Obi Wolverine S 501 Challenging HTC Desire 210 in Kenya

HTC has made a strong market base in Kenya by introducing mid-range smartphones to high-end smartphones. On the other hand, Obi Mobiles, a company co-founded by John Sculley, ex-CEO of Apple and Pepsi Co set its foot in the Kenyan market in March this year. In spite of being new Obi Mobiles stands a good chance to give HTC a tough competition. To be specific, in this review we are comparing HTC Desire 210 with Obi Wolverine S501 to see what they have to offer in the price tag, say around, KSh 9,000.

Look & Feel:

The biggest difference that we note in the first look is the style and the design. While HTC Desire 210 comes with dimension 125.7X65X10.5mm and weighs 130g, Obi Wolverine S510 has relatively bigger body with dimensions 144X73X9.6mm and weighs 167g. On the whole, HTC 210 is smaller, lighter but also relatively thicker looking device than Obi’s Wolverine. Desire 210 has a metallic body with color variants like black, white and red, on the other hand, Obi Wolverine comes with elegant white and striking black, leather-like cover thus protecting your device from cracks and scratches and adds value to your personality.

Display:

The display screen size of Wolverine S510 is 5.0 inch, offering significantly larger visuals than Desire 210 which has a 4.0 inch screen. Even though the screen type of both the devices comprises of TFT technology with capacitive touch screen, Obi Wolverine has an edge over HTC as it has TFT IPS which provides better color reproduction and greater viewing angle. Furthermore, Obi Wolverine takes a slight lead on the screen resolution with 480X854 pixels providing better display clarity in comparison to HTC’s 480X800 pixels screen resolution. On the whole, Wolverine has a definite leg up over Desire on the display front.

OS and Processor:

HTC Desire 210 runs on Android 4.2.2 Jellybean paired with MediaTek MT6572M 1GHz dual-core processor, whereas Obi Wolverine runs on relatively more advanced Android Kitkat 4.4 operating system packed with MediaTek MT6572M 1.2GHz dual-core processor that gives an accelerated performance. On the performance front too, Obi’s Wolverine acquires an edge over HTC’s Desire 210.

RAM and Storage:

RAM and internal storage is a matter of concern if you are looking forward to many apps and games. Both the devices are configured with 4GB of internal memory, which is expandable upto 32 GB externally. However, Obi Wolverine might impress you more with its 1 GB of RAM in comparison to HTC Desire 210 which comes with 512 MB RAM, about half of the former device. Double the RAM means Obi’s Wolverine will ensure faster performance and run applications relatively more smoothly.

Camera and Battery:

HTC Desire 210 has been designed with 5MP primary camera and a VGA secondary camera which over time has gone out of fashion. On the other hand, Obi’s Wolverine comes with a 5MP primary camera with a LED flash ad is placed in the middle of the device and a 0.3MP secondary camera for selfies. Both the devices are equipped with geo-tagging feature, however, Wolverine additionally comes with features like face detection and Panorama Shot. On the whole, Obi once again has a slight leg up over HTC. On the battery front, both HTC Desire210 and Obi Wolverine S501 have removable batteries with 1300mAh and 1500mAh battery limit respectively. However, Desire 210 offers talktime upto 9 hrs and standby time upto 260 hrs whereas Obi Wolverine gives you talktime upto 6 hrs and standby time upto 180 hrs. While Wolverine has a larger battery capacity, the claim of talk and standby time puts HTC Desire ahead of Wolverine.

Connectivity and other Features:

Both HTC Desire 210 and Obi Wolverine S501 are dual-sim phones, and both the SIM supports 3G in both the devices. Both the smartphones have WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, FM, 3.5mm audio jack, accelerometer and proximity sensor in common.

Conclusion:

We note that while both the devices are comparable on several accounts, there are some differences too. Obi’s Wolverine has a relatively more advanced OS and processor, secondary camera, larger display and double the RAM, whereas HTC Desire claims longer talk and standby time. The price in the Kenya market also works in favour of Obi Wolverine which is around KSh9000 in comparison to HTC Desire 210 marked around KSh10,000.

However, with a certain brand value, HTC Desire 210 may appeal to those looking for a more handy, smaller looking device, and are not constrained by funds. Where as Obi Wolverine would appeal to those keen on better visual experience while watching videos and playing games, better quality selfies and some style statement. On the whole, we note that other than specific brand priority and design preference, Obi’s Wolverine is a better investment considering the specifications and the price tag.

Features / Specifications	HTC Desire 210	Obi Wolverine S501
Dimensions (mm)	125.7 x 65.00 x 10.5 mm	144.00 x 73.00 x 9.60mm
Battery capacity (mAh)	1300	1500
Battery Talk Time(hrs)	Upto 9 hrs	Upto 6 hrs
Battery Standby Time(hrs)	Upto 260 hrs	Upto 180 hrs
Colours	Black, White, Red	White, Black
Screen size (inches)	4	5
Resolution	480x800 pixels	480x854 pixels
Processor	1GHz  dual-core	1.2GHz   dual-core
RAM	512MB	1GB
Rear camera	5-megapixel	5-megapixel, Autofocus
Flash	No	Yes
Front camera	VGA	0.3-megapixel
Operating System	Android 4.2	Android 4.4.2
Price	Around KSh 9,999	Around KSh 9,000

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Huawei’s Honor under attack from Tecno’s Phantom

It is Huawei’s Honor 3C versus Tecno’s Phantom Z Mini 2 this time, and our focus remains on African smartphone market, particularly Kenya, where we have gone for the price match. The winner is somewhat clear but for little extra price that also brings in lot more. 

Design: Huawei Honor 3C is a simple but elegant device with dimensions reading 139.5x71.4x9.2mm. On the other hand, Tecno Phantom Z Mini 2 is a longer and slimmer handset with 145x70x6.6mm dimensions. 

Display: Both the devices come with 5inch display and resolution of 720x1280 pixels, however, main differentiator is the screen technology. While Huawei Honor 3C uses an IPS-LCD capacitive screen, Tecno Phantom Z Mini 2 uses an AMOLED IPS HD display, which offers better visual experience while viewing at angles and is more efficient in terms of energy consumption, contributing towards longer battery life.

Operating System (OS): Both devices run on an Android operating system v4.4.2, however, Tecno Phantom runs on customized Android user interface (UI) referred as Aliyun OS, which looks neat with icons well spaced, all on a black background. Therefore, on both the accounts i.e. operating system and processor, Tecno’s Phantom has a sure edge over Huawei’s Honor.

Processor: Both the devices run on a MediaTek chipset, however Huawei’s Honor 3C is powered by a Quad-Core, 1.3 GHz processor with 2GB RAM, where as Tecno’s Phantom Z Mini 2 is powered by Octa-Core 1.4 GHz processor with 2GB RAM. Although both devices are neck to neck in processing speed, they differ in the number of processor cores. In Quad-Core chips, each core can be put to work simultaneously on any given task, thus making it fast with fluid motions and camera performance, whereas Octa-Core chips have two sets of Quad-Core processors which split tasks between them according to the level of tasks (basic/advanced).

Internal memory: Huawei Honor 3C has 8GB of internal memory that is expandable externally to 32GB using microSD, however, Tecno Phantom Z Mini 2 provides 16GB memory capacity but without the option of any external storage. Therefore, the choice is between ready availability, where Tecno’s Phantom has an edge and possibility where Huawei’s got an advantage.  

Camera: Huawei’s Honor 3C comes with an 8MP primary camera and 5MP secondary camera, whereas Tecno’s Phantom Z Mini 2 has 13MP primary camera and 8MP secondary camera, which once again provides Tecno’s Phantom a sure leg up over Huawei’s Honor.

Battery capacity: Tecno Phantom Z Mini 2 comes with a Li-Ion 2420 mAh battery, where as Huawei Honor 3C closely follows with Li-Po 2300 mAh battery. The difference is small, but it once again provides Tecno’s Phantom a slight edge over Huawei’s Honor.  

Additional features: To the advantage of music lovers, Tecno has featured Dolby Digital Sound to its device that sets it apart from Huawei’s Honor. They have also provided another interesting feature called the “Inadvertently Mode” whereby the device automatically locks itself once it enters user’s pocket. Furthermore, the “Clear Motion” is said to enhance video playback. Moreover, Tecno comes with a free flip cover in the box.

Price: To get an indication, we looked at various e-commerce websites catering to Kenya market, where Huawei Honor 3C is available at around KSh19,000 whereas Tecno Phantom Z Mini 2 is priced at around 21,000. Considering the advantages Tecno’s Phantom comes with as compared to Huawei’s Honor on almost all the aforementioned counts, the price difference of about KSh2,000 may not necessarily be the deciding factor while making a choice.

Our recommendation is, if you are struggling to decide between these two devices, i.e. Tecno Phantom Z Mini 2 and Huawei Honor 3C, you may wish to consider paying little extra to get not only a better device but a device that comes with lot more too.

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Kenya watches Obi’s Racoon chase Tecno’s P5

Racoon, a medium sized grayish looking mammal native to North America, is known for its intelligence. However, Racoon that is creating buzz in East Africa’s smartphone market is one of the eight models that a new smartphone maker, Obi Mobiles, co-founded by John Sculley, the famous ex-CEO of Pepsi Co and Apple, has recently launched in the region. However, Obi’s Racoon has to face some established challengers out there in order to create its territory. One of the challengers is Tecno Mobiles, which was first to introduce dual SIM smartphones in the region and is now a familiar brand. In this review, we have picked up two models, i.e. Tecno’s P5 and Obi’s Racoon S401, that fall in the so-called affordable segment.

Let us start with what is the most visible in a smartphone, the colour. While Obi’s Racoon offers customers an option between white and black colours, Tecno’s P5 comes in standard black. The physical dimensions of Tecno’s P5 are 124.3x65.5x10.5 mm, where as Obi’s Racoon comes with 126x64x10mm, which makes Racoon a relatively sleeker looking smartphone. However, both the devices compare well in terms of screen size, 4inches screen with a TFT (thin-film transistor) capacitive touchscreen, and resolution 480x800, which means viewing experience would be the same, except that one may prefer it either on a sleeker device or a broader looking device.

The performance of Obi’s Racoon S401 is determined by the Android OS 4.4.2 (KitKat) on which it is based, whereas Tecno’s P5 runs on 4.2 (JellyBean), which is advantage Racoon. Both the devices have a 512 RAM (Random Access Memory), expandable to 32GB but while Racoon has dual core 1GHz processor, it is 1.3 GHz for P5. Here, it is important to understand the relationship between RAM and processor. Normally, higher the RAM, smoother the ability of the handset to run several tasks at once and faster the processor, better is the device’s ability to handle operations. However, if the fast processor does not come with higher RAM then one is likely to encounter bottlenecks such as memory shortage.

In addition, both these devices possess dual SIM capacity and support EDGE/GPRS and 3G. The difference appears in the battery where Obi’s Racoon has a 1500 mAh, removable Li-ion battery capacity with up to 6 hours talk time and standby time of 180 hours, while Tecno’s P5 has a 1800mAh, non removable battery with 8.5 hours of talk time and 288 hours of standby time. Furthermore, both the models have 5MP, fix focus rear cameras and 2MP front cameras, but Obi’s Racoon also comes with other features such as geo-tagging and multi shot.

When the features and specifications of the two devices compete with each other almost neck to neck, it is the price tag that could make a real difference, where Obi’s Racoon set at around KSh 6500 acquires an edge over Tecno’s P5 which is around KSh 8000. Besides, the customer choice may also be influenced by the colour options and the shear look.

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HTC’s Desire faces up to Obi's Octopus in East Africa

HTC Mobiles has been one of the established players in the East African smartphone market, where some ripples are being created with the entry of a rather new player, Obi Mobiles, a smartphone company co-founded by John Sculley, the famous ex-CEO of Pepsi Co and Apple. Both companies offer a range of products meant for a varied set of customers. In this review, we have picked up two models - HTC’s Desire 626 and Obi’ Octopus S520 – for a comparative review with the intention to help consumers make an informed choice rather than declaring a winner. 

At the very outset, let us understand that there are as many similarities as differences between the two models, which leaves the costumers struggling with the reworking of their smartphone priorities before making a choice. We start by looking at the overall physical dimensions. If HTC’s Desire, with dimensions 146.9x70.9x8.19mm, has a bit longish sleeker look, Obi’ Octopus, with 145x75x8.4mm, gives a more broader feel. However, in both devices the screen size (5inches) and the screen resolution (720X1280 pixels) are exactly the same. This means while the dimensions invoke different visual and holding experience of the devices, which is subject to once liking, the image or movie viewing experience for the users remains the same.

One among the critical components that determine any smartphone’s performance is the processor. Obi’s Octopus, built on Android 4.4.2 Kitkat, is powered by MTK MT6592 1.7 GHz Octa Core processor, where as HTC’s Desire, which runs on Android, lags behind with a 1.2 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 410 processor. Furthermore, HTC’s Desire comes with 1GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB via SD card support. Obi’s Octopus too comes with 1GB RAM but has an internal storage of 8GB that too can be expanded up to 32GB via SD Card Support, which makes both comparable. However, a more advanced processor in Obi’s Octopus provides it an edge at the level of user experience, as it offers quicker and smoother movement while switching between various apps.

   

However, HTC’s Desire tries to make up for the processor disadvantage at other levels, which includes camera, battery life and talk/stand by time. While HTC’s Desire has 13-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera with flash, Obi’s Octopus draws its confidence with its 8-megapixel Sony IMX111 auto focus rear camera with 2.4 aperture and 2-megapixel of front camera. However, with a 2000mAh battery power, HTC’s Desire has a slight edge over Obi’s Octopus that comes with 1800mAh battery. HTC’s Desire also claims an edge over Obi’s Octopus on Talk/Stand by time. From the user point of view, the real difference reflects from the quality of pictures taken using the two devices.

Both the devices support a regular and Micro-SIM with 3G support, come with a WiFi standard support of 802.11/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and other features like GPS facility. However, you have an option of FM Radio in Obi’s Octopus where as in HTC’s Desire it comes as a 3^rd part application. Most of all, both the smartphones also have about the same price tag in the Kenyan market, which is around KSh 25,000. In the context of the aforementioned spec-to-spec match, the consumer is left wondering about making a choice between a device that promises high performance making time lag a thing of past and a device that claims to last longer. Of course, the choice is yours.

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Can Obi’s Crane fly higher than Tecno’s Phantom in Kenya?

The new player to enter the smartphone market in Kenya is Obi Mobiles, co-founded by John Sculley, ex-CEO of Pepsico and Apple. Obi has recently launched their eight smartphone-models named after various animals that could pose competition to existing smartphone players in the Kenyan market. One of the leading smartphone players in the Kenyan market is called Tecno Mobile. In this review, we are comparing Tecno Mobile’s PhantomA+ Mini with Obi Mobiles’ Crane S 550, which are a very close match, but with some price and design variations. 

We start with similarities. Both, Obi’s Crane S 550 and Tecno’s Phantom A+ Mini are dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) smartphones and support a regular SIM and a Micro-SIM with 3G support for each. Obi’s Crane runs on the recent Android 4.4.2 KitKat and comes with a 5.5inch (540x960 pixels) qHD TFT IPS display. The Phantom A+ Mini too runs on the Android 4.4.2 KitKat but has a 4.5inch IPS display (540x906 pixels). This offers Obi’s Crane an edge over Tecno’s Phantom, as a larger display is always a plus to have.

Both the Crane and the Phantom A+ Mini are powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek (MT6582) processor coupled with 1GB of RAM and with 8GB of inbuilt storage, which is further expandable via a microSD card (up to 32GB). Furthermore, if Obi’s Crane sports an 8 megapixel rear autofocus camera with LED flash and a secondary 5-megapixel front-facing camera, so does Tecno’s Phantom A+ with a flash and features like geo tagging and auto focus. But it is the quality of photos that distinguishes the camera in the two smartphones. The secondary camera in Crane gives you good output in low light, while the photos clicked through Phantom’s secondary camera come a bit grainy in the low light. However, on these indicators the two models are more or less comparable.

The two smartphones features the same Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi options, however, there is an important difference on the connectivity front. While Obi’s Crane S550 offers 3G, GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Micro-USB and Bluetooth options, Tecno’s Phantom comes with 2G GSM: 900 / 1800 MHz 3G WCDMA: 2100MHz GPRS: up to 48kbps. Another significant front where Obi’s Crane takes an edge is the battery, as it packs a 2400mAh battery rated to deliver up to 6 hours of talk time and up to 180 hours of standby time. Tecno’s Phantom A+ Mini, on the other hand, comes with an 1800 mAh battery that is much lower, especially considering the price.

Besides the price advantage which may be rather small - Obi’s Crane S 550 at KSh 14,399 and Tecno’s Phantom A+ Mini at KSh15,799 – Obi’s Crane has three significant differences, which include a larger display (5.5inch), large battery (2400mAh) and 3G connectivity.  In addition, we suggest you also look out for the design and the feel that Obi models boast about, which is basically a matter of personal choice. However, the buzz is that Obi Mobiles likes to focus on exceptional designs as the distinguishing marks of their products. 

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