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

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.

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Nexus 4 now available for P24,990; LG Optimus G to follow this Q1 2013 (update)

We just heard from the folks at LG Philippines that the Google Nexus 4, made by them of course, is now already available at stores for P24,990. The Nexus 4 is Google’s newest Nexus-branded device for 2012. It packs a 4.7-inch HD screen, a quad-core Qualcomm S4 Pro processor, 8 Megapixels camera, and has Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on board.

LG Nexus 4 E960 Specifications and Features
4.7-inch IPS display with 1280x768 (WXGA) resolution
Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2
8 Megapixels main camera, 1.3 Megapixel front
8GB or 16GB internal memory
2 GB RAM
Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro CPU
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth
NFC
GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
3G/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz)
Wireless charging
SlimPort HDMI
Barometer
Compass
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS

The stores that are selling official Nexus 4 stocks are very limited to the following: Widget City, MemoXpress (Greater Manila Area), Aerophone (Visayas), Wiltelcom (Mindanao) and in all LG Mobile Concept Stores and kiosks.

The LG Optimus G, on the other hand, is coming soon this Q1 2013, according to LG. The Optimus G shares some specs with the Nexus 4, the only major difference is that it runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

UPDATE: Widget City has let us know that they will be stocking Nexus 4 units with official warranty from LG Philippines for P21,890. It will be available starting January 4.

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Smart to offer 5 LTE phones, including the Nexus 4 and HTC 8X

Now this is pretty interesting. Smart, apparently, will start to offer five LTE devices God-knows-when. One of those devices is the HTC Windows Phone 8X, a Windows Phone 8 smartphone which packs a 4.3-inch HD screen, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, and 1Gb RAM. It also features Beats™ Audio and 8 Megapixels camera. The HTC 8X currently being sold at retail stores in the Philippines does not have LTE, so it looks like Smart managed to snag this exclusively.

Next up is Google’s latest smartphone, the Nexus 4. Wait a minute, did I just read that? Nexus 4? As in, Google Nexus 4 with LTE? LTE? I thought Nexus 4’s LTE only works in Canada? Stop. I am really confused on this just as you are. The LTE on Nexus 4 was only made to work with Canada’s Bell which runs it’s 4G network on the Band 4 (AWS 2100MHz and 1700MHz). The thing is, Smart’s LTE network operates only on the bands 1 (2100MHz), 3 (1800MHz), and 5 (850MHz). Maybe Google did a magical update in the production line and decided to include all necessary stuffs to make LTE work. If that’s the case though, early Nexus 4 adopters are screwed.

The other 3 remaining is the Huawei Ascend D1 LTE which packs a 4.5-inch screen, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, a humongous 13 Megapixels snapper, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 8Gb of storage and a gigabyte of RAM. Next up is the Sony Xperia V which is pretty much similar with the Ascend D1 LTE in terms of specs, save for the screen which is a 4.3-inch one. This one is also water-resistant. Lastly, we have the ZTE T82 here. It is also an Android Ice Cream Sandwich device with a 4.3-inch screen, a 1.5GHz processor, 8 Megapixels camera, 4Gb storage and 1Gb of RAM. This seems to be the most affordable among them all.

What’s more interesting is that the recently announced iPhone 5 which will be launched here on December 14 is not included.

We’ll try to get in more info regarding this one from Smart and will update accordingly.

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Globe adds quartet of LTE devices to its lineup

Globe Telecom today announced that they will be offering 4 new devices on its LTE lineup.

Slated to arrive this quarter is the Samsung GALAXY S III LTE (which seems to be the GT-i9305 model) which boasts of a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED screen, 2GB of RAM, a quad-core Exynos processor, and will ship with the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The next device to join the lineup is the Huawei Ascend P1 LTE which also features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and an 8 Megapixels camera. It will ship with Android Ice Cream Sandwich. Another device which seems to be a mid-range one is the ZTE T81. It packs a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 4-inch touch screen, a 5 Megapixels camera and will come with Ice Cream Sandwich too. Last but not the least is the HTC One XL which comes with a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB storage, a 4.7-inch Gorilla Glass screen, 8 Megapixels camera, Beats Audio integration, and will also ship with Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

All devices will be available on Globe Postpaid will plans stating at P999 per month.

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Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 to roll-out globally this month (update)

Samsung has finally announced the launch of it’s newest member of the GALAXY Note lineup, the Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1. Along with the announcement comes a couple of revisions of its specifications.

The biggest change that the GALAXY Note 10.1 got is maybe the upgrade of it’s processor to a 1.4 GHz quad-core one from the previous dual-core version. Its RAM was doubled, now at 2 GB. They also added a digitizer to the display to accommodate the inclusion of the S Pen. Its camera also got upgrade from 3 Megapixels to 5 Megapixels now, although the front-facing camera got downgraded to 1.9 Megapixel. Samsung also added a Multi-Window feature which, you guessed it, will allow users to view two applications side-by-side so they can be even more productive.

The Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 is already available in the US, the UK, Germany, and Korea and it should be available at even more countries this month. It will come in three variants – a Wi-Fi-only version and Wi-Fi + 3G (HSPA+) this month, and a Wi-Fi + LTE that’s to follow up later this year. Samsung has not yet disclosed the final retail pricing when it launches here in the Philippines, but I estimate it to sell at about P27,990 for the Wi-Fi-only variant and P32,990 for the Wi-Fi + 3G (HSPA+) model.

UPDATE: Seems we got it right. The Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 will be out in the Philippines on September 1 and will be priced at P32,990 for the Wi-Fi + 3G (HSPA+) model.

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LG Optimus 4X HD arriving later this month

The LG Optimus 4X HD is finally set to debut in the Philippines this month.

Announced back in February at MWC, the LG Optimus 4X HD features NVidia's Tegra 3 quad-core processor which is clocked at 1.5 GHz, a 4.7-inch True HD IPS display, an 8 Megapixels auto-focus camera with a 1.3 Megapixel one on the front, and a large 2,150 mAh battery with their proprietary SiO+ technology. LG will also add an Eco Mode application thru a software update in the future which users can use to manually disable each individual core of their phone for a better control of the phone’s battery life.

It is loaded with LG’s Optimus UI 3.0 which includes QuickMemo. It allows the user to instantly doodle notes on the screen without having to leave the app they are using. LG also added the Time Catch Shot feature on the camera app, which works by letting you select the best shot among the images taken before you press the shutter key.

LG Optimus 4X HD P880 Features and Specifications
4.7” True HD IPS Display @ 313 ppi
1.5GHz NVidia Tegra 3 Quad Core
2,150 mAh SiO+ Battery
Quick Memo
Media Plex
1 GB of  RAM
16 GB internal memory, microSD up to 64 GB
8 Megapixels auto-focus camera with LED flash, 1.3 Megapixel front-facing
Bluetooth 4.0 HS+
USB 2.0 HS
HDMI (MHL – Mobile High Definition Link)
A-GPS
NFC
Wi-Fi
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS

The LG Optimus 4X HD will land on the 3rd week of July and will sell for P27,990.

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Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 7.0 now available, price starts at just P12,990

Heads up Samsung fans! If you are currently looking for an affordable tablet and can’t wait no more for Google’s Nexus 7 to land here, then look no other than Samsung’s GALAXY Tab 2 7.0!

The Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 7.0 has a 7-inch WSVGA (1024x600) screen, a 1 GHz dual-core processor which may seem outdated compared to this year’s tablet standards. It runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich but it will be probably (or should be – no info has been announced yet) updated to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in the future. As with the other GALAXY Tab 2’s, this is equipped with a 3 Megapixels main shooter and a VGA one on the front.

The Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 7.0 is now available in the Philippines for only P12,990.

Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 7.0 Specifications and Features
7-inch PLS TFT screen with 1024x600 (WSVGA) resolution @ 170ppi
1 GHz dual-core processor
1 GB of RAM
8 / 16 / 32 GB of storage, microSD card support for up to 32 GB
3 Megapixels primary camera, VGA front-facing
HSPA+ 850/900/1900/2100 up to 21 Mbps (optional, separate model)
Bluetooth 3.0
USB 2.0 Host
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Wi-Fi Direct
Accelerometer
Digital Compass
Proximity Sensor
A-GPS
Glonass
4,000 mAh of battery capacity
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS

Samsung Philippines also announced the availability of the other GALAXY Tab 2 models – the Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 7.0 3G which retails for P16,990 and the Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 10.1 3G which retails for P22,990. Not bad for the pricing of these tablets eh? Now the waiting game for the Jelly Bean update starts. We’ll keep you posted about that!

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Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Update for Sony Xperia Arc S, Xperia Ray, and Xperia Neo V Now Available in the Philippines

Heads-up Sony Mobile owners in the Philippines! The Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is now available for your devices. My cousin just tipped me that she has just updated her Xperia Arc S to ICS last Tuesday.

I was not able to get more info about the update from her but she said her Arc S got a little bit faster, perhaps due to the more optimized OS.

Some new features and changes with the update:
-Smart lockscreen
-Smart dialer
-New widgets
-Face unlock (front-facing camera required)
-New and improved multitasking UI
-Data usage tracker
-New Performance Assistant app

The update bumps your Xperia's Android version to 4.0.3.

You may not get the update by connecting your phone to your PC and using Sony's PC Companion software for Windows or Bridge for Mac.

Thanks Kate!

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Sony Xperia Arc S, Xperia Ray, and Xperia Neo V Officially Receives Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Update

Sony Mobile just confirmed that the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update is now starting to roll-out to it's 2011 smartphone line - the Sony Xperia Arc S, Xperia Ray, and Xperia Neo V.

The update is now initially available on the European countries of Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, and Norway.

You can check if the update is now available for your Xperia device by looking up for it's Sales Item (SI) number here. You can check your SI number by removing the battery of your device and looking at the label just below the 'Sony Ericsson' text. Alternatively, you can dial *#*#7378423#*#* and tap Service info > Software info and look for the Customization Version.

You can update by using the PC Companion software available for Mac OS and Windows. There will be no OTA update that will be released.

ICS update for other markets will follow in the next 4-6 weeks.

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