Posts Tagged ‘Philippines’

Samsung Galaxy S4 – Specs, Price, and Availability in the Philippines

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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HP Unveils Slate 7 Tablet at MWC 2013

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.

[Related: Google Unveils Nexus 7 Tablet]

[Related:  iPad Mini Philippines Now Available!]

HP Slate 7 Specs

- 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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Galaxy Note 8 – Specs, Price and Availablity in the Philippines

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.

[Read: iPad Mini Philippines Now Available!]

[Read:Nexus 7 – Where to Buy in Cebu?]

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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HTC One Philippines – Specs, Price and Availability

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:

• OS: Android 4.1.2 with HTC Sense 5
• 4.7 inches Super LCD 3 Display
• Processor: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600, quad-core, 1.7GHz
• Memory: 32GB and 64GB
• RAM: 2GB DDR2
• Battery: 2300 mAh Li-polymer battery
• Ultrapixel Camera (HTC technology) capable of 1080p recording
• NFF capable
• Infrared, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, DLNA for TV streaming
• MicroUSB slot
• Beats Audio
• Dual stereo speakers (at the front)
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA/CDMA/LTE support
• Gyro, Promity, Ambient Light, Accelerometer sensors
• GPS and compass

The all-new HTC One

HTC One Price and Availability

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 One X 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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Promo: Price of Sun Broadband Prepaid Kit Reduced to 795 Pesos

Sun Cellular has reduced the price of their Sun broadband prepaid kit from 995 pesos down to 795 Pesos. That translates to 20% discount, making it the cheapest plug-it device among the three major mobile internet provider in the country (the other two are Globe Tattoo and Smart Bro).

Sun Broadband Prepaid Kit for only 795 Pesos

The prepaid kit consists of the USB plug-it device and a Sun Broadband Prepaid SIM card pre-loaded with 1 hour of internet load. The kit can deliver up to 7.2 Mb/s internet speed.

Since it was a prepaid kit, you will have to load it before use. Regular rate is 10 pesos for 30 minutes. You can also register for an unlimited internet for a period of time. Please read the article below to know how.

[Read: How to Register Sun Unlimited Internet?]

The prepaid kit can be purchased in the nearest Sun Shops and authorized retailers.

A good reminder though is to check first if there is a Sun Cellular 3G signal in places where you intend to use your device.  To ask, go to the nearest Sun Shop.

Sun Broadband Postpaid Plan

If prepaid is not for you and you think you regularly need an unlimited internet for the month, you can try the postpaid version. The same package is available, except that you will be under an up to 24-month lock-up contract to subsidized for the device. The price though of their postpaid plan can be as low as 799 pesos only.

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LinkedIn Philippines Congratulates First 500,000 Members in the Country

Professional social network LinkedIn Philippines sent out greetings to the first 500, 000 members in the country. The fast growing social network company recently claimed to have reached the 200 Million worldwide members milestone.

LinkedIn Philippines

LinkedIn’s success is based on their solid business model: a social network that connects professional data from their members. It helps both the person find a company that needs his or her skills. That model is different from that of Facebook, Google+, and Twitter whose business is to provide advertisements to their users. LinkedIn earnings comes from companies looking for skill sets and talents for their business.

The Rise of LinkedIn Philippines

Here in the country, we are slowly moving away from the traditional job search. Before, we use to search jobs from the newspaper advertisements. After that, we prepare a printed biodata or resume and submit it to the office. Then, comes job search websites like Jobstreet and JobsDB. It is also the time of electronic resume that can be submitted by email. Finally, with the rise of social network, LinkedIn became a popular platform to connect job seekers and employers.

In my opinion, LinkedIn perfectly blended social networking with professionalism. The professional data is now stored in a format that can easily be analyzed, making it easy for employers to find what they are looking for. The recommendations from peers of similar profession is also a good signal of the validity of one’s skill claim. Or at least on the first pass.

Also LinkedIn Philippines still have a huge opportunity to expand locally. Internet access and speed, if you may, are still a work-in-progress. As more and more Filipinos go online, LinkedIn Philippines will continue to change the way we find jobs. Are you riding in LinkedIn’s bandwagon? Let me know your thoughts by commenting.

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Reset Your Unfinished Plan and Get Globe iPhone 5

Here’s a nice offer from Globe Telecom that I think make sense and will really attract more people to buy the new iPhone 5. The offer is to enable the existing iPhone user to upgrade to Globe iPhone 5 even though they are still locked up to their earlier iPhone plan. For example, if you avail any of Globe’s iPhone 4S plans last year or even early this year and want to upgrade to get the new iPhone, all you have to do is to renew your plan and you will be able to have the iPhone 5 at a discount. The discount though depends several factors such as the original plan you have, the remaining months left on your original plan and more.

Globe iPhone 5

iPhone 5 Upgrade Calculator

Globe has launched an online calculator to see how much you have to pay to get the iPhone depending your situation. The link to the calculator is here: http://www.globe.com.ph/iphone5-reset-calculator

Globe iPhone 5 Plan Reset Calculator

SMART Versus Globe iPhone 5

Like last year, SMART and Globe is on a head-on collision with respect to the new iPhone 5. Both telcos, being the two largest networks in the country, have set-up truly competitive offers on the celebrated device.  Whether it will be a Globe iPhone 5 or SMART iPhone 5 will boil down to what the customer need and how both companies will market their offers to the customers.

Upgrading to iPhone 5

iPhone is still one of the most expensive smartphones in the market today and is generally picked by those who have the money to spend on gadgets that are considered a luxury. Still, there are those who are tech addicts, people who can’t accept being left behind by fast-moving technology. Those people are the ones who are willing to upgrade to newer versions of phones as they arrive. Well, that matter is a personal decision. And if you have the means, what’s the reason for not enjoying your hard-earned money?

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iPhone 5 Philippines on December 14 – Apple Press Release

Finally, the latest version of the celebrated smartphone is about to come to the Philippines on December 14. Apple Inc, through a press release announced that iPhone 5 will officially be available in the country on the said date. Of course, as you have expected, the device will be made available through Smart and Globe, the two major mobile networks in the country.

Apple iPhone 5 – the biggest and the best iPhone to date.

Globe Starts Registration for iPhone 5

Immediately after the press release, Globe Telecoms begins pre-registration for those interested to buy the iPhone 5. Here’s the link to their webpage:  http://iphone5.globe.com.ph/registration/register_1.php

Globe iPhone 5

iPhone 5 SMART Pre-orders

SMART Communications has already started pre-oders of iPhone 5 units.  You can register in this link: http://www1.smart.com.ph/Postpaid/iphone5/register

SMART iPhone 5 Pre-order registration

With both telecoms set to offer the device on December 14, we can expect another epic duel of events to be held simultaneously just like what happened last year when Globe and SMART organized their own events in different locations offering iPhone 4S to the excited Filipinos. It was unclear who really won last year, but both events really rocked the nation.

iPhone 5 Philippines Price

Globe has not yet announced prices for the iPhone 5. It will naturally come tied up to a data plan or be sold as locked-up prepaid version.

About iPhone 5

iPhone 5 is the biggest iPhone since the device debuted in 2007. It has a 4-in retina display, a more powerful A6 processor, and comes loaded with iOS 6, Apple’s mobile operating system. The new iPhone also sports a thinner and lighter design, new color schemes black – slate and white-silver and a support for the fast LTE  mobile  network. The iPhone 5 box also comes with Apple’s new design of EarPods.

For more details, please check this article:

Apple iPhone 5 – Specs, Features, Price and Availability in the Philippines

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Smart Nexus 7 Is Bundled With Pocket Wifi Plan

Smart Communications is set to offer Google Nexus 7 to the Philippines bundled with Smart Bro Flexisurf Pocket WiFi plan 599. Pre-order can be done starting November 30 at flexisurf.smart.com.ph. You can get the device in just 600/month for 24 months at zero interest.

Smart to Offer Nexus 7 bundled with Pocket Wifi Data Plan

About Google Nexus 7

Google’s Nexus 7 tablet features a stunning 7-inch touchscreen display, a quad-core processor and the latest Android OS, version 4.2 (Jelly Bean). The device itself was designed by Google in partnership with Taiwanese company Asus. Reviews of the device were mostly positive because of its price relative to its more-than-decent specs.

The device that will be offered by Smart is the 32 GB version.

About Smart Bro Flexisurf Pocket WiFi Plan 599

Flexisurf Pocket WiFi plan 599 will give you 50 hours/month of internet usage with speed up to 7.2 Mbps and a Pocket Wifi device. This plan is under what smart termed as “anti-bill shock” where your bill will automatically be capped at 999 Pesos per month (80 hours of usage).

You Monthly Bill?

If you decide to buy this device, you will have to pay 1199 Pesos (600 for the Nexus 7 and 599 for the data plan) per month for 24 months lock-up period.

Learn more about Nexus 7 in this article: Google Announces Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10

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Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 Philippines (via SMART)

Update: Smart Nexus 7 Is Bundled With Pocket Wifi Plan

The Nexus devices is heading over the country soon! Smart Communications announces Saturday that they will be offering the latest Google devices – Nexus 4 and Nexus 7- in the Philippines. The announcement was made via Twitter.

SMART to Offer Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 in the Philippines

About Nexus 4 and Nexus 7

Nexus 4 is the latest Google Phone. Successor of Galaxy Nexus, it was designed by Google in partnership with LG Electronics. It sports a quad-core processor, a stunning 4.7 inches Corning Gorilla Glass display, and Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) mobile OS.

Nexus 7  is the latest iteration of Google tablet. It sports a 7-inches display, a quad-core processor 1 GB RAM and is being offered an amazing price of as low as $199 USD (around 8400 Pesos) for the 16GB WiFi Model. It also runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) OS.

About SMART Communications

Smart Communications is the mobile arm of the telecommunications giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT). It is the country’s largest mobile operator in terms of subscribers. They now offers a wide array of wireless technologies: GSM, 3G, and 4G (LTE, WiMAX and HSPA+).

Pricing and Availability

Smart has not yet disclosed the details about the price of these devices. It is likely though that Nexus 4 phone will come tied up with a plan and a 24-month contract. For Nexus 7, it is possible that SMART will only offer the 32 GB, WiFi + HSPA+ model and tie it to a their data plan.

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