Month: December 2014

10 Gadget Gift Ideas for Last Minute Christmas Shopping

Abe Olandres Leave a comment

It’s already December this week and everyone is feeling the Christmas rush already. If you have not yet started shopping for gifts this Christmas, it could get really busy and confusing especially if you have dozens of gifts in mind and have very little time to go around and prepare them.

If you’re short on time you could probably just shop online and wrap all the gifts yourself. That’s if you already have all the gift ideas in mind and you can all source them online.

However, if you only have one week-end to spare, you might consider just head to the nearest mall and get everything in one go. Here are the top 10 gift ideas you might want to take note when heading for the mad rush.

Power Mac. Perhaps a new iPhone 6 is in order this Christmas. If you are looking to get an open-line unit, then official Apple Resellers like PowerMac is one of the places to get them. If you fancy something bigger and bolder, then a Macbook Air would be a good fit.

Digital Walker. If you don’t have enough wiggle room for a gadget as a gift, why not get a really good case for one (Incase, Spigen, Otterbox). Just make sure you know what the device and model you are buying the item for and that the one you’re getting looks much better. There are quite a number of selection to pick from if you check out Digital Walker.

Portable Hard Drive. One can never have enough storage so a new portable HDD from WD can be a good option. Western Digital’s MyPassport comes in 1TB or 2TB.

Asus Zenfone 5. There are so many Android phones to choose from but if you’re looking to give out one of the best bang for the buck handset, the Zenfone 5 is among our top choice. It’s really affordable and the perceived value is way more than what you actually paid for. Just be a bit patient as storea immediately ran out of stocks.

GoPro Hero 4. Getting a GoPro instead of a regular digital camera might not make sense for first time users but it’s the one you’ll probably don’t want to skip of the person you are giving it to is the outdoor kind. If the Hero 4 is quite expensive for your budget, the cheaper Hero would do just fine.

Android or iOS Tablet.. While you can never go wrong with an iPad Mini, perhaps it’s also good to expand the selection to Android devices as well. Huawei’s MediaPad X1 is a good alternative if you need LTE but the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 could be the best candidate to look out. If you’re on a budget, the Acer Iconia Tab 8 or the 2013 Nexus 7 are still your best bet.

Smartband/Fitness Tracker. Your choices will either be a Garmin Vivofit, a Jawbone UP24 or a Misfit Shine. All three are very capable and comes with a nice app Android or iOS app.

Headphones. Sony has recently released quite a number of really good headphones. Harman Kardon has a good selection as well. Check out this HK SoHo we reviewed earlier.

Speakers. There are quite a number of portable speakers you can choose from ranging from X-Mini if you’re on a budget or the much bigger ones like the Bose Soundlink Mini or Harman Kardon Soundstick. We recommend the JBL Pulse as a fancy yet powerful addition to your Christmas list. We’ve had it for some time and love the psychedelic colors that functions like a visualizer and the sound quality is more than good enough for small gatherings or taking it on a trip out of town.

Powerbanks. One can never go wrong with a powerbank as a Christmas gift. It works on just about anything you plug it in. And don’t worry if the one you are giving already has one; they can always replace it with the better one you’re about to give.

If you are unsure which brands of powerbanks to look into and have really, really tight budget we have a list of 12 Powerbanks for under Php3,000 here.

During this time, most stores would offer free Christmas gift wrapping for free so don’t forget to avail of them. If you also have a credit card, ask for a deferred payment if that’s available at 0% interest.

Lastly, take note of the warranty and keep the receipt. You’ll never know you will need them in case the gift you bought suddenly conked out a week or two after you gave it.

However, if you still have a lot of time to spare for this month, then watch out for our more comprehensive list per category. We’ll be posting one each day this week starting off with YugaTech Christmas Gadget Guide 2014: Smartphones.

The post 10 Gadget Gift Ideas for Last Minute Christmas Shopping appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

YugaTech Christmas Gadget Guide 2014: Smartphones

Bob Freking Leave a comment

It’s that time of the year again. If you’re looking to give gadget gifts to people you know or maybe even just to reward yourself this Christmas, you’re in luck as we have you covered! Here are the smartphones you should get, from budget-oriented ones to the flagships!

ChristmasGuide2014-A480

Budget Oriented

If you’re on the tightest budget, the best & most affordable smartphones that you can get for their price are probably in the form of two Cherry Mobile devices but with varying operating systems – the CM Flare Lite running Android and the CM Alpha Style running Windows Phone 8.1 (Php2,699 & Php2,999 respectively). The first one runs Android and decent specs to begin with, but the Alpha Style takes it a step higher with a quad-core CPU and the smoothness of WP 8. If you wish for something with TV and a lower price tag of Php1,899 (and lower specs of course), there’s also MyPhone’s Rio Junior TV.

Asus-ZenFone-5

From here, you can now check out the Xiaomi Redmi 1S & the Asus ZenFone 5 – both phones being the cream of the crop at Php5,599 & Php6,495. We doubt you’ll want anything else, but if you do, you can easily just check out local manufacturer flagship phones running octa-core Mediatek CPUs and the like. For more than Php9,000, you can also check out the impressively made 2nd-Gen Motorola Moto G which is probably only available online.

Mid-Range

Just like with the higher class of budget oriented smartphones, this area is once again ruled by Xiaomi & Asus. The Xiaomi Mi 3 was the company’s flagship phone that launched in the Philippines for just Php10,599! It has a full HD display, a Snapdragon 800 CPU with 2GB RAM and a lot more to satisfy your needs. If you want a bigger 6-inch alternative, the Asus ZenFone 6 is around for Php11,995, but it doesn’t match the Mi 3’s specs.

mi3_10

If the person you’re giving a smartphone to wants to be around water a lot, you can take a look at Sony’s waterproof Xperia M2 Aqua which also has LTE radios for faster data. This ranges around Php12-15k depending on where you’ll buy it. If, on the other hand, getting a good Android experience with high-end specs is what’s important, you can still find a Google Nexus 5 which now runs Android 5.0 Lollipop. This is priced at around Php16k. Finally, if Android doesn’t suit your style, the Nokia Lumia 830 is your best bet at Php18,990.

Xiaomi’s latest flagship phone, the Mi4, is not officially available yet around the country, but some online retailers have it for around Php15-17k.

The Best Smartphones

When you’re up high in this price range, it’s a lot harder to find a bad smartphone than a good one. For people who would want to take the best underwater selfies with the best specs, there’s the HTC Desire Eye for Php22,500. If huge phones aren’t your thing, the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is available online for more or less Php20k.

Then there are this year’s early flagships – the Samsung Galaxy S5, the HTC One M8, the Nokia Lumia 930 & the LG G3 – which will all cost you Php23k and above, lower if you’re lucky, depending on where you get it. All of them are equally great, having distinct features from each other. Some of these features include better speakers, water resistance, better cameras, Windows Phone, a 2K display & more. It will all now depend on your taste.

note4-gaming

And finally, there’s the Galaxy Note 4, the Xperia Z3 & the iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus. The Galaxy Note 4 is the Android flagship phone to get with beastly specs from the internals & the display to the camera (plus don’t forget the size & the stylus). This will cost you around Php35k. The Xperia Z3 on the other hand is one of the most polished phones around, beating everyone else with a 20 megapixel camera and high waterproofing certifications, and will cost you Php25-30k. If you have always wanted iOS, then there’s no contest; the best time to upgrade is now with new larger iPhones. The only question now is which size – the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 or the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus? Your call, but there is a huge price difference. You can get the iPhone 6 starting at Php38k, but the latter will cost you Php5k more at Php43k.

iphone6yugatech

And if you want a BlackBerry, the Passport is at Php35,790.

That’s about it for our Christmas Guide on smartphones this year! We’ll have more up soon in the following days, so stay tuned for that. If you have any more to suggest, feel free to leave them in the comments section down below.

The post YugaTech Christmas Gadget Guide 2014: Smartphones appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

YugaTech Christmas Gadget Guide 2014: Smartphones

Bob Freking Leave a comment

It’s that time of the year again. If you’re looking to give gadget gifts to people you know or maybe even just to reward yourself this Christmas, you’re in luck as we have you covered! Here are the smartphones you should get, from budget-oriented ones to the flagships!

ChristmasGuide2014-A480

Budget Oriented

If you’re on the tightest budget, the best & most affordable smartphones that you can get for their price are probably in the form of two Cherry Mobile devices but with varying operating systems – the CM Flare Lite running Android and the CM Alpha Style running Windows Phone 8.1 (Php2,699 & Php2,999 respectively). The first one runs Android and decent specs to begin with, but the Alpha Style takes it a step higher with a quad-core CPU and the smoothness of WP 8. If you wish for something with TV and a lower price tag of Php1,899 (and lower specs of course), there’s also MyPhone’s Rio Junior TV.

Asus-ZenFone-5

From here, you can now check out the Xiaomi Redmi 1S & the Asus ZenFone 5 – both phones being the cream of the crop at Php5,599 & Php6,495. We doubt you’ll want anything else, but if you do, you can easily just check out local manufacturer flagship phones running octa-core Mediatek CPUs and the like. For more than Php9,000, you can also check out the impressively made 2nd-Gen Motorola Moto G which is probably only available online.

Mid-Range

Just like with the higher class of budget oriented smartphones, this area is once again ruled by Xiaomi & Asus. The Xiaomi Mi 3 was the company’s flagship phone that launched in the Philippines for just Php10,599! It has a full HD display, a Snapdragon 800 CPU with 2GB RAM and a lot more to satisfy your needs. If you want a bigger 6-inch alternative, the Asus ZenFone 6 is around for Php11,995, but it doesn’t match the Mi 3’s specs.

mi3_10

If the person you’re giving a smartphone to wants to be around water a lot, you can take a look at Sony’s waterproof Xperia M2 Aqua which also has LTE radios for faster data. This ranges around Php12-15k depending on where you’ll buy it. If, on the other hand, getting a good Android experience with high-end specs is what’s important, you can still find a Google Nexus 5 which now runs Android 5.0 Lollipop. This is priced at around Php16k. Finally, if Android doesn’t suit your style, the Nokia Lumia 830 is your best bet at Php18,990.

Xiaomi’s latest flagship phone, the Mi4, is not officially available yet around the country, but some online retailers have it for around Php15-17k.

The Best Smartphones

When you’re up high in this price range, it’s a lot harder to find a bad smartphone than a good one. For people who would want to take the best underwater selfies with the best specs, there’s the HTC Desire Eye for Php22,500. If huge phones aren’t your thing, the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is available online for more or less Php20k.

Then there are this year’s early flagships – the Samsung Galaxy S5, the HTC One M8, the Nokia Lumia 930 & the LG G3 – which will all cost you Php23k and above, lower if you’re lucky, depending on where you get it. All of them are equally great, having distinct features from each other. Some of these features include better speakers, water resistance, better cameras, Windows Phone, a 2K display & more. It will all now depend on your taste.

note4-gaming

And finally, there’s the Galaxy Note 4, the Xperia Z3 & the iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus. The Galaxy Note 4 is the Android flagship phone to get with beastly specs from the internals & the display to the camera (plus don’t forget the size & the stylus). This will cost you around Php35k. The Xperia Z3 on the other hand is one of the most polished phones around, beating everyone else with a 20 megapixel camera and high waterproofing certifications, and will cost you Php25-30k. If you have always wanted iOS, then there’s no contest; the best time to upgrade is now with new larger iPhones. The only question now is which size – the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 or the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus? Your call, but there is a huge price difference. You can get the iPhone 6 starting at Php38k, but the latter will cost you Php5k more at Php43k.

iphone6yugatech

And if you want a BlackBerry, the Passport is at Php35,790.

That’s about it for our Christmas Guide on smartphones this year! We’ll have more up soon in the following days, so stay tuned for that. If you have any more to suggest, feel free to leave them in the comments section down below.

The post YugaTech Christmas Gadget Guide 2014: Smartphones appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

YugaTech Christmas Gadget Guide 2014: Smartphones

Bob Freking Leave a comment

It’s that time of the year again. If you’re looking to give gadget gifts to people you know or maybe even just to reward yourself this Christmas, you’re in luck as we have you covered! Here are the smartphones you should get, from budget-oriented ones to the flagships!

ChristmasGuide2014-A480

Budget Oriented

If you’re on the tightest budget, the best & most affordable smartphones that you can get for their price are probably in the form of two Cherry Mobile devices but with varying operating systems – the CM Flare Lite running Android and the CM Alpha Style running Windows Phone 8.1 (Php2,699 & Php2,999 respectively). The first one runs Android and decent specs to begin with, but the Alpha Style takes it a step higher with a quad-core CPU and the smoothness of WP 8. If you wish for something with TV and a lower price tag of Php1,899 (and lower specs of course), there’s also MyPhone’s Rio Junior TV.

Asus-ZenFone-5

From here, you can now check out the Xiaomi Redmi 1S & the Asus ZenFone 5 – both phones being the cream of the crop at Php5,599 & Php6,495. We doubt you’ll want anything else, but if you do, you can easily just check out local manufacturer flagship phones running octa-core Mediatek CPUs and the like. For more than Php9,000, you can also check out the impressively made 2nd-Gen Motorola Moto G which is probably only available online.

Mid-Range

Just like with the higher class of budget oriented smartphones, this area is once again ruled by Xiaomi & Asus. The Xiaomi Mi 3 was the company’s flagship phone that launched in the Philippines for just Php10,599! It has a full HD display, a Snapdragon 800 CPU with 2GB RAM and a lot more to satisfy your needs. If you want a bigger 6-inch alternative, the Asus ZenFone 6 is around for Php11,995, but it doesn’t match the Mi 3’s specs.

mi3_10

If the person you’re giving a smartphone to wants to be around water a lot, you can take a look at Sony’s waterproof Xperia M2 Aqua which also has LTE radios for faster data. This ranges around Php12-15k depending on where you’ll buy it. If, on the other hand, getting a good Android experience with high-end specs is what’s important, you can still find a Google Nexus 5 which now runs Android 5.0 Lollipop. This is priced at around Php16k. Finally, if Android doesn’t suit your style, the Nokia Lumia 830 is your best bet at Php18,990.

Xiaomi’s latest flagship phone, the Mi4, is not officially available yet around the country, but some online retailers have it for around Php15-17k.

The Best Smartphones

When you’re up high in this price range, it’s a lot harder to find a bad smartphone than a good one. For people who would want to take the best underwater selfies with the best specs, there’s the HTC Desire Eye for Php22,500. If huge phones aren’t your thing, the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is available online for more or less Php20k.

Then there are this year’s early flagships – the Samsung Galaxy S5, the HTC One M8, the Nokia Lumia 930 & the LG G3 – which will all cost you Php23k and above, lower if you’re lucky, depending on where you get it. All of them are equally great, having distinct features from each other. Some of these features include better speakers, water resistance, better cameras, Windows Phone, a 2K display & more. It will all now depend on your taste.

note4-gaming

And finally, there’s the Galaxy Note 4, the Xperia Z3 & the iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus. The Galaxy Note 4 is the Android flagship phone to get with beastly specs from the internals & the display to the camera (plus don’t forget the size & the stylus). This will cost you around Php35k. The Xperia Z3 on the other hand is one of the most polished phones around, beating everyone else with a 20 megapixel camera and high waterproofing certifications, and will cost you Php25-30k. If you have always wanted iOS, then there’s no contest; the best time to upgrade is now with new larger iPhones. The only question now is which size – the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 or the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus? Your call, but there is a huge price difference. You can get the iPhone 6 starting at Php38k, but the latter will cost you Php5k more at Php43k.

iphone6yugatech

And if you want a BlackBerry, the Passport is at Php35,790.

That’s about it for our Christmas Guide on smartphones this year! We’ll have more up soon in the following days, so stay tuned for that. If you have any more to suggest, feel free to leave them in the comments section down below.

The post YugaTech Christmas Gadget Guide 2014: Smartphones appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.