CHERRY Mobile has a new budget smartphone in the Cherry Mobile Click (2017). Or should we say, smart feature phone? Because at first blush, it does seem that the Click has all the trappings of a barebones handset: an alphanumeric keypad; a dimunitive, non-touch screen; a small form factor that will be appreciated by many; and an equally small price tag.

Yet, the Click runs the most popular mobile operating system on the planet in Android (KitKat, in this case) — and thus offers many of the features you would expect from a smartphone, including web browsing and access to Facebook and Viber. It even has physical shortcut keys to make visiting your Facebook account, as well as all your favorite websites, a simple and straightforward experience.

The duality of the Cherry Mobile Click make it a seemingly decent choice for anyone looking for an upgrade from a feature phone but can’t give up the familiarity of a trusty ol’ keypad and the dayslong battery life that is rarely associated with smartphones. Of course, it helps immensely that this Cherry Mobile retails for only P1,299 (roughly $26), a quarter of what you’d normally spend on an Android device.

On the outside, the Click is a bar phone that is mostly screen and keypad. The LCD display measures 2.8 inches, which provides a good amount of non-touch real estate for a device of this class. Its size means watching videos won’t be as pleasant as you might expect, and the subpar viewing angles will only compound this.

The keypad, though mushy and has particularly uneven backlighting, gives you access to plenty of shortcuts, including the stock web-browser app and the Facebook web page. Long-pressing most keys, like the enter, back, pound, or spacebar button, will also launch a specific function.

Holding down the spacebar, for example, instantly turns on the back-facing LED light for use as a flashlight, while the enter and back keys, if held down, will trigger the notification shade and the multitask screen, respectively. Mouse mode is activated whenever the menu button — it’s the one surrounded by four directional buttons and identifiable by a mouse icon (you can’t miss it!) — is long-pressed.

And while we can’t say we prefer a physical keypad to virtual keys on a touch panel, we do understand that some folks would rather keep it and reap the benefits of Android. Even though you’ll be skipping on a few features that make Android so popular along the way. But more on that later.

The textured back cover can be peeled off to reveal a 1,100mAh battery and two regular SIM card slots plus another slot that accepts a microSD card up to 32GB for added storage, which you’ll need for any of the cameras to work (the 512MB storage onboard is reserved for the operating system).

Along the bottom edge is a headphone jack and a microUSB port. That’s good, because it means you can juice up the Cherry Mobile Click using the same charger that’s used for most other Android devices. The rest of the phone is completely devoid of buttons and ports.

The rear camera maxes out at 5 megapixels, while the front-facer makes use of a 1.3-megapixel sensor. Neither is equipped to make you look your best on social media — and frankly, we’d be surprised if either could; the Click is an entry-level phone with entry-level specs, after all.

SEE ALSO: The affordable Cherry Mobile flagship you’ve been asking for is here

When it comes to using this phone as a camera, you will need a lot of light illuminating your subject to get serviceable results. The LED light round the back makes it possible to shoot in low light, provided the object you’re shooting is close enough.

A dual-core processor outfitted with 256MB of RAM runs the show, and the resulting experience is pretty decent for a base-level handset. Apps — we’re talking the web browser and the Viber and default camera apps — are loaded without much delay. And we encountered no problems navigating in and out of them. As for connectivity options, the Cherry Mobile Click has the basics covered: WiFi; Bluetooth; GPS; 2G; and 3G.

As for connectivity options, the Cherry Mobile Click has the basics covered: WiFi; Bluetooth; GPS; 2G; and 3G.

Battery life is where you would expect the Click to excel over touchscreen phones. It absolutely does. Our unit lasts days, unsurprising given the meager specs and the absence of a battery-draining touch panel. Quick charging doesn’t come standard, though small as it is, the 1,100mAh cell charges faster than we’re used to seeing.

As far as this phone being smart is concerned, your expectations may need some tempering: Though the Cherry Mobile Click runs Android, it doesn’t come pre-loaded with Google’s Play app store. And we wouldn’t recommend installing it simply because many of the apps you may want to load onto the handset won’t work as intended.

READ ALSO: Cherry Mobile Iris review: A peek into the future

That said, if you want the full Android experience, you’ll probably be better off looking at other options. Preferably one that has a more capable processor and at least double the memory of the Click.

But if all you’re after is a long-lasting bar phone that runs Android — albeit with asterisks — and keeps you on Facebook and Viber throughout the day, touch input be damned, the Cherry Mobile Click may be worth a trip to the phone store.

Specs of the Cherry Mobile Click (Price: P1,299 or roughly $26)

• Android 4.4, Kitkat
• 1.0GHz dual-core processor
• 2.8-inch LCD screen
• 512MB ROM
• 256MB RAM
• Dual SIM
• 3G-ready
• microSD up to 32GB
• 1.3-megapixel front camera
• 5-megapixel rear camera
• Wi-Fi
• 1,100mah battery

Video you may want to watch: Cherry Mobile Flare 5 preview

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