January 4, 2015 | Prepys' Homepage

The Best of 2014: Budget LTE Smartphones

January 4, 2015January 4, 2015 Kevin Bruce Francisco Leave a comment

As we enter a brand new year, we take a look at the previous year’s bests and give you the hottest devices for 2014. In this article (which is the first of our year-ender series coming this week) we’ve picked our 10 budget LTE smartphones with a price tag not over Php9,000. Check them out after the break.

The devices listed below were chosen due to their balance of good specs and affordable price tag. They are arranged from the most expensive among the bunch down to the most affordable model that boasts 4G connectivity. Let’s get started.

Cherry Mobile Ultra

Also making our previous list, the Cherry Mobile Ultra comes with a 5-inch HD display for those who like a little more screen room to navigate. We have tested one before and we liked its display and long battery life. Read the full review here.

Specifications:
5-inch HD IPS display, 1280×720 @293ppi
1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 MSM8926 quad-core processor
Adreno 305 GPU
1GB RAM
Expandable 8GB internal memory
13MP BSI rear camera with LED flash
1080p video recording @30fps
2MP front-facing camera
LTE, HSPA
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Hotspot
Bluetooth 4.0 LE
FM Radio
GPS w/ A-GPS, GLONASS
Single SIM (Micro)
Android 4.3 Jellybean
2,000mAh battery
Dimension: 145.5 x 72.5 x 9 .0mm
Weight: 162g
Price: Php8,999

Huawei Ascend P2 LTE

Originally priced at almost Php23K, the Huawei Ascend P2 LTE’s tag was discounted to only Php9K! This sweet deal already comes with a Gorilla Glass protection, NFC, and 16GB of memory to save all your files. Only downside is that it still uses the old Android Jelly Bean, but if it’s not that much of a deal-breaker for you then you might want to check this phone out.

Specifications:
4.7-inch IPS LCD display @ 720×1280 pixels, 312ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 2
Huawei K3V2 1.5GHz quad-core processor
1GB
16GB
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band
3G/HSPA+, LTE 150Mbps
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
FM Radio
GPS w/ aGPS support
13MP BSI rear camera, LED flash
1.3MP front-facing cmera
Li-Ion 2,420mAh battery
Android 4.1 Jellybean
Price: Php8,990

Acer Liquid E600 LTE

This is Acer’s stab at going for the budget category without compromising power. The Acer Liquid E600 has 2GB RAM, DTS Sound technology, and LTE capability for less than Php9K.

Specifications:
5-inch FWVGA IPS display, 196ppi
1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core CPU
Adreno 305 GPU
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD card
8 megapixel AF rear camera w/ LED flash
2 megapixel front camera
4G LTE, 3G HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0, A2DP
microUSB 2.0
GPS, A-GPS
DTS Sound
2,500mAh battery
Android 4.4.2 KitKat
147 x 72 x 9.5 mm
155 g
Price: Php8,988

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G LTE

This LTE variant of the octa-core-touting Redmi Note is now powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It’s got 8GB of internal storage that goes with 2GB of RAM. The latest Android KitKat runs the OS department so you get a responsive interface.

Specifications:
5.5-inch HD IPS display, 267ppi
1.6GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8928 quad-core CPU
Adreno 305 GPU
2GB RAM
8GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD
13 megapixel rear camera w/ LED flash
5 megapixel front camera
4G LTE (FDD-LTE/LDD-LTE)
3G(WCDMA/TD)
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.0 LE
GPS, A-GPS
USB OTG
MIUI V5.0 (Android 4.4 KitKat)
3,100mAh battery
154 x 78.7 x 9.5mm
199g
Estimated Price: Php7,299

Meizu M1 Note

Another budget phone from Meizu that carries beefy specs is the Meizu M1 Note. Enjoy watching videos on its Full HD Sharp IGZO display that’s reinforced with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3. Inside, it also employs a generous 2GB RAM and a choice of either a 16GB or 32GB internal storage for your files.

Specifications:
5.5-inch Sharp IGZO Full HD display, 401ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
1.7GHz MediaTek MT6752 octa-core CPU
Mali T760 MP2 GPU
2GB RAM
16GB / 32GB internal storage
13 megapixel Samsung camera w/ LED flash, F/2.2 aperture
1/3.06-inch CMOS sensor, 300-degrees panoramic lens
5 megapixel OVS670 front camera, F/2.0 aperture
Dual-SIM, Dual-Standby
FDD-LTE / WCDMA / GSM
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0, BLE
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
Flyme 4 OS (Android 4.4 Kitkat)
3,140mAh battery
150.7 x 75.2 x 8.9mm
145g
White, Blue, Yellow, Green, Pink
Price: CNY999 (approx. 7,200) for 16GB / CNY 1,199 (approx. Php8,600) for 32GB

Huawei Honor 4 Play

Enjoy more space for your photos with Huawei Honor 4 Play’s 8GB internal storage. NFC is also on-board so you can just tap and pair to other NFC-enabled devices while the 64-bit ARMv8 SoC from Qualcomm runs the show.

Specifications:
5-inch HD (1280 x 720) display, 294ppi
1.4GHz Snapdragon 410 quad-core SoC
Adreno 306 GPU
1GB RAM
8GB of internal storage
8 megapixel rear camera with LED flash
2 megapixel front camera
Dual-SIM, Dual-Standby
4G/LTE
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n,
Bluetooth 4.0 w/ A2DP
NFC
GPS, A-GPS
Android Jelly bean (4.2) with Emotion UI
2,000mAh battery
Estimated Price: Php5,800++

ASUS Pegasus X002

Introduced right before Christmas of 2014, the ASUS Pegasus X002 continues the legacy of the Zenfone 5 and offers powerful specs for a sub-Php6K price tag. Its Ultra Picture Quality mode can stitch a number of pictures together to create an ultra-high resolution 30MP photo.

Specifications:
5-inch IPS display, 1280 x 720, 294ppi
1.5GHz quad-core Mediatek MT6732
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
expandable via microSD
8-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash and Ultra Picture Quality mode
5-megapixel front camera
Dual-SIM, Dual-Standby
4G TD-LTE/TD- CDMA, 3G
WiFi
Bluetooth
Android 4.4 KitKat with ZenUI
2500mAh battery
Price: CNY799 (approx. Php5,200)

Xiaomi RedMi 1S 4G LTE

Obviously the LTE-enabled version of the RedMi 1S, Xiaomi’s RedMi 1S 4G LTE sports 8GB of storage space, a MediaTek processor decently-clocked at 1.3GHz, and a proprietary UI on top of Android KitKat.

Specifications:
4.7-inch HD IPS display @ 1280 x 720 resolution, 312ppi
1.3GHz MediaTek MTK6582 quad-core CPU
Mali-400 GPU
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD
8 megapixel rear camera w/ LED flash
1.6 megapixel front camera
Single SIM
4G(LDD-LTE), 3G(TD-SCDMA), 2G(GSM)
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
BT4.0LE + BT3.0HS
GPS, A-GPS
MIUI V5 (Android 4.4 KitKat)
2,200mAh battery
137 x 69 x 9.9mm
158g
Estimated Price: Php5,100+

ZTE Speed

With an approximated tag of Php4,500, the entry-level ZTE Speed carries with it good specs for its asking price like 8GB of internal memory, Snapdragon processor, HD voice, and LTE.

Specifications:
4.5-inch IPS Display
1.2 GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
expandable via microSD card
5MP rear FSI camera with HRD and LED Flash
2MP front camera
3G, 4G, Enhanced LTE
HD voice enabled
WiFi
Bluetooth 4.0
Android Kit Kat 4.4
2000mAh Battery
Price: $99.99 (approx. Php4,500)

Lenovo K3 (K30-T)

The Lenovo K3 has the most affordable price (although still lacking PH price) among the list. It is available online for CNY599 or approximately Php4,300 and offers its users capable internals — there’s your spacious HD screen, big room for files, and dual-SIM capabilities. We surely are looking forward to the local arrival of this LTE phone.

Specifications:
5-inch HD IPS display, 294ppi
1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core CPU
Adreno 306 GPU
1GB RAM
16GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD
8 megapixel camera w/ LED flash
2 megapixel front camera
Dual-SIM, Dual-Standby
4G (TD-LTE), 3G (TD-SCDMA)
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.1 LE
GPS, A-GPS
Waves MaxxAudio
2,300mAh battery
Android 4.4 KitKat w/ VIBE UI 2.0
141 x 70.5 x 7.9mm
128g
Price: CNY599 (approx. Php4,300)

The post The Best of 2014: Budget LTE Smartphones appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

January 2015 Breaking News End-Time Headlines with Evangelist Anita

January 4, 2015January 4, 2015 jove Leave a comment

Acer Liquid Z410 announced, 64-bit LTE under Php7k

January 4, 2015January 4, 2015 Carl Lamiel Leave a comment

With CES in full swing, Taiwanese brand Acer doesn’t want to get drowned among the sea of new tech announcements as it unveiled the budget-friendly Liquid Z410 sporting 64-bit processor and LTE connectivity with a sub-Php7k price tag.

Acer-LiquidZ410

This budget-friendly Acer smartphone sports a 4.5-inch display, a 5-megapixel rear shooter, and DTS Studio Sound. There is no exact information on the battery capacity, but Acer says that it can last up to 5.5 hours talk time and over 400 hours on standby.

Acer Liquid Z410 initial specifications:
4.5-inch IPS display, 540 x 960 pixels, 245ppi
1.5Ghz Quad-core MediaTek MT6732, 64-bit
ARM Mali-T760
5-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash
2-megapixel front camera with 80-degree wide angle
LTE Cat 4, HSPA+
WiFi
Bluetooth
GPS
DTS Studio Sound
Android 4.4 KitKat
up to 5.5 hours talk time

Despite announcing the Liquid Z410 at CES, Acer plans to sell this smartphone only in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region in late February for €129 or roughly Php7,000.

Source | Via

The post Acer Liquid Z410 announced, 64-bit LTE under Php7k appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Huawei Honor 6 Quick Review

January 4, 2015January 4, 2015 Abe Olandres Leave a comment

Released in the Philippines just last month, the Huawei Honor 6 is probably one of the most affordable mid-range smartphone in the market but with impressive configuration.

With a price tag of only Php13,990, this full HD smartphone comes with an octa-core Kirin 920 chip, 3GB of RAM and LTE-capability.

As reference, you can read about our Huawei Ascend Mate 7 here as there are a number of similarities in terms of features, UI and performance.

The Honor 6 sports a glass on glass body, much like the ones we saw with the Xperia Z3 and the iPhone 4S. In fact, the shape and contours of the Honor 6 closely resembles that of the iPhone 4S, along with the silver trimmings around the sides.

The phone feels good on the hands; at 5.0 inches, it’s just the right size for single-handed operation. It has a solid design, slightly hefty feel to it and a bit slippery on the hands due to the glossy finish and mainly glass construction.

The power button and volume rocker is found on the right side, while the 3.5mm audio port, noise-canceling mic and IR blaster are found at the top. The speaker mic is found at the bottom end along with the micro-USB port. The micro-SIM card and the microSD card slots are both found in a flap compartment on the right side as well.

The front panel is fully covered in solid glass with an IPS LCD panel with the front facing camera, speakers and sensors at the top corner. There’s an spacious empty space at the bottom where capacitive buttons are normally placed but there is none in favor of the virtual buttons of Android Kitkat.

The display panel has a full HD 1080 resolution giving it a pixel density of 441ppi. The screen is bright and crisp, colors are balanced with high contrast. The Emotion UI 2.5 looked very simple and clean. There is no app drawer so all of the apps and widgets are spread across multiple home screens or organized into folders.

The widgets and icons have a clean flat design with rounded corners. The UI is very snappy and responsive. Emoion UI comes with several pre-installed custom themes and there’s actually another Home Style (tile based similar to WP8) you can switch to if you want a simple, tile-based interface which makes it much less confusing to older folks, those with disability and the likes.

The 13MP rear camera is by Sony using an IMX214 sensor which is the same one used by the Nexus 6. It’s a pretty good sensor and photos looked sharp and clean.

Here are some of the sample photos we took using the rear camera.

Performance is very impressive for its category. Considering the Honor 6 uses Huawei’s own Kirin 920 chipset, the processor is a 1.7GHz octa-core with a Mali-T624 graphics paired with a whooping 3GB of RAM. This is perhaps the most affordable smartphone with 3GB of RAM, even beating local brands like the Starmobile Knight X (priced at 16k).

We did a number of the usual benchmark tests and got these pretty impressive scores. The results are actually very close (and sometimes higher) than it’s bigger sibling, the Ascend Mate 7 running a Kirin 925 chip.

Benchmarks	Honor 6	Ascend Mate 7
Antutu Benchmark	42,946	43,419
Quadrant Benchmark	11,854	11,329
NenaMark 2	59.3 fps	60.2 fps
Vellamo	1334 (Metal) 1720 (Multicore) 2765 (Chrome)	1,395 (Metal) 2,838 (HTML 5)
PCMark	2,891
3DMark	13,653	14,402

The device only has one SIM card slot although we know that there is a dual-SIM variant with 32GB internal storage. The microSD card beside it adds up to 64GB of storage.

The chip also supports LTE-A or Cat. 6, which can handle up to 300Mbps downlink speed although our local network still does not support it.

We were also surprised that our unit had an IR blaster (we didn’t see it in the initial announcement) which serves as a remote control for TV and other appliances.

As for battery life, the Honor 6 got an impressive 13.5 hours on a single full charge using our standard bench of video playback at 50% brightness and 0% volume. That’s one of the highest we’ve seen recently, even beating the Xperia Z3 with the same 3100mAh battery capacity.

So far, we’re pretty impressed with the Honor 6. Huawei did a good job at the design and specs department then coupled it with a very affordable price that even local flagship phones would find hard to match.

Huawei Honor 6 specs:
5-inch IPS LCD full HD display @ 1920 x 1080 resolution, 441ppi
Kirin 920 octa-core processor (4 x ARM Cortex A15 and 4 x A7 cores)
Mali-T624 GPU
3GB RAM
16GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD card
HSPA+, LTE Cat. 6 300Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-Band
13MP rear camera with Sony IMX214 sensor and f/2.0 aperture
Dual-LED flash
5MP front camera
IR Blaster
GPS with aGPS support
Android 4.4.2 KitKat with Emotion UI 2.3
Li-Ion 3100mAh battery
139.8 x 68.8 x 6.5mm
135 grams

What we liked about it:
* Good, solid design design
* Huge RAM capacity
* Great full HD display
* Impressive performance
* LTE Cat 6 connectivity
* IR remote
* Very good camera
* Very long battery life
* Very affordable

What we did not like:
* No NFC
* A bit slippery on the hands

The post Huawei Honor 6 Quick Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Comparison: RedMi 2S vs RedMi 1S

January 4, 2015January 4, 2015 Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

The newly-launched Xiaomi RedMi 2s is the latest addition to the company’s growing consumer electronics portfolio. But how does it stack up against its predecessor? Find it out after the break.

RedMi 2S vs RedMi 1S

Above is a chart that helps us identify the differences between the two handsets, specs-wise at least. The biggest improvement, if you can consider it as such, in the new model is the use of a new 64-bit processor from Qualcomm which, in theory, should bring faster performance to the RedMi 2S, not to mention add LTE connectivity to its arsenal.

Another note-worthy improvement that the RedMi 2S has over its predecessor is the use of an OGS panel which is partly to be credited to the RedMi 2S’ thinner and lighter frame.

Speaking of its form factor, apart from being thinner than the RedMi 1S, the new smartphone is shorter and has a narrower frame. It’s also 26 grams lighter than the previous model, despite of having a slightly larger battery pack.

As you can see, the new Xiaomi RedMi 2S is actually more of an incremental upgrade to the RedMi 1S rather than a completely new beast. But it doesn’t change the fact that the RedMi 2S is still a competitive player in the midrange segment, one that has the potential to pose the same amount of threat to its competition as its predecessor did during its heyday.

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