April has already passed but it has brought with it exciting new gadgets that will tickle your pockets. One of them is the Samsung Galaxy S4. Take a look at our gadget reviews roundup for the month of April.
The cream of the crop. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a great display, amazing performance, awesome camera and a ton of new functions and features. However, some are complaining about Samsung’s strong affinity to the plastic build. Regardless, it is still one of the best Android flagships in the market to date. The Galaxy S4 has an SRP of Php30,990.
What we liked about it:
* Top-notch performance
* Very high display resolution
* Great camera performance and features
* High-speed LTE connectivity
* NFC functions and features
* IR Blaster
* Good battery life
What we did not like:
* More gimmicky features and bloatware
Cooler Master Sentinel Advance II
The Sentinel Advance II is a gaming mouse that has a great build and packs a ton of customizable settings. It has 8 programmable buttons, LED light effects, but too wide and a little heavy than your average mouse. Still, it gets the job done both for work and play. Costs $60 or almost Php2,500.
What we liked about it:
* Tons of modifiable settings (scripts, macros etc.)
* Customizable
What we didn’t like about it:
* Too wide
The Galaxy S3 Mini is the toned-down version of the Galaxy S3. It almost has the same feel as its bigger and more powerful brother but only smaller and feels less premium. However, it has a very capable camera, decent display, and a good set of software features. The Galaxy S3 Mini has a price tag of Php14,990.
What we liked about it:
* Great alternative to the S3
* Good camera
* Long lasting battery
* Software has little compromise
What we didn’t like about it:
* Cramped experience
* S-AMOLED display could be better
* Plastic & uninspired feel
* Video captures flare, no 1080p
It’s tiny, hefty, and unsuspecting. Still, the Adin D2 is one of those gadgets that we enjoyed reviewing. Compared to your normal BT-enabled speakers, this one doesn’t actually have a conventional speaker. To produce sound, the Adin D2 needs to be placed on a solid platform like a coffee table. In terms of loudness, the this device can easily outgun an X-Mini without breaking a sweat. The Adin D2 has a suggested retail price of Php1,200.
What we liked about it:
* Simple but durable build
* Loud
* Powerful bass and good vocals
* MicroSD card support
* FM Radio
* Low price
What we didn’t like about it:
* Highs are recessed
* Audio distortion above 70%
The Xperia Tablet S is Sony’s tablet from last year that packs a good set of hardware inside an unusual design. Although an old device, the Tegra 3 quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM on board makes the Tablet S a solid performing slate in today’s standards. The only gripes that we have are the low-resolution display, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, and the expensive price tag of Php24,000. On the other hand, the Jellybean update for the Tablet S should be out now so that’s one less thing to to be concerned about.
What we like about it:
* Great build
* Unique design
* Great camera
* Good display in terms of features
* Decent battery life
* Fast gaming performance
What we didn’t like about it:
* Outdated OS
* Low resolution display
* Occasional lags and crashes
* Still expensive
* Proprietary cable instead of standard microUSB
Here’s another one from Cooler Master and this time its the Sonuz gaming headphones. These huge cans are well made, comfortable and are capable of producing amazing sound. However, it falls short in portability and noise canceling. The Cooler Master Sonuz has a price tag of $60 or almost Php2,500.
What we liked about it:
* Great sound quality
* Durable feel and design
* Comfortable to use
What we didn’t like about it:
* Microphone fails at noise management
* Non-foldable / not pocketable
This ultrabook packs a wallop. It has a 3rd Gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB SSD and a 14-inch HD display. Not only it can perform, it also has the looks and build quality that workaholics will surely love. It has a few flaws though and it doesn’t come cheap as it costs around Php62,000. Still, the Dell Latitude 6430u is one of the best ultrabook we’ve reviewed so far.
What we liked about it:
* Solid build quality
* Simple yet elegant design
* Large display
* Comfortable keyboard with backlighting
* Full set of ports
* Good battery life
* Great performance
What we didn’t like about it:
* Display color needs a little boost
* Top lid is dust magnet
* Bottom side heats up when playing games
* Hefty compared to other Ultrabooks
* SD card slot set too deep
Next up is the Sony Xperia Z’s sibling, the Xperia ZL. The ZL is almost identical to the Z except for the glass back and IP57 certification. However, it doesn’t mean that the ZL is a lesser phone. It also has a solid design, great performance, good battery life and amazing camera – definitely a good option for those who wouldn’t mind forgoing the elegant body of the Xperia Z. The Xperia ZL sells for Php22,500 in online stores.
What we liked about it:
* Solid design and build quality
* Great performance
* Impressive camera
What we did not like:
* Highly reflective TFT display
One of Starmobile’s best Android offerings go by the name of Diamond. It has a 5-inch IPS LCD HD display, dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 12MP BSI camera, dual-SIM capabilities, and Android 4.1 Jellybean. It looks good and is tough too thanks to Dragontrail Glass. The Starmobile Diamond is a locally branded yet very capable smartphone with an affordable price. However, it’s facing tough competition from another local brand with an almost identical offering. The Starmobile Diamond has an SRP of Php9,990.
What we liked about it:
* Great display
* Amazing image quality
* Good-looking design
* Solid construction
* Android 4.1 is a plus
What we didn’t like about it:
* Slightly unresponsive
* Camera software lags
* Bloatware
* Sub-par battery life
* Not for one-handed operation
The Ascend W1 is Huawei’s first Windows Phone 8 offering. It has a solid construction, attractive design, great display, decent camera, and a really good battery life. However, the RAM is only 512MB but for a price of Php8,990, what more can you ask for?
What we liked about it:
*Solid construction
*Attractive design
*Good battery life
*Decent performance
*Affordable price tag
What we didn’t like about it:
*512MB RAM
*Limited internal storage
*Average camera performance
The Toshiba Canvio Slim 3.0 is one of the thinnest 2.5-inch external hard drive we’ve seen so far. It is capable of 5Gbps transfer rate on USB 3.0 and 480Mbps on USB 2.0. The Canvio Slim 3.0 also features the NTI Backup Now EZ software which lets you create an image of your entire system for a quick backup and easy restore. The Toshiba Canvio Slim 3.0 currently retails for Php3,999.
What we liked about it:
* Premium build
* Thin profile
* Inclusion of the NTI Backup Now EZ
What we didn’t like:
* A bit pricey
Huawei lifts the standards of its entry-level Android smartphones with the Ascend Y300. It sports a 4-inch IPS display, dual-core processors, 512MB of RAM, 5MP camera with flash, 1730mAh battery, and Android 4.1.1 Jellybean. The best part about it is the Php5,490 price tag.
What we liked about it:
* Solid build quality
* Good IPS display
* Above average performance for its category
* Good battery life
* Affordable price
What we didn’t like about it:
* Limited internal storage
* Limited camera performance
* 480p video recording resolution
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