After
reviewing Kata's budget Venus 3, I was excited to try one of their
“higher end” offerings. The i2 is at the top of their smart phone
product range and at first glance, you can tell that it has a more
premium feel. Build quality feels solid but this time you see similar
design styles to most phones in this category. Depending how you look
at it, that may or may not be a good thing but at least it makes it
easier for consumers to compare between brands. Let's list the specs
below.
5 inch
qHD (960x540) IPS screen
Dual
SIM
1.2GHz
quad-core MediaTek MT6589 processor
PowerVR
SGX544MP GPU
1GB
RAM
16GB
of internal storage (expandable via Micro SD)
8MP
autofocus camera with LED Flash
2MP
front-facing camera
WiFi
802.11 b/g/n
Quad-band
GSM / 3G/HSPA+
GPS
Bluetooth
2.1
2,200mAh
battery
Android
4.2.1
Price:
Php7,699 (Introductory price)
While
the i2 may have identical specs to almost every other smart phone in
its class, Kata is positioning it as step-up alternative to the other
local brands. For instance, instead of the usual 4 or 8GB of internal
storage they included 16GB. I think this a good move as not all
applications can be moved to the SD card. Screen is only qHD and not
HD,
but that may be a good thing as it lessens the burden on processor.
Despite the resolution drop it's still nice
and bright with
good viewing angles. In fact, I had to double-check the specs that it
wasn't an HD display. Performance from the Quad-Core processor is
quite snappy and I had no problems with all the usual game tests I
performed. Dead Trigger 2 played very well with only minimal lag.
Camera performance was surprisingly good and I was quite impressed
with the photo quality especially in good lighting conditions. I will
post some sample photos below.
One
thing that I really like is the almost stock Android OS. I mentioned
this in my Fishtab and Venus 3 reviews and I'm glad that Kata has
decided not to put their own skin. I believe that unless you have the
resources of the likes of Samsung, HTC and LG to invest in making
your own Android skin, then you might as well just keep it as stock
as possible. Keeping it stock also helps with its snappy performance.
I have to mention that during the course of this review, there was a
system update which makes me hopeful that Kata will continue to push
updates
for their devices. Battery life is average but as usual using 3G or
playing games and you will need to recharge before the end of the
day. I do believe a higher capacity battery would have been a great
selling point for this phone. One thing that puzzles me is why the i2
only has Bluetooth 2.1 and the cheaper Venus 3 comes with 4.0.
Another small complaint is that the power button is located on top
which requires a bit of a finger stretch. I also found it too near
the micro USB plug.
Dual
SIM management is basically the same as the Venus 3, so just read my
review on that. One thing that surprised me was on the SIM slot at
the back of the unit it clearly says that SIM1 is for WCDMA
and
SIM 2 for GSM but I was able to get 3G signal on both slots. I'll
post screen shots with the H+ symbol.
When
choosing a phone at the sub 8,000 peso range you will definitely go
crazy looking for the best deal. While some local brands will give
you an HD screen, you will take a hit on the onboard memory. Kata on
the other hand, will give you a little extra for your cash without
compromising much on the other specs. They will be having a New
Year's Day sale which will include a free flip cover and screen
protector all for P7,699. If this is within your budget, I would
definitely urge you to shop around and compare. But make sure you put
the i2 on your short list as this is one phone you would not want to
miss.
The
Good:
- 16GB Internal Storage
- Camera
- Screen Quality despite being just qHD
- Almost stock Android
The
Bad
- Only Bluetooth 2.1
- Location on Power/Lock button