Flare 2.1

I finally got to work on this review after getting acquainted with my Cherry Mobile Flare 2.1 since I got it two weeks ago. I gave in and replaced my cute Nokia phone.

 

Before I go on, I would like to tell you that I bought this for only P3, 999. All the great features I would say that it is too good to be true. How can Cherry Mobile sell this phone for that price when they can sell it for much higher considering that its specs can compete with and sometimes, be even better than more expensive models from other brands? I am just glad that I did not spend out more money for another phone that basically has the same features as this.

The box contains the unit, a charger with USB cord, standard headset, and a manual. These are the specs as printed on the back of the box:

• 1.2 GHz Quad Core                                                   
• 4” WVGA Capacitive Touch Panel
• Expandable micro SD up to 32G
• WiFi b/g/n Bluetooth 2.1
• 5MP Back Camera w/ Flash VGA Front Camera
• Android 4.1 Jellybean
• ROM: 4GB/ RAM: 1GB
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE 900/1800 WCDMA 2100
• 3.5mm Stereo Audio Jack 
• Standard micro USB 2.0
• 1600 mAh

  

Now, for what I liked:

The Flare already comes covered with a screen protector, which I don't have to go to other gadget shops and pay separately for it. It is also thin and light, plus the size is perfect. Then thanks to its Quad Core processor, all apps are fast and zippy.

             

Of course, I also love that it runs on Android because it lets me enjoy more enhancements and more refined interface. Here is a screenshot of how I arranged my apps, using Dodol Launcher.

These are some of my widgets which I downloaded.

        

Since Flare 2.1 contains high capacity with comes to file storage, I can download a lot of applications without any hassle. Here is the list of my recent apps.

As you can see, I sorted my downloaded apps into different folders depending on their use, making the app deck more organized.

Oh, I forgot to mention, this phone is also Dual SIM and both can run (send and receive messages) at the same time without needing to switch between the two. This feature is perfect for those who have personal and business phones since it lessens the need to bring two gadgets all the time. I love it because I can use it as a WiFi hotspot anytime. You can also surf anytime without using WiFi, all you have to do is to open your data account and browse using your internet browser. You don’t need a data plan to use Free Zone as it is free to charge. As long as your phone is able to access the internet, you can use Free Zone.

Google Search is offering a free zone which you can browse the internet to find scores, recipes, and so much more. Just visit g.co/freezone on your mobile device, then log into your Google account to enjoy Google mobile services data charge free on to go.

Anyway, here is a screenshot of the messaging screen.

           

The front and back cameras are also pretty decent considering the price and its 5MP capability. Here are some sample images, please note that there was no editing or post-processing done unless stated otherwise.

Here is a sample photo taken with the back camera while my darling Dannela Shin was inside the house. 

 

There is FM Radio included. If yours didn't come with a free radio, you can go to any Cherry Mobile Service Center to get your phone updated. I did not include battery life anymore since the need to charge every few hours is encountered by everyone from the Smartphone - using population. The battery can survive for four days when phone on standby, but on busy days I charge it twice: in the morning and in the afternoon. 

           

All in all, the Cherry Mobile Flare 2.1 is a great phone that packs a lot of punch in such a thin, great, and inexpensive gadget. I would gladly recommend it to everyone.

Anime Icons

All the program and folders on your computer are represented by icons.

 

I will share to you how pretty your desktop is when using the anime icons and here is a preview of them all!

In below image you can see how I changed all the original desktop icons with custom ones. You can swap the icon of any folder or program icon on your desktop with a custom one! They have to be modify with an Icon File (also known as ICO.), which is a different format than what most picture files are in. You won't be able to use JPG., GIF., or PNG. picture files to change the look of a desktop icon. It has to be an icon file. However any picture file can be changed to an icon file.

Doing all this actually pretty simple. In customizing your desktop icons with ICO files you can use software which is available in this website http://converticon.com/. This tutorial will work for Windows XP to Windows 7.

I started with these icons.

Then changed them to these icons. Looks very attractive right? You can have these by following some simple steps, so let us start.

Downloading and installing desktop icons

All the custom desktop icons are put in a single RAR file for you. Download it from this link below. You will extract the folder Shishi Icons, which has all the custom anime icons you saw above plus a few more. Move the folder to a place you can easily access it later where it also won't be moved in the future. You will need to find it later. 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/78340470/Icons%20and%20cursors/Shishi%20Icons.rar

These icons are modified by Shishio-kun.

Applying a custom icon to a desktop item

Now that you have some custom icons, you can change some of your desktop icons to the ones in the folder you just downloaded and exported. This is easy as well. We are going to change this folder on my desktop named DanneLa Shin seen in the image below. You can make your own test folder or choose another desktop item.

First you have to right click then select Personalize. After that you will choose the folder that you want to customize, in my case I will select DanneLa Shin as an example. Then click Change Icon.

And then on the new window that pops up click the Browse.
Note: The new window contained default icons already available on your computer; you can change icons to these as well.

Now you need to browse your computer and find the Shishi Icons folder. When inside Shishi Icons, you should see all the folder icons including Haruhi and Mio. Click or Open the one you want to turn the desktop item into.

Almost done! A new window will pop up and click OK. Now my DanneLa Shin is a cute Book Chan folder. You can also try this to Recycle Bin and Computer by doing the same steps.

Here is the other way of changing your standard folder into custom icon. In this case, I am going to change the Warcraft III folder.

First right click the icon you want to change. Click the Warcraft III for example. Click Properties.

Note: If you don't see Properties, choose another item for now. I will show you how to change those types of files later.

Now click the Customize tab (labeled 1 in the visual example below), followed by Change Icon (2), and then on the new window that pops up click the Browse (3).

Now you need to browse your computer and find the Shishi Icons folder. When inside Shishi Icons, you should see all the folder icons. Click or Open the one you want to turn the item into!

Almost done! A new window will pop up that is titled with Change Icon. Click OK (1). Now click Apply (2) on Properties followed by OK (3).

Now my Warcraft III is a cute Yuki folder!

If you have some questions or suggestions just leave a comment.