Chinese manufacturer Oppo is, understandably, taking aim at the low- to mid-end segments and has launched three new smartphones in the Philippines, bannered by the R1x, which has a distinctive design under a sapphire-glass rear panel. The 4.5-inch Neo 5 is a low-cost Android phone backed by a quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM, while the 4-inch Joy Plus offers milder specs for less money. But back to the Oppo R1x: As we’ve mentioned in a previous post, it fits a lot of power into a thin-and-light package, running Android KitKat 4.4 on an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor paired …
PH is first country to make Uber legal
In a statement released Monday, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) will later this week introduce a new category to the public-transport sector to include ride-sharing services, thereby legalizing Uber in the Philippines after more than a year of unregulated operations. It marks the first time the likes of Uber have been given the green light to operate on a national scale without any issues whatsoever. The announcement comes in the heels of months of collaboration between the department, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and ride-sharing companies. Under the DOTC’s revised classification of public vehicles, Uber …
CloudFone unveils dual-OS, Android Lollipop tablets
Are two operating systems better than one? Local tech company CloudFone seems to think so, as it has just unveiled a pair of dual-OS tablets, alongside two other slates leveraging the Intel platform. The CloudPad Epic 7.1 and 8.9 can switch between Android KitKat 4.4 or Windows 8.1 pending a hardware reboot, while the CloudPad Epic 8.0 is a pure Windows tablet that comes with a Bluetooth keyboard. The CloudPad One 7.0, on the other hand, gets Android Lollipop 5.1 out of the box and timely over-the-air updates for the next two years, similar to devices under Google’s Android One initiative. …
How Globe-Disney team-up is different from Smart-Disney deal
Globe Telecom yesterday announced a multi-year partnership with The Walt Disney Company, which owns Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and multi-channel network Maker Studios, among many others, in an effort to bring more family-friendly content and experiences to a swelling user base of 44 million. Now, if you’re on Smart — and there’s a good chance you are given the carrier’s 56-million-strong subscribers — you may be thinking, “Haven’t I heard of this a few months ago?” Um, not really. Because what Globe is serving is the full-course meal of the Disney experience that’s objectively superior to its rival’s appetizer plate …
Low-cost LG Leon, Magna now available in stores
LG has quietly released two new low-cost smartphones in the Philippines that ship with an up-to-date version of Android (in this case, Lollipop) out of the box. Announced back in March, the LG Leon and Magna retail for P5,990 and P10,990, respectively, and represent the South Korean company’s latest attempt at winning the (price) war against domestic brands and Chinese tech startups. Both devices are powered by a quad-core MediaTek processor backed by 1GB of RAM, though the cheaper Leon has fewer attractions, not to mention a smaller, 4.5-inch touch display with fewer pixels. By contrast, the Magna offers 5 inches …
ASUS Zenfone 2 to debut May 16th in PH
Here’s a small dose of good news in the aftermath of the #PacquiaoMayweather non-fight: ASUS Philippines has revealed on its Facebook page the launch date of the widely anticipated Zenfone 2 in the Philippines. The date to remember is May 16, just a week and a half from today. And as we previously reported, the Zenfone sequel’s local debut will coincide with its pricing announcement and release, meaning you can buy it off the shelf on the said date, or a day after. At this point, all that remains in question is how much money you’d have to fork out …
Oppo R1x now official in PH, costs P15,990
Image via Gizmo China Oppo has announced a new mid-range smartphone for the Philippine market, featuring a metal frame and a striking diamond-style pattern on the rear panel underneath a sheet of glass. The Oppo R1x, which retails for P15,990 locally, also crams many high-performance specs in a thin-and-light package. In many ways, it’s similar to the more expensive R5, formerly the thinnest smartphone money can buy, except it’s got more thickness (6.9mm) but less heft (130 grams). Powering the R1x is, coincidentally, the same chip inside the R5: a 64-bit, LTE-ready Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor backed by 2GB of …
Starmobile has an Android Lollipop phone for cheap
Android Lollipop is making its way to more phones and tablets, becoming the operating system of choice among 2015 releases. And right on cue, enter the Starmobile Jump Neo. The affordable, 5-inch smartphone is powered by a quad-core MediaTek processor and has the latest version of Android on tap, plus on-screen navigation keys that’s commonplace for Lollipop-based devices. Also on deck are dual-SIM slots (dual 3G), 5- and 2-megapixel rear and selfie cameras, and a removable battery rated at 2,400mAh. The handset is priced at P4,490, making it cheaper than the MyPhone Rio 2 and Rio 2 Lite. It’s available in …
Review: Xiaomi Redmi 2
A year after the sale of the Redmi 1S, Chinese hardware and software company Xiaomi has released another supposed value-for-money smartphone in the Redmi 2 exclusively through Lazada Philippines. Right now, you can still get it for a mere P5,999 unlocked. In our review of the Redmi 1S on Yahoo, we noted that it’s among the fastest and most capable budget handsets around, though we wouldn’t happily recommend it over discount octa-core Androids that cost the same. It didn’t help that the Redmi incumbent suffered from software-related problems that left us stumped and concerned. And while it has received generally …
Ludicrous Apple Watch prices spotted in Hong Kong
The Apple Watch, the introductory product from the company’s first new hardware category since Steve Jobs passed away, sold out almost immediately after the pre-orders went online on April 10. Apple Stores around the world won’t be stocking the timepiece until June, so if you want to get your hands (or wrist) on one, your best bet is to hit the streets. The streets of Hong Kong, that is. On a recent trip to Asia’s world city, we saw several hawkers outside of Sin Tat Plaza (aka Sincere Podium) in Mong Kok selling the 38cm Apple Watch Sport edition for as …
Microsoft Lumia 640 XL now official in PH
Microsoft today launched its latest smartphone for the Philippine market — the Lumia 640 XL — a real handful of a device that toes the line between phone and tablet, flaunting a 5.7-inch, 720p IPS screen fronted by Gorilla Glass 3. It’s the company’s most recent attempt at bringing a deluxe smartphone experience to the mid-range market, something we’ve been hearing a lot from phone makers these days. To do that, the Lumia 640 XL relies on a quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor running at 1.2GHz, coupled with 1GB of RAM and 13- and 5-megapixel main and secondary cameras. The operating system …
Globe offers free WhatsApp access to subscribers
(UPDATE: According to Globe Telecom, the duration of its WhatsApp promo, which doesn’t require a maintaining balance to use, is yet to be determined.) Globe subscribers, take note: Starting April 30, those who are on its myLifestyle postpaid plans, as well as prepaid-SIM owners who subscribe to any text, call, or data package, are now entitled to free access to WhatsApp without taking a hit on their data allowance and incurring additional charges. GoSakto, GoUnli25, GoUnli20, and GoSurf are just a few examples of packages included in the promo. For eligible Globe subscribers, that means free messages and voice calls between WhatsApp …
P4,999 Cherry Mobile S3 Octa now available, but…
(UPDATE: We just received a text from Cherry Mobile indicating the correct price of the Flare S3 Octa. It should retail for P4,499, as originally intended. The company has since taken down its erroneous Facebook post.) Cherry Mobile today announced on its Facebook page that its latest octa-core device, the imaginatively named Flare S3 Octa, is already available nationwide for P4,999 P4,499. What the local tech company failed to communicate to us is that the 5-inch Android KitKat phone has already been listed on Lazada Philippines for P500 less than its suggested retail price — with free shipping to boot. As for the hardware itself, the …
Firefly Mobile has a Zenfone 2 challenger for less
There’s a new low-cost, high-performance smartphone in town. Not that the Philippines is short of compelling choices in the sub-P10,000 price point. Meet the Firefly Mobile Intense 64 LTE (Ulefone Be Pro in other regions), a 5.5-inch Android KitKat phone built around MediaTek’s new MT6732 processor that supports 64-bit applications and 4G LTE connections, if your carrier allows it. A self-explanatory name if we ever saw one. (We get it, Firefly Mobile.) The quad-core device is priced at P7,999, squaring it against the ASUS Zenfone 2 and Meizu M1 Note, though the two should easily come out on top in terms …
Xiaomi Mi 4i now official, will retail for P9,000
Image via Android Authority Xiaomi just unveiled the Mi 4i — a discount Mi 4, if you will — in New Delhi, India, where the Chinese tech juggernaut has recently made its products available to leading electronics retailers in an effort to reach more consumers and drive sales. And what better way to announce to the rest of the world that it has embraced the traditional (read: offline) retail model than to launch a new phone to coincide with its backpedaling. A cheaper and watered-down version of the Mi 4, the Mi 4i will retail for 12,999 INR or about P9,000 …
Sony Xperia Z4 announced. So what’s new?
Image via The Verge Sony revealed its new flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z4, in its native Japan amid reports that the company is strongly considering abandoning its mobile and TV businesses to concentrate on other products that are making it money. Apparently, the Japanese outfit wants to streamline its portfolio and come out with more PlayStation-centric goods and services rather than continue making phones, tablets, and other screens that consume media and social content. But we digress. Back to the Sony Xperia Z4: It looks identical to its predecessor, runs the same version of Android that’s now available to download …
16,000mAh Xiaomi Power Bank goes on sale April 24
Via AskMeBazaar Xiaomi has been busy lately. Fresh off announcing two new devices for the Philippine market, the Chinese manufacturer is bringing its 16,000mAh Mi Power Bank to Lazada Philippines to be sold on the online retailer’s website at noon on April 24. And the price? Just P1,299, which is double the cost of the 10,400mAh Mi Power Bank, though it makes sense, as the convenience of carrying one battery pack instead of two is obviously going to come at a price. It will be available in one color only: silver with a brushed look. Neither Xiaomi nor Lazada Philippines …
Huawei P8 now official, priced around P23,500
Via TrustedReviews Earlier today, Huawei launched the P8 — notice the Ascend branding has been given the boot — an update to its top-billing P7 smartphone from last year. Also gone are the two layers of Gorilla Glass 3 held together by the previous model’s angular skeleton, replaced by an all-metal frame with a matte finish, chamfered edges, and rounded corners. The result is a product that looks nothing like its predecessor, especially when you tilt it sideways to showcase its ultra-thin 6.4mm profile that’s a smidge thinner than Huawei’s older flagship. What it does look like is a cross …
Xiaomi’s iPad mini challenger priced in PH
Via MyDrivers (UPDATE, April 28: Mi fans, mark your calendars. Xiaomi Philippines just confirmed the first sale date of the Mi Pad on the company’s Facebook page. The tablet will be available starting May 4, 2015.) It turns out the Redmi 2 isn’t the only Android KitKat device Xiaomi is planning to release in the Philippines soon. Last year’s Mi Pad, the company’s iPad mini challenger — which, coincidentally, also looks like a candy-coated Apple tablet — is on the cards for the local market, as hinted at by its official Philippine website. The Mi Pad features a slab of Corning …
Review: ASUS Zenfone 2
(UPDATE, April 21: We spoke to ASUS Philippines country manager George Su on the sidelines of the Zenfone 2 launch in Jakarta, Indonesia, and here’s what he said about the handset.) (UPDATE 2, May 16: The ASUS Zenfone 2 is now official in the Philippines. Even better, it’s available on Lazada Philippines’ mobile app. Pricing starts at P9,995 for the 2GB RAM variant, while the 5-inch model costs P7,995.) Weeks ago, we wrote about scoring a retail unit of the ASUS Zenfone 2 (ZE550ML) well ahead of its official release in the Philippines, chiming in with our initial impressions and doing …