Chinese manufacturer ZTE may not be as popular in the Philippines as in its native China and in other parts of the world, but that may soon change with the arrival of the ZTE Axon Elite. Haven’t heard of it? You’re not alone. Few have. It was announced a few hours ago, for heaven’s sake.
Starmobile Super Pack bundles 5-inch phone, P3,500 worth of data
Earlier today, Starmobile added a new phone-and-SIM bundle to its list of offerings, and the bundle includes one of the cheapest Android devices with a 5-inch screen you can get in the Philippines today.
7 reasons to buy the OPPO R7 Plus
(UPDATE, September 4, 2015: OPPO Philippines will unveil the OPPO R7 Series on September 15th. Stay tuned for a follow-up post after the launch event.)
The wait is over: OPPO Philippines’ recent posts on social media put to rest any doubts that the OPPO R7 Series is indeed coming to stores soon. And if the last couple of days are any indication, the R7 Plus may very well be the best tablet-like phone I’ve had the pleasure of using this year.
This rugged portable SSD is smaller, thinner than your phone
That is, unless you’re rocking a ridiculously thin phone like the OPPO R5, or something else almost equally devoid of edges. I mean, just take a gander at it. Tell me that isn’t one of the tiniest, if not the tiniest, portable drives you’ve laid eyes on. Tell me that isn’t a true achievement in design that provides a glimpse of the future today.
The portable-storage device in question is the SanDisk Extreme 500, which has an insanely compact footprint. It’s compact enough to carry around or to fit in your jeans pocket, even more so than your phone, and without constantly worrying about it slipping out of your grip.
SanDisk’s Extreme 500 has an insanely compact footprint, compact enough to fit in your jeans pocket. It’s ridiculously fast, too.
And even if you do somehow lose control over it, the Extreme 500’s impact-resistant shell in combination with its rubber bumpers is likely to absorb any impact and handle wild temperature swings more favorably than that of a portable hard drive. Well, that is the ideal scenario, anyway.
The Extreme 500 is ridiculously fast as well, just as you’d expect from a new portable SSD. SanDisk claims it is capable of up to four times the speed of a portable hard drive (415MB/s), which means you’ll spend less time waiting for files to transfer from one machine to another and more time working on them.
Interested? SanDisk’s Extreme 500 portable SSD comes in 120GB and 240GB capacities that retail for P7,250 and P10,850, respectively. The roomier 480GB model will arrive later this year, but will set you back P18,000 — which, let’s face it, isn’t a tiny amount for the privilege of stashing your files in a portable drive the size of a beverage coaster. No matter how ridiculous that sounds.
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Xiaomi’s Mi 4c is an affordable powerhouse, according to leaks
Image via Electrony.net
The midrange Xiaomi Mi 4i has been out just a couple of months in the Philippines, but it is already at risk of being overtaken in the pecking order of desirable smartphones. Or, at least, that is what will likely happen next if the rumors surrounding the upcoming Mi 4c do turn out to be true.
A photo of the Mi 4c’s retail packaging has revealed pretty much every detail about the device, right down to its battery capacity and USB connector standard. It appears the 4c will be, in many ways, similar to the 4i so expect to see identical RAM (2GB) and storage (16GB) configurations and the same 13- and 5-megapixel rear and front cameras and 3,080mAh battery.
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Image from Gizmo China
But unlike its predecessor, the 4c will be powered by the same hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor as the LG G4 and will come with a USB Type-C connector, which are firsts for a Xiaomi device.
If Xiaomi manages to keep the price under P10,000, then the 4c, with its beefed-up CPU and reversible USB port, will likely be a hit. That’s a big if, of course.
The 4c is also expected to ship with a 1080p display that spans 5 inches across, as well as a heavily skinned version of Android Lollipop in MIUI 7. It will reportedly retail for just 1,299 Yuan, or roughly P9,500, when it arrives in stores sometime in early September.
If Xiaomi somehow manages to keep the price under P10,000, then the 4c, with its beefed-up processor and reversible USB port, will likely be a hit when among the Android faithful in the Philippines. That’s a big if, of course.
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxymBx8rjos” width=”560″ height=”315″]
Xiaomi Mi 4i review from Android Authority’s YouTube channel
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ASUS announces ZenFone 2 Deluxe, Selfie, Laser in PH
Most recently, ASUS took to the stage to announce the newest smartphones that will expand its local portfolio. The ZenFone 2 Deluxe, Selfie, and Laser all made their debut appearances in the Philippines, bearing aggressive prices and the latest Android operating system in Lollipop. (Android Marshmallow will see a commercial release later this year, alongside the new Nexus phone.)
With more ZenFones in tow than you’d care to remember, ASUS is now armed to the teeth with phones for all pockets and all types of users.
The specs for all three devices are listed below. Right now, I want to talk briefly about the impact of ASUS’ announcement on the local market: With more ZenFones in tow than you’d care to remember, the Taiwanese electronics company is now armed to the teeth with smartphones for all pockets and all types of users.
Love gaming on mobile and social platforms? The ZenFone 2 Deluxe may suit you well. Love taking self-portraits? The ZenFone Selfie is a capable selfie machine, and, as I’ve found out, it goes beyond what its name implies. Want a well-specced phone that supports 4G LTE networks but don’t want to spend anything above P10,000? It would be difficult to do worse than the ZenFone 2 Laser.
The ZenFone Deluxe, Selfie, and Laser (5-inch model) are now available for purchase from stores for P17,995, P11,995, and P7,695, respectively.
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ASUS ZenFone 2 Deluxe (Price in the Philippines: P17,995):
* Dual SIM with LTE support
* 2.3GHz 64-bit, quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 CPU
* 4GB RAM
* 128GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 128GB)
* 5.5-inch IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (1,080 x 1,920 resolution)
* 13-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash
* 5-megapixel front camera
* 3,000mAh battery
* Android 5.0 Lollipop
ASUS ZenFone Selfie (Price in the Philippines: P11,995):
* Dual SIM with LTE support
* 1.5GHz 64-bit, octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 CPU
* Adreno 405 GPU
* 3GB RAM
* 32GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 128GB)
* 5.5-inch IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 (1,080 x 1,920 resolution)
* 13-megapixel rear camera with laser autofocus, dual-tone flash
* 13-megapixel front camera with dual-tone flash
* 3,000mAh battery
* Android 5.0 Lollipop
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ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser (Price in the Philippines: P7,695 for 5-inch model; P8,695 for 5.5-inch model):
* Dual SIM with LTE support
* 1.2GHz 64-bit, quad-core Snapdragon 410 CPU
* Adreno 306 GPU
* 2GB RAM
* 16GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 128GB)
* 5-inch IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 (720 x 1,280 resolution); 5-inch IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 (720 x 1,280 resolution)
* 13-megapixel rear camera with laser autfocus, dual-tone flash
* 5-megapixel front camera
* 2,070mAh battery (for 5-inch SKU); 3,000mAh (for 5.5-inch SKU)
* Android 5.0 Lollipop
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RypWLWiz1P0″ width=”560″ height=”315″]
Watch our ASUS Zenfone 2 review
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ASUS ZenFone Selfie review: more than self-portraits
Metro Manila may never run out of traffic problems to solve, but ASUS clearly hasn’t run out of ZenFone ideas to address the always-evolving tastes and demands of smartphone buyers. We use smartphones all the time, and because of this many thieves would like to come and take them from you for some easy money. You should consider installing a home camera system to protect your phone and other valuables from these thieves!
Enter the ZenFone Selfie, which retails for P11,995 in the Philippines. As you may have gathered, it’s a product built around the idea that you, me, and a goodly number of the population love taking self-portraits behind closed doors or in plain sight, and that we want our phones to be as obsessed with self-photography as we are.
Apple to launch iPhone 6s on September 9
Mark your calendars, Apple fans. The American tech giant has officially confirmed a launch date for its latest products: September 9 is the date to watch for, which won’t surprise anyone familiar with Apple’s track record. It will be held exactly a year after the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus debuted in front of an excited audience. And for the first time in a long while, Apple will allow Windows users to stream its product unveiling without using VLC player.
Apple has officially confirmed a launch date for its latest products: September 9 is the date to watch for.
While this year’s batch of fresh iPhones aren’t expected to look very different, they’re just as important for a company as profitable as Apple, which earns most of its profits from selling smartphones. Alongside the long-rumored iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, Apple is likely to introduce an upgraded Apple TV box to coincide with the launch of its own Internet-based television service.
Multiple reports suggest the next iPhones will include Apple’s ForceTouch technology, a faster processor with twice as much RAM as previous models, a 12-megapixel rear camera capable of recording 4K video, and a more powerful Siri to take on Google Now, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Facebook’s M.
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YouTube Gaming might be the best thing to happen to, well, gaming
Like so many of you and the folks in your social circles, I love playing video games. And when I’m not behind the controller or joystick, or out, I tend to whip out my phone to watch other people play the video games I own or plan to own. (Yes, there’s a market for people who would rather be in front of a screen — sans a video-game console — than behind a controller.)
Which is why I spend an embarrassing amount of time glued to Twitch, the live-streaming service Google tried and failed to acquire last year, weekly, perhaps much to the chagrin of the few close friends I have. I enjoy watching different streamers of differing popularity, watching their reactions, see them interacting with the viewers and looking at what twitch stream packages they use to personalise their stream.
And it’s why I’ve decided to take my video-game-watching habits to YouTube Gaming, Google’s just-launched site for gamers and game-watchers and Twitch’s now-biggest rival in the live-streaming space, when its Android app eventually makes its way to the Philippines. And I say that with hours upon hours of Twitch content under my belt. My first experience was actually quite remarkable – I sat there watching a player who was bashing through GTA, while using GTA Cheats. It’s amazing how quickly he completed the game.
I’ve decided to take my video-game-watching habits to YouTube Gaming, Google’s just-launched site for gamers and Twitch’s now-biggest rival.
YouTube Gaming is a lot like the YouTube you’re familiar with on the Web, except searches point you to game-related content first and the front page is populated with live channels and tailored towards game discovery. And did I mention that it already looks more polished and attractive than Twitch? It does indeed, and it even lets you rewind a live stream after the fact, though you’re limited to only viewing content you’ve missed over the past two hours.
YouTube Gaming is YouTube for a specific audience, and it works great. For now, that may be enough to poach Twitch users.
YouTube Gaming is YouTube for a specific, possibly console-starved audience, and it works great. For now, that may be enough to poach Twitch users. People like myself, for example.
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrJczjVT0Xk” width=”560″ height=”315″]
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OPPO Mirror 5 now comes with free Internet for 2 months
I previously reviewed the OPPO Mirror 5, and noted it was one of the best that the bargain segment has seen in terms of design and all-around performance, which may not come as a surprise to anyone who has played around with the phone.
And if you thought it couldn’t get any better, OPPO Philippines is throwing in a Globe prepaid SIM card with 100MB of free monthly data for two months, saving you about P200, to help you get the most out of your shiny new gadget. This offer lasts until November 30, and applies to purchases in OPPO stores and participating retailers nationwide.
OPPO Philippines is throwing in a Globe SIM card with 100MB of free data for two months to help you get the most out of the Mirror 5.
For those in need of a quick refresher, the OPPO Mirror 5 is a mid-sized Android Lollipop handset with a quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a diamond decor on its back cover that you won’t find on any other budget device. It retails for P9,990 in the Philippines.
OPPO Mirror 5 specs (Price in the Philippines: P9,990):
* Dual SIM
* Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor
* 2GB RAM
* 16GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 128GB)
* 5-inch IPS display (540 x 960 resolution
* 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 5-megapixel front camera
* 2,420mAh battery
* IR blaster
* Color OS 2.1 based on Android Lollipop 5.1.1
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45hQpWvr3vQ” width=”560″ height=”315″]
OPPO Mirror 5 preview from our YouTube channel
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Leaked video gives us best look at Apple iPhone 6s
Try to act surprised: A video of the new iPhone (a.k.a iPhone 6s) has surfaced, weeks ahead of its rumored unveiling on September 9. Unlike previous leaks, this one allegedly gives us the best look at Apple’s next smartphone so far.
The short clip, which runs a little over a minute, shows some of the phone’s innards, including its logic board and LTE modem, while the phone itself is booting up. That’s it.
A short clip of the iPhone 6s has surfaced, showing some of its innards, including its logic board and LTE modem, while the phone itself is booting up.
There’s not much else to say about the device in question, save for its design, which, unsurprisingly, takes after last year’s iPhone 6. No need to fret, though: The latest iPhone rumors point to a powerful configuration (tri-core A9 CPU with 2GB RAM) that rivals the iPad Air 2, to say the least.
Check out the video below to see what the iPhone 6s may look like.
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GnOW8z0cyQ” width=”560″ height=”315″]
Alleged leaked iPhone 6s video from Mac Rumors
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The major Samsung Galaxy Note 5 design flaw you should know about
Those fortunate enough to afford the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 should probably consider keeping it away from the hands of curious peers and children. For the rest of their Note 5’s existence, if possible, or until Samsung issues a massive product recall, which is highly unlikely at this point.
The Note 5 has a fatal design flaw that could either result in the S Pen being lodged in the holster or the holster itself losing its stylus-detection function.
Why? Because, according to reports, the Galaxy Note 5 has a fatal design flaw that could either result in the S Pen being hopelessly lodged in the holster, or, if you manage to dislodge it by force, the holster itself losing its stylus-detection function. Either way, you’re stuck with a broken phone — and a very expensive one at that.
Well, that is, if you accidentally insert the S Pen in the opposite direction, bottom first, which, as any previous Note owner will tell you, isn’t the easiest thing to do. Except, with the Galaxy Note 5, Samsung has made it stupidly easy to insert the S Pen backwards. So easy, in fact, that the holster reportedly offers no resistance whatsoever to impede your efforts, unlike with previous Galaxy Note designs.
Samsung has made it stupidly easy to insert the S Pen backwards. So easy, in fact, that the holster offers no resistance to impede your efforts.
Of course, with the benefit of knowing what it could lead to, nobody would intentionally plug the Note 5’s S Pen the wrong way, but what about those who are not familiar with the consequences, say, kids and the technology-averse? My advice: Pop out the S Pen before letting anybody else play around with the device. It could save you a trip to the service center.
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hehbSG3h3wU” width=”560″ height=”315″]
Video proof culled from Android Police’s YouTube channel
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Cherry Mobile One G1 review: experience matters
The Google-led Android One collaboration has so far been met with reservations in countries where it is commercially available. But that hasn’t stopped the American tech giant from soldiering on in pursuit of offering the best smartphone experience possible for under $150, or roughly the equivalent of two pairs of Nike sneakers. And thus we have the Cherry Mobile One G1, the new face of Google’s local efforts to prove that you don’t have to pay top money for a great smartphone anymore.
This ZenFone 2 has more storage than a base-model MacBook Pro
Image via ASUS Fanaticos
You’d think ASUS would have run out of ZenFone 2 ideas by now, given that its popular smartphone line probably already has more variants than the Encyclopedia Britannica has volumes, but it hasn’t. Enter the ZenFone 2 Deluxe Special Edition, yet another new addition to the growing ZenFone family. The kicker this time around is an insane amount of onboard storage for something that fits most pockets.
“Just how much storage are we talking about here?” you ask. 256GB. To put things into perspective, that’s twice the capacity of the ZenFone 2 Deluxe and, more impressively, a base-model Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display. That’s enough space to host most, if not all, your apps and prized digital media, enough space to leave my 15-inch laptop with 120GB of SSD storage green with envy.
The ZenFone 2 Deluxe Special Edition has 256GB of storage. That’s twice the capacity of a base-model Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display.
The rest of the specs are nearly identical to those of the ZenFone 2 Deluxe, but there’s no microSD expansion, because, as ASUS would probably tell you, 256GB is beyond overkill for the average smartphone user.
The 256GB model will be pre-loaded with an exclusive version of Asphalt 8 and will come in two additional colors: carbon fiber (black) and white with red accents. There’s no word yet on its availability and price, but given what we already know, it’s fair to say that it won’t come cheap.
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RypWLWiz1P0″ width=”560″ height=”315″]
Watch our ASUS Zenfone 2 review
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Cheapest Android Lollipop phone to go on sale in PH Aug. 22
Just weeks after the Cherry Mobile One G1, a well-priced and well-spec’d smartphone that offers a pure Android experience, became official, the local tech company is at it again with another low-cost Android Lollipop offering. Except it’s cheaper than the G1, coming in at P2,999, and will go on sale tomorrow at noon on Lazada’s Philippine site.
This is the Cherry Mobile Touch HD. It’s got a 5-inch IPS display with 720p resolution and, judging from the images on Lazada’s website, a metallic trim and a fake-leather backing.
It runs the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system on a 1.2GHz quad-core processor paired with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage. Its rock-bottom price remains its main selling point, of course, with the Touch HD beating out other Android Lollipop phones in the bargain segment.
Cherry Mobile Touch HD specs (Price: P2,999):
* Dual SIM with 3G support
* 1.2GHz quad-core CPU
* 1GB RAM
* 8GB internal storage
* microSD card slot
* 5-inch IPS display (720 x 1,280 resolution)
* 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 2-megapixel front camera
* 2,000mAh battery
* Android Lollipop 5.1
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isDxr9WCPz0″ width=”560″ height=”315″]
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Sponsored tweet from LeBron James valued at P6.5M
Image via VAV news
You’re familiar with Twitter, right? And LeBron James? Good. But have you ever wondered how much a sponsored tweet from King James is worth? Wonder no more.
Per a report from ESPN’s Darren Rovell, getting the Cavs superstar to dispense wisdom in 140 characters or less to his 23.2 million followers will cost an advertiser $140,000 ($139,474, to be exact), or around P6.5 million. Do the math, and that’s $1,000 per character.
According to ESPN, getting LeBron James to tweet about a product or service will cost an advertiser $140,000, or around P6.5 million.
It’s a king’s ransom, to be sure, but Opendorse, the company behind that lofty valuation, says a corporate sponsor would have to spend five times more to reach the equivalent of James’ Twitter following with a TV ad. And before you say anything, remember: This is LeBron James we’re talking about. He’s only one of the best basketball players in history and one of the most recognizable faces on the planet, let alone in basketball.
Which is why people follow him on social-media networking sites like Twitter, among so many others. Yes, it’s good to be LeBron these days — and the guy hasn’t even brought a championship to success-starved Cleveland yet.
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cq1F2YzVQ8″ width=”560″ height=”315″]
First episode of RISE Philippines
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Now available: P1,999 MyPhone my21 with 3G, quad-core CPU
You may have read about MyPhone’s new line of locally inspired phones recently, and surprisingly one of them has been listed on Lazada Philippines’ website, without fanfare or publicity. The MyPhone my21, which may not be the most exciting name for a smartphone. “What does ’21’ mean or represent?” you may ask. Who knows? I sure don’t. Not that it should matter too much to anyone looking for a daily driver with a rock-bottom price tag.
For P1,999 — or less than what you’d typically pay for a cellphone, let alone one that runs Android KitKat — you’re looking at a 4-inch display (likely of the non-HD variety) and a quad-core processor with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. The my21 also has dual-SIM slots with 3G support. Those are very low-end specs compared to other smartphones available today, but what do you expect from a P1,999 phone?
MyPhone my21 specs (Price in the Philippines: P1,999):
* Dual SIM with 3G support
* 1.2GHz quad-core processor
* 512MB RAM
* 4GB internal storage
* 4-inch TFT display
* 2-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* VGA front camera
* Android KitKat 4.4
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isDxr9WCPz0″ width=”560″ height=”315″]
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Actual image of 2015 Nexus 5 leaks online
Image via Marques Brownlee
It being mid-August, it was only a matter of time before details about the upcoming Nexus 5 reboot appeared online. The latest in the stream of information leaked to the masses shows the backplate of what could be Google’s next flagship smartphone in white and in the wild. The image seems to match up with renders uploaded last week, adding to the speculation that what we’re looking at is the real deal, or at least a prototype of it.
The new Nexus appears to have a curved plastic back with a matte finish and a camera that protrudes slightly from the casing. There’s a sticker with LG’s logo near the bottom of the phone’s backing, indicating that this is the 5.2-inch variant I keep on hearing about. The leaked photo also shows what appears to be a fingerprint scanner, dual-tone flash, and a laser autofocus sensor.
The Nexus 5 reboot appears to have a curved plastic back with a matte finish and a protruding camera. It also has a fingerprint scanner and laser autofocus.
Google is said to launch the LG-made Nexus 5 sometime in October or November, which wouldn’t surprise me one bit given Google’s history of announcing a new phone in the fall. Regardless of when it arrives, you can expect it to run Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk-PY2dBKaA” width=”560″ height=”315″]
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYHY3MFiq1o” width=”560″ height=”315″]
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ASUS PH to unveil ZenFone 2 Laser, Selfie, Deluxe August 29th
Brace yourselves for more ZenFones in the very near future. ASUS Philippines will be adding at least three more variants to its Android portfolio come August 29, particularly the ZenFone 2 Laser, Selfie, and Deluxe phones.
The launch event is open to the public, meaning just about anyone can get his or her hands on the new ZenFones and stand a chance of winning one. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required by August 27.
The ZenFone 2 Laser occupies the bottom rung in ASUS’s upcoming ZenFone lineup and will likely fetch the least amount when it becomes available.
Not that it should be taken for granted, as it features the same specs we’ve seen previously on the OPPO Mirror 5, Cherry Mobile One G1, and the higher-end version of the Motorola Moto G; the ZenFone Laser carries a 5-inch HD IPS display and a Snapdragon 410 chipset with 2GB of RAM and up to 16GB of onboard memory.
The ZenFone 2 Laser features the same specs we’ve seen previously on the OPPO Mirror 5. The icing on the cake is laser autofocus for near-instant focusing even in low light.
If my experience with the Mirror 5 is anything to go by, it should be able to hold its own against low- to mid-tier devices. The icing on the proverbial cake is laser autofocus for accurate and near-instant focusing even in low light.
The 5.5-inch ZenFone Selfie, meanwhile, is expected to pack quite a punch, with an octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor and up to 3GB of RAM on tap.
But the real story here is the 13-megapixel front camera that comes with a wide-angle lens and dual-tone flash and does all the tricks you’d expect from a main shooter of above-average caliber.
5.5-inch ZenFone Selfie, meanwhile, is expected to pack quite a punch, with an octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor and up to 3GB of RAM on tap.
Fittingly, the ZenFone selfie is optimized for taking selfies with its 13-megapixel front camera that does all the tricks you’d expect from a main shooter of above-average caliber.
Fittingly, it is optimized for taking selfies, and ASUS has bolstered its capabilities by pre-installing a software suite called Beautification, which allows you to change your skin tone, even out facial lines, and make your cheeks look slimmer. I could go on, but you get the point.
Last but definitely not the least is the ASUS ZenFone 2 Deluxe — or in my words, a ZenFone 2 on steroids. It’s a powerhouse of a 5.5-incher built around Intel’s latest quad-core Atom chip, which has 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage.
The ZenFone 2 Deluxe is a powerhouse of a phone built around Intel’s Atom CPU, which has 4GB of RAM. It also has a textured diamond pattern on the surface of its back cover.
To distinguish itself from the standard ZenFone 2 range, as well as add to its premium appeal, the ZenFone Deluxe has a textured diamond pattern on the surface of its back cover. I’ve seen prototypes of the rear panel before, and they looked pretty good.
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RypWLWiz1P0″ width=”560″ height=”315″]
Watch our ASUS Zenfone 2 review
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The curious case of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
I’m worried about Samsung. Not because its profits continue to fall on the back of the market’s lukewarm reaction to the now-discounted Galaxy S6, arguably its most compelling smartphone yet. Not because it has tampered with the Galaxy formula by jettisoning microSD expansion and removable batteries, much to the disappointment of long-time fans. Not because Apple’s market dominance shows no signs of slowing.
I’m just worried, because Friday’s announcement could have ended with one super-sized phone, except it ended with two.
In one corner: a Samsung sequel that, as expected, puts its extra screen real estate to even better use and rightfully bills itself as a productivity device. The Note series, with its S Pen stylus and accompanying suite of software features, represents the pinnacle of what a big-screen phone can do and be, and Samsung was right to introduce a Galaxy Note reboot in August.
The Note series, with its S Pen stylus and accompanying suite of software features, represents the pinnacle of what a big-screen phone can do and be.
In the other corner is the Galaxy S6 Edge+, or, if you will, an S6 Edge stretched in all directions, which is about as silly as it sounds.
Sure, it has a larger, 5.7-inch curved-edge display that narrowly misses the back of the phone, but if there’s anything to be gleaned from its predecessor, it’s this: the S6 Edge+ doesn’t fix the S6 Edge’s most glaring fault. Rather, it shines the spotlight on what I found to be the most annoying thing about a curved-edge display: the glare off its tapered edges. Bigger isn’t always better, and it’s especially true for Samsung’s latest curved phone.
The S6 Edge+ doesn’t fix the S6 Edge’s most glaring fault. It shines the spotlight on what I found to be the most annoying thing about a curved-edge display: screen glare.
But my argument against the Galaxy S6 Edge+ has less to do with what it is and more to do with what it is not. What it is not, is the Galaxy Note 5, which, despite what some Samsung loyalists might like to believe, is one of the best big-screen phones you can buy today. It’s cheaper, too, but only by a mere P3,000.
Unlike the Galaxy S6 Edge+, the Galaxy Note 5 isn’t just a blown-up version of another Galaxy flagship; it’s different in ways that genuinely do make the case for stepping up to a larger screen. That the Galaxy Note is already in its fifth iteration reflects Samsung’s success in creating a need that hadn’t existed before the Note came along.
My argument against the Galaxy S6 Edge+ has less to do with what it is and more to do with what it is not. What it is not, is the Galaxy Note 5.
I could be in the minority here, of course — for those who want it, the “how” and “why” of the Galaxy S6 Edge+’s existence may be largely irrelevant. I know this much, though: Samsung took a risk with the Galaxy S6 Edge+, which, judging from the company’s stock performance over the past quarters, is like chucking a basketball from way beyond the arc when the team is down double digits with under a minute left in regulation.
Whether the ball goes through the hoop remains to be seen, but we’ll know for sure come Samsung’s next earnings call.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 specs (Price in the Philippines: P36,990):
* LTE
* Samsung Exynos 7420 CPU
* Mali-T760-MP8 GPU
* 4GB RAM
* 32GB internal storage
* 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 (1,440 x 2,560 resolution)
* 16-megapixel rear camera
* 5-megapixel front camera
* 3,000mAh sealed battery
* S Pen stylus
* Android Lollipop 5.1.1
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ specs (Price in the Philippines: P39,990 for the 32GB model; P44,990 for the 64GB model):
* LTE
* Samsung Exynos 7420 CPU
* Mali-T760-MP8 GPU
* 4GB RAM
* up to 64GB internal storage
* 5.7-inch Super AMOLED curved display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 (1,440 x 2,560 resolution)
* 16-megapixel rear camera
* 5-megapixel front camera
* 3,000mAh sealed battery
* Android Lollipop 5.1.1
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Galaxy S6 vs iPhone 6 camera shootout from our YouTube channel
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