The Android Searcher: Sky Vega Racer

10.12.11 The Android Searcher 0 Comments

On my way to a coffee shop in Ortigas Park, I met a Korean friend who was also on his way to the same coffee shop. After a few pleasantries of "Annyeong haseyo" and "How are you?", we got into a talk of what we're currently doing. When I mentioned that I was working as a writer for Android phones in this online magazine, he began talking about how much he loves Android phones. Since he is Korean, of course his staple should expectedly be that of LG and Samsung. Great brands, indeed and two of the first mobile phone companies to utilize Android as their OS. He showed me his LG phone which was very cool: With an in-built Facebook Chat system, he can go Facebook chatting anytime, anywhere either with Wi-Fi or a mobile internet plan. If you think my feature is on an LG or Samsung phone...

No!

It's something exclusive; an Android so remarkable, that the market has only caught whispers and glimpses of it prior to this post.



Meet the Sky Vega Racer! Long name isn't it? What brand is it then? Not Samsung, not LG... But Sky.

Sky is a line of mobile phones made by Pantech Curitel, the third largest mobile phone company in South Korea, just behind Samsung and LG. This specific Android phone is the property of a pretty gal pal of the Korean friend I met on our way to the coffee shop. She is also Korean, which explains why she was able to have -- and hold-- the Android beauty that is the Pantech Sky Vega Racer.


On a cursory glance, one could mistake the Sky Vega Racer for an iPhone. Just like the iPhone, the Vega Racer is a touch screen phone, from end to end. An interesting, distinct feature of the Sky Vega Racer, however is its double speaker. On the top part, there is a speaker on both ends of the phone which can also function both as phone receivers. For sound, movie and other media buffs, this feature is truly a must-have. Those double speakers are best used for movies while on long trips.

The Korean girl was kind enough to let me explore the features of the phone. I immediately searched for the phone profile and found out that it runs on Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread), and the 1.5 GHz processor runs on Qualcomm MSM 8260 v1.444, Snapdragon, the same processor powering the HTC Sensation.

To test the processor, I flipped on the phone several times and played a short game. This made me say "Wow!" Unlike the other Android phones like Samsung and LG, this one is really fast: just like iPhone, this particular model does not have that "trademark Android" split-second drag! Both the home and app screens are fully customizable; what's more, with this phone, you can make calls on Skype hassle-free! The slick Skype call features are both a blessing and a curse for the phone since you can call on your loved ones anywhere with a WiFi connection or a mobile internet plan. The big catch? Overusing Skype may take a toll on your Sky Vega Racer's battery life.

"So what?" I, The Android Searcher may say, since this is THE Android phone I have fallen in love with.

This phone poses as a direct competitor for Samsung S-II phones with a faster processor at a cheaper price (around a few thousands lower than the Samsung S-II). Talk about convenience, affordability and style. The phone can be seen in the Philippines but among the Korean residents only. Will it hit the Philippines soon? Some "whispers" say maybe next year, and by storm. For now, if you have a chance to swing by South Korea and have loads of tourist budget, don't forget to get yourself one. It's worth the cost. Don't worry about the language feature, since Sky Vega Racer has an English language mode.

Have I found the perfect phone for me? Maybe. But I'll still be on the prowl for that perfect first Android Phone, and when that happens, you'll be the first to know!