Pyxis FUNBOX Review– Bring in the Fun

Okay okay! It's been a while since I've last posted here, probably because I've been too busy with my life. But anyway, Cherry ...

Okay okay! It's been a while since I've last posted here, probably because I've been too busy with my life. But anyway, Cherry Mobile has once again gone to great lengths to provide chic accessories fit for your digital lifestyle, and they come in the name of Pyxis. Am I one to ignore it? Well, with the company's "bang-for-the-buck" offerings, it goes without saying that people would want to try them out. So, without further ado, check out the Pyxis FUNBOX. I don't really get the name, though. It's not really a box, but it does come with it.

The FUNBOX is a Bluetooth speaker/MP3 player/power bank that you can virtually bring anywhere. Cherry Mobile ships this in a green/white box along with the specifications detailed around it.

Specifications:

BT version:  2.1 + EDR

BT range: 10 meters

Battery Capacity: 2600mAh

USB input charging port: microUSB

USB output charging port: 5V 1A

Product dimensions: 98*78*27.5mm

Unboxing

The FUNBOX is available in pink, blue, red and green. What we have now is the pink variant - of course, it doesn't have too much of a difference save for the color. But if you're planning to give it as a gift, there's a selection for you. Well anyway, included in the box is a microUSB cable and a nice pouch. We can't say that those two things are nice additions, rather, they're pretty much essentials when you're buying consumer electronics of this kind so to speak.

Form Factor and Design

A deeper look into the FUNBOX: We're liking how it's built. It's really compact, and it doesn't feel flimsy, even by a bit. The body features a textured finish, and the controls and ports are operated and protected by rubber. 

What's not likable here is pressing the power switch. You have to hold it down for a couple of seconds to power on. It's not really an issue, but what we find painstaking is that our fingers sometimes displaces from the power button, giving you a confusion if it really did turn on. You have to do it firmly, otherwise it will just indicate its battery level just like a normal power bank would.

Speaker Performance

Pairing is relatively easy (once you've got it properly turned on, that is). Just press the Bluetooth button on the bottom of the selection and a blue light will appear. That's your cue to search for the FUNBOX with your device. PS. it works with every Bluetooth-enabled device, not just smartphones and tablets.

Once you've got that set-up, you can play music right away. The audio doesn't distort when you crank up the volume, which is pretty nice. The bass is minimal but you can still feel it thumping. It can fill up a small room, and you can use it while you're doing house chores, or if you prefer, drinking out with your buddies. You can skip tracks by holding the volume button longer, and you can pause by pressing the Bluetooth button again.

And we did mention that it can also act as an mp3 player. Just plug in a microSD card on the TF card slot and you're good to go. It only plays files in mp3 format though, and flac would be out of the question, but that's not really a problem since the majority of users have their music library in mp3 format. Changing tracks are the same, the only difference is you pause and play music by pressing the microSD card button.

Power Bank Performance

The FUNBOX features a 2600mAh battery rating. You can use it as a power bank, but it doesn't charge as fast with its 1A output. Still, it's welcomed if you're in a pinch and you need to charge your phone on the fly. But again, we highly suggest that you use it as such only if you don't plan on using it as a speaker in the long run. 2600mAh can really go fast. We were able to charge our Infinix that sports a 2100mAh battery rating from 0 to full. So, yeah. It really does come in handy, but the FUNBOX will have little juice left. One-time-big-time thing.

Conclusion:

Pros:

• Nice form factor and build
• Excellent sound quality
• Playing directly from microSD card is nice
• Power bank functionality is useful, but only for emergency cases

Cons:

• An audio jack is sorely missing for its function
• Bass is a bit on the low side

We bring our smartphones everywhere, and we use it as our music players from time to time, especially when we're out with our friends. Problem, though, is that they lack the punch to be heard loudly. Cherry Mobile sees this as an issue and addresses it with a FUNBOX. What you're getting in the package is an all-rounder device that can play music from your smartphone or on its own, and a power bank that you can use in case of emergency. It carries a price-tag of Php 1,490, and it's available at Cherry Mobile kiosks or Lazada. If the price looks steep for you, you can always wait for a sale or by it bundled with other products at Lazada for discounts.