I guess many are not aware that Sun Cellular’s Galaxy Grand units have issues when it comes to accessing Sun’s data network. The effect: a very slow internet connection. The good thing though is that, there is a handy solution.
Is there a Problem with Your Galaxy Grand Grand?
Based on my conversation with Sun Cellular technical support, they have a known issue with Galaxy Grand units they offered under Unlimited Data Plan 999. It seems that the issue is on the Samsung units itself, not with Sun’s network. With that, it is possible that Galaxy Grand using other networks may also experience a similar problem.
So what is the issue? The issue is slow internet connection. Here are some signs
Can’t load webpages most of the time
Takes a million years to download apps if it even starts to download.
The connection is EDGE not HSDPA. See picture below:
E stands for EDGE while H is for HSDPA
EDGE vs HSDPA
Although it qualifies as a 3G connection, EDGE is slow compared to HSDPA. By default, your handset is set to “WCDMA Preferred” which means whenever there’s a HSDPA signal it will connect to it. But some Samsung Galaxy Grand units has a problem on choosing the HSDPA over other cellular signals. So if your unit have this problem, just follow these steps courtesy of Sun Cellular technical support.
1. Make sure to insert data Sim on Sim 1 slot (3G/2G capable)
2. Please dial *#197328640# on the dialer (this service code can be used to run the service mode, this is not applicable to lower versions)
If you find the above steps complicated or tool technical. Just download apps that can control cellular signal preference. Sun Cellular recommends Viaero 4G Toggle.
Viaero 4G Toggle Android App
Here’s how to use Viaero 4G Toggle app
Download Viaero Toggle App from Google Play.
On the user interface of the app, toggle between different connection options. Use “WCDMA only” if you have the problem mentioned above.
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Samsung Mobile finally unveiled Galaxy S4, the latest model of their highly successful Galaxy S line of smartphones. The device sports a 5-in Super AMOLED HD (1920X1080) display, running on Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) OS, with a computing power coming from Quadcore Processor and 2GB of RAM.
Samsung Galaxy S4 unveiled
As expected, Samsung beefed several interesting new and upgraded features such as the 13 MP rear camera, Smart Pause/Scroll eye detector that pauses a video when the user removes his eyes from the screen, S Health that lets you track health-related stats and so much more.
Behold: Samsung Galaxy S4
Samsung Galaxy S4 Specs
Here’s a brief summary of Samsung Galaxy S4 technical specifications:
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
1.9GHz quad-core/1.6GHz octa-core CPU (varies by market)
PowerVR SGX544MP3 GPU
5-inch 1080p display (441PPI)
2GB of LPDDR3 RAM
16GB to 64GB of storage
2.5G, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi a-ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
IR LED (for remote control)
microSD card slot (up to 64GB)
13MP rear camera, 2MP front camera
2600mAh battery
136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm, 130g
Samsung Galaxy S4 Features
Here’s a rundown of Samsung Galaxy S4 features
Dual Camera
Group Play
Sound and Shot
Story Album
Drama Shot
Samsung Hub
S Translator
ChatON
Smart Scroll/Smart Pause
Samsung WatchON
S Voice Drive
HomeSync
Air View / Air Gesture
S Health
Adapt Display
Adapt Sound
To explain these features further, please watch this video from Samsung Mobile.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Price and Availability (Philippines)
Though pricing was not yet revealed, it can be expected that the unit will be priced around 35000 to 40000 Pesos for the open-line, non-contract unit.
Samsung also mentioned that by late April 2013, Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available in 327 carriers in 55 countries. That may include major mobile service providers in the country – SMART, Globe, and Sun Cellular.
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Days before the unveiling of the much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S4, Sun Cellular announces that the current flagship phone of Samsung Mobile, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is now free at Plan Elite 1500.
Sun Cellular now offers the Samsung Galaxy S3 free at Sun Elite 1500 Plan
Samsung Galaxy S3 is the flagship smartphone of Samsung Mobile. Unveiled last May 2012, it quickly became one of the most successful smartphones in history selling over 20 Million units in its first 100 days.
Samsung Galaxy S3 has the following specifications:
The Sun Elite 1500 Plan gives you the following services:
Unlimited Sun Calls and Texts (Sun to Sun)
Unlimited Mobile Internet
Unlimited Local Landline*
250 FREE Texts to other networks
60 IDD minutes**
*For landline calls within your local area only. Unlimited landline feature is available in NCR, Rizal, Albay, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Pangasinan, Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Quezon, Benguet, Tarlac, Bataan, Isabela, Bulacan, Pampanga and Ilocos Sur
** IDD 10 Countries: US (Main), Canada, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Guam, Macau
How to Apply for Sun Elite 1500 Plan?
Just go to the nearest Sun Shops and bring the following requirements:
Subscription Application Requirements:
I. COMPLETELY FILLED OUT APPLICATION FORM/S WITH LANDLINE NUMBERS
II. VALID ID (example Philippine Driver’s License)
III. ANY OF THE TWO (2) OPTIONS BELOW:
Option 1: Proof of Billing & Proof of Income
A. PROOF OF BILLING (example Electric Bill)
B. PROOF OF INCOME ( example Income tax Return or BIR Form 2316)
Option 2: COMPETITOR BILL – Account must be current with no overdue balance or paid if already due.
The Subscriber must have been with the competitor network for at least six (6) months at the
time of application to Sun Cellular.
I know many already know about this but for the sake of those who still don’t, here are a few reminders and notes:
- Make sure that the place where you usually go or stay have Sun Cellular 3G signal
- for those in major cities, this won’t be a problem
- voice and text signal does not guarantee 3G internet signal
- You can always share your mobile phone internet connection through tethering or personal hotspot, a feature common in smartphones like Galaxy Grand
- Sun Elite 1500 Plan has a 2-year contract
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Hewlett-Packard, the world’s largest manufacturer of personal computers announces the release of Slate 7 tablet during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.
The HP Slate 7 tablet
HP Slate 7 is an affordable Android tablet that aims to compete in the space now occupied by Google Nexus 7 and iPad Mini. Here are the features and technical specification of the device.
- 7-in touchscreen display (High-aperture-ratio Field Fringe Switching (HFFS) panel) – Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) - ARM Dual Core Cortex-A9 1.6 GHz processor - 1GB RAM – 8GB on-board storage – micro SD card slot – 3 MP rear camera and VGA front camera - embedded Beats Audio – he HP ePrint application
Pricing and Availability in the Philippines
HP Slate 7 will be available in the US this April 2013. The device was priced at $169 (around 7000 Pesos). Availability in the Philippines was not mentioned but there’s a huge possibility that the device will make it to the Philippine market.
After HP TouchPad and the WebOS
HP is struggling to come out of the fading PC business like Dell. In February 2011, the company attempted to jump into the bandwagon of the fast growing tablet market by announcing the HP TouchPad. It is a 9.7 inches tablet powered by WebOS, a mobile operating system HP bought together with Palm in 2010. The device hardware and software (WebOS) were met with positive reception from reviewers. But the key flaw of the TouchPad is the lack of available apps, an area where Apple and Google had a huge advantage.
The TouchPad endeavor eventually ended in August 2011 when HP decided to drop the development of WebOS and all other devices running on it. The remaining TouchPads went on sale for $100 and the demand was crazy. Two years after that, here’s HP again, trying to enter the tablet space with HP Slate 7. Now that they have partnered with Google in using Android, that will solve the main problem they had with WebOS, that is, the apps availability. Will HP finally make it this time? Probably. The tablet market is increasingly becoming a bloody battlefield, with better and cheaper tablets coming every other month. Having that said, it would be a tough challenge for HP.
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Sun Cellular announces today that they are now offering the Samsung Galaxy Grand smartphone at Sun Plan 999.
Samsung Galaxy Grand under Sun Plan 999
For those not familiar with Samsung Galaxy Grand, it is the latest smartphone launched by Samsung Mobile. It’s the cheap version of Galaxy Note 2, which is also a phablet in size.
Here’s a run down of its features and specifications:
Galaxy Grand Specs
- 5-in capacitive display (not AMOLED)
- Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean)
- 1.2 GHz Dual-core processor
- dual SIM Card support
- 8 MP Rear Camera
- 2 MP Front Camera
- 8 GB internal memory
- up to 64GB micro SD card support
- 2100 mAh Li-ion battery
Sun Cellular Plan 999
Sun Plan 999 gives you the following services:
- Unlimited Mobile Internet
- Unlimited Sun Texts
- 4 Hours Sun Calls
To apply for it, prepare a valid ID(s) and proof of billing address and go to the nearest Sun Shop.
Reminders Before Applying for Sun Plan 999
I know many already know about this but for the sake of those who still don’t, here are a few reminders and notes:
- Make sure that the place where you usually go or stay have Sun Cellular 3G signal
- for those in major cities, this won’t be a problem
- voice and text signal does not guarantee 3G internet signal
- You can always share your mobile phone internet connection through tethering or personal hotspot, a feature common in smartphones like Galaxy Grand
- Sun Plan 999 has a 2-year contract
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Samsung Mobile confirms the rumored event on March 14, 2013 on which they might release the long awaited Samsung Galaxy S4. The likelihood of the S4 release can be discerned by the event poster shown below. As you can see, instead of saying “Ready for the Show”, they wrote ‘Ready 4 the Show”. Is it a subtle tout to the S4 release? We shall see.
Galaxy S4 Event on March 14
Samsung Galaxy S4 Rumors Round-up
The Galaxy S line is the Samsung Mobile’s flagship smartphone product. Since the release of the first Galaxy S, the next version of the smartphone line has been a subject of rumor, most of which eventually confirmed. Here are some of the rumored features of the much anticipated smartphone of the year, the Galaxy S4.
Bigger Display
The Samsung Galaxy S4 was rumored to have a 5-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 display. For comparison, Samsung Galaxy S3 has a 4.8 inches display. It will be surprising though if the S4 will not feature their self-developed Super AMOLED display technology, as some rumors claimed.
Faster and Smarter
Samsung is expected to beef up the technical specification of Galaxy S4. That may include a faster quad-core processor (or even an 8-core processor) and 2GB RAM.
Regarding the features, it might be a little more of what the S3 has offered.
Well, all these are just rumors and we still have to wait for another three weeks before finally confirming the actual Galaxy SIV.
Update: Samsung Mobile releases another poster featuring a huge number “4″. Please see the poster below.
The latest Samsung Galaxy S4 poster
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Just before the 2013 Mobile World Congress (MWC) starts, Samsung Mobile unveils Galaxy Note 8 tablet. The tablet appears to compete against the iPad Mini and Nexus 7, the two leading low-mid-end tablet products in the market today. Samsung also reveals some of the basic specification of Galaxy Note 8.
Samsung Mobile announces the Galaxy Note 8 tablet
Galaxy Note 8 Tablet Specs and Features
- Intelligent S Pen
- 1.6GHz processor
- 8-in WXGA screen
- Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
- HSPA+ connectivity (optional)’
- 2GB of RAM
- 16 or 32GB of internal storage
- microSD slot for added storage
- 1.3-megapixel front camera and 5-megapixel rear camera
Price and Availability in the Philippines
No pricing was announced but since it appears to be Samsung’s answer to Google’s Nexus 7 and Apple’s iPad Mini, we can expect Galaxy Note 8 to be priced around 15000 Pesos. For comparison, the 16GB iPad Mini WiFi version is priced at 15990 Pesos while the 32 GB Nexus 7 can be purchased at 14000 Pesos.
About the specific date, Samsung didn’t mention bus said the device would be available wordwide on 2Q 2013. I was hoping that the Philippines is included. If so, you can buy it at any Samsung Mobile outlet in the malls or possibly in other consumer electronics retailer nearest you.
Galaxy Note 8 provides another option for consumers. And this is a good option in addition to Samsung’s galaxy of tablets, phones and phablets. It appears that the smartphone and the tablet has finally comes to its maturity.
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Apple Inc has released iOS 6.1.2. The mobile device technology company said that the new iOS version has the fix for a bug in Exchange calendar that causes the battery to be drained easily. And although Apple didn’t publicize it, recent tests show that they already also fixed the bug that can bypass the Passcodes in iPhones.
iPhones should be upgraded to iOS 6.1.2 to solve passcode bypass bug
Updating to iOS 6.1.2
To update your device to iOS 6.1.2 , go to the Settings App, General, Software Update. Make sure that you have enough free space for the installation files and at more than 50% battery if the device is not connected to a power supply. The update will take about 10 minutes depending on internet connection speed.
To update device to iOS 6.1.2, go to Settings App>Genera>Software Update
About iOS
iOS is the operating system running Apple mobile devices namely, the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Apple TV. The first version was released in 2007 along with the first iPhone. Since then, it expanded its support that included new Apple devices. Apps that works with iOS can only be downloaded in the App Store (except for jailbroken devices).
About Apple
Apple Inc is a leading manufacturer of consumer electronic devices. They manufacture Macs, iPhones, iPads, iPods and Apple TV. It is also the biggest online seller of digital music via their iTunes Store. Apple was founded in 1976 by computer enthusiasts Ronald Wayne Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs
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Taiwan-based manufacturer HTC announces their latest flagship smartphone - HTC One. The announcement was made in a simultaneous two-location (London and New York) event tonight. After several leaked reports, here is the final and official specifications of HTC’s premier product:
HTC One pricing and availability in the Philippines is yet to be revealed. Historically, SMART Communications and Sun Cellular are the only carriers that offer HTC phones in the country. The units were tied up with a data, voice and text plans. For HTC One, we can expect the same.
Open-line models will eventually arrive in the country but price is yet to be announced by specific vendors.
HTC One Savior?
HTC had a rough 2012. Their HTC OneX flagship smartphone released last year failed to totter the increasing grounds of Apple and Samsung in the smartphone arena. Apple iPhone 5 and Samsung’s Galaxy SIII and Note 2 were still the favorite of consumers. Both companies had posted record sales last year.
Will HTC One be the product that will thrust HTC back to the forefront of the smartphone battle? Maybe. But what is clear is that it will be a tough battle, especially this year. Apple is poised to announce the successor of the highly successful iPhone 5 (iPhone 5S?) late this year. Samsung is also poised to announce the much rumored Galaxy SIV next month. It will be a bloody battle indeed.
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SMART Communications is now offering their Pocket WiFi device under the unlimited internet plan 999. You will have to pay a one-time fee of 800 Pesos for the device. And just like other unlimited plans with tied up devices, you will be under a lock-up contract of 24 months. Previously, they only offers this at plan 599 with 50 hours of internet surfing per month.
SMART Pocket Wifi
The Pocket WiFi device is made by Huawei, the largest manufacturer of telecommunication equipment and devices in China. It can connect five different devices at a time. The battery life though is just enough for five hours. The package comes with a USB cord for tethering and charging.
SMART claims that the SIM inside the device can deliver up to 7.2 Mbps of internet speed but it depends on many factors such as signal strength and internet traffic congestion.
To apply, visit the nearest SMART Sales office bringing the following requirements:
- Identification (valid IDs)
- Proof of Billing address (any bill or statement under your name with address on it)
- 800 Pesos (one-time fee) for the Pocket WiFi device
Open Line Pocket WiFi device
If you don’t want to be under the 24-month contract of SMART, you can just buy a prepaid SIM of any network (SMART, Globe, or Sun). Then buy the original Huawei-made device. The current price is 4000 Pesos and is available in selected electronic stores here in the country. For those in Cebu, you can buy it at Ingenius Stores in Ayala Center, IT Park, and SM City Cebu.
SMART also offers an unlimited 999 postpaid SIM with a lock-in period of just 6 months.
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