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Battle of the two 4.5″ dual-SIM smartphones

Today, we pit two dual-SIM Android handsets that are almost identical in specs but differ in pricing. So if you’re torn between getting the Starmobile Crystal and the O+ 8.12, we might just be able to help you in deciding which one’s for you.

8.12 vs crystal

Design and Construction

We’re not exactly sure to which phone we will favor because looks is matter of preference. We also like to point out that both handsets are well-built and are gorgeous in its own right. Having said this, we’d give each device a score in this category.

Starmobile Crystal: 1 | O+ 8.12: 1

Display

Because both handsets have the same screen size and resolution, one would think that we’d call it a tie. But the Crystal has one trick up its sleeve, and that its IPS display. With this type of screen, the handset is able to provide wide viewing angles and slight crisper display quality. 8.12 takes this category away from Crystal because of the shock-proof and scratch-resistant properties of its display.

Starmobile Crystal: 1 | O+ 8.12: 2

crystal vs 8.12

Audio

If there’s a significant difference between these two handsets, it’ll be the audio quality. The O+ 8.12 is the better of the two by a mile, thanks to its loud speakers with pretty decent sound quality.

Starmobile Crystal: 1 | O+ 8.12: 3

Camera

This one goes to the Starmobile Crystal because of its better low-light performance due to its BSI sensor. In addition, the Crystal has a better front-facing camera (2MP vs VGA) than the O+ 8.12, making it a hands-down victor in this aspect.

Starmobile Crystal: 2 | O+ 8.12: 3

Performance

Just like design, the performance factor can be very subjective for the reason that each of us uses our device differently. So we thought of basing our decision on the benchmark scores.

benchmark comparison

As seen in the table above, the score is too close to call. Even though the 8.12 had twice the RAM that the Crystal have, it seems that it was a non-factor in the benchmark tests that we performed. But no matter how close the scores were, we’d still give the O+ 8.12 a slight advantage over the Starmobile Crystal in this segment as the added RAM can be very handy when doing resource-heavy tasks on the phone.

Starmobile Crystal: 2 | O+ 8.12: 4

Battery

On paper, the O+ 8.12’ 1850mAh battery pack has a slight advantage over the Crystal’s 1700mAh. But there’s more to battery life than the battery rating and having a 150mAh advantage over your competitor is not enough to win consumers. Having said this, we’ll call this one a tie, giving each handset a score.

Starmobile Crystal: 3 | O+ 8.12: 5

Specs comparison

Pricing

With only one more aspect left, it seems that we can chalk this one up for the O+ 8.12. But just to be fair, let’s still look in to the pricing aspect of this match-up. The O+ 8.12 currently retails for Php11,995 while the Starmobile Crystal only costs Php7,990. To be honest, we had a hard time scoring the handsets on this category. On one hand, we got the decently spec’d Starmobile Crystal which only costs two-thirds of what O+ is asking for their handset. The 8.12 on the other hand has twice RAM capacity than the Crystal and its screen has an added protection from scratches and accidental drop.

The O+ 8.12 may have the better screen and extra oomph under the hood, but unless you’re a clumsy user or a power user, you won’t really notice the difference that those two features brings to the handset. In addition, average consumers (esp. in our country) has a higher probability to go for the cheaper option that can basically do most of the tasks that the pricier one has to offer. And for that, we give this one to the Starmobile Crystal for the simple reason that it’s more competitively priced than the O+ 8.12. However, if you have money to spare (Php4,005 to be exact), then the 8.12 will probably be a good investment.

Starmobile Crystal: 4 | O+ 8.12: 5

oplus 812

Verdict

It was a close fight, but the Starmobile Crystal emerged victorious in our head-to-head 4.5-inch dual-SIM Android matchup. It may have half the RAM as the O+ 8.12, but it was able to compensate it with its other features and enticing price. O+ 8.12, with its rugged display and 1GB of RAM, managed to take home the victory. The added features comes at a price though, but if you’re willing to shell out extra dough, you won’t go wrong with this handset. If you want to read more about this handset, our full review can be found here.

As for the runner-up, we’d like to commend it by giving the Crystal a run for its money. In fact, had it not been for its slightly pricier SRP, the O+ 8.12 would’ve walked away with the victory. Though beaten, we feel that the cheaper Starmobile Crystal has the potential to win the hearts of the budget-conscious consumers. It’s mid-range specs coupled with a wallet-friendly price tag makes it a viable choice if you’re in a hunt for a decent 4.5-inch dual-SIM Android smartphone. You can check out our full review of this handset by heading over to this link.

Editor’s Note: We apologize for missing out on one of the O+ 8.12’s feature (display) and for any confusion that the previous version of this article may have caused. In accordance to this, we’ve changed the scoring and verdict accordingly to fit the changes we’ve made. We also like to thank the readers who politely pointed out our mistakes.

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Avatar for Ronnie Bulaong

This article was written by Ronnie Bulaong, a special features contributor and correspondent for YugaTech. Follow him on Twitter @turonbulaong.

26 Responses

  1. Avatar for Anon Anon says:

    Dapat mp888 vs Crystal vs Kata i1. Same price range.

  2. Avatar for jayr jayr says:

    i think it would have been better if the comparison is between Kata I1 vs O+8.12 as both have 1GB RAM and then between Starmobile Crystal VS MyPhone A888 as both have 512MB ram.

  3. Avatar for Joel Anies Joel Anies says:

    Wait for the update of O+ 8.12…try kata i1’s new update…:)

  4. Avatar for superboink superboink says:

    Hmmm… I think it was also left out that the O+ 8.12 has the Air Shuffle? Something perky for a consumer I’d say.

  5. Avatar for al al says:

    one important factor left out, the O+ is a quad band or a world phone, you can use it anywhere in other countries. The Crystal is dual band only that means you need to know if the other country you’re goin have the same band with us or leave your phone behind.

  6. Avatar for matthew tribianni matthew tribianni says:

    it’s dangerous to do reviews especially when it is haphazardly done. what’s the use of the edits and revisions when the original article has been read? The damage has been done, baga.

  7. Avatar for support support says:

    how about the official aftersales support?

  8. Avatar for anson anson says:

    paki include ang test sa ear piece , mic audio quality , kc yun astra na bili ko is super hina sa ear piece , mic audio is muffled and the ringer is un par .

  9. Avatar for vance vance says:

    won’t starmobile will be launching Flirt, 1 Ghz dual core processor with 12mp BSI rear cam for less than 10K??

  10. Avatar for mikass mikass says:

    parang promo ng starmobile ang post na ito, lols.

    you pay premium price sa o+ dahil sa premium spec and features nya which this post barely mentions. pero i find it priced too aggressively for a brand thats just starting up. teritoryo na sa mga samsung at lenovo pinaglalaruan niya.

  11. Avatar for Judgeallyouwant Judgeallyouwant says:

    With that low price, the phone’s durability will not be reliable enough

  12. Avatar for john john says:

    If it’s a pure performance comparison, it would have to go to the O+. If it’s build quality, the O+ can take a knife and come out unscathed. If it’s battery life, it might be a bit negligible, but it still goes to the O+. I think the Crystal is a great phone and all, but seriously, how does it beat the O+ 5-3?

  13. Avatar for whblog2 whblog2 says:

    It’s obvious in terms of specifications. I go for O+.

  14. Avatar for co0ljade co0ljade says:

    Check lenovo s720, may qHD 4.5″ IPS display pero 9k lang. :D

  15. Avatar for umix1 umix1 says:

    how about umi x1? cheap and better than those two.

  16. Avatar for asiong ilonggo asiong ilonggo says:

    Lols. Nakatuwa tie sa battery comparison tapos dun performance panalo crystal kahit slight advantage. What a fucking retarded comparison. Mukhan.g me binayaran dito ah

    • Avatar for crash crash says:

      2MP kasi yung front camera, kahit 1GB yung RAM, sabi nga, hindi 4K yung halaga ng 512MB RAM..V

    • Avatar for kebin kebin says:

      ulol! kaya nga benchmark ang tawag nyan 6651<6757, 2711<2713, 23.8<24.1.

      in real life usuage hindi uubra yang 512 sa 1gb. bias paken shet! tie dapat!

  17. Avatar for asiong ilonggo asiong ilonggo says:

    Lols. Nakatuwa tie sa battery comparison tapos dun performance panalo crystal kahit slight advantage. What a ducking retarded commpaeison. Mukhang me binayaran dito ah

  18. Avatar for Adam Adam says:

    Oh okay, so 150mAh is not enough to give it to the O+ 8.12? It’s clear that its bigger. How come you made it a tie? I know that usage plays an important role but if it’ll be used side by side, then the extra 150mAh is a nice boost already.

    For those who are not aware, the display of the O+ 8.12 is scratch proof (super tough, really) and is also an IPS. So how did the Crystal won in that category?

    I agree that the Starmobile Crystal is ‘somehow’ a better buy at Php8k (if you’re tight on budget), but O+ 8.12 gives you more at Php12k. Scratch proof, shatter proof, 1GB of RAM, planned upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, free 8GB microSD card, great earphones with noise-cancelling silicon earbuds, American brand with their original design (it’s not rebranded, fyi), and an awesome pick up + delivery warranty (to your house).

    All things considered, I think O+ 8.12 is worthy of its asking price.

    • Avatar for Aura-King Aura-King says:

      12K for O+? A good buy? No thanks! its a 2nd hand unit of Galaxy SII and I’m pretty sure that SII will buttfuck your O+ like a bitch…

    • Avatar for Cheapboy Cheapboy says:

      Ay ang cheap 2nd hand lang ang afford.. Scratch resistant ba ang S2? Mag cherry mobile ka na lang para hindi 2nd hand. hahaha! Walang pambili si kuya oh

    • Avatar for Anon Anon says:

      Scratch resistant ba ang S2?

      Opo Boss Sir, gorilla glass po ang S2.

  19. Avatar for Ghost Riley Ghost Riley says:

    It’d be nice if battery performance was tested on real world use like using the device on 3G, Wi-Fi, talk time, etc.

  20. Avatar for qwertyqaz qwertyqaz says:

    Better if the Crystal vs Myphone A888 and the upcoming Torque Droidz Blast

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