The first Android phone by Nokia, the Nokia X, goes on sale in the Philippines

Fifteen days. That’s the number of days Nokia took to bring their first ever Android smartphone in the Philippines from the global announcement. You read that right, the Nokia X is now available in the country!

You may be wondering, what’s Nokia X? It is technically the first smartphone by the Finnish company to run on Android — Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean to be exact. It has a heavily customized skin which is a mix of the tiles from their Lumia line of Windows Phone handsets as well as the fast lane taken from their Asha devices. On some places it even looks like the N9.

The Nokia X comes with their suite of HERE mapping applications such as HERE Drive which offers turn-by-turn navigations with voice guidance in English and Tagalog (among others), some Microsoft services like Outlook, OneDrive (previously SkyDrive), and Skype.

As you may have already guessed, the Nokia X doesn’t come with any Google services or applications. So you wouldn’t be able to download apps from the Play Store out-of-the-box. I say out-of-the-box because you can put Google apps on the Nokia X if you want to (may void warranty, do at your own risk).

Specs? It has a 4-inch WVGA (800x480) LCD screen, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage which you can expand by using a microSD card up to 32GB, a 3-megapixel camera, a 1500mAh battery, and your usual connectivity options such as 3G and Wi-Fi. The Nokia X is a dual-SIM phone, so you can use your Globe and Smart SIM cards at the same time.

The Nokia X is already available for a couple of days already and it retails for P5,990. The price is not that bad considering you know you’d get a smartphone from a brand known for providing excellent build quality and support. It is available in green, red, black, and white.

I’ll be coming up with a review of the Nokia X next week.

Disclosure: Nokia gave us a unit of Nokia X.

Read More

Android 4.2.2 with Sense 5 arrives on the HTC One X+

HTC has a good news to share for HTC One X+ owners! The Taiwanese phone manufacturer just announced that the roll-out of the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Sense 5 is now starting in Taiwan.

Firmware version 2.17.709.2 brings BlinkFeed, lock screen widgets, AF and AE lock on the camera, and quick settings on the notification panel among other new features.

The update is now rolling out starting today, August 8. You can install the update by going to Settings > About > Software updates.

Full changelog for HTC One X+ Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Update (2.17.709.2)
System improvements
HTC Sense 5 and Android 4.2.2 upgrade
New HTC BlinkFeed Home
New lock screen style: electronic gadgets
Power improvements
Added display the battery meter in the status bar options
New sleep mode switch
Notifications panel improvements
Quick Settings panel: use two-finger gestures with 12 sliding open the Notifications panel fast setting
Photo Gallery / Camera improvements
AE / AF lock: Long tap the screen shot on the screen to start the exposure / focus lock function
Video Highlights living micro film: With 12 kinds of styles of music theme, automatically edited into a stunning 30 seconds video
Music improvements
Music Channel: You can view the lyrics and music visualization screen * (* support content based on actual lyrics database shall prevail)
HTC Sense Input
Support more Chinese words

Source: HTC

Read More

How to switch to stock Android app switcher on HTC Sense 5

If you are using an HTC device on Sense 5, chances are you’ve already noticed that the stock HTC app switcher has a 9 apps limit. It’s not that of a big deal, but if you’re a power user, you’re most probably bothered by this.

It turns out that it only takes changing two lines of code in a file on the system folder to use the stock Android app switcher instead, which is much much better. So here’s what I did:

Open the default.xml file on system/customize/ACC directory and find these two lines using a text editor:

<item type="boolean" name="isHtcStyleRecentApp">true</item>
<item type="boolean" name="support_HtcStyleRecentApp">true</item>

Now you just need to change the true value to false. Save and reboot. Enjoy your stock Android app switcher!

Read More

Confirmed: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 to get Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update instead of 4.2.2

Australian carrier Telstra has just confirmed that Samsung has decided to cancel the Android 4.2.2 update for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and go for a “newer version of Android” instead.

While no specific version has been revealed, the Galaxy Note 2 could instead get the upcoming Android 4.3 update, which is expected to be announced next week by Google. This possibility is not too far-fetched considering that there was already a leaked 4.3 ROM for the Galaxy S4, which implies that Samsung could already have an early copy of the 4.3 source from Google.

The carrier did not give any availability date though it could arrive on the end of July or on August.

Source: Telstra
Via: SamMobile

Read More

HTC Butterfly S officially announced: 5-inch 1080p, 3200mAh battery, no LTE

HTC has just announced the HTC Butterfly S, a refreshed version of the last year’s model.

Design-wise, the Butterfly S looks almost identical as the previous-generation Butterfly, sans for the additional loudspeaker on the front. It packs a 5-inch 1080p Super LCD 3 screen, a 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor (the HTC One has the same chip clocked at 1.7GHz), 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage with microSD support, the same UltraPixel camera, IR blaster, and a ginormous 3200mAh battery. Unlike the HTC One, it does not come with LTE connectivity. It runs on Android Jelly Bean with the HTC Sense 5 coating on top.

HTC Butterfly S Specifications and Features
5-inch 1080p Super Clear LCD 3 display at 440ppi
4 UltraPixel camera with f/2.0 lens
1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor
2GB RAM
16GB storage, with microSD card slot up to 64GB
3,200mAh battery
3G / HSPA+ - 850/900/1900/2100MHz
HTC Zoe
IR Blaster with Sense TV
Android Jelly Bean OS

HTC says the Butterfly S will be available in select markets in Asia starting in July. The company is not yet sure if the device will reach Europe, Middle East, Africa, and other markets but they have confirmed that it will not be coming to North America as no carriers has decided to carry it — not surprising since it doesn’t have LTE. It will be available in red, white, black, and grey flavors.

Read More

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

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.

Read More

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

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.

Read More

ASUS launches the 7-inch Fonepad tablet in the Philippines

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

Google announces the Samsung Galaxy S4 with stock Android

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.

Read More

HTC Butterfly Sense 5 and Android 4.2.2 OTA update leaks out

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.

Read More

Samsung Galaxy S 4 arriving on Globe for free at Plan 1,799

Globe has just posted on its website the plans and pricing details for the highly-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S 4.

Apparently, the Samsung Galaxy S 4 will be available for free at Plan 1,799 for 30 months or for P4,800 for the normal 24-month contract and will come with unlimited LTE if you opt for the unlimited data plan. Aside from that, the device will be also offered in other plans too, ranging from Plan 299 all the way up to Plan 10,000 in 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30-month contracts. This is the first time we’ve seen Globe offering phones and allowing customers to choose from five contract periods.

The Galaxy S 4 will also come in retention plans as well as prepaid and will be priced at P30,990. The Galaxy S 4 variant that will be coming to Globe seems to be the quad-core Snapdragon 600 16GB model with LTE.

On the other hand, Samsung has announced that there will be a consumer launch happening on May 5, and a release on Globe coinciding that date doesn’t seem to be too far-fetched.

You can refer to the full plan and pricing matrix for the Samsung Galaxy S 4 on Globe below. You can order it now at their website.

Read More

Sony announces the Xperia SP, comes with HD screen, LTE, and Jelly Bean

A few days ago, Sony Mobile announced the Sony Xperia SP, which seems to be an upper mid-range smartphone with a not-so-high price point.

Design-wise, the Sony Xperia SP has quite the same premium looks as its bigger brothers, the Xperia Z and ZL. It’s made of precision-crafted aluminum, and boasts of the translucent bar (first seen on the Xperia S) at the bottom which can emit different colors for different notifications.

The Xperia SP sports a 4.6-inch LCD display with HD 720p resolution, a 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8 Megapixels camera with Sony’s Exmor RS sensor, 8GB of storage, and packs LTE connectivity. It will run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Sony Xperia SP Specifications and Features
4.6-inch HD TFT LCD display with 1280x720 resolution at 319 ppi
1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro dual-core processor
Adreno 320 GPU
1GB RAM
8 Megapixels Exmor RS autofocus camera with LED flash
VGA front-facing camera
Full 1080p HD video capture at 30fps
8GB mass memory, expandable by 32GB using microSD card slot
GSM / HSPA+ / LTE
Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
NFC
Gyroscope
Compass
Accelerometer
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS

The Sony Xperia SP will hit global markets this coming Q2 and will have a price of around 399 Euro or more or less P21,000.

Read More

Cherry Mobile lets out the Omega HD 5-inch smartphone for P7,999

Cherry Mobile has just launched their newest and greatest smartphone yet, the Cherry Mobile Omega HD.

The Cherry Mobile Omega HD, as you may have already guess by its name, packs a 720p HD IPS screen spread on a 5-inch Dragontrail glass panel. It runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor backed by 1GB of RAM. A 4GB internal memory comes with it, which can be expanded by 32GB using microSD.

Furthermore, the Omega HD boasts of a 12 Megapixels camera with LED flash and backside-illuminated sensor, which should help in poor light conditions. On the other side, there’s a 2 Megapixels front-facing camera. Connectivity-wise, it has the usual stuffs — dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, 3G, and Bluetooth. A 2,100mAh battery should help you last a day with the phone, hopefully.

Cherry Mobile Omega HD Specifications and Features
5-inch IPS screen with 1280x720 HD resolution, Dragontail Glass
1GHz dual-core processor
1GB RAM
4GB internal storage, up to 32GB microSD card slot
12 Megapixels camera with LED flash
2 Megapixels front-facing camera
2,100mAh battery
Dual-SIM
Wi-Fi b/g/n
Bluetooth
GPS
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS

The Cherry Mobile Omega HD is priced at P7,999 and will be available in April.

Read More

Samsung officially announces the Galaxy S4

Earlier this morning, Samsung has finally taken the wraps off its latest flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S 4. As what we’ve already seen on the leaked photos, the Galaxy S 4 is pretty much the same as the Galaxy S III when it comes to design standpoint. There’s the familiar curvy corners and the textured coating.

Read More

The ASUS Transformer AiO is a Windows 8 and Android Jelly Bean tablet and desktop in one

Color me surprised, but ASUS recently pulled the curtains and revealed their newest product, the ASUS Transformer AiO.

The ASUS Transformer AiO is essentially a Windows 8 desktop and an Android Jelly Bean tablet in one with a humongous 18.4-inch display that is detachable. You read that right, a Windows 8 and Android combo machine. They managed to build this thing by putting the desktop components in a stand which serves as a dock for the display.

The stand houses the hardware for the desktop such as the 3rd-generation Intel Core i3 processor, a 4GB RAM, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M graphics, and the 1TB hard drive. The huge removable display on the other hand has the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a separate 32GB storage that you can use on it’s own.

ASUS says you can use Android even when the display is docked at a flip of a switch so you can use the supplied keyboard. Likewise, you can access the tablet-slash-display’s files when you’re on Windows 8. There’s an app for if you’re feeling lazy and want to rest back on the sofa and want to use Windows.

This is like inception.

ASUS Transformer AiO Specifications and Features
PC Dock
3rd-generation Intel Core i3-3220 processor (3.30GHz)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M
4GB DDR3 memory
1TB SATA hard drive
Super MultiDVD
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n dual-band
Gigabit Ethernet
4 USB 3.0 and 1 USB 2.0 slots
3-in-1 memory card slot
Bluetooth 4.0
Windows 8 OS
Tablet
18.4-inch IPS LED display with 1920x1080 resolution
NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor
2GB RAM
32GB internal storage
1 Megapixel front-facing camera
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n dual-band
miniUSB 2.0
microSD card slot
Bluetooth 3.0
38W Li-Ion battery

The ASUS Transformer AiO will be available by the end of March with an SRP of P59,995.

Read More

Review: HTC Butterfly

HTC’s last hooray in 2012, the HTC Butterfly, gives us a peek of what’s to come this 2013 — flagship phones with big screens with pixel-packed 1080p full HD resolution. I was a little bit skeptical at first, do we really need 1080p smartphones? Join me as I find out in this review.

Read More

ASUS announces the 7-inch Fonepad tablet with 3G and call features

If the Nexus 7 doesn’t fancy you, then here’s another 7-inch Android Jelly Bean tablet from ASUS. Announced yesterday at the MWC, the ASUS Fonepad offers more features at around the same price point.

The ASUS Fonepad builds on the foundation as well as addresses the shortcomings of the Nexus 7. It’s a tablet with the same 7-inch display with a 1280x800 HD resolution. It does seem though that ASUS took out Gorilla Glass on the Fonepad.

Nevertheless, they added one major feature some Nexus 7 users are looking for — a camera. That’s right, the Fonepad has a 3 Megapixels main camera, and not only that, it’s an autofocus one, something not common on tablets with a low price.

Instead of going the plastic for the body, ASUS gave the Fonepad an aluminum affair. That gives it an edge over the Nexus 7 in the build quality department. The distinction between the two continues with the internals, as it uses Intel’s Atom Z2420 processor clocked at 1.2GHz, partnered by PowerVR SGX540 GPU and 1GB of RAM.

The Fonepad will come in 8GB and 16GB variants unlike the Nexus 7, though the former will have the inclusion of a microSD card slot should users need more space. And last but not the least, the Fonepad comes with 3G by default and ASUS was kind enough to enable the call function and include an earpiece on the tablet. Hey, that’s why it’s named Fonepad after all.

 

ASUS Fonepad Specifications and Features
Display: 7-inch IPS LED-backlit display with 1280x800 resolution at 217ppi
Processor: 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor
PowerVR SGX540 GPU
Memory & 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 battery capacity
Size & Weight: 196.4 x 120.1 x 10.4mm, 340g
Operating System: Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS

The ASUS Fonepad will come around this March and will have a price tag of $249 or around P10,200 for the 8GB model. That sounds quite good overall, isn’t it?

Read More

Samsung outs the GALAXY Note 8.0

Samsung did not wait for MWC to officially start and announced their new tablet, the GALAXY Note 8.0.

The Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0 is pretty much the same as the GALAXY Note 10.1, except that the Note 8.0 has a smaller, well, 8-inch screen with the same 1280x800 resolution. It comes with a 1.6GHz Exynos 4412 quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. There’s a 5 Megapixels autofocus camera sans the LED flash, as well as a 1.3 Megapixel front facing one.

The GALAXY Note 8.0 includes all the software stuff Samsung has developed and launched on their other devices as well, like the Multi-window, Air View, Pop-Up Note, and all other S Pen optimized features. It runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, though Samsung opted for the phone-like the user interface like the one found on Nexus 7.

Finally, you can also make calls with the Note 8.0. You see the earpiece above the screen? Yes?

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Specifications and Features
8-inch LCD screen display with WXGA (1280x800) screen resolution at 189ppi, Digitizer
5 Megapixels main autofocus camera
1.3 Megapixel front-facing camera
16/32 GB internal memory
2 GB of RAM
4,600mAh of battery capacity
GSM / HSPA+
1.6 GHz quad-core Exynos 4412 processor
Digital Compass
Accelerometer
Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 and 5 GHz
Wi-Fi Direct
Infrared
S-pen
Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS

Samsung says the GALAXY Note 8.0 will launch globally in Q2. No pricing has been mentioned although I suspect it will sell at around P22,990 to compete with the iPad mini.

  

Photo Credit: Samsung

Read More

LG announces new LTE phones, the Optimus F5 and Optimus F7

Four days before the Mobile World Congress (MWC), LG has formally announced their latest F Series smartphones, the LG Optimus F5 and Optimus F7. The two new devices from LG aims to bring 4G LTE to a mass audience.

The Optimus F5 seems like an upper mid-range smartphone with a very decent hardware. It sports a 4.3-inch IPS display with qHD (960x640)  resolution. A 1.2GHz dual-core processor accompanied by a 1GB of RAM runs under the hood. There’s a 5 Megapixels camera on the back for your picture-taking needs. To top it off, there’s a capacious 2,150mAh battery.

Moreover, the Optimus F7, it’s high-end sibling, comes with a 4.7-inch IPS display with HD resolution, a slightly faster 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, an 8 Megapixels camera, and a larger 2,540mAh battery. Both Optimus F5 and Optimus F7 come with 8GB of storage. They also run on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and supports 4G LTE.

LG Optimus F5 Specifications and Features
4.3-inch IPS display with qHD (960x540) resolution at 256ppi
1.2GHz dual-core processor
1GB of RAM
8GB internal storage, expandable using microSD up to 32GB
5 Megapixels auto-focus camera with LED flash
1.3 Megapixels front-facing camera
2,150mAh battery capacity
LTE
Size: 126.0 x 64.5 x 9.3mm
Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS

LG Optimus F7 Specifications and Features
4.7-inch IPS display with HD (1280x720) resolution at 312ppi
1.5GHz dual-core processor
2GB of RAM
8GB internal storage, expandable using microSD up to 32GB
8 Megapixels auto-focus camera with LED flash
1.3 Megapixels front-facing camera
2,540mAh battery capacity
LTE
Size: 131.7 x 68.2 x 9.6mm
Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS

LG will be presenting the Optimus F5 and Optimus F7 at the Mobile World Congress. It is expected to launch in Europe in the second-quarter of 2013 with the other markets to follow afterwards.

Read More