Author: Chris Eilers

So, when the beast Mate 8 of Huawei has not come yet, we have good news for another Huawei Phone Beast. It is called Huawei P9 Max. According to Huawei, Huawei P9 Max launch is likely to happen on 26 November, 2015….

Huawei P9 Max Design

Though we still have some more days to go the Huawei P9 Max BEAST phablet from the Chinese giant phone maker its Antutu score and specs have been leaked on the internet. Check them out! Accordingly, Huawei P9 Max specs include a 6.2-inch 2K display with 486 ppi, an octa-core Kirin 950 chip (which is the newest one made by Huawei) paired with GPU Mali-T880 MP4, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage. In general, we can see that is is smaller than its predecessor Huawei P8 Max (equipped with a 6.8-inch screen).

Yet, it is surely more powerful in terms of display resolution (P8 Max only comes with Full HD) and operating system (P9 Max will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS out of the box). Although there are some specifications still unclear about the upcoming smartphone of Huawei, we are quite impressed by its AnTuTu score: 73,759 points generally and 16,822 points for the 3D graphics. It can beat a lot of flagships on the market now but.

With 6.2″ 2K Display, Kirin 950 Octacore Chip and 4GB of RAM, the Huawei P9 MAX is truly Huawei’s new Smartphone Beast. Now the only question is at what price will Huawei sell their latest 62″ Flagship Smartpone?

Huawei P9 Max price and Release Date

Actually, they are still mysteries but it will not be so surprising if Huawei P9 takes up the Huawei P8 Max price, which is 3,788 Yuan (about $590). As for the Huawei P9 Max launch, it is said to be held this month and the handset will go on sale in December. Anyhow, let’s wait for the company’s official announcement.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 VS Nokia Swan are no doubt the most awesome smartphone flagships in the market of all time. Let’s see what they have in common and in distinction from one another in this comparison!

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 VS Nokia Swan: : Asian Beast VS European Monster!

Galaxy Note 5 is a flagship device, launched by Samsung this year-end season. The device is currently keeping 5 specs records, which impresses many users. Nokia Swan, on the other hand, is a smartphone concept that everyone dreams about. The handset catches people’s attention right from the first sight, and wins our hearts when you take a further look. And then when we move a bit inside, let’s see Samsung Galaxy Note 5 VS Nokia Swan specs in comparison!

Some of the Note 5 specs include: Super AMOLED, which is the best display among all smartphones in the world, 4GB RAM, 16MP Samsung camera, 3000 mAH and a stylus pen. Nokia Swan, at the same time, is not less favorable in terms of specs. The smartphone is equipped with 4GB RAM and a huge 216GB ROM. More interestingly, the concept is a smartphone + tablet hybrid. It can be used normally as a complete smartphone (5.3” display), and turned into a phablet (11” display) in no time.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5, with 5 specs record it is keeping, is now already available in the market for you to experience. . Samsung Galaxy Note 5 price in Philippines is around PHP 36K. For now, although Nokia Swan is still a concept design, we are pretty hopeful that on Nokia comeback 2016, the handset will become real!

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 VS Nokia Swan: can’t stop being awesome

I bet now you know why we call Samsung Galaxy Note 5 the record keeper and Nokia Swan the dream holder. Samsung Galaxy Note 5 price is around $750 for the 32GB variant. Selfie lovers, tech geeks, busy bees, heavy gamers: no matter who you are, you will find either of these flagships a perfect match.

Sony Xperia Z5 camera is definitely the beast among all mobile devices in our market. Needless to say, its 23MP IMX 300 sensor has been certified as the best smartphone camera to date. Popular as it already is, Sony doesn’t seem to be contented with “just” that. The Japanese giant has just introduced a new function for their Xperia Z5 camera, promising even better experience for users.

Sony Xperia Z5 camera: the best is becoming better

If you are also using an Xperia smartphone, you may know how the camera app operates. For now, an update has been launched for the Xperia Z5 family only, making it easier to switch between camera modes.

This update simplifies the camera interface. Before, you need to touch and go to the menu, then touch once more to choose the mode you like. But for now, with one single swipe, you can change between Superior Auto, Manual, Video and other camera apps.

The new Sony camera interface was actually previewed for the first time back in IFA 2015 (happened on this September), and is now reaching out to Sony Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact and Xperia Z5 Premium smartphones. If you are owning on of these high-end devices, check it out to make sure you know this new advantage. We hope to read about your experience after update share in the comment below!

Sony Xperia Z5 camera: new smartphone trend 2016?

In case you haven’t heard about it, Sony Xperia Z5 camera is currently featuring a 23MP with IMX 300 sensor, special by Sony, and a super fast auto focus of only 0.03s. The IMX 300 is so good that Samsung got impressed and said to be negotiating with Sony in order to take over this for their upcoming flagship Galaxy S7 of 2016. I started to wonder whether this will make a new trend among high-end smartphones of 2016!

Sony Xperia Z5 camera has received a lot of praise so far. Now with the new update, we are excited for Sony for more and more compliments on the way. Sony Xperia Z5 price in Philippines starts from PHP 31K, and varies with different versions.

At CES 2015 (a global tradeshow for consumer electronics and consumer technology) happening at the beginning of this year, ASUS introduced their impressive phone called ASUS ZenFone Zoom and at IFA 2015 held in September, the company did it once again. However, after that, we heard nothing more about the Zoom until now. This time, we’ve got more information about ASUS ZenFone Zoom launch on the market.

What does ASUS ZenFone Zoom have to offer us?

According to many sources, the Zoom has appeared on TENAA (China’s state telecommunications certification authority), which hints that it will be released soon. So, if ASUS has ASUS ZenFone Selfie as a handset focusing on selfies, ZenFone Zoom will take care of the rear shooter and the photos it produces.

In other words, it is a rear camera-centric smartphone. Specifically, the main cam is capable of 13 megapixels and equipped with optical image stabilization (OIS), laser autofocus, 10-element lens, super slim 3x optical zoom, and dual-color Real Tone Xenon flash. With such a special shooter, you will have beautiful, quality pics when zooming in. Note that optical zoom does not reduce image quality like digital zoom (which is basically just a crop).

Besides, other ASUS ZenFone Zoom specs include a 5MP secondary camera with an 88-degree F2.0 lens, a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS LCD screen, a quad-core Atom 64-bit chip, a 3,000mAh battery, and up to 4GB RAM (which makes us sometimes think that it is an ASUS ZenFone 2 4GB RAM coming with a more powerful snapper).

ASUS ZenFone Zoom launch date and price

Being certified by TENAA means the release date is close. We predict it will happen in December or at least at the beginning of 2016. And the ASUS ZenFone Zoom price will not be so expensive since the best ASUS smartphones are usually very affordable. We are expecting a price tag of between PHP 17- PHP 20K. What is your guess?

Samsung, with the rumored upcoming Galaxy S7, is predicted to be creating a new hit for the smartphone market 2016. Samsung even produced a whole new Exynos 8890 chip set for their premium beast this time. With the official release of Exynos 8890 last week, here we are with more updates about the Samsung-made Galaxy S7: the smartphone may come with beautiful 4K display and powerful 14 cores.

Samsung Galaxy S7: setting a future trend

With the development of Exynos 8890, it is exciting to see what this new smartphone processor can do to the next Samsung’s flagships. The Exynos 8890 comes with 14 nm FinFET process chip. The chip has been reported to come with Mali-T880 and 12 cores. However, rumors are hinting there would be a “Special Edition” of the Galaxy S7 that will be carrying Mali-T880 and 14 cores!

Do you remember how impressed we were knowing the Acer Predator 6 is equipped with 10 cores processor? Then you can easily imagine how smoothly a 14 core processor can boost your device!

Samsung Galaxy S7: Featuring Exynos 8890 and Snapdragon 820

Earlier, we have heard that the Galaxy S7 may come with 3 different chipset versions. However, latest reports have suggested that, the handset will run on Exynos 8890 in most market, except for the US and China. Users in those 2 countries should expect a Snapdragon 820-powered Galaxy S7.

Technically, it is not easy to compare which of the 2 SoC is more powerful. Let’s see which particular features Samsung is going to pick from each chip for their smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S7: 2016 hit is on the way

According to what we know thus far, the Galaxy S7 has all it takes to become the real beast of 2016: huge cores, strong unique processor, leading technology and beautiful camera sensor by Sony IMX 300. What left for us to be asking, if possible, is a reasonable price tag, in order to make the smartphone a perfect choice for any heavy tech geek!

Please keep in mind that, up to now, Samsung has yet to confirm any of the rumors we heard. It’s good to always keep us curious so some excitement will have place to happen when the Galaxy S7 is officially launched!

This time, we would like to introduce to you a super cool Xperia smartphone, the Xperia ZX. What this device offers will surely raise your eyebrows: 6GB RAM, dual 23MP cameras in a 6mm slim body…

Sony Xperia ZX smartphone: dream device 2016

Let me introduce you to the Sony Xperia ZX smartphone. Expected to present in 2016, the Sony Xperia ZX is being rumored with all of the best specs you can think of: 6GB RAM, Android 6.0 and a decent battery of at least 4000 mAH. But 6GB RAM and Android 6.0 can also be found in other upcoming flagships. Then what is special about the Xperia ZX? Designed by uva7 Dance, Sony Xperia ZX display is a 6’’ Full HD screen. With a TFT IPS Triluminous panel, Sony Xperia ZX display will produce brighter and sharper color for your pleasant viewing.

Moreover, Sony Xperia ZX design will be a complete glass body measuring as slim as 6.0mm to maximize the good feeling when holding it in your hands. The best thing about this Sony Xperia ZX is its camera sensors. For Sony Xperia ZX camera, it will be a double 23MP sensors. While we already saw 23MP rear camera on Sony Xperia Z5, a 23MP front camera is just beyond our imagination!!. And everything will fit in a 6.0 mm body? Crazy. Amazingly crazy.

Sony smartphones are no doubt among the most popular and best selling mobile devices in the market nowadays. Some of the best Sony Xperia smartphones for 2015 include (but are not limited to) Sony Xperia Z5 Premium with 4K display, Xperia Z5 with best 23MP camera in the world, Xperia M5 with 13MP selfie etc. Now we also know about this amazing Xperia ZX smartphone.

Sony Xperia ZX Price and Release Date

Althoug Uva7 Dance gives his smartphone a Snapdragon 800 processor the time he designed it, by 2016 we can totally expect a powerful Snapdragon 820 to be on board. Appealing design, irresistible camera sensors, and a strong processor! Maybe a reasonable price tag would be highly appreciated!

We are heading to the end of 2015 and preparing to welcome a new year with more new technologies and devices, including smartphones. So, today, we would like to check again what the best handsets for all aspects of a smartphone are, and of course there would be more in the next weeks. However, now, we’d like to introduce the first 6 machines to you!

Top BEST Chinese smartphones for 2015

1. Best rear camera: Gionee Elife E8 – 24MP

Yes, it is the Gionee Elife E8, the one that can take 120MP photos by its 24MP rear shooter cooperating with software. In other words, the sensor takes advantage of PDAF (phase detection autofocus) to have an extremely fast focus speed from 0.08 to 0.20 seconds. Therefore, we are so satisfied to give it the title “Best rear camera smartphone of the year”. As for the front cam, its 8MP snapper is also a perfect feature for those who love taking selfies!

2. Best front camera: ASUS ZenFone Selfie – 13MP

Nowadays, 5MP fron-facing cam is becoming so popular and 8MP one can be easily spotted on the market. So, what we were looking for had to be super impressive, and we found ASUS ZenFone Selfie. From the name, it is surely a device specializing in taking selfies by the 13MP secondary shooter.

3. Best battery: Lenovo Vibe P1 – 5,000mAh

This is also what makes Lenovo special. The phone can definitely last about 2 days and above. Besides, it features Rocket Charge tech which allows P1 to reach 3 hours of non-stop calling with just 5 minutes of charging. Wow!

For other Lenovo Vibe P1 specs, we’ve got a 5.5-inch Full HD screen, an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 1.5GHz chip, a fingerprint sensor built in the home button, 3GB RAM plus 16GB of expandable storage (up to 128GB via microSD card). Moreover, Lenovo Vibe P1 sports a 13MP rear camera with LED flash plus a 5MP front-facing snapper, a dual SIM and Android 5.1 Lollipop OS.

4. Best display: Elephone Vowney

After checking many 2K smartphones, we found out that Elephone Vowney was one of them and equipped with up to 535 ppi, higher than some other Chinese Quad HD handsets such as Xiaomi Mi Note Pro, ZTE Axon Pro, ZTE Nubia Max, etc. As a result, it should be listed here, right?!

In terms of Elephone Vowney specs, there are an octa-core 2.2GHz MediaTek MT6795, 4GB RAM, 32GB ROM, an up to 20.7MP rear plus an 8MP camera, and a 4,200mAh battery to be basic. Those are such top features on the market now! If we have a prize for “The Best Smartphone of the Year”, Elephone Vowney is absolutely a potential candidate!

5. Best RAM: Vivo X6 5GB RAM

Say, this can be the very first 5GB RAM smartphone in 2015 and perhaps will start a whole new trend next year. Vivo X6 is considered as a beast because it owns the first deca-core chip for smartphone in the world Helio X20, powering the phone together with the strongest 4 GB RAM at the moment and 1GB RAM dedicated to graphics.

Other Vivo X6 specs include a 6-inch Quad HD screen, Force Touch tech, a 21 MP camera and a 4,000 mAh battery to be on-board. Wow, with just those features, the X6 is really a fantastic flagship of Vivo and another powerful competitor for “The Best Smartphone of the Year” prize!

6. Best price: OnePlus X

OnePlus X has just been launched recently but we chose it because of the specs and design are so good when compared to its price as well as others’. Spec-wise, OnePlus X specs own a 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display, a non-removable lithium-polymer 2,525mAh battery and a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor. In addition, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage are on-board together with OxygenOS based on Android 5.1 Lollipop. As for the camera, there are a 13MP rear f/2.2 snapper with 0.2-second autofocus and phase detection autofocus, plus an up to 8MP front-facing shooter.

And as we mentioned, OnePlus X price is very affordable at $249 (PHP 11,755), which helps it become the smartphone with best  price in 2015. Do you agree with our choice?

Those are the first 6 best smartphones in 2015 we want to announce. There are more titles and more gorgeous machines this year but please wait for other posts! We’ll come back real soon!

You like 4GB RAM smartphones, but you also like to buy one with no more than PHP 17K? That is quite a difficult question. However, we are here to help you find the answer. Now, let’s have a look at the following 4GB RAM smartphones for under PHP 17K!

Top smartphones with 4GB RAM for under PHP 17K

1. ASUS ZenFone 2

Despite being launched in the H1 of 2015, ASUS ZenFone 2 4GB RAM is still a hot item on the shelves because of its specs and price. At the moment, you can completely purchase one under PHP 17K and the handset is equipped with fantastic features such as a 5.5” Full HD display, a 3,000mAh battery, 32GB of internal storage and a 13MP + 5MP cam combo.

2. ASUS ZenFone 2 Deluxe

Asus ZenFone 2 Deluxe is yet another amazing flagship from the Taiwanese company. It has a distinctive back cover that no other ZenFone looks similar. Together with 4GB RAM, the ZenFone 2 Deluxe offers a 128GB ROM option. This is just too ideal for any heavy users.

Other ASUS ZenFone 2 Deluxe specs include a Intel Atom Z3580/Z3560 chip, a 13MP + 5MP camera combo, a 5.5″ Full HD screen, and a 3,000mAh battery. We can see that this handset sports many good features, but the ASUS ZenFone 2 Deluxe price is under PHP 17K, which is a good deal for consumers.

3. Elephone Vowney

So, we guess this can be the most interesting smartphone in the list as it not only has 4GB RAM but also boasts a 5.5-inch 2K display. For other Elephone Vowney specs there are an octa-core 2.2GHz MediaTek MT6795 chipset, 32GB ROM, a 4,200mAh batt, a fingerprint scanner and a gorgeous 20.7MP rear camera using a Sony Exmor IMX230 sensor and supporting autofocus and 4K video recording. The front-facing shooter is super cool, especially for selfie lovers, since it is capable of up to 8 megapixels. Wow, what a wonderful device!

4. Lenovo K80

If ASUS ZenFone 2 is the world’s smartphone featuring 4GB RAM, Lenovo K80 may be its best rival since K80 sports 4GB RAM and a huge 4,000mAh battery yet costs less than ZenFone 2 4GB RAM. Other Lenovo K80 specs contain a 5.5” 1080p display, a 64-bit Intel Atom processor, 64GB ROM, and a 13MP rear snapper with OIS. One of its selling points is Lenovo K80 price which is set at CNY 1799 for 4GB + 64GB version initially (about PHP 13,250) and can be dropped by now.

Well, those are the 4GB RAM smartphones that may meet your demands. Have you been able to pick out one? Come on, share your choice your choice!

Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip was released not long ago but we are afraid that it cannot be the only new and super powerful chip at the moment since Exynos 8890 (aka Exynos 8 Octa) chip which features Samsung custom CPU cores and advanced LTE has joined the race!

Beast chip Samsung Exynos 8890 for Samsung Galaxy S7!

Pretty like Snapdragon 820, the Exynos 8890 is a chip built on a 14-nm process. It means the distance between the chip’s microscopic components is 14 nanometers, making the power consumption and heat generation lower. Besides, the Exynos 8890 comes with 64-bit octa-core design, 4 Cortex A53 chips (the power efficient ones) and 4 Samsung’s custom cores (providing necessary grunt for intense apps). It is also known as the very first chip of Samsung to sport designed custom cores. According to Samsung, their Exynos 8 Octa gives 30% more performance and 10% better efficiency if compared to its predecessors.

In terms of graphics, it is handled by Mali-T880, supporting 4K and improving the performance up to 40% when compared with the GPU of the Samsung Exynos 7420. Moreover, this new Samsung chip also integrates with LTE Cat. 12/13 and no doubt that it is the first high-end chip in the house to sport built-in LTE. As a result, any product boasting the processor will have greater performance, efficiency, cost, and design. Specially, the LTE Cat. 12 is said to be able to download things with speeds of up to 600Mbps.

We can easily notice that Exynos 8890 is created as a beast chip and definitely will be used for flagship smartphones. So, it is pretty sure that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S7 is going to be launched with Exynos 8890 in early 2016. However, some sources claimed the Galaxy S7 could have a variant equipped with the Snapdragon 820, which somehow will show us the differences between the two strongest and latest chipsets.

Exynos 8890 availability

Exynos 8890 was introduced and its commercial production will begin by the end of 2015, according to a Korean report, promising there will be many fantastic devices coming, including Samsung Galaxy S7.

Asus Zenfone 2 Laser is a camera-centric smartphone by the Taiwanese giant. Unlike the original Asus Zenfone 2, in which strong processor and specs are focused, the Zenfone 2 Laser is more about camera sensor. The most special feature of the handset, as suggested by its name, is the super fast laser auto focus.

This time, let’s go a bit more detailed into the smartphone, to see some of its pros and cons, as well as what make it different from other Asus smartphones of 2015.

Firstly, here are Asus Zenfone 2 Laser specs

5.0 inch, 16MP colors

2GB RAM – 8/16GB ROM

Snapdragon 410 chip set

13MP rear camera with laser auto focus

5MP  front camera with auto focus

2,400 mAH
MicroSD card slot/ Dual SIM

Asus Zenfone 2 Laser specs: Strength and weakness

The smartphone has some of the favorable features that can convince people into buying it: great display, many useful softwares, strong overall performances. And overall, the Asus Zenfone 2 camera is just awesome in terms of speed and picture quality. The images captured by this smartphone are sharper than by other phones, thanks to laser auto focus.

However, like any other device, the Asus Zenfone 2 Laser does have some weak points to be improved. For example, the battery is rather small, and the phone lacks NFC. Considering a camera-centric smartphone, I think that 5MP for front shooter is still not enough. It could be  much better if the device feature a 8MP or above (since we can already have 13MP front on Asus Zenfone Selfie)

Asus Zenfone 2 Laser: beautiful on hand

According to a well written Asus Zenfone 2 review on Android Authority, we found some very nice hands on pictures of the handset. I was personally impressed to be honest. The Zenfone Laser looks decent on your hand, with beautiful build and classy body.

Asus Zenfone 2 Laser: strong device for its price

Asus Zenfone 2 Laser price in Philippines is as low as PHP 7,3K, which is still in the lower half in the sub PHP 10K price group. With this price, you can already buy 2GB RAM by Asus, and 13MP camera with fast shooting speed and sharp impressive images!

Photo credit: Android Authority

“Don’t drop your phone, or else it will break the floor” Iy you used to gave a Nokia feature phone, I bet you have heard this warning more than once. Nokia phones, with the long history in our market, have left with great devices and awesome stories to tell. In memory of the Nokia 3410, one of the most popular Nokia handsets, we found an interesting video about this “grand daddy” of nowadays glorious smartphones.

Nokia 3410 hands-on: what 13 years ago looks like

Smartphones nowadays come in a wide variety of design with metal, plastic, glass etc. Back in the good old days, our Nokia 3410 showed up with…. this typically signature design: can’t be simpler or less recognizable!

How long has it been since the last time you had a smartphone with physical button like this? You don’t remember, do you? For me, it must be no less than years ago, when I was still a teenager. Now imagine if you hold this phone again in your hand, what would be the first feeling to come across your mind? Mine will be “how could it be that tiny?” 🙂

The hands on video was made and introduced by Android Authority, on memory of “one of the best phones ever made in the world – the 3410”

“Born” in 2002, the Nokia 3410 display is only 96 x 65 pixel in resolution. Compared to today’s smartphones, where 2K and 4K displays are the most popular, 96 x 65 pixel is nothing. But considering its era, the Nokia 3410 is among the most popular resolution. The phone’s iconic keyboard that lights up in yellow just like the display itself. The keyboard are quite easy to press, but does take a lot of time to getting used to it.

Nokia 3410 hands-on: “grand daddy” of smartphones nowadays

In terms of dimensions, while we have that misconception that, phones made back in 2002 must be thick and heavy. While this Nokia 3410 was definitely quite thick, it is, to many’s surprise, not heavy at all, weighing only 114g. It fits perfectly in your hand and will not bother you anywhere you go.

Alright, it’s time for some real nostalgia. Let’s enjoy the good work from Android Authority and have a closer look to our grand daddy Nokia 3410