Overwatch is one of the hottest FPS game that is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One right now. It’s no ordinary FPS game as this game features 23 different heroes with different abilities and skills which make the game fun. Also, the game features different modes of playing and also different maps with different objectives. I’ve been playing this game for months and I can really tell you that the game is really fun, addicting, and it’s even better when you play with your friends.
Recently, Blizzard has announced that Overwatch: Origins Edition will be on sale up to November 28. Yes, it’s now available for $34.99 (Php 1,738~) which is even cheaper than the standard edition which is at $39.99 (Php 1,986~). The Origin edition comes with comes some freebies too for other Blizzard games including a Tracer hero in Heroes of the Storm, Baby Winston pet in World of Warcraft, Overwatch card back in Hearthstone, Mercy’s Wings in Diablo, and Player portraits in Starcraft II. So yeah, better get a copy now before November 28.
Oh and before I forgot! Overwatch is currently having their free weekend right now so you can play this game for free this weekend. You can buy the Overwatch: Origins Edition over here.
Christmas is near and we all know that Jose Mari Chan will just appear out of nowhere to celebrate the spirit of Filipino Christmas (Actually, he did). And in case you didn’t know, the legendary Jose Mari Chan is the latest ambassador of Samsung this Christmas to bring you a more joyous and fun Christmas, but of course, Samsung’s Christmas wouldn’t be complete without their treats for their fans and with their latest Samsung Christmas Giveaways in where you can get freebies worth up to P5,700!
If you’re into the affordable Samsung smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) that is priced at Php 4,990, will come with a free in-ear fit basic earphone worth Php 699. While the Galaxy On7 comes in with a price of P8,990that comes with a free level in ANC earphones worth P2,099.
The Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) now comes with a Php 1,000 discount and you can get it for Php 11,990 but if you want a better smartphone, you can opt for the Galaxy J7 Prime that comes with an Octa-Core Exynos processor and a Level Active earphones that is worth Php 3,099.
And of course, if you’re into a more powerful and more premium smartphone, the Galaxy A7 (2016) is now available for P20,990 which is down from P22,990. The current flagships, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, also come with freebies worth up to P5,700 as these smartphones come with a Level U Pro headset.
If you haven’t got your 13th month or your bonus, don’t worry because the Samsung Christmas giveaway will last up to December 31, 2016. If you’re interested on getting new devices, head over to the nearest Samsung Experience store.
WD has been long in the game of hard disk but the company has just recently their first SATA client Solid State Drives or SSDs. SSD lets you have an extended life to your PC and also ultra-fast speeds compared to your hard disk drives. WD has announced the WD Blue and WD Green SSDs which are both made for every consumer.
If you’re looking for an affordable SSD from WD then you better look into the WD Green SSDs. It comes in 120GB and 240GB capacities and it comes in 2.5-inch/7mm case or M.2 2280 form factors with a sequential read and write times of up to 540MB/s and 405MB/s and endurance up to 80TBW. WD Green SSD are now available for Php 2,700 and Php 4,500 for the 120GB and 240GB respectively.
WD Blue SSDs are optimized for heavy and power users and they are perfect whether you’re planning on using it on your notebook or on your desktop. WD Blue SSDs offers 545 MB/s and 525MB/s sequential read and write speed and endurance up to 400TBW. It also comes in 500GB and 1TB and in both 2.5-inch/7mm case or M.2 2280 form factors. The WD Blue SSD comes in an MSRP of Php 8,250 and Php 16,500 for the 500GB and 1TB respectively.
Vivo has announced their two new smartphones that are made for selfies as this the new Vivo X9 and X9 Plus packs a dual camera for its front camera. Actually, both smartphones has a better front camera than its rear camera and yes, it packs a 20-megapixel rear camera with 1/2.8-inch Sony IMX376 sensor and also 8-megapixel front camera for capturing depth information. But of course, both smartphones will also come with power as both smartphones packs the latest generation Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.
Vivo X9 Specs
5.5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED Display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Processor
4GB RAM
64/128GB Internal storage
16-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash and PDAF
20-megapixel front camera with 1/2.8″ Sony IMX378 sensor, f/2.0 aperture + 8-Megapixel front camera for depth capturing
Dual SIM
LTE
Bluetooth, WiFi, Fingerprint scanner, GPS
3050mAh battery
Vivo X9 Plus Specs
5.88-inch Full HD Super AMOLED Display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 Processor
6GB RAM
128GB Internal storage
16-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash and PDAF
20-megapixel front camera with 1/2.8″ Sony IMX378 sensor, f/2.0 aperture + 8-Megapixel front camera for depth capturing
Dual SIM
LTE
Bluetooth, WiFi, Fingerprint scanner, GPS
4000mAh battery
Obviously, the X9 Plus has a bigger display but both packs the same Full HD Super AMOLED display but the Vivo X9 Plus also has the better performance as this one packs a 6GB of RAM and also a Snapdragon 653 processor.
The Vivo X9 is priced at RMB2798 (Php20,163~) and RMB2998 (Php 21,589~) for the 64GB and 128GB respectively however, the Vivo X9 Plus doesn’t have a price yet.
When was the last time you ever saw someone holding up a mobile phone with a VGA camera to take photos? Nowadays, it is unusual to even see someone owning that kind of mobile phone. When you walk down the streets, you would mostly see people holding smartphones. These smartphones have cameras that can capture megapixels. The higher, the better and more accurate in terms of image resolution.
The camera game has definitely changed. Smartphone brands are constantly upgrading their cameras to challenge professional cameras in the best way that they can. However, to be able to know who the reigning king of smartphone photography is, there is a need to directly compare the capabilities of various smartphone cameras.
Seven participants, comprised of Instagram influencers and photography enthusiasts, have been invited to test out smartphone photography. In respective order, Samsung, Apple and Huawei came out as the top 3 with the most smartphones sold globally during Q2 of 2016. As such, for the challenge, the selected smartphones to be used were the Samsung S7, Apple iPhone 7 Plus and Huawei P9.
Battle of the Smartphone Photography
iPhone 7 Plus
Huawei P9
Samsung Galaxy S7
Camera
Dual 12 MP, (28mm, f/1.8, OIS & 56mm, f/2.8)
Dual 12 MP, f/2.2, 27 mm with Leica optics
12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm with Dual Pixel Technology
Focus
Phase Detection
Laser Autofocus + Phase Detection
Phase Detection with Dual Pixel Technology
LED
Quad LED Flash
Dual LED Tone Flash
Dual LED flash
Optical Image Stabilization
Yes
Yes
Yes
Special Technology
Two Cameras that works independently
Two cameras for RGB and B&W co-engineered with Leica
One of the few smartphone with f/1.7 aperture
PRO MODE
Basic Only
Yes
Yes
The Rules of the Challenge
On the battle, each participant was instructed to shoot different subjects using the iPhone 7, Huawei P9 and Samsung Galaxy S7 in same angles. This method is mostly used to easily compare shots, but we’ve also added more context as they need to shoot in 4 different kinds of categories, vivid, bokeh/depth of field, low light and monochrome/black and white.
The iPhone 7 Plus trumps Samsung Galaxy S7 and Huawei P9 in the lowlight category with 6 voting it to be the best in that segment. It further proves what the brand claims as a mastery to taking photos even at the most unexpected moments.
However, Huawei P9 takes the lead for most of the categories namely the bokeh feature, monochrome and vivid portions with 7, 5 and 4 respondents respectively voting for the brand to have the best in these specifications.
In a similar phone blind test that Vox Pop did, this time with 50 respondents, the results are almost the same. The Samsung Galaxy S7 lags behind the two other brands in all categories, getting only 12%-18% of the respondents’ nod. The iPhone 7 Plus ranks in second, getting 30% of the votes for the bokeh category and 34% for the monochrome selection.
Unsurprisingly, the Huawei P9 got the most votes for Bokeh with 29 respondents agreeing it has the best feature in that category. It finished a close second to the iPhone 7 Plus in the Monochrome and Vivid categories, gathering 24 and 22 total votes, respectively. Overall, the participants seem to favor Samsung Galaxy S7 the least and Huawei P9 the most when it comes to three key features: bokeh, monochrome and vivid.
The Result of the Challenge
As this was a blind test for all the respondents, both surveys swing in the same results with the Samsung Galaxy S7 as the least favorite for all of the features suggested. Meanwhile, the iPhone 7 Plus gets applauded for its excellent lowlight capacity.
As for the rest of the features tested – bokeh, monochrome and vivid – Huawei P9 proves to be the best and it can be said that the brand’s partnership with Leica has turned out to be the most wonderful decision it has made to date.
Do you agree with the result? What’s your choice and what would you say works best for you? Find out here
Here’s a poll on where you can vote which is the best smartphone that suits you. Check it out here
Cherry Mobile have launched a barrage of Cherry Mobile Flare smartphones last month and one of them is the Cherry Mobile Flare S5 Plus. It’s bigger than the Flare 5 and the Flare S5 and some of the biggest features that we can found on this smartphone are the fingerprint sensor and the support for the 700MHz LTE band for an ultra-fast LTE experience. Do you want to know more about the smartphone? Check out our unboxing and hands-on video below:
Cherry Mobile Flare S5 Plus Specs
5.5-inch FHD IPS Display
1.3GHz MT6753 Octa-Core Processor
3GB RAM
32GB Storage with MicroSD card slot up to 64GB
16-megapixel rear BSI camera
8-megapixel front camera
LTE with support for 700MHz
G-sensor, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, Dual SIM,GPS,A-GPS
Smart has recently partnered with O+ USA to bring Android smartphones to Filipinos with their new exciting offers. This partnership by both companies brings O+ USA smartphones to be bundled with free Smart LTE prepaid Sim that also comes with free mobile data of 100MB/month valid for 12 months and also additional free 500MB data reward for an accumulated top-up of P100 load per month for 12 months.
Also, there are some O+ USA handsets that can already take advantage of the 700MHz LTE band and these are the O+ USA Sonic, O+ USA Velocity, O+ USA Venti LTE, O+ USA Upsized, O+ USA Crunch, & O+ USA M.
Smart has also launched the Smart Prepaid Smartphone Kit features the O+ Presto 700 LTE for P2,188 with a purchase of P300 load card. Just like the other Smartphone prepaid smartphone kits, this one comes with a free 100MB data/month for 12 months and P30 load rebate with top-up of P100/month.
Starmobile has just announced their newest affordable tablet that packs a phone functionality and also an Intel processor, the Starmobile Engage 7i+. This tablet also sports a 7-inch display and it runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop. The best part of this tablet? It is only priced at P3,990.
Starmobile Engage 7i+ Specs
64-bit 1.2GHz Intel Atom X3 Quad-Core processor
7-inch 1024×600 IPS display
1.5GB RAM
16GB Internal expandable via MicroSD
up to 32GB
5-megapixel rear camera
2-megapixel front camera
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,HSPA+
Dual SIM
3000mAh Li-ion Polymer battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop
The Starmobile Engage 7i+ might pack an Intel Atom processor inside but its performance is not the best that you can find on a tablet at its price range. Also, the 64-bit Intel Atom X3 processor inside it is already aging. Nonetheless, the Starmobile Engage 7i+ is really affordable at P3,999.
The Starmobile Engage 7i+ will be available this third week of November.
It’s really a big year for OPPO because aside from their successful smartphones that have been released in the country, they also got one of the biggest stars in the country, Alden Richards, the 1/2 of the very popular AlDub love team. Recently in their event at SM Mall of Asia, OPPO has unveiled Alden as their newest ambassador and also announced the OPPO F1s Limited Edition.
The OPPO F1s Limited is similar to the OPPO F1s except that this one now sports a metallic grey color. The OPPO F1s is initially available in gold and rose gold. The smartphone is dubbed as the ‘selfie expert” because it has a 16-megapixel front-facing camera with Beautify 4.0 that helps you have a brighter and better selfie photos.
The OPPO F1s limited can now be pre-ordered though the online shop Lazada. Customers who pre-ordered will also receive an exclusive set of VR and selfie stick for free.
“>The OPPO F1s will also be available on Smart Prepaid and Postpaid. With prepaid, you’ll get an LTE prepaid sim, free 100MB/monthly data for Facebook and games and also 1GB of monthly data reward but in case you want to get a postpaid line, get the Giga Plan 999 with 50 min all-net calls, unlitext and free Youtube
The age of digital photography is currently at its peak, and continues to grow even faster with the emergence of innovations brought about by mobile devices. Contrary to the previous trend of high-quality cameras packed with heavy duty equipment, the name of the game in today’s field of photography is handiness brought about by the massive popularity of smartphones.
As the market’s interest in digital photography continues to grow, many of the big names in the tech industry are quick to make the most out of this trend. Global consumer electronics leader Samsung have been reported to invest approximately USD13.4B over the past two years in research and development (R&D) of its core technologies, making it as the second largest company in terms of R&D investment and even outdoing its rival, Apple. A huge bulk of these technologies is comprised of camera engineering, a feature that has helped the tech giant cement its reputation as one of the major players in the industry.
Fellow tech brand Huawei decided to foster a partnership with another tech game changer to gain advantage over its competitors. In April 2016, the Chinese tech firm unveiled the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus to the global market. Both phones boast of dual-lens cameras co-engineered with the number one premium camera manufacturer, Leica. These two cameras are created to serve different but complementary functions: one being RBG with the other in Black and White in order to enhance image details and improve contrast values for better photo quality. Dual lens camera technology is increasingly becoming more popular among consumers as it opens up a whole new world of possibilities for digital photography: higher quality of focus, better perspective, and more visible depth of field. With the rise of such innovation, consumer preference now shifts beyond the usual megapixel count.
Five months after this announcement came the creation of a joint R&D lab, located at the global headquarters of Leica at Wetzlar, Germany. The facility is named Max Berek Innovation Lab, after the renowned German inventor of the first ever Leica lens. The research center was specifically built to develop “software-based technologies to improve imaging quality in a wide range of photographic and mobile device applications.” Through this partnership, the two companies plan to further explore the capabilities of mobile photography in the fields of optical systems, virtual reality, and augmented reality.
The dual lens camera movement quickly gained momentum as proven by the introduction of the iPhone 7 Plus.
Leica and Huawei signed agreement on joint R&D innovation lab
With these initiatives by global key players in the industry, more consumer electronic brands are expected to dedicate more of their investments in the development of camera technology and photography processing. The market can expect more cutting-edge smartphone offerings that would promise even higher quality cameras, and blur the lines between amateur and professional photography output.
The OPPO F1s will also be available on Smart Prepaid and Postpaid. With prepaid, you’ll get an LTE prepaid sim, free 100MB/monthly data for Facebook and games and also 1GB of monthly data reward but in case you want to get a postpaid line, get the Giga Plan 999 with 50 min all-net calls, unlitext and free Youtube
