As water geeks, we tend to want to find creative ways of bringing our gadgets underwater. Take for instance the iPod nano underwater solution with H20 Audio. Yesterday, dive buddy (and awesome UW photographer) Jun Lao tagged me in a Facebook photo he took in Anilao of a submerged Samsung Galaxy Note made waterproof with an underwater bag from Jovic.
And I quote,
“galaxy note gone diving, no signal after 2 ft, touch screen doesnt work after 5ft, max 32ft using a php100 uw bag”
Thanks, Jun!
There’s a reason why Android is relevant — it’s become the ‘new Symbian’ of this decade. It seems like everyone is adopting Google’s platform and ZTE is no stranger in the business. You might have heard of the very first SMART Netphone which was essentially a ZTE Blade unit launched during last year’s Mobile World Congress.
ZTE has cleverly priced the Light Tab 2 V9A at PHP 15,490, the cost of a ‘branded’ mid-range smartphone.
Here are the tech specs:
• Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
• 1.4 GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon, Adreno 205
• 7.0 inches (~170 ppi pixel density), LCD capacitive touchscreen,
• 600 x 1024 pixels
• 4 GB ROM, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB microSD pre-installed, supports up to 32GB
• 3.0 MP Back Camera
• VGA Front Camera
• Video Calling: 12 fps
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE 900/1800/1900MHz
• HSDPA/UMTS 900/2100MHz or 850/1900MHz, HSDPA 14.4MBPS, HSUPA 7.2MBPS
• Built in Dolby Mobile Sound Technology
• 202 x 122 x 12.6 mm, 389 g, Touch-sensitive controls
• 7 hours Talk time
• 300h Standby
• Li-Ion 3400 mAh
If it’s one notable thing, the Light Tab 2 comes with a juiced up battery (because of the larger real estate) and should last longer than most smartphones.
A number of days ago, we saw Nokia release the Asha 202 which was an entry level S40 feature phone that was bundled with games from Electronic Arts.
This week, enter the Nokia Asha 305, its upgraded sibling that has full touch capabilities and looks light years more attractive than the 202. For a few hundred pesos difference in price, it is well worth it. Also, it’s dual SIM.
EDIT II: Lenovo has officially announced the P700i which will also sell for PHP 10,999.00
EDIT: If you want a 5″ Lenovo phablet that competes with the Samsung Galaxy Note, the new Lenovo S880 sells for PHP14,999 only. It’s also dual SIM!
Lenovo is on a roll. First, they upped the bar of the PHP 5,000 thereabouts smartphone by introducing the dual SIM A65 Android device. Today, they are selling a powerful Android device that comes with a big 4″ screen and a long-lasting 2500mAh battery. This is by far the most impressive package we’ve seen for a mid-ranged Android device with all the latest updates that’s only a little over PHP 10,000. Plus, it’s dual SIM.
We have a unit with us so expect a more in-depth review. This phone is being sold in stalls starting today.
Key Features:
â— Dual SIM, Dual Standby
â— Android OS 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
â— 4.0 inches IPS-LCD Capacitive Multi-Touchscreen
â— WVGA 800×480 pixels, 16M colour display
â— 3G / HSPA Technology
â— 1GHz CPU Speed, MT6575 Processor
â— 512MB RAM, 4GB ROM
â— 755MB Internal Memory memory up to 32GB via microSD card
â— 5.0 Megapixel with Auto Focus + VGA Camera
â— 2500 mAh Battery Capacity
â— USB and Bluetooth Tethering
â— Portable WLAN Hotspot
â— GPS with AGPS support
â— Wireless FM Radio, FM Transmitter
â— Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor
â— Voice Call Recorder
The P700 comes with a free 2GB microSD card and 3.5mm headset.
I want to make something clear: the PowerMat is not a portable charging solution like the BoostCase or any other portable battery packs you find in the market. Many people seem to misconstrue its function, most likely due to the wording of the product — it has the word “Power” in it.
So what is it? The PowerMat ecosystem allows you to charge your devices (almost) without the need of a cable. I keep a PowerMat charging system for my iPhone at home and a wider PowerMat system for Android / iPhone in the office. Buying into this ecosystem implies a mindset that you will need to dock your phone in places you frequent to keep your gadgets fully charged. Since the docks don’t require cables, dropping your gadgets into these “outlets” are second nature.
Now assume everyone in the office or in your household had an Android device, a BlackBerry or an iPhone. Everyone could simply share one or two PowerMats to keep their devices charged.
Pricing:
PowerMat with Powercube PHP 3,990.00
PowerMat for iPhone 4/4s PHP 3,490.00