I previously wrote about the Apple iPhone 6s and 6s Plus finally getting a release date in the Philippines, courtesy of local operators Globe Telecom and Smart Communications. To reiterate, the date to remember is November 6, 2015, which is exactly a week away.
Acer PH draws flak for controversial ad campaign
(UPDATE, November 1, 2015: Acer Philippines’ PR agency on Sunday issued an apology, and the company has updated the #LikeABoss campaign to address the issues raised in this article. You can read the full apology below. I’m told Acer Philippines will also send out a statement “ASAP.”)
Smart prepaid, postpaid users get free P2,500 Airbnb voucher
For a limited time, local telecom Smart Communications is giving its customers another reason to book their accommodations on Airbnb, the wildly popular short-term rental platform, which currently has over 2 million listings in 34,000 cities and 190 countries. Think Uber, but for accommodations in the Philippines and abroad.
Harsher penalties, not competition, is key to improving PH Internet speed
Slow Internet? I hear you. If you’ve lived in the Philippines long enough, you may have come to the realization that local broadband speeds could conjure images of a turtle slow-walking on a swath of peanut butter, something you wouldn’t find distractingly cute or hilarious if you were in the position of the guy waiting — for weeks — for a game he had bought from Steam to finish downloading. Having the same issues? You could look for faster internet by searching broadband deals site like usave.co.uk.
NTC: PH Internet service providers fall short of speed claims
You may have heard in the news earlier this year that the NTC [National Telecommunications Commission] is looking to crack down on the telecom industry and bring Internet service providers to task if they fail to hit the NTC-set minimum downstream of 256Kbps or don’t deliver on their advertised broadband speeds.
NBA treats PH fans to free League Pass access until November 3
Another NBA season is scheduled to tip off tomorrow (October 28 if you live in the Philippines), and as has been the case the past couple of years, the NBA is treating its fans to an appetizer of sorts by granting free and full access to League Pass, the league’s official video-streaming service that features live and on-demand games, for a very limited time. The offer runs until November 3, though I’m not sure which time zone the deadline refers to.
OPPO announces Neo 7 with modest specs, mirror finish
Global smartphone brand OPPO has announced a refresh model under the Neo line, following the naming scheme of other creations in the company’s stable. Say hello to the OPPO Neo 7 (OPPO, unsurprisingly, chose to skip the Neo 6 entirely), an Android Lollipop-based phone with modest specs and a design that features a metallic trim and a glossy, mirror-like finish on the back.
Here’s when you can buy the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus in PH
If you’ve been wondering when the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus would be officially available in the Philippines, wonder no more: Both Globe and Smart have made an announcement as to when we could expect to see Apple’s new smartphones in stores, with the former confirming what the latter had earlier said in a press release dated October 24.
Comparison: Globe’s 1Gbps broadband vs other countries’ offerings
Tomorrow, Globe Telecom will begin offering its fiber-broadband network at adjusted rates that won’t be prohibitively pricey for many, albeit initially only in upscale communities and condominiums. The top-tier offer promises superfast speeds at one gigabit, or 1,000 megabits, per second, by far the fastest commercially available broadband plan in the Philippines.
Is Globe seeking price cuts on fiber service? (UPDATE: Yes!)
(UPDATE: Globe has just confirmed new pricing tiers for its fiber-based broadband service: 50 Mbps for P2,499 per month; 100 Mbps for P3,499; 200 Mbps for P4,499; 500 Mbps for P7,499; and a whopping 1 Gbps for P9,499. Check how it compares with plans being offered in other countries here.)
HOOQ update adds Chromecast support to mobile app
HOOQ just got a lot better. The subscription video-on-demand service has just pushed an update to its mobile app, adding what it earlier promised, and what many users have been waiting for: Chromecast support. The update means you can now stream any of the 30,000-plus videos on the HOOQ platform to an HDMI-compliant TV or monitor fitted with a Chromecast dongle, which is sold separately. HOOQ now works with the Chromecast dongle, allowing you to stream any of the 30,000-plus videos on the platform to a TV with an HDMI input. Globe Telecom is currently bundling the first-generation Chromecast with broadband deals starting …
Deal alert: Select games on Google Play go on sale for just P5
If you own an Android device, and you’ve been hoping to score a killer deal on quality games, then stop what you’re doing and fire up the Play Store app now. You’ll find that several titles from Electronic Arts and its subsidiary, Chillingo, can be bought from the Google app store for just P5. No, that’s not a typo. Normally, these games would cost you around P200, but for a limited time you can get them for almost nothing. If you must pick only one, at least pick Need for Speed: Most Wanted or Dead Space; from experience, they’re worth …
Samsung Galaxy S7 may launch sooner than we think
If reports are accurate, we might see a new Samsung flagship immediately after the holidays. In January at the earliest. A recent post by South Korea’s Electronic Times claims: “Samsung Electronics have confirmed that it will announce its next strategic smartphone ‘Galaxy S7’ in January of next year.” The article, citing “people in [smartphone] parts industries” as its source, adds that Samsung finalized the Galaxy S7’s design in September of this year, and that the Korean company is currently sourcing components for the device. It’s obvious why Samsung would choose to launch the Galaxy S7 so early: The company wants …
Uber offers free ambulance service in PH in case of accident
Image via jamesdeakin.ph Taking an Uber in the Philippines could mean fewer worries now that the app-based ride service has entered into a yearlong partnership with Lifeline Rescue, a private ambulance service. The deal allows an Uber passenger to summon a Lifeline Rescue ambulance (by calling 16-911) free of charge in the event of a serious accident involving an Uber, and the driver of the vehicle or the passenger “has to be taken to the hospital.” Uber didn’t go into detail as to what should be considered as grounds for seeking hospital treatment, but that’s probably to your advantage. It’s …
Altec Lansing reintroduces itself to PH, rugged speakers in tow
Earlier today, Altec Lansing announced its comeback to the Philippine market with a fresh batch of compact, rugged Bluetooth speakers, which the company describes as “everything-proof.” This includes the Life Jacket, Mini Life Jacket, Jacket H20, and Mini H20, which combine long battery life (up to 16 hours of playback for the Life Jacket) with rich sound quality that would make bass-heavy tracks come to life. There’s also speakerphone functionality for taking calls, as well as an auxiliary input for those who don’t have a Bluetooth device. Altec Lansing announced its comeback to the local market with a slew of ‘everything-proof’ speakers …
IDC: Cherry Mobile is PH’s top phone brand in 1st half of 2015
Buying local, as is the case last year, is more attractive to smartphone buyers in the Philippines, according to recent data emailed to Revü Philippines by market-research firm IDC. Cherry Mobile, not Samsung, remains the country’s market leader, accounting for 17 percent market share of the total smartphones shipped in the first half of 2015. Samsung holds the second spot with 14 percent market share, followed by MyPhone, CloudFone, and Lenovo at 6 percent, 5.2 percent, and 5.1 percent, respectively. The gap between Cherry Mobile and Samsung is closing, though: In 2014, Cherry Mobile owned a hefty 21.9 percent share of …
How to get a refund on an Android app or game
pps: They effectively turn a smartphone into a powerful tool for human connection; they’re what make owning a smartphone so compelling and inevitable for many; they’re what make a smartphone, well, smart. Without apps, there’s little reason to buy an Apple iPhone 6s, or a Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+, or an OPPO R7 Plus, or what have you. But what do you do when an app you recently purchased from the Google Play store crashes, freezes, or won’t run on any Android device you own?
NBA 2K16 for Android, iOS out now
If you’re among the millions of hoops fans who have been waiting to get some NBA action on their Android or iOS phone or tablet, I’m pleased to tell you that your long wait is over: NBA 2K16 is now available on Google Play and the App Store. To be clear, I’m talking about the mobile version of the popular basketball sim that was earlier released on PC and video-game consoles, not the boring virtual card game from 2K Games. NBA 2K16 for Android and iOS is out now on Google Play and the App Store. As for the game itself, NBA 2K16 …
10 tricks you may not know about Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Previously, I wrote a guide on how to manually update your first-gen Android One phone to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Then I followed it up with a how-to on moving apps to your SD card, which is perhaps the best reason to upgrade to the newest Android version, assuming your device allows it. Today, I’ve put together a cheat sheet containing 10 tricks you probably didn’t know about. Here they are: 1. Optimize battery use for each app: Go to Settings, then select Battery. Click on the 3 dots on the upper right-hand corner. Tap Battery optimization and then tap the downward-pointing arrow. …
LG G4 owners to get Android 6.0 Marshmallow next week
LG G4 owners are in for a marshmallowy treat soon, as the Korean manufacturer announced today that it will start pushing the Android 6.0 Marshmallow to its flagship smartphone next week, with users in Poland getting first dibs on the latest Android software. It seems LG likes the Poland market, for reasons beyond my understanding. LG has also published a list of upcoming features customers can expect from the OTA update, such as a Do Not Disturb mode, a battery-saving feature in Doze, as well as access to app permissions to allay privacy concerns. LG announced today that it will start …