Apple also unveiled the iPod touch 5th generation, pre-order now

Just in case you didn’t know, Apple also updated their iPod lineup, and the iPod touch 5th generation is part of that.

The iPod touch is probably the product who received the biggest upgrades among all that Apple announced last September 12. It got a new, bigger (taller) 4-inch screen which has the same 1136x640 resolution. The display is now an IPS one, and Apple also added the oleophobic coating the iPhone has always enjoyed. It got a new body as well, this time even thinner than its predecessor.just 6.1mm thin. The tapered edges are gone, it now have a more flat and blocky looks. And finally, the chrome back is goooone! It is now replaced by an anodized aluminum case. No more million-scratches-after-one-week-of-use rants!

The iPod touch 5th generation is now powered by the A5 chip, the same one as on the iPhone 4S. For connectivity, Apple added Bluetooth 4.0 and updated the Wi-Fi chip, which now supports 802.11 a/b/g/n – 2.4GHz and 5GHz which will work with the new dual-band routers. As expected, it also uses the new Lightning™ connector. Every new iPod touch now also comes with the loop – which is, well, a loop, or a lanyard in other terms. It attaches to the small silver circle that you see at the lower left corner of the iPod touch’s back side. Just press that thing and it will pop-out, letting you attach the loop. It now also supports AirPlay Mirroring.

What probably the biggest upgrade it received is the new iSight camera. Apple slapped a 5 Megapixels one on it’s back. Yes it is autofocus. Yes it have an LED flash. Yes it can record 1080p videos. Yes it has the same sapphire crystal lens cover. And yes, it can do panoramas. Well, Apple brags about the last.

So where and when can you get one? At the Apple Online Store Philippines for now. You can pre-order yours for P16,490 for the 32GB variant and P21,990 for the 64GB one. It now comes in more colors, you can pick from slate, silver, blue, yellow, pink and the Product (RED) one. First batch of orders will ship on October.

Oh I forgot, Siri is included.

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The iPhone 5 is now finally… official

The iPhone 5 moniker started to surface almost two years ago and now, Apple has officially acknowledged and announced it. The iPhone 5.

Apple claims the iPhone 5 to be the thinnest smartphone on Earth – packing only a 7.6mm thin body. They made the screen a 4-inch one, while still having the same width for better grip they say. The screen resolution has been vertically bumped to 1136x640. Apps that has not been updated yet will run in letterboxed mode with black bars at the top and bottom. A 5th row of icons can now be accommodated at the home screen.

The iPhone 5 now also supports 4G connectivity and it comes in three flavors – HSPA+ (up to 21Mbps), DC-HSDPA (up to 42Mbps), and yes, LTE (up to 100Mbps). It now also have dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n support.

For the internals, the iPhone 5 is powered by the Apple-designed A6 processor, a dual-core one, which Apple say will give you twice as fast performance and graphics. The battery life is better on this too, you can surf at LTE speeds for 8 hours, or talk for 8 hours, or watch a video for 10 hours continuously.

The camera department has not received a major upgrade. It is still an 8 Megapixels shooter, but the camera module is smaller. Apple also replaced the glass lens with a sapphire crystal one that Apple say is more durable and thinner. Apple also added a new feature, the panorama mode. You can take 28 Megapixels stitched photos using that. It also include improved video stabilization, video face detection for up to 10 faces and the ability to take still photos as you record, which is as we all know, not new. The front facing camera has been upgraded to 1.2 Megapixels. You can now record HD videos using the front camera too!

The iPhone 5 has a new dock connector, called the Lightning™. Alright, Apple had Thunderbolt before, and now they have Lightning™. Sh*t just got real. The new dock connector is much much smaller and it is reversible that there is no wrong way of plugging in the cable. It is grandma-proof.

I think you’ve noticed that I’m sort of bored now. Let’s move on to the more exciting stuffs – the pricing and release dates.

The iPhone 5 will be available for pre-order starting on September 14, for $199 for the 16GB variant, $299 for the 32GB variant, and $399 for the 64GB variant. Take note that those pricing are for the US and it is a carrier-subsidized pricing, meaning you will have to get it with a contract. It will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK September 21. Standard unlocked and no-contract pricing is $649 for the 16GB, $749 for the 32GB, and $849 for the 64GB variant.

It will roll-out to 22 more countries on September 28, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The Philippines not yet included. We just have to wait for Smart and Globe to announce the launch of the iPhone 5. And, the waiting game for some starts now.

Will the iPhone 5 work with Smart and Globe’s LTE networks?
Short answer is yes. The A1429 (GSM) model of the iPhone 5 will support the LTE bands 1 (2100MHz), 3 (1800MHz), and 5 (850MHz). For reference, Smart uses the LTE bands 1 and 3, while Globe only uses band 3.

If I purchase an unlocked iPhone at Hong Kong or Singapore, will it still work with Smart or Globe’s LTE networks?
As stated by Apple, unlocked iPhone 5 models may support LTE networks outside the country of purchase when using a valid SIM from a supported carrier. So yes, it will work as long as you purchased the right model – the A1429 (GSM) iPhone 5. Take note on that. The other two iPhone 5 models, the A1429 (CDMA, used by Sprint and Verizon in the US and KDDI at Japan) and A1428 (GSM, used by AT&T in the US and Bell, Virgin, Rogers, Fido, Telus, & Koodo in Canada) may not work.

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Viber for Windows and Mac in the works

EXCLUSIVE!

Viber is planning a version of the software for Windows and Mac and I got hold of screenshots for that.

The user interface of the Viber for Windows and Mac looks to be reminiscent of that of Skype’s, with a handy toolbar available at the bottom when using the full-screen video calling mode. The interface for the messaging view, however, looks similar to that of iMessage with two panes available for easy navigation.

It is unclear as to when will Viber release both version of the software. But given that they have already finished the development of the apps for Bada, S40, and Symbian, it is more likely coming in the next few months.

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Viber announces app for Bada, S40, and Symbian; adds HD calling to Windows Phone

Viber officially announced that it will be releasing an app for Bada, S40, and Symbian devices. They will also add the much waited HD calling feature to the Windows Phone app.

“We are committed to our users and to our mission – to let people all over the world connect freely,” said Talmon Marco, CEO of Viber Media. “By adding the S40, Symbian and Bada platforms to our list of supported mobile OSs, we are expanding the community of individuals who can communicate for free, no matter what platform they use.” The company has released some screenshots for the new app for Bada, S40, and Symbian devices, which should be available anytime soon.

Now, get calling anyone for free. :)

 

 

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Smart is testing the Samsung GALAXY S II LTE (i9210)

We just got these photos of a Samsung GALAXY S II LTE (i9210) model riding on Smart’s 4G LTE network. Take a look.

Smart is apparently testing the said device on their newly launched 4G LTE network. This might mean that the carrier might soon offer the device on their smartphone lineup with a more affordable LTE data plan.

According to Samsung’s website, the GALAXY S II LTE (i9210) is a tri-band LTE device which can work with LTE networks on the 800 MHz (Band 20), 1800 MHz (Band 3 – the one used by Smart), and 2600 MHz (Band 38) frequencies. The device did not fail Smart as it gave a speed of about 16Mbps up and 10Mbps down. Not bad.

 

The Samsung GALAXY S II LTE (i9210) is a smartphone with a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen with 800x480 (WVGA) resolution, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 16GB of internal storage, 8 Megapixels camera, and of course, LTE connectivity which can have speeds of up to 100Mbps. It is also HSPA+ enabled. Only time and Smart can tell if they will indeed offer this device on their lineup.

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Globe partially gives out details of their LTE plan (update)

Globe Telecom unveiled their new brand for their LTE services earlier, named the Tattoo Black.

The starting plan will be priced P1,799 monthly and can go up to 42Mbps. Unfortunately though, Globe has not disclosed the allotted data for the plan as well as the device/s that will be bundled. But the new iPhone is just around the corner, so there’s a chance that the plan will go along with it.

UPDATE: Globe just posted on their blog that there will be two LTE plans. The Plan 1799 will be unlimited but you can only have speeds of up to 28 Mbps and will come with a free USB dongle. The other one is the Plan 2499 which you can maximize fully up to 42Mbps and with unlimited data. That’s not really bad if you ask me. But I am sure that once the coverage expands and more people jump in the LTE bandwagon, it might just get congested due to some abusive users (they will be always there) downloading tons of big files. Ahem.

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Smart joins in hyping up the new iPhone launch

Smart, who can’t afford to be left up in the new iPhone launch bandwagon, has also started to tease its subscribers by the means of a tweet.

Instructing its subscribers to call their hotline to “be the first at having one of the most anticipated smartphones ever” is just adding another credence that the new iPhone, whatever it will be called, will be indeed coming to the country as soon as this month.

Be the first at having one of the most anticipated smartphones ever. Call *887 or 848-8877 now! http://twitpic.com/asc59b

— Smart Communications (@SMARTCares) September 8, 2012

Globe recently sent out a teaser too as a blast SMS to its postpaid customers yesterday.

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More details point to a September iPhone 5 release in the Philippines

Just as if the new Globe nano-SIM cards are not enough for us to speculate that the new iPhone are coming here in the country soon, the carrier has gone further and sent out text blasts to some of its postpaid subscribers.

I got that screenshot from a Globe employee who wants to remain anonymous. I received that message from Globe. Globe Postpaid subscribers out there, have you received the same message as well? Fire up in the comments section below.
Oh and just to add, a Smart Communications, Inc. exec has also teased its subscribers that the Philippines may indeed be one of the firsts in Asia to get the new device. Will you buy the new iPhone when it comes out or will you just wait for the features to be revealed and then decide? If you will get it, from which telco?

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Globe’s new nano-SIM cards are here, and they are arriving at stores this month

Look what we have here!

That is Globe Telecom’s new nano-SIM card. It is supposedly coming this month. Yes, this September, the nano-SIMs will be available at Globe Stores.

The nano-SIM are the next generation of SIM (subscriber identity module) cards that follows the not-so-old micro-SIM that was first used by the iPad. According to ETSI, the nano-SIM is 40% smaller than the already-small micro-SIM. Imagine, it’s just 12.3 millimeters wide, 8.8 millimeters high, and 0.67 millimeters thick. it’s more easier than ever to misplace your precious SIM card.

Globe said it will stock as much as 5x more nano-SIMs than the standard mini SIMs soon. “Once again, Globe pioneers in bringing the latest technologies to Filipino mobile phone users as we offer the revolutionary Nano-SIMs in our Globe Stores with the availability of newer smartphone models using this type of SIM very soon,[…]” said Martha Sazon, Head of Globe Postpaid.

Is the Globe exec talking about the upcoming iPhone? The phrase ‘very soon’ and the fact the new nano-SIMs will be in stock as soon as this month makes me think that the Philippines will be one of the first countries to get the new iPhone. You know, what’s the point to release nano-SIMs when there’s no device that people can use it for yet? What a very exciting September.

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Samsung tops 20 million GALAXY S III units sold

Samsung just announced that it has already sold 20 million units of its flagship smartphone, the Samsung GALAXY S III.

The Korean giant said that in just 100 days, the GALAXY S III sold 20 million – three times faster than it’s predecessor and 6 times faster than the first GALAXY S.

Most of the GALAXY S III’s were sold at Europe which accounts for 6 million. 4.5 million were sold at Asia, 4 million at North America, and 2.5 million at its home turf. The GALAXY S III sold 10 million after being out on the market for 50 days. 200,000 GALAXY S III’s are being sold everyday.

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Nokia Lumia 920 unveiled, 4.5-inch HD screen and wireless charging in tow

The day has come. Nokia announced their new flagship smartphone yesterday, the Nokia Lumia 920.

The Nokia Lumia 920 comes with awesome features. First, Nokia put their own PureView imaging technology on this smartphone. An 8.7 Megapixels shooter is on the back. It comes with what they call the floating lens technology which allows the camera to capture 5 times more light than the top competitor smartphones. "Nokia PureView continues to deliver cutting-edge technology to make it possible for a smartphone camera to take the kind of images usually only seen on a standalone SLR camera," said Jo Harlow, executive vice president of Nokia Smart Devices. "With the Nokia Lumia 920 we have made it possible to shoot pictures and video at home, outdoors, in a restaurant or even at night, and come out with professional-looking results."

Another feature is the City Lens. It is an augmented reality feature that gives you an overlay information about points of interests that surrounds you when you hold the phone in a street. Nokia says that is the most intuitive way to explore a city.

The Lumia 920 comes with a huge battery, rated at 2,000 mAh. It is the largest battery ever put in a Nokia phone. Don’t take it too small though, Windows Phone is known to be a power efficient OS. The Lumia 920 also comes with built-in wireless charging. Welcome to the future.

Availability
This is where Nokia disappointed many people. No pricing and release dates has been ever mentioned aside from that it is “expected to start shipping in select markets later in the year.” The Lumia 920 will come in yellow, red, cyan, purple, white, grey, and black. No worries though, it’s coming soon in the Philippines. The Lumia 920 will work with Smart (bands 1 and 3) and Globe (band 3) LTE networks. That’s a fact.

Nokia Lumia 920 Specifications and Features
4.5 inch Nokia PureMotion HD+ WXGA IPS LCD
Corning® Gorilla® Glass
Super Sensitive touch
Nokia ClearBlack with high brightness mode and Sunlight Readability Enhancements
8.7MP with Nokia PureView advanced optical imaging stabilization and Carl Zeiss optics
Full 1080p HD video capture at 30fps
32GB 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 processor
Gyroscope
Compass
Accelerometer
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Windows Phone 8 OS

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Smart fires up LTE on the 1800MHz band

Smart Communications, Inc. just fired up it’s LTE network on the 1800MHz band, making them the first to have multi-band LTE in the country.

“Offering LTE in multiple frequencies will give us and out subscribers greater flexibility,” said Rolando G. Peña, PLDT-Smart Technology Group Head. As you may remember, Smart recently launched the first commercial LTE network just last August 25, but that is riding on the 2100MHz band, the same one used by NTT DoCoMo on Japan. Having LTE on multiple frequency will help people who have devices acquired from the other countries, as many countries have LTE on the 1800MHz band.

Smart also have multi-band configurations of its GSM network, which runs on the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands. It’s 3G and HSPA+ networks, on the other hand, operates on 850MHz and 2100MHz.

Smart is offering LTE for P3,500 a month which gives users unlimited data, until October 25, wherein after that, customers will only get 10GB of data allowance.

Smart launches multi-band LTE

[04 Sept 2012] Wireless leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) today scored another first in network and customer experience superiority as it extended its pioneering LTE commercial service into a multi-frequency offering.

Recognized worldwide as a leader in innovation, Smart has fired up LTE in the 2100MHz and 1800Mhz bands officially making it the first multi-frequency service provider of mobile LTE in the country and one of the first in the world according to PLDT-Smart Technology Group Head Rolando G. Peña.

“Offering LTE in multiple frequencies will give us and our subscribers greater flexibility,” said Pena. “Multi-band LTE means better coverage whether in densely- or sparsely-populated areas and a wider range of compatible devices,” he added.

Smart’s LTE service which was launched last August 25 initially ran only on 2100Mhz similar to that being used by Japanese telco and LTE pioneer NTT DoCoMo.

Pena explains that multi-band LTE will also allow for the seamless international interoperability of LTE devices which will be offered by Smart in the near future.

“Smart has a history of offering its mobile services in multi-band configurations,” said Pena. “Our GSM connection runs on 900Mhz and 1800MHz bands, and our 3G, HSPA, and HSPA+ connections run on both 850MHz and 2100MHz. These combinations give our service superior reach, flexibility, and resiliency,” he added.

Smart LTE is available at Plan 3500 on unlimited until October 25, 2012. A 10GB monthly data allowance will take effect after the said date. The package includes a multi-band capable USB dongle which can be used for both Windows and Mac computers.

The fastest 4G

Also known as the fastest fourth generation (4G) wireless technology in existence, LTE is capable of delivering speeds of up to 100Mbps. It enables users to download HD movies in minutes, stream HD videos with no buffering, and play online games with no lag.

Complementing the commercial launch of Smart LTE is the installation of more than 54,000 kilometers of Fiber Optic Cabling (FOC) which connects Smart’s cellsites to its core network.

The upgraded FOC system, which is scheduled to be completed by end-2012 under the P67.1 billion “technology refresh” with parent company, PLDT, also makes possible Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) fixed broadband services with speeds of up to 100Mbps.

“This combination of LTE and FTTH gives the PLDT group unmatched capabilities to serve the requirements of its customers for mobile and fixed broadband services,” said PLDT and Smart President and CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno.

For more information on Smart LTE, visit www.smart.com.ph [END]

About Smart

Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is the Philippines' leading wireless services provider with 50.9 million subscribers on its GSM network as of end-June 2012. Smart has built a reputation for innovation, having introduced world-first wireless data services, such as Smart Money, Smart Load, Smart Padala and the Netphone. Smart also offers 3G and HSPA+ services, and the country’s first and only LTE network. Its Smart Link service provides communications to the global maritime industry. Smart Broadband, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary, offers a wireless broadband service, Smart Broadband, with over 1.63 million subscribers as of end-June 2012. Smart is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Philippines' leading telecommunications carrier, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company. For more information, visit http://www.smart.com.ph.

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Smart tests NFC payments system

Smart Communications, Inc. is currently testing NFC payments, dubbed as the first in the country.

The carrier has deployed initial machines that can handle NFC-based payments at it’s head office at Makati City. Special Smart Money cards with NFC chips were handed out to the company employees for use with the machine for checking out at the canteen. Employees currently can use it to purchase snacks and even full meals using the Smart Money card. That makes it a totally cashless transaction as users just need to ensure they have sufficient balance on their account. It seems Smart is on track on making it available on mobile devices as well. I expect that a similar app to Google Wallet would be coming out in the near future. If that is the case, it would be easy for Smart’s part as they could just integrate the users’ Smart Money account with the app, similar to the card concept.

[03 September 2012] Wireless leader and pioneer Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is investing on Near Field Communications (NFC), a technology which allows for contactless data exchange between two devices in close proximity to each other, as the future of mobile transactions in the Philippines.

Initial trials which were conducted in the telco’s head office in Makati City enabled employees to use the technology to purchase items in the canteen.

From simple snack items to full meals, select users of a special Smart Money card with an embedded NFC chip have the option of paying on a “cashless” basis by simply tapping on a nearby terminal.

“The response to the project has been great,” said Smart Head of Financial Services Tricia Dizon. “The concessionaries are saving a lot of time because of the quick checkout and some of the customers don’t even take the card out of their wallets or bags,” she said.

Dizon adds that the success of the program can easily be applied in public citing that there is genuine need for better and faster means of conducting transactions.

“NFC is already being used in other Asian countries such as Singapore and Hong Kong,” Dizon said. “Millions of OFWs and Filipino tourists abroad have already used it first-hand so understanding how it works isn’t really an issue,” she explained.

First with NFC

In October 2011, Smart introduced “Tap Share” a service that lets Smart subscribers download content by tapping on a poster.

Through the use of an NFC-enabled smartphone, users can inquire about their prepaid balance or download mobile content such as news, music, and games using specially-marked posters in selected Smart Stores nationwide.

“Tap Share offers our subscribers a hassle-free and safe means of availing of products,” said Smart Chief Wireless Advisor Orlando B. Vea. “They no longer need to memorize lengthy keywords, codes, and URLs to enjoy a service,” he said.

Smart is the first and only telco in the Philippines to utilize NFC technology through the use of smartphones and cards.

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Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 will be also available on Smart, Globe, and Sun Cellular

EXCLUSIVE!

A little birdie told me that the freshly launched Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 will also make its way to the country’s three carriers aside from being sold unlocked and contract-free.

That’s right. Smart, Globe, and Sun Cellular will launch Samsung’s latest flagship tablet and phone hybrid in the country, and for sure, they will bundle it with their respective plans. This makes sense as the three already offer the Samsung GALAXY S III. All we can do is to wait but hopefully they will reveal more info not too long from now. The Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 retails for P32,990.

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Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 first look, available today

I went to the launch of the Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 yesterday and I got a chance to finally try it. If you do not know yet, Samsung announced the GALAXY Note 10.1 back in February but only launched it this August as they have to revise the tablet’s specifications a little bit.

First Impressions
The GALAXY Note 10.1 is a huge device for me, since I was always accustomed to the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen with 4:3 aspect ration. However, this tablet comes with a 10.1-inch screen with a 16:10 aspect ration and it is really wider or longer than the iPad when held in landscape mode. Using the S-pen to jot down notes or to draw doodles feels like you’re using a real pen. Of course the friction a real paper provides is not there. The whole package is generally made of plastic and as such, it is very prone to fingerprints and smudges. The back plate of it has a pearlescent sort of color. It is white but when you look at it at a different angle, it gives a slightly pearly violet color. I guess that’s a feature eh? :D

Package Contents
The box includes the GALAXY Note 10.1 itself of course, a proprietary Samsung cable connector and power plug, a pair of headset, a couple of extra stylus tips, the manuals, and not to forget, the S-pen.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (GT-N8000) Specifications and Features
10.1-inch LCD screen display with 1280x800 screen resolution, Digitizer
5 Megapixels main autofocus camera with LED flash, 1.9 Megapixel front-facing camera
16/32/64 GB internal memory
2 GB of RAM
7,000mAh of battery capacity
GSM / HSPA+
1.4 GHz quad-core Exynos 4412 processor
Gyroscope
Digital Compass
Accelerometer
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 and 5 GHz
Wi-Fi Direct
mHL
Infrared
S-pen
Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich OS

The Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 available now for P32,990 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi + 3G (HSPA+) model. There’s no word yet if Samsung will bring in the other variants with more storage.

I think that’s it for now. This is my first ever Android device, so give me time while I get familiar with Android and the Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1. Stay tuned for our full review soon. Meanwhile, enjoy more photos below.

   

Disclosure: I won a Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 from the raffle at the launch.

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