A Thorough Review Of The Cherry Mobile Nova

22.12.11 The Reporter 2 Comments

As I mentioned earlier, I was going to give the long-overdue in-depth review of the Cherry Mobile Nova. I had written my first impressions about it on my personal Tech blog, but that was that: first impressions. Four months into using my Cherry Mobile Nova, and here is my verdict:

The Experience:

Unboxing my Cherry Mobile Nova was painless -- I carried it out of its box right after it was paid for in Shangri-la EDSA Mall. I asked the ladies in the store to already install its screen protector. Cherry Mobile was considerate enough to bundle the phone with a screen protector and a 2GB Micro-SD card. Asking for the screen protector to be installed on it was probably the best decision I've made for my Cherry Mobile Nova. Back in the early days of China Phones, around 2009, I had had a resistive touchscreen phone and it "died" a month or two before it hit a year with me. While it still turned on, its touchscreen no longer responded. I guess the lack of a screen protector hastened its demise. To think that it had a really good camera, for a China Phone.

My Cherry Mobile Nova, on the other hand, has been protected with the screen protector from Day 1. So I expect that this will "live" beyond a year with me.

The Cherry Mobile Nova came with Eclair, Android 2.1.6. Even though the box said it came with Froyo, well, it didn't. But that didn't bother me much -- until I maxed out the paltry internal storage (around 150 to 170MB) and wanted to move my apps to SD, a feature found only on Froyo and up.

So I vacillated between keeping it on Eclair or upgrading to Froyo. I finally took the plunge when I found The Technoclast's article on upgrading it. They made it sound so painless, that I thought that I should give it a shot. If I brick it, I'm using Cherry Mobile's ROM anyway. I could probably bring it in for repair, should things go awry.

It didn't. After around 20 minutes of cooling my heels and biting my nails and getting jeers that I'll brick my phone (I bricked my SmartBro USB dongle earlier that week), I proved my detractor wrong: I successfully upgraded my Cherry Mobile Nova to Froyo. Wasn't that wonderful.

After that, I happily re-installed my apps and restored the data from the backups I created. And I fired away at the App to SD function. Oh was I happy to have moved everything to SD and have more space remaining in my Internal Storage.

On hindsight, I wished I installed an App Backup to SD app. Android Assistant now has that function (Backup Apps to SD/Restore Apps from SD). That way, I wouldn't have needed to manually reinstall everything. What I did was that I typed all the names of the apps I had then installed them one by one from that list. Such tedious work! Should you want to attempt an upgrade, do use an app backup/restore application, to save you the hours. Unless you enjoy being OC like that.

Fast forward to today: I don't know what happened with my Internal Storage, but I believe that all the install/uninstall of apps that I've done has seriously compromised my Internal Storage. I tried re-installing the Software Upgrade from the Cherry Mobile website, but nothing happened. No change. That's why I'm seriously considering rooting this phone so that I'll have access to the ROM files and delete the file fragments left by uninstalling apps.

However, even though I'm a daring kid who doesn't mind the risk of bricking her phone, I'd have to say that I'd rather take a calculated risk. So, I'm waiting until I can get another Android unit (with 3G and portable WiFi hotspot functions) before I root and mod this.

See, after a while, I discovered that I still hate typing on a touchscreen. I completely abandoned the use of my Cherry Mobile Nova as a texting phone. I also completely abandoned all of its call functions except on occasion that all my other phones had their microphones conk out.

I barely even use my Gmail on this. When in the past I had been so fond of the Sun Cellular SMS2Email service, and wanted a Blackberry badly so that I can get email on the fly, today, my email is just a peripheral concern; 80 to 90% of my work communications and project management are on a secret Facebook group, and somehow, viewing that on an Android just doesn't cut it anymore.

So, the Cherry Mobile Nova is now just my WiFi router, blog, news and Bible reader, YouTube viewer, mp3 player, task manager, budget tracker and calendar manager.

Credit it to the fact that this baby isn't rooted, I can't even install an eBook reader anymore, because of the lack of space. I need to root this Cherry Mobile Nova, and soon. But for now, I'm happy using it as it is.


The Good to Great Stuff:

WiFi Hotspot functions -- As I said, this is the primary use of my Cherry Mobile Nova now. I decided to do it this way because of one major thing: ADSL in my area is pretty dismal in speed, uptime, and general service. I am absolutely reluctant to subscribe to a monthly plan simply because I know I will only get frustrated when the Internet conks out, plus, with the very transitory nature of my life so far, I have been wont to leaving a place long before I hit finish the lock-in period. And since 3G is very portable, it's the most convenient form of Internet connection for me so far. So, I host my 3G on my Cherry Mobile Nova, and I connect from the work laptop to the Internets through the Cherry Mobile Nova. While some speed and bandwidth freaks may say "WEAK!" well, I don't torrent. And I'm not exactly a YouTube hog. The only thing that makes me tear my hair is Facebook and its buggy, heavy code. But Facebook is always going to be buggy and heavy, no matter what your connection or equipment is, so I can deal with the occasional snags.

Plus, I've downloaded software on this connection, and so far, so good. No complaints here. Happy camper.

3G Connectivity -- My decision to host my WiFi on the Cherry Mobile Nova came when I realized I wanted to be able to Facebook wherever I went. That time, I still had my 3G Router with me. Now, I loaned it to a friend, because I realized that it's better to host my internets on the Cherry Mobile Nova. Prior to that decision, I'd move my Globe Tattoo SIM from the dongle attached to the 3G Router and onto the Nova whenever I go out. Then I realized how insanely inconvenient that is, especially when my Nova gained WiFi hotspot functionality when I upgraded. So I decided to just use the Nova as my sole WiFi router. Killed two birds with one stone: hosted my WiFi, and provided my means of going online wherever I was.

So I happily Facebooked whenever I got stuck on some grocery queue. I Facebooked whenever I had an interesting thought when I walked. I Facebooked as I climbed stairs, rode the tricycle, and even as I crossed the street. YES, it got THAT crazy. It was so crazy I was staring at the nose of a bus one time as I Facebooked. I'm still here, so it means I didn't get run over.

The Facebook mania was brought to a halt when I saw that the Facebook app had ballooned to 11MB. I thought it was going to take over my whole Internal Storage, so I promptly uninstalled the app from the phone. After that, I realized I was too online. So I took to leaving the Android at home whenever I went out. There were times when I regretted leaving it, like whenever I discover that I was going to be confronted with a queue and I have nothing to occupy myself with as I stood in line.

But, realizing that I was too online made me decide to make an effort to be less connected. So there are periods where I'd actually turn off my 3G connection just for some peace and quiet and Plants vs. Zombies.

Reader and Media Player -- The biggest surprise that the Cherry Mobile Nova brought me was its sound quality. When I tried its stock earphones, I was impressed! It looked and felt cheap and plasticky, to be honest. But the sound quality was almost as good as the sound you'd get from a pair of iPod earbuds. That was the most awesome part for me. I'd expect that the earphones produced crappy diffused and un-optimized/un-equalized sound, but no. It was perfect enough for me.

As a reader, the YouVersion Bible App redefined the Bible reading experience on my end. I loved how I could highlight verses and in different colors. I loved how I could bookmark my next readings. It was a great change in how I read my Bible.

As a blog reader, and YouTube video viewer, the Cherry Mobile Nova added ease to my life. Sitting down for so long tires a human body, and when one would like to read or watch a video, it would be great to do it just before they drop off to sleep, right? Having the Cherry Mobile Nova made it possible for me to do just that. I read the bubblegum news on Yahoo just before I sleep. I do have bookmarks to BBC, CNN and even ABS-CBN News and Inquirer, but, you know, it's just easier to read news from Yahoo. Having this Android gave me the convenience of that.

Viber and Trillian -- I'd have to say that Viber and Trillian gave me more reasons to enjoy my Cherry Mobile Nova. Viber is a great messaging/chat app, and if you're fond of sending MMS pictures, it's a better, cheaper way to do it. Viber sends pictures instantly, so there's no wait for retrieving it from the server.

I've never been a fan of MMS, and up to today, I still haven't perfected the art of setting it up. But I'd have to say that I love sharing the things I see in my world, even the most mundane. Viber lets you share photos in seconds. Not much of upload time, not much of a lag.

Plus, with Viber, I get to text friends abroad who are on Androids and iPhones with no charge at all.

Trillian lets me connect to multiple accounts at once: Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, and even Facebook Chat. It is multi-platform, meaning it has apps for Windows, Mac, the iOS devices, the Android, among other platforms. I use it both on the Windows XP work laptop I use, and my Android. So whenever I need to run out for groceries and I get stuck on a queue, I can still connect with friends who are online and whittle away at the waiting time by chatting the minutes away.

Data Transfer and Storage -- At times, I need to take pictures for work, and not just filch a photo from somewhere. So whenever I use my Cherry Mobile Nova for taking pictures, I once used the imgur app to upload photos directly to my work or personal accounts. But since I have an Internal Storage space problem, as I mentioned, I had since deleted the app. What I do now is that I regularly remove my Micro-SD and archive my photos to the work computer by date.

On the other hand, I've needed to transfer text messages, notes and other data online. What I did was that I copied the data to an empty Google Docs document and saved it. Or I copied it to a fresh email and sent it to one of my other Gmail accounts.

I could have just used an SMS backup app, but as I said, I'm not keen on installing more apps on this anymore.

The strength of the Android is in its selection of apps available on the Android Market. Undeniably, the Blackberry still has a better calendar in my opinion, and still has unbeatable email delivery capabilities. But if there's one thing that the Cherry Mobile Nova has made me realize, it's that I don't really need email as much as I thought I would. Also, I learned that I don't need to be online 24/7.

The Cherry Mobile Nova gave me a good taste of what it feels like to have and use an Android. Thanks to getting my feet wet on this baby, I learned that while I still want to try an iPhone and see what it's going to be like using it, and I still want a "proper" Blackberry (mine has limited capabilities), even if I'm not The Scribbler of AndroidAlliance.Ph, I know that Androids will be my staple phones until better technology replaces it. I love the customizability of the Android, the fact that everything is functional on its dashboard, and I love that there's a wide selection of Android phones on the market. Being on the Android has allowed me to see the possibilities of open-source tech. Plus, jailbreaking an iPhone or even just an iPod Touch isn't exactly as good as rooting an Android. Rooting an Android may void your warranty, but it isn't illegal. Jailbreaking your iOS machine is going to void its warranty and is actually illegal. Plus, rooting gives you the capacity to install different "flavors" of the Android OS. So if you're an easily-bored kid like me, you may find yourself changing OS flavors every month. Or every other week. I'll bet that once I get started rooting this Cherry Mobile Nova and get the hang of it, I may well be trying different versions every month, as I see fit. Or maybe I'd be too lazy and just be happy that I can manage my data and internal storage space better. We'll see. I'm looking forward to that day.


Summary:

Great: The Cherry Mobile Nova gives you the full Android treatment, without needing to spend more. It is among Cherry Mobile's best models, and it is very sturdy. Its build and profile are sleek, making it perfect as a lady's phone. It has the same specs as the Cherry Mobile Orbit, without the bulk, but also without the secondary SIM. (Cherry Mobile Orbit is dual-SIM)

The Cherry Mobile Nova is also pretty sturdy. To date, I believe it's slipped from my hands or the table thrice, and it's still standing. No difference with call or signal quality noted. Proof of the solidness of its construction.

The Cherry Mobile Nova shares the same kind of battery as the Cherry Mobile Trident. Thus, if you also have a Cherry Mobile Trident (like I do), you can share and swap batteries between the phones. You may also be able to find a similar type of battery from the Nokia product line.

Dismal: This isn't Cherry Mobile's problem, but the Android/Gmail app's problem: Sync and email delivery isn't in real-time, and keeping your Sync function on simply drains batteries much faster. If the Android's chief complaint is its dismal power management, turning your Sync on all the time may worsen this flaw. For those who expect their smartphones to deliver snappy email and have a very long battery life, don't expect that of an Android, of ANY Android, for now.

The Cherry Mobile Nova's Internal Space may leave much to be desired for the space hogs. So if you're looking to fill your phone with apps, look elsewhere. Try a Gingerbread phone, root and mod your Cherry Mobile Nova to Gingerbread, or get a phone with bigger specs. The Cherry Mobile Magnum HD would be a great start for a higher-spec Android, as it has 2GB of Internal Storage. Not to mention it looks beautiful, and is priced beautifully, as well. Other Androids at 12k actually have less Internal Storage than the Cherry Mobile Magnum.

Also, if you're looking for a great camera on your phone, don't look for it in a Cherry Mobile phone. Maybe it's the fact that these are whitebox models, but the images from Cherry Mobile Androids we've seen so far are similar to images taken from China Phone models. If image quality is crucial for you, you may want to look elsewhere.


Conclusion:

The Cherry Mobile Nova is a standard Android phone. Meaning, it has the same specs as an LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson Phone of its price range and from the time it was released. Circa 2010 Androids will have the same specs as the Cherry Mobile Nova, so if you're on Eclair or Froyo, on a phone model released around 2010, you'll have the same problems I faced: rapidly diminishing space.

But if you're on a similar-spec'd phone but on Android 2.3/Gingerbread, you may have a better experience managing your disk space. Gingerbread moves your apps to SD the moment you install them, thereby conserving Internal Storage.

On the whole, if you're looking to have your first Android, I would recommend getting this phone. I eventually realized it actually has a clearer, better screen than the Samsung Galaxy Y.

I was looking to upgrade with the Cherry Mobile Orbit or the Cherry Mobile Stellar (as both are dual-SIM models), but then I discovered that the dual-SIM Androids don't have 3G/HSDPA on their 2nd SIMs, defeating the purpose I was considering these models for: hosting 2 different 3G broadband providers. Since this is how dual-SIM Androids are, for the moment, and if your purpose is to host or access 3G from two different providers on one phone, you may not be able to do that for now. As far as I know, there isn't any dual-SIM Android that has 3G on both its SIMs in the market just yet. Let me know if I missed something.

The Cherry Mobile Nova's construction may very well be among the best in the Cherry Mobile Android line: I noticed that they still priced it higher than the other phones whose prices they bumped down for the Christmas season. The Cherry Mobile Nova is Php 400 more expensive than the Cherry Mobile Orbit! There must be a reason behind that, and as far as I've experienced, it's pretty much justified.

Would I recommend the Cherry Mobile Nova to a first-time Android user? YES, wholeheartedly. If you're looking at a Torque phone and a Cherry Mobile Nova, choose the Cherry Mobile Nova. This one is on a Qualcomm chipset, while Torque is on MediaTek.

Would I recommend a Cherry Mobile Nova over an LG Optimus Me? Yes, if you're going to root your Android. If you're going to be a casual user, then go ahead and choose the LG Optimus Me. The LG is going to have a better screen and a better camera. So if that's what you value, then go for LG.

Would I recommend a Cherry Mobile Nova over a Samsung Galaxy Y? Yes, if you want a crisper screen and a sleeker profile. Plus, if you want to be able to buy extra batteries at a lower cost for your Android, yes, definitely choose the Cherry Mobile Nova over the Samsung Galay Y. Take note: just make sure you don't mind shelling out around a thousand pesos more. Cherry Mobile Nova is at Php 6,899, while the Samsung Galaxy Y is at Php 5,990. You'll have to spend at least Php 700 for the Samsung battery, however. One was spotted in the wild at Php 900. You may be able to get a Cherry Mobile/Nokia replacement battery at less than Php 500 for this particular model.

The bottom line is that the Cherry Mobile Nova is great for first-time Android users who are thinking about trying to root and mod their phones. It is great for those who value durability and reliability. It is great for those who want to see if Cherry Mobile phones are up to scratch.

As someone told me today:

"Cherry Mobile really shouldn't have put out their cheaper/disposable models. If they came out in the market with their top-of-the-line Androids, maybe they'd have earned more love from satisfied users instead of the hate they're getting from those who got bum phones."

He's got a point, no?


With that, I'm letting you know that tomorrow we'll be posting about the pros and cons, and the risks of rooting and modding your Android. Enjoy the last two nights before Christmas Eve!