Samsung gets serious with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge

I was privileged to have been invited to Samsung’s announcement of their next flagship Galaxy S smartphones – yes, with an ‘s’! – in Manila last Monday (Sunday in Barcelona, Spain). Of course, being the geeky person that I am, I attended the media event (who wouldn’t want to see their new smartphones in person on day one?).

I’m going to skip all the introduction and delve right in to the important stuff.

This year, there are not one, but two flagship Galaxy smartphones announced by Samsung – one being the ordinary Galaxy S6 and the other being the Galaxy S6 Edge. Both models share almost exactly the same specifications and features. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge packs a new metal and glass design combo, which is a radical change from previous flagships from Samsung.

The only difference between the two is that the S6 Edge features a display with a curve on both sides (as opposed to the Note Edge, which only had its curvature on the right). The only other minor difference lies in the battery – the S6 Edge has a 2600mAh battery while the ordinary S6 has a slightly lesser 2550mAh, both are non-removable… but, we’ll talk more about that later.

Both Galaxy S6 models sport a 5.1-inch QHD (2560x1440) screen with a pixel density of 577ppi. That’s 77% more pixels than that of the S5. Ticking inside is a 64-bit Samsung Exynos octa-core processor which Samsung says is 20% faster and 35% more energy-efficient than the Note 4’s processor.

And speaking of power-efficiency, it is said that the Galaxy S6 smartphones has this Quick Charge feature that will give you 4-hours of usage with just a 10-minute charge. That in itself is insane! Now you probably know why Samsung opted to forgo the replaceable battery its users liked in previous Galaxy S smartphones. Oh, and Samsung’s built wireless charging right in. No more need for replacement covers! (But you’d still need a wireless charging plate)

When it comes to camera, the Galaxy S6 smartphones have a 16-megapixel camera while gaining optical image stabilization (OIS), an f1.9 aperture to handle low-light photos and videos better, and tracking auto-focus (AF). Its front-facing camera is a 5-megapixel sensor with the same f1.9 aperture. While I haven’t had the chance to try its camera at the event, I’ve seen some sample shots on the web and those really impress. I cannot wait to try out the camera on the Galaxy S6.

So when can you get your dibs on the new Galaxy S6 smartphones?

Samsung says the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will be available starting on April 10th across 20 countries. Whether or not the Philippines is included on the first wave of launch, we don’t know just yet. The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will both be offered by Smart and Globe.

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Nokia Lumia 530 Dual SIM lands for P4,990

Nokia’s (now Microsoft Mobile) most affordable Windows Phone device to date, the Lumia 530 Dual SIM, has been released in the Philippines. The Lumia 530 features a 4-inch LCD display, 4Gb storage, a 5-megapixel camera, and comes with the latest features of the Windows Phone 8.1 and Lumia Cyan such as the Word Flow keyboard and Action Center.

If you think the internal memory is a little low, fret not. You can insert a microSD card (up to 128Gb) and install apps from the Windows Store right there.

“With high end apps, features and exceptional build quality at an amazing price, the Lumia 530 DS sets the benchmark for affordable smartphones,” said Karel Holub, General Manager, Philippines, Microsoft Mobile Devices Sales. ”The Lumia 530 DS demonstrates our focus on welcoming more people to the Windows Phone ecosystem with amazing devices that light up Microsoft’s digital work and life experiences. By building on the momentum of the successful Lumia 520, the Lumia 530 DS will help us deliver an uncompromised smartphone experience to more customers than ever before.”

The Nokia Lumia 530 Dual SIM will be available in orange, green, grey, and white. It will retail for P4,990.

Nokia Lumia 530 Features and Specifications
4-inch LCD display with FWVGA (854x480) resolution @ 246ppi
1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor
512Mb RAM
4Gb internal storage, up to 128Gb microSD card slot
5-megapixel camera
3G/HSPA+ (21Mbps) - 900/2100MHz
2G - 850/900/1800/1900MHz
Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Dual SIM
1430mAh battery capacity
Windows Phone 8.1 OS with Lumia Cyan update

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Samsung announces the Galaxy Note Edge

Samsung has just revealed the Galaxy Note Edge at the IFA 2014 in Berlin. The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge features a curved edge screen that was demoed by the Korean company in the past.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Features and Specifications
5.6-inch Quad HD (2560x1440) Super AMOLED display
2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor
3GB RAM
32/64GB internal memory
Up to 64GB microSD card slot
16-megapixel main camera with Smart OIS
3.7-megapixel front-facing camera with f1.9 aperture
4G LTE Category 6 connectivity (300/50Mbps)
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
USB 2.0
3000mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0
Android 4.4.4 KitKat

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Samsung’s first metal smartphone is arriving in the Philippines

The first Samsung smartphone to pack a metal body is soon arriving in the Philippines. We recently spotted the Samsung Galaxy Alpha with model number SM-G850F over SamMobile’s firmware listing website.

According to the initial firmware available, it is possible that the Galaxy Alpha will only be available unlocked at retail stores.

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha was announced in August, and is the first Galaxy smartphone to sport a metal body. It features a 4.7-inch HD Super AMOLED display, a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16 or 32GB of internal storage, and a 1860mAh battery. There is no microSD card slot available, unfortunately. It runs the latest Android 4.4.4 KitKat OS.

The Galaxy Alpha supports Category 6 LTE connections, which has a spec of up to 300Mbps. That makes it one of the first LTE-Advanced smartphones to be launched in the Philippines when it hits the shelves.

Source: SamMobile

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iPhone 6 cases are already available in the Philippines

Just one of the many signs that Apple’s next smartphone, the iPhone 6, is already around the corner is this case that’s already available in Manila. The case seems to be for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 model as it’s only a tad bigger than the iPhone 5s.

The case is remarkable slimmer, and bears the same rounded edges found on the iPod touch and iPad. The lock button has been moved to the right side so as to not make it hard for users to reach the button when locking and unlocking the phone. The bottom has lost the symmetrical pair of speaker grilles.

If all of the leaks turn out to be true, then we might see a very slim, and bigger iPhone this September 9.

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Globe is now unlocking out-of-contract iPhones

Good news to owners of Globe-issued iPhones. Globe is now offering official iPhone unlocks for eligible customers. Unlocking an iPhone allows the user to use a SIM card from another network and could be particularly useful if travelling abroad, or if the user decides to give or sell the device.

To be eligible, the device must be out of contract and that you still have an active account with Globe. The account owner where the device was originally tagged must be the one who initiate an unlock request.

Customers who need to unlock their iPhone should get in touch with Globe thru their hotline (730-1000 or 211) or live chat representatives. If eligible, a customer will be given a reference number for the unlock request and will have to wait for 5 days. Samsung devices are also supported.

We were not immediately able to verify if prepaid iPhone and Samsung devices purchased from Globe can be unlocked as well. We’ll post an update if we get more info.

Source: Globe Community Forums

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Samsung Galaxy K Zoom lands for P24,990

It’s not the Galaxy S5 Zoom. It seems as if Samsung doesn’t want to pollute the name of their flagship smartphone. And so they called the successor to the Galaxy S4 Zoom the Galaxy K Zoom.

The Samsung Galaxy K Zoom follows the same principle as its predecessor. It’s a smartphone with a bulging camera sensor at the back, which makes it a viable replacement for point-and-shoots. It sports a 20.7MP BSI CMOS sensor with Xenon flash, optical image stabilization (OIS) and, as you would expect, a 10X optical zoom. The Korean manufacturer has managed to cram all that in a 16.6mm body.

The K Zoom’s camera can now do focus (AF) and exposure (AE) separation, a feature that allows its user to focus and expose an image on different subjects. There’s also a Pro Suggest mode which offers different live ‘films’ which are quite like photo filters.

Some of the features from the Galaxy S5 also made their way to the K Zoom. Among those is the S Health Lite application for fitness and health tracking and the Ultra Power Saving Mode which lets you get the most out of your remaining battery juice.

The Samsung Galaxy K Zoom with LTE capability is already available in the Philippines for P24,990.

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Initial Impressions: Xiaomi Mi 3

Bang for your Buck is an understatement

Xiaomi has finally reached Philippine shores and it’s leading with its best foot forward – the Mi 3 smartphone. The flagship has been welcomed with much gusto – selling a whopping 3,000 units within just two hours during its debut flash sale at Lazada Philippines last 26 June.

After playing around with it for a few days, I got a first-hand take on why it has been selling like pancakes not just in the Philippines, but also in other Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia.
I’ll start off by saying how hard it is to believe that Xiaomi has been able to bring the price of the Mi 3 to a jaw-dropping P10,599 considering its impressive spec sheet on par with today’s popular flagships. And if the flash sales are any indication, its rivals should start paying attention.

The Xiaomi Mi 3 greets you with 5-inch full HD 1080p IPS LCD screen with a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch. The color reproduction is fairly neutral but can be tweaked in the settings menu. However, the phone is on the tall side. The Xiaomi logo is embedded behind the screen on the top left corner.

At a mere 8.1mm, the Mi 3 a fairly thin device as thick as a Samsung Galaxy S5 but not as thin the 7.6 mm iPhone 5s. It’s not feather-light, weighing in at 145g, but the added heft gives it a more premium feel.

Also giving it a premium look is its faux aluminum body which bloggers globally have mistaken to be actual metal. The design is reminiscent of the boxy Nokia Lumia series smartphones. It comes in two colors - metallic grey and black - but the former will be the only variant that will be introduced in the Philippines initially.

On top of the Mi 3 is a SIM tray slot that accommodates old-fashioned standard SIM card, since it comes from China where the form factor is still use. The phone does not come with an adapter out of the box so be sure to have one if you're switching from a micro- or nano-SIM.

The only physical buttons on the device are its volume rocker and the power button on the right hand side of the device in that order. The home, back and menu buttons are all capacitive.

At the bottom is a standard micro-USB port and speaker grills that seem to have been meticulously drilled. The Mi 3 has a matte finish all throughout, making it especially friendly to users with greasy hands.

The back of the phone is fairly plain where you’ll find an f2.2 13-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash. The back cover can’t be removed, making its 3050mAh battery non-user replaceable.  Also absent is a memory slot, leaving user stuck with 16 gigabytes worth of onboard memory. A 64 gig model does exist but has yet to be offered in the country.

Xiaomi Mi 3 Specifications and Features
5-inch full HD 1080p IPS LCD display
2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
Adreno 330 GPU
2GB DDR3 RAM
16GB internal storage
13MP f/2.2 main camera; 2MP front facing camera
3050mAh battery
WiFi
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
DC-HSPA+ up to 42Mbps

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Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM goes on sale

Android-powered Nokia XL now also available at retail stores.

Microsoft Mobile’s (formerly Nokia) first Windows Phone 8.1-powered smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM, is now finally on sale in the Philippines. It was officially launched in the country a couple weeks ago. Featuring a dual SIM capability, a first in a Windows Phone handset, the Lumia 630 caters to people who need to maintain to phone lines for different reasons. Such feature was only found in Nokia’s feature phones before, and it’s good to at last see it on Microsoft’s platform.

Aside from being dual SIM-friendly, the Lumia 630 also sports a 4.5-inch FWVGA (854x480) display with on-screen navigation keys, another first for both the platform and phone maker. Under the hood, there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of storage which you can expand by another 128GB with a microSD, a 1800mAh battery, and 3G support for both SIM cards. There’s a 5-megapixel shooter at the back, while there’s nothing at the front.

The Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM will come in green, orange, yellow, white, or black and will retail for P7,990.

The Android-running Nokia XL has just been also made available today. It features a large 5-inch display albeit with a low WVGA (800x480) resolution, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core CPU, 768MB of RAM, 4GB of storage which is expandable with another 32GB thru microSD, a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and 2000mAh battery. It retails for P8,990.

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Samsung Galaxy S5 arriving on April 11 for P34,990; also coming to Smart and Globe

If there’s one smartphone manufacturer who’s a master in releasing flagship devices globally in one fell swoop, it would be Samsung. Almost every year since the Galaxy S3, the Korean company has been announcing and shipping their flagship smartphone in span of weeks across many countries all at the same time. The Galaxy S5 is no exception.

Come April 11, the Samsung Galaxy S5 will be released and made available at retail stores in the Philippines for P34,990. In addition to being available unlocked, the Galaxy S5 will be offered by carriers Smart and Globe on their postpaid plans.

Smart is offering the Galaxy S5 at Plan 999 with P800 monthly payment for a total of P1,799 a month for 24 months. That comes with unlimited LTE data, 9 minutes, and 99 texts to all networks. You can also get it at Unlimited Data Plan 2000 for free on a 30-month contract, which includes 150 minutes and 200 texts to all networks.

The Galaxy S5 is also available on Globe for P1,699 a month at Plan 999 with P600 monthly payment and comes with 5GB of LTE data, 5 minutes, and 100 texts to all networks. It’s also offered for P1,799 a month at Plan 1299 with P500 month payment which comes with 25 minutes, 500 texts to all networks, and the same amount of LTE data.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 sports a couple of new features that you may like. Among those is the upgraded 16-megapixel camera which can now focus at a subject in just 0.3 seconds. It now also has an advanced HDR that makes photos under conditions with intense lighting more natural, such as when you’re taking a photo of the horizon with the sky. It now also does ‘bokeh’ shots with the Selective Focus feature.

Another interesting and useful (hopefully) thing on the Galaxy S5 is the Download Booster. What it does is it combines your Wi-Fi and LTE connection, if present, so you can get faster download speeds on your phone. Of course, this would depend on how fast your carrier’s LTE network and the active Wi-Fi network is.

The Galaxy S5 comes with a built-in heart rate sensor, located below the main camera. This would be helpful if you want to quickly check your heart rate (in bpm) say after a quick run. You can access it within the improved S Health application, which can now track your steps taken with a pedometer.

Samsung also made the Galaxy S5 more life-proof. It now carries an IP67-certification, which means it can resist water and dust under certain conditions. Yes, it also means the microUSB port is covered. And perhaps the most interesting feature of the Galaxy S5 is the Ultra Power Saving Mode. With that turned on, the phone can last up to 12.5 days. That’s quite a feat considering we’re talking about a smartphone. How can they do that? It turns off most of the unnecessary features and makes the display black-and-white only to conserve power. Also, as long as the Ultra Power Save Mode is active, you will be limited to some stock apps only such as phone, messaging, browser, calculator, etc.

 

Samsung Galaxy S5 Specifications and Features
5.1-inch full HD (1920x1080) Super AMOLED display @ 432ppi
2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor
2GB RAM
16/32GB internal storage with microSD card slot up to 128GB
16-megapixel main camera, 2-megapixel front camera
IP67 water and dust resistant
LTE Category 4
Bluetooth 4 LE
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO
USB 3
NFC
Infrared remote
Fingerprint Sensor
Heart rate sensor
2800mAh battery
Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS

So, that’s the Samsung Galaxy S5 ladies and gents. Again, it will be released in the Philippines on April 11 for P34,990. As of now, only the black and white colors will be available at launch.

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Nokia X meets Pinoys at X Races

Thousands of excited Nokia fans together with intrigued mobile phone users took the fastlane to Android apps as they joined “Nokia X Races”, the public launch of the new Nokia X, last March 29 at the SM By the Bay. Attendees both young and old experienced the power of Nokia X, and saw how the best of Nokia, Microsoft, and Android came together in the awesome device. They also got their hearts racing with eXhilaratingly fun activities, special offers and freebies, and a show hosted by Nikki Gil and John Prats that included rocking performances by guest performers including Rocksteddy.
 
“Nokia X Races” was a festival of eXceptional and eXciting activities that highlighted the many facets of the new Nokia X. Throughout the day, guests enjoyed the experiential Nokia X demo area; games such as Speed Stack, Giant XOX, and The X Illusion; and food kiosks - all while hanging out with some guest celebrities. To axcelerate their Nokia X adventure, guests also participated in activities, such as Rock Wall Climbing, Inflatable Obstacle Course, and the crowd favorite, Kart Racing.
 
Nokia kept their fans’ hearts pumping by holding various contests like the most creative “X-ed” face selfie, offering special deals when you purchase a Nokia X, and giving away eXciting prizes).

Karel Holub, general manager of Nokia Philippines says, “We are very happy with the turnout of the people here at “Nokia X Races” as we launch to the general public our affordable smartphone that provides the great Nokia and Microsoft experiences while running your favorite Android apps.” After pieces of news came out about the phone reportedly being sold out in China, Karel adds “we are truly happy about the reception and interest that we are getting. Since the Philippines is one of the first countries to launch it, we at Nokia are very eXcited for all the Pinoys who can easily get the Nokia X experience at a very affordable price.”
 
Nokia X is the perfect introduction to the world of Android apps, coupled with signature Nokia experiences, and the most popular Microsoft services. It features Nokia’s renowned quality and design, with a fresh, tile-based user interface inspired by its Lumia family. It comes with Fastlane, a screen that lets people switch between their favorite apps more smoothly. People can access curated, over 200 thousand, quality-tested apps from Nokia Store, more than a dozen third-party app stores and by sideloading.
 
Nokia X is now available in bright green, bright red, black, and white for SRP of Php 5,990.

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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.

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LG’s Nexus 5 exclusively arrives on Smart

Google’s latest pure-, well, Google device, the Nexus 5 by LG, has arrived in the Philippines. The Android KitKat-packing smartphone is exclusively available on Smart. You can get the Nexus 5 without any upfront cash-out starting at Unlimited Data Plan 1500 on a 30-month contract. It includes unlimited LTE data, 120 SMS, and 60 minutes of calls to all networks. If you feel that a 30-month tie up is too long, you can opt to pay P6,000 and settle for the normal 24-month contract.

The Nexus 5 is also available on All-In Plan 1800 with no cash-out on 30-months, or for P3,500 on 24-month contract. Those who prefer to go the no-strings-attached way can get it for P22,500 on prepaid.

The Google Nexus 5 features a 5-inch full HD 1080p display, a 2.26GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 4G LTE, and an 8-megapixel camera with OIS. It is the first smartphone to run on Android 4.4 KitKat out-of-the-box.

Source: Smart

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Nokia Asha 502 now available in stores for P4,800

Nokia recently announced that the Asha 502 Dual SIM is now available at retail stores in the Philippines for P4,800. The Asha 502, a new addition to the Finnish company’s low-end smartphone line, features a clever new design called dual-shot. The phone itself is made of brightly colored body enclosed in a clear transparent shell, which makes it look as if the phone is wrapped in ice. It is a nice touch and makes the phone look more appealing to the eyes.

The Nokia Asha 502 is one of the first Asha devices (along with the Asha 503) to pack a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash. It comes with built-in photo filters and editing capability so you can further enhance your photos according to your liking. It is also Easy Swap dual SIM capable, as with most Asha devices, and even lets you switch SIM cards when the phone is turned on.

Nokia Asha 502 Specifications and Features
3-inch display with QVGA resolution
5-megapixel camera with LED flash
GSM 900/1800 MHz
Bluetooth 3.0
Dual SIM
1010mAh battery
4GB microSD memory, expandable up to 32GB

The Nokia Asha 502 comes in black, white, yellow, green, cyan, and red and retails for P4,800. It comes with a 4GB microSD card out-of-the-box, though it can take cards of up to 32GB in capacity.

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Instagram app for Windows Phone now available

The highly anticipated release of Instagram — an image-sharing app — for Windows Phone devices has finally come. Earlier today, Instagram announced that the app is now available in the Windows Phone Store for all devices running, well, Windows Phone 8.

The app, which users on iOS and Android has embraced for years, packs most of the features in the initial release. All the original Instagram filters such as XPro-II, Rise, Amaro, and more  are included, as well as the ability to add blur effects on your photos. It supports taking and uploading photos using the front and back camera (though not in a straightforward way) and sharing it to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, and Foursquare. Shooting and uploading videos, however, is currently not supported at this release.

Aside from that limitation, this is pretty much what you’ll expect from an official app. Instagram says that they are not yet done in developing the app, so expect more features to be added in future updates. We’re happy that Windows Phone users now get to join the other 150 million Instagram users.

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Gionee's Elife E6 eyes businessmen

Gionee Communication Equipment Co. Ltd., one of China’s leading mobile  phone manufacturers, is eyeing businessmen as its niche market for its new smartphone model. Gionee Philippines mobile head Katrin Salanga-Gregorio said at the launch of its new smartphone model Gionee ELIFE E6 that businessmen will find the new phone suited for their needs. “Businessmen who are on the lookout for a smart phone and who need to be mobile will find Gionee’s ELIFE E6 a great and reliable companion,” Salanga-Gregorio said.

She said that ELIFE E6 is packed with superior features that businessmen will find useful. For one, ELIFE E6 is equipped with NQ Mobile Security and Anti-Virus.  Businessmen who are into mobile banking will no longer have to worry about the security of their information and data.

The NQ Mobile Security and Anti-Virus also gives users peace of mind whenever they surf the Internet.  Its Internet Protection protects the email, social media and other web accounts of users. The Internet Protection feature also protects the smart phone from malicious websites. The NQ Mobile Security and Anti-Virus also gives users a chance to recover their smart phone should it get stolen.  It has the anti-theft feature which will alert friends of a user that another individual used the phone.

Because of the size of its screen, entrepreneurs who need to read files or work on a proposal would find it easier to do so on the ELIFE E6.  Users no longer have to squint or zoom their screen often just to read their files, said Salanga-Gregorio.

“Businessmen on the go will delight in the ELIFE E6’s Smart Gesture features.  With their  phone, users can simply pick up the phone to their ear to answer a call automatically.  Users may also answer or refuse the call by moving their hand up or down the sensor,” she said.

Texting is also a breeze via the ELIFE E6’s Smart Gesture features.  A user can just slide their hands over the letters of the word they want to input on their SMS. They no longer have to tap incessantly on the screen just to compose a text message.

An innovation by Gionee, the ELIFE E6 has become the company’s flagship smartphone model. According to Salanga-Gregorio, ELIFE E6 and other Gionee mobile phone products are increasingly becoming popular in the country.

Gionee Communication Equipment Co. Ltd. was established in 2002 engaged in mobile device design, R&D, manufacturing, sales and mobile internet application services. Gionee sells over 23 million handsets annually in China mainland alone. It ranked number 3 in the 2G market in November 2011 and No. 2 in the GSM market in August 2012.

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Unlocked iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c now available in the Philippines

Beyond the Box, an Apple Premium Reseller, announced that they will be selling unlocked iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c units starting today, November 15. Previously, iPhones were originally always sold with a carrier contract — typically 2 years — or on prepaid, and thus comes with a network lock. It was the case with all generations of iPhone up to the 5, but not anymore after Apple started to offer unlocked units in April.

The iPhone 5c retails for P29,000 for the 16GB model and P34,200 for 32GB. The iPhone 5s, meanwhile, has a price tag of P34,400 for 16GB, P39,600 for 32GB, and P44,800 for the 64GB model. Unlocked models, of course, comes without contract and network lock, so you’re free to use it on any network in the Philippines or other countries. You’ll also find accessories for the iPhone 5c and 5s such as the official Apple cases in their stores.

Beyond the Box has locations in Eton Centris Walk, Lucky Chinatown, One Rockwell, Resorts World Manila, Robinson’s Ermita, and Robinson’s Galleria.

Oh, and don’t you ever say that the pricing (it is Apple that set these) are way higher than the grey market, because those units don’t come with local warranty. If your device screws up, you’re basically on your own.

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Globe wants to give you an iPhone every year on its iPhone Forever Plans

Globe Telecom today announced their new iPhone Forever Plans. The new plans allows you to sign up (or renew) a 2-year contract and get an iPhone every year for without paying anything (aside from the monthly plan, that is).

So how does the Globe iPhone Forever Plans work? Let’s say you want to get an iPhone 5s. The lowest plan for the 5s costs P1,599 a month and includes 1GB of LTE data and P601 of consumable amount, which I assume you can use to avail of combos like texts and calls. Now, on the 13th month of your contract, you can get a new iPhone (assuming that the next one is out) without paying anything and without extending your contract — as long as you trade in your old 5s that you got when you signed up. Once your 2-year contract is up, you can renew again and get another iPhone by doing the same process.

Below is the table of the iPhone Forever Plans on Globe.

iPhone Forever Plan	Plan 1599	Plan 1999	Plan 2999	Plan 5599	Plan 6999
Device	iPhone 5c (16GB)	iPhone 5s (16GB)	iPhone 5s (16GB)	iPhone 5c / iPhone 5s (32GB)	iPhone 5s (64GB)
Contract Period	2-year	2-year	2-year	2-year	2-year
Inclusions	•P601 consumable •1GB LTE data	•P601 consumable •1GB LTE data	•P101 consumable •Unlimited LTE data •Unlimited calls and SMS to Globe	- - •Unlimited LTE data •Unlimited calls and SMS to all networks •Platinum Blue	- - •Unlimited LTE data •Unlimited calls and SMS to all networks •Platinum Blue •P1,000 consumable for roaming services

Those who will sign up for Plans 5599 and Plan 6999 will get a Platinum Blue membership with perks like dedicated hotline, priority handling at Globe Business Centers, and discounts and other privileges at partner merchants and establishments.

Want to sign up already? Here’s the table of the eligible devices that you can trade in.

Device to be traded in	Upfront Payment
Tier 1: iPhone 4S, iPhone 5	-
Tier 2: iPhone 4, Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, BlackBerry Q10, HTC One	P4,999
Tier 3: iPhone 3GS, Samsung Galaxy S3, BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Curve/Bold/Torch, Samsung Galaxy S3 mini, Nokia Lumia	P9,999
Tier 4: All other devices	P11,999
No device	P12,999

All said, the iPhone Forever Plans is only suited for those who want to get a new phone every year without breaking or renewing their contract. It would have been better though if Globe has an option wherein you can keep your current phone at a fee.

For those that prefers the normal plans, the iPhone 5c is available at Plan 999 with P800 monthly cashout while the iPhone 5s starts at P1,799 with P400 monthly cashout. Both plans come with unlimited LTE data and consumables that you can use towards combos and boosters.

The iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s will be available starting November 15.

Those who want to apply may visit Globe’s website.

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Online retailer DBGadgets selling the Nexus 5 for P24,600

The Nexus 5 is expected to be unveiled just a few hours from now, but that hasn’t stopped online retailer DBGadgets from selling it early. In a post on the retailer’s Facebook page, they have confirmed that the 16GB model of the Nexus 5 is arriving on November 5 and will be selling it for P24,600 ($569). This is very surprising since the new smartphone wasn’t unveiled officially by Google or LG yet, and even more so because the Philippines doesn’t have devices on Google Play Store.

It should be noted that the units they are selling are most probably sourced from other countries — Hong Kong perhaps — and does not come with any local warranty from LG or Google.

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Globe prepares for the November 15 iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c launch (update)

UPDATE: The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c is going to be available on Globe starting on November 15.

As the midnight unfolded, Globe has silently published its registration pages for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on its website as it gears for the launch of the new smartphones from Apple.

The iPhone 5s features the new A7 64-bit chip, an improved 8-megapixel iSight camera with True Tone flash, and a fingerprint scanner for Touch ID, which lets you securely unlock your phone using your finger. The iPhone 5c, meanwhile, sports a colorful plastic design, the A6 chip, and an 8-megapixel camera. Both iPhones are still carrying a 4-inch Retina display and supports LTE networks.

The iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S launched in December 2012 and 2011, respectively. This development makes it the fastest iPhone launch to ever happen in the country. Interested parties can go to Globe’s website to register. No plans and pricing details have been announce as of yet.

Source: Globe

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