Android

Review: SKK Mobile Glimpse 2

SKK-Glimpse-2 (2)

Affordable smartphones seem to be the trend these days, as both local and foreign manufacturers release a bevy of wallet friendly devices. For its part, SKK Mobile has come out with its contender into the entry level scene, the Glimpse 2. And it comes with a 4 inch screen and retails for P1,999.

What’s in the box:

The Glimpse 2 retail package comes with a charger, data cable and a set of earphones.

P1140786

Hardware and Display:

Key Specs:

  • 4.0 inch WVGA LCD display (800 x 480; 233ppi)
  • 1.2GHz MT6572 dual-core processor
  • Mali400MP GPU
  • 512MB of storage (+microSD of up to 32GB)
  • 256MB of RAM
  • 2MP rear cam w/ flash; VGA front cam
  • WiFi; 2G/Edge
  • Dual Sim card (microSIM and a regular SIM)
  • FM Radio, Torch app, customizable theme launchers
  • 1300mAh battery
  • Android  4.2.2 Jelly Bean
  • P1,999

SKK-Glimpse-2 (8)

The 4.0 inch screen is bright and colors are vivid. Viewing angles are good for a phone at this price point.

Design:

With looks reminiscent of the iPhone 5C, the Glimpse 2 is made of glossy plastic all around. It fits nicely in the hand, and feels very very light. It’s attractive enough that you might second guess it for a unit with a higher price.

The glossy body makes the phone a bit slippery to hold at times, and it creaks when pressed and prodded. But with a retail price of P1,999, those minor hiccups are acceptable.

SKK-Glimpse-2 (7)  SKK-Glimpse-2 (6) SKK-Glimpse-2 (5)  SKK-Glimpse-2 (4)

On top, you’ll see the micro USB port and the headphone jack. The right side has the power and volume buttons. At the bottom, you have the speaker grill. The left side does not have any buttons.

Performance and Battery Life:

Thanks to Jelly Bean’s project butter, you’ll notice almost immediately that the user interface (UI) runs smooth. Swiping across the launcher is surprisingly fast and snappy. The dual-core processor does a pretty good job on keeping things almost lag free. It stutters from time to time, but it’s good enough for a P1,999 smartphone. You’ll remember the 256MB RAM when you start opening and using apps. That’s when lag suddenly rears its ugly head.

Screenshot_2014-05-15-17-54-46

Battery life is about average to good. With light to moderate use, the 1300mAh battery was enough to last at least a day.

If you’re the type who like to see benchmarks, here are a couple of scores for you to consider.

Antutu Benchmark Scores:

Glimpse-2-antutu (2)  Glimpse-2-antutu (3)

Linpack Single Thread and Multi Thread Scores:

glimpse-2-linpack (1)  glimpse-2-linpack (2)

Software/Customization:

The Glimpse 2 runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with SKK’s UI on top. You can also change the icons and choose from 6 different themes through the HY launcher’s settings. The windows animations and the app drawer’s transition effects can also be changed.

glimpse-2-launcher  glimpse-2-hy-launcher (1) glimpse-2-hy-launcher (2)  glimpse-2-hy-launcher (4)

Camera:

Not much can be expected from the cam at this price, but performance was decent for a 2MP sensor. The camera app is fast, and the images are good enough for social media. Details are a bit muted, but at least the colors were okay.

Here are some sample photos taken using the main cam. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

glimpse2-test-shots (2)  glimpse2-test-shots (1) glimpse2-test-shot

Wrap Up:

Before we wrap up the review, let’s take a quick look at the Glimpse 2’s advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

  • Price
  • 4.0 inch display
  • Design and weight
  • Smooth and snappy launcher
  • Launcher themes

Disadvantages:

  • Internal storage could an upgrade
  • RAM is a bit anemic
  • No 3G

SKK-Glimpse-2 (3)

If you are planning to jump into the world of smartphones for the first time and don’t want to strain your wallet, then the SKK Glimpse 2 is a good start. The smartphone offers all the necessary things you would normally need. For the low price (of P1,999), you’ll get a bright 4.0 inch display, a smooth UI, and a good looking design.

The Glimpse 2 is available in SKK stores and kiosks nationwide for P1,999.

Bryan is a geek at heart and a tech enthusiast by choice. He has a strong background in corporate communications, marketing services, and customer relations having worked in the telecommunications and banking sectors for over two decades. In his spare time, he enjoys watching clips on YouTube and binge watching shows on Netflix.

8 Comments

  1. ung tungkol po sa price kc d2 po sa bontoc mtn. province eh nasa 2,699 po sha sa DTC… pls paki update cla

  2. ChingChingJoyce Reply

    baket ung sa sms pag nag send ng number baket hindi naka highlight, para pag hinold ung sms na may number pwede na ma save sa contacts?.. unlike sa ibang android phone, kahit hindi android naka highlight/underline ung number?..(sana ma gets nyo lol)

  3. panu po mag dagdag ng fb at clash of clans??? pwede po ba magdelete ng app dito na hindi kailangan na nakalagay na mismo sa internal memory nya??

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