Category: Christmas Guide Philippines

YugaTech Christmas Gadget Guide: Gaming Consoles

Bob Freking Leave a comment

Christmas is fast approaching and we’re still far away from giving out all the gadget guides we can give! For this one, we’re going to dive into the world of gaming - that includes consoles, handhelds and the like! We’re adding in a few games you might want to purchase as well for each console so read on!

GAMING CONSOLES YUGATECH

Now some may say that you can game on laptops & smartphones too, but if that’s the only specific type of gaming you’re up to, then we suggest you to read on through our other gadget guides below:

The Big Guns

We have good news & bad news; the bad news is, both the PS4 & the Xbox One are yet to arrive here in the Philippines. The good news is, if you can’t wait for the said consoles this Christmas, we have you covered.

PS3 XBOX 360 philippines

For a little more than Php11k, you can get the PlayStation 3 with 250GB of storage. That includes 2 games & 1 wireless controller over at DataBlitz. At Lazada, a 500GB superslim version is being sold (without freebies though).

The Xbox 360 on the other hand can be found at approximately Php18k at the same store, including 250GB storage, Kinect & 2 games. You can browse other stores too as these consoles are quite common now. If I remember correctly, I found Xbox 360 packages below Php15k in a not-so-high-end shopping mall (probably a 4GB model).

Wii U PHilippines

Just for the update’s sake, we’ve included the Nintendo Wii U in this guide mainly because the console is full of potential. The thing is, we’ve barely seen any game take advantage of all its capabilities so we’re also including the original Wii as a 2nd-choice too. Both will cost you around Php16-18k & Php10k respectively online.

For the games, you may want to check out the obvious first - Grand Theft Auto V, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts & Bioshock: Infinite.

If you guys were also wondering (we’re not exactly recommending), the Tegra 3 packing Android gaming console, the Ouya, is also out for around Php6k.

The Swiss Knives

At around Php9-12k, you can get the PlayStation Vita. While we totally recommend getting just the WiFi model, a 3G variant is also available. It’s still one of the best, if not the best, in portable power as it is build for truly immersive gaming experiences. With the Vita you can play games from Angry Birds (no kidding) to Jak & Daxter collections, Sly: Thieves in Time & Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation.

nintendo_2DS

For the casual & traditional gamers, it’s a no-brainer – get the Nintendo 2DS! At Php7k, you get to play games like Pokemon X & Y, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Resident Evil Revelation & Mercenaries 3D & even the good ol’ but revamped Super Mario games. We honestly don’t think you’ll need all the 3D.

Xbox One Ps4 philippines

That’s basically it for the gaming consoles & portables. For those who still can’t get over the bad news, you can always just wait for the PlayStation 4 or the Xbox One and all the titles coming alongside them. The thing is, we’re not sure if you’re going to get it before Christmas. We’ll just have to wait and see.

While most of the list was very predictable, still feel free to tell us which gaming console you’re going to get in the comments section below.

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

YugaTech Christmas Gadget Guide: Tablets

Bob Freking Leave a comment

You can only do so much on a smartphone and not everyone needs the power of a laptop. Years ago, only a few people really wanted a tablet, but now that the form factor is finally realizing its full potential, we figured that it would be awesome to make a Christmas Gadget Guide to tablets.

tablets

7-inchers

For tablets, we found it very hard to recommend something marketed in the local scene as they aren’t there yet when it comes to giving a good multimedia experience. At Php9k, you can start to get that said experience with the Asus MemoPad HD 7. It features all the essentials you’ll need in a tablet from the display, a set of cameras, decent internals & good software. If a quad-core MediaTek CPU won’t cut it for you, you can always get more for a higher price.

NEXUS 7

Well enough, Asus still has you covered with the FonePad starting at Php11k for the 8GB version. Not only does it pack better hardware all around with an Intel Atom Z2460 CPU, but it also features phone capabilitites as you’d expect for those who need to make calls on their tablets without too much compromise.

While the 2nd-gen Google Nexus 7 is still techinically made by Asus, it offers a totally different experience. At Php13.5k, you get high-end internals from the Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU to the full HD 1080p display. To top all of that, you’ll be in line to get the latest version of Android ASAP.

8-inchers

Apple made the 8-inch tablet more known with the first iPad Mini. At Php13,500 – 15,500, you can get access to iOS’ loaded app store which contains the most number of tablet optimized apps & games. While it’s not the best in hardware, we’re pretty sure it does great nonetheless.

One of the newer tablets this year, the LG G Pad 8.3 packs amazing internals for a not so high price at around Php17k. It features a very fast Snapdragon 600 CPU, a premium build & a 1080p full HD IPS LCD display. The G Pad 8.3 is no doubt one of the best Android tablets you can get right now.

LG GPAD 83

It’s pretty hard to recommend any Windows RT tablet as of the moment, but for those looking for a complete Windows experience, take a good hard look at the Acer Iconia W3.  Ranging from Php17-20k, you can get a Windows 8.1 tablet running on an Intel Atom Z7260 CPU, 2GB RAM & 32GB internal storage. No make joke about it too as it can run legacy Windows applications!

On the stylus front, there’s only the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 at Php22k. The thing is, it’s no longer one of the most powerful tablets especially for the price. However if pocket productivity is your endgame, then the Galaxy Note 8.0 could be just the perfect tablet here for you. If you’re looking for something more recent though larger, you can get its bigger brother – the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition.

The 9-incher

ipad air

At 9.7-inches, it’s hard to count the Apple iPad Air as a 10-incher instead, all because Apple did a very good job at making the latest iPad a lot smaller and lighter than any of its competitors out there. It’s also packing cutting-edge hardware from the A7 CPU to the Retina Display. The 16GB version will cost you starting at Php25k.

10 & 11-inchers

If it weren’t for the recent launch of the Asus Transformer Book T100, I would have recommended the Dell Latitude 10, the Asus VivoTab Smart or the Samsung Ativ Smart PC. But anyway, now that the T100 is out, we’d have to tell you to look nowhere else as it offers an up-to-date Intel Atom Z3740 CPU, 2GB RAM, 64GB storage & a keyboard dock for as low as Php24k. Nothing offers the same package as the T100… unless maybe you need a rear-facing camera on your tablet.

Asus transformer book t100 ph

If Intel Atom CPUs on Windows 8 tablets won’t work for you just yet, you can get last years’ Microsoft Surface Pro at around Php57k. It offers a 10.6-inch full HD display, a 3rd generation Intel Core i5 CPU, 4GB RAM & 128GB of storage. The touch cover & the stylus are fancy accessories too if you need them.

Last but not least is the similar Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro. At Php55k you get similar internals to the MS Surface Pro, but biggest difference would probably be the bigger 11.6-inch display. It also features an Intel Core i5 CPU, 4GB RAM & a keyboard dock.

Sadly, we do not have any Haswell-running tablets available locally right now, i.e. Surface Pro 2. We do not have the Retina iPad Mini too. We would have happily included them in this list if we found them but we can’t find them locally so we’ll just have to keep you posted! Feel free to tell us which tablet you’re planning to get in the comments section.

Also part of the YugaTech Christmas Gadget Guide:

We’ll try to out more guides soon!

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

YugaTech Christmas Gadget Guide: Smartphones

Bob Freking Leave a comment

We’ve had a big year of smartphones this 2013; quad-core became mainstream, 1080p HD panels turned possible & we’ve seen a lot innovations in the camera department. There are many more so to speak, but Christmas is fast approaching. For all the tech-heads out there still looking for the perfect present, YugaTech has you covered! Read on to see our holiday guide to smartphones down below.

SMARTPHONES CHRISTMAS GUIDE YUGATECH GADGET

A couple of months ago, we outed lists of the best smartphones you can buy for specific budgets. Now that time passed by, we’re very sure that prices got a little more affordable, selections got more wider and newer phones got better.

For the budget-conscious

If you want the most affordable smartphone out there that still packs a punch, you might want to look at the Cherry Mobile Flare 2X which is pegged at around Php4,499. It’s decently spec’d with a good display, an 8MP camera and a quad-core CPU with 1GB RAM. If the local selection is not your play, you can spend a little more with the almost similarly spec’d Sony Xperia L which nears the Php10k mark.

Cosmos S

We do have to say though that when it comes to smartphones, it’s hard to compete with the local brands when it comes to bang for the buck. If you look at phones like the Cherry Mobile Cosmos S, Cosmos Z and the Starmobile Knight, you’ll know what we are talking about – the Cosmos S offers a beautiful package in a thin & premium body, the Knight offers a balance of all things and the Cosmos Z offers a 1080p display, something you’ll only find in more expensive phones. The aforementioned phones can be bought at the Php10-12k range.

Let’s go a little higher

For a price of more or less Php15k, you can get the Google Nexus 4 which is a very capable performer with a quad-core S4 Pro CPU, 2GB RAM & soon, the latest version of Android – KitKat. Another viable option is the Sony Xperia SP which also packs Android & LTE on-board.

Nokia Lumia 925

Also playing below the Php20k mark are a few great legends packing fast processors and unique features. The waterproof Sony Xperia Z is one of them, and the Windows Phone 8 PureView camera-touting Nokia Lumia 925 is another.

The Cream of the Crop

If you’ve made it to this section of the article, then we guess you’re not looking for anything basic or usual – you’re looking for a titan!

The HTC One & the Samsung Galaxy S4 makes it into this place with their well-balanced multimedia strengths (around Php25k), but for those who can spend more and need more power than that, enter Snapdragon 800 Android phones. These include the LG G2, the upcoming Google Nexus 5, the Sony Xperia Z1 & the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – which are already approaching a sharp Php35k.

iphone 5s

And you guessed it! For those who need the best cameraphone, the Nokia Lumia 1020 is also here which has a behemoth 41 megapixel camera with a lot of craftsmanship behind it. To top it all off, if you have more than Php35k to spend and iOS is your endgame – there’s only the Apple iPhone 5S with a fast A7 CPU, Touch ID & a great camera.

(Sorry iPhone 5C & Vertu, you don’t make it into this list, heh)

That’s it folks! If you’re making a purchase anytime soon, feel free to tell us about it in the comments section. We’ll be outing more Christmas Gadget Guides soon so stay tuned!

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

YugaTech Christmas Gadget Guide: Laptops & Ultrabooks

Bob Freking Leave a comment

Ever since Microsoft brought upon a craze of hybrid convertible notebooks to the market, it got a little harder to search for the best laptop. Most consumers are confused if they need touchscreens, if Macbooks are the right choice or even if they are safe with getting a Chromebook instead. YugaTech comes to the rescue for you guys who are looking for a laptop to purchase this Christmas, so read on!

NOTEBOOKS ULTRABOOKS CHRISTMAS GUIDE YUGATECH GADGET

For the budget-conscious / essentials

Let’s start with one of the recently released notebooks – the Asus VivoBook X200CA. At around Php20k, it covers all the basic things you’ll need in a Windows 8 laptop. It has an 11.6-inch touchscreen, an Intel Celeron CPU, 4GB RAM, and a set of USB & HDMI ports. You can add a little more for better configurations too.

Samsung ativ book 9 lite

Another possible option is the Samsung Ativ Book 9 Lite (around Php30k). It has a touchscreen and an AMD A6-1450 1.0GHz quad-core processor paired with Radeon HD 8250 Graphics. The display is at 13.3-inches and you can add more for touch capabilities. What makes this such a good thing to set eyes on is the 128GB SSD that comes inside the sleek chassis.

Acer aspire e1

Now if gaming power is what you need, then you have to spend more for the Acer Aspire E1-572G (at around Php33k). It packs a 15.6-inch 768 x 1366 display, a 4th-gen Core i3-4010U CPU, 4GB RAM and a 2GB vRAM AMD Radeon HD 8750M graphics card that won’t be such a joke when it performs.

More power!

Once you go above the still affordable Php30k ceiling for laptops, you’ll be faced with Core i5-i7 CPUs & other various configurations. That’s where you’ll spot the likes of the Asus X550 & the Acer Aspire V5. At its highest configuration (Php43k), the Asus X550 touts an Intel Core -7-4500 CPU, a 2GB vRAM Nvidia GeForce GT740M graphics card, 8GB RAM & 1TB HDD. If you don’t have that much to spend just yet, you can get the Core i5 model which is at Php37k.

lenovo ideapad s410p

The Acer Aspire V5 on the other hand offers touch capabilities instead of more power. The Acer Aspire V5-473PG model for example packs a Core i5-4200U CPU, Nvidia GT740M graphics & 4GB RAM into a fairly sleek body. That will cost you more or less Php38k. If you wish for more options, Lenovo also carries something similar in the form of the Ideapad S410p at around Php37k.

Halfway to a hundred thousand!

While we’re seeing the rise of 1080p displays on smartphones, sadly we can’t say the same for laptops – 1080 x 1920 screens still come at such a high cost! Take the multimedia laptop Asus N550JV for example. It features a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display, an insanely powerful Core i7-4700HQ CPU, 8GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce 750M GPU and an aluminum casing. It also has you covered from the backlit keyboard to the free subwoofer in the package. The price will be more or less at Php55k.

Asus n550jv

For gamers out there, Lenovo offers something similar when it comes to the spec configuration – the IdeaPad Y510p. The only big difference is you can get several options – you can get an optical drive or better, you can get another Nvidia GeForce 750M graphics card. That will equate to dual graphics performance! It’s at a higher price tag though, somewhere near Php60k depending on the configuration. Just like the Asus N550JV, it’s still hard to look for at this point, but we’ll inform you once we get more info.

macbook air

If gaming is not your bet and you just simply want a great experience, from the keyboard & trackpad to the OS & the build, then it’s a no-brainer to get the MacBook Air. The Air has a lot of configurations at this point, from 11-inch 128GB SSDs to 13-inch 256GB variants; that’s a range of Php50k to Php65k. Aside from the beautiful design & great hardware, it just got easier to consider the Air especially since Apple made its productivity suites free, not to mention the Mavericks update is free too!

The Beauties & The Beasts

If you’re looking for only the best laptop to give as a present, well you’re already in that section – our almost no-compromise notebook picks for Christmas 2013.

Acer Aspire S7

For Php80k, you can get the Acer Aspire S7-392, which is one of the most beautiful laptops out now. Not only is it aesthetically amazing and thin, but the internals also make it a drool-worthy laptop – from the 1080p touch display & the Core i7 Haswell CPU to the 256GB SSD.

Apple won’t leave this guide just yet too, as their Retina display packing MacBook Pros just faced a Haswell refresh and they’re shipping late November. The best configuration which packs a 15-inch Retina Display, a Core i7 CPU, 16GB RAM & an Nvidia GeForce 750M GPU is hanging at a sharp Php133k. Apple has a good set of software to accompany that too, if we didn’t mention yet.

Razer Blade Pro

Finally, we put the Razer Blade Pro as the cherry on top of everything in this guide. In our interview with Razer CEO Min, we also managed to get a quick hold of the 14-inch variant and we’re here to say it’s no joke. It holds incredible amounts of power in such a lightweight chassis and we don’t think anything comes close.

Razer says the Blade is far from being launched locally as of today, but we scouted around the internet and you can definitely get one if you really want to. The highest configuration (17-inch 1080p, Core i7, Nvidia GTX765) can be found for no less than Php110k, while the 14-incher for around Php97k.

If you intend on making a purchase anytime soon, feel free to tell us in the comments section. Also, if you noticed, we didn’t bother including laptops packing 3rd-gen Intel Core CPUs and older – all for the simple reason that Haswell CPUs do deliver better battery life. Another last word of advice too, don’t get anything called a netbook or anything you can’t upgrade to Windows 8.

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