Cherry Mobile Thunder 2.0 – Roaring Quad-Core In Effect

Last June of 2013, Cherry Mobile shocked us by releasing not just one but two Quad-Core phones namely, Cherry Mobile Thunder 2.0 and Cherry Mobile Blaze 2.0. Normally, the nomenclature “2.0” derives as a vast improvement from the last version. The Philippines’ fruit company didn’t disappoint us as Thunder 2.0 is indeed a lot better from its predecessor.

Unboxing Photos

Cherry Mobile Thunder 2.0 Specs

• 5-inch FWVGA display with 480×854 pixel resolution
• 1.2 GHz Quad-Core CPU, PowerVR GPU
• 512MB RAM
• 4GB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD Card
• 8MP rear-camera, 2MP front camera
• EDGE, 3G, and HSPA+ connectivity
• Dual SIM
• Wi-Fi 802.11n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth, A-GPS
• 2100mAh battery
• Android Jelly Bean 4.2
• Dimensions 145 x 74 x 9.9 mm

The Form

Basically, the body and form of the Cherry Mobile Thunder 2.0 is very different from the last release of Thunder.

These are my findings in the differences of the Thunder and Thunder 2.0:

• Bigger screen

• An elegant chrome-like bezel surrounds the smartphone

• The camera is located pretty much the same with the other Cherry Mobile devices

• The touch-sensitive buttons in front is placed neatly at the bottom of the screen but it does not illuminate if you turn on the screen

Bigger Screen

The Cherry Mobile Thunder 2.0 packs a 5-inch screen compared the 4.5-inch screen of  Thunder 1. The display has a resolution of 480×854 pixels with FWVGA display with a DPI of 240, based on Phone Tester App.

For me being the user, the display is quite the same with IPS display because the brightness and contrast is closely comparable with IPS.

Just like the last Thunder, the power-on/off is also located at the right side of the device and the location of volume rockers is also retained. However, the overall appearance of the buttons is elegantly designed unlike the last Thunder.

Quad Core Power

Yup! The Cherry Mobile Thunder 2.0 houses a Quad-core Processor, 1.2Ghz Mediatek MT6589 Quad-Core CPU. The Quad-core processor definitely complements the Jelly Bean 4.2.1 that runs in the Thunder 2.0. As I use the device, I experienced smooth gestures and faster loading times. This is definitely a super plus point for a very affordable phablet like this!

As you can see, the Cherry Mobile Thunder 2.0 has an AnTuTu score of 13,362 points! As for the Quadrant Benchmark, the device scores 3,763 points, making it distinguishably higher than the other devices listed. In terms of graphics, I can play games like Despicable Me: Minion Rush and The Tribez with no lags. However, with games like Asphalt 7 and Nova 3, lag and stutters are quite apparent.

Android Jellybean 4.2.1

The Cherry Mobile Thunder 2.0 also has the updated Jellybean 4.2.1 version in the market today. I personally believe that it could have been better had they preinstalled 4.2.2 instead. Noticeable improvements, other than performance compared to Ice Cream Sandwich and 4.2.1 Jellybean includes the lock screen, notification bar and animations. With that said, the Quad-core processor manifests in this OS because smoothness and elegance can be experienced by the user. You can look at the screenshots that I have taken for your perusal.

CAMERA

The Cherry Mobile Thunder 2.0 has an 8-megapixel rear camera and 2 megapixel front camera. This time, Cherry Mobile included a flash to beautify and enlighten the subjects at low-light environmet. The catch here is that the cameras included in the Thunder 2.0 is not BSI, meaning, the camera has no Backside illumination. Therefore, the photos taken with this camera is not that crisp and clear compared to the photos taken using Cherry Mobile Omega HD 2.0.

CONCLUSION

The Cherry Mobile Thunder 2.0 is definitely an UPGRADE from the first Thunder. Bigger screen, Quad-core processor, 8 Megapixel camera and Jellybean 4.2.1. What more can you ask for?

Cherry Mobile Thunder 2.0 is now available nationwide with a price of Php6,299.00. Get yours now!

Gianfranco Viterbo

Gianfranco is the co-founder of gadgetpilipinas.net. He graduated from Far Eastern University. A Psychology student turned tech-savvy. He's currently the HR Supervisor of Blip Media and one of the content producers of Gadget Pilipinas. He enjoys playing competitive video games and binge-watch American TV series.