Looks like your hunger for space on a flash drive will soon be satisfied as Kingston has unveiled the DataTraveler Ultimate GT, world’s largest USB Flash Drive that offers 2TB of capacity with support to USB 3.1. Yep, that’s a total of 70 hours of 4K video on a single drive. The DataTraveler Ultimate GT has a zinc-alloy metal casing which protects the drive from shock-resistance.
The DataTraveler Ultimate GT comes in 1TB and 2TB capacities and it will ship in February.
As expected, a motherload of motherboards are coming this CES 2017 and now, ASUS has announced a barrage of motherboards that belongs at the Maximus IX and Strix Z270 Gaming Motherboards. Yes folks, there are a lot of motherboards that has been announced that includes the all-new Maximus IX Extreme, Formula, Code, Apex and Hero. Also, there’s a lot of ROG Strix gaming motherboards too.
Other notable features include AURA RGB illumination and also 3D-printed components. The Intel Z270 chipset is ready for the 7th Generation Intel Core Kaby Lake processors and is packed with some technologies exclusive to ROG.
If you want the flagship motherboard, you should go for the Maximus IX Extreme which is made for enthusiasts looking for the best performance. While the Maximus IX Code are for people looking for an aesthetic appeal with its Aura Sync RGB lighting while the Maximus IX Apex that is looking for both performance and gaming.
ASUS has also announced the ROG Strix line of motherboards composed of ROG Strix Z270E Gaming, ROG Strix Z270F Gaming and ROG Strix Z270H Gaming ATX gaming motherboards, mATX ROG Strix Z270G Gaming and mini-ITX ROG Strix Z270I Gaming.
Check out the full specs of the ASUS Maximus and ROG Strix motherboards below:
ROG Strix Series
| ROG Strix Z270E Gaming | ROG Strix Z270F Gaming | ROG Strix Z270H Gaming | ROG Strix Z270G Gaming | ROG Strix Z270I Gaming | |||
| CPU | LGA 1151 Socket for Intel® Core™ i7/Core i5/Core i3/Pentium/Celeron processors | ||||||
| Chipset | Intel® Z270 Chipset | ||||||
| Memory | 4x DIMM max. 64GB, | 4x DIMM max. 64GB, | 4x DIMM max. 64GB,DDR4, 3866MHz (OC) | 4x DIMM max. 64GB,DDR4, 4000MHz (OC) | 2x DIMM max. 32GB, | ||
| DDR4, 3866 MHz (OC) | DDR4, 3866MHz (OC) | DDR4, 4266MHz (OC) | |||||
| Expansion Slots | 2 x PCIe 3.0×16 SafeSlots (CPU)1 x PCIe 3.0 x16
(PCH) 4 x PCIe 3.0 x1(PCH) |
2 x PCIe 3.0×16 SafeSlots (CPU)1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (PCH)
4 x PCIe 3.0 x1(PCH) |
2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 SafeSlots (CPU)1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (PCH)
3 x PCIe 3.0 x1 (PCH) |
2 x PCIe 3.0×16 SafeSlots (CPU)2 x PCIe 3.0 x1 (PCH) | 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 SafeSlot (CPU) | ||
| Audio | SupremeFX S1220A | SupremeFX S1220A | SupremeFX S1220A | SupremeFX S1220A | SupremeFX S1220A | ||
| Gbit LAN | Intel® I219-V | Intel® I219-V | Intel® I219-V | Intel® I219-V | Intel® I219-V | ||
| SATA | 6 x SATA 6Gbps | 6 x SATA 6Gbps | 6 x SATA 6Gbps | 6 x SATA 6Gbps | 4 x SATA 6Gbps | ||
| M.2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Wi-Fi | 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11AC Wi-Fi | N/A | N/A | 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11AC Wi-Fi | 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11AC Wi-Fi | ||
| USB | 1x USB3.1 front panel connector1 x USB 3.1 Type-A
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C 6 x USB 3.0 ports |
1 x USB 3.1 Type-A1 x USB 3.1 Type-C
6 x USB 3.0 ports |
1 x USB 3.1 Type-A
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C 6 x USB 3.0 ports |
1x USB3.1 front panel connector1 x USB 3.1 Type-A
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C 6 x USB 3.0 ports |
1x USB3.1 front panel connector6 x USB 3.0 ports
4 x USB 2.0 ports |
||
| Aura Sync | Y | Y | N/A | Y | Y | ||
| 4-pin RGB header | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Thunderbolt 3 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||
| Others | 3D Printing mounts | 3D Printing mounts | 3D Printing mounts | 3D Printing mounts | Double-Decker heatsink | ||
Maximus Series
| Maximus IXExtreme | Maximus IXFormula | Maximus IXCode | Maximus IXApex | Maximus IXHero | ||
| CPU | LGA 1151 Socket for Intel® Core™ i7/Core™ i5/Core™ i3/Pentium®/Celeron® processors | |||||
| Chipset | Intel® Z270 Chipset | |||||
| Memory | 4 x DIMM (max.) 64GBDDR4, 4133 (OC) MHz | 4 x DIMM (max.) 64GBDDR4, 4133 (OC) MHz | 4 x DIMM (max.) 64GBDDR4, 4133 (OC) MHz | 2 x DIMM (max.) 32GBDDR4, 4266 (OC) MHz | 4x DIMM (max.) 64GB | |
| DDR4, 4133 (OC) MHz | ||||||
| Expansion Slots | 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 SafeSlots (CPU)1 x PCIe 3.0 x 16 slot (PCH)
1 x PCIe 3.0 x 4 slot (PCH) |
2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 SafeSlots (CPU)1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slot (PCH)
3 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots (PCH) |
2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 SafeSlots (CPU)3 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots (PCH)
1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slot (PCH) |
3 x PCIe 3.0 x16 SafeSlots (CPU)1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (PCH)
2 x PCIe 3.0 x1 (PCH) |
2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 SafeSlots (CPU)3 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots (PCH)
1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slot (PCH)
|
|
| Audio | ROG SupremeFX S1220 codecESS® ES9023P High Definition DAC | ROG SupremeFX S1220 codecESS® ES9023P High Definition DAC | ROG SupremeFX S1220 codecESS® ES9023P High Definition DAC | ROG SupremeFX S1220A codec | ROG SupremeFX S1220 codecESS® ES9023P High Definition DAC | |
| Gbit LAN | Intel® I219-V | Intel® I219-V | Intel® I219-V | Intel® I219-V | Intel® I219-V | |
| SATA | 6 x SATA 6Gb/s | 6 x SATA 6Gb/s | 6 x SATA 6Gb/s | 4 x SATA 6Gb/s | 6 x SATA 6Gb/s | |
| M.2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Wi-Fi | 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11AC Wi-Fi | 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11AC Wi-Fi | 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11AC Wi-Fi | N/A | M.2 slot (E-Key) ready for Wi-Fi | |
| USB | 1 x USB3.1 front panel connector1 x USB 3.1 (Type-A)
1 x USB 3.1 (Type-C) 8 x USB 3.0 ports 4 x USB 2.0 ports |
1 x USB3.1 front panel connector1 x USB3.1 (Type-A) port
1 x USB3.1 (Type-C)port 6 x USB 3.0 ports 6 x USB 2.0 ports |
1 x USB3.1 front panel connector1 x USB3.1 (Type-A) port
1 x USB3.1 (Type-C)port 6 x USB 3.0 ports 6 x USB 2.0 ports |
1 x USB 3.1 (Type A)
1 x USB 3.1 (Type C) 8 x USB 3.0 ports 6 x USB 2.0
|
1 x USB3.1 front panel connector1 x USB3.1 (Type-A) port
1 x USB3.1 (Type-C)port 6 x USB 3.0 ports 6 x USB 2.0 ports
|
|
| Aura Sync | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| 4-pin RGB header | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Thunderbolt 3 | Onboard | Thunderbolt-ready | Thunderbolt-ready | N/A | Thunderbolt-ready | |
| Others | l Integrated ROG monoblockl Liquid cooled M.2 heatsink
l pre-mounted IO shield l color-coded LED audio-jacks l Copper-plated EMI protection PCB edge |
l ROG ARMORl CrossChill EK II
l pre-mounted IO shield |
ROG ARMOR | l DIMM.2l Customizable nameplate
l CES Innovation Awards Honoree |
l 3D printing mountsl CES Innovation Awards Honoree | |
Looks like we’ll be seeing a brand new Zenfone this year and it will be different as this one will follow the same route of the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro because the ASUS Zenfone AR is a Tango-enabled phone and also daydream-ready which means that the smartphone offers a rich and deeper AR experience over other smartphones and it also supports Daydream View Headset and controller.
There are not much information that has been revealed from the smartphone but according to Qualcomm, it will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. So yeah, this one is really exciting as I’m really excited to see more devices that support Daydream view.
The gaming laptop industry is about to get even more exciting as Lenovo has just announced their newest sub-brand, the Legion. Yep, it aims to compete against ASUS ROG, Acer Predator, HP Omen, Razer, Alienware, and more. For this series, Lenovo has announced two gaming laptops — the Lenovo Legion Y720 and Y520.
Lenovo Legion Y520
Lenovo Legion Y720
The Lenovo Legion Y520 starts at $899.99 (Php 44,811~) while the Lenovo Legion Y720 starts at $1399.99 (Php 69,707~). Both laptops are expected to be available this year.
CES 2017 hasn’t started and yet Samsung has already got us excited with their newest smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy A Series. Well, of course, these smartphones aren’t aimed to topple their current flagship but what’s interesting about these smartphones is that they’re all IP68 water and dust resistant. As expected, the Samsung Galaxy A series will come in three variants with three different sizes just like the predecessor and these are the Galaxy A3, A5, & A7.
Samsung Galaxy A3 Specs
Samsung Galaxy A5 Specs
Samsung Galaxy A7 Specs
Some of the notable features that are present on these smartphones are the IP68 certification, USB Type-C, and fast charging on the A5 & A7. All of these smartphones will also feature Always on display so you can check your latest notifications on the smartphone.
If you’ve been following my Youtube Channel for a while now, you might have probably noticed our unboxing and hands-on of the Cherry Mobile Flare X2. Yep, it’s the follow-up of the very popular Flare X but this time, the Cherry Mobile Flare X2 now packs a more premium design and a more powerful processor. So what do we think about it? Check out our unboxing of the Cherry Mobile Flare X2 below.
Obviously, I love smartphones. That’s why I review smartphones. Duh. Anyway today, we’ll be checking out the ASUS Zenfone 3 and the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016. Both are great smartphones for its price so what are we gonna do today? Let’s compare them!
Hardware and Performance
Both smartphones are good. I mean, look at that, they both pack a metal and glass build which makes the smartphone really premium to hold. Both are solid, premium and really nice to touch. I love both smartphones when it comes to build and hardware quality.
The ASUS Zenfone 3 packs fingerprint sensor that is placed at the back and also capacitive buttons on the front instead of hardware buttons. But unlike the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016, this one has a USB Type-C which is future proof and also the new standard.
The ASUS Zenfone 3 packs a Snapdragon 625 processor and a 4GB of RAM. It scores around 60k in Antutu and almost any games that you install on the smartphone would run at high settings. Also, the 64GB of storage is very spacious too
While the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 features a design similar to Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The home button also serves as the fingerprint sensor but unlike the ASUS Zenfone 3, the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 features a Micro USB.
Inside the smartphone is an Exynos 7850 Octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM. The hardware isn’t as powerful as the Snapdragon 625 but it is already enough for heavy games and apps but don’t expect the same experience on the ASUS Zenfone 3. Also, there’s only a 16GB of storage which is quite small these days
Again, both smartphones have a really good design and build but the ASUS Zenfone 3 squashes the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 when it comes to performance. Also, the ASUS Zenfone 3 packs a bigger storage so yeah, the score will go to the ASUS Zenfone 3 for this round.
Display
The ASUS Zenfone 3 packs a Full HD Super IPS+ display. It’s really nice to look at. The color accuracy is good and the viewing angles are pretty good too. I’m pretty sure that you could appreciate the display once you look at it.
But with the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016, you’ll get a Full HD Super AMOLED display, a display that I personally love. The colors are really vivid and the display of the smartphone is really bright. This round easily goes to the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016.
Camera
This is where it gets tough. I mean, both smartphones are good and both of them have a pretty good camera and has its own advantages. The Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 got a f/1.9 aperture which means that my shots are brighter and then there’s the ASUS Zenfone 3 that has better manual controls. The Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 has a 13-megapixel rear camera while the ASUS Zenfone 3 has a 16-megapixel rear camera. Check out my shots that I took with both smartphones.
While both smartphones can take good shots and they are almost on par, I prefer the ASUS Zenfone 3 because not only this smartphone has better manual controls but most of my shots are better on the Zenfone 3. Also, you can shoot videos in 4K with the ASUS Zenfone 3.
ASUS Zenfone 3 Shots
Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 Shots
Battery life
What I like with these smartphones is that both of them packs a pretty large battery that can last really long. The Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 has a 3300mAh battery while the ASUS Zenfone 3 has a 3000mAh battery but despite Samsung’s advantage when it comes to numbers, I was able to get a better battery life on the ASUS Zenfone 3 with around 10 hours of my average use before dying. But of course, the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 wasn’t a disappointment as I was still able to squeeze in less than 9 hours but less than 10. Not bad still.
Software
The ASUS Zenfone 3 5.5 runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box while the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 runs on Android 5.1.1 and both smartphones also sport their own skin, the ASUS Zenfone 3 5.5 sports the ZenUI while the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 sports the Touchwiz UI. Between the two, ZenUI has more bloatware over the other. Also, the TouchWiz UI on the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 is faster and has some features that I really like including the multi-window.
So yeah, this round goes to Samsung.
Verdict
Both smartphones are good. Both smartphones have its own advantages but after reviewing both smartphones, it was clear that the ASUS Zenfone 3 5.5 has more advantages than the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016. Also, the ASUS Zenfone 3 5.5 is much affordable at P18,995 compared to Samsung Galaxy A7 2016’s P20,990 price tag.
Looks like ASUS doesn’t know what Christmas vacation as they announced the availability of the large ASUS Zenfone GO 6.9. Yep, a large phablet but can be afforded by almost anyone as this one pack an affordable P4,995 price tag but of course, expect hardware spec that is not really enticing to most people
ASUS Zenfone GO 6.9 Specs
Obviously, the ASUS Zenfone GO 6.9 doesn’t have the best specifications that you can find on a smartphone but hey, for a phablet, P4,999 is quite affordable.
Yep, it looks like the dual lens equipped Zenfone that was leaked a few weeks ago is true and it’s coming next year at CES 2017 that will happen in Las Vegas, Nevada. Aside from the teaser image that was posted on their Facebook page, ASUS has also added some cryptic numbers that says “Guess who? 2.3 … 12 … 1.7 … #ASUS #Zennovation at #CES2017!”
My guess is that the ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom with dual-lens would pack a 1/2.3″ sensor, a 12-megapixel rear camera with a f/1.7 aperture. How about you guys? what’s your guess for this?
Digital Walker has recently introduced their newest products that will be coming next year and as always, these products are not only awesome but they’re really premium and something that you would really drool at.
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If you’re on the sporty side, Digits will be bringing the all-new Fitbit Charge 2. We know that the Fitbit has the most popular fitness wristbands and with the Fitbit Charge 2, it’s about to get better with its all new features. The Fitbit Charge 2 is priced at P8,490.
While for the adventurous audiophiles, you can go for the Braven 405 speaker which is also waterproof and can play for 24 hours or you can go for the BLUEANT Pump Soul if you want to listen to music personally. And if you want a massive speaker, you can geo for the Audio PRO Addon T10 which is a compact powered stereo loudspeaker that delivers deep bass and clear treble. The Audio PRO Addon T10 is priced at P15,990. The BLUEANT Pump Soul is priced at P5,790 while the Braven 405 is priced at P4,890.
For those people who wants stylish and must-have products, Digits Trading never fails us as they bring the best products that you would surely want. One of these gadgets is the Sphero SPRK+ which you can use just like the BB8. The Sphero SPRK+ is priced at P8,890.
There’s the Insta 360 Nano that lets you capture pictures in 360 and for those fans of Lomography, you can get the Lomo’Instant cameras that is priced at P5,990. The Insta 360 Nano is priced at P12,990.
Expect these devices and accessories to arrive soon at Digital Walker and Beyond The Box stores.
