Finally, Google’s newest flagship is now available at Widget City. Yep, that’s the Nexus 4 which was made by LG. This quad-core powered phone is the first phone to get the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The Nexus 4 is the successor of the Galaxy Nexus. To give you a short recap, the flagship phone packs a Quad-Core S4 processor which is one of the fastest in the market right now, 4.7″ IPS HD screen, 8 megapixel camera and 16 GB of storage. I really like Nexii devices (Plural for Nexus) why? like what I’ve said before, these are the devices that get the first dibs of the Android updates. It is also much easier to flash and root these phones. Don’t worry about the UI makeover. You can download different launchers so that you can customize your phones. The only thing that I don’t like about this phone is the lack of MicroSD slot. So yeah, no expandable memory so you’re stuck with that less than 16 GB of storage. It doesn’t come cheap here in the Philippines, the price tag of the phone surpassed the PHP20k mark. If you want to get one then check out Widget City because they’re selling it for PHP21,890! That’s cheaper than the SRP. Oh and before I forgot, this phone comes with LG warranty! Check it out here
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We love affordable Androids and Cherry Mobile is here again to fill your hunger for more decent affordable Android smartphones. This time, Cherry Mobile releases another Snapdragon powered Android Smartphone which is more cheaper than the Flare. The Cherry Mobile Rave features 1 GHz Single Core processor, a 3.5″ HVGA screen and Android Gingerbread. The phone doesn’t pack any features that can make you say “Wow-za!”. I also wonder why they release this phone since the Cherry Mobile W100 has almost the same features and yet they are both price at P3,299. The W100 has a better camera and a LED flash too. I wonder why they made it redundant. I think Cherry Mobile just want to offer more units or the W100’s demand is too high. But I doubt that. I suggest that you just save up some more and just get the Dual-core Cherry Mobile Flare. Why? It has a Dual-Core processor, a larger screen and the phone is powered by Android 4.0
Cherry Mobile Rave Specifications
Dimensions and Weight
–
Display
3.5″ Capacitive HVGA Screen
Processor
1 GHz Single-Core Snapdragon Processor
RAM
–
Storage
MicroSD up to 32 GB
Camera
2 MP rear Camera
Bluetooth
Yes
NFC
No
Wi-Fi
Yes
Connectivity
3G/HSDPA
Battery
–
Colors
–
Other features
–
OS
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Price
P3,299
Cherry Mobile Rave Price Cherry Mobile Rave is now available at Cherry Mobile Stores and Kiosk for PHP3,299
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I got a chance to play with the Acer Iconia W510 a few weeks ago. I think they just made a school tour. FYI, the Acer Iconia W510 is one of the most affordable Windows 8 tablet in the market. This is not powered by Windows RT but this one is powered by Windows 8. Yes. A full Windows experience with a real no compromise. So what’s interesting about this hybrid aside from having a full Windows 8 experience? The Acer Iconia W510 also has a very affordable price of PHP 30,000 for the 64 GB Version (Without the keyboard dock). That’s almost on par with the iPad. So what do I think of the Acer Iconia W510? Check it out after the break.
Just like what I told you earlier, it was just a school tour and I just played with this tablet for a little while. They don’t have a dock there but at least I got to play with this tablet for a little while. The one I got to play with is the white one. I’m not sure if there are other colors.
Hardware
The Acer Iconia W510 is purely made up plastic and glass. The front is purely made up of glass with a bit of plastic while the back entirely made up of plastic. The back looks like aluminum back but unfortunately, it is made up of a plastic. And yes, the back is well built and solid but some of you might feel that the plastic body feels very cheap.
The connectivity of the tablet is already adequate. There’s micro HDMI and Micro USB. I’m not sure if there’s a MicroUSB to USB included in the box. But if you’ll buy the keyboard dock then there will be no problem. There’s NFC in the tablet too but I guess you won’t need that feature that much.
There are dual cameras, which are decent enough to use for video chat and for taking some pictures. Don’t expect a high quality images. This is a tablet not a smartphone or a dedicated camera. Video chat client? Don’t worry folks, there’s Skype for Windows 8.
Software
Before we talk about the software, I want to remind you guys that this tablet is powered by Dual-core Intel Atom Z2760 1.8 GHz. Intel Atom processors are specifically made for smaller devices such as netbooks and we know that netbooks doesn’t have enough power and speed like the one that can be found on the notebooks (the ones that are powered by i3, i5 and i7 processors). So what are the pros of the Atom processors? Well, they’re power efficient, they don’t heat up that much and they don’t need a fan, and because of these Atom processors, we can have smaller and slimmer devices with a much affordable price than the other intel core processors. Anyway, let’s talk about the Acer Iconia W510 again.
Windows 8 32 Bit runs in the blood of Acer Iconia W510’s veins. And no, Windows RT which is the crippled version of the Windows 8, isn’t powering this device. The RT version of Windows 8 can’t run old Windows 7 apps and it is only made for devices with ARM processors. In this full Windows 8, you can use your old desktop applications that you use in Windows 7.
Like what I’ve told you earlier, you can use your Windows 7 applications but you might have a problem with navigating and clicking things because non-metro or desktop applications are specifically made for computer with keyboards and mouse. But don’t worry!, you could still use your old input devices on this one but course, it’s recommended to use the optional keyboard dock. There are some gestures that you need to familiarize in Windows 8 in order to maximize its features. It might be difficult to remember to some but I know most of you will get used to it.
The Acer Iconia W510 that I’ve reviewed has a storage of 32 GB. There’s a 64 GB version too if you need some more space. The Windows 8 OS eats almost half of the 32 GB storage. So I suggest that if you’re buying a tablet like this then just get the 64 GB and not the smaller one. 16 GB of storage for apps and some of your files might be very small for you guys. This is a full fledge Windows 8 OS, not an iPod touch. Some desktop applications like office might take more than 2 GB of your storage.
If you’re asking me if the tablet is fast, The Acer Iconia W510 won’t fail you. It is fast on Metro. Its experience is as silky smooth just like the 1st generation WP7 phones. Unfortunately, there’s no Internet and I haven’t tested any desktop apps during my hands-on. Switching apps is fast but I noticed some slowdowns when there are a lot of apps that are open. Oh and before I forgot, this Windows 8 powered Atom tablet is expected to have a 9 hours of battery life. Not bad at all.
Check out my hands-on video:
I know, the hands-on video was crappy. Forgive me.
Verdict
Microsoft really want to change the game by offering the tablet friendly Windows 8. Acer Iconia W510 is one of those Windows 8 devices that has ambitions to beat the king of the tablet market, the iPad. But I don’t think that Acer could chomp a lot of share in tablet market. They need to prove that they can really compete well in the industry of tablet. So the question still remains, Should you buy this tablet? It would still depend on how you will use it. Why? Atom can’t cater your power-hungry applications. So if you need some power then this one is not for you. So to whom do I recommend this tablet? If you’re looking for a device that is mainly use for browsing the net, not so heavy office use and some tablet needs then this tablet would be perfectly fit for you. The SRP of the Acer Iconia W510 64 GB is quite high at P30,000. But this tablet is the most affordable of its kind.
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Another Cherry Mobile Android smartphone appeared in their Facebook page. Cherry Mobile really likes to fill up their lineup with Androids before the year ends. The Cherry Mobile Blaze is the latest addition to their Android family. The Cherry Mobile Blaze packs a 4.7″ screen just like the Skyfire but this one has a 854×480 resolution compared to Skyfire’s 800×480. The phone also has a better camera at 8 megapixel. Just like its Android brothers, the phone will be powered by a dual core processor and it will also feature dual sim dual standby. No other infos as of this moment but this phone kinda reminds me of the Samsung Galaxy S3. Check out the price after the break
Cherry Mobile Blaze Specifications
Dimensions and Weight
–
Display
4.7″ FWGA 854 x 480 Display
Processor
1.0 GHz Dual-Core Processor
RAM
–
Storage
– Expandable up to 32 GB
Camera
8 Megapixel with LED Flash
Bluetooth
Yes
NFC
No
Wi-Fi
Yes
Connectivity
3G
Battery
–
Colors
–
Other features
–
OS
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Cherry Mobile Blaze Price in the Philippines The SRP of the Cherry Mobile Blaze is PHP6,499. Stay tune for more updates about the Cherry Mobile Blaze.
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The iPad mini. It’s here. Finally. The iPad mini is available at the Apple Online Store and I’m not quite sure if it’s also available on the Apple Resellers right now. If you are still on the last-minute buying spree then you might want to slash off the iPad mini on your list because the iPad mini is expected to ship in 2 weeks. Better late than never! But if you’re not too excited for the iPad mini then why don’t you check out the prices after the break? Here’s the official price of the iPad Mini:
iPad Mini 16GB – ₱15,990 iPad Mini 32GB – ₱20,990 iPad Mini 64GB – ₱25,990
If you’re planning to have the iPad Mini with cellular then here it is:
iPad Mini (WiFi + Cellular) 16GB – ₱21,990 iPad Mini (WiFi + Cellular) 32GB – ₱26,990
Too bad they didn’t mention if there’s LTE on that one but I guess, you just need a special LTE sim from your favorite network to enjoy LTE on the iPad Mini. I’ll just wait for the online stores to have their prices drop. If you want to know more about the iPad mini, then check out my hands-on here.
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Do you think having a quad-core phone is very expensive? Nah. Meizu MX is here to satisfy your thirst for a quad-core phone. It doesn’t pack a HD screen compared to other flagship phones but what the F bro! This phone will just cost you less than P15,000! AFAIK, You can’t find this phone anywhere. You can only buy this phone at Widget City. So what else does this baby got? The Meizu MX got a 4.0″ 960×640 ASV Display, a quad-core processor, 32 GB storage and a 8 megapixel camera. A pretty decent specifications right? Check out the specifications of the phone after the break
Jam Online’s Gadget Gift Guide is back for the holiday! It might be a little bit late because it is just less than a week before Christmas. But who cares. Christmas is coming and you guys might need some guide on which gadgets you should buy for your Girlfriend, enemy, friend, family or for yourself. So Jam is back to get your mind right….or just mess up your mind. Anyway, here are my suggestions on what you should buy for this christmas.
Urbanears Bagis
Bagis made it to our list again. It is one of the most stylish headphones out there but also one of the most affordable. It has the combination of the fabric and rubber but the construction feels very sturdy and won’t easily torn. It is available in many colors which makes it more stylish.
Price: P1,200
Available at: Most Apple Resellers
Cherry Mobile Flare
The Cherry Mobile Flare must be one of most phone this year. Why? Because this phone packs a dual-core processor and a 4″ IPS display and yet it still delivers a 4k price tag. It is also powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Pretty amazing right? The only problem that you can have is that the stocks of Cherry Mobile Flare is really hard to find. Almost all stores are out of stock and CM is doing everything to catch up to the demand.
Price: P3,999
Available at: Cherry Mobile Kiosks and stores
iPod Touch 5th Generation When the iPhone 5 was launched. I was kinda disappointed to it because I expected to much. But when I saw the iPod touch 5th generation. I said to myself. “Wow, this is a beauty. This is a device that must be included in your ‘must-have list’. This is an awesome device. The iPod Touch 5th gen starts at a higher storage and a higher price. Oh and before I forgot. The device got a 4” retina display and it is available in variety of colors.
I haven’t tested this phone yet but who cares! This is the most affordable quad-core phone in the Philippines! You can’t find this phone anywhere, It is only available in online store. Don’t worry about the OS, it is also available in English. So what’s inside? a quad-core processor, 8 megapixel camera and a 4.0″ screen. Not bad.
IMO, this is the best Android Tablet around. Why? It has a 7″ screen with 1280×800 resolution, a quad-core processor and it is powered by Jelly Bean. But do you know why I think the Nexus 7 is the best tablet? This thing will costs you less than 15 freakin thousand pesos! This device is great for gaming and of course, for tablet use. Too bad there’s no MicroSD slot but who cares! this baby is available in 16 or 32 GB variant.
Almost every Apple Fanboy must be praying to have this tablet too this christmas. This is the iPad mini. Apple’s offering for the people who wants an iPad experience on a smaller device. The iPad mini specifications is almost the same with the iPad 2. This baby got a A5 processor, 5 megapixel camera and a 7.9″ display. If you already have a device that has a large PPI. You might be disappointed with this one. But hey, the iPad mini is still a pretty damn good device. Check out my Hands-on here.
4.8″ too small for you? Here’s a device that can make all your phones very small, the Samsung Galaxy Note II. This big bad boy got a gigantic 5.3″ screen and this is powered by a quad-core Exynos processor which is enough to play some of latest cool games like GTA:VC at max settings without a problem. This one got a special S-pen that you can use for different applications. This is an awesome device unless you don’t want a monstrous device
Price: P25,000
Available at: Widget City, Malls and Samsung Stores
So that’s it folks! Well, these are not the best devices out there in the market but I hope that I didn’t mess up your mind.
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Who said that bar phones are dead? Here is the Nokia Asha 202, another featurephone from Nokia for the people who just want to have a simple phone with some features like Dual-Sim and a touchscreen. They really want to ditch those keypad buttons in favor of touchscreens by introducing touchscreens to the low budget segment to cellphones that are very affordable. The Nokia Asha is the family of Nokia phones that are very affordable but none of the members packs a Symbian or Windows Phone operating system. Well, that’s expected on a phone that has a small budget.
Hardware
It looks like just a common bar phone. A phone like the other bar phones that we can see in the market but this one has a resistive touchscreen. The Asha phones had been known for combining physical keys with touchscreen for the affordable and budget market. There are times that the phone’s screen isn’t responsive. Well that’s a resistive and not a capacitive so that’s expected already. If you already owned a capacitive touchscreen phone I guess it will take some time to get use to it. Like me, I’m already used to using my large S3 and using a phone with a keypad and a touchscreen is such a pain. I’m not used to typing on physical keypad anymore. The resistive also detects any objects compared to capacitive that only detect your fingers.
I like the design of the phone but the phone’s body is made up of plastic, which made the phone look cheaper but the thing that I really like about the Nokia Asha 202 is the availability of colors. The review unit that I got is the red one and I really like the colors. The glossy sides also add some beauty to the phone.
At the top of the phone, you can find the MicroUSB, 3.5mm port and the charging port. Just like the other Nokia phones. They always place those things together. At the side is the Lock/unlock button and the 2nd sim card slot on the other. That’s hot-swappable and I think that’s a great feature but I guess, most people won’t be changing their sim-cards all the time.
At the back you can find the 2.0 megapixel camera (we’ll talk about the camera later) and no, there’s no flash. But I already expect that. This is an affordable phone, not a full-featured pack phone. Inside is the MicroSD card slot and the main SIM Card slot. No surprising features or whatever inside.
The Nokia Asha 202 doesn’t have a QWERTY keyboard that’s why I really have to adjust to it. If you’re not used to QWERTY keyboard on phones then you might not have a problem with it. But if you love keypads like this then you might love this phone because of the large and comfortable buttons.
You won’t have any problems with the large 1050mAh battery. That juice is enough to last up to 2 days or more on normal usage. Heck, it can even last up to a week if you don’t use it that much. The speakers are also loud and clear enough.
Camera
This phone has a 2 megapixel rear camera. The phone’s camera performance was beyond my expectations. It fared really well and the shots were good. I hate it when I need to set it to landscape mode in the settings. The camera is default at portrait. The sharpness, colors and contrast are great for a 2 megapixel camera. Here, check out some of the photos that I took using the Nokia Asha 202
The photos might be good but the video. Well. Just take a look at it.
But hey, at least the phone can do video recording.
Software
The phone isn’t powered by Symbian or Windows phone. Just a good ol S40. The phone doesn’t have a fast 1 Ghz processor unlike it’s bigger brothers but that doesn’t mean that the phone sucks. Actually, the phone’s performance is still pretty good. I didn’t experience and crashes or slow downs.
Apps? Don’t worry about it, Nokia Store got a lot of apps for you. Well, don’t expect apps from Android, WP7 and iOS but expect a dumb down or a Java version of that app like MMDA. That’s one of my favorite apps BTW. Oh and before I forgot, the Nokia Asha 202 comes with free games from EA. So yeah. You won’t get bored with your Asha 202.
Verdict
The phone packs the features that most common phones have but the hot-swappable Dual Sim slot and the touch screen with keypad is kinda rare in the market these days. Some people might prefer this phone because some prefer a keypad rather than a touchscreen or a QWERTY keyboard phone. It is now available for P3,550
Disclaimer: This is a review unit lend to me by Nokia Philippines
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The phone that you’ve been waiting for a very long time is here. Finally. Oh Yeah, after all those teasers and hashtag wars, it’s finally here. The iPhone 5 was just launched both by Smart and Globe recently and fortunately, I have covered both networks even though it happened at two different venues at the same time. And No, I didn’t use a teleport machine to go to the other event. Anyway, check out my coverage after the break Smart Vs. Globe: The Plans and Pricing of the iPhone 5
Here’s the Smart’s Plans and pricing for the iPhone 5:
While here’s the tablet Globe’s pricing for the iPhone 5:
Both networks offer the iPhone 5 for free at Plan 2499 but Smart’s iPhone 5 at Plan 2499 is 32 GB while the Globe iPhone 5 at Plan 2499 is just at 16 GB. Both networks come with freebies on Plan 2499. If you don’t have enough money for that then just opt for the Plan 999 but of course, there will be a big cash out for that. Both networks have a 24-month lock-in period.
Smart might have the cheaper price but the Globe features Gadget Care, which is kinda like an insurance thing. If you are opting for a Globe iPhone 5 I suggest that you get one because it’ll be a protection from accidental damage, theft or robbery and. Globe also offers some exclusive perks like discounts to some iPhone 5 accessories and free subscription to GCASH AMEX virtual card which you can use on American online stores. If you are still within contract, Globe also offers a reset program and get the iPhone 5 at a discount.
Globe iPhone 5: The launch and the press conference
Ros and Chuckie
I went to the Globe iPhone 5 launch first at the new Glorietta. There was a tweet-up at Coffee bean hosted by the Ros Juan and Chuckie Dreyfus. They gave away a lot of things including Globe shirts and of course, the Globe iPhone 5 but unfortunately, I didn’t win a Globe iPhone 5. Outside Coffee bean is where the Pamasko ng Globe happened. There were a lot of celebrities including Kris Aquino and a lot more bands like 6 Cycle Mind and Bamboo.
Bamboo!
There’s a countdown but I wasn’t part of it since I went to the Smart iPhone 5 launch. A lot of people came in to watch and there are a lot of people who got lucky because they just got the latest iPhone.
The next day, Globe had a press conference about the iPhone 5 and they revealed their plans and pricing. They also discuss what to expect on the iPhone 5. Unfortunately, there’s no LTE but it will be available soon via software update. Don’t worry about the capping. There’s no capping for LTE just yet. The network modernization is also on the way and it is expected that it’ll be finished by Q1 next year. But do you know what’s the most exciting news about Globe’s LTE? The price of the LTE will just be the same with the 3G one. So yeah. You don’t need to pay additional fees just to experience LTE on your iPhone 5. They also announced that we could also avail 0% installment at 3,6,12 or months for partner credit cards.
Smart iPhone 5: Apples, Celebrities and Resorts World
I went to Resorts world Manila for the Smart iPhone 5 launch. The event was called “Smart Christmas Midnight Rush” and it was really a big party at the Resorts World Manila. They have booths on where you can apply for iPhone 5 and they also gave away free stuff to those people who were the first owners of the Smart iPhone 5. They also had a raffle for the media and I got a brand new…
Nokia Asha 202! Not a brand new iPhone 5! haha! Thanks Smart!
The Smart iPhone 5 launch was filled by celebrities including Jam Ancheta (Just kidding!). The guys at Boys Night Out hosted the event and they also gave away a lot of iPhone 5. Jeezez, I declare that day the iPhone 5 day.
As expected, both networks continued their war at Twitter Image by TechPinas
Which one should I get?
That is the question. With Smart, you can get a cheaper iPhone 5 but with Globe’s iPhone 5. You could get a lot of freebies. But of course, it will still depend on you guys. Some people might prefer switching but some might stay. Choose on which network you think you will be happy. Don’t worry, both networks doesn’t have LTE on the iPhone 5 yet. if you want to know more about their iPhones just check out the links below:
Nokia just introduced the latest member of the Nokia Lumia family. The Nokia Lumia 620. Just like its smaller brother, the Nokia Lumia 610. The Nokia Lumia 620 features a very affordable price but this time, it’ll have almost the same specifications of its bigger brothers. Aside from being the most affordable Windows Phone 8 in the market, the Nokia Lumia 620 is also one of the most colorful Smartphones out there. I haven’t tested a Windows Phone 8 before but a single core phone was already smooth on the Windows Phone 7.5. I hope the Dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor could do the same too. Unfortunately, there’s no Pureview or Puremotion display in here but at least, this one has a Clearblack display. Well, I already expected that since this phone won’t cost you more than $249. I really prefer having a Lumia Windows phone rather than any Windows phone from other manufacturers because of the cool exclusive apps on the Nokia Lumia like the Nokia Maps. IMO, it’s the best maps I’ve used for navigating. Check out the full specifications of the phone after the break
Nokia Lumia 620 Specifications
Dimensions and Weight
115.4 x 61.1 x 11 mm, 127g
Display
3.8″ Clearblack Display
Processor
Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor
RAM
512MB
Storage
8 GB with MicroSD Storage
Camera
5 MP Rear camera with VGA front camera
Bluetooth
Yes
NFC
Yes
Wi-Fi
Yes
Connectivity
HSPA+ up to 21mbps
Battery
1300mah
Colors
Lime green, Orange, Magenta, Yellow, Cyan, White and Black
Other features
Nokia Lumia Exclusive apps
OS
Windows Phone 8
Price
$249
Nokia Lumia 620 Price and Availability in the Philippines The SRP of the Nokia Lumia 620 is $249 but the taxes and other costs isn’t included so my guess estimate for this phone when it arrives here in the Philippines is P13,000-P15,000. It’s expected to arrive here in the Philippines this January 2013
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