HINESE brand Vivo today unveiled the Vivo V5s (see complete specs) in the Philippines, just months after a similar product, the Vivo V5, hit the streets. The V5s is priced higher than its predecessor, and the extra cost will get you more storage and a redesigned, unibody phone that looks like the V5 Plus — or, if you prefer, the iPhone 7.
What Android Go is, and why you should care
ODAY’S keynote address at the Google I/O 2017 developer conference saw the announcement of Android Go. What is it, and why should you care? To put it simply, it’s a basic mobile operating system for basic phones.
Meet the smartphone that now has the highest-rated camera
TC has a new a smartphone to compete with the likes of the Google Pixel, the Samsung Galaxy S8, and the Apple iPhone 7. And expectedly, the Taiwan-headquartered phone maker is keen to brag about the camera on the HTC U11 (click for complete specs), which is apparently unprecedented in the mobile industry — both in terms of shooting stills and video.
Xiaomi Mi 6 now available in PH, but there’s a catch
HE Xiaomi Mi 6 (click for complete specs), the affordable, dual-cam Samsung Galaxy S8 challenger from China, is now available in the Philippines through online retailer Widget City, albeit unofficially. There’s always a catch, isn’t there?
Midrange Sony Xperia XA1 quietly gets released in PH
ONY today announced the arrival of the Sony Xperia XA1 in the Philippines. Announced at the Mobile World Congress or MWC 2017 in Barcelona, the XA1 is the Japanese brand’s newest entry in the midrange segment and the successor to the seriously underrated XA from last season.
Here’s why the Apple iPhone 8 will be delayed, report claims
OULD the iPhone 8, the most anticipated non-Android phone of 2017, be the most elusive as well? That’s what the rumor mill would have us believe, and we think it’s entirely plausible that Apple won’t be able to keep up with the market at launch.
Vivo Y53 review: Expectedly handy, surprisingly capable
UDGET smartphones have come a long way in a short time. As you probably know, some even come with a fingerprint reader, which is crazy given that, up until a couple of years ago, the luxury of biometrics security was limited to higher-end devices. The outliers, many originating from the Far East, offer many of the features you’d want on your next purchase — and at bargain prices.
Sony Xperia XZs with slow-motion camera drops in PH
F you’ve bought a Sony Xperia XZ recently, you may want to cover your ears for this: the Japanese company today announced the entry of the Sony Xperia XZs (click for complete specs) to the Philippine market.
Alleged OnePlus 5 sample photos surface online
NE of the most anticipated phones of 2017 is launching in the coming months. We’re not talking the iPhone 8, or iPhone 7s, or whatever Apple ends up calling its next handset. Soon, the internet’s short attention span will focus on the OnePlus 5, which is being worked on “without a break,” according to the company’s CEO, Pete Lau.
Cherry Mobile Flare P1 review: Two rear cameras, one low price
UAL-CAMERA smartphones have been all the rage lately. So as expected, Cherry Mobile has unveiled its own dual-cam entries under the Flare P series, with “P” standing for photography. Or at least we think so. The cheapest of the bunch is the Cherry Mobile Flare P1 (click for complete specs).
New Meizu E2 phone is tempting, but good luck finding one
EIZU has a new budget smartphone on offer in the Meizu E2. But chances are, you won’t even get a whiff of it — unless you live in the company’s home country of China. Sorry, Philippines, India, and the rest of the world.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 costs this much to make
HE Samsung Galaxy S8 (click for complete specs) and Galaxy S8+ (click for full specs) are getting lots of positive reviews from critics — including us — while pre-order sales have skyrocketed in Korea and in the U.S.
Samsung Galaxy S8+ review: The phone to beat in 2017
ITH the Samsung Galaxy S8+ (click for complete specs), the larger of the two Samsung hero phones for this part of 2017, the catch is clear: Big-screened phone — bigger than what the Apple iPhone 7 Plus can offer, bigger than you might think if you haven’t seen it in action firsthand — in a reasonable, borderline-manageable size.
OPPO F3, another dual-cam selfie expert, to launch in PH May 4th
HILE it hasn’t been long since OPPO took the wraps off of the F3 Plus in the Philippines, it is already looking ahead to launching still another selfie expert.
LG G6 quick review: So fly, so grounded
AST year’s LG G5 didn’t sell as well as anticipated. There are probably many reasons for that, ranging from competition at the top to consumer apathy for LG’s courageous modular design. Complicating matters further, the G5’s Friends — a range of accessories designed for use with the phone — have been met with shrugs of indifference, as opposed to warm embraces.
Here’s your first look at the OPPO R11 with 2 back-facing cameras
E know OPPO is working on a dual-camera system that will offer 5x lossless zoom — without bulges, might we add. What remains elusive is when a phone with such camera capabilities will launch. That may change soon.
Samsung Galaxy S8 is doing better than expected in South Korea
AMSUNG’S design for the Galaxy S8 is unprecedented in the company’s history, easily its best to date. And from what we’ve seen so far, the rest of the bits — the internals, cameras, and screen — are nothing if not built to rival or surpass the accomplishments of current crowd-pleasers like the Apple iPhone 7 and the Google Pixel.
Vivo Y53 budget smartphone now even more affordable in PH
IVO, seemingly always aware of what the competition is up to, recently announced a price cut in the Philippines for the Vivo Y53 budget smartphone (click for complete specs), dropping its price from P6,990 (about $140) to P5,990 ($120).
P1,299 Cherry Mobile Click review: A curious mix of old and new
HERRY Mobile has a new budget smartphone in the Cherry Mobile Click (2017). Or should we say, smart feature phone? Because at first blush, it does seem that the Click has all the trappings of a barebones handset: an alphanumeric keypad; a dimunitive, non-touch screen; a small form factor that will be appreciated by many; and an equally small price tag.
You can get your hands on the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom soon
HE next ASUS camera phone will hit stores in the Philippines from April 7th, according to the Taiwanese OEM. Specifically, we’re referring to the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (click for complete specs), which incidentally is now available for preorder through a microsite (customers will have to fill out this reservation form) and will launch locally on April 6.