Faceoff: ASUS Zenfone 2, Alcatel Flash Plus, Lenovo A7000, Meizu M1 Note, Honor 4x

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

Now that ASUS has at last revealed the local pricing for the Zenfone 2, it’s time to step back and take a deliberate look at the top phones in the value-for-money rankings. And what better way to do that than to lay out all the details around the Zenfone 2 and its competition in chart format. Here’s how the devices stack up against one another.

(A quick side note: The phones listed here have all been announced in the Philippines and are either already available in stores or on track for release this month.)

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MY TAKE: I’ve played with these devices for extended periods of time. And, as you may know, I’ve already reviewed the ASUS Zenfone 2 and Lenovo A7000. My thoughts on the Honor 4X will be posted in the coming days.

I’m leaning more towards the Lenovo A7000. It’s the second-cheapest of the bunch, doesn’t make compromises on internal hardware, and it already runs Android Lollipop.

But before I tell you which phone I think offers greater value for money, I must say: You can’t go wrong with any of these options. We’re now seeing a golden age in which manufacturers are producing better and cheaper smartphones that suit all pockets, and there’s no better time to upgrade from a feature phone to a smartphone than now.

But back to the matter at hand: It’s a toss up between the Meizu M1 Note and Lenovo A7000, but I’m leaning more towards the latter. It’s the second-cheapest of the bunch, doesn’t make compromises on internal hardware, and it already runs Android Lollipop out of the box.

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Review: Lenovo A7000

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

The mobile business is a ruthless one, known for leaving giants on their knees, desperate and willing to bend their principles to avoid the possibility of extinction. Just ask Nokia, BlackBerry, Sony, and HTC. And it has only grown more cutthroat with time. It’s no surprise, then, that more and more phone makers are thinking outside the box on how to market their products, often turning to e-commerce platforms to increase their profit margins and lower operating costs.

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Lenovo A7000 to go on sale on Lazada PH May 21

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

Hands up if you’ve heard of the ASUS Zenfone 2, a strong candidate for smartphone of the year if value for money is of utmost importance? Yes, well, it’s about to face some serious challenge from a most likely source in the Far East.

Meet the Lenovo A7000, a low-cost challenger in the mold of the Zenfone sequel, with its large HD display and rather beefy specifications, which includes LTE and a rear-mounted speaker that makes use of Dolby Atmos audio settings. The latter is a world first, according to Lenovo. Not that those settings make much of a difference in sound quality, as we found in our testing.

The Lenovo A7000 will be exclusively available on online retailer Lazada Philippines’ Web and mobile platforms starting May 21 at 12 noon. It will retail for P7,390, making it one of the highest-specced smartphones in its price bracket. So, yeah, ASUS and the rest of the mobile industry should be worried.

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Specs of the Lenovo A7000 (Price in the Philippines: P7,390):
* Dual SIM
* LTE
* 1.5GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6752m processor
* 2GB RAM
* 8GB internal storage
* microSD card expansion (up to 32GB)
* 5.5-inch IPS display (720 x 1,280 resolution)
* 8-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash
* 5-megapixel front camera
* 2,900mAh removable battery
* Android Lollipop 5.0

I find the Lenovo A7000 to be a delightful phone that ticks many of the same boxes as the ASUS Zenfone 2. It’ll likely cost less, too.

MY TAKE: I’m currently using the Lenovo A7000 as my daily Android driver, and I find it to be a delightful phone that ticks many of the same boxes as the ASUS Zenfone 2. It’ll likely cost less than the 5.5-inch variant of ASUS’ signature handset, too, which begs the question: Should you pick up the A7000 instead? Well, that really depends on what you’re looking for in a smartphone. But if a big screen, a buttery-fluid user experience, and speedy mobile data rank high on your priorities, Lenovo has you covered.

Honor 6+, 4X, 4C now official in PH

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

Honor 6+

Perhaps inspired by Xiaomi’s success in some parts of the world, Huawei has turned its attention to online selling and has formed a sub-brand to tap into the e-commerce boom. And so here we are, talking about the Honor sub-brand, which debuted in the Philippines yesterday alongside a trio of Android smartphones aimed at the cash-strapped crowd. The Honor 4C, 4X, and 6+ all feature above-average specifications for their price points, echoing a trend we’ve seen across the mobile industry.

The Honor 4C and 4X list mostly the same specs and functions, though the latter offers a bigger (but not necessarily better) display, a higher-capacity battery, and LTE connectivity for faster mobile-data speeds.

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Honor 4C

The Honor 6+, meanwhile, is powered by an octa-core Kirin 925 processor and 3GB of RAM — the same combination found in last year’s Huawei Mate 7. Its 78 percent screen-to-body ratio and high-contrast 1080p IPS panel are just as impressive.

But the kicker here is the dual-camera setup around the back for improved depth perception and reduced noise when shooting in low light. In fact, Huawei is so confident of the phone’s low-light chops, the company calls the Honor 6+ the “king of night photography.”

The Honor 4C, 4X, and 6+ are already available on Lazada Philippines for P6,390, P8,290, and P17,490, respectively.

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Honor 4X

Specs of the Honor 4C (Price in the Philippines: P6,390):
* Dual SIM
* 1.2GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 620 processor
* 2GB RAM
* 8GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
* 5-inch IPS display (720 x 1,280 resolution)
* 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 5-megapixel front camera
* 2,550mAh battery
* Android KitKat 4.4

Specs of the Honor 4X (Price in the Philippines: P8,290):
* Dual SIM
* LTE
* 1.2GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 620 processor
* 2GB RAM
* 8GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
* 5.5-inch IPS display (720 x 1,280 resolution)
* 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 5-megapixel front camera
* 3,000mAh battery
* Android KitKat 4.4

Specs of the Honor 6+ (Price in the Philippines: P17,490):
* Dual SIM
* LTE
* Octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 925 processor
* 3GB RAM
* 32GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 128GB)
* 5.5-inch IPS display (1,080 x 1,920 resolution)
* 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 8-megapixel dual-rear camera
* 8-megapixel front camera
* 3,000mAh battery
* Android KitKat 4.4

Oppo PH outs 3 new phones, hints at R7, R7 Plus

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

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 with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. It’s also one of the thinnest and lightest devices in the category, measuring just 6.9mm thick and weighing in at 130 grams. The pattern on the back is a real eye-catcher in royal blue, too, not to mention sapphire glass is one of the most scratch-resistant materials around.

The Oppo R1x, Neo 5, and Joy Plus are now available locally for P15,990, P7,990, and P4,990, respectively.

On a somewhat separate note, Oppo Philippines’ operations manager Garrick Hung revealed on the sidelines of the Oppo launch event that the upcoming R7 and R7 Plus are headed to local shores sometime in June or July, and that the still-unnamed follow-up to the flagship Find 7 phone is also coming to the Philippines later this year. Exciting times ahead, people.

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From left to right: The Oppo Joy Plus, Neo 5, and R1x

Specs of the Oppo Joy Plus (Price in the Philippines: P4,990):
* Dual SIM
* 1.3GHz dual-core MediaTek MT6572 processor
* 1GB RAM
* 4GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
* 4-inch IPS display (480 x 800 resolution)
* 3-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* VGA front camera
* 1,700mAh battery
* Android KitKat 4.4

Specs of the Oppo Neo 5 (Price in the Philippines: P7,990):
* Dual SIM
* 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor
* 1GB RAM
* 8GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
* 4.5-inch IPS display (480 x 854 resolution)
* 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 2-megapixel front camera
* 2,000mAh battery
* Android KitKat 4.4

Specs of the Oppo R1x (Price in the Philippines: P15,990):
* LTE
* Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset
* 2GB RAM
* 16GB internal storage
* microSD card expansion (up to 128GB)
* 5-inch IPS display (720 x 1,280 resolution)
* 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 5-megapixel front camera
* 2,420mAh non-removable battery
* Android KitKat 4.4

The Oppo R1x looks gorgeous in person, and it has the brains to match its beauty.

MY TAKE: The Oppo Joy Plus and Neo 5 face an uphill battle against bargain blowers from industry veterans like Cherry Mobile and MyPhone, but the R1x has more than a fighting chance to shine on the mid-range stage. The 5-incher looks gorgeous in person, and it has the brains to match its beauty. It’s a shame none of the devices run Android Lollipop at launch, which would have given them a major advantage over the competition.

PH is first country to make Uber legal

In Business, Cars by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

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 will be grouped into the Transportation Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) category, which is limited to sedans, vans, AUVs, SUVs, and similar vehicles that are no older than 7 years. In addition, Uber operators will be held to the same standards as their traditional counterparts. For Uber drivers, that means screening and registration with the LTFRB is mandatory.

Speaking on the revision, DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya said, “We view technological innovation as a driver for progress, especially in transportation where it can provide safer and more convenient commuting options to the public. App-based transport services help address the increasing demand for mobility spurred by rapid urbanization.”

The DOTC also plans to adopt a new standard, this time for cab-hailing services like GrabTaxi and Easy Taxi, allowing upscale taxis equipped with GPS and payment systems for cashless transactions to legally ply the streets of Metro Manila and beyond.

MY TAKE: Finally. As a frequent Uber user myself, I couldn’t be happier, though it’s fair to suggest that the ride-sharing app has already received a warm welcome from the public even before the Philippine government came into the picture.

I find that it’s easier and faster to hail an Uber now than it was a year ago, even if the chances of winding up seated behind someone who has zero knowledge of the streets of Metro Manila — and would be quick to admit to such — happens with increasing frequency.

And don’t get me started with drivers who cancel bookings at the last minute, those who run traffic signs, those who drive like it’s their first time behind the wheel, or those who drive like it’s their last. For Uber riders at least, the inexorable rise of owners and drivers has proven to be a double-edged sword.

And I’m fine with that, because the alternative is infinitely worse. Getting a decent cab ride in Metro Manila, let alone a decent cab that isn’t a decade removed from its best days, is a rarity now. Here’s hoping Uber actually delivers on the promise of better transport options outside of the service itself. We all know this country needs them badly.

FAQs: Smart’s ‘tingi-tingi’ video data bundles

In Business by Alora Uy GuerreroLeave a Comment

Roughly two weeks after announcing its partnership with Skype, Smart Communications has introduced new video data plans to make online video content more accessible to Pinoys. We say accessible because the bundles should appeal to the sachet or tingi-tingi nature of Filipinos. Imagine availing yourself of a plan as low as P5.

So what are the offers all about? How do you subscribe to them? We answer these questions and more in the guide below. Promise, this should be quick.

What are Smart’s new video data plans?

There are four bundles:

* YouTube5, where you pay P5 to get 65MB of data for 15 minutes of standard-definition video streaming on mobile phones. This is valid for a day;

* YouTube25, where you spend — yes, you got it right — P25 to enjoy 160MB of data for 35 minutes of standard-def video streaming on handsets. Again, it’s valid for one day;

* YouTube50, for 400MB of data for 90 minutes of standard-def video streaming, valid for three days. This is worth P50; and

* YouTube199, where your P199 gives you 1,200MB of data for 270 minutes of standard-def video streaming, valid for 30 days.

Do the bundles only cover videos watched on YouTube?

Nope. The plans may have the word “YouTube” in the keywords, but you can also avail yourself of any of the plans when you want to use Dailymotion, Vimeo, Viewstream, Skype Qik, and app-of-the-moment Dubsmash.

How does one subscribe to any one of the new video data bundles?

It’s simple. Just text YOUTUBE5, YOUTUBE25, YOUTUBE50, or YOUTUBE199 to 9999. You may also dial *121#, which is Smart’s access number for all of its promos.

Can you take advantage of them even if you are on an existing package?

Definitely. Your existing data subscription won’t be affected.

How about the payment process?

Smart has made it simple for its subscribers. Once you have successfully registered to a plan, you get an instant notification of your subscription. The amount will be charged against your prepaid load or billed on top of your monthly service fee.

How will you know that you have used up your subscription? What now?

There’s no bill shock to worry about, as the plans are covered by Load Protect, which should, well, protect you from unwanted data charges. You get a warning message when your subscription is nearing expiration. You will also be directed to a paywall when you have fully consumed your subscription.

Are the offers available to Sun Cellular and Talk ‘N Text subscribers as well?

Yes, they are.

MY TAKE: The tingi-tingi mindset prevalent in the Philippines, where Filipinos buy items in sachets instead of in whole packages, shows the financial capability of the people. The country’s poverty incidence is at 25.8 percent, so a lot of Pinoys live by the day. Going for the whole shebang just doesn’t cut it often here. You can see it in sari-sari stores, where items are micro-packaged to make them more affordable. You can see it in our palengke.

This culture has extended to the telecommunications sector as well. Can’t afford a P1,500 (sort of) unlimited data package? Subscribe to something that will cost you only few pesos — and only when you need it.

A lot of Pinoys live by the day, so just for this move to give more Filipinos access to online video content alone, I say, ‘You’re doing it right, Smart.’

So just for this move to give more Filipinos access to online video content alone, I say, “You’re doing it right, Smart.”

CloudFone unveils dual-OS, Android Lollipop tablets

In Tablets by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

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.

As the naming convention suggests, the One 7.0 and the Epic 7.1, 8.0, and 8.9 are equipped with 7-, 8-, and 8.9-inch IPS displays. Their specs vary a bit, though the most technically powerful of the bunch is also the largest, with CloudFone including 2GB of RAM in the Epic 8.9 to go with its 32GB of storage and 1080p screen. You can check out the specs for all devices below.

The CloudPad Epic 7.1, 8.0, and 8.9 are priced at P4,999, P7,999, and P8,999, respectively. An attractive proposition by itself, in large part because of Android Lollipop and the promise of timely software updates, the CloudPad One 7.0 retails for P6,999. All four devices are already in stores nationwide.

Specs of the CloudFone CloudPad Epic 7.1 (Price: P4,999):
* Quad-core Intel Atom Z3537F processor
* 1GB RAM
* 32GB internal storage
* microSD card slot
* 7-inch IPS display (1,280 x 800 resolution)
* 5-megapixel rear camera
* 2-megapixel front camera
* Dual boot: Android KitKat 4.4 and Windows 8.1

Specs of the CloudFone CloudPad Epic 8.0 (Price: P7,999):
* 1.8GHz quad-core Intel Atom processor
* 1GB RAM
* 16GB internal storage
* microSD card slot
* 8-inch IPS display (1,280 x 800 resolution)
* 2-megapixel rear camera
* 2-megapixel front camera
* Windows 8.1

Specs of the CloudFone CloudPad Epic 8.9 (Price: P8,999):
* Quad-core Intel Atom Z3537F processor
* 2GB RAM
* 32GB internal storage
* microSD card slot
* 8.9-inch IPS display (1,920 x 1,080 resolution)
* 5-megapixel rear camera
* 2-megapixel front camera
* Dual boot: Android KitKat 4.4 and Windows 8.1

Specs of the CloudFone CloudPad One 7.0 (Price: P6,999):
* 1.3GHz quad-core Intel Atom processor
* 1GB RAM
* 8GB internal storage
* microSD card slot
* 7-inch IPS display (1,024 x 768 resolution)
* 5-megapixel rear camera
* 1.3-megapixel front camera
* Android Lollipop 5.1

MY TAKE: First, let’s get this out of the way: The CloudPad One 7.0 is worthy of consideration if you’re after a Nexus-like tablet experience but don’t have the cash for a new or used Nexus 9. Even if that means losing out on particularly brisk performance and certain features.

The Epic 7.1 and 8.9 offer a potent price-to-performance ratio and a choice between Android and full Windows, but they are not without their share of drawbacks. Judging from my experience, there are two that standout.

As for the Epic 7.1 and 8.9, they offer a potent price-to-performance ratio and a choice between Android and full Windows (not RT), something we haven’t seen in this part of the world. That’s great news for those who want the flexibility of running applications from completely different platforms, not to mention the convenience of a desktop environment.

However, CloudFone’s dual-OS devices are not without their share of drawbacks, and, judging from my experience, there are two that standout: changing operating systems requires a slow and mandatory restart and onboard storage is split between platforms. In the case of the Epic 8.9, only 16GB — out of the possible 32GB — is accessible to either Android or Windows.

How Globe-Disney team-up is different from Smart-Disney deal

In Business by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

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 of Disney-branded content. When the Smart-Disney collaboration was disclosed in January this year, consumers were given access to a plethora of Disney mobile games and ebooks that can be purchased using prepaid credit or by way of carrier billing. That’s it.

Globe, meanwhile, is offering video-on demand services — beloved Pixar franchises like Toy Story and Finding Nemo, Disney TV favorites, including Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Phineas & Ferb, and Disney Channel programming — in addition to the stuff Smart has listed. Everything can be accessed by prepaid, postpaid, and broadband customers on their smartphone or tablet, even when they’re away from home.

The story here is about Globe making Disney’s most enduring and memorable creations available to anyone who owns a phone or tablet.

As for the actual offers, Globe has yet to finalize the Disney bundles it will be adding and whether or not a Toy Story marathon will count towards your monthly data allowance (we’re crossing our fingers it won’t). Regardless, it should be clear which carrier is bringing the true Disney experience to its ecosystem.

Globe’s latest effort sounds rushed, if not incomplete, sure, but the last time I checked, Disney didn’t become the entertainment behemoth it is today by telling stories through games and ebooks.

MY TAKE: Globe following in its rival’s footsteps and aligning with the Disney empire isn’t the story here. The story is instead about Globe making Disney’s most enduring and memorable creations available to anyone in the Philippines who owns a phone or tablet. And that, I believe, should be the function of any collaboration involving the company responsible for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Frozen, to name a few.

The way I see it, one company has a Porsche-designed BlackBerry, the other owns the car itself. And we all know which one is more desirable.

Low-cost LG Leon, Magna now available in stores

In Phones by Ramon Lopez1 Comment

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 of bended screen real estate at 720p resolution. And though the arch is not as pronounced as the LG G4’s, the screen is bent in a way that you’d notice. Viewed from the front, the Magna looks exactly as LG intended: a discount G4. (As it turns out, a curved phone doesn’t need to be expensive.)

As always with current LG smartphones, all physical buttons are located around the back, below the camera module, and screen-off gestures like double-tap to wake are baked into the custom user interface.

Specs of the LG Leon (Price in the Philippines: P5,990):
* 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582
* 1GB RAM
* 8GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
* 4.5-inch IPS display (480 x 854 resolution)
* 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* VGA front camera
* 1,900mAh battery
* Android Lollipop 5.0

Specs of the LG Magna (Price in the Philippines: P10,990):
* Dual SIM
* 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582
* 1GB RAM
* 8GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
* 5-inch IPS display (720 x 1,280 resolution)
* 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 5-megapixel front camera
* 2,540mAh battery
* Android Lollipop 5.0

There aren’t many handsets from big-name manufacturers that can touch the Leon and Magna in their respective price brackets. That may be their biggest selling point.

RAMON LOPEZ’S TAKE: It’s hard not to like what LG has done with the Leon and especially the Magna. Both offer decent specs at reasonable prices, something I wish the Koreans did with more consistency last year. But that’s water under the bridge now. It seems that LG, like other industry veterans, is trying as hard as it can to bring the best Android experience to the masses. There aren’t many handsets from big-name manufacturers that can touch the Leon and Magna in their respective price brackets, and that may be their biggest selling point.

ASUS Zenfone 2 to debut May 16th in PH

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

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 to own a particular variant of the Zenfone 2. We’re told consumers in the Philippines should expect lower prices. We’ll know for sure on May 16.

Specs of the ASUS Zenfone 2 (ZE551ML):
* LTE
* Dual-SIM
* 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 CPU
* PowerVR G6430 GPU
* 4GB RAM
* 32/64GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 64GB)
* 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 Lollipop 5.0

Specs of the ASUS Zenfone 2 (ZE500CL):
* LTE
* 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 CPU
* PowerVR SGX544MP2 GPU
* 2GB RAM
* 16GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 64GB)
* 5-inch IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (720 x 1,280 resolution)
* 8-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash
* 2-megapixel front camera
* 2,500mAh battery
* Android Lollipop 5.0

RAMON LOPEZ’S TAKE: You can almost hear the clock ticking. For gray-market sellers, the honeymoon of profiteering is at an end. But before you decide on whether or not the Zenfone 2 is worthy of your hard-earned cash, read our review, if you haven’t already. Read up on other people’s experiences with ASUS’ newest signature smartphone as well. Make sure you know what you’re getting, and you’re absolutely sure about it.

Oppo R1x now official in PH, costs P15,990

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

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 RAM and Adreno 405 graphics. Its 5-inch IPS display is slightly smaller compared to the R5’s and packs fewer pixels at 720p. The extra thickness means room for a bigger cell, and Oppo makes good use of whatever space is available for the built-in battery, which is rated at 2,420mAh.

Specs of the Oppo R1x (Price in the Philippines: P15,990):
* LTE
* Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset
* 2GB RAM
* 16GB internal storage
* microSD card expansion (up to 128GB)
* 5-inch IPS display (720 x 1,280 resolution)
* 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 5-megapixel front camera
* 2,420mAh non-removable battery
* Android KitKat 4.4

Don’t sleep on the Oppo R1x; it has the looks and smarts to pull off an upset against the best the category has to offer.

RAMON LOPEZ’S TAKE: The Oppo R1x is, by all appearances, a nice alternative to the R5; it’s not as thin as the latter, though it should be just as capable given their many similarities under the hood. It’s quite a looker, too.

More importantly, the R1x costs P6,000 less than R5 and doesn’t come with all the minuses of a ridiculously thin phone: It doesn’t have a protruding main camera that makes the R5 wobble when placed face down on a flat surface; it has a higher-capacity battery that’s likely to yield longer runtimes; and heat dissipation is less of a concern. Don’t sleep on this phone; it has the looks and smarts to pull off an upset against the best the category has to offer.

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OPPO Mirror 5 preview from our YouTube channel

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Starmobile has an Android Lollipop phone for cheap

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

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 three colors: black, blue, and white.

Specs of the Starmobile Jump Neo (Price: P4,490):
* Dual SIM (3G)
* 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582m chipset
* 1GB RAM
* 8GB internal storage
* microSD card expansion
* 5-inch IPS display
* 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 2-megapixel front camera
* 2,400mAh battery
* Android Lollipop 5.0

Perhaps this is a sign that Starmobile, which has a reputation for selling devices at higher prices than its peers, is now willing to go guns blazing in a price-driven marketplace.

RAMON LOPEZ’S TAKE: Android Lollipop aside, what really jumps (pun unintended) off the screen here is the price. At P4,490, the Jump Neo is the most affordable 5-incher on the local market that ships with Google’s fastest and most advanced software yet. It’s almost as if this isn’t a Starmobile offering at all, given its market-beating retail value.

Perhaps this is a sign that the local tech company, which has a reputation for selling smart devices at higher prices than its peers, is now more willing to go guns blazing in a price-driven marketplace than ever before. If that’s indeed the case, watch out everyone else.

Review: Xiaomi Redmi 2

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

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 positive reviews in the Philippines, the phone wasn’t the local smash hit Xiaomi hoped it would be.

But that’s behind us now. Fast-forward to 2015, and we’re looking at Xiaomi’s second attempt at wrestling some market share from homegrown brands and gaining traction in the low-end segment. Boasting a smaller and thinner design, improved internals that can take advantage of faster mobile-data speeds (albeit with a huge asterisk, which we’ll discuss shortly), and an updated user interface based on Android KitKat, the Redmi 2 improves on the original in every way imaginable.

But has it improved enough to appeal to a more critical local audience that is seeing an unprecedented surge in low-cost, high-value offerings? Find out in our review of the Xiaomi Redmi 2.

Specs of the Xiaomi Redmi 2 (Price in the Philippines: P5,999):
* Dual SIM
* LTE
* 1.2GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 CPU
* Adreno 306 GPU
* 1GB RAM
* 8GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
* 4.7-inch IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 (720 x 1,280 resolution)
* 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 2-megapixel front camera
* 2,200mAh battery
* Android KitKat 4.4.4

RAMON LOPEZ’S TAKE: The Redmi 2 takes a lot of inspiration from its predecessor, as is usually the case with smartphone sequels. But there are slight improvements to the all-plastic body that make it easier to handle and hold. The bezels surrounding the screen have been reduced, and the left and right sides of the phone are thinner and feel more tapered toward the front panel. Speaking of the front, it’s less angular than it used to be, giving the phone just enough of a modern slant without taking a new approach to design.

Buttons still lack backlighting. The omission is particularly jarring because there are cheaper handsets out there that come standard with backlit keys.

The button placement remains ideal, with the volume rocker and power button located in easy-to-reach places on the right-hand side. Xiaomi’s familiar trifecta of navigation keys in red can be found below the display, except this time, the Chinese tech startup has swapped out the menu shortcut for the multitask button by default, which we very much appreciate (no more long-pressing the menu button to switch between apps!).

Alas, the keys still lack backlighting, making them difficult to use in the dark. The omission is particularly jarring because there are cheaper handsets out there that come standard with backlit keys. On a more positive note, the Redmi 2 has a multi-color LED notification light beneath the home button that lets you know when you’ve missed a call, text message, or email. It can light up in different colors depending on the type of notification it wants you to see.

At 4.7 inches, the IPS panel narrowly misses our sweet spot in terms of display size. Sure, it’s neither too big to operate single-handedly nor too small for typing accurately, but there isn’t enough screen real estate here for enjoying lengthy YouTube videos and games with onscreen controls. Then again, we probably shouldn’t be surprised; for all its merits, the Redmi 2 is an entry-level product, after all.

Screen resolution maxes out at 720p, resulting in a decent pixel density of 312 dots per inch. The display is every bit as crisp and vibrant as the ones on competing models. Its brightness levels and viewing angles are par for the course for the category. It’s also as durable on paper, thanks to a protective layer of second-gen Corning Gorilla Glass.

The screen puts on a good show, but it’s nothing special in the smartphone landscape where more is usually, well, more.

Overall, the screen on the Redmi 2 puts on a good show, but it’s nothing special in the smartphone landscape where more is usually, well, more — more real estate translates to quicker, more precise typing and more pixels mean less squinting when watching movies or reading emails. And despite our lack of enthusiasm about it, display quality is a marked improvement over what preceded it.

Now, let’s talk about the Redmi 2’s 2-megapixel front-facing camera and the slightly protruding 8-megapixel rear-facer around the back of the device: Both sensors do a better job of taking pictures than their megapixel count suggests. And to get the most out of them, Xiaomi has included several effects and shooting options such as HDR, manual, and panorama modes in the stock camera app. The company even goes the extra mile, offering a beauty mode that uses facial-recognition algorithms to detect your gender and age before “beautifying” your mug using predetermined settings.

The Redmi 2, with its wide aperture of f/2.2, gets the job done — even as the light is fading.

It’s hard enough to find a phone in the bargain basement that can deliver quality shots outdoors and in good lighting conditions, let alone a decent shooter when lighting isn’t the best. But the Redmi 2, with its wide aperture of f/2.2, gets the job done — even as the light is fading. It also automatically scans QR codes on the viewfinder and shoots serviceable videos of up to 1080p.

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Photos taken with the Xiaomi Redmi 2. Click on and expand each picture for the high-res version.

Powering the phone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor that runs Android KitKat 4.4.4 as fluidly as any budget device on the market. It comes with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, expandable up to an additional 32GB via a microSD card. LTE connectivity is also part of the package, though in the Philippines, the Redmi 2 only works on Globe Telecom’s 4G network, leaving out the better part of the country’s smartphone-owning public that are Smart subscribers. It’s unfortunate that Xiaomi didn’t include more bands on such a mass-market product.

Our review sample can handle graphically-intensive games like Real Racing 3 and Shadow Fight 2 without any issues. Regrettably, the same can’t be said of more demanding titles like Mortal Kombat X, which it struggles to run at a decent frame rate.

There are rare times when going back to the homescreen takes longer than usual, which probably has something to do with the heavily skinned MIUI interface Xiaomi built on top of Android.

Our real-world testing mirrors benchmark numbers, and on the latest version of AnTuTu Benchmark and Geekbench 3, the Redmi 2 managed respectable scores of 19,995 and 1,424 (multi-core test), respectively. The 2,200mAh removable battery inside our unit typically lasts a day and a half on a single charge with reasonably constant use that includes texting and Web browsing on Globe’s LTE network. In our anecdotal battery test, which entails putting an HD video on loop while WiFi is switched on and brightness is set to 50 percent, the Redmi 2 held on for 8 hours and 5 minutes.

What we’ve found unusual so far is there are rare times when going back to the homescreen takes longer than usual, which probably has something to do with the heavily skinned MIUI (pronounced “mee-you-eye”) interface Xiaomi built on top of Android. But hey, at least MIUI on the Redmi 2 is nowhere near as buggy as on its predecessor.

Is the Redmi successor enough of an improvement to succeed where many others have failed? Sure, though support for more LTE bands would have made it an easier sell.

All told, the Redmi 2 is a great handset at a great price. For P5,999, you’re looking at a solid hardware designed for one-handed use and a pair of cameras that perform above the industry average. This is exactly the sort of device Xiaomi needs to impress a budget-conscious crowd. This is exactly what we hoped the Redmi 1S would be.

So back to our original question: Is the Redmi successor enough of an improvement to succeed where many others have failed? Sure. However, our opinions may not reflect the fickle whims of bargain hunters in the Philippines. Support for more LTE bands would have made the phone an easier sell. It’s also worth noting that there are other slightly more expensive options out there that come with larger displays and beefier specs. The Meizu M1 Note and Firefly Mobile Intense 64 LTE sell for a couple of thousand pesos more and offer a better smartphone experience.

Ludicrous Apple Watch prices spotted in Hong Kong

In Wearables by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

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 much as HK$5,500 (roughly P32,000), inflating the price to twice of its retail value. “Kinder” merchants inside the building offered it at a huge discount: as low as HK$4,500 (P26,000) for the white variant. The middle-of-the-pack, stainless-steel Apple Watch with a black sport band was priced between HK$5,700 and HK$5,900 (P33,000 and P34,000). Slightly more palatable yet still ludicrous, we know. So much for being sincere, Sincere Podium.

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You can buy the Apple Watch on the streets of Hong Kong, but it will cost you at least P26,000. 

It goes without saying that it’s probably in your best interest to wait until Apple ramps up production for its smartwatch. Unless, of course, money is no object to you, and you don’t mind digging deep in your pockets for something in very, very short supply.

RAMON LOPEZ’S TAKE: Do I want an Apple Watch? Yes! Do I want to pony up the equivalent of two Apple Watches for one watch with a rubber strap in dirt-magnet white? Um, no.

People taking advantage of Apple’s supply-chain problems is a given. We’ve seen it before, and we’ll see it again later this year when Apple releases the next iPhone.

But seriously, I don’t think I need to elaborate further. People taking advantage of Apple’s supply-chain problems is pretty much a given. We’ve seen it before, and we’ll see it again later this year when Apple releases the next iPhone. But hey, at least now you have a good a reason as any to skip the Apple Watch at launch.

LG takes the wraps off the G4

In Phones by Revu TeamLeave a Comment

(UPDATE, May 28: The LG G4 is now official in PH. Price starts at P31,990; ships beginning June 3.)

After weeks of teasing and countless leaks leading to its launch, it’s finally official: The LG G4, the company’s new deluxe smartphone for 2015, has been announced today here in Singapore and in other parts of the world.

Earlier leaks have suggested a big-screen phone that has more in common with the G Flex 2 than the G3, but we didn’t expect to see a slightly curved display, which LG claims improves one-handed usage and screen durability. The rear-facing buttons, as well as the choice between plastic and leather back covers didn’t surprise us, either, though we couldn’t have predicted how much effort it takes to make the high-quality leather found on the G4’s reverse side. (In case you were wondering, a laborious, 12-week process is involved in manufacturing the leather cover.)

[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TvoQRnpzu4″ width=”560″ height=”315″]

LG G4 preview (raw video), taken during the phone’s launch in Singapore

Just like its predecessor, one thing that really pops off of the screen — almost literally and figuratively — is the LG G4’s 5.5-inch Quad HD LCD panel, which has four times the resolution of 720p displays. The resulting pixel density is 534 dots per inch — more than the naked eye can handle. If you find that ludicrous, that’s because it is. Yet LG found ways to make the panel even more ludicrous this year, featuring the same quantum-dot tech found in its TVs for enhanced color reproduction and contrast without compromising on battery life.

In terms of processing power and multitasking capabilities, the G4 shouldn’t disappoint. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. And though it remains a mystery to us why the Korean electronics maker skipped the top-shelf Snapdragon 810 (throttling and thermal issues, we think) — the same chip inside the second G Flex — our gut tells us that the upcoming G flagship should be able to handle any processor-intensive application we throw at it.

Finally, let’s talk about the G4’s much-talked-about imaging prowess. The phone packs 16- and 8-megapixel main and secondary cameras, with wide apertures of f/1.8 and f/2.0, respectively. The former is stuffed with all the tech necessary for decent shots, such as optical image stabilization, laser autofocus, plus a color-spectrum sensor next to the flash module that adjusts white balance and flash, allowing for more accurate colors. The latter sees a major spec bump from last year’s 2.1-megapixel front-facer. The native camera app uses a new interface that includes manual controls and a RAW shooting mode.

There’s no exact release date to share at the moment, but LG says the G4 will be available globally beginning June. Sources say it may be in the Philippines after a little over a month as well. Prices start at $649 — but can go as high as $699 for the luxury edition with a leather back. (RL)

Specs of the LG G4 (Price: starts at $649 or roughly P29,000):
* LTE
* Hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 CPU
* Adreno 418 GPU
* 3GB RAM
* 32GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 128GB)
* 5.5-inch IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (1,440 x 2,560 resolution)
* 16-megapixel rear camera with laser autofocus, color-spectrum sensor, and F/1.8 aperture, LED flash
* 8-megapixel front camera
* 3,000mAh removable battery
* Android Lollipop 5.1

If the photos we took with LG G4 are any indication, Samsung may just have found the phone that can beat its Galaxy S6 in the imaging department.

ALORA UY GUERRERO’S TAKE: It looks elegant. Check. The screen’s superb. Check. It’s a fast performer. Check. But what really grabs us by our imaginary balls is the LG G4’s imaging prowess. If the photos we took with the Korean giant’s latest flagship are any indication, Samsung may just have found the phone that can beat its Galaxy S6 camera-wise. And that’s saying a lot, considering that we gave the latter high marks in this article.

Anyhow, stand by for a comparison of images taken with the LG G4, the Samsung Galaxy S6, and the Apple iPhone 6. We’d like to know if your opinion will be the same as ours. (Unfortunately, we accidentally deleted the sample pictures we took with the LG G4, but suffice to say, they were better than ones we took with the Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6.)

LG is looking to steal the thunder from a certain Korean neighbor, and the G4 may be the device to pull it off.

RAMON LOPEZ’S TAKE: LG is looking to steal the thunder from a certain Korean neighbor, and the G4 may be the device to pull it off. The version wrapped in leather certainly looks premium enough. If it can outperform the Samsung Galaxy S6 (and S6 Edge) in the imaging department, even slightly, without falling short in other metrics, we might have to reconsider our pick for 2015’s best smartphone.

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL now official in PH

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

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 of choice is Windows 8.1 — though Microsoft is quick to point out that an upgrade to Windows 10 will be available later this year. The phone supports two SIM cards as well, which should come in handy for those with more than one mobile number.

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Microsoft’s Lumia 640 XL lands in the Philippines next month for P11,990. Not as cheap as we’d like it to be, to be honest. An LTE version is set to arrive some time in June at a still-undisclosed price.

Specs of the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL (Price in the Philippines: P11,990):
* Dual SIM
* Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU
* Adreno 305 GPU
* 1GB RAM
* 8GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 128GB)
* 5.7-inch IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (720 x 1,280 resolution)
* 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 5-megapixel front camera
* 3,000mAh removable battery
* Windows 8.1 Denim

RAMON LOPEZ’S TAKE: Pricing aside, I like the Lumia 640 XL. It earns additional brownie points for including the Glance screen functionality and double-tap to wake.

For all the time and resources Microsoft has spent trying to build a worthy alternative to iOS and Android, Windows still feels like a product in its infancy — years away from true contention.

But I have a contrasting opinion about the software that defines it: For all the time and resources Microsoft has spent trying to build a worthy alternative to iOS and Android, Windows for mobile devices still feels like a product in its infancy, in 2015 — years away from true contention.

Majority of the apps I rely on daily are still MIA on Microsoft’s platform. The settings menu remains a collective mess of sorts. Microsoft’s Office suite isn’t compelling enough to make me want to opt out of using Google services altogether.

But that may all change once Microsoft begins rolling out Windows 10. The concept of “One Microsoft” — a universal software and app store for all Windows-based machines — sounds like the stuff of dreams. Here’s hoping Windows reveals its true potential sooner rather than later.

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Be Productive While Working on the Road

In News by Alora Uy Guerrero

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Globe offers free WhatsApp access to subscribers

In Business by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

(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 users over the Internet (WiFi and mobile data connections), in addition to being able to send photos and videos from within the application. Conspicuously missing from WhatsApp’s repertoire is video calling, though rumors suggest it may arrive next month.

Acquired by Facebook for $19 billion in 2014, the cross-platform (iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows, Symbian, PC/Mac) messaging app is growing at a tremendous pace and now has more than 800 million active users worldwide, more than enough to make it the undisputed champ among online messengers. By contrast, Viber and Line have around 209 and 170 million active users, respectively.

RAMON LOPEZ’S TAKE: Good guy Globe. Always looking out for its subscribers. Expect a similar offer from Smart Communications in 3… 2…