Cherry Mobile Aqua S9 Max Review (2) - Android

Last month, Cherry Mobile released a value-packed smartphone in the form of the Aqua S9 Max. It offers users a 6.53-inch FHD+ display, Helio...

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Last month, Cherry Mobile released a value-packed smartphone in the form of the Aqua S9 Max. It offers users a 6.53-inch FHD+ display, Helio G90T chipset, quad-rear cameras, and a large battery. This is probably the most exciting smartphone the company has launched to date. Could this be one of the best smartphones under PHP 10K? Let’s find out.

Design and Construction

One of the first things we noticed about the Cherry Mobile Aqua S9 Max is its premium design. It sports the Jade Green color with a metallic frame and 3D curved back panel that shimmers depending on the angle and light.

The front houses the 6.53-inch Full HD+ TrueView display. Placed above it is the teardrop notch for the 32MP selfie camera. Placed just above it in the bezel is the earpiece.

On the right, we have the power/lock and volume buttons. The former has a rough texture, while the latter is smooth. Both are firm yet clicky.

We have the triple card tray for the dual-nano SIM cards and a microSD card on the left.

Up top, we have the secondary microphone.

Down at the bottom is the 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C port, and loudspeaker.

At the back, we can see the quad-cameras consisting of a 48MP Sony IMX582 main, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP depth, and 2MP macro. Also found here are the fingerprint scanner and the LED flash.

In the hands, the Cherry Mobile Aqua S9 Max feels relatively light despite the large 5,130mAh battery. The curvature in the frame and the back panel makes it comfortable to grip. However, the tall frame will require two-handed navigation, especially for those with small hands. Cherry didn’t include a jelly case, but it has a screen protector pre-installed, and tempered glass is already included in the package.

Display and Multimedia

The 6.53-inch display with FHD+ resolution is immersive enough for watching videos and playing games. It’s bright; the colors are also rich and accurate, while viewing angles are wide. The bezels, though, are quite thick, which is noticeable if you’re used to smartphones with really slim bezels, but it doesn’t hinder the viewing experience, and you’ll get used to it over time.

Audio-wise, it has a single down-firing loudspeaker. It’s loud and crisp but produces distortion in higher volumes. However, it’s good enough for casual listening or voice calls as vocals are emphasized. If you want a better listening experience, you can connect your favorite wired headphones via the 3.5mm audio jack.

Cameras

2020 has brought a lot of compelling smartphones under this price range. However, it’s still uncommon to see models with good cameras. So, we’re quite elated to see the Cherry Mobile Aqua S9 Max capture outstanding photos.

The main camera images have punchy colors with sharp details and good contrast, especially in bright conditions. Low-light shots appear softer, but it was able to preserve the colors. On the other hand, ultrawide shots are less sharp and subdued colors but still very usable. Selfies are also sharp and vibrant with nice beauty effects, although some shots focused on the nearby background instead of the subject’s face.