Day: September 27, 2014

iPhone 6 Plus in the flesh, first impressions

Abe Olandres Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

Earlier this week, we posted our review of the iPhone 6. We eventually got its bigger sibling, the iPhone 6 Plus. And they shared a lot of things in common, there were a few upgrades that puts it at a better spot.

The biggest and most prominent feature of the iPhone 6 Plus is its size. We originally thought it would be just as big as the LG G3 which also has a 5.5 inch display but turns out it’s way bigger and more like the size of the Galaxy Note 3 or the figure of the Nokia Lumia 1520.

iphone6plus-iphone6

So yes, the iPhone 6 Plus is legitimately a phablet. That’s why there’s a lot of noise regarding this year’s release since Apple has resisted even going the way of major flagship device in the range of 4.7 to 5.0 inches, then suddenly they made a sizable shift to 5.5.

The general idea is that bigger is better but in the case of the iPhone 6 Plus we felt the small iPhone 6 has better feel and grip on the hands. It’s a bit heavy on the hands you’ll always end up using both hands when using it.

The iPhone 6 Plus that we got was the champagne gold with white front panel. The gold color is prominent at the back with band-aid like stripes of white. It did not strike us as a nice color combo so we’re more inclined to pick the space gray since the variations are more subtle.

iphone6-plus

Apple has also finally gone full HD (1080p) after being stuck with 720p (Retina Display) for over 7 years. We were also expecting more additional rows for the icons but it runs out there’s only one extra row just like in the iPhone 6. That means bigger icons than what you’re used to with the previous iPhones. Apple has managed to maintain the aspect ratio at 16:9 so apps and games will scale just fine.

Just like the iPhone 6, the full HD display of the iPhone 6 Plus looks stunning, clear and crisp. We’re hoping the bigger 2,915mAh battery capacity would support the huge display and maintain an acceptable battery life (more on that during our standard battery bench).

iphone6plus

As for that #BendGate issue with the iPhone 6 Plus, we actually tried and failed. Perhaps with enough pressure and stress, it might buckle the same way any other phablet would at this size and form factor.

It just feels a bit weird that we’d see an iPhone this big. In any case, this is another experiment that Apple is testing to see if they’d be able to push some more digits in their smartphone market share. Perhaps, this could finally be the time the iPhone 6 Plus can do what the iPhone 5C failed last year — attract more users.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus specs:
5.5-inch IPS LCD @ 1080×1920 pixels, 401ppi
Apple A8 1.4GHz dual-core Cyclone processor
PowerVR GX6450 quad-core GPU
1GB RAM
16GB, 64GB, 128GB internal storage
HPSA+/LTE 150Mbps
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Bluetooth 4.0 LE
NFC, Apple Pay
8MP rear camera, dual-tone LED flash
1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps
1.2MP front facing camera
Fingerprint sensor
iOS 8
Li-Po 2915mAh battery
172 grams (weight)
158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm (dimensions)

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are not yet officially released in the Philippines but you can still get them thru online stores like Widget City.

More on this on our full review pf the iPhone 6 Plus. For the meantime, check our iPhone 6 review here.

The post iPhone 6 Plus in the flesh, first impressions appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

PH internet still ASEAN’s slowest; are we making progress?

Bob Freking Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

It has been around five months already since we reported Philippine internet speeds being the slowest in ASEAN. Since then, the issue has caught a lot of attention causing senate hearings & probing.Upon checking into Ookla’s Net Index, we can see that not much has changed.

filipino oligarchy internet

Net Index’s data, analyzed between August 27 & September 25 this year, reports that the Philippines has an average download speed of 3.5 mbps and an upload speed of 1.4 mbps as of writing – for broadband users. One thing to note though is that the average mobile internet speed is slightly higher at 3.6 & 1.7 mbps respectively – which is understandable given the trends of mobile internet.

As we’ve said, there have been calls to probing and senate hearings, and so far, we’ve gotten a lot of statements on the issue. A lot of pressure is put on PLDT for not allowing IP peering, so for one case, PLDT blames abusive users for slow internet speeds and for another case, blames Filipinos’ preference for websites in English language. A lot of discussion is still going on between the government & the telcos, most of it concerning IP peering, misleading advertisements and the like. On the other hand, the NTC has already proposed a higher budget for faster internet.

So far, it looks like one of the best solutions being pushed right now is IP peering, but we still have no idea if it will all lead to this. There’s a good discussion about this on Reddit, but we have also discussed the causes and possible solutions in the past to expensive but slow Philippine internet in the following articles below:

Right now, all we have to do is to keep the fire burning. We shouldn’t let this issue just die down and be forgotten. The system needs to either allow foreign investments by abolishing 60/40, be more strict with torrent downloads, inspire competition and have companies & the government invest on infrastructure – or a combination of all.

However, all of this won’t happen if we don’t push for progress. Do you think we’ll make progress?

{Net Index}

The post PH internet still ASEAN’s slowest; are we making progress? appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Ekotek Ekoplay Bluetooth Speaker first impressions

Louie Diangson Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

Along with the Ekotab Encore tablets, Ekotek has also sent us this small Bluetooth speaker, the Ekoplay. This portable speaker is designed for those who want to give their smartphone or tablet a sound boost without breaking the bank. Find out what we think of the device by reading our first impressions below.

ekoplay_1

The first thing we noticed about the Ekoplay is its size. Ekotek is spot-on when claiming that this is a portable speaker as it is light and no bigger than an egg. Although it will not exactly fit comfortably in your jeans pocket due to its shape, it will, however, sit well even inside a small bag.

ekoplay_3

On the front of the Ekoplay you will see three buttons for Previous, Play/Pause, and Next. The Previous and Next buttons doubles as the volume buttons while the Play/Pause button also acts as the ON/OFF. Placed at the small space above the buttons is the indicator light with blue and red LEDs.

ekoplay_5

Found on top is the speaker. Down at its base is the Line-in and charging cable. Take a look at the back and you’ll see a 3.5mm audio jack for the buddy jack function when you want to hook up multiple Ekoplays in a chain.

ekoplay_2

You can play music on the Ekoplay in two ways, either wired via its audio jack or go wireless via Bluetooth. The speaker is powered by a 250mAh battery which claims to last for up to 6 hours when wired and up to 3 hours in Bluetooth.

ekoplay_4

As for sound quality, the Ekoplay is very audible and can easily fill a small room. It has decent bass but the mids and highs lacks some punch. It would probably sound better if it is buddy jacked with a couple more speakers. However, if you’re just going to use it for casual listening of MP3s or to boost your movies, the Ekoplay should suffice.

ekoplay_6

The Ekotek Ekoplay Bluetooth speaker is priced at Php940 and can be purchased here.

For more information about Ekotek and their products you can visit their webpage at ekotek.com.ph.

The post Ekotek Ekoplay Bluetooth Speaker first impressions appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Ekotek Ekotab Encore D & L tablets first impressions

Louie Diangson Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

We recently received two affordable entry-level tablets from Philippine-based electronics brand, Ekotek, the Ekotab Encore D and Ekotab Encore L. Both Android slates sport 7-inch displays and powered by Rockchip dual-core CPUs. Check out first impressions below to see what these two have to offer.

ekotab encore_1

To avoid confusion, the Ekotab Encore D and Ekotab Encore L are actually twins and sport the same specs. The only difference is the rear design – the Encore D has a dimpled finish while the Encore L has a leather-like texture with fake stitches around it.

ekotab encore_3

On the front are 7-inch displays with 800 x 480 resolution or equal to 133ppi, along with the 0.3 megapixel front camera. Ekotek placed all its ports at the top of the device. Here you’ll see the volume rocker, microSD card slot, DC charging port, microUSB port, 3.5mm headset jack, and the power/lock button.

ekotab encore_2

Flip it on its back and you’ll see the 0.3 megapixel rear camera, the rear microphone, and the speaker.

ekotab encore_4

Both slates sport a white color and a very generic design. However, this gives the Encore tablets a simple yet clean appearance. On hand it feels chunky but has a really nice texture and relatively light which makes nice to hold.

ekotab encore_5

The specs are nothing to write home about which is expected given its price tag. The display has limited viewing angles with dull colors, and is powered by a 1GHz Rockchip RK3026 dual-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, 2,400mAh battery and Android 4.2.2 Jellybean.

ekotab encore_6

Ekotek Ekotab Encore D & L specs:
7-inch 800 x 480 display, 133ppi
1GHz Rockchip RK3026 dual-core CPU
512MB RAM
4GB internal storage
microSD card support
0.3 megapixel rear and front cameras
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
microUSB port
2,400mAh battery
Android 4.2.2 Jellybean.

The Ekotek Ekotab Encore D and Encore L are priced at Php2,799 and can be purchased here.

For more information about Ekotek and their products you can visit their webpage at ekotek.com.ph.

The post Ekotek Ekotab Encore D & L tablets first impressions appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.