Does local celebrity and musician Cassper Nyovest’s newest phone hit the mark? We go hands-on with our in-depth AG Mobile Hashtag review!
There was once a time in smartphone history where a new device would be punted alongside a musician or film. Back then, you either got your hands on the latest gadget Alicia Keyes slapped her name on, or, as Sony are still beholden to do, lust after James Bond’s newest phone. Now, we have the chance to jump back in bed with that trend with our AG Mobile Hashtag review, where we’re looking at Cassper Nyovest’s new joint venture.
2016 is an odd space in time for such a device; Sony’s Xperia Z5 was co-marketed alongside the latest Bond film, Spectre, and we concluded in our review that it was perhaps more of a gentleman rockstar than a super sleuth. Does the AG Mobile Hashtag come in to concert ready to rock, or is this a more muted affair?
Read: Hands-on preview: AG Mobile #HASHTAG ““ setting trends all over
Arriving in a vibrant red hue, the Hashtag is definitely a device that’ll set its user apart from the pack. Toting a beckoning display at 5.5″, this is a large smartphone that’ll not only fill one’s hand, but further, one’s pocket.
Without further ado, let’s dive into our AG Mobile Hashtag review!
Specifications
Out of the box, this is perhaps the most refined of AG Mobile’s smartphone designs yet. Whereas its predecessor, the flagship Ghost, had a more flat, iPhone style design which an odd clip-on pack panel, the Hashtag sports a rounded form factor that’s more reminiscent of Samsung’s Galaxy S4. That clip-on back panel remains, but this time is more rounded and comfortable to hold.
The Hashtag sports an HD Gorilla Glass 3 touch screen, and carries a 1.5Ghz Octa-Core processor which is complemented by 2GB of RAM and 16GBs of internal storage, expandable up to 128GBs. A 13 megapixel primary and 5 megapixel secondary camera rounds out the package.
Design
Bearing in mind the Hashtag’s R3699 ZAR price tag, one doesn’t walk in expecting a rival to the likes of Samsung, Huawei or Sony’s finer efforts. However, the AG Mobile hashtag is, in fact, a far more refined and comfortable offering than the flagship Ghost.
Read: AG Mobile Ghost review: the gold standard
Large though it may be, the Hashtag is eminently comfortable – the gentle curve running over its back panel allows the device to sit happily in hand, and provides enough room for even small hands to manoeuvre.
One element of the phone – to my own surprise – that I quickly became disenchanted with was the Hashtag’s right side-mounted buttons; both of which are near flat. This effectively reduces the profile of the phone, but has the unfortunate effect to rendering both difficult to press; balance is key, and I often found my thumb sliding down to the button to press it in.
Lately, Samsung have had a great approach in recent months designing balanced, prominent side-buttons, and I feel that this is a lesson the Hashtag could learn from. To be clear; this by far isn’t a deal breaker, but it does impede one from fully enjoying the device in day to day use.
Something I grew to appreciate during my AG Mobile Hashtag review was the device’s use of a full high-definition screen; text and colours where both vibrant and eminently useable. For such a large display – at 5.5″ – this is an improvement over previous AG Mobile devices that one comes to appreciate very quickly.
UI and performance
An area in which I took issue with the AG Mobile Ghost was its use of near-stock Android 4.0 KitKat; the device, while attractive on the outside, lacked the same appeal on the inside. The Hashtag makes minimal effort to improve on that, but thankfully arrives sporting Android 5.1 Lollipop, meaning that navigating through the phone feels more visually pleasant and smooth than before.
The Hashtag’s 1.5GHz oct-core processor runs beautifully, and during my AG Mobile Hashtag review, I was never gripped in the slow, endless frustration that is lag. Despite a sense of frustration I encountered using the Hashtag’s camera (more on that later) the device offers a buttery sense of smoothness throughout, which renders appreciating Android 5.0 Lollipop all the more easy.
The joy of Android, naturally, is that one can customise the operating system to their own preference. With a large display, the Hashtag accommodates this with ease, though my wish for the general consumer would be for AG Mobile to exercise a light touch and give their devices a unique footprint; Sony, I believe, practises a good design direction in this regard.
The Hashtag comes equipped with several baked-in apps; fortunately none of which are what I imagine the South African consumer would consider bloat. BBM, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and WeChat arrive onboard, and beyond the latter – which isn’t widely used in South Africa – I welcome the introduction of the former. The Hashtag further comes equipped with Google Play apps as media defaults beyond the frankly bizarre inclusion of a separate Gallery app.
There is, of course, one app I’ve yet to mention, and that’s Cassper Nyovest’s own. The only real reminder that you’re using a co-branded smartphone, the Cassper Nyovest app includes music previews, a list of Cassper’s upcoming performances, the ability to book the star, and finally watch music videos. Lastly, a list of all Cassper’s social media accounts are made available.
What I find to be an awkward decision is that none of Cassper Nyovest’s own music comes bundled with the phone; the device offers the ability to stream previews of the star’s latest songs and subsequently purchase them, but little else. Given that two major groups are likely to purchase this device – Cassper super-fans and general consumers looking for a budget Android device, I’m left surprised that the former camp is left unprovided for. One can’t have everything, but I feel this would have been a nice addition.
Battery
The Hashtag makes a good use of its form factor, and packs in a 2,500mAh battery which is more than capable of thundering through a full day’s strenuous use.
Standby time was impressive; the Hashtag lasted a full five days when left to its own devices, and lasted throughout my day during my review. The introduction of fast-charging, in addition to a Low Power Mode, left the Hashtag a survivor amongst other Android devices I’ve used recently – the LG G4 Stylus being a good example.
Read: LG G4 Stylus Review: a noteworthy contender?
Camera
The AG Mobile Ghost came equipped with a decent pair of shooters which sometimes became sluggish. Unfortunately, the Hashtag follows that premise on both accounts; both cameras are better, and are slower than what I’ve experienced before.
The primary 13 megapixel camera can actually produce some great snapshots with suitable patience; detail, tone and contrast are solid, and the fast f/2.4 is above standard for a device in this price bracket. Unfortunately, the Hashtag is let down by a laggy camera app which will more than likely derail many attempts to capture a fleeting moment.
I became frustrated during my AG Mobile Hashtag review, simply because the device’s primary camera bears potential and is let down by an unfortunate intersection of firmware and software.
The device’s 5 megapixel selfie camera thankfully feels faster in use, and will come in handy during night-out escapades thanks to a front-facing flash that works well to add fill light around a subject’s face.
To be clear, this is a great hardware improvement over the Ghost, but in software terms, is a step backwards. Using Mark Harman’s Open Camera, I experienced far greater results and speed – with luck, AG Mobile will be able to issue a firmware update to fix the pervading sluggishness I encountered, or build a better camera app in future.
Overall
Our AG Mobile Hashtag review leaves us with a device that’s difficult to sum up succinctly, as this is a smartphone that simultaneously sees steps taken forward as well as backward.
Let’s sum up the wrongs first. Starting outside, the device’s side mounted buttons are uncomfortably shallow and spoil just how nicely the device sits in hand. Internally, the use of near-stock Lollipop leaves the Hashtag feeling far less distinctive that its red finish indicates on first impression. The Cassper Nyovest app will appease superfans, but will disappoint without the inclusion of some – even a single track, perhaps – of the star’s music.
Lastly, the device’s cameras bear promise, but are let down by a poor stock experience that needs to be supplanted by a third party app to reach its full potential.
However, this is a device that gets several important factors right. With a price tag of R3500 ZAR at retail, the Hashtag goes head-to-head with the likes of the LG G4 Stylus and triumphs thanks to its lower price tag, rounded body, and its distinctive colour and profile.
For Cassper Nyovest fans looking for a new device – or those seeking something funky at the low-end of the mid-range smartphone segment, AG Mobile offers a fun take device that will set its users apart from a sea of boring grey smartphones.
Conclusion
For a R3699 ZAR price tag, the AG Mobile Hashtag is a fresh and fun offering from two of South Africa’s upcoming brands.
However, the Hashtag has a tough fight on its hands, especially from one recent arrival in South Africa: Xiaomi. With the latter quickly introducing quality, affordable smartphones with an emphasis on design, AG Mobile isn’t as safe as it used to be in the mid-range. Whereas the firm gave previously gave consumers an excellent reason to purchase its flagship, the Ghost – between a litany of bundled accessories and a lifetime warranty with a 24 hour swap out service, the Hashtag just doesn’t arrive with the same promise.
To conclude our AG Mobile Hashtag review, Cassper Nyovest fans will be able to rejoice that the man of the hour finally has a phone – but the rest of South African consumers might be better directed towards the Ghost or a rival offering from the likes of Xiaomi or Huawei.
Score: 7/10
What are your thoughts on our AG Mobile Hashtag review? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
