Review: Skk Mobile Phoenix Tab 2

 

Overview:

The Skk Mobile Phoenix Tab 2 is an addition with their current Phoenix Tab line up joining Phoenix Tab 1 and 3. It is a tablet with dual-sim capability powered by an unknown processor paired with Mali-400mp GPU.

Inside the box includes:

• Phoenix Tab 2 x 1
• Usb cable x 1
• Usb charger x 1
• OTG cable x 1
• headset
• manuals

Pros:

• Dual SIM , Dual Standby
• 5 point touch
• Android Jelly Bean 4.2.1???
• Expandable up to 32GB via microSD
• Dual cam
• WiFi 802.11 b/g/n,WiFi Hotspot
• 3.5 Audio Jack
• Micro USB 2.0 with OTG support
• Bluetooth
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity
• 3000mAh removable battery
• Slim Built:thin bezel
• Built in microphone

Main Disadvantages:

• Low resolution display(800×480)
• Low battery capacity
• No GPS
• 512mb ram
• No built in 3g capabilities

Built:

The tablet is slim with thin bezel, but its back casing is a finger print magnet because of its glossy finish. It may not have an elegant or expensive look but this tablet has a good built.

The tablet fits well because of its thin bezel.

Simple desighn on the back

Power button and Volume rocker is located on the right side of the tablet.

sim slots and micro sd slot are found at the left side of the tablet.

3.5 Audio jack and micro usb found the top

Microphone can be found at the bottom near the speaker grill.

System UI:

The System UI used on Phoenix Tab 2 is almost untouched android stock rom except that the browser icon is changed to SKK icon, other than that you will see a familiar interface of a generic android device with tablet ui.

messaging app.

keyboard ui when typing recipients.

keyboard ui when typing messages.

Phone ui

Performance and Gaming:

The box shows that the tablet has a single core ARM Cortex A9 processor clocked at 1.2ghz paired with Mali-400 MP GPU.

                                                               

The 4821 Antutu benchmark score is subpar with other tablets.

Having a single core chip on an android device might be problem on running some apps specially apps that requires intense processing and GPU capabilities.

Note: Performance may differ on how user uses the tablet.

It can handle some basic games like Temple Run, Subway Surfer and Zombie Tsunami

NenaMark shows 27.6fps just enough to run basic games.

It can also play Dead Trigger but some lags due to its hardware limitations.

Display:

The 7″ screen of the tablet might be enough for watching movies and viewing pictures. The colors in screen is a little bit lacking of colors, also the screen resolution of 800×480 might not be good for a 7″ tablet. It has 5 point multitouch which is good for some multitasking.

The screen brightness is just enough for indoor usage but using in with extreme sunlight outside might be a problem.

Viewing angles from Left and Right is not that good due to its non-IPS screen

view from bottom

view from right

view from top

view from left

Camera:

It is packed with dual camera, both VGA. Not the best but for its price no doubt for them to include just two vga camera.

The picture quality produced by its two camera might not be as good as other cameras on tablets, but with good lighting it can produce a picture just enough to keep some memories.

The Gallery app is missing but replaced by Super HD-Player. You can only view photos and watch videos on Super HD-Player, but when browsing photos you have to locate it manually using file manager. Solution to this missing gallery is downloading gallery apps from playstore.

Taken outside using back camera

using front camera

indoor shot using back cam

Sample video using back cam.

Connectivity:

Good to know that Phoenix tab 2 has a bluetooth and otg functionalities which is good for transferring file from your tab to other device and vice versa. The OTG feature of the tab is a good thing for you to be able to view file from flash drive or use a mouse and keyboard.

It has a dual sim, dual standby which is good for textting and calling at the same time, but due to its hardware limitation the built in data connection is only limited to 2g. You can use OTG to be able to connect 3g dongle for 3g connectivity.

Battery:

The tablet has a non-removable 3000mAh, which will last for about 2-4 hours depending on use.

Verdict:

It may not be a game changer due to its hardware limitation on some aspects specially when you are looking for a 3g connectivity but having a text and call feature is a good catch for a tablet.

It is available on SKK Mobile outlets and kiosk for Php 3499.

Thanks to JM Balicano for lending his unit.