Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro hands-on, first impressions

Daniel Morial

Samsung has just brought the member of the A series, which then happens to be the biggest among the group. This is the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro, a 6-inch phablet with mid-range specs and a whopping 5,000mAh battery. All wrapped in the beautiful sandwiched glass chassis.

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The Galaxy A9 Pro looks and feels like its A-series siblings with an all glass finish framed with cold aluminum. There’s a 6-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display topped with Gorilla Glass 4 which delivers stunning quality with available modes for tweaking the saturation. An 8MP front-facing camera with sits atop the panel for selfies and there are a couple of sensors too. The physical home button below houses a fingerprint scanner.

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Each side of the A9 Pro is busy with its own ports and buttons. Starting with the right side, it has the power/lock button and the Dual-SIM card tray that accepts two Nano-SIM cards.

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The left side has two separate buttons for volume up and volume down which are metallic.

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The top has another card tray but this one is for the microSD card. It’s a dedicated card slot for memory expansion that supports up to 256GB. A pinhole for a microphone and a pair of plastic antenna strips are present as well.

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The 3.5mm jack, micro-USB port, loudspeaker, and the main microphone keeps the bottom end busy. And another pair of antenna bands completes the bunch.

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The back is a big slab of smooth Gorilla Glass 4 with a camera bump housing the main 16MP f/1.9 shooter with optical image stabilization and LED flash. A large 5000mAh battery is sealed inside that supports fast-charging and reverse charging, too. Samsung claims it can go from zero to full in just 160 minutes.

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The cameras onboard the A9 Pro both have bright f/1.9 lens with support for 1080p video recording only — no 4K support. While it’s too early to judge the captured stills, you can check out the samples below:

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The phablet is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 octa-core chipset clocked at 1.8GHz and paired with Adreno 510 GPU. It’s got a spacious 4GB RAM for multi-tasking and runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow skinned with TouchWiz. We ran AnTuTu Benchmark v6.1.5 and it was able to score a quite impressive 70,537.

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There’s a complete suite of radios onboard the A9 Pro including 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS w/ A-GPS, and even NFC. If you still listen to FM Radio, you’ll be glad to know it’s present here. But, as discovered by other friends in the event, it doesn’t have gyroscope on-board.

Samsung Galaxy A9 PRO specs:
6-inch Super AMOLED Full HD display, 367ppi, 2.5D curved glass
1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 octa-core CPU
Adreno 510 GPU
4GB RAM
32GB internal storage
up to 128GB via microSD
16MP rear camera w/ OIS, f/1.9 aperture, LED flash
8MP front camera w/ f/1.9 aperture
Dual-SIM
4G LTE, 3G HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.1, A2DP, EDR, LE
NFC
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
FM Radio w/ RDS
Fingerprint scanner
5000mAh non-removable battery w/ Quick Charge
USB OTG
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
161.7 x 80.9 x 7.9 mm
210g

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro retails in the Philippines for Php25,990 with initial availability by the second week of August in gold color only.

The post Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro hands-on, first impressions appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Lenovo Vibe K5 Note hands-on, first impressions

Daniel Morial

The Lenovo Vibe K5 Note sits on top if its Vibe K5 and Vibe K5 Plus siblings, and it’s also the direct successor to the Vibe K4 Note which was just launched early this year. With just a few months after the predecessor’s introduction to the Philippine market, Lenovo has brought in the K5 Note with a few upgrades up its sleeve and a more solid aluminum construction.

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The Vibe K5 Note is a 5.5-inch handset with a Full HD panel with roughly 403ppi pixel density. That’s no different from the K4 Note which has the same resolution and display size. There’s an 8MP front camera up top along with the earpiece and a couple of sensors.  And thankfully, Lenovo has treated the trio of capacitive keys below with backlight.

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The right side has the power/lock button and the volume rocker. The buttons are tactile but made out of plastic. The left side houses the hybrid card tray for nano SIM cards and a microSD card.

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The top has the 3.5mm jack for wired headphones while the bottom end of the device has the micro-USB port for charging and connectivity at its center. A tiny pinhole for the main microphone is placed just beside the port.

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The back panel of the K5 Note is a sealed aluminum plate with a similarly painted plastic strip above and below it to allow radio signals to pass through. There’s a main 13MP camera sporting phase-detecting autofocus (PDAF) and 5-composite lens. Seems like a promising setup, but we’re yet to see how it performs. A rounded and flushed fingerprint scanner is also on the back for unlocking and securing the device. Despite the upgrade of the K5 Note’s construction, the loudspeaker is now placed at the rear opposed to the front-facing stereo speaker of the K4 Note.

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What’s powering the K5 Note is a 64-bit MediaTek Helio P10 octa-core processor running at a max speed of 1.8GHz. That’s a considerable upgrade from the predecessor’s chipset although memory is still pegged at 3GB of RAM. Storage is at 32GB with about 23GB available out of the box.

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The key feature of the K5 Note is Lenovo’s TheaterMax VR experience which basically turns any content on your device to be compatible with the included VR headset. Speaking of, the VR headset this time around now has a remote control, thus making your VR experience better compared before, as long as it’s supported by your application.

lenovo-ant-vr-with-controller

We currently have a review unit on hand as of writing, so we’ll be taking the Vibe K5 Note for a full spin in the coming days.

Lenovo Vibe K5 Note specs:
5.5-inch Full HD LTPS IPS display, 401ppi
1.8GHz MediaTek MT6755 Helio P10 octa-core CPU
Mali-T860MP2 GPU
3GB RAM
32GB internal storage
up to 128GB via microSD
13MP PDAF rear camera w/ dual-tone flash
8MP front camera
Dual-SIM
4G LTE, 3G HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS, A-GPS
NFC
FM Radio
Dolby Atmos
Fingerprint scanner
1.5W speaker, Hi-Fi audio with Dolby Atmos
3,500mAh battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop w/ VIBE UI (upgradeable to Android 6.0)
152 x 75.7 x 8.5 mm
165 g

The Lenovo Vibe K5 Note retails for Php 11,999 which already includes the new VR headset and controller. Lenovo has also included a clear case and a screen protector in the bundle to protect your newly bought device from unwanted damages. The device comes in two colors — platinum silver and champagne gold.

The post Lenovo Vibe K5 Note hands-on, first impressions appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Lenovo Vibe K5 Note hands-on, first impressions

Daniel Morial

The Lenovo Vibe K5 Note sits on top if its Vibe K5 and Vibe K5 Plus siblings, and it’s also the direct successor to the Vibe K4 Note which was just launched early this year. With just a few months after the predecessor’s introduction to the Philippine market, Lenovo has brought in the K5 Note with a few upgrades up its sleeve and a more solid aluminum construction.

lenovo-vibe-k5-note-1

The Vibe K5 Note is a 5.5-inch handset with a Full HD panel with roughly 403ppi pixel density. That’s no different from the K4 Note which has the same resolution and display size. There’s an 8MP front camera up top along with the earpiece and a couple of sensors.  And thankfully, Lenovo has treated the trio of capacitive keys below with backlight.

lenovo-vibe-k5-note-4

The right side has the power/lock button and the volume rocker. The buttons are tactile but made out of plastic. The left side houses the hybrid card tray for nano SIM cards and a microSD card.

lenovo-vibe-k5-note-5

The top has the 3.5mm jack for wired headphones while the bottom end of the device has the micro-USB port for charging and connectivity at its center. A tiny pinhole for the main microphone is placed just beside the port.

lenovo-vibe-k5-note-6

The back panel of the K5 Note is a sealed aluminum plate with a similarly painted plastic strip above and below it to allow radio signals to pass through. There’s a main 13MP camera sporting phase-detecting autofocus (PDAF) and 5-composite lens. Seems like a promising setup, but we’re yet to see how it performs. A rounded and flushed fingerprint scanner is also on the back for unlocking and securing the device. Despite the upgrade of the K5 Note’s construction, the loudspeaker is now placed at the rear opposed to the front-facing stereo speaker of the K4 Note.

lenovo-vibe-k5-note-2

What’s powering the K5 Note is a 64-bit MediaTek Helio P10 octa-core processor running at a max speed of 1.8GHz. That’s a considerable upgrade from the predecessor’s chipset although memory is still pegged at 3GB of RAM. Storage is at 32GB with about 23GB available out of the box.

lenovo-vibe-k5-note-3

The key feature of the K5 Note is Lenovo’s TheaterMax VR experience which basically turns any content on your device to be compatible with the included VR headset. Speaking of, the VR headset this time around now has a remote control, thus making your VR experience better compared before, as long as it’s supported by your application.

lenovo-ant-vr-with-controller

We currently have a review unit on hand as of writing, so we’ll be taking the Vibe K5 Note for a full spin in the coming days.

Lenovo Vibe K5 Note specs:
5.5-inch Full HD LTPS IPS display, 401ppi
1.8GHz MediaTek MT6755 Helio P10 octa-core CPU
Mali-T860MP2 GPU
3GB RAM
32GB internal storage
up to 128GB via microSD
13MP PDAF rear camera w/ dual-tone flash
8MP front camera
Dual-SIM
4G LTE, 3G HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS, A-GPS
NFC
FM Radio
Dolby Atmos
Fingerprint scanner
1.5W speaker, Hi-Fi audio with Dolby Atmos
3,500mAh battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop w/ VIBE UI (upgradeable to Android 6.0)
152 x 75.7 x 8.5 mm
165 g

The Lenovo Vibe K5 Note retails for Php 11,999 which already includes the new VR headset and controller. Lenovo has also included a clear case and a screen protector in the bundle to protect your newly bought device from unwanted damages. The device comes in two colors — platinum silver and champagne gold.

The post Lenovo Vibe K5 Note hands-on, first impressions appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus hands-on, first impressions

Daniel Morial

A member of the three smartphone models under the Vibe K5 series, the Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is an upgraded version of its smaller sibling. What has changed? Read on our initial impressions to find out.

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To start, the Vibe K5 Plus has a higher resolution display but still at 5-inches. It’s an IPS LCD panel with a Full HD resolution or 1920 x 1080 pixels. Since the size of the display itself hasn’t changed, the K5 Plus has a crisper 441ppi of pixel density. The front-facing camera is a 5MP fixed-focus shooter to answer the call of vanity. There’s also the earpiece, and a few sensors just beside it. Sadly, the three capacitive keys for Recent, Home, and Back don’t have backlighting.

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Checking out the sides, we have two buttons on the right, the power/lock button and the volume rocker, which are built-in to the back cover.

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The left-hand side doesn’t have anything going on. Nothing interesting here.

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The bottom end of the phone is pretty bare as well with only the primary microphone pinhole quietly sitting on the left.

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This leaves the top of the device to have the micro-USB port for wired connectivity and charging, and the 3.5mm jack for headphones.

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The back is pretty basic with the 13MP camera together with its LED flash  placed on the top-left corner, and a pair of speakers down below that’s branded with Dolby Atmos. Inside there’s a 2750mAh replaceable battery beneath the removable back cover which is made out of two materials — aluminum and plastic.

If you have noticed, the Vibe K5 and Vibe K5 Plus are very similar in design but don’t let it’s similar looks fool you as the latter has a faster 1.5GHz Snapdragon 616 octa-core processor and bigger 3GB RAM to work with.  It’s also LTE-equipped along with the usual like Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, and FM Radio.

lenovo-ant-vr-with-controller

Lenovo is bundling their upgrade VR headset bundle for the latest Vibe K5 series. This time around, a remote control is included in the package thus leveling up your basic VR experience. The additional remote is similar to the VR headset kit of Cherry’s but with a slicker and more favorable matte black coating.

Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus specs:
5-inch Full HD IPS display, 441ppi
1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 octa-core CPU
Adreno 405 GPU
3GB RAM
16GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD card, up to 32GB
13MP rear autofocus camera w/ LED flash
5MP front-facing camera
Dual-SIM
4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.1
GPS, A-GPS
FM Radio
Dolby Atmos
USB OTG
2,750mAh battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop w/ VIBE UI (upgradeable to Android 6.0)
142 x 71 x 8.2 mm
150 g

The Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is now available in three colors — Platinum Silver, Champagne Gold, and Graphite Gray. It has an SRP of Php 8,999 that already includes the VR headset and controller plus a complimentary clear case and screen protector.

The post Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus hands-on, first impressions appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus hands-on, first impressions

Daniel Morial

A member of the three smartphone models under the Vibe K5 series, the Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is an upgraded version of its smaller sibling. What has changed? Read on our initial impressions to find out.

lenovo-vibe-k5-plus-1

To start, the Vibe K5 Plus has a higher resolution display but still at 5-inches. It’s an IPS LCD panel with a Full HD resolution or 1920 x 1080 pixels. Since the size of the display itself hasn’t changed, the K5 Plus has a crisper 441ppi of pixel density. The front-facing camera is a 5MP fixed-focus shooter to answer the call of vanity. There’s also the earpiece, and a few sensors just beside it. Sadly, the three capacitive keys for Recent, Home, and Back don’t have backlighting.

lenovo-vibe-k5-plus-3

Checking out the sides, we have two buttons on the right, the power/lock button and the volume rocker, which are built-in to the back cover.

lenovo-vibe-k5-plus-4

The left-hand side doesn’t have anything going on. Nothing interesting here.

lenovo-vibe-k5-plus-6

The bottom end of the phone is pretty bare as well with only the primary microphone pinhole quietly sitting on the left.

lenovo-vibe-k5-plus-5

This leaves the top of the device to have the micro-USB port for wired connectivity and charging, and the 3.5mm jack for headphones.

lenovo-vibe-k5-plus-2

The back is pretty basic with the 13MP camera together with its LED flash  placed on the top-left corner, and a pair of speakers down below that’s branded with Dolby Atmos. Inside there’s a 2750mAh replaceable battery beneath the removable back cover which is made out of two materials — aluminum and plastic.

If you have noticed, the Vibe K5 and Vibe K5 Plus are very similar in design but don’t let it’s similar looks fool you as the latter has a faster 1.5GHz Snapdragon 616 octa-core processor and bigger 3GB RAM to work with.  It’s also LTE-equipped along with the usual like Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, and FM Radio.

lenovo-ant-vr-with-controller

Lenovo is bundling their upgrade VR headset bundle for the latest Vibe K5 series. This time around, a remote control is included in the package thus leveling up your basic VR experience. The additional remote is similar to the VR headset kit of Cherry’s but with a slicker and more favorable matte black coating.

Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus specs:
5-inch Full HD IPS display, 441ppi
1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 octa-core CPU
Adreno 405 GPU
3GB RAM
16GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD card, up to 32GB
13MP rear autofocus camera w/ LED flash
5MP front-facing camera
Dual-SIM
4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.1
GPS, A-GPS
FM Radio
Dolby Atmos
USB OTG
2,750mAh battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop w/ VIBE UI (upgradeable to Android 6.0)
142 x 71 x 8.2 mm
150 g

The Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is now available in three colors — Platinum Silver, Champagne Gold, and Graphite Gray. It has an SRP of Php 8,999 that already includes the VR headset and controller plus a complimentary clear case and screen protector.

The post Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus hands-on, first impressions appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.