Arc Mobile Nitro 500D Hands-on

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September 4, 2013

Jam’s Note: This is Nico Guarte’s first post and hands-on of Arc Mobile Nitro 500D . (With a few edits of course and Yes, I have a new contributor at JAM Online!~). Feel free to leave your comments and be sure to follow him on Twitter @I_Am_Nicdroid!

This is it! I’ve got my Very own Cheapest Dual-core Phablet from Arc Mobile! This is the Arc Mobile Nitro 500D. Find out more below after the Break!

Nitro 500D is a 5.0-inch Phone with Dual Core Mediatek MT6577 clocked at 1GHz, 512MB RAM, SGX 531 PowerVR GPU, with 5MP AF Rear Camera and 1.3MP Front Camera, with 4GB (2GB Usable) but expandable up to 32GB via MicroSD, Dual SIM and running on Android Jelly Bean which is 4.1.2

(Looks like from the Other Brand, right? This Phone is Owned by a Brony. (Bro + Ponies)

Add caption

The Phone is made of hard plastic and glass and it has a dedicated menu, home and back buttons like the Galaxy Series. The Arc Mobile Nitro 500D also have a 3.5mm Headset Jack, a MicroUSB port above, on the right Side, there’s the Power Button, and on the left is the volume rocker while the sensors (Light and Proximity) can be found on the front, speaker for calling and the 1.3 Megapixel front camera itself. On the bottom is a hole for microphone and at the back, rear camera w/ flash and the speaker grille and there’s the logo of the Arc Mobile Nitro 500D at the bottom.

This is also similar to the Dual-core Phablet, Samsung Galaxy Grand; Same screen, and specs except that the Samsung Galaxy Grand has a 8MP rear camera and 2MP front camera. The Galaxy Grand also have a smaller bezel than the Arc Mobile Nitro 500D.

(My 2200 mAh Mini Power Bank)

I’m pretty amazed with its simple 5MP AF camera because it can do dramatic shots and make films with it. This smartphone also has HDR (High Definition Range) mode to make the colors of the photo look more vibrant. It Can record Fine Videos (848×480 – 30fps) or HD Video (1280×720 – 15fps).

Speaking of performance, Antutu scored this phone with 6898 points while on Quadrant, the Arc Mobile Nitro 500D got a score of 2196 and it’s leading Motorola Atrix 4G. Gaming on the Arc Mobile Nitro 500D was good (But make sure you’ll buy a Power Bank).

Battery life at 2000mAh is already enough to use for social and watching 1080p videos. But when you’re into heavy photography and gaming, Just a friendly advice, Buy a Power Bank (My Power Bank above costs 300Php).

The SRP of the phone is 4,200Php and I bought this at Fone Style Glorietta. Good News, they’re accepting installments not just for this phone but also the other Arc Mobile phones You can have an installment up to 12mos.

This is like a cheaper Cherry Mobile Titan with a Galaxy Look. I’ll rate it 7.5/10.

This is NicDroid and Saying: “Huwag maging Dayuhan sa sarili mong Phone” (Don’t be a Foreigner to your phone.)

Arc Mobile Prime 350 Giveaway

By

Jam Ancheta

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September 3, 2013

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I just got back from a terrible fever! I’m very sorry for the delay of the giveaway. Anyway, Just like what we’ve promised to you guys before. JAM Online and Arc Mobile will be raffling away the Arc Mobile Prime 350. We’re also celebrating Nico Guarte for being part of the JAM Online Team (Hehe!) woohoo! The Arc Mobile Prime 350 is an affordable Android smartphone that runs on a single core 1 GHz processor paired with a 256 of RAM. There’s a 3.5″ HVGA display too. This is the best Android phone that you can get on its price range. You know what, I think you should just check out my Arc Mobile Prime 350 review to know more about it. Oh right right, you’re looking for the raffle. Why don’t you check out the rafflecopter after the break.

Terms and Conditions:

Valid only for residents in the Philippines
All entries must be done through the Rafflecopter below.
The winner will be notified via Facebook/Email/Twitter.
You can join the giveaway which will start today, Sept. 3 2013 and will end on Saturday, Sept. 14 2013 12:00 AM.
The winners must respond to my Tweet/FB message/E-mail within 2 weeks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you Arc Mobile for this giveaway!

Arc Mobile Prime 350 Review

By

Jam Ancheta

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August 30, 2013

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Entry-level Android phones doesn’t mean that these Android phones doesn’t pack a “wow” factor in their specs and Arc Mobile Prime 350 is a proof to that. The Arc Mobile Prime 350 belongs in the affordable Android smartphone range and it has a Dual Sim card slot inside. But not only that, the Arc Mobile Prime 350 has an Analog TV too and it packs a battery with large juices inside. Are you now interested on this budget minded smartphone from Arc Mobile? Check it out after the break.

The Arc Mobile Prime 350 is made up of plastic and it doesn’t feel cheap. It’s really solid and I really like its curves. The Arc Mobile Prime 350 is cute but it’s a little chubby. Nonetheless, I still like its construction because it’s nice to hold and curves were really a fit in my hand. This phone kinda reminds me of the Cherry Mobile Spark TV but this one has a more solid construction.

Unlike other smartphones at this price range, the Arc Mobile Prime 350 has a 3.5” HVGA display but it has a poor viewing angles and sunlight legibility but the colors were good. I feel annoyed when the touch display doesn’t accurately point to what I touch. I hope a calibration or a software update would fix that.

All of the connectivities that you want on a simple smartphone are here in the Arc Mobile Prime 350 except 3G and NFC. The lack of 3G is reasonable since most local branded smartphones doesn’t have 3G too. Inside the Arc Mobile Prime 350 is a 512 MB of internal storage but of course, that would mean that there are only a few apps that you can install on the phone and it is really suggested to get a MicroSD card for this one. Like what I’ve said a while ago, there’s a dual-sim slot for your primary sim and your other sim card for your mistress (hehe!).

The audio quality of this phone feels just right. Not really the music phone that you’re looking for but it’s a decent audio quality for a smartphone in this price range. Earlier, I told you that the Arc Mobile Prime 350 runs on a 2000 mAh battery. At my test, it took me 2 days of average use before I manage to squeeze its juices.

There’s a 1.3 MP camera at the back and a VGA on the front for your uncontrollable selfie needs. You don’t have to worry about Instagram, because it will just work fine in here. But when it comes to image quality, don’t expect to much from it. You could also record videos on both cameras. It’s not really a camera centric phone but at least, this one has a front VGA camera.

Just like the other local branded smartphones, the Arc Mobile Prime 350 is capable of showing your favorite local channels. It means that there’s an antenna on your smartphone. Unfortunately, you can’t flick your antenna. That’s a straight antenna for you folks and you just can’t watch your favorite telenovelas comfortably when you’re on a narrow space.

The Arc Mobile Prime 350 is a bit old when it comes to the operating system because this smartphone still runs on Android 2.3.5. Yes people, it is still the on Gingerbread. Well, I still find it sensible since the pegged SRP is below P3,000. You shouldn’t expect the latest operating system on a price range like that. The customization on its UI isn’t that dramatic and the smartphone feels really smooth thanks to the 1 GHz processor. Multi-tasking on this smartphone isn’t really recommended because of it only has a 256 MB of RAM and the Android 2.3.5 isn’t really made for that.

There are only a few apps that are preinstalled but most of them are pretty useful like the MobileTV and FM Radio. There’s the OTA system update too if there’s a new update coming on your smartphone. When it comes to game and apps, most games low demanding games would work on the device but when I tried Minion Rush, it is stuck at the loading screen. I don’t know why. But overall, this smartphone is not really for gaming but it can manage to run those games that doesn’t really need a lot of horsepower.

Despite having some drawbacks on this smartphone, All in all I think the Arc Mobile Prime 350 is the best bang for its buck. One of the things that you’ll love in this phone is the long battery life which is a plus on a smartphone on this price range and support for both TV and FM radio. The Arc Mobile Prime 350 is now available with a SRP of P2,199.

Arc Mobile Prime 350 Total Score: 6.7 Total Score: 6.7 | Infographics

Want one? we’ll raffle off this phone soon here at JAM Online so better watch out for it!

The Arc Mobile Prime 350 was provided by Arc Mobile PH

Nokia 515: The Premium Classic phone

By

Jam Ancheta

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August 29, 2013

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We barely see monoblock phones with keypads but recently, Nokia has introduced the Nokia 515. So what’s up with the Nokia 515? Aside from having good ol’ classic keypad, the Nokia 515 is constructed from a single piece of anodised and sandblasted Aluminum. It doesn’t end there because the Nokia 515’s curved display is protected by a Gorilla Glass 2. A polycarbonate resin was also created for the keymat. Oh man, I wish I had an Android phone with materials like this. Nokia really makes some cool and premium feel in all of their devices. Damn. But hey, the Nokia 515 is still a featurephone. I don’t know why they still make this things but if you’re a fan of a classic design and you’re into something premium then better get your eyes on the Nokia 515. Why don’t you check it out after the break

Nokia 515 Specifications
114 x 48 x 11 mm; 101.1g
2.4” QVGA LCD 262k display
256 Internal memory with MicroSD up to 32 GB
Bluetooth
3.5G
5 Megapixels Camera w/ LED flash
Colors: Black and White

Nokia 515 Price in the Philippines
The Nokia 515 pegged SRP is EUR115. If you’ll convert that into peso that’ll be around P6,900. Or probably they’ll be selling that for P7,000. That price is more than a Asha phone. Why Nokia, Why?! No word yet if they’ll be bring the Nokia 515 in the Philippines

Globe Prepaid GoUnli30: Unlimited texts, calls and IM/OTT messaging

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Jam Ancheta

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August 25, 2013

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Globe recently unveiled their latest promo for prepaid users, The Globe GoUnli30. It is a bulndled prepaid offer that provides Globe prepaid subscribers with unlimited texts to all networks, unlimited calls to Globe and TM users and now, it has unlimited access to major OTT messaging apps such as Kakao Talk, Viber, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, Line, WhatsApp and Gtalk (Now Hangouts). It’s really a great promo especially to those people who are just into using these given messaging apps. Interested? Check it out after the break to know more about it.

Globe GoUnli30 is valid for 1 day for only P30. It’s really affordable, right?

If you just want to have an access for 1 day to these OTT messaging apps then you can register for UNLICHAT25 instead. It gives you unlimited access to these messaging apps for P25 and it is valid for 1 day.

Bianca Gonzalez and Robi Domingo at Globe GoUnli30 event

If you want to register, just text GOUNLI30 or UNLICHAT25 to 8888. You can also dial *143# and just pick the promo that you want. It’s as easy as that.

Globe Unbelievable Deals: Get the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 at Plan 999

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Jam Ancheta

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August 25, 2013

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Are you thinking of getting a plan and you still can’t decide which network and which phone would you choose? I strongly recommend that you check out the nearest Globe stores starting today up to Aug. 26. Why? Because they’re having an unbelievable deals in where you can get the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for free at Plan 999! That’s a pretty great deal right? You could also get the Samsung Galaxy S3 for Plan 999. If you are opting for a LTE device, you could get the Samsung Galaxy S4 or Samsung Galaxy Note II LTE at Plan 1799. But of course, for those people who are just into an affordable plan, you can get the Plan 299 in which you can get the Huawei G510. Remember, this promo is until tomorrow only! So better go to the nearest Globe stores and apply for a postpaid plan!

Playstation 4 arriving this November 15 at US

By

Jam Ancheta

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August 22, 2013

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The Playstation 4 was announced earlier this year to directly compete with Microsoft’s Xbox One. And finally, Sony announced the launch date of the next generation of Playstation during Gamescom 2013 at Cologne, Germany. But before that, let me refresh your mind with the specifications of the Playstation 4. The Playstation 4 uses an 8-core Jaguar X86 CPU with Radeon GPU from AMD, 8 GB of RAM, a built-in hard disk, Blu-Ray and there’s a Playstation Eye too. The Playstation 4 is expected to have a SRP of $399 and it will be release on November 15 in the US. Pricey? I don’t think so. No word yet regarding the Philippine launch.

OUYA Hands-on

By

Jam Ancheta

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August 21, 2013

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Aside from the MoGa Gamepad, I also got a chance to play with the OUYA. It started as a project in Kickstarter and it was overwhelmingly supported by a lot of gamers. OUYA is running on a modified version of Android 4.1 and it doesn’t have a Play store. Only OUYA optimized games are available in its built-in store. But of course, you can sideload apps on the OUYA since this is based on Android 4.1. They said that this gaming console is very friendly to consumers and to the developers because the retail unit of the OUYA is also the developer kit for the developers. Interested? Check out what I think after the break.

The OUYA is really a small console compared to the current gen consoles that we have in the market right now but the power and performance of the OUYA is almost on par with our smartphones and tablets. Why? Because the OUYA uses Tegra 3 which is also use on our smartphones and tablets. Tegra 3 is a bit old since Tegra 4 is already in the corner.

The package comes with one OUYA controller. It’s a wireless controller that is powered by 2 AA batteries. The battery are easily interchangeable thanks to the removable plates that doesn’t need a screwdriver. Compared to other reviews, I didn’t had a problem with the plates on the controller. There’s also a touchpad on the controller but I find it hard to navigate using it. The trigger buttons weren’t also as great as I expected. I like the aluminum design of the controller but after I played the OUYA for some time, I strained my thumb. Maybe it’s because of the built of the controller. I believe that OUYA needs more improvement on their controller.

I like the interface of OUYA. It’s clean and neat but I think it needs more transitions. The OUYA was responsive and fast too. I’ve only tried a few games and it’s really great to see Android games on the large screen. The gameplay and the experience was almost the same except that it was optimized for the OUYA controller.

The OUYA has only a few selection of games and there’s no Play Store so you’re stuck with the games on the Discover store. There are some of the popular games like Shadow Gun and Final Fantasy IV but you would still feel that there are a lot of games that are still missing on the discover store. But hey, at least you could sideload and hook up some games and apps on the OUYA, especially the emulators.

The OUYA is now available for P6,490 at Widget City. It comes with a controller and of course the OUYA. Why don’t you check out these cool Android console ;).

ASRock 8 Series Motherboard Launched

By

Jam Ancheta

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August 21, 2013

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Water flowing on the ASRock 8 Series Motherboard while running Windows

Want to buy a new rig for your gaming needs? Then better check out the newest motherboards from ASRock 8 Series. These motherboards already supports the latest generation of Intel processors. Yep, those are the Haswell processors of Intel. Haswell processors are known for having the biggest Gen-over-Gen Improvement in Energy Efficiency. That’s right folks, having a better performance doesn’t mean you need to have a larger electricity bill. Hehe. So what about the Motherboard? Let’s check out the new features of the ASRock Series 8 after the break.

One of my favorite feature of the ASRock 8 Series Motherboard is ASRock Home Cloud. Basically, that feature allows you to turn on your computer and even control it using your mobile device. It would be very useful especially when you want to check out something from your desktop computer. Audiophiles would love the ASRock 8 Series Motherboards because it has purity sound that brings you a much clearer and crisper sound.

ASRock 8 Series Motherboards

If you are living in a flood-prone area, you don’t have to worry anymore because these ASRock 8 Series Motherboards are Waterproof by Conformal Coating. Actually, they demoed us an ASRock 8 Series Motherboard with water flowing on it but it still manage to run and play videos. Here’s the proof:

So why don’t you check out your nearest computer stores and be sure to get the ASRock Series 8 motherboards for your gaming rig.

Moga Pro Hands-on

By

Jam Ancheta

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August 20, 2013

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Android is a very flexible operating system. We can see Android on our Smartphones, tablets, Cameras, TVs and even on our cars. Our Android devices has also turned into a portable gaming console thanks to the Play Store. Actually, there are a lot of console quality games for our Android devices but of course, you won’t have that feel of playing on a console because of the lack of hardware buttons on your Android. Thankfully, there’s the Moga Pro. Moga Pro is a console-style controller built for Android. Why don’t you check out the Moga Pro after the break

The first time I held the Moga Pro, I already felt that the grip on this controller was great. The rubber finish was a really nice addition on the controller but I feel that it may torn off if you won’t took care of the Moga Pro. I was also surprised with the light weight design of the Moga Pro, I didn’t expect that the Moga Pro would weigh like that.

The button layout of the Moga Pro is almost similar to the one on the Xbox. The shoulder and trigger buttons are really nice to press and I didn’t had any problems with it. The full-size analogs were really great and I had fun using it and navigating with it. The action buttons and the D-pad was great too. Another thing, when it’s too dark you don’t have to worry about those buttons, there’s a backlight that you could turn on manually for the action buttons. A pretty nice feature for a gamepad. But of course, that would result into a shorter battery life. Speaking of battery, the Moga Pro doesn’t need a AAA or AA battery. All you need is a Micro-USB cord and a power source.

The special feature of the Moga Pro that you can’t find on any other gamepads is the Moga Arm. The Moga Arm allows you to clip your smartphone on the Moga Pro. But of course, not all devices would fit in the gamepad. The largest device that we were able to clip in is the Sony Xperia Z Ultra which is quite large already. Don’t worry about scratches because there’s a rubber on the clip that serves as the cushion for your smartphone. Don’t frown tablet gamers because there’s an included tablet stand on the Moga Pro. Too bad, you can’t clip your tablet on the controller.

The Moga Pro comes in two modes. The “A” Mode works only on games designed specifically for Moga. You could check out the full list of Moga optimized games on the Moga Pivot app for Android. While the “B” mode uses the Bluetooth HID profile. To make it easy for you, the emulators and most games that aren’t Moga optimized used this one.

Pairing the Moga Pro on your smartphone isn’t that hard, all you need is a bluetooth on your device and the Moga Pivot app which is now available on the Play store. It took me some time before it connects to the device. Very annoying. Check out my short hands-on of the Moga Pro (using one hand!) below:

Overall, I really like the Moga Pro, it’s really rare to see a gamepad made specifically for Android. Actually, I’m planning to get one for my emulators. The Moga Pro is now available at Widget City for P3,500.

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