Local smartphone makers in the Philippines has indeed come a
long way. Gone our the days, when people attach a stigma to phones from local
brands as most of them typically scores lower in terms of build quality and
performance compared to products from bigger and more popular brands. Nowadays,
we’re seeing better products from Filipino brands allowing them to better
compete with Korean, Taiwanese and Chinese products especially in terms of
quality, specs and design.
Torque was one of the pioneer brands to distribute their own
line of smartphones in the Philippines. The company has been in the industry
for quite some time now, so we could say that they might have a slight
advantage in terms of experience in contrast to other new-comers in the market.
But is this experience translated into their smartphones?
We took one of their top phones for a test to find out if the
local brand is able to hold its own against more popular and established
brands.
Click to Expand Full Specifications
| DISPLAY | Display Type | IPS OGS (One Glass Solution) |
| Display Size | 5 inches | |
| Display Protection | Dragontrail 3 | |
| UTILITIES | Primary Camera | 13MP |
| Camera Features | LED flash, Panorama mode, Beauty mode, autofocus | |
| Video | ||
| Secondary Camera | 5MP | |
| GPS | Yes | |
| Card slot | Yes | |
| PERFORMANCE | Operating System | Android 4.4.2 |
| Chipset | MediaTek MT-6592 | |
| Processor | 1.7 GHz octa-core | |
| Graphics | Mali-450 MP4 | |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, proximity | |
| Internal, RAM | 8GB ROM / 1GB RAM | |
| CONNECTIVITY | WLAN | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes (version 4.0) | |
| NFC | No | |
| Infrared port | No | |
| USB | Yes (micro USB) | |
| Battery Rating | 1700mAh | |
| Price | Php 6,899 ($149) |
What’s in the Box
The Droidz Marvel HD is packed with the usual essentials
just like most smartphones today. Our review unit came with a wall charger, a
USB sync and charge cable as well as a 3.5mm headphones with in-line
microphone. Of course there’s the usual set of paper work for the device which
includes a start-up guide and the warranty card.
Other than the items mentioned above, all that’s left in the
box would be the unit itself. We’re not sure if Torque has any promotional
add-ons for the retail package of the Droidz Marvel HD, but otherwise, you’ve
got all you need to keep the phone running out of the box.
Design and
Construction
When it comes to the design and build quality, we have to say
that Droidz Marvel HD is a bit of a hit and miss story. There were parts of the
handset that we really like while there were also parts that we feel can do
some work.
Let’s start with the things we like. As one of Torque’s top
handsets, the Droidz Marvel HD sports a very stylish design compared to the
rest of the company’s offerings. The front of the device is dominated by the
5-inch 720p display, which is bound by a faux metal band. The display is
protected by a layer of Dragontrail glass with a small cutout on top, in which
the earpiece sits next to the front facing 5MP camera.
The bottom of the screen has a small metallic bezel with a
pin hole for the microphone. The handset also uses three capacitive buttons
incorporated in the bezel (home, menu and back) though these buttons are not
backlit.
Looking at the edges, the top edge is where you’ll find the
3.5mm audio jack, the left edge holds the volume rocker buttons, the bottom is
where you’ll find the micro USB sync/charge port and at the left is where the
power/sleep button is placed.
Flipping the phone, there’s the 13MP camera on the back just
above the LED flash. The lone speaker sits at the lower edge below the Droidz
Marvel HD branding. If we remove the back cover, we’ll see the 2000mAh battery
(which is non-removable) and two slots on the right for the microSD card and
the micro SIM card and another slot on the left for the standard SIM card.
Overall, the design of the phone is what you’ll find in most
mid-range to upper-tier Android smartphone. We like that Torque did a
minimalist approach when it comes to the overall look of the handset. The
physical buttons provided very good tactile feedback and from afar, the Droidz
Marvel HD looks more expensive than it’s actual worth.
However, we didn’t really like the materials that Torque
used on the construction of the phone. For starters, the back cover is made
from flimsy plastic that feels cheap to the touch. In fact, our review unit had
a small crack on the side, which we suspect was due to repeated removal and
refitting of the cover.
We also had an issue with the microUSB port being too loose.
During our test, there were times that the phone wouldn’t charge when we
plugged in the charging cable. The issue was only resolved when we removed the
back cover and the charger was able to get proper contact with the port. We’re
not sure if this is just an issue with our review unit, but hopeful buyers of
the Droidz Marvel HD should take note that this could be a possible issue in
the future, if ever they’ll get the phone.
Audio, Visuals and
Optics
In general, the Droidz Marvel HD delivers the type of
multi-media experience one would expect from a sub Php7,000 smartphone. One of
the things we liked about the device is that it already has an HD display that
delivers average to above average performance in terms of image quality.
We also didn’t find any problems with the display’s color
correctness. Thanks to the phone’s HD resolution and high display density,
images and videos viewed on the device looks crisp and clear. Viewing angles
are also great for the Droidz Marvel HD, though legibility outdoors is just
average. Fortunately, just like most smartphones these days, the handset can
automatically adjust brightness settings based on the amount of ambient light
in the room.
The camera department also did a great job in taking photos
and videos. The 13MP sensor at the back was able to focus fast and we didn’t
see any issues with the quality of the images produced. As for the front facing
camera, the wide angle lens should make it easy for anyone to get outstanding
selfies using the Droid Marvel HD, especially when you use the built-in Face
Beauty mode and the gesture capture feature (check out sample photos below).
Then we go to the audio department. Unfortunately, the Droidz Marvel HD suffers from the same issue as other smartphones in this price category. During our test we found that the single speaker at the back was a bit underpowered and playing audio files while the phone is placed on its back muffles and distorts the sound coming from the speakers. The sound quality is also a bit tinny, so don’t expect too much from the handset unless you connect it to better performing audio equipment.
Software and UI
The Droidz Marvel HD runs on Android 4.4 Kitkat out of the
box. For the most part, the handset utilizes Android’s vanilla user interface with
some minor customizations, most notably the launcher app.
We liked that Torque practiced restraint when it comes to
the amount of bloatware installed on the phone. Aside from the basic Android
apps, the device only came with a few social networking apps just like Facebook,
Twitter, Skype and Viber; though you can uninstall these apps anytime you want
in case you don’t use them.
The camera app on the phone is the default Android camera
app, so for those who have been using Android phones for a while, the learning
curve won’t be that steep. Apart from the usual settings for exposure levels,
color effects, white balance and scene modes, the camera app has a gesture
feature that’s most useful for people who like taking selfies.
And speaking of gestures, the Droidz Marvel HD also has a
gesture-based controls that are activated from the lockscreen. The
implementation of this system is similar to those we’ve seen from other brands
like Oppo and Kata.The feature isn’t activated out of the box, and can be
turned on with simple flick of a switch. However, do note that this feature has
the tendency to be overly sensitive. There were times when the phone got unlocked
in our pocket because we touched the phone’s screen accidentally.
Performance
The Droidz Marvel HD is one of the first models among
Torque’s lineup that packs an octa-core processor with a maximum clock speed of
1.66GHz. It also comes with 1GB of RAM and a Mali-450MP GPU, which when
combined with its processor promises enhanced performance over its competitors.
When it comes to daily use, this combination of specs allows
the phone to perform well with minimum to no lag in and out of apps. The
handset was also able to hold its ground when running games. We tried to 3D
games on the phone and so far it was able to handle the graphics without a
hitch.
We a couple benchmarking apps on the Droidz Marvel HD and it
was able to score 441 (single-core)/2318 (multicore) for Geekbench and around
32,400 on Antutu. This puts the phone a few points below some quad-core devices
from 2014 like the LG G3 and the Nexus 5.
The phone was also able to do great in the battery
department. Based on Android’s built-in battery meter, the handset was able to
last more than 2 days when CPU power saving mode is on and usage is on the
conservative side. The battery isn’t removable though, but given how Torque has
efficiently managed the power consumption of the device, we don’t suppose you
won’t be needing a spare battery for this model.
Final Words
When you hear about the brand Torque, people mostly
associate it with low quality phones that you’ll only settle for if you’re that
desperate. Well, that story is not applicable to the Droidz Marvel HD.
The Torque Droidz Marvel HD can be a solid choice for people who are looking for a capable phone that provides a generally great user experience at a fraction of the cost of most foreign brands.
For the most part, the smartphone ticks a lot of the right
boxes. We really like the looks of the phone – its minimalist and it’s nice to
hold. The battery life also gets high marks as the Droidz Marvel HD has an
operating time that’s longer than the competition; and even the camera wasn’t
that bad. The UI and performance was also okay especially for casual users.
However, of course, the phone has its faults. First, we have
the materials used in its construction, specifically, the plastic back cover
that doesn’t complement the design. The audio components performs below par.
When you sum it all up, plus when you factor in the price (Php
6,899 or approximately $149), you’ll see that the Torque Droidz Marvel HD can
be a solid choice for people who are looking for a capable phone that provides
a generally great user experience at a fraction of the cost of most foreign brands.
