LG G2 now available in the Philippines

LG's new flagship smartphone, the LG G2, has already arrived in the Philippines.

The LG G2 features top-tier hardware and a bevy of software features. Humming inside it is a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor along with 2GB of RAM and 4G LTE connectivity. It also packs a 13 megapixel camera with sapphire crystal lens, 9-point autofocus, 60fps 1080p full HD recording, and OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) which should prevent you from taking blurry shots.

But the main feature the Korean company touts on the G2 is not on the inside — it's on the outside, the back-facing power and volume buttons which is aptly called the Rear Key. It may be strange at first, but it actually worked quite well on my brief hands-on.

Aside from having one of the high-end internals, LG has also stuffed a handful of software features on the G2 which takes aim at its competitors. One of those is Knock On, which conveniently locks and unlocks the screen with just two taps (or knocks). The idea is not entirely new, but it works.

The LG G2 is now out in the Philippines with an SRP of P29,990. It will also be available for free on Globe's Plan 1799.

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Globe Tattoo launches rewards program for mobile broadband

For a few weeks now, Globe has been offering a rewards program for their Tattoo mobile broadband customers. The program is almost identical to Globe Rewards from the prepaid and postpaid customers.

So how does it work? For every load that you make on your Globe Tattoo SIM, you earn points. Right now, you get one (1) point for every P25 that you load to your account. So for every P1,000 worth of load that you buy over time, you will get 40 points. You can then redeem your points at partner merchants like Wendy’s, KFC, Ayala Mall Cinemas, etc. to buy items.

Also, on your 7th to 12th month of subscription, you can avail of a free one-day unlimited access to Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and Yahoo! Mail every week for six months when you load at least P50 between Monday to Friday. You can redeem your reward the following week by texting SOCIALWEEKLY to 8888.

With Tattoo +Plus Rewards, you can earn points and freebies by using Tattoo to connect to the internet. Upon activating a new Tattoo Flash or a new Tattoo Prepaid SIM, you will instantly receive 15 bonus rewards points, which you can immediately redeem to register to POWERSURF15 that gives you 20MB of internet data valid for one day.

Tattoo Broadband prepaid users can learn more about Tattoo +Plus Rewards and check out their redeemable rewards and freebies by visiting tattoo.globe.com.ph/rewards.

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Globe to bundle Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with Galaxy Gear smartwatch

Globe has just revealed thru a teaser on their website that they will bring the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 soon. Not only that, it looks like they will also bundle it with the Galaxy Gear smartwatch. The plans and pricing has not yet been announced, though hopefully they will within this week.

The Galaxy Note 3 features a 5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLED display, 13 megapixel camera, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with quad-core CPU clocked at 2.3GHz along with 3GB of RAM, 32GB internal memory with a microSD card slot, 4G LTE, and a 3200mAh battery.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is launching this week in the Philippines. We’ll give you more details as we receive them!

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Nokia Lumia 625 with LTE now available in the Philippines

A new member of the Lumia family, the Nokia Lumia 625 running on Windows Phone 8, has arrived in the Philippines.

By far Nokia’s largest Windows Phone yet, the Lumia 625 crams a 4.7-inch WVGA (it’s 201ppi, so it’s still not bad) screen in a relatively thin and handy and colorful package. It’s perfect for those who like to watch and stream videos and movies on-the-go. 4G LTE support is present to back up your streaming needs.

Like the other Lumia devices, the Lumia 625 has a set of exclusive features. There’s the Nokia Smart Camera which lets users do various things like action shots. If you fancy making quick GIFs, you should try the Nokia Cinemagraph. Then there’s the other usual stuff like HERE Drive and HERE Maps, which should look good on its big screen.

The Lumia 625 sports a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB internal storage with microSD card slot (up to 64GB), 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash, VGA front-facing camera, 1080p full HD video recording, 2000mAh battery, and 4G LTE. We can confirm that it will only work with Globe’s LTE network as it lacks the necessary band in order to work with that of Smart’s.

The Nokia Lumia 625 is now available in a variety of colors including orange, yellow, bright green, white, and black for P13,200.

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Sun Cellular offers unlimited browsing thru Opera Mini at just P15

Sun Cellular and browser maker Opera has announced a partnership to offer affordable unlimited browsing plans to its prepaid customers.

The newly-announced BrowseOn Opera packages, which only works with Opera Mini, offers unlimited browsing at very affordable rates. The daily package only costs P15, while the 7-day package costs P80, the 15-day package P160, and the monthly package just P299. The packages should be beneficial to those who are still using feature phones that can’t take advantage of full-fledged browser as Opera Mini compresses webpages to load them faster.

To prevent users from abusing the cheap packages, Sun has put a per-file download and upload limit of 15MB. What this means is basically, you can still download and upload as many files as you want as long as each file’s size is no more than 15MB. For instance, you can upload 30 2MB photos, or you can save let’s say 20 5MB songs.

To avail of the packages, simply text OPERA15 (1 day), OPERA80 (7 days), OPERA 160 (15 days), or OPERA299 (30 days) to 247. You can download the Opera Mini browser designed for Sun at wap.suncellular.com.ph. Opera Mini works with most of all mobile platforms (Nokia S40, Symbian, Android, iOS, BlackBerry, etc.).

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BlackBerry’s BBM arriving on Android and iOS on September 21

Good news to Android and iOS (and former BlackBerry) users! The ever familiar BBM is set to arrive on Android on September 21 and on iOS on September 22. This is the first time the popular messaging service goes cross-platform.

BBM for Android and iOS features BBM Chat where you can, well, chat with other people on BBM. You can also send files such as photos and videos instantly. It also lets you know when your message is delivered and if your friend has read it. BBM Group lets you start group chats and can accommodate up to 30 users.

Want to send a message to all your contacts in an instant? There’s Broadcast Message for that. Also, you can post status messages and update your profile picture in the Updates section of your profile. And, last but not the least, you get your own BBM PIN that you give out to others so they can add you while maintaining your personal information like email and phone number.

Moreover, BlackBerry plans to add BBM Video Calling and BBM Voice to its Android and iOS apps in a future update.

You will be able to download BBM for Android starting 7PM on September 21 from the Google Play Store. The iOS version will be release at 12:01AM on September 22 in the App Store.

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Nokia Lumia 1020 appears on local website, hints it’s coming soon in the Philippines

The Nokia Lumia 1020, the company’s successor to the 808 PureView, was announced a couple months back. It was initially released as an AT&T exclusive in the US, so you can only imagine how eager people are for waiting it’s local release.

Well, it looks like Nokia has some good news for those who are waiting. The Lumia 1020 has just popped up on the local Nokia Philippines website. I don’t know for sure when did it exactly appeared, but that only means one thing — it’s coming very soon.

Coincidentally, Nokia has sent out invites for an event this Friday, September 20. The invite doesn’t seem to be for the Lumia 1020 launch, though, it says they want us “to experience big-screen entertainment at lightning fast speeds." I guess we’ll see the Lumia 625 there — an affordable Windows Phone with a 4.7-inch screen and LTE.

Nonetheless, we’ll surely ask the guys at Nokia about the first 41-megapixel Windows Phone.

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Asphalt 8: Airborne for iOS goes free this weekend

Fancy a new multiplayer racing game? Take a look at Gameloft’s Asphalt 8: Airborne. The latest installment of the Asphalt franchise, true to its name, lets you get airborne. You can drive on ramps and perform rolls and jumps while speeding. The game features car models like the Bugatti Veyron, Lamborghini Veneno, and more from top licensed manufacturers. You can even challenge up to 8 of your friends with the simultaneous multiplayer.

The best thing is, Asphalt 8: Airborne goes free this weekend. So if you haven’t installed it yet, well, now is the time to download it. You can get it on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. So get it while you still can. Just brace yourselves for a hefty 884MB download.

It is also available on Android for $0.99.

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Globe LTE now in around 1000 sites, brings LTE for residential customers

Thanks to its continuous efforts to complete its network upgrade, Globe said that its LTE network is now available in close to 1,000 sites, now almost up to par with Smart’s LTE network.

Along with this accomplishment, Globe is bringing LTE to the residential customers in form of the Tattoo@Home LTE. Through this, people in far-flung areas who didn’t have wired connections can now finally have a more stable wireless option.

Unlimited Tattoo@Home LTE plans are available for P999 for a 3Mbps connection, and P1999 for 5Mbps. To those who are looking to get a plan with bundled landline, the plans start at P1,099 for 1 Mbps, P1,299 for 2 Mbps, P1,599 for 3 Mbps, P2,299 for 5 Mbps, P3,999 for 10 Mbps, and P4,999 for 15 Mbps. Bundled plans come with unlimited local and Globe/TM calls.

Globe’s LTE network is available in select cities in Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

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HTC Butterfly S arrives in the Philippines for… wait for it… P37,590!

Been waiting for HTC Butterfly S, a better alternative for the HTC One, to come here in the Philippines? Well, your wait is officially over. Without much fanfare, HTC Philippines has finally released the Butterfly S in the country. It is arriving with a hefty price tag of P37,590, or around $850. This makes the Butterfly S the most expensive smartphone in the country right now, correct me if I’m wrong. Why so expensive? Me thinks it’s because HTC doesn’t want the Butterfly S to cannibalize the sales of the HTC One, their flagship smartphone right now.

Announced back in June, the HTC Butterfly S sports a 5-inch 1080p Super LCD 3 screen, a 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage with microSD support, 4G LTE support, the same UltraPixel camera, IR blaster, and a ginormous 3200mAh battery. It runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with the HTC Sense 5.

Also released alongside the Butterfly S is the HTC Desire 600. It features a 4.5-inch qHD screen, a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage with a microSD card slot, 8 megapixel camera, and a 1860mAh battery. It also features the BoomSound speakers found on the higher-end HTC devices. It retails for P18,990.

Source: HTC

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Sony announces the Xperia Z1, packs a 20.7 megapixel Exmor RS camera with G Lens

Following a series of leaks and rumors, Sony has officially unveiled the Xperia Z1, previously known as ‘Honami’.

An upgrade to Xperia Z?

The Sony Xperia Z1 looks to be an upgrade to the Xperia Z, though we don’t really know for sure if the Z1 will replace it. The Xperia Z1 packs the same 5-inch TFT LCD Triluminos display with full HD 1080p resolution, a monstrous 20.7 megapixel Exmor RS camera with G Lens and the BIONZ image processor, a bumped up 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, and a large 3,000mAh battery.

As with all other Sony Xperia phones, the Xperia Z1 is an IP58 certified device which means it is protected from dust ingress and can be submerged under 1.5 meter of water for up to 30 minutes.

Sony Xperia Z1 Specifications and Features
5-inch TFT LCD Triluminos display with full HD (1920x1080) resolution
2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor
Adreno 330 GPU
2GB RAM
20.7 megapixel camera with Exmor RS sensor
16GB internal storage with microSD card slot (up to 64GB)
LTE Category 4 up to 150Mbps
3,000mAh battery
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS

The Sony Xperia Z1 will be released in the market sometime in October. It will be available in Black, White, and Purple.

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Samsung announces the Galaxy Note 3, launching on September 25

Samsung has finally announced the much awaited Galaxy Note 3 at IFA 2013 in Berlin. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with a larger 5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLED display while retaining the width of the body in a slimmer 8.3mm package. It sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with quad-core CPU clocked at 2.3GHz along with 3GB of RAM. The base internal memory is pegged at 32GB, with a 64GB variant available. It still comes with a microSD card slot. It comes with 4G LTE connectivity with support for 6 different bands and speeds of up to 150 Mbps (megabits per second). The battery is only a little larger at 3,200mAh.

Just like the Galaxy S4, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with a 13 megapixel camera with LED flash. There is also a 2 megapixel camera on the front. Both cameras have a BSI sensor and comes with smart stabilization as there is no real OIS (optical image stabilization) included. It supports 4K UHD video recording at 30fps, 60fps on full HD 1080p, and slow-motion 120fps on HD 720p, which is quite a feat.

New and improved S Pen features

On the Galaxy Note 3, Samsung has made it easier for users to access S Pen commands. Users would only have to remember three key ways of S Pen input: dot, circle, and square.

A simple click of the S Pen represented by a dot while hovering over the screen launches Air Command. It is essentially sort of a palette which offers different functions. It has Action Memo which allows users to create a quick note and launch relevant actions based on what they’ve written thru the help of handwriting recognition. Screen Write is basically a screen capture command but with an option to draw anything on it like doodles. S Finder lets you search everything on your phone. With Scrapbook, you can draw a circle while you’re on apps like the browser to quickly save the whole content to the Scrapbook app, including the source link for quick access. Lastly, Pen Window allows you to launch mini apps just by drawing a square or a rectangle anywhere on the screen, and they can be of any size.

Do more with the enhanced Multi Window

The Multi Window on the Galaxy Note 3 was vastly improved. It now allows you to launch one app in two windows at the same time. It also adds Drag and Drop support so you can easily copy content such as texts or photos to and from different apps.

To give you a preview of the features of the Galaxy Note 3, you can watch the official video below.

Launching this month

Samsung has committed to bring and launch the Galaxy Note 3 in 125 countries on September 25, wherein the Philippines is most probably included.

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Android 4.4 KitKat is coming… and it’s real

The Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is young at just a few months old. But that didn’t stop Google from announcing what’s going to be the next version of Android. And no, it’s not Key Lime Pie, as many have expected. So what’s the name? (is the photo above not too obvious yet?)

Android 4.4 KitKat, it is. So why the change in decision? John Lagerling, director of Android partnerships, realized that “very few people actually know the taste of a key lime pie.” Then late the last year, a Googler suggested that the next version of Android be named ‘KitKat’. The company then immediately reached out to the guys at Nestle and an agreement was made in a day. Contrary to what many believe, the deal did not involve cash sums exchange. However, KitKat will be running a promotion wherein customers buying a specially-marked KitKat chocolate bar will have a chance to win a Nexus 7 or a Google Play credit.

That’s not a bad deal at all as Google gets to use such a widely-recognized name for their mobile OS and KitKat gets free marketing. As for the features of the Android 4.4 KitKat, nothing is really known yet as of this time.

Sources: Android, The Verge, BBC

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Smart offers the iPad mini for P999 per month with P1,500 upfront payment

Here’s a nice offer from Smart for those who want to get an iPad mini but are on tight budget. They are running a promo wherein you can get a 16GB iPad mini 3G/LTE model for just P999 per month and a one-time upfront payment of P1,500. The monthly fee consists of the Smart Bro Plan 399 with 50 hours of data connection and the P600 amortization fee. If you think you’ll go over the data allowance by accident, Smart’s ABS (anti-bill shock) feature is there to back it up. What it means is when you go over the P999 threshold on your bill (excluding the amortization), it will automatically switch to an unlimited plan. In that scenario, your bill would then be P1,599.

Do take note that the Smart Bro Plan 399 is only a 3G data plan. If you want to connect to their LTE network, you would have to subscribe to the LTE data plans which costs P50 a day, P299 a week, and P995 a month. For your average surfing needs, I believe 3G is enough. I personally easily hit 4 to 8 megabits on their 3G network. Not that bad, actually.

You can check out the list of Smart Stores where you can get an iPad mini here.

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LG G Pad 8.3 with 1920x1200 display goes official

After some teasing earlier, LG finally takes the wraps off its next tablet, the LG G Pad 8.3. The G Pad 8.3 flaunts an 8.3-inch display which makes it quite portable compared to its 10-inch counterparts while still being large enough for media consumption. The Korean manufacturer says the G Pad 8.3 is the ‘first 8-inch class tablet to offer a full HD display,’ a 1920x1200 one that is. It packs a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor with quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. There is no microSD card slot that you can use for expansion, nor other storage options.

A 5 megapixel shooter is present on the back and a 1.3 megapixel camera is on the front. The battery is rated at 4600mAh, quite small for a tablet of this size. The LG G Pad 8.3 crams all of those in an 8.3mm body which weighs just 338g.

LG touts of the QPair as a unique feature on the G Pad 8.3. It will allow users to connect the G Pad with their smartphones and manage the calls and text messages received on the phone remotely from the tablet. What’s really nice is that QPair will work with any smartphone from other manufacturers as long as they run on Android Jelly Bean. This looks to be useful as me myself use apps that do just this. QPair will also allow users to save notes from the QMemo app directly to other devices.

Aside from that, there are other features that take advantage of the big screen too. Slide Aside allows for an easy multitasking by simply sliding three fingers on an app to switch to another. QSlide lets you work on three apps at the same time, similar to Samsung’s MultiWindow and KnockOn lets you unlock the screen just by poking or knocking the display twice.

LG G Pad 8.3 Specifications and Features
8.3-inch WUXGA display with 1920x1200 resolution at 273ppi
1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor
2GB RAM
16GB internal memory
5 megapixel camera
1.3 megapixel front-facing camera
4600mAh battery capacity
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS

LG says the G Pad 8.3 will be released in Q4, which means as soon as October, globally in North America, Europe, Asia, and other regions as well. Pricing will be announced closer to roll out dates, though we expect at least a ballpark figure on IFA 2013 in Berlin . The G Pad 8.3 will come in black and white.

LG TAKES ON GLOBAL TABLET MARKET WITH ‘LG G PAD 8.3’
New Tablet to Debut at IFA 2013, Worldwide Rollout to Follow

SEOUL, Sep. 1, 2013 — LG Electronics (LG) today announced the LG G Pad 8.3 tablet, the latest addition to its G Series lineup of premium mobile devices. The all-new LG G Pad 8.3 boasts the first Full HD display on an 8-inch class tablet, a unique user-experience and wide range of connectivity features. Set to officially debut next week at the IFA 2013 trade show in Berlin, the LG G Pad 8.3 builds on the recent launch of the LG G2 superphone, reinforcing LG’s commitment to leadership in advanced mobile devices through its premium G Series products.

"Complementing our G Series smartphones, the introduction of the LG G Pad 8.3 further strengthens LG’s premium lineup consisting of our most cutting-edge devices," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "Our G Pad is just another example of LG delivering devices with the unique selling points consumers around the world will appreciate."

Pocket-Sized Portability with Powerful Battery

Despite its large display, the LG G Pad 8.3 features a slim and sleek form factor that is comfortable enough to hold in one hand. Such compact portability is based on LG’s learning from consumers regarding the optimum size of a tablet. While maintaining its portability, the LG G Pad 8.3 squeezes in a powerful 4600mAh battery for long-lasting usage time but is still as light as a newspaper at just 338g.

First Full HD Display Tablet in 8-inch Class

Incorporating a key attribute of other premium G Series devices including the G Pro and G2 smartphones, the LG G Pad 8.3 is the first 8-inch class tablet to offer a Full HD display. The G Pad is equipped with a 1920 x 1200 WUXGA (Widescreen Ultra Extended Graphics Array) display capable of delivering picture quality with even higher resolution than a standard Full HD display. In addition, the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600 Processor with 1.7GHz Quad-Core CPU enhances the viewing experience with powerful performance as users will be able to enjoy Full HD content without any compromise.

True Convergence Experience with QPair

The LG G Pad 8.3 meets the demanding requirements of the convergence age by improving connectivity between multiple devices. With the unique QPair app, every call and message received on a smartphone will appear on the G Pad for a true convergence experience. Users can then send simple replies through the LG G Pad 8.3. QPair also allows the G Pad to easily connect to other manufacturers’ smartphone and tablets (Jelly Bean OS recommended). Notes created on the G Pad’s QMemo can be seamlessly saved into users’ smartphones and shared from either device.

User Experience Maximized for a Tablet

The LG G Pad 8.3 offers practical features that provide real-life benefits, such as enhanced multitasking. Thanks to its 8.3-inch Full HD Display, user experience (UX) features unique to the LG G Pad 8.3 are maximized for the large screen:

1. Slide Aside enables seamless multitasking by simply “sliding” currently open apps off to the side using a three-finger swipe
2. QSlide controls up to three different apps in one window with no interruption, especially convenient on a large screen
3. KnockON turns the device on and off by tapping the display twice

The LG G Pad 8.3 will be rolled out globally in key markets including North America, Europe and Asia as well as other regions starting in the fourth quarter of 2013. Prices will be announced at launch time.

Key Specifications:
- Processor: 1.7GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600 Processor
- Display: 8.3-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200 pixels / 273 ppi)
- Memory: 16GB eMMC
- RAM: 2GB LPDDR2
- Camera: Rear 5.0MP / Front 1.3MP
- Battery: 4,600mAh
- Operating System: Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2
- Size: 216.8 x 126.5 x 8.3mm
- Weight: 338g
- Colors: Black / White

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