Ah June. It’s the time of the year when you students go to your respective schools and universities and see your friends boasts their new girlfriends, cars or gadgets. You think they’re cool huh? So what’s new with you? Do you have something new this school year? No? Well, these are some things that might help you get back the cool in you. And no, these are not girls nor cars since we can’t afford that (Unless you’re a big shot drug lord or jueteng lord or whatever you are!). These are laptops, mobile phones or any techie things that can make you cool at school. Check it out after the break. 5.0 Megapixel Mini HD Digital Camera
Why is this cool: It fits in your hands and it’s a real camera. Holy crap right?! The first time I laid my eyes on it, I thought that it was just a keychain. Yeah, actually that was a keychain but still a functional camera. Why is it cool? Well, because this super little camera is too small some people won’t realize that it’s a real camera. It can record HD videos too aside from taking photos. We featured this at Pop Talk, you can check out the videos on Youtube.
Why is this cool: This is the coolest watch that I’ve reviewed. It’s like magic. It isn’t just your normal digital watch because the Mutewatch works like magic. The digital clock will only appear whenever you touch the screen. The Mutewatch has also timer and alarms but it will only notify you thru vibration. Yeah yeah, that’s why it’s called as Mutewatch. The only thing that you’ll hate about it is the price. You can check out my review of the Mutewatch here – http://www.jeromeancheta.com/2012/08/mutewatch-review-watch-that-will-make.html
Price: P12,950 Available at: Digital Walker Trinoma, Eastwood, Virra Mall and Alabang Town Center
Asus X202e
Why is this cool: It’s not the most powerful laptop out there but it is one of the most affordable touchscreen Windows 8 laptop out there. The Asus X202e is a touchscreen Windows 8 device that packs a solid construction. The starting price is just P18,990. that’s cool brah.
Why is this cool: I think almost all of you have heard of the Sony Xperia Z. It’s the current water-resistant flagship smartphone of Sony that is expected to be replace by Sony Xperia Z Ultra next week. But who cares, this is still on the list because not all smartphones could have a powerful specifications with a water resistant feature. Yeah, you don’t have to worry anymore about these stupid floods in the metro.
Why is this cool: It’s a tablet..It’s a phone!…It’s a Padfone! The Asus Padfone Infinity is both a tablet and phone. The phone transforms into a tablet by just docking it to the Padfone station. It packs a specifications that is just right for a 2013 flagship. I’ve tried the Asus Padfone 2 and yes, your friends will be wow-ed by this concept. This device might be cool but the price isn’t.
Hey guys look! The hipster’s favorite social network now supports video. The new update of Instagram now allows you to upload a 15 second video in it. You could now have your 15 seconds of fame on Instagram. But of course, Instagram wouldn’t be complete without the filters! Yes, you could also add a few number of filters on your videos. The Instagram V4.0 is now available on iOS and Android 4.1. Unfortunately, for those people who are using the old version of Android, you can’t upload videos on Instagram but you could still view those videos in the app. Vine was known as the “Instagram of videos” but it seems that Instagram could really eat a lot of share from Vine because Instagram is much popular and has a larger user base than Vine. The capacity to upload a photo and a longer video on Instagram is really a big advantage too. I really feel sorry for Vine because the Android app was released a few weeks ago. Download the latest version of Instagram now to upload your favorite foods or just have a vain moment on IG. Don’t forget to follow me at instagram.com/jamancheta.
Cherry Mobile has been releasing different smartphones and tablets almost every month. This June, Cherry Mobile just announced that they’ll be having a quad-core tablet called Cherry Mobile Fusion Wave. And no, this isn’t just your normal quad-core tablet because the Cherry Mobile Fusion Wave will have a Quad-Core Exynos processor on an 8-inch display. Sounds familiar? the Exynos processors was used and produced by Samsung for their smartphones. Looks like the Cherry Mobile Fusion Wave will go on head to head with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 in terms of specifications. Want to know more about the tablet? check it out after the break. Cherry Mobile Fusion Wave Specifications
I wonder why they still have that Android 4.0 ICS, almost every new Cherry Mobile products are now on Jelly Bean. Well, let’s just hope that it will be updated to the latest version of Jelly Bean OS soon.
Cherry Mobile Fusion Wave Price in the Philippines
The Cherry Mobile Fusion Wave will have a SRP of P7,499
Are you using Mobile Internet on your phone? Did you notice the letter G below the browser of your phone? Don’t worry, it isn’t a malware or something that can harm your smartphone. It’s a new service from Globe that allows you to check out your remaining load balance and the MB left from your PowerSurf Plan. But that’s not all, because this service offers some perks too. Check it out after the break.
You don’t need to worry about anything because the Globe Mobile Toolbar is free of charge and you don’t need to download anything on your phone to have it. It will just appear in your phone’s default browser when you connect to the internet using Globe. For first-time users, they’ll show you an introduction on what’s inside the Globe Mobile Toolbar. The Globe Mobile toolbar features M.Globe, the mobile portal of Globe that allows you to check your Facebook, Email and Twitter for free. There’s also Shop in the toolbar that gives you access to exclusive Globe promos and offers. Lastly, the Support menu gives you easy access to talk2Globe via chat or twitter.
But my favorite feature of the Globe Mobile Toolbar is the Data Usage Gauge. Why? Because I can surf and at the same time know how much data I can still consume. This eases the worry out of me of going over my MB allowance without me knowing. Whenever I have a small data left, I just register for another PowerSurf promo before it runs out.
As a tech blogger, I really find this useful because I can surf and blog worry-free now that I know how much data I have.
Who doesn’t love sales, promos and great discounts? All of us loves that, right? But it seems that not all of us are happy with the recent promo of Smart. You might heard of Freedom day sale of SMART in where you can get iPhone 4s for less than PHP11,000. They also announce that they’ll be selling some Samsung products like the Galaxy Tab and the Samsung Galaxy S2 at a very very low price. That’s very catchy right? But it seems that the Freedom Day sale turned out to be a pandemonium at SMART Stores. Check out why after the break Smart announced the promo days before our independence day and they offered a lot of products with a discounted price but unfortunately it didn’t turned out well. here are some of the complaints in the internet.
NO RESERVATIONS daw. such a fake promotion. – Portgas Dace (Philmug)
One person posted in their fb page that while on line.. a smart rep confirmed that their out of stocks already because most of it are reserved a day before. Tsk tsk! – Ann jersey (Philmug)
AFAIK, Smart (or should I say Smart’s employees) are known to hoard units even before they release it officially. I remember years back, a new handset (pre-iPhone days, Nokia pa ata yun) is set to be released. But come promo/release day, no or very limited handset to give, kasi inubos na daw ng mga “empleyado at kamag-anak nila a day before” Same, same pa rin pala. – achtungbaby (Philmug) Hay kamote. Pity those who painstakingly waited in line, to end up empty handed. Waste of time and effort. Independence Day Sale: More Fun in the Philippines!
Way to go Smart! – Blackharlequin (Philmug)
I also talked to two people (They didn’t want to mention their name here) who went to Smart Robinsons Galleria and they describe the event in one word. Chaos. They said that they just wasted their time and money for that. I really don’t know what happened inside the SMART stores but base on the comments and the reactions of consumers, I think there was a complete utterly chaos and disappointments in this.
I always praised Asus for having a lot of innovative ideas and products. One of those products is the Asus Padfone. The Asus Padfone Infinity is the 3rd generation of its Phone-tablet hybrid. For those of who you who aren’t familiar what is so special about the Asus Padfone Infinity. Well, this smartphone could transform into a tablet in a flash. No, you don’t need the superhero to do that but you could dock the smartphone into the tablet dock which makes the smartphone into a tablet. So what’s the advantage of having this? First, you could only have your files on one device which will be convenient for you guys and then there’s the mobile data for your smartphone that you could also use for your tablet dock. So what’s inside the Asus Padfone Infinity? Check it out after the break.
The Asus Padfone Infinity has the innovative features that you can’t see on other phones but despite that, the phone still packs the 2013 flagship specs that you’ve been looking for. Yes, the specifications is still awesome. The Asus Padfone 3 packs 5″ 1080p Super IPS+ LCD, Snapdragon 600 processor, 13 Megapixel Camera, 32 GB Storage, LTE and so much more. If you want to check out the full specifications of the Asus Padfone Infinity, check it out at Widget City. The Asus Padfone Infinity with no tablet dock is available at Widget City for PHP28,990 while you’ll have to cash out additional P9,000 for that tablet dock if you want one.
Oh lookie guys! Another Samsung Galaxy S4 Variant! Yes, this is the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom. And you can guess it from the name that the phone would have an astounding camera. I know what you’re thinking guys, The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom’s Android OS and a good camera would be a nice Instagram or Vine machine. But you should be aware that despite having the Galaxy S4 monicker, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom’s specifications isn’t as good as the original Samsung Galaxy S4. Actually, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom’s has a very similar specifications to the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. The Zoom only has a 4.3″ qHD screen and a Dual-Core processor. It’s really disappointing that they included the “Galaxy S4” in its name. They should’ve just used Samsung Galaxy Zoom instead of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom since this device is a “Camera first, smartphone second”. Check out the phone’s specifications after the break.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom Specifications
125.5 x 63.5 x 15.4 mm, 208g
4.3 inch qHD sAMOLED (960×540) screen
1.5GHz Dual-Core Processor
1.5 GB RAM
8 GB Internal Memory with MicroSD Card Slot
16 Megapixel Rear Camera
x10 Optical Zoom and enhanced SMART Modes,
OIS
24-240mm, F3.1-F6.3
ISO: Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Continuous Shot: 4fps MAX with AF
Format: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WBMP, BMP, AGIF
Xenon Flash
SMART Mode, Expert Mode(P/S/M/C), My Mode
1.9 Megapixel Front Camera
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
WiFi a/b/g/n
LTE
2,330mAh Battery
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom Price in the Philippines
The SRP of the phone wasn’t announced but I guess this camera smartphone hybrid will be pegged at P25,000. (That’s my guess estimate!)
Some people said that the Quad-core devices aren’t for everybody. Cherry Mobile prove them wrong with their Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0. Yes, it does have a Quad-core processor and a very affordable price. The price of the phone isn’t even that close to the P10K mark. Awesome right? Gotta love the goodness of a Quad-core processor. I’ve been using the phone for some time now and yes, I can say that I really enjoy using the phone. Why don’t you check out my review after the break?
What’s inside the box?
HARDWARE
The phone looks really good aesthetically. I thought that the phone would pack an aluminium design on the sides but it was just just plastic. The body is purely made up of plastic. Nonetheless, it looks great on the phone. The phone makes me think of the iPhone because of that side accents. I also notice that the top and bottom of the phone sports a curve design. It isn’t really an issue for me but I notice that the phone is quite tall for a 4.5-incher. It isn’t that bad since you’ll hold the phone on the sides and not on top and bottom. I already expected that since the phone got a qHD resolution. Well, I really prefer having a taller display than a wider one. For a qHD resolution, I think the phone’s display is acceptable. The colors weren’t washed-out and the sunlight legibilty was good. The display is actually quite nice.
I really like the back cover of the Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0. It is glossy and It makes the phone look more premium. Sometimes, I even use the back cover as my mirror. LOL. The back cover is also finger-smudge attractive. But I really like the simple and neat look of the back cover. The power button on the top of the phone is kinda shallow which is somehow annoying for me. I also didn’t like that they choose the 4 Android buttons — home, menu, back and search instead of 3 Android buttons. I find it time consuming whenever I want to multi-task because I have to hold the home button whenever I’m switching to other apps.
You’ll get the things that you want from this phone except NFC. There’s the HSDPA, Bluetooth and WiFi. No issues about it. And just like the others, there’s only 1 sim slot that supports HSDPA while the other one is just GSM. I got no issues with the connectivities too. Inside the Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 is a 4 GB storage but I can only use around 1.5 GB ofit so I really suggest that you get your own MicroSD card for your phone. The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 got a 1600mAh. You might be turned off with the numbers but it performed well than I expected. The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 survived a day at school at me on average use. It immediately ran out of juice after our gruesome and 14 hours of bloodbath (I mean classes at school LOL!). Not bad for a smartphone with a specifications like this. The sound quality of the phone isn’t that bad. It performed well but I expected it to be louder.
CAMERA
The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 got a measly 5 megapixel camera. It’s not really that bad but I was expecting that the phone would at least have an 8 megapixel camera. I used the phone for some time and I notice the camera app took some time before it captures a photo. Check out the photos that I took using the Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0:
While here’s a sample video that I took using the Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0. It’s saved as .3gp. Yep, the phone can only record 720p videos and not 1080p despite having a quad-core processor. The video quality of the recording isn’t that great too. Well, at least you could use Instagram and vine on this one. Check out the sample HD Video below:
SOFTWARE
This is probably the part of the review that y’all have been waiting for. The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 is running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and there are a little bit of customizations on the phone. It’s not that heavy but you’ll notice that some of the icons were changed. The lock screen also has the shortcuts to dialer, messaging and camera. Thanks to the Qualcomm Quad-Core processor, the smartphone was so snappy and yes, its performance is comparable to the other flagship smartphones.
The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 got a score of 10518 in Antutu. Most quad-core phones reach that score on Antutu. And yes, you could play demanding games on this phone. The processor can handle that. The phone might have a Qualcomm Quad-Core processor but that does not mean the phone has the same performance of the Quad-Core processor of the Sony Xperia Z or the Asus Padfone 2. This one is the much affordable Quad-Core processor of Qualcomm but still, the Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 didn’t fail to impress me in terms of performance. The smartphone really shines in terms of performance. This phone is very snappy in apps and the Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 can play most of the demanding games to date.
VERDICT
The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 isn’t the best smartphone around but it is certainly one of the most powerful in the local mobile industry. I really like the looks of the phone. I’m just not used to using the 4 Android button layout of the phone. The camera is a bit of disappointment too but it would already suffice for your Vine and Instagram needs. But in terms of performance, the phone packs the speed and the performance that you need, playing games on the phone would also be a breeze. The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 is now available with a SRP of P6,999. Check it out at the nearest Cherry Mobile Store and kiosks.
This the moment that you’ve been waiting for Playstation fans. After the announcement of the Playstation 4, they finally revealed the console and the price of the next generation console. If you can still remember, the Playstation 4 was announced a few months ago and they just revealed the redesigned controller and not the console itself. The design of the Playstation 3 is back to its boxy design compared to the curvy Playstation 3. I noticed that they still want it as an upright device. But of course, the Playstation 4 isn’t complete without the games. Check out some of the games and accessories that will be in the Playstation 4 after the break.
The Playstation Eye will be optional to the device so you’ll have to cash out some more for that. Some of the known games that will surely come to Playstation 4 are Diablo 3, Grand Theft Auto V, Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts 3, and Metal Gear Solid V. Compared to Microsoft’s Xbox One, The Playstation 4 doesn’t have online restrictions and this one has a much affordable price at $399. If you’ll ask me which one between the Xbox One and the Playstation 4 should I choose, I’ll place my bucks on the Playstation 4 because this one doesn’t have an online requirement and this one has a much affordable price. The new features of the Xbox One are mostly focus on entertainment hub for the US market while PS4 focuses on games.
Just as expected, Apple will announce the new generation of iOS today at WWDC. So what’s exciting about the new iOS? Well, the new iOS 7 packs a flatter with gradient designs that looks cleaner and sleeker. They decided to ditched the skeuomorphism design of the former iOS in favor of a flatter and more modern design. But that’s not all because the new iOS 7 will also have a new features like the control center that gives you a quick access to controls and apps that you need to adjust. Want to know more about the next iOS7? Check it out after the break.
There’s a new and redesigned Notification center too that gives you a more detailed and precise notifications. Multi-tasking on the device is now much easier and smarter because the new multi-tasking shows you the thumbnail of every app that is opened and Swiping it up will close the app. The new iOS7 will also feature AirDrop. AirDrop will use your Bluetooth and WiFi and it allows you to share photos, contacts and videos in an instant. It’s easy as 1-2-3.
Actually there are many new features on the new iOS 7. I actually like the new features of the iOS7, I think Apple is going to the right direction this time. iOS7 will arrive this fall (Around September!) and it will be available on iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPad 2, iPad mini, iPad Retina, and the new iPod touch. If you want to know more about the new iOS7, check it out here
