Category: KitKat

Ekotek Ekotab Encore 3G Quick Review

Daniel Morial Leave a comment

Ekotek gave its tablet line a new member with better specifications plus 3G-capabilities. Can the Ekotab Encore 3G uplift the Ekotab family? Read our quick review and find out.

Design and Construction

The Encore 3G has great resemblance with its predecessor, the Encore 2. It is a rectangular tablet with a plain front and minimal back design.

The front is dominated by the 7-inch display, placed above it are the earpiece, front-facing camera and the proximity sensor hiding somewhere in the black bezel. Sitting quietly at the bottom is the microphone. Speaking of the bezel, the tablet has plenty of it but it allows you to grip the device properly without touching the screen.

EkotabEncore3G_2

Its right side has the volume rocker and power/lock button. Moving to the back reveals the main camera, loudspeaker, and Ekotek logo along with some other markings. The top part can be removed to give access to the SIM card and microSD slots.

EkotabEncore3G_5

Ekotek did a good job in giving the Encore 3G a clean design and good build. On the downside, the white rear panel seem to attract dirt and smudges easily but you can simply wipe it clean.

Display

It still sports a 7” display with a resolution of 1024 × 600 pixels but now with an IPS panel, a step forward compared to the predecessor’s sub-par TFT screen which is notorious for having horrible viewing angles. The issue with improper scaling of the UI is still present. The icons are vertically stretched but not totally ugly.

EkotabEncore3G_4

For a cheap tablet, colors are of average quality with just right amount of punch. The whites on the other hand, has a gray tint even at maximum brightness. Sunlight legibility is mediocre due to the weak brightness of the display. Try to find a shade if you want to use this outdoors.

OS, Apps, and UI

Like any budget device in the local market today, a two year old version of the Android KitKat powers the tablet. While Android 4.4 is able to run smoothly, it would be nice to see the latest version on-board since Ekotek has no customization over the interface.

EkotabEncore3G_screenshots

There’s nothing new to say in this segment. Again, since this is Android, so you’ll be able to customize the UI and make it smoother with the use of simple and straightforward launchers available in the Google Play Store.

Camera and Multimedia

Equipped with an improved 5-megapixel shooter, image quality is average at best in both stills and videos.

EkotabEncore3G_6

With sufficient light, output from the rear camera has respectable quality. Indoor shots were a bit murky. It records 1080p videos but in 3GP format. The 2-megapixel front camera would suffice for video calling but not selfie worthy.

Check out these samples for your own judgement:

Sample video:

A 1080p video might be an overkill for its screen resolution but it played fine with the default video player or even with MX Player and VLC. Sadly, the loudspeaker is not loud enough so a good pair of headphones is recommended.

Call Quality and Connectivity

As its name suggests, this tablet has a cellular radio on-board as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. It can take two mini SIM cards at the same time but only one can use 3G. It supports SMS, MMS, voice calls, and native video calling.

EkotabEncore3G_7

The earpiece, however, sound very soft and a bit tinny. If you plan to place a call, you may want to use an earphone. Besides, we all know that placing a 7-incher against our face during calls doesn’t look savvy.

Benchmark and Battery Life

With its modest quad-core CPU and 1GB of RAM, a decent performance can be expected from the device but only for light tasks. Casual gaming is fine on the Encore 3G. We played PBA Philippine Slam with no hiccups during game-play. Multi-tasking can be done with little lag and there are no major issues with overall usage.

EkotabEncore3G_pbaslam

Of course, we did our benchmarking and here are the socres:

* Antutu 4 – 17,128
* Nenamark 2 – 47.1 fps
* Quadrant Standard – 6,864
* Vellamo – 606 (Metal), 1,113 (Multi-core)

Using the PC Mark battery test, we were able to get 3 hours and 43 minutes from its rather small 2,500mAh cell. We noticed that the battery holds up for days when on standby which is nice!

Conclusion

In the end, we can say the Encore 3G was able to surpass its predecessor with a better camera, improved display, higher RAM and let’s not forget the additional 3G connectivity. With an asking price of Php4,799, it’s not bad as a secondary tablet if you’re in a really tight budget but if you’re after good cellular features, you’re better off getting a smartphone instead.

EkotabEncore3G_3

Ekotek Ekotab Encore 3G specifications:
1.3GHz Quad-core MediaTek MT8382 Cortex-A7
Mali-400 MP
7-inch IPS LCD 1024 x 600 pixels, (160ppi)
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage, expandable up to ??GB microSD
5-megapixel rear camera
2-megapixel front camera
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth
HSPA+
Dual-sim / Dual-standby
2500mAh Li-Polymer battery
Android 4.4.2 KitKat

What we liked about it:

  • Solid build
  • Improved camera

What we didn’t like:

  • White polycarbonate shell attracts dirt easily
  • Quiet earpiece
  • Stretched UI

The post Ekotek Ekotab Encore 3G Quick Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Torque Droidz Slate HD Quick Review

Daniel Morial Leave a comment

Local smartphone brand, Torque, offers a good-looking 5.5-inch smartphone with a slim profile, MediaTek octa-core CPU, and sub-Php6K price tag, but are these enough to lure consumers especially now that we have a lot of options within this price range? Read our quick review of the Droidz Slate HD to find out.

Design and Construction

When it comes to its physical attributes, we would give a thumbs up to the sleek physical design of the phablet and its good plastic build. The whole front is dominated by the 5.5″ IPS LCD with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. Thanks to the IPS panel, viewing angles of the device are wide though colors are not as vibrant as we like it to be but it has good clarity thanks to its acceptable pixel density of 267ppi. Brightness levels are average with sub-par sunlight legibility. We noticed that the display turns bluish when completely dimmed and the ambient light sensor feels like it’s having a hard time adjusting.

Below is a unique home capacitive button together with the usual back and menu keys. The back panel has a matte plastic cover that is removable to give access to the battery, microSD and dual SIM card slots.

On the right side of the device is the power/lock button and on the left is the volume rocker. The top side features the micro-USB port for charging and data connectivity and the 3.5mm headphone jack. While the microphone sits alone at the bottom edge of the device.

The sides are surrounded by a chrome frame with black lining that adds a distinct look and feel to the device. In terms of looks, the Slate HD can definitely stand out.

Camera

Equipped with a 13-megapixel rear and a 5-megapixel front cameras, the phone may appear competitive if you base it on numbers but when it comes to actual image quality it doesn’t stack up against its competitors.

Even under broad daylight, the primary 13MP shooter captures soft and uninspiring images. It generally has trouble with focus and color reproduction. We find the camera to be a slouch for quick snapshots. In case of dark scenarios, you can fire up the dual LED flash. The front camera, on the other hand, struggles with indoor lighting. You may check out the samples below for your own judgement:

Upon further checking, we found out that the front camera has an aperture of f/2.8 only, which explains the lack of light. Both cameras can also record videos with the same quality as those of the still images up to 1080p full HD.

Performance and Benchmarks

The device runs Android 4.4.2 “KitKat” with no indicated future with 5.0 “Lollipop.” Overall, it runs smoothly with little to no lag during everyday use. The 1GB of RAM can handle simultaneous apps well as long as you keep things light and steady.

Torque’s skin on top is very similar to stock Android but with white backgrounds and imported icons from other themes. We personally dislike the pale icons, good thing 3rd party launchers and icon packs are available for download through the Play Store.

Benchmarks of the device reveals the following scores:

    Antutu 5 – 18,240
    Quadrant Standard – 6,974
    Nenamark 2 – 51.6 fps
    Vellamo – 1262 (Multicore), 678 (Metal)

Call Quality

It’s worth noting that the earpiece of the device is soft and tinny. We were surprised to hear such bad output from the it since most modern smartphones today already has quality phone calls, making the Slate HD not suitable for everyday cellular talking. And also, the loudspeaker doesn’t do justice to media playback.

Battery

Despite its large display, only a 2,200mAh removable Li-ion battery powers the device. Its juice lasted for only 3 hours and 19 minutes during our routine battery test which involves playing a 1080p file in loop using its native video player as MX Player has an issue with the device causing it to crash.

Conclusion

The Torque Droidz Slate HD is priced at Php5,499 and offers good looks with some compromise. This phablet is okay for light gaming and multimedia consumption thanks to its large display. However, it has a terrible earpiece for calls, mediocre camera, weak loudspeaker, and poor battery life. For its asking price, one might just consider shelling out an extra Php1K and get a better performing device instead.

Torque Droidz Slate HD specification:
5.5-inch IPS LCD @ 1280×720 pixels, 267ppi
MediaTek MT6582 1.3GHz quad-core processor
Mali-400 MP GPU
13-megapixel primary camera
5-megapixel front-facing camera
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD card
3G/HSPA
Dual SIM / Dual Standby
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS with aGPS
Li-Ion 2,200mAh battery
Android KitKat 4.4.2

What we liked about it:

  • Decent to good looks
  • Responsive large display
  • Tap-to-wake function

What we didn’t:

  • Terrible earpiece
  • Quiet loudspeaker
  • Mediocre cameras
  • Small battery capacity

The post Torque Droidz Slate HD Quick Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Torque Droidz Slate HD Quick Review

Daniel Morial Leave a comment

Local smartphone brand, Torque, offers a good-looking 5.5-inch smartphone with a slim profile, MediaTek octa-core CPU, and sub-Php6K price tag, but are these enough to lure consumers especially now that we have a lot of options within this price range? Read our quick review of the Droidz Slate HD to find out.

Design and Construction

When it comes to its physical attributes, we would give a thumbs up to the sleek physical design of the phablet and its good plastic build. The whole front is dominated by the 5.5″ IPS LCD with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. Thanks to the IPS panel, viewing angles of the device are wide though colors are not as vibrant as we like it to be but it has good clarity thanks to its acceptable pixel density of 267ppi. Brightness levels are average with sub-par sunlight legibility. We noticed that the display turns bluish when completely dimmed and the ambient light sensor feels like it’s having a hard time adjusting.

Below is a unique home capacitive button together with the usual back and menu keys. The back panel has a matte plastic cover that is removable to give access to the battery, microSD and dual SIM card slots.

On the right side of the device is the power/lock button and on the left is the volume rocker. The top side features the micro-USB port for charging and data connectivity and the 3.5mm headphone jack. While the microphone sits alone at the bottom edge of the device.

The sides are surrounded by a chrome frame with black lining that adds a distinct look and feel to the device. In terms of looks, the Slate HD can definitely stand out.

Camera

Equipped with a 13-megapixel rear and a 5-megapixel front cameras, the phone may appear competitive if you base it on numbers but when it comes to actual image quality it doesn’t stack up against its competitors.

Even under broad daylight, the primary 13MP shooter captures soft and uninspiring images. It generally has trouble with focus and color reproduction. We find the camera to be a slouch for quick snapshots. In case of dark scenarios, you can fire up the dual LED flash. The front camera, on the other hand, struggles with indoor lighting. You may check out the samples below for your own judgement:

Upon further checking, we found out that the front camera has an aperture of f/2.8 only, which explains the lack of light. Both cameras can also record videos with the same quality as those of the still images up to 1080p full HD.

Performance and Benchmarks

The device runs Android 4.4.2 “KitKat” with no indicated future with 5.0 “Lollipop.” Overall, it runs smoothly with little to no lag during everyday use. The 1GB of RAM can handle simultaneous apps well as long as you keep things light and steady.

Torque’s skin on top is very similar to stock Android but with white backgrounds and imported icons from other themes. We personally dislike the pale icons, good thing 3rd party launchers and icon packs are available for download through the Play Store.

Benchmarks of the device reveals the following scores:

    Antutu 5 – 18,240
    Quadrant Standard – 6,974
    Nenamark 2 – 51.6 fps
    Vellamo – 1262 (Multicore), 678 (Metal)

Call Quality

It’s worth noting that the earpiece of the device is soft and tinny. We were surprised to hear such bad output from the it since most modern smartphones today already has quality phone calls, making the Slate HD not suitable for everyday cellular talking. And also, the loudspeaker doesn’t do justice to media playback.

Battery

Despite its large display, only a 2,200mAh removable Li-ion battery powers the device. Its juice lasted for only 3 hours and 19 minutes during our routine battery test which involves playing a 1080p file in loop using its native video player as MX Player has an issue with the device causing it to crash.

Conclusion

The Torque Droidz Slate HD is priced at Php5,499 and offers good looks with some compromise. This phablet is okay for light gaming and multimedia consumption thanks to its large display. However, it has a terrible earpiece for calls, mediocre camera, weak loudspeaker, and poor battery life. For its asking price, one might just consider shelling out an extra Php1K and get a better performing device instead.

Torque Droidz Slate HD specification:
5.5-inch IPS LCD @ 1280×720 pixels, 267ppi
MediaTek MT6582 1.3GHz quad-core processor
Mali-400 MP GPU
13-megapixel primary camera
5-megapixel front-facing camera
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD card
3G/HSPA
Dual SIM / Dual Standby
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS with aGPS
Li-Ion 2,200mAh battery
Android KitKat 4.4.2

What we liked about it:

  • Decent to good looks
  • Responsive large display
  • Tap-to-wake function

What we didn’t:

  • Terrible earpiece
  • Quiet loudspeaker
  • Mediocre cameras
  • Small battery capacity

The post Torque Droidz Slate HD Quick Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

O+ Fab Elite 2.0 First Impressions

Daniel Morial Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

O+ USA just announced a new member of their growing Fab family. Here is a 6.5” phablet powered by a 1.7 Octa-Core processor with Android 4.4 KitKat on-board, the O+ Fab Elite 2.0.

Out of the box, O+ included their complimentary Sennheiser stereo headset, and usual smartphone kit. Plus, there’s a smart flip-cover case that closely resembles those of Samsung’s.

The device initially feels solid on hand but the fact that it has a gigantic 6.5” display and generous bezel, it could be tiresome to hold it with one hand. Due to the size, the power button is located on the right side while the volume rocker sits on the opposite side.

Build-wise the Elite 2.0 doesn’t really disappoint. Also, the IPS display is bright enough to be visible here at the beach. If there is one thing I will quibble is the over-all design. It looks like a Samsung Galaxy S4 mimic from the home button to the camera and LED flash placement.

Initial photos from the main 13-megapixel sensor are fairly decent but have muted colors. Check out the samples below to see it for yourself.

Performance from the Octa-core delivers with an AnTuTu 5 benchmark score of 30,316 but the 1GB of RAM can limit its multi-tasking capabilities.

O+ Fab Elite 2.0 specifications:
6.5” IPS Full HD (1080 x 1920) display, 339ppi
1.7 GHz Octa-core Mediatek MT6592
Mali-450 MP GPU
1GB RAM
16GB internal storage, expandable via microSD up to 64GB
13-megapixel primary camera w/ LED flash
5-megapixel front camera
WiFi
3G
Dual SIM, Dual Stand-by
3000mAh Li-ion battery
Android 4.4.2 KitKat

The O+ Fab Elite 2.0 retails for Php 15,995. It will undergo our established review process in the coming weeks so stay tune how this new phablet will stand against other smartphones in the market.

The post O+ Fab Elite 2.0 First Impressions appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

O+ Fab Elite 2.0 First Impressions

Daniel Morial Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

O+ USA just announced a new member of their growing Fab family. Here is a 6.5” phablet powered by a 1.7 Octa-Core processor with Android 4.4 KitKat on-board, the O+ Fab Elite 2.0.

Out of the box, O+ included their complimentary Sennheiser stereo headset, and usual smartphone kit. Plus, there’s a smart flip-cover case that closely resembles those of Samsung’s.

The device initially feels solid on hand but the fact that it has a gigantic 6.5” display and generous bezel, it could be tiresome to hold it with one hand. Due to the size, the power button is located on the right side while the volume rocker sits on the opposite side.

Build-wise the Elite 2.0 doesn’t really disappoint. Also, the IPS display is bright enough to be visible here at the beach. If there is one thing I will quibble is the over-all design. It looks like a Samsung Galaxy S4 mimic from the home button to the camera and LED flash placement.

Initial photos from the main 13-megapixel sensor are fairly decent but have muted colors. Check out the samples below to see it for yourself.

Performance from the Octa-core delivers with an AnTuTu 5 benchmark score of 30,316 but the 1GB of RAM can limit its multi-tasking capabilities.

O+ Fab Elite 2.0 specifications:
6.5” IPS Full HD (1080 x 1920) display, 339ppi
1.7 GHz Octa-core Mediatek MT6592
Mali-450 MP GPU
1GB RAM
16GB internal storage, expandable via microSD up to 64GB
13-megapixel primary camera w/ LED flash
5-megapixel front camera
WiFi
3G
Dual SIM, Dual Stand-by
3000mAh Li-ion battery
Android 4.4.2 KitKat

The O+ Fab Elite 2.0 retails for Php 15,995. It will undergo our established review process in the coming weeks so stay tune how this new phablet will stand against other smartphones in the market.

The post O+ Fab Elite 2.0 First Impressions appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.