk on that later.
Here’s the Play Max unboxed. Aside from the phone, one gets a Smart Prepaid LTE SIM,a free transparent phone case, screen protector, travel charger, micro USB cable, battery, headset, quick start card and a warranty card.
Front and back view of the phone. Turned on, the colors of the 5 inch display come to life. The brushed metal finish on the rest of the device makes it look classy and elegant. Indeed, who can tell this phone with all the freebies is priced at below P3,500?
Performance wise, here’s the rest of the review:
Battery life and Memory capacity –
You will not be disappointed with the battery juice the Play Max has. It can last for 22 hours of talk time and 16.6 days on standby. And when used with wifi, calls, SMS, apps, etc., the phone’s power lasts an amazing two days. With Lucia’s surfing, it lasted even more.
The Starmobile Play Max has 1GB ram with with 8GB ROM. The expansion slot that can accommodate a micro SD card of up to 32GB means you can download more of those songs, movies and apps.
Connectivity –
The functions work great. Wifi, bluetooth, GPS and even the FM radio work seamlessly. Checking your newsfeed or, in the case of Lucia -watching Youtube – wouldn’t be a hassle with this one.
Camera –
Starmobile Play Max has a handy camera that does the job of capturing those random moments. Rear camera has a resolution of 8MP with LED flash. On the other hand, the front-facing ‘selfie’ cam has 5mp and video capture is 1080p @ 15fps.
A little tinkering and one gets to discover advanced camphone shooting features like ISO,metering, color effects and scenes. Here’s a sample photo taken in normal lighting….
Design and construction –
Starmobile Play Max colors come in Space Gray, Champagne and Rose Gold. The edges of the phone are not too sharp or too curvy, making it easy to hold or slip in the pocket. Since the phone is made of polycarbonate plastic, weight is very light at only 159 grams.The back plate is easily removable. The volume and power/lock buttons are found at the right side. The logo of Starmobile isn’t plastered largely at the back but instead is just a subtle placement at the middle part of the back of the phone.
Multimedia –
With HD resolution on its 5-inch touchscreen, it was no surprise that the device was able to give out quality colors. Contrast, saturation, and brightness have a decent outcome. Giving this thumbs up for its display. Its speakers, like most small devices, can cover a good range with its sounds. But what makes it even more fun than it already is that it isn’t hard to use. My almost 7-year old was able to figure it out after all!
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