Hyundai Aero Plus Hands-On, First Impressions

The Hyundai Showroom over at Pasong Tamo, today, became the venue for launching the Hyundai Aero Plus — the second smartphone from the South Korean company this year following the Aero that was launched back in January. Let’s take a look at what this new model has to offer its users in this quick hands-on and first impressions.

The Aero Plus now has a bigger 5.5-inch display from the previous 4.8 inches of screen real estate. The resolution has also been bumped up this time to Full HD with In-Plane Switching (IPS) as compared to the Aero which maxes out at 720p.

It also sports a 2.5D curved glass which adds a premium look and better feel when swiping from the sides. Just like its older sibling, the Aero Plus implements a capacitive button setup which is all backlit. From its glossy face, we see the loudspeaker for calls up top right beside its 8-megapixel selfie camera.

Turning it on its back shows the main camera pushed at the top center of the device. It has a 21-megapixel sensor with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and is accompanied by a dual-LED flash. Right below that is the fingerprint scanner for added layer of security.

If you still haven’t noticed, the entirety of the back is a solid metal unibody that adds a premium look and feel.

From this angle, we see that the main shooter is a bit protruded with its shiny chrome trimming almost boasting this fact. We also see the 3.5mm audio jack up top, with the antenna bands segmenting this side.

At the lower end of the back panel, we have the contact points for its wireless charging feature. It’s important to note that only the 4GB/64GB variant has an included wireless charger in the box, with the 3GB/32GB model only having a fast charger.

On the right side are the physical buttons consisting of the volume rocker and power/lock button. With their placements, these are easy to reach whether you’re a right- or left-handed user. You’d also notice that the display looks like it’s placed directly over the chassis instead of blending them together and making them look like one solid piece.

Meanwhile, on the left side is where the tray for its dual-SIM slot is situated with a push-pin opening. Do take note that it uses a hybrid setup meaning you can choose to either use the second slot for a second SIM or use it for storage expansion through a microSD card.

At the bottom, we have the microUSB port for charging and transferring files to and from a computer right beside the main microphone for calls. The speaker grill is also situated here, sandwiched between another pair of antenna bands.

The Aero has been known for its really thin form factor — measuring just 5.1mm. It seems like the Aero Plus doesn’t continue this characteristic as it’s thicker now at 7.3mm. Although, it still felt easy to hold during our short time with it and its curved screen definitely helps in handling.

Inside, it is equipped with a 64-bit Mediatek Helio P10 CPU with an octa-core processor clocked at 2.0GHz. It also comes with a 3GB/32GB variant in addition to the beefier 4GB/64GB tandem.

Hyundai Aero Plus specs:
5.5-inch Full HD IPS display
2.5D Curved glass, Dragontrail
64-bit 2.0GHz MediaTek Helio P10 octa-core CPU
3GB RAM + 32GB storage
4GB RAM + 64GB storage
21MP PDAF ISOCELL rear camera
8MP front camera
Dual-SIM
microSD card support (hybrid)
LTE-A
WiFi
Bluetooth
GPS, A-GPS
Fingerprint scanner
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
3,000mAh battery w/ fast and wireless charging

The Hyundai Aero Plus is priced at Php13,990USD 238INR 20,210EUR 227CNY 1,736 for the 3GB RAM + 32GB storage variant, and Php15,990USD 272INR 23,099EUR 260CNY 1,984 for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant. It will be exclusive at Lazada starting December 7.