Smart has surprised again by launching another promo for their subscribers and this time, we can now enjoy Free Snapchat this whole weekend! Yes, you may now enjoy Snapchat without charges as long as you’re a Smart subscriber.
So what’s the catch? None! All you need to do is to download the app and start snapping. This promo started yesterday and it will last until July 14. So what are you waiting for? Start snapping now!
Today, we will be reviewing one of the most awaited smartphone in the market, the ASUS Zenfone 3. We’ve first seen this in Taiwan and we’re really excited to try it out for review after we’ve seen it at Computex. There are 3 different Zenfones that were announced in Taipei and there are two variants of the ASUS Zenfone 3 but today, we’ll review the 5.5-inch variant that comes with a 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Check out my review of the ASUS Zenfone 3 5.5 below.
The build is solid and premium
Unlike the ASUS Zenfone 2 series, the new Zenfones now pack a premium material and its design is far from the design language of the previous Zenfones. We now have glass and metal all over the smartphone instead of plastics. Actually, the smartphone feels like a flagship smartphone because of its design and construction.
The previous Zenfones previously packed a plastic brushed metal-look for the back cover but this time, they opted for a non-removable glass back along with the metal sides and a 2.5D glass on the front. The curved back is also gone on the ASUS Zenfone 3 but don’t worry because the smartphone is still handy and I do not have any problems using the smartphone even in one hand.
Yes, the smartphone feels like an iPhone with a combination of a flagship Galaxy smartphone. Is it bad? No. Because with the ASUS Zenfone 3, you could get half the price of those smartphones and yet, you still have the premium metal and glass build on the smartphone.
ASUS wants to remain the identity of the ASUS Zenfones by placing the fingerprint scanner at the back with a rectangular shape. While the volume button of the smartphone was placed on the side of the smartphone. And speaking of the fingerprint scanner, the smartphone can recognize your fingerprint really fast.
The ASUS Zenfone 3 also made the shift to USB Type-C from the Micro-USB which is placed below the smartphone while the speaker grill was placed on the side of the USB Type-C port. However, I was disappointed to know that the smartphone has a disappointing audio quality. It isn’t that loud but nonetheless, it is still better than the predecessor.
Battery is superb
The 5.5-inch variant of the ASUS Zenfone 3 packs a 3000mAh battery which is adequate for its current hardware. And since ASUS has switched to Qualcomm processors now, the processors now produce less heat and they’re more energy efficient. Actually, I was surprised that the ASUS Zenfone 3 was able to last 16 hours of average use and most of the time, I wasn’t using my powerbank in a day of use of this smartphone
A better IPS Display
The ASUS Zenfone 3 packs a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display just like the previous generation but this time, it’s even better. The display is brighter than the previous generation and the colors were even more lively. Another thing to love about its display is the 2.5D glass which adds to the sexiness to the smartphone and actually, it also made the smartphone look like an iPhone.
Outside, the ASUS Zenfone 3 wouldn’t be a problem and its display is just perfect for Pokemon GO. Viewing angles were great and the colors and contrasts were fine on the ASUS Zenfone 3’s display.
ZenUI 3.0 is better but still come with bloatware
One of the things that you would easily notice on the ASUS Zenfone 3 is its included bloatware. While ASUS has managed to tone it down by removing redundant apps such as the messaging app being replaced by Google’s messenger app, the smartphone still comes with a lot of applications. The looks of the UI became better as this one now rocks a squarecircle icons and of course, it is still customizable.
Intel Out, Qualcomm In
One of the biggest changes that have been made in the Zenfone 3 is the switch from Intel processors to Qualcomm. In the ASUS Zenfone 3, they’ve switched to Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor. It’s a new one and it’s a pretty good leap compared to last year’s 615, 616, & 617 Qualcomm processors.
The 5.2-inch variant comes with 3GB of RAM while the 4GB of RAM is made for the 5.5-inch variant but again, what we’re reviewing is the 4GB RAM variant and we’re pretty happy with how this smartphone performs. Multitasking won’t be a problem and there were no lags despite browsing with many tabs on chrome and also in playing games.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and the 4GB of RAM inside the Zenfone 3, of course, isn’t the best one that you can get in the market but it performed better than I expected. The smartphone was able to play all of the games that I’ve installed on it including Asphalt 8, GTA:San Andreas, GTA: Liberty City Stores, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Modern Combat 5 and NBA 2k16. Here’s our gaming test video of the ASUS Zenfone 3.
One of the added features that we can see in the current generation of Zenfones is the Game Genie and it’s an app that lets you record your gameplay or even stream it to your Twitch or Youtube Live.
Pokemon GO is probably one of the hottest game in the country right now and thankfully, you can now download the game on the Play Store and play it really well on this smartphone.
All of the games can run at the highest settings, however, don’t expect it to run it really smooth but nonetheless, these games ran pretty well and they’re really playable on the ASUS Zenfone 3. Here’s the Antutu score that we got from the ASUS Zenfone 3.
Camera has really improved
One of the gripes of some Zenfone 2 users last year was the camera. It tends to have less saturation and produce noises at some conditions but with the ASUS Zenfone 3, the camera has been greatly improved. We now have OIS and EIS which really improves taking photos even with shaky hands and it can now record in 4K.
The camera of the ASUS Zenfone 3 isn’t the best one that you can see in the market but in its price range, it performs pretty well. Actually, I think this is one of the best shooters at $249 (We still have to rely on its international SRP since as of this posting, the official SRP of the smartphone hasn’t been released yet).
Most of the shots were pretty good especially at well-lit conditions and low-light conditions, I notice that the ASUS Zenfone 3 produces brighter and better photos than other smartphones despite only having f/2.0 aperture. Check out the shots that I took using the ASUS Zenfone 3 below.
Verdict
As of this posting, the ASUS Zenfone 3’s local pricing hasn’t been announced yet but at Computex’s launch, we saw that the ASUS Zenfone 3 starts at $249 and that’s pretty great for what you can great from the smartphone. You have a premium and solid build and materials but you can also get a satisfying performance from the Snapdragon processor and a greatly improved camera.
This is not the best smartphone that you can get right now but this smartphone is probably the best bang-for-the-buck. This smartphone is not perfect and of course, it comes with flaws but damn, this smartphone is really great and I can’t wait for the local launch of the smartphone here in the Philippines.
Lenovo has recently launched the Vibe K5 series which has a focus on an affordable price but with a solid premium metal build and also being capable of VR on the two higher models. Actually, the Vibe K5 series comes in three smartphones – Vibe K5, Vibe K5 Plus, and Vibe K5 Note. And today, we’ll review the most affordable of them all, the Vibe K5. But despite being affordable the smartphone still comes with the latest Snapdragon processor and a really solid metal build. What do I think about it? Check out my review of the smartphone below
Do you want to catch them all but you don’t have the resources, time, and energy to catch all the Pokemon in the metro? Well, I just saw in my Facebook feed the best way to catch all the Pokemons and level up faster than most people in the country. How? by touring all the best places in Metro Manila with a lot of lured Pokestops.
For P499/head or a tour package of P1,999, you can now travel at different Pokestops at Makati, BGC, San Juan, Mandaluyong & QC nonstop for 4 hours! Not only that, you’ll also have a Pinoy version of Ash Ketchum as your driver, free WiFi, Free Candies, & Free water.
If you want to book for your friends, you should book your slot a day before with P250 reservation fee and you can choose between morning (6-10AM), afternoon (12-4PM), and evening (8-12PM).
If yu want to know more about the Poke Tour Manila, head over to this link: https://www.facebook.com/PokeTourManila/
Samsung has recently launched their newest smartphone and it is their first smartphone to have a Digital TV tuner inside it. Yes, you could now watch your favorite teleseryes and news whenever and wherever you are.
This smartphone is really great for those people for those who love TV shows and who are always on the go. The good thing about it is that the smartphone packs a Digital TV tuner.
The Samsung Galaxy J2 another biggest feature aside from the Digital TV tuner is the Super AMOLED display. Yes, an affordable smartphone is now using a Super AMOLED display which is just great especially for watching TV shows because the Super AMOLED display made it sure that your smartphone’s display produces clear and vivid images.
The smartphone will also pack an LTE radio inside so that’s another advantage of having this smartphone over other smartphones with the Digital TV.
The Digital TV app of the smartphone works well too and you scan faster than other smartphones with DTV. Not only that, you can also record your favorite TV shows and save it on your smartphone if you want to watch those TV shows again.
Samsung Galaxy J2 DTV Specs
The Samsung Galaxy J2 DTV has a reasonable price of P6,990. Well, it might be more expensive than other smartphones with DTV but this one has a better Digital TV app, LTE, and a Super AMOLED display.
Windows is still the best operating system when it comes to productivity and if you don’t want to have an Android or iOS device so you could just focus on your work then Cherry Mobile has something in sleeves for you and yes, it’s the Cherry Mobile Alpha Prime 7. It’s their latest phablet to run on a Windows 10 Mobile OS and it will have a 7-inch display with Snapdragon 210 processor. Check out the full specs below
Cherry Mobile Alpha Prime 7 Specs
You should take note that this phablet is running on Windows 10 Mobile and not on Windows 10 so the apps that can be run on the tablet are only available at the Windows Store. The Cherry Mobile Alpha Prime 7 is now available for P4,999
Battery life is one of the biggest problems that we encounter in our daily routine whenever we use our smartphones. Most of the time and especially to those gamers, they are annoyed that their smartphones don’t last up to more than a day. But thankfully, we now have more smartphones that offer a big battery life including the latest smartphone from Cherry Mobile, the Cherry Mobile Zoom.
The Cherry Mobile Zoom looks clean
One thing is for sure, the Cherry Mobile Zoom looks is clean especially when the display is off. At the front, you won’t see any capacitive buttons as this one sports on-screen buttons. While at the back, you’ll see a plastic back cover with a brushed metal look.
Compared to most smartphones with a big battery, The Cherry Mobile Zoom offers a removable back cover and as expected a non-removable 4000mAh battery. There’s also the dual sim card slot at the back along with the MicroSD card slot.
The volume rocker is placed on the left while the power button of the smartphone is placed at the left while the 3.5mm audio jack is placed at the top of the smartphone while the Micro-USB port is placed below the smartphone.
Again, the smartphone looks clean on both front and back of the smartphone and despite having a large battery, the smartphone feels comfortable to use thanks to its smooth curves and2 a more handy design. The brushed metal look also adds to the clean feel and prettier build of the smartphone.
Long Battery Life
One of the advantages of getting this over other smartphones in its price range. With 4000mAh battery and only packing an HD display, I was able to squeeze out the battery of the smartphone in three days of average use. In heavy usage, I was able to use the smartphone more than 16 hours without the need of power banks. That’s pretty good, you know.
The smartphone also boasts fast charging but using it wasn’t as fast as I expected but hey, it’s still fast compared to other smartphones running on a MediaTek chipset.
Just a typical display
Look, the Cherry Mobile Zoom’s display is just a 5-inch HD IPS display. It isn’t bad but it isn’t the best that you can find in the market too. But hey, if you’re just into regular consuming, I’m pretty sure that you’ll still enjoy using this smartphone with this kind of display without problems.
The viewing angles of the display are good however I felt that the smartphone’s display isn’t that bright and really needs an improvement. The bezels of the smartphone is a little bit thick however when the display is off, you wouldn’t really notice that one. Another thing, since this one doesn’t have capacitive buttons, the smartphone has an on-screen button that takes a little bit of screen space on your smartphone’s display.
Clean software with a pretty good hardware
Cherry Mobile tries to clean out their smartphones from bloatware and just like the other Cherry Mobile smartphones that we’ve reviewed in the past, the Cherry Mobile Zoom’s software isn’t flooded with pesky bloatware.
The smartphone has Movie Club inside in where you could watch different local movies and TV shows, the ever trusty Opera Mini and of course, the Cherry Mobile applications preinstalled in the smartphone such as Fun Club, eWarranty, Cherry Prepaid, Bonus Load and Cherry Play.
One thing that I really like in this smartphone is its hardware. No, this smartphone doesn’t have the most badass processor and hardware in the market but this one has a MediaTek MT6735P processor along with Mali-T720 GPU and 3GB of RAM.
The processor might not do good in benchmarks and some numbers but the performance was just satisfying. It’s not the best and the fastest for its price range but the Cherry Mobile Zoom got a pretty good 3GB of RAM which is more than enough for most consumers. Asphalt 8 works well with this smartphone and when playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the game would only be enjoyable when you set it at mid to high settings.
Camera
The camera department of the Cherry Mobile Zoom isn’t really its biggest feature being marketed by Cherry Mobile but it actually performed well in my test especially in well-lit conditions. The color reproduction was pretty good and I didn’t have any washed out photos. Check out the shots that I took using the smartphone:
Verdict
The smartphone has a promising battery life. There is only a few affordable smartphone with this long battery life and Cherry Mobile Zoom didn’t fail to meet my expectations when it comes to the battery life. However, the smartphone doesn’t really have the power that I expect from its price range. I believe that the smartphone could do even better if they’ve chosen a better chipset.
But still, the smartphone can run most apps and games without problems and I’m pretty satisfied with how the smartphone performed overall. The Cherry Mobile Zoom is now available for P4,999.
Here’s a good deal especially for students like us who are looking for an iPad with a data plan at an affordable price. Well, Smart Bro will be offering the iPad Mini 2 for only P599 per month and it already comes with a 1.7GB of data and also an additional 1.1GB of video streaming on YouTube, Iflix, Dailymotion and Vimeo for the first three months.
The iPad Mini 2 runs on an A7 processor and there’s the retina display too. This tablet might be more than a year old already but it still works just fine. Actually, you could still run most applications including office applications and some games that are available on the App Store.
This promo is really perfect for those people who are on the budget and especially for those students who just want a tablet that they can use for school works and to browse the internet.
To know more about the promo from Smart Bro, head over to this link: http://smart.com.ph/Bro/plans-and-devices/appleipad/mini-withretina
Finally, the wait is over as we finally get a chance to be the next Pokemon master! Yes, Pokemon GO is now available in the country and you can now download it on Play Store and on the App store. You may now roam the whole Philippines and look for Pokestops, Pokemon Gyms and Pokemons. The game is free of charge and of course, there are in-app purchases to make your life in the game easier.
Well, if you want to download it right now on the Play Store and the App Store
Thanks Nino Daguro!
I know you guys are already excited to become the next Pokemon Master and here’s another news that can make you go nuts again because Smart Communications has just announced that TNT and Smart subscribers will get 7 days of free data access to Pokemon GO!
Actually, Smart is one with the country in when we were waiting for Pokemon GO to finally be available in the Philippines and now, to make their subscribers even happier, they have announced that Smart and TNT subscribers who are using an iPhone or Android can enjoy the 7 days free data access to Pokemon GO.
Smart and TNT subscribers can also enjoy the in-app purchases even without a credit card by using Smart’s Google Direct Carrier Billing for Android users and Smart Postpaid users who are using an iPhone.
Pokemon GO is now available in the Philippines and you can download it on the App Store and the Play Store.
