Category: moto x

Top Smartphones Under Php10K (Mid-2016)

Heland Ortega

Today, getting a quality smartphone without paying too much is just a simple task to do. You do not even need to break the bank to get a very capable smartphone.  One way or another, we could see those amazing features from the flagship devices slowly trickling down to the mid-range phones this year. Although manufacturers need to cut some corners to achieve much lower price like not having a quad-HD display, waterproofing, modular component or the fact it doesn’t have an Apple logo, there are still dozens of really good handsets to choose from.

So if you’re looking to pick up a decent handset and not spend too much cash on it, here’s a list of our top smartphones to buy for less than Php10,000. Do note that these are not ranked in any particular order.

ASUS ZenFone Max

ASUS ZenFone Max is  a power bank-acting phone which carries a large 5000mAh battery. It has a 5.5-inch HD display with Gorilla Glass 4, Snapdragon 410 quad-core CPU, 2GB RAM, 13MP rear camera, dual-SIM, LTE and faux leather back finish. It also got updated into the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow on top of ASUS ZenUI 2.0 skin.  This phone tops our PC Mark battery test rankings at almost 20 hours and it is now priced at Php7,989 (see listing here) down from its Php8,495 introductory price last January. [See full review here]

asus-zenfone-max-review-philippines-11

ASUS Zenfone Max (ZC550KL) specifications:
5.5-inch HD IPS display @ 1280 x 720 resolution, 267ppi
Gorilla Glass 4
64-bit 1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor
Adreno 306 GPU
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
Expandable up to 128GB via microSD
13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, laser autofocus, and dual-tone LED flash
5MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
Bluetooth 4.0, A2DP, EDR
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
Dual-SIM, dual standby
4G LTE
5000mAh Li-Po battery
156 x 77.5 x 10.6mm
202 grams
Android 5.0 Lollipop with ZenUI (upgradeable to Android 6.0 Marshmallow)

Flash Plus 2

Flash Plus 2 is the successor of the powerful and capable Alcatel Flash Plus from last year, which now comes with a full metal unibody design and a fingerprint sensor. It also features a 5.5-inch display with Full HD resolution, Hi-Fi audio and the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.  Again, it sparked a lot of interest from the public because of its affordable price — 2GB/16GB variant for Php6,990 (see listing here) and Php1,500 more expensive for the slightly upgraded 3GB/32GB variant which is not yet available in the market. [See full review here]

flashplus2-display

Flash Plus 2 specs:
5.5-inch OGS LCD display @ 1920×1080 pixels, 401ppi
Mediatek MT6755 Helio P10 chip
4 x 1.8GHz Cortex A53 + 4 x 1.0GHz Cortex A53 processor
ARM Mali-T860 MP2 550MHz dual-core GPU
2GB and 3GB RAM
16GB and 32GB storage
Up to 128GB via microSD card
4G LTE Cat. 6
Dual SIM, Dual Standby
Fingerprint Sensor
FM Radio Tuner
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.1
HiFi Audio (AK4375)
GPS with aGPS support, GLONASS
13MP rear camera, f/2.0, PDAF, with Realtone dual LED flash
5MP front-facing camera with LED flash
3,000mAh Li-Ion battery
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Venus Gold, Luna Silver
152.6 × 76.4 × 8.2mm (dimensions)
157 grams (weight)

ASUS ZenFone Laser 5.5S

ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser 5.5S is an upgraded version of last year’s ZenFone 2 Laser with better CPU, bigger RAM and bigger storage for an affordable price of Php8,995 (see listing here). This device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 along with 3GB of RAM and now equipped with a bigger 32GB of internal storage compared to the previous 16GB. It also got its Android 6.0 Marshmallow upgrade this month which promises to improve the overall experience of the device. [See full review here]

asus-zenfone-laser-55s-review-philippines-10

ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser 5.5 S (ZE550KL) specs:
5.5-inch IPS HD display, 267ppi
1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939 octa-core CPU
Adreno 405 Graphics
3GB
32GB internal storage
Up to 64GB via microSD card
13MP rear camera with Laser AF, LED flash
5MP front-facing camera
Dual-SIM, micro-SIM card
4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS w/ aGPS, GLONASS
3,000mAh Li-Po removable battery
Android 5.0 Lollipop with ZenUI (upgradeable to Android 6.0 Marshmallow)
152.5 x 77.2 x 3.9 ~ 10.8 mm
170 g
Gold/red/grey/white

Infinix Note 2

Infinix Note 2 is a new phablet-type device by Infinix Mobility, a Hong Kong-based smartphone maker. It has a 6-inch display, octa-core CPU, 2GB RAM, 13MP rear camera, large 4,000mAh battery with Quick Charge support, and has the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow on top of the company’s XUI skin out of the box.  It’s definitely an affordable device intended for those who are looking for a smartphone with a large display and battery. It will be available at Lazada for Php5,999 (see listing here). [See full review here]

infinix note 2_2

Infinix Note 2 specs:
6.0-inch HD IPS display, 245ppi
1.3GHz Mediatek MT6753 64-bit octa-core CPU
Mali-T720 GPU
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD
13MP PDAF rear camera w/ LED flash
5MP front camera
4G LTE, 3G
Dual-SIM (micro), Dual standby
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot
Bluetooth
GPS, A-GPS
micro USB v2.0
4,000mAh battery w/ Quick Charge
Android 6.0 Marshmallow with XUI
159.5 x 82.5 x 9.3 mm
194g

LG K10 LTE

LG K10 LTE is the company’s latest offering for mid-level smartphone market. This device looks incredibly good with its 2.5D arc-shaped glass pebble design, textured back cover and really slim design. As for the rest of the specs, it has a 5.3-inch display, 2GB RAM, 13MP rear camera, 2300mAh removable battery and 4G LTE. It came preloaded with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and is now available for Php8,990 in white, indigo and gold colors. [See first impressions here]

lg k10_1

LG K10 LTE (K430DSY) specs:
5.3-inch HD In-cell Touch display, 277ppi
2.5D Arc-Shaped Glass Pebble Design
1.14GHz MediaTek MT6753 octa-core CPU
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD
13MP rear camera w/ LED flash
5MP front-facing camera
Gesture Shot, Tap and Shot, Gesture Interval Shot, Flash for Selfie
4G LTE, 3G HSPA+
Dual-SIM
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.1
GPS, A-GPS
2,300mAh removable Li-Ion battery
Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
146 x 74.8 x 8.8mm
142 g
White, Indigo, Gold

Elephone P8000

Elephone P8000 is a smartphone with a massive 4,165 mAh battery and a fingerprint scanner from a Chinese manufacturer, Elephone. It sports a spacious Full HD display, octa-core processor, 16GB internal storage with micro-SD support, 3GB RAM and Samsung’s 13MP rear camera for just Php6,999 (see listing here).  If you want a phone that can run all your tasks through a day or four, this device is a good choice. [See full review here]

elephone-p8000-review-philippines (9)

Elephone P8000 specs:
5.5-inch Full HD display @ 1920 x 1080 px, 401ppi
1.3GHz MediaTek MT6753 octa-core CPU
Mali-T720 GPU
3G RAM
16GB internal storage
up to 128GB via microSD
13M Samsung 3L2 rear camera w/ LED flash
5MP front camera
Dual-SIM (micro)
4G LTE, 3G
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS, A-GPS
Fingerprint scanner
4,165mAh battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop
155.2 x 76.6 x 9.2mm

Firefly Aurii Envy

With a hardware configuration almost similar as the Flash Plus 2, the Firefly Aurii Envy offers a slightly lower price tag starting Php6,990 for the 2GB/16GB variant and Php7,999 for the 3GB/32GB variant (check our specs comparison here). That comes with a 5.5-inch full HD IPS display, a 64-bit octa-core processor with 2GB or 3GB of RAM, 13MP rear/8MP front Sony camera, and 3,480mAh battery with fast charging capability. Take note though that this handset is not yet available in the market but the company is now accepting pre-orders with a target release date on the first week of July.

firefly-mobile-aurii-envy

Firefly Mobile Aurii Envy specs:
5.5-inch Full HD display
Gorilla glass front and back
64-bit 1.3GHz MT6753 octa-core processor
2GB/3GB RAM
16GB/32GB internal storage
13MP Sony IMX214 rear camera
Expandable up to 128GB via microSD
8MP Sony IMX219 front camera with front flash
Glass and metal build
4G
Wi-Fi
Digital audio processor
Fingerprint scanner
USB-OTG
3480mAh battery w/ fast charging capability}
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Gold and silver colors

DEAL ALERT!

Now is also the perfect time to get one of these smartphones listed below because aside from having capable specifications, these have also been repriced to fairer amount for only less than Php10K – perfect for those who are on a tight budget!

Huawei Honor 6

Specifications:
5-inch IPS LCD full HD display @ 1920 x 1080 resolution, 441ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Kirin 920 octa-core processor (4 x ARM Cortex A15 1.7GHz and 4 x A7 1.3GHz cores)
Mali-T624 GPU
3GB RAM
16GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD card
HSPA+, LTE Cat. 6 300Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-Band
13MP rear camera with Sony IMX214 sensor and f/2.0 aperture
Dual-LED flash
5MP front camera
IR Blaster
GPS with aGPS support
Android 4.4.2 KitKat with Emotion UI 2.3
Li-Ion 3100mAh battery
139.8 x 68.8 x 7.5mm
135 grams
Mall Price: Php8,990

Motorola Moto X

moto-x-review-philippines

Specifications:
5.2-inch AMOLED display @ 1920 x 1080, 423ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor
Adreno 330 GPU
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
13MP rear camera with f/2.25 lens and ring flash
4K video recording
2MP front camera
Full HD video recording
4G LTE, 3G HSPA+
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, hotspot
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
GPS, GLONASS
2,300mAh battery
Android Lollipop
140.8 x 72.4 x 10 mm (dimensions)
144 grams (weight)
Lazada PH Price: Php8,199

LG G4 Beat

lg-g4-beat9

Specifications:
5.2-inch Full HD IPS LCD (1920×1080 pixels), 423ppi
1.5GHz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615
Adreno 405
1.5GB RAM
8GB internal storage, expandable up to 64GB via microSD
8-megapixel laser autofocus rear camera w/ LED flash
5-megapixel front-facing camera
LTE Cat4
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.1
GPS w/ A-GPS, GLONASS
FM Radio
2300mAh Li-ion battery
Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
142.7 x 72.6 x 9.9mm
139g
CMK Cellphones Price: Php9,600

That ends our list of top smartphones for under Php10K. So if you want to get a quality smartphone without paying too much, you will be pleasantly surprised at what these smartphones have to offer. It may not have the best power, cameras or display, but the thing is that you can get a great device for a fraction of the cost of flagship phones.

Something to add to our list? Share it with us in the comment section below.

The post Top Smartphones Under Php10K (Mid-2016) appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Deal Alert: Moto X (2014) drops to Php 8,499 only

Daniel Morial

Attention deal seekers, Motorola Philippines has a good sale for those looking for a brand new former flagship smartphone and it’s no other than the Moto X (2014).

moto-x-review-philippines

Motorola re-entered the local market back in July of 2015 and has brought three handsets including the Moto X (2014). It was initially priced at Php 16,999 before it went down to Php 14,999, and then to Php 10,999. Now, it’s currently listed at just Php 8,499.

moto-x-lazada-sale-8499

For a refresher, the handset has 2014 flagship specifications like a 1080p AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset, 2GB RAM, non-expandable 16GB of storage and 13-megapixel rear camera. It was launched with Android 5.1 Lollipop but you can upgrade to 6.0 Marshmallow via an over-the-air update.

Motorola Moto X (2nd-gen) specs:
5.2-inch AMOLED display @ 1920 x 1080 pixels, 423ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor
Adreno 330 GPU
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
13MP rear camera with f/2.25 lens and ring flash, 4K video
2MP front camera
4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
GPS, GLONASS
2,300mAh battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop, upgradable to Android 6.0
140.8 x 72.4 x 10 mm (dimensions)
144 grams (weight)

The deal is available in Lazada (see listing here) and includes free shipping and cash on delivery (COD) option. You can check out our review of the Moto X (2014) here.

The post Deal Alert: Moto X (2014) drops to Php 8,499 only appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Bend tests: iPhone 6, HTC One & more, case helps 6 Plus

Bob Freking Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

The iPhone 6 Plus caused a lot of noise because of its bending issue, resulting in more bend tests to see if other flagship phones have this issue as well and if a case can actually solve the problem.

iPhone 6 Plus

From the same person who brought you the viral bend videos, Unbox Therapy bends the iPhone 6, the HTC One, the new Moto X, the Nokia Lumia 1020 and the iPhone 5S.

Here are the results:

  • The iPhone 6 bends, but not as much as the 6 Plus.
  • The HTC One’s screen lifts up slightly.
  • The new Moto X is claimed to not even creak.
  • The Nokia Lumia 1020 creaks, but solid for the most part.
  • The iPhone 5S is hard to bend as well.

To add to everything, YouTuber Jonathan Morrison also tries to bend the iPhone 6 Plus once again – but this time to try out if a case actually solves the problem. Spoiler? It doesn’t solve it, but it helps a lot. Check that video out down below:

To conclude, the thinness & the size of the phone are the biggest factors in determining if the phone will be bending easily. You can add a case, but the majority of it really does depend on the build quality.

You can check out our initial story of the iPhone 6 & Note 3 bending, and we also have our iPhone 6 review up here.

The post Bend tests: iPhone 6, HTC One & more, case helps 6 Plus appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Conspiracy Theory: Technology’s Dark Role in the Future

Bob Freking Leave a comment

Technology is a way of doing things, and doing things are either good, evil or indifferent. It isn’t always about getting faster computers, more powerful gaming hardware or more efficient car engines – it’s about what you do with them. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.

Our ways of doing things have totally changed through time. Now, we get news fast, instant messaging & powerful mobile gadgets from cameras to laptop computers. Most of us even have probably experienced the rise and fall of compact disks. It’s all moving so fast that I think even parents have a hard time coping up with their kids & trends. The line of what’s right & wrong is starting to get blurry.

DARK TECHNOLOGY

But I’m not here to lecture anyone about morality. I’m here to talk about how powerful influences could easily change our future for the worse using technology. Aside from possible nuclear warfare & a far-fetched zombie apocalypse, I’m looking at the government’s way of handling us – the citizens.

Governments are taking advantage of technology to further their own interests – one great example of this is the U.S. Government. If you haven’t heard of PRISM, well where have you been for the past months? You should go catch up here.

In a nutshell, the surveillance project, PRISM, basically means that the National Security Agency of the U.S. can see through everything you have on the internet – even the ones you have passwords on as they have access to Facebook, Yahoo, Google & other internet giants. If you’re not yet as worried, then knowing that they spied on other foreign leaders should make you think again. With that said, it made me much more skeptical about the always listening & always watching Xbox One & the always listening Moto X - both of which are from American companies.

TATTOO SMARTPHONE

Google applied for a patent of a microphone tattooed to your throat

I’m not saying that they’re spying on us right now using the said tech, but I do have to mention that the NSA has been spying on lots of people for decades. What’s worse is that issues like these are unregulated without checks & balances. Once these technologies have been embedded into our culture & lifestyle, it will be very hard to pull out. Aside from that, we’re just making a lazier generation. In the end, activists could become slacktivists.

In addition to these always watching & always listening technologies that the government might be using, there’s also the sudden shift to cloud solutions. Companies want you to pay them to let you store your data in their servers for accessibility. Also, online transactions are also starting to gain traction through NFC, mobile wallets & Bitcoin. There’s a huge possibility that we might all become dependent on these services & “conveniences” in the future.

Now, there are always two sides to a story. Technology isn’t all bad, and isn’t all good either. In addition to those two sides, I’m pretty sure people will be divided on the issues of privacy & an all-seeing government – so I’ll leave a quote here below:

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” -Benjamin Franklin

In the future, we’re just going to have to try and change for the better. Be more aware & get engaged. Let’s not get very spoiled with new tech every now and then. Consumerism is consuming all of us, and with each day passing under abusive governments & corporations, the whole system just keeps getting less sustainable.

‘You know how movies usually portray an evil well-controlled highly-advanced totalitarian state? Well, that’s how these companies’ new innovations have made me feel like visualizing for the past few days. I hope that wasn’t a foresight; I hope it’s just paranoia.

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Motorola Moto G now official, starting at $179

Bob Freking Leave a comment

Previously called the Motorola DVX, the long-rumored & leaked smartphone from the Google company is now official in the form of the Motorola Moto G.

Motorola Moto G Philippines Official

Basically, the Moto G takes off with the design language of the Moto X. The only one big major difference is the availability of exchangeable back covers coming in different colors such as white, black, blue, yellow, red, and pink. If that’s not enough, a lot of other accessories are also being offered.

On the hardware side of things, the phone offers an above average package with an HD display, a quad-core CPU, 1GB RAM and a whole day of usage on the battery. On the software side, the phone is expected to get a taste of KitKat in January 2014; for the meantime, it has Android 4.3 Jellybean that is something similar to the Moto X.

Motorola Moto G specs:
4.5-inch 720 x 1280 display, 329ppi
1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 CPU
Adreno 305
1GB RAM
8GB, 16GB internal memory
WiFi
Bluetooth
FM Radio
5 megapixel camera with LED flash
720p HD video
1.3MP front-facing camera
Android 4.3 Jellybean, upgradable to 4.4 KitKat
2,070mAh battery

The 8GB variant starts for as low as $179 (less than Php8k converted) while the 16GB is at $199 (less than Php9k converted). Dual SIM variants are expected to arrive too.

For the case of the Philippines, Motorola says the phone will be available in some parts of Asia. Whether our country is included in the company’s plans is still unknown, but there’s a chance considering the Moto G seems geared on taking on other low-end & mid-range selections such as the Asha, the smaller Galaxies & the like.

Update: Motorola just confirmed to us via Twitter that the Moto G will be available in the Philippines.

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