The newest Xiaomi smartphone that’ll arrive here in the Philippines is the Xiaomi Redmi 2 and yes, it’ll be available on April 28 at Lazada for P5999. The mid-ranger Xiaomi Redmi 2 rocks a 64-bit Quad-Core Snapdragon 1.2GHz processor, 1GB LPDDR3 RAM, 8 Megapixel BSI Rear Camera, 2 Megapixel BSI Front Camera, Dual Sim, Dual LTE and it is running on Android 4.4 Kitkat with MIUI 6. Well, we just got a unit earlier today thanks to Mi Philippines and of course, I unboxed the Xiaomi Redmi 2 immediately out of excitement. If you want to know more about the Xiaomi Redmi 2, check out my unboxing and hands-on video at the top of this post.
iPhone 6 Plus Review
Apple releases its new iPhones every year and they only change the designs of their smartphone for every 2 years. Last year Apple has introduced their biggest iPhones and for the first time ever, they’ve release a phablet, the iPhone 6 Plus. A complete disregard of Steve Jobs’ belief that the smartphone shouldn’t be large for your hands.
Hardware & Design
Apple is one of the best companies to carefully design their products thanks to Jony Ive but the iPhone 6 Plus both impressed and disappointed me. I’m impressed with the feel of the smartphone. The design of the iPhone 6 Plus is very clean and sleek. The combination of the metal at the back and the curvy sides feels very premium. Compared to what other people had said, the protruding camera of the iPhone 6 Plus isn’t a deal breaker for me and I barely notice that.
However, I’m disappointed with the white lines at the back of the smartphone. Actually, I think it would be better if they just opt to making the top and bottom of the smartphone just white instead of making those annoying lines. I’m also disappointed that you really need to put a case on your iPhone 6 Plus and no, it’s not about the size that I’m disappointed with. I’m disappointed because the phablets are known for not being one-hand friendly but because the iPhone 6 Plus is very slippery to the hand. Thankfully, the iPhone 6 Plus offers more cases and accessories compared to most Android smartphones.
One of the biggest deal breakers of the iPhone 6 Plus was the bending issue and fortunately, I wasn’t able to experience that. Again, it is really recommended to buy a case for your iPhone 6 Plus to make it more comfortable in your hand and of course to protect your smartphone from dents and bending.
The previous iPhones has their power button place at the top of the smartphone but thankfully on the iPhone 6 Plus, they’ve placed it on the side which is more accessible and more convenient for the hand to reach it. If you got small hands like me, it is impossible to type on the smartphone using only one of your hand and it is impossible to reach the top of the display too but thankfully, Apple has introduced a new feature in where you have to just tap the home button twice (Note: Tap, not press) and the items or page at the top will automatically slide down for you to reach it.
One of my biggest gripes on the iPhone 6 Plus is the storage. We all know that the iPhones doesn’t have an expandable storage but that’s understandable because to keep the iPhones fast, the memory speeds shouldn’t be bottlenecked by the speeds of the expandable storage however, I find the 16GB internal storage of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus outrageous. When it comes to apps, iOS takes more memory than Androids and 16GB internal storage of the iPhone 6 Plus isn’t just enough to do the justice. I strongly suggest that you guys choose the 64GB variant whether you’re getting an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. You know what, I think getting a 16GB iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus should be a crime.
Display
There’s a 5.5-inch 1080p display on the iPhone 6 Plus. Compared to most flagship Android smartphones today, most of them pack a QHD display especially when you’re on the phablet range. Nonetheless, the iPhone 6 Plus’ display doesn’t disappoint. It looks good to me and the colors of the display feels just right. It is bright when I needed to and the outdoor visibility of the display is quite good too.
The display of the iPhone 6 Plus is not as crisp as the other Android flagship smartphones today but you know what?, you can barely tell the difference between QHD and FHD displays. Despite having a Full HD display, I think the iPhone 6 Plus’ display looks nice to me.
Software & Performance
iOS is not new to me. Most people find it inferior compared to Android but some disagree. For me, I think iOS is great but it lacks some features that are already on Android and the same goes for Android. The iOS experience is even better when you have a Mac thanks to Handoff and apps that works great on both OS X and iOS. It’s the advantage of having a control on both the hardware and software of a device.
Inside my iPhone 6 Plus is iOS 8.3. It packs a lot of new features including the new emojis. And as expected, the iOS is very smooth but there are only limited things to do. There’s no developer options and you can’t customize the iOS compared to Android except when you jailbreaked your device. But of course, most consumers doesn’t know how to customize, root or even jailbreak their devices. But hey, the iOS 8 is now beginning to be a little bit open to developers. Yeah, you could now even download new keyboards for your iOS 8 devices.
One of the biggest advantage iOS 8 has to offer over Android is the availability of games and apps. I know, most iOS apps are already on Android but there are still some games that are exclusively available on iOS. Like what? Well, we got Bioshock, Monster Hunster, Metal Slug (For retro gamers) and many more. And playing on the iPhone 6 Plus is a breeze thanks to the powerful dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. Yeah, 1GB RAM. So how does that work on the iPhone 6 Plus? Again, that’s one of the advantage of having a control on your software and hardware of the device. Apple could fully maximize and optimize its features.
Playing Hearthstone on the iPhone 6 Plus feels very nice. Compared to Android, Hearthstone on my iPhone 6 Plus is faster and it doesn’t show any lags. It feels very comfortable to play and the 5.5-inch display is spacious enough for games compared to the 4.7-inch display of the iPhone 6. If you are into iOS and gaming on a smartphone, I suggest that you get the iPhone 6 Plus instead because it is more comfortable to play on this one compared to the iPhone 6 but of course, you should get the 64GB variant because I’m pretty sure the 16GB internal storage won’t be enough for your apps and games.
Battery Life
When it comes to battery life, iPhones are known to be one of the worst. But the iPhone 6 Plus proved us wrong. Since the iPhone 6 Plus is bigger, it offers more space for the battery inside and yes, I was able to use the smartphone for a day without charging. The longest battery life that I got on the iPhone 6 Plus was a day and an half before running out of juice. Overall, the battery life of the iPhone 6 Plus is a great improvement over the previous generation
Camera
When you’re the type of person who is just looking for the megapixel count of the smartphone to judge the quality of the camera, well, you’re doing it wrong. The iPhone 6 Plus still offers an 8 Megapixel camera but every year, Apple kept on improving it and actually, the iPhone 6 Plus is still one of the best smartphones when it comes to camera.
The camera of the iPhone 6 Plus still only take 4:3 photos but the smartphone can focus and take photos really fast. At low light conditions, the iPhone 6 Plus can offer more natural colors than other smartphones. Most of the photos that I shoot were sharp and has less noise than I expected. Overall, the iPhone 6 Plus may not pack the best camera on a smartphone but I like how the iPhone 6 Plus performed. check out my sample shots below.
Verdict
The iPhone 6 Plus is an expensive smartphone but of course, that’s expected on an Apple device. The price of the iPhone 6 Plus may be on par with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge but compared to the latter, you’ll have to get the 64GB variant of the smartphone to fully enjoy it. The iPhone 6 Plus is a great smartphone that offers a better battery life and OIS than the iPhone 6. And yes, it’s a great iOS device especially now that this is a large screen iPhone .
If you want to own an iPhone 6 Plus, then head over to http://smart.com.ph/iphone6 to get one now.
Cherry Mobile Me & Me Fun on sale for a limited time!
Cherry Mobile will be having a sale in their two Me smartphones for a limited time, the Cherry Mobile Me and the Cherry Mobile Me Fun. Both smartphones pack a Quad-core processor, 4-inch display, 3G, & their back covers are customizable. The Cherry Mobile Me Fun runs on Android 4.4 Kitkat while the Cherry Mobile Me runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean but the Cherry Mobile Me has a better 8 Megapixel Rear camera compared to the 5 Megapixel rear camera of the Cherry Mobile Me Fun. Both smartphones are priced at P2,999 but on April 30 to May 3, these smartphones will be on sale and it will be sold for P1,999 only.
Nokia May Come Back in 2016
The rapid death of Nokia smartphones is the result of lack of support for Windows Phone. Some people even called Stephen Elop a trojan horse for leading Nokia to the ground. After a few years of his leadership, Microsoft decided to buy the devices and services division of Nokia. The Nokia branded smartphones died recently after Microsoft decided to use Microsoft Lumia instead of Nokia Lumia in their smartphones. For now, Nokia is barred from making smartphones after their deal with Microsoft.
According to Re/Code, Nokia wants to enter the smartphone game again next year. Not only that, aside from joining the smartphone game again, they’re also interested in the virtual reality industry.
Nobody knows how Nokia will enter the smartphone market again after Microsoft bought the devices and services division of Nokia (Yeah, the engineers and employees are now on Microsoft). But it’s also possible that they might do the same thing with the Nokia N1 tablet, their first Android tablet. Which was licensed to another manufacturer to sell it under the Nokia name. And it’s also possible that they’ll go Android instead of Windows since they’re not tied to Microsoft anymore.
Well, anything is possible and everything is not yet clear. I can’t wait for Nokia to make a comeback in the smartphone industry.
Source: Re/Code
Sony Xperia Z4 announced in Japan!
Sony has announced their newest smartphone today, the Sony Xperia Z4. Unfortunately, this smartphone will only be available at Japan for the meantime. The Sony Xperia Z4 doesn’t pack too much new features and it still sports the OmniBalance design that’s why the Sony Xperia Z4 still look the same from the previous predecessors. Compared to their previous flagship, the Sony Xperia Z4 doesn’t have a compact version anymore.
Sony Xperia Z4 Specs
- 5.2-inch 1080p Display
- 64-bit Octa-Core 2.0 GHz Snapdragon 810 processor
- 3GB RAM
- 32GB Internal Storage
- 20.7 Megapixel Rear Exmor RS Camera
- 5.1 Megapixel Front Exmor R Wide-angle camera
- Bluetooth
- WiFi
- NFC
- GPS/GLONASS
- Water and dust resistant
- 2930mAh
- Android 5.0
As of this posting, the price and availability of the Sony Xperia Z4 hasn’t been announced yet.
Xiaomi Redmi 2 will be available on April 28
Today, Mi Philippines has announced the availability of the Xiaomi Redmi 2 in their Facebook page. The Xiaomi Redmi 2 packs a 64-Bit Quad-Core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 processor and a 1GB LPDDR3 RAM which can mostly be found on mid-range smartphones. The Xiaomi Redmi 2 will also feature 8GB Flash storage expandable up to 32GB, 8MP BSI camera f/2.2, Dual Sim, Dual 4G and it will run MIUI 6 on Android 4.4 Kitkat. The Redmi 2 will come in two colors: Red and Gray. The Xiaomi Redmi 2 will be available on April 28, 2015 at 12 noon.
Source: Mi Philippines Facebook Page
Samsung Galaxy S6 Duos Unboxing and Hands-on
Finally, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is now available in the Philippines and we’re not just getting the Samsung Galaxy S6, but we’re also getting the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. In my case, I got my Samsung Galaxy S6 from Smart. What people doesn’t know about the Samsung Galaxy S6 is that we’re getting the Samsung Galaxy S6 Duos instead of the single-sim variant. So what’s up with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Duos? Well, we’re getting a brand new design, a powerful 64-bit Exynos processor and of course, an amazing camera. Do you want to know more about it? Then check out my hands-on video of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Duos at the top of this post.
If you’re planning on getting a Samsung Galaxy S6 Duos too, this one is available at Smart Data Plan 999. Interested? head over to http://www.smart.com.ph/s6
What do we know about the LG G4?
If there’s an Android smartphone that can compete with the Samsung Galaxy S series, it’s the LG G series and finally, the next flagship smartphone of LG, the LG G4, will be announce soon. The LG G3 bagged the “Best smartphone award” at MWC and yes, I’am one of those who were amazed with the design and performance of the LG G3.
LG has released a few teasers for their next flagship and one thing that we notice is that the LG G4 will change the game aesthetically. The LG G4 will feature a stitched leather back which is a leap from the metallic look of the LG G3. The LG G4 will also sport the first rear camera on a smartphone with an aperture level of f/1.8. This feature will be great especially for those people who are into photography.
The LG G4 will be announce in a few days but for the meantime, check out the teaser trailer of the LG G4 at the top.
ASUS launches the VivoPC, Chromebox and ROG GR8
Last Thursday, Asus has launched their newest mini PCs in the Philippines including their console PC, the Asus ROG GR8. Not only that, they’ve also launched the Asus Vivo Mini and the Asus Chromebox. Well, these PCs are not really made for hardcore modders because of its size but these PCs offers mobility over other PC desktops that you can buy.
ASUS Chromebox
If you’re into Chrome OS then you might want to take a look at this, the ASUS Chromebox. There are only a few chrome devices that are available in the market and one of them is Asus Chromebox. This device is great whether you want it in your living room or as your personal computer. Why living room? Because even the Core i3 version of the Asus Chromebox can support Ultra HD 4K displays.
Asus Chromebox Specs
- CPU
- Intel Core i7-4600U Processor
- Intel Core i3-4010u Processor
- Intel Celeron 2955U Processor
- Graphics
- Intel HD Graphics (Celeron)
- Intel HD 4400 (Core i3 & Core i7)
- RAM: 4GB DDR3 1600MHz SO-DIMM RAM
- STORAGE: 16GB M.2 (NGFF) SSD
- WiFi
- RJ45 LAN
- 2-in-1 Card Reader
- 4x USB 3.0
- HDMI
- Displayport
- Audio Jack
- Kensington Lock
- 65W power
- 4.88″ x 4.88″ x 1.65″
ASUS VivoPC
If you’re looking for a Mini PC that runs Windows then maybe you would to take a look at ASUS VivoPC. This is a Windows 8 device and it’s so small you could just dock it in the monitor and yes, the ASUS VivoPC is VESA mount ready. Another cool feature in the ASUS VivoPC is the ability to connect your smartphone or tablet to the VivoPC and control it. The ASUS VivoPC comes in three different variants and these are:
| MODEL | VivoPC VM42 | VivoPC VM62 | VivoPC VM62N |
| CPU | Intel Celeron 2957 Processor (1.7GHz; Dual-core) | Intel Core i3-4030U Processor (1.9GHz; Dual-Core) | |
| DRAM | 2GB DDR3 1600MHz 2×204 pin SO-DIMM Slots | 4GB DDR3 1600MHz 2×204 pin SO-DIMM slots | |
| GRAPHICS | Intel HD Integrated Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 4400 | NVIDIA GeForce 820M Optimus Graphics w/ 1GB GDDR3 VRAM |
| STORAGE | 3.5” SATA 500GB/1TB 7200rpm HDD or 2.5” 500GB/1TB (w/Vivo DualBay) or 2.5” 128GB/256GB SSD {w/ Vivo Dual Bay) | ||
| NETWORK | Gb LAN; WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac); Bluetooth 4.0 | ||
| USB | 4xUSB 3.0; 2xUSB 2.0 | ||
| AUDIO | 2 Jacks; S/PDIF Out; Integrated Speakers | ||
| VGA OUT | 1 x HDMI; 1 x Display port | ||
| CARD READER | 4-in-1 SD card Reader | ||
| KENSINGTON LOCK | P30,990 8.1 64-bitsSpeakers1GB GDDR3 VRAMYes | ||
| DIMENSION | 190 x 190 x 56.2mm | ||
| OPERATING SYSTEM | Windows 8.1 64-bit | ||
| PRICE | P16,990 | P29,990 | P30,990 |
ASUS ROG GR8
This is ASUS first gaming console PC and not only that, the ASUS ROG GR8 is also compact PC and it is even shorter than its keyboard. Compared to other gaming desktops, the ASUS ROG GR8 isn’t heavy and it is very portable.
ASUS ROG GR8 Specs
- CPU: Intel Core i7-4510U processor
- RAM: 8GB
- HDD: 1TB
- GRAPHICS: Nvidia GTX 750TI
- PORTS: HDMI/DP/Audio Jacks/ Mic In
- INTERFACE: SupremeFX 5.1ch. + Sonic Studio + Sonic Radar II
- WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- USB: 4 x USB 3.0 2x USB 2.0
- SRP: P57,990
The ASUS ROG GR8 comes with a mechanical gaming keyboard and mouse which feels really great to use. The hardware of the ASUS ROG GR8 isn’t the best in its price range (Yeah, they should’ve used at least an Nvidia 8xx series GPU) but I’m pretty sure that it can run games like Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare & Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes at the highest settings at 1080p resolution (And yes! it was awesome!). The ASUS ROG GR8 is now available and it comes with a mechanical keyboard and mouse for P57,990.
Cherry Mobile One Review
Philippines has recently joined the countries where there will be Android One and one of the two Android device that’s available in the Philippines is the Cherry Mobile One. So what’s up with the Android One devices? Well, these smartphones hardware and software are controlled by Google that why they always get the latest Android updates for up to two years.
Hardware
The design of the Cherry Mobile One is very simple. At the front, you’ll notice that there’s only a display and there’s no capacitive buttons. It’s simple but it’s clean however the bezels should’ve been lessen below the display since there are no capacitive buttons.
At the right side of the phone, you’ll see the power button and the volume button but sometimes I mistakenly recognize the volume button as the power button because of the positioning of the buttons. One thing that I like about the Cherry Mobile One is that the smartphone is light and it feels good even using it in one hand thanks to the small 4.5-inch display.
The body of the smartphone is made up of plastic but it feels sturdy and very comfortable to hold. Inside, you could insert two micro-sim and a MicroSD card because most of you might need more memory from that built-in 8GB storage. But hey, at least Cherry Mobile didn’t fit a 4GB internal memory inside it. One thing that you might miss in this smartphone is the transfer of apps to SD card but don’t worry. According to Cherry Mobile, they’ll have an update for the Cherry Mobile One regarding that issue
Unfortunately, Cherry Mobile One doesn’t have an LTE modem inside it. That’s why you can only rely on HSPA+ which isn’t that bad. Unfortunately, using which sim card to use for texting, calling and for surfing are pretty confusing. I think Google should really fix that on their Android smartphones because all Android One smartphones are dual-sim.
Display
One of the things that you might not like in the Cherry Mobile One is the resolution of its display. The Cherry Mobile One got a 4.5-inch FWVGA 854×480 display. Today, most smartphones are already at HD especially at its price range. But don’t get fooled with that because the colors and the outdoor visibility of the display was good.
Software
The software inside the Cherry Mobile One is probably is its best feature and main selling point. The Cherry Mobile One is an Android One device that’s why the Cherry Mobile One is already powered by the latest Android 5.1 Lollipop and yes, the experience is as smooth as the nexus however, Google apps are already pre-installed in the smartphone which takes up a little bit of your storage.
But don’t worry, these Google apps that are pre-installed in the Cherry Mobile One are pretty good and they are actually useful like Google Keep, which is a notetaking app. One thing you’ll notice after using these Google apps is that Google wants you to get attached with its ecosystem. What do I mean by that? These apps work pretty well on Android and when you want to replace your Android phone with a new one, syncing files and everything in these Google apps is a breeze.
Despite having only a quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM, the Cherry Mobile One is fast and everything is silky smooth I barely experienced any lags or slowdowns on the smartphone that’s why I love using this smartphone for texting because it’s fast and very responsive.
The Cherry Mobile One might only have a Quad-Core MediaTek MT6582 processor and a 1GB of RAM but it exceeded my expectations when It comes to performance. I notice the Cherry Mobile One performed well and better than other smartphones with the same specifications. I tried Asphalt 8 and as expected, it was playable but what I did not expect is that it would smoother than other smartphones. Other games fared pretty well too. I got an Antutu score of 19366 which isn’t that bad.
Camera
The camera of the Cherry Mobile One isn’t its biggest feature. The Cherry Mobile One packs a 5-Megapixel Rear camera with LED flash and the images that I took are mostly soft and noise are noticeable despite having a decent lighting conditions but I think a simple software update could fix that.
Verdict
The Cherry Mobile One isn’t the best smartphone at t P3,999 when you look at its hardware specifications but the experience on using an Android One device is amazing. The hardware isn’t the most powerful in its price range but the performance and the smoothness of this Android One smartphone is comparable to the Nexus device. If you want to have a smartphone with iPhone-like speeds and you want to have an amazing Android experience, then maybe, you might want to check out the Cherry Mobile One.
The Cherry Mobile One is now available nationwide for P3,999.
