Mister Jonjon - A Philippine based blog about technology. Made by a techno kid.

Globe adds the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Nokia Lumia 820, HTC One SV, and more to its LTE lineup, now offers 9 in total

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:56:43 PDT

Do you want to join the LTE bandwagon but are not sure of which device to get and where? Well, it looks like Globe has the answer to that question.

A press release from Globe took us by surprise which states that they currently have the most number of available LTE smartphones in the Philippines as of yet. The recent additions to that lineup includes the HTC One, which by the way I’m currently reviewing (watch out for that!), the Nokia Lumia 820, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and the HTC One SV.

Android users are guaranteed of the most number of devices from Globe with its most affordable offer for the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE at P1,599 monthly under Plan 999 with P600 monthly cashout.

Globe also sealed an exclusivity deal to be the lone carrier of the new HTC One, touted as one of the best Android smartphones in the world, available at P1,699 monthly under Plan 999 with a monthly cashout of P700.

The HTC One SV and Nokia Lumia 820 are being offered at the higher Plan 1799 monthly without cashout. Oddly enough, the Samsung Galaxy Note II LTE, another Globe-exclusive device, is available at P2,199 monthly under Plan 1799 with a P400 monthly cashout.

The HTC One SV sports a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, supports lightning-fast LTE speeds, along with an all-day battery life, amazing camera, Beats Audio, and an ultra-sleek design that complements its breathtaking speed.

Dubbed as the most versatile Lumia, the Nokia Lumia 820 boasts of an 8.7 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens, 4.3-inch ClearBlack display, and removable wireless charging shells and matching headsets in vibrant colors.

The Samsung Galaxy Note II LTE features a 5.5-inch large HD display, 1.6GHz Exynos quad-core processor, and 2GB RAM.

That brings the total number of LTE smartphones being offered by Globe to 9 — seven of which are exclusive to them. This advantage should be attributed to their decision to go for the 1800MHz LTE frequency which is widely used across many countries in Europe and Asia and the fact that more device manufacturers support the said LTE frequency.

PSA: Get a 64GB iPhone 4S on Smart for just P11,150 tomorrow!

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:18:24 PDT

Smart is holding a one-time-only sale tomorrow at select Smart Stores wherein you can get some really nice smartphones at very nice prices.

The most thing people would probably line up for tomorrow is the 64GB iPhone 4S, which will only sell for P10,900. Wait, why did you said on the title that it’s P11,150? Well, it’s because you should get a Freedom Plan first before you can buy any of the phones on sale. A Freedom Plan SIM card costs P250 and you should bring at least one valid ID.

Other interesting picks from the list include the Samsung Galaxy S II which only goes for P6,600, the 8GB iPhone 3GS for P4,900, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus for P5,600 (not the one in the poster), the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for P7,400, the Nokia N9 for P6,500, and the Nokia N8 for P5,000. Again, the prices are exclusive of the P250 fee for the Freedom Plan.

The sale will be available at and only at the following locations: Araneta Gateway Mall, Robinson’s Galleria, SM Baguio, SM Pampanga, SM Dasmariñas, SM Cebu, and Gaisano Mall Davao.

Other available devices:
For Robinson’s Galleria and Araneta Gateway Mall
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10i – P6,000
Samsung Galaxy Tab (first generation) – P5,300
Nokia N8 – P5,000
Dell Streak 5 – P3,750
Nokia E72 – P4,300
HTC Evo 3D – P8,150
Samsung Galaxy Nexus – P7,400
Samsung Galaxy S II – P6,600
For All Venues
Nokia N9 – P6,500
Nokia E7 – P6,200
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 – P5,600
iPhone 3GS – P4,900
Nokia C7 – P4,150
Nokia C3-01 – P2,150
Samsung Corby II – P1,300
Nokia 2730C – P1,250
iPhone 4S 64GB – P10,900
LG Optimus L3 – P4,099
Samsung Galaxy Y – P4,199
Lenovo A690 – P3,899
Huawei Y300 – P4,599
Alcatel Inspire 2 – P3,699
Huawei Y210 – P3,199
Samsung E2232 – P1,350

Apple announces the iOS 7

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:26:00 PDT

Apple just announced the iOS 7 today at the WWDC 2013.

The iOS 7 features a whole new user interface and a slew of newly added and updated features. The new and updated features include the Control Center, Notification Center, Multitasking, Camera, Photos, AirDrop, Safari, iTunes Radio, and Siri.

Let me get some good night sleep now and for the meantime, take a more in depth look at the iOS 7 images below. You’ll appreciate them better this way.

Western Digital launches the WD Blue, the thinnest 1TB hard drive yet, for P6,990

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 05:35:16 PDT

Western Digital recently announced the WD Blue at Computex Taipei 2013. The 1-terabyte hard drive, which measures just 7mm in height, is now the thinnest ever.

The reduced thickness of the hard drive allows laptop OEMs and manufactures to build products with thinner and lighter profile without sacrificing the storage capacity. The WD Blue is also compatible with the 9.5mm hard drive slots found on most of laptops today.

"Users with large portfolios of content no longer need to sacrifice capacity when buying an Ultrabook or upgrading to a thin and light notebook. This most compact 1TB hard drive to-date offers manufacturers of systems an upsell path for their customers who will now be able to choose systems offering both sleek design and high capacity," said Matt Rutledge, Vice President and General Manager for client storage products at Western Digital.

In spite of its thinner profile, the WD Blue has still managed to include several features which make it compelling to the consumers as well as OEMs.

· Shock Tolerance – WD’s ShockGuard™ technology protects the drive mechanics and platter surfaces from shocks.
· Cool and quiet - WD’s exclusive WhisperDrive™ technology enables quiet performance.
· StableTrac™ – The motor shaft is secured at both ends to compensate for system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking during read and write operations which enables consistently higher performance.
· Dual Stage Actuators – Leveraged from enterprise-class drives, dual stage actuators utilize two actuators to improve positional accuracy over the data track(s). The primary actuator provides coarse displacement using conventional electromagnetic actuator principles. The secondary actuator uses piezoelectric motion to fine tune the head positioning to a higher degree of accuracy.
· Reliable – WD’s SecurePark™ parks the recording heads off the disk surface during spin up, spin down, and when the drive is off. This ensures the recording head never touches the disk surface resulting in improved long term reliability due to less head wear, and improved non-operational shock tolerance.
· Compatibility Tested - WD performs tests on hundreds of systems and a multitude of platforms in its FIT Lab™ and Mobile Compatibility Lab to give customers confidence that drives will work in specific systems.

The WD Blue 2.5-inch mobile hard drive comes in capacities ranging from 320GB up to 1TB. It looks like only the 1TB model is making its way here in the Philippines though, with it having a pricing tag of P6,990.

Samsung launches the Galaxy Mega 6.3 and 5.8 in the first Samsung Experience Store in the country

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 05:48:03 PDT

Samsung is going big. Their phones are likewise getting bigger too. What do they do next? Well, launch a bigger store!

Samsung Experience Store

Last Friday, Samsung opened the first and only Samsung Experience Store in the Philippines at the newly-opened SM Aura. The Samsung Experience Store is the company’s largest retail stores in different countries like Hong Kong and Singapore.

The Samsung Experience Store offers you a superb customer service experience and first-hand experience of different products by Samsung — be it a laptop or computer, a camera, a tablet, or a phone. You will also find a vast selection of accessories for your Samsung products at the store. Simply put, this is the place for all things Samsung.

Samsung Galaxy Mega

Aside from launching the new store, Samsung also launched the two new Galaxy devices in the country, the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 and the Galaxy Mega 5.8.

The LTE-touting Galaxy Mega 6.3 takes the phablet game to the next level. It has an enormous 6.3-inch Super Clear LCD screen with a 1280x720 HD resolution. It is already large enough for you to consider this a ‘very small’ tablet.

It packs a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual-core processor, a 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB storage with microSD support, an 8 Megapixels main camera. a 1.9 Megapixel on the front, and runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Samsung’s new TouchWiz UI. It is being powered by a 3,200mAh battery.

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 will have a retail price of P23,990.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 GT-I9205 Specifications and Features
6.3-inch HD Super Clear LCD display with 1280x720 resolution at 204 ppi
1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual-core processor
8 Megapixels autofocus camera with LED flash
1.9 Megapixels front-facing camera
16GB mass memory, expandable by 64GB using microSD card slot
1.5GB RAM
3,200mAh battery
GSM / HSPA+ / LTE
Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Infrared
Gyroscope
Compass
Accelerometer
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS

The Mega 6.3’s smaller brother, the Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8, also made its way here in the country. It sports a 5.8-inch qHD TFT display, a 1.4GHz Broadcom dual-core processor, 1.5GB RAM, an 8 Megapixels main camera as well as a 1.9 Megapixel front-facing one. The internal storage in this device is reduced to 8GB, but still comes with a microSD support. The battery is rated at 2,600mAh.

The Mega 5.8 further differs from its bigger brother in terms of connectivity. The Mega 5.8 supports dual-SIM but does not come with LTE support. Feature-wise, it’s the same with the Mega 6.3 which packs almost all the features Samsung has packed into the Galaxy S4 such as the Air View, S Travel, Drama Shot, Multi-Window, and more.

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 comes with a price tag of P18,990.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 GT-I9152 Specifications and Features
5.8-inch qHD TFT LCD display with 960x540 resolution at 189 ppi
1.4GHz Broadcom BCM28155T dual-core processor
8 Megapixels autofocus camera with LED flash
1.9 Megapixels front-facing camera
Full 1080p HD video capture at 30fps
8GB mass memory, expandable by 64GB using microSD card slot
1.5GB RAM
2,600mAh battery
GSM / HSPA+
Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Infrared
Gyroscope
Compass
Accelerometer
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS

Samsung reveals the Galaxy S4 Active: it’s water and dust resistant

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 03:14:09 PDT

Weeks before their upcoming event on June 20, Samsung announces the ruggedized version of it’s flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active packs almost exactly the same specifications as the original Galaxy S4. It has a 5-inch full HD 1080p display, albeit this time it’s of the TFT LCD type and not AMOLED. It is being powered by the 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor along with a 2GB of RAM, 16 to 64GB of storage, 2,600mAh battery, LTE, and runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

What sets the Galaxy S4 Active from its original brother is that it’s water and dust-resistant. Samsung says it is IP67-certified which means it is fine for it to be exposed on dusty environments as well as for water immersion of up to 1 meter for a 30-minute duration. It also has an 8 Megapixels main camera instead of 13. The camera app has a new Aqua Mode too, which tells me maybe you can actually use the screen underwater.

Being ruggedized means the company has to redo its design. It now sports three physical buttons on the front instead of the usual two-capacitive-plus-one-physical combo before. The physical dimensions have also changed — it’s 1.2mm thicker, 1.5mm wider, 3.1mm taller, and 21g heavier than the S4, perhaps due to the more metallic build.

The Galaxy S4 Active will launch this summer and will come in three different colors: Urban Grey, Dive Blue, and Orange Flare. The pricing should be just in line with the original Galaxy S4.

ASUS announces the $129 MeMO Pad HD 7 tablet

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 07:54:00 PDT

In a bid to attract more customers and market-share in the 7-inch tablet category, ASUS comes up with its own MeMO Pad HD 7.

The Android 4.2 Jelly Bean-touting ASUS MeMO Pad HD 7 seems to be competing with Google’s Nexus 7, which happens to be made by them too. It sports a 7-inch IPS display with a 1280x800 resolution, a huge improvement over the display of the first MeMO Pad. Powering the tablet is a quad-core processor coupled with a 1GB of RAM.

The MeMO Pad HD 7 features ASUS’ own SonicMaster audio technology to deliver a richer and more enhanced sound output. What sets it apart from the Nexus 7 is the camera. Unlike the Nexus 7 which only has a camera on the front, the MeMO Pad HD 7 packs two — a 1.2 Megapixel on the front and a 5 Megapixels main shooter on the rear.

While the exact capacity wasn’t mentioned, ASUS says the MeMO Pad HD 7 can last up to 10 hours of 720p HD video playback, which is quite impressive considering this is just an entry-level tablet (based on the price).

Speaking of the pricing, the company says the MeMO Pad HD 7 will retail for just $129 for the 8GB model and $149 for the 16GB model. It will be available in emerging markets starting on July.

Lenovo launches the IdeaPad Yoga 11S, S210 Touch, Z400 Touch, S400 Touch, IdeaCentre B540, and C440

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Fri, 31 May 2013 10:01:43 PDT

Lenovo announced today in their media event the launch of the IdeaPad Yoga 11S, an 11-inch multimode Windows 8 transformer laptop, and several other Windows 8-powered devices such as the IdeaPad S210 Touch, Z400 Touch, S400 Touch, IdeaCentre B540, and the C440 desktop.

"We are continuing to develop the Yoga franchise with the IdeaPad Yoga 11s, another unique flip and fold, multi-mode convertible which crystallizes our commitment of continued innovation with Windows. Alongside the IdeaPad Yoga 11s, we are introducing our latest range of touch-enabled devices that will create and define a new computing experience for our consumers. The advancements in touch optimization and processing power make today the right time for these new form factors to take off and gain rapid adoption. They will empower the Doers of today to work and play with digital content like never before," Vicky Agorrilla, General Manager of Lenovo Philippines said.

IdeaPad Yoga 11S
The IdeaPad Yoga 11S gives its users options on how they would like to use the device, be it on the ‘tent or stand mode’ for watching movies and browsing through the photo gallery, a touchscreen tablet for using Windows 8 apps, or as a laptop with the full-fledged keyboard and track pad for productivity.

The IdeaPad Yoga 11S is equipped with the 3rd-generation Intel Core i3 processor, providing the users a full Windows experience. This means you can run your legacy desktop software like Adobe Photoshop, Firefox, and such. It comes with an 11.6-inch HD IPS 10-point multitouch display with wide-viewing angle and a motion-based feature aptly called the Motion Control which lets you glide your hands over the screen to interact with it.

IdeaPad S210 Touch, Z400 Touch, and S400 Touch
Lenovo also announced the IdeaPad S210 Touch, Z400 Touch and S400 Touch which offer consumers great multimedia experience: music, movies, email, and video, among other features.

The IdeaPad S210 Touch packs a 4GB RAM, 500GB storage, and a Unified Memory Architecture GPU which enhances the laptop’s processing speed. Its 10-point multi-touch feature is user-friendly and optimizes efficiency through reduced response time.

Also having a multitouch screen, the IdeaPad Z400 and S400 are both optimized for Windows 8's touch-centric user interface, and come with up to 3rd-generation Intel Core i5 processors. They both feature a 14-inch HD display, as well as VeriFace, a face recognition technology for log-in security and OneKey Rescue System for easy backup and recovery of your data.

IdeaCentre B540 and C440 desktop
In addition, the company launched the IdeaCentre B540, offering an all-in-one entertainment experience from a desktop that merges slim, modern design with state-of-the-art multimedia features.

It boasts of the same multitouch screen for users to interact on, an HD webcam, Blu-ray RAMBO drive, HDMI out, USB 3 ports, and internal power adapter for tidier cable management and easy access to internal components for simple upgrades.

The Lenovo C440 desktop, meanwhile, is sleek, responsive and space-saving with its 21.5-inch display which takes little space on the desk. It offers HD graphics support, a RAMBO drive, stereo speakers with Dolby Advanced Audio v2, a 6-in-1 card reader, optional HDMI out, and advanced webcam software that tracks and auto-zooms on faces, enhances pictures, and adds cartoon effects to make the webcam experience more fun and interactive.

The IdeaCentre B540 and IdeaPad Z400 Touch are now available in Lenovo Exclusive Stores nationwide. The B540 retails for P54,900, and the IdeaPad Z400 Touch for P35,995 for the Intel Core i3 model and P39,995 for the i5 model.

The IdeaPad Yoga 11S and Lenovo C440, which will be available in Pentium Dual-Core Processor (PDC) and Intel Core i3 models, will be hitting LES by second and third week of June respectively. The IdeaPad Yoga 11S will retail for P44,995 while the Lenovo C440 will cost P31,990 for the PDC model and P37,990 for the i3 model.

The IdeaPad S400 Touch, with the i3 processor and i5 processor options, will be available for P27,995 and P32,995 respectively in mid-June.

The IdeaPad S210 Touch will soon be available with pricing that starts P21,995.

HTC One with LTE and 32GB memory also coming exclusively to Globe

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 02:12:35 PDT

Executives of HTC Philippines mentioned on the launch of the HTC One that it will be also available on Globe aside from being sold in retail stores unlocked and contract-free. Now, finally acknowledging HTC’s statement, Globe Telecom finally announces that the HTC One will be available exclusively to them.

The HTC One features the newest HTC Sense 5 user interface on top of Android 4.1.2. The latest iteration of the company’s own skin has three main features: BlinkFeed, BoomSound, and the Ultrapixel Camera. The aluminum-clad smartphone also packs 4G LTE connectivity, a 32GB on-board storage, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 2,300mAh battery.

The HTC One will be available on Globe for only P1,699 per month (P999 MSF + P700 cash-out) on Globe’s MySuperPlan 999. It comes with unlimited LTE data, and a P101 consumable which you can convert to 101 SMS & 5 minutes of calls to all networks. If you want to have more texts, calls, and consumables, you can opt to get it at Plan 1,799 with P200 monthly cash-out (total of P2,000 per month). The Plan 1,799 will yield you unlimited LTE data and P1,100 consumable amount (PV) which you can convert to combos, as stated here.

BlackBerry Q10 pre-orders begin, arriving on June 7 exclusively on Globe

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Fri, 31 May 2013 00:42:18 PDT

The physical QWERTY keyboard-touting BlackBerry Q10 is making its way in the Philippines soon, with Globe Telecom announcing its exclusive release on their network.

The BlackBerry Q10 runs the latest BlackBerry 10 operating system which has new features such as the BlackBerry Hub, BBM Video Share, and BlackBerry Balance. The LTE-equipped Q10 packs a physical QWERTY keyboard, a feature that is still a must-have for some BlackBerry followers.

The Q10 sports a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 3.1-inch 720x720 display outputting 330 pixels per inch, 8 Megapixels rear-facing camera, and a 2.1 Megapixels one on the front.

Interested parties can now pre-order the Blackberry Q10 on Globe. It will be available on Plan 999 with P500 monthly cash-out and will come with unlimited LTE data, and free calls & SMS. The Q10 will start shipping on June 7.

Globe ups the ante in postpaid race with the improved MySuperPlan

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Sun, 26 May 2013 01:22:07 PDT

Globe Telecom recently held the formal launch of the Best Ever MySuperPlan, their newest product innovation yet which lets customers take customizing and personalizing their own plans to the next level.

The improved and better MySuperPlan was revealed for the first time a few weeks ago when Globe launched the Samsung Galaxy S4. in the formal launch, they talked a little more about it and explained how it fares better than their previous plans.

First, the MySuperPlan has what Globe calls the ‘Peso Value (PV)’, which you can use to avail of call, text, or data combos, devices, or as consumables. Basically, 1 PV is equal to P1. But here’s what’s really exciting about the Peso Value thing — you will get more Peso Value than the amount you actually pay for. For example, if you sign up for the Plan 499, you’ll be given 900 Peso Value per month. That’s easily worth P900 when you use it as a consumable.

Next, there’s combos. Combos can be used against your monthly Peso Values. You can choose and mix your own set of combos ranging from 50MB of surfing (99 PV), 20 minutes of calls to Globe (100 PV), 5 minutes & 100 texts to all networks (100 PV), 125 texts to all networks (100 PV), 5 IDD minutes & 5 IDD texts (100 PV), unlimited BlackBerry surfing (599 PV), and unlimited surfing (999 PV).

For those who are getting a smartphone or other devices with a plan, you need to take in mind that a mandatory PV amount will be deducted on your monthly PV allocation and that you will still need to pay the cash-out fee if there’s any. Take this as an ‘entrance fee’ of sort. What this means is that you cannot use your Peso Value to pay for the smartphone that you’ll get.

Lastly, there’s boosters, which are like combos but are billed on top of your plan by default. For example, if you’re getting the Plan 999, you’ll have a Peso Value allocation of 1,700 per month. Now let’s say you want to get the Galaxy S4, deduct 600 PV (for the cash-out ‘entrance fee’) and 999 PV for the unlimited data and you have 101 PV remaining, which in turn you can use from the 5 minutes & 100 texts combo. Now you don’t have any more PV (actually you have one more) remaining. If you want to have unlimited calls & texts to Globe, you should avail of that particular booster and be charged P599 on top of your P999 monthly plan. Unused Peso Values are automatically converted to consumables.

Aside from that, you can now also choose your own contract period — from 6, 12, 18, 24, or 30 months. Take in mind though that shorter contracts mean higher cash-outs and longer contracts mean lower cash-outs.

Now here’s an interesting tidbit I discovered. If you already own a phone and want a line-only plan, take a look at this. You can get a Plan 499 with 900 Peso Value and get the unlimited data combo (999 PV) at just P99 on top of your bill. If you want some calls and texts, you can further add the 5 minutes & 100 texts combo for another P100. That’s just P700 for a plan with unlimited data with calls and texts. Now that’s awesome!

You can try it for yourself by going to Globe’s website.

HTC One now available in retail stores for P32,990

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:27:16 PDT

It has been plagued by supply and inventory problems. It faced quite a number of delays. But finally, the HTC One is here. Earlier this week, executives from HTC Philippines shared how important it is for them to keep their devices current and able to cope with what the users need.

“With HTC’s continued effort to put the consumer at the center of our innovation, we have reimagined mobile experience to cater to their needs with the creation of the HTC One,” said HTC Philippines Country Manager Richard Javier at the launch event on Tuesday.

Encased in a zero-gap aluminium unibody and boasting a vibrant 4.7-inch full HD 1080p Super LCD 3 screen, the HTC One runs the latest Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system and supports LTE networks to offer blazingly-fast browsing and downloads in a package that combines premium design with breakthrough build quality.

The sleek and tapered profile of the HTC One makes it very comfortable in your hand, add to that the slightly cold feeling the aluminum body has. HTC says there’s nothing to worry about the metal design. Thanks to their unique antenna design, you should get strong and clear signal no matter how you hold the HTC One.

The HTC One, which runs the latest HTC Sense 5 user interface, has three major features that the company says sets it apart from the other smartphones, namely the HTC BlinkFeed, HTC Zoe, and the Ultrapixel Camera.

The HTC BlinkFeed combines the latest content from the sources that you subscribe to, and displays it right at your homescreen without the need to download and open multiple news applications and web sites. To date, HTC has partnered with more than 1,400 media sources globally like ESPN, MTV, Vice Media, CoolHunting, Reuters and many others. Aside from news, you can also post and the latest updates happening around on your social media accounts like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook on BlinkFeed.

For the first time on a phone, HTC BoomSound introduces front-facing dual stereo speakers with a dedicated amplifier that plunges people in music, videos, games and other media contents they like. Beats™ Audio integration is enabled across the software for rich, authentic sound whether you’re listening to your favorite music, watching a video or playing a game.

Lastly, there's the Ultrapixel Camera. HTC developed a custom camera that includes an f/2.0 aperture lens and a sensor with larger pixel size that gather 300% more light than traditional smartphone camera sensors.

HTC also added more features on the software-side of the camera. HTC Zoe gives people the ability to shoot high-res photos in three-second snippets. These are then displayed in a way that brings the gallery to life and transforms the traditional photo gallery of still images into a moving gallery of memories.

Zoe also automatically creates feature films from each event set to music with professionally designed cuts, transitions and effects. These feature videos can be remixed or set to different themes, and can be shared on your social networks and other services.

There are so much more to discover on the HTC One and a one-time hands-on is not enough to try them all out. I’m hoping to get a review unit from HTC so I can put the One thru paces.

The HTC One is available now at HTC Concept Stores, and other distributors and retailers in the country. It bears a price tag of P32,990. But wait, there’s more!

Someone from the media asked whether the HTC One will be available on postpaid plans, to which HTC answered that it indeed will be! The HTC One will be available on Globe Postpaid starting on Plan 1,799 (I suppose with a P4,800 cash-out) and for free at Plan 2,499.

Sony Xperia Z for Globe exclusively available on Allphones on Plan 1,799

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:07:25 PDT

Phone retailer Allphones just announced that they will be carrying the Sony Xperia Z for Globe Postpaid and that it will be available exclusively on their stores.

The Sony Xperia Z will be offered by Allphones on Globe Postpaid Plan 1,799 with a cash-out of P8,079. They Xperia Z will be exclusive to Allphones and will not be available on Globe Stores.

Allphones is a new phone retailer in the country, which only started their operations in April. They are originally based in Australia, but have since expanded here in the Philippines. They have retail stores at SM Marikina, SM Cubao, and Starmall EDSA-Shaw.

Samsung presents its latest Series LED monitors and Xpress printers

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:57:57 PDT

Whether you’re a designer, a gamer, or a professional who needs equipment like monitors and printers, Samsung has got you covered. Samsung recently demonstrated the performance, flexibility, and efficiency of their latest Series LED monitors and Xpress printers.

"We are very pleased to present the latest range of monitors and printers from Samsung," says Hannah Castillo, Head of Product Marketing Group. "These products are designed to provide optimum performance and efficient productivity to every user. Samsung fans can really look forward to a perfect partnership with these new sleek yet power-packed offerings."

The Samsung Series 3 LED Monitor features a 2ms response time, which makes for a fast refresh rate and prevents images from getting distorted. The fast response time results in a significantly better gaming experience as it can accommodate all those blazing-fast moving objects easily. It also supports MHL or Mobile High-Definition Link so you can connect your mobile devices like smartphones and tablets and mirror what’s on your phone on to the monitor. You can also watch your favorite television shows while you work with the Picture in Picture Plus feature of the Series 3. Yes, it has a built-in TV tuner.

No, the Series 5 LED Monitor doesn’t have a floating display. What Samsung did is add a crystal-like stand which reflects the color of the environment that provides an illusion that it is floating. It sports a sleek and premium finish and features Magic Upscale that enhances the image quality, even the source is a low-res one. With a 1080p full HD resolution, the Series 5 is suitable for those who design stuff.

The Series 8 LED Monitor, on the other hand, has a WQHD resolution — that’s 2560x1440. It thus gives 4x clearer display quality than the average HD monitors. The monitor itself can be tilted from landscape to portrait or to just about any angle for added convenience. It also sports a 178-degree viewing angle, perfect for those who run a multi-monitor setup.

Along with those top-of-the-line monitors, Samsung also showcased its duo of Xpress printers. The Samsung Xpress and Pro Xpress printers can now handle up to 30 pages per minute at an estimated cost of about 58-cents. Talk about efficiency — perfect for those who have small businesses.

Printouts are of improved quality with vibrant colors, thanks to Samsung’s unique ReCP or Rendering Engine for Clean Page. ReCP automatically sharpens the focus of both graphics and text, while solid objects are overlapped to eliminate white gaps.

Samsung's Xpress printers allows you to print documents and photos wirelessly straight from your smartphones or tablets. It also has the Auto Duplex feature for double-sided printing which helps cut down your paper usage.

They also developed a polymerized toner for its printers, which has smaller and more uniform particles than traditional toners. It gives out crisper lines, more vivid colors, improved image gloss, and prevents unwanted fading.

Globe bares new Tattoo@Home landline and internet plans

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:23:45 PDT

Globe recently announced an update to their Tattoo@Home landline, WiMax, and DSL plans, a move aimed to appease the budget-conscious people looking to get a home broadband and landline for their homes.

For those who are looking to do light internet activities, Globe has the starter Plan 799. It includes a landline with unlimited NDD, Globe, and TM calls, a 1Mbps internet that has a monthly data allowance of 3GB. I told you, this is for light users only. If you want a higher data allowance and speed, you can opt to get the Plan 1,099 for 2Mbps with 10GB allowance or the Plan 1,299 for 3Mbps with 15GB allowance. The two plans also include unlimited NDD, Globe, and TM calls.

For the real heavy users, they have their premium home broadband plans which doesn’t have monthly capping. Premium home broadband plans start at Plan P1,099 for 1Mbps internet and goes for as much as P2,299 for 5Mbps internet. It is worth writing that the 3Mbps plan which used to be priced at P2,299 per month now goes for only P1,599. Globe also have the Plan 1,299 for 2Mbps.

All premium broadband plans include unlimited NDD, Globe, and TM calls. They are subject to a daily fair use policy. I personally have the 2Mbps plan at home and it’s really great. It does have a 5GB daily allowance which pretty much enough for me. We do heavy YouTube and iWantv streaming and occasionally download files (phone firmware, updates, and stuff) and I’ve never been throttled, at least, yet.

Anyway, it looks like the Plan P1,599 is the best choice if you’re switching for PLDT. At the moment, PLDT offers the Plan 999 DSL which has a 1.5Mbps speed, that’s excluding the P650 landline service which is mandatory (P1,649 total). To their credit, PLDT doesn’t implement data allowances.

ASUS launches the 7-inch Fonepad tablet in the Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Kenneth Sandimas) — Sun, 19 May 2013 09:55:49 PDT

ASUS Philippines finally launched the 7-inch tablet, Fonepad in the Philippine Market.

The ASUS Fonepad is a 7-inch tablet with built in 3G voice and mobile data functionality. This is ideal for people who want a phone functionality at the heart of a big 7-inch screen.

The 7-inch tablet sports a 1280 x 800 IPS 10-finger multitouch display together with a 1.2-megapixel front camera for easy video chat and an optional 3-megapixel autofocus rear camera with 720p HD video recording. It also has built-in 3G with HSPA+ mobile data which means that the ASUS Fonepad lets you get connected for seamless web browsing, fast downloads, and smooth audio and video streaming. Making calls with this gadget is great with its built-in noise-cancelling digital microphone. All these features are packed with Android Jellybean and powered by the latest Intel Atom Z2420 processor.

ASUS Fonepad Specifications and Features

Display	7-inch IPS LED-backlit display with 1280x800 resolution at 217ppi
Processor / Graphics	1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor PowerVR SGX540 GPU
Memory and Storage	1 GB RAM 8GB / 16GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB using microSD card
Camera	3 Megapixels autofocus camera 1.2 Megapixel front-facing camera 720p HD video recording
Networks	GSM / EDGE - 850/900/1800/1900MHz 3G/HSPA+ - 850/900/1900/2100MHz
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth 3.0
Sensors	GPS / GLONASS Accelerometer Proximity Ambient light sensor Compass
Others	Noise-cancelling microphone Micro-SIM card
Battery	4,270mAh
Dimensions and Weight	196.4 x 120.1 x 10.4mm 340g
Operating System	Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean

The ASUS Fonepad will be out in stores by the end of May and will be priced P14,995 for 32GB and Php 11,995 for the 8GB. This tablet comes in two different colors, Titanium Gray and Champagne Gold.

5 Things You Should Know About AMD

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:03:19 PDT

If you own a desktop computer or a laptop, chances are you’ve seen that tiny AMD sticker placed on the palm rest of your laptop or on the front of your desktop’s CPU. You probably have been wondering, what’s AMD?

To start with, AMD, which stands for Advance Micro Devices, is a multinational company which develops semi-conductor solutions like PC and graphics processors for consumer and commercial purposes. Having a great market presence in the Southeast Asia, AMD goes on making buzz and new records as they continue to innovate and develop new achievements.

Ryan Sim, General Manager of AMD Far East Ltd., and Sonny Sy, AMD’s National Sales Manager for the Philippines shared AMD’s plans for the coming year. They also talked about some interesting facts about the company, some of which are milestones they are proud of.

In the big screen
The AMD Radeon™ is the world’s fastest and most advanced graphics cards. In tests made by AMD as of May 22, 2012, single-GPU graphics cards such as the AMD Radeon™ HD 7970 showed higher performance in running graphics-intensive programs and applications than the other brand. The company’s graphics chips also provided the means to make special movie effects that netted billions in worldwide revenues.

Powers supercomputers
The world’s number one supercomputer, the Titan, is powered by AMD processors. The Titan reigns supreme, dethroning IBM’s Sequoia with a performance of 17.59 petaflops. 24 of the world’s top computers are also powered by AMD processors.

King in overclocking
When it comes to overclocking, AMD chips are unparalleled in terms of performance and endurance. Overclocking, the process of exceeding the chip's clock rate, tends to break and challenge the durability of the chip, therefore increasing the performance and speed. AMD’s FX octo-core processor broke records with speeds reaching 8.249 Ghz and is still the current World Record Holder for the Fastest Overclocked CPU.

In your hands
Next-generation consoles such as the upcoming Playstation 4 and Xbox will be powered by AMD chips. The Nintendo Wii U, which is already on the market, uses AMD hardware. This proves the versatility and the reputation of the chip when it comes to providing fluid gaming experience. AMD not only proves itself when it comes to the gaming scene, but also when it comes to powering servers. Last year, about 500,000 enterprises relied on AMD-based servers.

Two-in-one
AMD’s APU Technology accelerates the performance of more than 500,000 programs and applications. The APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) combines the GPU and the CPU in a single chip. This in turn increases the transfer rate and also lessens the power consumption compared to two discrete chips. AMD’s APUs uses Radeon™ as its GPU, making it an all-around hardware even on graphics-intensive applications. AMD chips are offered at a competitive price and is widely available in the market.

Arc Mobile enters the market, announces the Nitro 400D, Prime 350, and more affordable Android phones and tablets

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:26:51 PDT

You probably haven’t heard of them yet, but here they are, now ready to conquer the market. Arc Mobile is the newest Filipino-owned mobile phone company which are planning to take on the masses. As with all other local companies, Arc Mobile’s goal is to offer phones and tablets to those who are in tight budget without sacrificing the key features most people need.

Arc Mobile told bloggers and some members of the press at their gathering yesterday about their naming convention for the lineup. All smartphones and tablets will have a unique series name then followed by three numbers and a letter for special models. For example, on the Arc Mobile Prime 350, the ‘35’ means that it has a 3.5-inch screen; and on the Arc Mobile Nitro 500D, the ‘50’ implies that it packs a 5-inch screen and the ‘D’ means it’s powered by a dual-core processor. So, that’s their naming convention. Let’s move on to the devices themselves.

First off is the Arc Mobile Prime 350, their entry-level smartphone. The Prime 350 packs a 3.5-inch HVGA (320x480) screen, a 1GHZ Spreadtrum SC6820 processor, Mali-300 GPU, and 256MB of RAM. It has a 1.3 Megapixel main camera and a VGA front-facing camera. It is dual-SIM-capable and will have Wi-Fi although 3G will be absent from this device.

Analog TV support is included which should come handy at times like when you’re commuting. It will have a 4GB internal memory which can be expanded using a microSD and a battery capacity of 2,000mAh. It will launch with Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It will be available on 4th week of May for less than P2,600 (exact SRP is not yet final).

Next up is the Arc Mobile Nitro 400D. It comes with a 4-inch WVGA (800x480) screen, a 1GHz MT6577 dual-core processor, PowerVR SGX531 GPU, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB internal storage which is expandable using microSD.

It also have dual-SIM, 3G, and Wi-Fi connectivity on board. It sports a 5 Megapixels main camera with LED flash and a VGA front-facing one. The battery is rated at 1,450mAh. It runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.

The Nitro 400D is now available for P3,999.

Coming up next is the Arc Mobile Nitro 500D, a 5-inch smartphone which packs hardware similar to that of the Nitro 400D except for the camera and battery. The camera on the Nitro 500D is 5 Megapixels with BSI sensor for low-light shots, along with a 1.3 Megapixel front-facing camera. The battery capacity is bigger at 2,000mAh.

Everything else is similar to the Nitro 400D. You have a 1GHz MT6577 dual-core processor, the PowerVR SGX531 GPU, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB storage. It also runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. It’s coming on 4th week of May too, and although the pricing is not yet final, Arc Mobile says it will retail for less than P5,299.

The last smartphone in Arc Mobile’s lineup is the Arc Mobile Nitro 450QD. As you can probably tell by the name, it packs a 4.5-inch screen with a qHD (960x540) resolution. On the inside, there’s a 1.2GHz MT6589 quad-core processor, a PowerVR SGX544 GPU, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB storage.

It features a 5 Megapixels main camera with LED flash as well as a VGA front-facing camera. It will have 1,800mAh battery and will launch will Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean on board. Pricing is also not yet final. They say it will retail for less than P6,200 starting this June.

The company also launched a trio of 7-inch tablets. Among those tablets is the Arc Mobile Tab 700M, which has a 7-inch screen with an unfortunately low WVGA (800x480) resolution. It’s powered by a 1GHz MT6515 processor, a PowerVR SGX531 GPU, and a 512MB of RAM. It will come with Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Tab 700M will also come with dual-SIM card slots, which you can use to make phone calls and send text messages. They’ve also bundled analog TV functionality on the tablet. A 3,000mAh battery should get you going for a couple of hours using this device.

The Arc Mobile Tab 700M is now available for P3,999.

In case you’re interested, you can buy Arc Mobile’s products at the following distributors and retailers nationwide: Memo Xpress, Technomobile, BSD International, Sandztel, SDL, CyberWidget, Mobilizer, IntoGadgets, MMR Dynamic, MediaBox, M2 Mobile, Eazy Text, 5th Avenue, Inbox Mobile, GSN Wireless, Telefonetics, and at Lazada Philippines.

Google announces the Samsung Galaxy S4 with stock Android

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:20:10 PDT

We really did not see this one coming. But apparently, the Samsung Galaxy S4 with stock Android operating system is in fact real. It has just been announced by Google a couple of minutes earlier at Google I/O 2013.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition will come unlocked, and with LTE network support for T-Mobile and AT&T in the US. It will have 16GB of storage and will come with an unlocked bootloader. Everything else is pretty much the same as the original version of the Galaxy S4. What we are not sure as of the moment is whether the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition comes with international LTE support. What makes it really special is that it will instantly receive Android updates as soon as Google rolls them out.

Google says that the Galaxy S4 Google Edition will be available starting June 26 at the Google Play Store for $649 or around P27,000.

Google’s Hugo Barra also dropped hints of an HTC One Google Edition too.

Allphones, an Australian-based mobile phone retailer, starts operations in the Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:56:57 PDT

A new friend of mine told me about this relatively new mobile phone retailer in the Philippines that is really unique from the other retailers. They go by the name Allphones, a company based in Australia, which only started operations in the country last April. The Philippine operations is spearheaded by TAO Corporation, a holding company founded in 1995 which focuses on supply-chain services.

What makes Allphones stand out from the other mobile phone retailers is that they offer postpaid plans at their stores. Think of BestBuy in the US. You walk into one of their stores, and you go out with a brand new phone with a postpaid plan.

They do not only focus on selling products, they are also committed to customer satisfaction. Their staffs had extensive training on product knowledge, how to entertain customers, and how to give them the best aftersales service. Allphones say that they will try their best to recommend the phone that suits you best and not just push you to the ‘hot’ ones just to have sales.

Allphones’ stores also look simplistic and the ambiance is so inviting. Their store layout is very neat, with no obstructions at all on the entrance. They also have units on display which you can actually try and not just look at.

Just like what I’ve said, you can buy phones at Allphones with postpaid plans. As of the moment, they only offer Globe Postpaid plans, and they even have some exclusives! For instance, you can get the Sony Xperia Z at Allphones with a Globe Postpaid plan. If I remember correctly, it’s free at Plan 2,499 and on Plan 1,799 with a P4,800 cash-out.

UPDATE: An employee from Allphones got in touch and told us that the Sony Xperia Z is temporarily not available. We’ll update this once we have more information.

Allphones now have three retail stores in Metro Manila. The first store is located at SM Marikina, which opened just last April 30. They also have stores in SM Cubao and Starmall EDSA-Shaw. They are planning to have more than 250 stores across the country within the next two years.

Nokia announces the aluminum-clad Lumia 925

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:25:55 PDT

Following months of rumors and speculations, Nokia has finally unwrapped its latest flagship Windows Phone, the Nokia Lumia 925.

Moving from the usual polycarbonate plastic tradition for Lumia devices, Nokia gave the Lumia 925 an aluminum treatment with real metal surrounding its edges which makes the phone a real looker. What even made it more appealing is the trimmed down body, now just 8.5mm thin. The bezel has also shrunk and now more proportional with the body, similar to that of the Lumia 720.

The Nokia Lumia 925 also features the same 8.7 Megapixels PureView camera found on the Lumia 920, which they tout to be having great low-light capabilities. Not only just that, Nokia has added more camera features on the Lumia 925 too like Action Shots, Best Shot, and Motion Focus thru the new Nokia Smart Camera app which brings it at par with most new Android devices today.

Nokia also announced a new app, the Oggl from Hipstamatic. Oggl will let people take and share high quality pictures and add effects using filters. Users can then share photos on social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, Flickr, and Instagram.

Spec-wise, the Lumia 925 features a 4.5-inch AMOLED display with 1280x768 resolution. It is powered by the 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, and 16GB of storage. It also sports penta-band LTE with support for both Globe’s and Smart’s networks. The battery has also stayed the same at 2,000mAh.

Nokia Lumia 925 Specifications and Features
4.5-inch AMOLED display with WXGA (1280x768) resolution
Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2
Super Sensitive touch
8.7MP with Nokia PureView advanced optical imaging stabilization and Carl Zeiss optics
1.2MP front-facing camera with wide-angle lens
Full 1080p HD video capture at 30fps
16GB mass memory with 7GB free SkyDrive storage
1GB RAM
2000mAh with integrated Qi wireless charging
GSM / HSPA+ / LTE (Compatible with Smart and Globe)
1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 dual-core processor
Gyroscope
Compass
Accelerometer
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Windows Phone 8 OS

Nokia says the Lumia 925 will be available this June in the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and China in June, followed by the US and other markets. Pricing is 469 Euros or about P25,000.

Review: Nokia Lumia 720 — flawless body, amazing camera and battery life

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:10:55 PDT

Nokia has been pushing a lot of Windows Phone devices lately, mainly to cover all price categories as possible — from entry-level up to the top high-end models. The two latest Lumia devices fall under the entry-level (Lumia 520) and the mid-range (Lumia 720) categories. In this review, we will tackle the Nokia Lumia 720 specifically, and how it positions against the other Windows Phones and smartphones.

Hardware and Design

“The Lumia 720 is flawless.”

Nokia is known to making smartphones with blocky and rectangular corners. That characteristic makes holding them somewhat tiring, and gives you an impression that it is somewhat old. Well, it’s kind of. The design Nokia used on the Lumia 920 has been there since 2011, when the N9 was announced. Some people want a change in that aspect. Thankfully, that change has come in the form of Lumia 720.

The Nokia Lumia 720 is not your typical Lumia device. It is light and slim. It is easy to hold in one hand despite it having a 4.3-inch screen. The glass blends into the curved edges which makes for a seamless ‘flow’ around the phone. There’s no abrupt edges anywhere which makes it feel ergonomic and comfortable in one-handed use. If the Lumia 720 was a skin of a person and I were to describe it, I would say it’s a flawless one.

Moving forward, there is Nokia’s usual button placement. Volume rocker to the right, followed by the power button, the camera button, and the microUSB port at the bottom which is being accompanied by the microphone. The microSD card slot can be found on the left side, and the 3.5mm headphone jack and the micro-SIM card slot at the top — both of which are flush which maintains a clean look overall. Both slots can be accessed easily by using the PIN tool included in the box.

The front is ruled by the 4.3-inch IPS ClearBlack display, with the trio of Windows Phone buttons below, and the front-facing camera and the earpiece at the top. Unfortunately, the bezel at the bottom is still asymmetrical and bears that extra space as on the other Lumia phones. Had it not been there, the looks would have been perfect. It’s not that of a deal breaker though.

The screen by the way sports a WVGA (800x480) resolution, which equates to 217ppi. The colors on the screen look a little washed out, and sometimes the graphics look as if they undergone a compression which is most noticeable when you’re playing games or watching videos. I wish Nokia had put something better on the screen, but until Windows Phone support 1080p screens, it looks like we’re going to be stuck with mid-range devices with this screen resolution.

Software

Everybody should now be familiar that Nokia now uses Windows Phone for their smartphones. The Lumia 720 is no different, it runs on Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 operating system. We’ve mentioned in our review of the OS that it still badly lacks some major apps, though it really is worth noting that Microsoft (and Nokia) is doing what they can to attract big-name developers to bring their apps to Windows Phone.

Over the past 6 months, we’ve seen some major apps hit the Windows Phone Store like Pandora, YouTube, Temple Run, Camera360, Hulu, Twitter, and many more. Aside from that, Microsoft is working with the developers too to update existing apps like Facebook,

Apart from the apps available on the Store, Nokia also has its ever-growing own suite of apps. The Nokia Collection offers apps exclusive to the Lumia devices, which is a really good testament to their commitment of providing the best experience available to their customers.

Among those apps are Nokia Drive, Cinemagraph, and Nokia City Lens. Nokia Drive, we all know it, offers free voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation with the aid of offline maps — perfect for travel junkies. If you’re a GIF-addict, you should try Cinemagraph. It basically captures multiple sequences of a scene, and after that you can select a subject to mask and animate it. Lastly, the City Lens app gives you an augmented reality view of points of interests around your location. Found the address of a restaurant you’re looking for but don’t know where exactly is it? City Lens is the app for that.

The Lumia 720 can play most of the casual games on the Store, but some of those with intense graphics might probably not install due to the 1GB RAM requirement. Yes, unfortunately, Nokia has decided to go with a 512MB of RAM on the 720.

Performance

The Lumia 720 handled most of the day-to-day activities that you would do on a smartphone easily. I only faced minor lags when launching and switching between apps, but once you’re the app is running, there are almost no hiccups at all.

Battery Life
With a 2,000mAh battery, the Lumia 720 trumps almost all other mid-range smartphones. On my usual moderate to heavy usage, the Lumia 720 lasted a little short of 24 hours. I believe that’s pretty impressive since the Wi-Fi and cellular data was always on. In my terms, moderate to heavy usage consists of three 2-minute calls, sending a few SMS, 1 hour gaming, 1 movie streamed from the Internet, and using apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

The Lumia 720 supports the Qi wireless charging standard too, with the use of a separate case. I haven’t tried that though as I don’t have a wireless charger and the case.

Camera

The camera of the Lumia 720 is one of the best, if not really the best, cameras in smartphones today. Don’t be fooled by the 6.7 Megapixels sensor it has, it really means nothing. You’ve got to use it to see how amazing it's camera quality is. We found the Lumia 720’s camera to be outstanding in low-light. Check out the samples we took below.

What I really liked about the Lumia 720’s camera is that it takes photos with the right colors even the lighting conditions are not good. For example, when I was at an event, my Note 2 takes bluish shots due to the all-blue lighting at the venue. The Lumia 720, meanwhile, managed to take photos with the true color tones.

I think, it was so good that Nokia should have added the PureView label on the Lumia 720. That really says it all.

Verdict

Here’s my final say on the Lumia 720. If you want a PureView-like camera which you can find on the Lumia 920, a good Windows Phone experience and a phone that can last a day, but does not have the budget, go for the Lumia 720.

However, if the display quality and the low amount of RAM are stopping you, I suggest that you go for the Lumia 920. You’ll also get LTE with that.

The good
Slim body and solid build quality
Easy to hold
Amazing camera quality
Long-lasting battery life
Wireless charging

The bad
Display quality is not that good, though still acceptable
512MB RAM

Nokia Lumia 720 Specifications and Features
4.3-inch IPS ClearBlack WVGA (800x480) display with Super Sensitive Touch
1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor
512MB RAM
6.7 Megapixels autofocus camera with Carl Zeiss optics and LED flash, f/1.9 aperture
1.3 Megapixel front-facing camera
HD 720p video recording at 30fps
8 mass memory, expandable by 64GB using microSD
GSM - 850/900/1800/1900
3G/HSPA+ - 850/900/1900/2100
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 3.0
NFC
2,000mAh battery capacity with wireless charging
Windows Phone 8 OS
Price: P14,590

Globe bares new MyRewards offers, seals partnership with Figaro, Wendy’s, and Enchanted Kingdom among others

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Sat, 11 May 2013 09:41:09 PDT

At a press briefing today, Globe Telecom has revealed its new and more exciting MyRewards offers that subscribers may avail of using their points. Globe has shared how successful the rewards program is — to date. over 12 million subscribers have already used their points to redeem various rewards such as call & text services, electronics, and gift certificates.

“The positive impact the rewards program has impress on subscribers is translated to the brands’ churn rates being sustained at low levels. The subscribers’ continued use of Globe services was also reinforced as a result of giving subscribers the type of rewards no other mobile network can offer,” shared Jay Beltran, Head of Customer Lifecycle Management at Globe.

Those redemptions have usually been delivered thru the traditional way of courier, which makes it quite not efficient due to the long waiting times and the delivery charges paid off by Globe. Starting from now on, Globe will make using your reward points easier. Redemptions can now be done instantly at the place you intend to use the points on. Say you want a coffee, then just type the code the cashier tells you, send it, and boom, free or discounted coffee for you! It’s that easy. So easy that Globe says about P7-million worth of goods have been already redeemed during the pilot program.

Your reward points can be redeemed towards free or discounted purchases at the initial partner establishments which include Ayala Malls Cinemas, Enchanted Kingdom, Figaro Coffee, Petron, Rose Pharmacy, Sunglass Hut, and Wendy’s Hamburgers.

What’s even more exciting is that the minimum threshold to redeem points has gone substantially lower, likely thanks to the elimination of the costs related to the delivery of the items. For example, you can use points as low as P50 to redeem items at Figaro, Petron, Rose Pharmacy, and Wendy’s.

Globe has now also simplified the value of the points as to avoid confusion for the customers. 1 point is now equivalent to a P1-value. You can still also redeem points to the existing items like call & text services, gift certificates for shopping and dining, and electronics.

Viber releases app for Windows and Mac, updates its Android and iPhone apps

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Tue, 07 May 2013 08:09:37 PDT

If you always fancy free call and text apps, take a good seat and look at this. Viber, a very popular app which lets people send text messages and make calls for free on their phones, has just released the Windows and Mac versions of their app!

Viber for Windows and Mac allows its users to do the basic Viber features such as making calls, send text messages, send photos, and engage in group conversations — all without any cost on your part. In addition, the Windows and Mac versions adds support for video calling, although the app notes the feature is still in beta. It also supports transferring of calls between your PC or Mac and your phone, even while the call is active.

Setting up Viber for Windows or Mac only requires two steps; first is entering your phone number and then typing the verification code sent to the Viber app on your phone. After that, all your contacts who use Viber will be synced to your PC or Mac immediately.

Viber also release updates to its Android and iOS apps. Viber 3.0 for Android and iOS brings support for the Windows and Mac versions, transferring of calls, online status indicator, video messages, auto-download of photos, photo captions, and more stickers.

HTC Butterfly Sense 5 and Android 4.2.2 OTA update leaks out

noreply@blogger.com (Neil Ross Goco) — Tue, 07 May 2013 06:05:56 PDT

Owners of older HTC smartphones like the Butterfly, Droid DNA, and One X may have been feeling a little bit left out since all of HTC’s attention is now aimed at their new flagship, the HTC One.

Apparently, that isn’t entirely true. Today, we have managed to snag a copy of the pre-release update that will bring Sense 5 and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean goodies to the HTC Butterfly. The update brings the refashioned interface which now looks flatter and more easy to the eye.

The HTC BlinkFeed, one of the features the manufacturer are heavily promoting, is also present here. Now I remember when the HTC One reviews came, most of the reviewers said that the BlinkFeed cannot be disabled in its entirety. In this Sense 5 build, it looks like they added an option to switch to the traditional home screen style which only displays widgets and shortcuts alike. I am not sure if the reviewers just missed that option as it is buried deep inside the Settings app. Either way, this is a good news particularly for those who don’t use BlinkFeed at all.

Another major feature, but from Android 4.2.2 this time, that comes with the update is the quick shortcuts and toggles in the notification center. This feature in specific is really hand as it allows the users to activate some settings and actions without the need to leave the app or screen they are on. As opposed to stock Android, tapping on a toggle on Sense 5 will activate that said, well, toggle, whereas on stock Android it will only take you to the page of that toggle in the Settings app. Quick shortcuts and toggles can be accessed by swiping your two fingers down from the top edge of the screen or by tapping the icon in the notification center.

Unfortunately, the HTC Zoe seems to be not coming to other devices aside from the One, as the feature is nowhere to be found in this build. It could be that or HTC hasn’t just really added Zoe in this pre-release version. I hope it’s the latter.

The overall smoothness and performance of this update is really good, with some minor quirks like the crashing of the Sense 5 launcher. But other than that, it seems that the update is almost ready for release. Insiders say HTC will release it this Month.