FOR the past couple of years, Sony has come out with so many flagship smartphones that it’s easy to forget it still cares about its midrange game. In the previous months alone, the Xperia XZ, XZs, and XZ Premium have, in that order, rotated as the face of the Japanese firm’s Android efforts — possibly to the detriment of lesser phones that arguably offer more bang for the buck.
Cherry Mobile Taiji phone-slash-ebook reader now on sale
REMEMBER the Cherry Mobile Taiji (click for complete specs), a smartphone-slash-ebook reader that we previewed last year? It’s finally out in stores nationwide.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro preorder starts today, July 1
NOW, it can be said: The teaser video that clearly challenges OPPO’s “selfie experts,” posted on Samsung Electronics Philippines’ Facebook page almost two weeks ago, was for the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro (click for complete specs).
You can now buy the Nokia 3310
REMEMBER this day. Today, June 30, marks the return of the most popular feature phone in 2000. Or, fine, the modern version of it. HMD Global, through the Nokia Mobile Facebook page, has announced that the Nokia 3310 2017 edition (click for complete specs) is now out in Philippine stores.
Sorry, iPhone 7 Plus. You’re not the fastest phone anymore
STOP the presses! The Apple iPhone 7 Plus is no longer the best-performing phone around, according to one popular benchmarking app. The HTC U11, aka the squeezable smartphone, is — and this news is yet another ringing endorsement for the Taiwan-made Android flagship.
Acer Aspire V3 laptop for Hello Kitty lovers now in PH
CALLING all Hello Kitty fans in the Philippines! What could be the laptop of your dreams is already available in major retailers and Acer concept stores nationwide. Say hi to the Acer Aspire V3 Hello Kitty limited-edition notebook.
6 ASUS ZenFone 4 phones reportedly in the pipeline
DISAPPOINTED that no new ZenFones were announced at Computex, where ASUS traditionally reveals new handsets? If a post spotted on the ZenTalk forum is to be believed, you may not have to wait long before ASUS ZenFone 4 smartphones are launched. And it could be as early as July.
Globe vs PLDT vs Converge ICT: Our experience so far
FAST wired internet is already available in the Philippines, with Globe Telecom and PLDT, the country’s telecom duopoly, stepping forward with their respective fiber-powered offers. Then there’s Converge ICT, a relatively new — and unproven — option for residential owners.
Alleged Google Pixel 2, Pixel XL 2 specs leak out
ENOUGH of talks about the Apple iPhone 8 and Samsung Galaxy Note 8 for now. We’re finally getting a whiff of the next iteration of the Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones that were launched in October 2016.
ASUS ZenFone AR with 8GB RAM launched in PH
IT is the world’s first smartphone with 8GB of RAM. It is the first device to support Google’s Daydream virtual-reality and Tango augmented-reality platforms. And it is landing in the Philippines in July — for a price. Say hello to the ASUS ZenFone AR (click for complete specs).
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 about 40% costlier than the Note 7?
ONE market-research company warned early this year that next crop of smartphones could be more expensive. We already saw devices like the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus getting higher suggested retail prices than their predecessors at launch. And it seems that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be in the same boat as well.
This might just be what the iPhone 8 looks like
THE next iPhone — the Apple iPhone 8, if you prefer, although the naming scheme hasn’t been confirmed yet — isn’t expected to appear until another couple of months. However, the internet sure hasn’t been shy about kicking around design rumors of Apple’s upcoming smartphone.
OnePlus 5 now official; launch marred by benchmark cheating allegation
JUST seven months after the OnePlus 3T’s surprise launch, the sister brand of OPPO and Vivo is back with a new flagship smartphone that the company’s co-founder, Carl Pei, says is now their “fastest-selling device ever.” Meet the OnePlus 5.
HTC U Play review: If looks could sell
HTC is making its way back to the Philippines soon, with the Taiwanese phone maker already making it known that the HTC U11 will be announced locally on July 11. But as we said earlier, the 2017 flagship isn’t the only HTC model that will be introduced next month. In fact, it might not be the first to make the trip.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro to challenge the OPPO F3
SHOTS fired. Samsung Electronics Philippines has posted today a teaser of a new handset — believed to be the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro (click for complete specs) — that makes a reference to OPPO’s stable of “selfie expert” smartphones.
ASUS ZenFone AR price revealed — and you won’t like it
ASUS has launched the ZenFone AR in its native Taiwan, (officially) revealing the price of the second-ever Tango smartphone, and the first to support Google’s Daydream VR platform. It’s also the first phone to have both. But as many had feared, it won’t come cheap, with the 8GB RAM model going for 24,990 New Taiwan dollars — about $822 or P41,000 — on the Taiwanese market.
First in PH: Starmobile starts phone assembly in Calamba
LOCALLY branded smartphones are not really assembled in the Philippines. You know that, right? They buy the devices from original design manufacturers or ODMs, which are mostly based in China, and tweak them to their liking, so to speak. But in a first in the Philippines, a local technology company is assembling mobile phones in the country.
OPPO A57 is an affordable and handy ‘selfie expert’
OPPO has announced the OPPO A57 (click for complete specs) in the Philippines, providing a more affordable option for those who want a reasonably powerful, selfie-centric phone but can’t stretch their budget to cover the cost of an OPPO F3 or F1s. It also completes the trio of mid-tier devices for the company, at prices separated by just P2,000, or approximately $40.
Moto C is an Android Nougat phone for under P4,000 ($80)
LENOVO-OWNED Motorola has a new budget smartphone available for purchase in the Philippines through online retailer Lazada. The Moto C (click for complete specs) is about as low-end as they come these days. It’s as cheap as acceptable budget phones come, too, checking in at P3,699 or around $75.
Free Wi-Fi on EDSA: Everything you need to know
FOR commuters who regularly pass by the busiest thoroughfare in the Philippines, this is probably a welcome respite from the horrible traffic they usually face on the highway: The Department of Information and Communications Technology has formally launched its “free high-speed Wi-Fi on EDSA” project. This is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s promise to provide Filipinos better internet service.