One of the smartphones that will be arriving in the Philippines this month is the Honor 10 Lite. It’s actually an exciting smartphone as this one will sport an affordable price with a specifications that is definitely enticing. The Honor 10 Lite is expected to sport a beautiful gradient color and a dual-lens rear camera too which are the features that a lot of Filipino consumers are looking for.
The Honor 10 Lite will also sport a 24-megapixel front camera with AI that can recognize 8 different settings from day to night so you can have better selfies. The smartphone is also expected to sport a Kirin 710 processor inside which is also used on Huawei Nova 3i smartphone.
The Honor 10 Lite will officially laiunch in the Philippines this January 22 and it will be exclusive on Shopee for one-day only on January 25 and it will be bundled with freebies such as the honor band 4, Honor Gift box, and Honor foldable luggage — all of these valued at Php3,000.
Realme C1 users should take a look at updating their smartphone as the Realme C1 ColorOS 5.2.1 update is now up. With this update, your Realme C1 will be more efficient and optimize for your everyday use. And of course, expect new features with this update.
One of these new features is the Smart bar which promotes the usage efficiency of your smartphone by improving the multitasking on the smartphone. You can also now enable Google Assistant by just pressing the power button for 0.5-seconds.
But of course, there’s an updated Android security patch which will provide a more secure experience. Another feature that was added is the reboot function, single swipe notification dismissal and headset icon in the status bar.
If you want to update your smartphone, just go to the software update tab on your phone’s settings or you can download ColorOS 5.2.1 here at this link
Mid-range smartphones are one of the hottest in the industry right now and even Samsung has recently joined the affordable mid-ranger game with their Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) that directly competes against other mid-range smartphones including the Huawei Nova 3i. But how does these smartphones fare in our comparison? Check em’ out below.
Design and hardware
Without a doubt, both the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) and the Huawei Nova 3i sports a really good design and both smartphones has that glass feel at the back and both does have a solid feel on both smartphones. However, the Huawei Nova 3i sports a gradient color design which is really attractive to look at but the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) is still pretty to me.
Both smartphones also sport a fingerprint scanner however the placement of the Huawei Nova 3i is in the back which is more common to smartphones these days while the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) sports a fingerprint scanner that is place on the power button of the smartphone which is on the side of the smartphone so both are convenient to reach.
Both smartphones also sport a micro USB port and both smartphones doesn’t come with a fast charger. Another thing, both smartphones also doesn’t come with a fast charging so you’re stuck with both included chargers on the smartphone
Display
The Huawei Nova 3i features a 6.3-inch IPS display with FHD+ resolution while the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018 ) features a 6.0-inch Super AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution. Both smartphones features a pretty display and I actually liked the colors and saturation of the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) but you can have that really nice looking front panel with the Huawei Nova 3i that maximizes screen-to-body ratio and in our review, the Huawei Nova 3i didn’t had any problems dealing with apps with its notch.
Battery
When it comes to battery life, the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) comes with a 3300mAh battery while the Huawei Nova 3i has a 3340mAh of battery and in our tests, both smartphones got a score that are almost on par but the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) wins on this one. Check out the battery tests using PCMark below.
The Huawei Nova 3i rocks a Kirin 710 chipset with 4GB of RAM while the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) features an Exynos 7780 chipset. This is probably the biggest difference between the two as the Huawei Nova 3i has an advantage over the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018). Not just that, when it comes to gaming, Huawei Nova 3i got GPU turbo which basically boosts the hardware of the smartphone to be optimized to selected games. This is the reason why the Huawei Nova 3i has a decent and stable framerates on games like PUBG Mobile.
Both smartphones have their own advantages when it comes to camera. The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) features a triple lens rear camera in which one of them is a wide-angle lens camera while the other one is a depth sensor while the Huawei Nova 3i has a quad-camera setup with dual-camera on the front and a dual camera at the back. This makes sure that the smartphone has a better depth sensing whether you’re taking a selfie or using the rear camera. Not just that, the Huawei Nova 3i also features AR emoji which is a big advantage thanks to its dual lens front camera. Check out the shots that we took using the smartphone below:
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018)
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Huawei Nova 3i
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As you can see, both smartphones are hit and miss. There are times that the Huawei Nova 3i has better shots but there are also some times that the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) has a better shot but what I noticed is that Samsung tends to have an oversaturated photos sometimes and Huawei has a better dynamic range. But again, the wide-angle lens of the smartphone is something you should take a look at.
Verdict
No wonder that these two smartphones are popular. Both smartphones are really good but they have their own advantages. If you’re into gaming and you want a better screen-to-body ratio then you might want to go for the Huawei Nova 3i. Aside from that, you can get AR emoji too and a more powerful chipset inside but if you’re into mobile photography and you want the wide-angle lens then you can go for the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018).
The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) is now available for Php17,990 while the Huawei Nova 3i is cheaper at Php14,990.
Redmi Note 7 is definitely one of the hottest smartphones and most awaited smartphone this year as it packs an affordable specifications with a powerful hardware inside especially with its 48MP rear camera. And if that’s not enough for you, Redmi has also announced that it will come with a night mode similar to Xiaomi smartphones.
The only Xiaomi smartphones that sports the night mode are the Mi Mixc 3, Mi Mix 2S, and the Mi 8 that’s why it is really interesting iof the Redmi Note 7 will have this feature too.
Vivo is expected to unveil another gamechanger this month as the company has started teasing the Vivo APEX 2019. We still have no idea what to expect from the smartphone but the teaser shows a curved display on all sides on the front which a waterdrop effect on it.
My guess? It will be an almost 100% screen-to-body ratio on the smartphone or probably a display with under-display sensors. I hoping for the latter as I want to see 100% screen-to-body ratio on smartphones with no hole-punch cameras.
The Vivo APEX 2019 is expected to be unveiled this January 24 2019.
This is partnership that we didn’t know that’ll happen. Samsung has announced last CES 2019 that the company will offer iTunes Movies and TV shows this Spring 2019 on 2019 Smart TVs. Not just that, the company has also announced that Airplay 2 will be supported on Samsung Smart TVs in 190 countries worldwide.
iTunes Movies and TV Shows app on the Samsung Smart TVs will let customers access their existing iTunes library and browse the iTunes store to buy movies or TV episodes including 4K HDR movies. Not only that, it will also support Bixby and Search seamlessly.
With AirPlay 2 support, you may now be able to play videos, photos, music, and even podcasts from Apple devices directly to your Samsung Smart TV. That’s really a surprising move especially that Samsung is really focusing on building on their ecosystem to their devices and appliances.
We all know that Apple and Samsung have been rivals in the phone industry but that doesn’t mean that they can’t do business in other industries. In case you didn’t know, there are still some Samsung parts that are being used to make the iPhones.
These iTunes movies and TV Shows app will be available in more than 100 countries while the support for Airplay 2 on Samsung Smart TVs will be available in 190 countries worldwide.
If you’re looking for a notebook for gaming, ASUS has announced a new gaming notebook in the market and it might not belong in the TUF Gaming or ROG series, the ASUS X570ZD still got some power inside as the laptop is powered by the latest AMD Ryzen R5-2500U Quad-Core processor, 4GB RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 GPU inside.
There’s a 15.6-inch Full HD display too so you’ll know that the display isn’t crappy and it is still perfect for casual gamers who are on a budget. You can also get the notebook and upgrade it as the X570ZD has a slot for M.2 SATA SSD and it is capable of up to 16GB RAM. Of course, the notebook comes with 802.11ac Wi-Fi, USB 3.1 Type C Gen 1, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0.
ASUS Gaming X570ZD-DM209T Specifications
15.6-inch Full HD Display
2.0GHz AMD Ryzen R5-2500U Quad-Core Processor
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 GPU with 4GB GDDR5
4GB DDR4 RAM upgradeable up to 16GB DDR4 2666MHz
1TB HDD
802.11ac WiFi
Bluetooth 4.0
2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB-C 3.1 Gen 1, Audio combo jack, HDMI, RJ45, DC Jack
The ASUS Gaming X570ZD-DM209T will be available this January 19, 2019 for Php37,995.
If you’re buying this, I highly suggest that you get an upgrade for the RAM and get an SSD.
Huawei Nova 3 is one of the most interesting smartphones last year and it is still a beaut until today. The Huawei Nova 3 features a quad-camera setup with a Kirin 970 processor inside which is capable enough to run most games today. And now, Huawei Philippines has also announced the availability of a new color — Primrose Gold.
There’s no internal upgrades on the Huawei Nova 3 but again, the smartphone’s specs is still decent enough for 2019. The Huawei Primrose Gold will be available at selected stores starting January 19 for a price of Php25,990.
Before the end of 2018, ASUS has unveiled the Zenfone Max Pro M2. It’s their last smartphone that was unveiled late last year and just like the previous Zenfone Max series, the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 features a large battery life which will make sure that you have a long battery life with the smartphone. If you’re into that market then you better check out our review of the smartphone below.
Design and hardware
The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 features a more premium and better build compared to the other Zenfone Max smartphones. The Max Pro M2 opted for a laminated glass at the back which feels like an actual glass which is pretty solid and it has a curvy back which makes the smartphone easier to hold and more ergonomic. Adding to that is the Corning Gorilla Glass 6 which can withstand 1-meter drops.
Unlike other ASUS Zenfones, this one doesn’t have a single concentric-circle pattern on the smartphone. Instead, we have the beautiful wave finish at the back. Actually, the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 is more beautiful to look at than the ASUS Zenfone 5.
Below the smartphone is where you can find the micro USB port and also the headphone jack. I was not surprised that the smartphone still uses Micro USB as a lot of mid-range smartphones at this price range still uses that port instead of USB-C. The smartphone also supports a triple card tray so you can place two sim cards along with the MicroSD card.
Another good feature that I love on the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 is the pretty loud speaker. Well, it’s not the best one but I really appreciate the loudness of the speaker of the smartphone.
At the back is where you can find the fingerprint scanner which is pretty fast but if you’re not contented with that, you can opt for the face unlock which is a lot better compared to other ASUS Zenfones that we’ve reviewed before.
Battery life
The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2’s biggest strength is its battery. The smartphone features a 5000mAh of battery and I’m actually pretty happy with the battery life of the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 as I was able to have a battery life of up to 13 hours 35 minutes in PC Mark with auto brightness as 50% brightness keeps on crashing on the smartphone
Nonetheless, the PCMark score was still impressive. Actually, I can last a day and a half of usage on the smartphone even at average use with gaming. While the battery of the smartphone is pretty juicy, the smartphone doesn’t come with fast charging. It only supports 5V/2A charging which will take some time before you can fully charge your smartphone.
Display
The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 features a 6.3-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution. There’s a notch on the display but it wasn’t as wide as the one on the ASUS Zenfone 5. Nonetheless, the quality of the display of the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 was fine to me and I really didn’t have any problems with it even when I’m using the smartphone outside and at direct sunlight.
Aside from that, the smartphone packs a Corning Gorilla Glass 6 which is one of the few smartphones to have this feature. The only other smartphones that we know that sports this glass is the OPPO R17 Pro and also the ASUS ROG Phone.
Decent mid-range performance
The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 features a Snapdragon 660 AIE Octa-Core Processor and actually, the smartphone is a decent performer. However, the SD660 inside it has the same clock speed of the Vivo V11 so don’t expect the same performance of other smartphones with the same chipset with different clock speed.
When it comes to gaming, I was very satisfied with it, especially for its price range. The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 was able to run most decent games with decent temps and also, the FPS were just fine to me. Check out the Gamebench scores that we got on the smartphone below.
If you’re a fan of benchmarks then better take a look at the benchmarks of the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 that we got below.
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As you can see, the smartphone is really a decent one and it is really competitive in its price range. Actually, the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 even got a higher score than the ASUS Zenfone 5 in Antutu. Surprisingly, the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 got a really good FPS stability on both games but we’re locked to 30fps on PUBG Mobile at high settings due to the framerates being locked at high only and not ultra.
The stock Android is fast and responsive
ASUS has made a bold move in the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 by bringing in stock Android to the smartphone and thankfully, they didn’t change their mind on the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2. And yes, there are only a few pre-installed apps on the smartphone and mostly are Google apps.
Navigating on the smartphone is pretty fast and it was really smooth. I didn’t experience any lags most of the time when I’m using the smartphone and the UI was very precise in almost everything.
Camera
The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 features a 12-megapixel rear camera with a 5-megapixel depth sensor for better bokeh and depth sensing. True enough, using portrait mode on the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 is noticeably better when it comes to portrait mode. Check out the shots that I took using the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 below.
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The shots that we took were mostly fine. The details are sharp at well-lit conditions and the colors were good both on the front and rear camera of the smartphone however at lowlight, I notice that it sometimes produces under-exposed images and a little bit pinkish. It might not be the best mid-range smartphone when it will do in everyday normal usage.
Verdict
The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 is one of the best smartphones in its price range. It packs a powerful Snapdragon 660 processor, a large battery, a solid build quality, and it runs on stock Android which is pretty fast and smooth. The smartphone also impressed us with its gaming performance as we got a pretty good FPS stability and the thermals were fine.
However, the camera of the smartphone isn’t as good as I expected but it will do. Another thing that I didn’t like about this smartphone is the lack of fast charging but hey, at least we got a big battery.
The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro is available in 4/64GB and 6/64GB in for P12,995 and P14,995 respectively.
ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 Specs
6.3-inch Full HD+ all-screen IPS Display with Gorilla Glass 6
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-Core chipset
6GB RAM
64GB Internal Storage expandable via MicroSD
12MP+5MP Rear Camera with AI
13MP Front camera
Dual SIM, LTE
Fingerprint Scanner
Face Unlock
5000mAh Battery
Stock Android 8.1 Oreo with coming upgrade to Android 9.0
We all know that aside from TWICE and Blackpink, South Korea is the home of Samsung and next month, the company is set to unveil their latest flagship smartphone to the market, the Samsung Galaxy S10 series. There were a lot of leaks before but this is the first time that an actual photo of the Samsung Galaxy S10+ has appeared on the internet.
The photo confirms that the Samsung Galaxy S10+ will indeed sport a camera cut-out at the upper right of the device which is probably a dual-lens selfie camera. It seems that the Samsung Galaxy S10+ loses the thick bezels on the smartphone too. The photo also shows that the Samsung Galaxy S10+ also packs a case.
Well, those are just the things that are confirmed for the next flagship smartphone of Samsung.
