SKK Centaur Price Php 3,399, Specs, Unboxing, Quick Review : Android Smartphone with Analog TV
I'm not sure what exactly motivated or inspired local electronics company SKK to name their 2014 Android smartphones after mythical beasts and creatures but, at least, it's unique and it gives their releases additional talk value -- if a bit.
Dual SIM Dual Standby SKK Centaur is one of the most affordable models in the company's current product line-up. Off hand, I can tell you, it doesn't have powerhouse internal specifications but it should be good enough for budget-conscious consumers who are on the look out for a very affordable Android smartphone that delivers smooth touch response and has a big screen plus analog TV functionality.
Before I show you the handset, let's check out all the items that join it inside its packaging.
SKK Centaur sports a 5-inch FWVGA VN display, which - while not as clear and crisp as I would have preferred it to be - is nonetheless large enough for a squint-free viewing experience and for fast and easy typing on the virtual keyboard using your thumbs. Also, I think this display doesn't eat up too much of the phone's resources so even if the innards aren't really top-notch, you will get stutter-free touch-response and transitions.
Design-wise, frankly, the handset looks almost like Samsung Galaxy S4 from last year - having the same overall design identity and faux metal accents but swapping a physical home button for a soft one.
Obviously, imaging - via the main or the VGA front cam - is not one of the strong suits of this release. But for a Php 3,399 handset, I guess that's to be expected. I'm just glad that SKK still managed to add an LED flash and an autofocus sensor to the 5 MegaPixel camera while still keeping the price of the device that affordable.
Now, let's talk about what's inside, what's under the hood powering the device.
There you go, TP Friends; That's SKK Centaur. All things considered, I think it's a good purchase for its price. I mean, it's a full-fledged 5-inch Android smartphone with Dual SIM capability that doubles as a TV. Not bad for Php 3,399, right? If you can keep your expectations in check in terms of its imaging capabilities, screen quality, and gaming performance, and you love watching our local free TV offerings, then SKK Centaur should make you quite happy. I give it 8.8 out of 10 TP Stars.
Dual SIM Dual Standby SKK Centaur is one of the most affordable models in the company's current product line-up. Off hand, I can tell you, it doesn't have powerhouse internal specifications but it should be good enough for budget-conscious consumers who are on the look out for a very affordable Android smartphone that delivers smooth touch response and has a big screen plus analog TV functionality.
Before I show you the handset, let's check out all the items that join it inside its packaging.
SKK Centaur ships with a very simple blue carton box.
Lifting the velvet tray cradling the phone, we'll find all the included accessories and documentation.
The travel charger that's as small as a matchbox; Fits perfectly in the pocket.
Standard headphones with microphone that you can use when making and receiving calls.
The microUSB to USB cable for charging the handset and connecting it to your computer.
SKK Dealer Support card
The warranty certificate, which you'll need should you require after-sales support for your unit.
And finally, the user manual.
SKK Centaur sports a 5-inch FWVGA VN display, which - while not as clear and crisp as I would have preferred it to be - is nonetheless large enough for a squint-free viewing experience and for fast and easy typing on the virtual keyboard using your thumbs. Also, I think this display doesn't eat up too much of the phone's resources so even if the innards aren't really top-notch, you will get stutter-free touch-response and transitions.
Design-wise, frankly, the handset looks almost like Samsung Galaxy S4 from last year - having the same overall design identity and faux metal accents but swapping a physical home button for a soft one.
The power button - which gives a nice tactile feedback - is located on the right panel for easy clicking using your thumb if you're right-handed. Notice the brushed metal look of the design accent running down the sides of SKK Centaur; Looks almost the same as that of SGS4, right?
The 5 MegaPixel autofocus camera with LED flash but sans BSI sensor will give you decent shots in well-lit settings and if you hold the phone very still when snapping photos. Check out the sample shots below; Just click for larger view.
Obviously, imaging - via the main or the VGA front cam - is not one of the strong suits of this release. But for a Php 3,399 handset, I guess that's to be expected. I'm just glad that SKK still managed to add an LED flash and an autofocus sensor to the 5 MegaPixel camera while still keeping the price of the device that affordable.
Just like in Samsung handsets, SKK Centaur's volume rocker is located on the left panel.
...just like the hole for the mouthpiece and the microUSB port at the rear.
On top, you'll see the 3.5mm audio jack and the antenna for the Analog TV, one of the distinguishing features and perhaps the main selling point of SKK Centaur -- along with its relatively long uptime of 12 hours with mixed usage; Thanks to its 1,800 mAh Li-Ion battery pack.
I've tried it out and off hand, free TV channels 2, 5, 7, and 23 look great regardless of my location. Just make sure that the antenna is fully extended when you're watching TV; Signal will also improve when you touch it -- as you're a conductor yourself.
Now, let's talk about what's inside, what's under the hood powering the device.
SKK Centaur runs vanilla Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system with a Dual Core 1.3 GHz ARM Cortex A7 CPU and Mali 400 GPU based MediaTek MT6572 chipset, handles multitasking with 512 MB of RAM, and has 4 GB of ROM that you can expand through the phone's microSD card supporting up to 32GB.
For the geeks, these internal specifications combine to give SKK Centaur an Antutu Benchmark Score of 9,953. Not much -- but like what I said, I hardly experienced lags when navigating the phone's interface. Also, non-specs intensive games like Flappy Bird and even Subway Surfers and Temple Run 2 all run smoothly on the device.
There you go, TP Friends; That's SKK Centaur. All things considered, I think it's a good purchase for its price. I mean, it's a full-fledged 5-inch Android smartphone with Dual SIM capability that doubles as a TV. Not bad for Php 3,399, right? If you can keep your expectations in check in terms of its imaging capabilities, screen quality, and gaming performance, and you love watching our local free TV offerings, then SKK Centaur should make you quite happy. I give it 8.8 out of 10 TP Stars.
.jpg)