Battle of the Android Flagships: What’s the Best Spec’d Phone of 2016?

Mostly, if not all the major players, have already released their flagship phones for the year 2016. Some of them are already available in the market, and some of them are yet to hit local stores soon – but that won’t stop us from comparing all of their specs in this comparison.

table

Notes:

  • All of these phones are constructed with metal bodies with varying twists on design.
  • All of these smartphones also have fingerprint scanners, and all of them run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow with their respective manufacturer skins.
  • Prices are not compared since as of writing, not all are available in the Philippines.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge seems to be the most well-rounded among the competition. It’s thin, light and it packs a huge curved Super AMOLED screen with very powerful internals. While it has the lowest megapixel count in the comparison, it does have the lowest aperture. It also has the largest battery, and it comes with features like IP68 certification, wireless charging and a heart-rate monitor.

The LG G5 on the other hand is another well-rounded smartphone, but it doesn’t seem to be best at anything on paper. It’s certainly high end with its hardware and its features, and it’s one of the two smartphones here with a competitive dual rear camera setup, but the main thing that will attract most buyers here is LG’s modular design.

Newest among the bunch, the HTC 10 is also no slouch in terms of internals, but then again, compared to the rest of those in the list, the HTC 10 is nothing special on paper except for its BoomSound speaker setup; the HTC 10 leaves no holes for lacking, but it’s also just a “me too” smartphone that represents the best from HTC.

Sony’s flagship phone, the Xperia X Performance, on the other hand is on the lacking side in terms of specs; it only has a 1080p display and 3GB RAM. Aside from that, mostly everything is on par with the competition. It’s also one of the two smartphones in this comparison that is IP68 certified.

Meizu’s Pro 6 offers fairly flagship internals, especially with its chipset. While it has only 3 GB RAM in some variants, it allows for storage up to 128GB. It doesn’t have expandable storage, it doesn’t have a QHD display and it’s not packing a lot of features and gimmicks. It’s just a fairly well-rounded smartphone in 2016.

The Huawei P9 Plus on the other hand has the second to the largest battery in the table, the other one with a dual-camera setup, and based on benchmarks, arguably a very fast chipset – the octa-core Kirin 995 paired with a Mali T880 MP4 GPU. While it only has a 1080p display, it’s also the only one in this list with a pressure sensitive screen like 3D Touch.

So, who wins? Quantitatively, to us, that would be the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, but people have varying priorities too. LG has the modular design, Huawei has 3D Touch – and they both have dual-camera setups. HTC has the BoomSound speakers, and Meizu & Sony barely have anything extra to offer.

Now of course, this is all just on paper. It’s still the execution and how much value it can give which will determine what flagship smartphone to get this 2016. We’re all just as excited as you to get our hands on each one of them for our full review.

The post Battle of the Android Flagships: What’s the Best Spec’d Phone of 2016? appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Smartphones Under 5 Inches You Can Buy Now

Mobile phones are getting bigger and bigger. It does have an advantage to have a phone with, let’s say 5″ display and above, but having a smaller phone is also a preference for some. That’s why Apple released a refreshed iPhone 5S with an 6S internals called the iPhone SE. How about the others? Here’s a list of smartphones with displays not bigger than 5 inches that you can buy in the local market.

Note: We omitted handsets from local manufacturers since they have a wide range of small devices.

Apple iPhone 6

Apple is a bit hesitant before to increase their screen size but they finally did back in 2014 with the iPhone 6. While it’s not the latest iPhone around, it’s still a capable and relevant handset with all the Apple goodies. It’s officially SRP is still steep starting at Php 31,990.

iphone-6

Apple iPhone 6 specs:
4.7-inch IPS LCD @ 750×1334 pixels, 326ppi
Apple A8 1.4GHz dual-core Cyclone processor
PowerVR GX6450 quad-core GPU
1GB RAM
16GB, 64GB, 128GB internal storage
HPSA+/LTE 150Mbps
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Bluetooth 4.0 LE
NFC, Apple Pay
8MP rear camera, dual-tone LED flash
1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps
1.2MP front facing camera
Fingerprint sensor
iOS 9
Li-Po 1810mAh battery
129 grams
138.1 x 67 x 6.9 mm

Apple iPhone 6s

Still one of the latest iPhone around, the iPhone 6s is virtually identical to its predecessor but with better internals and beefier power. You get the best iPhone hardware available without having the need to submit to larger screen sizes. It’s priced starting at Php 37,990.

Apple iPhone 6s specs:
4.7-inch IPS LCD @ 1334 x 750 pixels, 326ppi
Force Touch
Apple A9 64-bit processor
Embedded M9 motion coprocessor
2GB RAM
16GB, 64GB, 128GB internal storage
12MP iSight BSI camera w/ dual-tone flash
4K video recording at 30fps, Slo-mo video – 1080p, 120fps / 720p, 240fps
5MP BSI front camera w/ Retina Flash
LTE Advanced
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MIMO
Bluetooth 4.2
VoLTE
NFC
2nd-gen Touch ID
iOS 9
1715mAh Li-Po battery

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016)

Samsung’s A series brings the sophistication of the S series flagship to a lower price tag. It has a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display, quad-core Exynos 7578 processor, and 1.5GB of RAM plus all the up-to-date wireless connectivity intact. The camera is in check thanks to the main 13-megapixel sensor with f/1.9 aperture lens and a 5-megapixel selfie cam. It’s on sale with an SRP of Php 19,990.

galaxy a3 2016_1

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016) specs:
4.7-inch HD (1280×720) Super AMOLED display
1.5GHz quad-core Exynos 7578 processor
1.5GB RAM
16GB internal storage
Up to 128GB via microSD
13MP rear camera, f/1.9 aperture, LED flash
5MP front camera
Dual-SIM option
LTE Cat.6
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.1
ANT+
USB 2.0
NFC
Android 5.1 Lollipop
2,300mAh battery
134.5 x 65.2 x 7.3mm
132g

Xperia Z5 Compact

For those who want power in a small package, Sony Xperia Z5 Compact is for you. While the 4.6″ HD display and 2GB RAM are pretty low by today’s standards, the rest of the specifications are at par with flagships like Snapdragon 810 processor, a 23-megapixel camera, a full suite of connectivity features, and waterproofing to top it all. It’s officially priced at Php 29,990.

SonyXperiaZ5Compact2

You can our review of the Z5 Compact here.

Sony Xperia Z5 Compact specs:
4.6-inch IPS LCD @ 720×1280 pixels, 323ppi
Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810
ARM Cortex A53 1.5GHz quad-core, ARM Cortex A57 2.0GHz quad-core
Adreno 430 Graphics
2GB LPDDR4 RAM
32GB internal storage
Up to 200GB via microSD
23MP rear camera, autofocus, LED flash
5.1MP front-facing camera
LTE Cat. 6
Single SIM, Dual-SIM
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, DLNA
NFC
Bluetooth 4.1, A2DP, apt-X
ANT+ support
GPS with aGPS, GLONASS/Beidou
IP68 certified
Fingerprint Sensor
FM Radio Tuner, RDS
microUSB v2.0 (MHL 3 TV-out)
2,700mAh Li-Ion battery
Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
127 x 65 x 8.9mm
138 grams

Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)

Motorola’s local presence is still alive and they bought the budget Moto E (2nd Gen) to much cheaper tag. As of writing, the device is currently listed on Lazada PH for just Php 3,999. The handset’s quality build, decent internals, and great software support are already pretty good selling points for those looking for an affordable option with a trusted brand labeled to it.

moto e 2015_2

You can read our review of the Moto E (2nd Gen) here.

Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen) specifications:
4.5-inch IPS LCD display @ 540 x 960 pixels
1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor
Adreno 306 GPU
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage, up to 32GB via microSD
5-megapixel rear camera, 720p @ 30fps
VGA front-facing camera
Dual-SIM, Dual-standby
4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS, A-GPS
Android Lollipop
2,390mAh Li-Ion battery
129.9 x 66.8 x 12.3 mm
145g

Acer Liquid Z330

Acer’s own Liquid Z330 has a 4.5″ display and is powered by a 1.0GHz Snapdragon 210 processor with 1GB of RAM. It has Android 5.0 Lollipop onboard that’s sprinkled with Acer’s own customization. Cameras are 5-megapixel shooters, both in front and back. It also has LTE and an ample 2000mAh battery. All for the price of Php 3,990.

acer-z330

Acer Liquid Z330 specs:
4.5 FWVGA display @ 854×480 px, 218ppi
1GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8909
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
expandable via microSD
5MP AF rear camera w/ LED Flash
5MP FF front camera
Dual-SIM, Dual Standby
WiFi
Bluetooth
LTE
2000mAh battery
Android 5.0 Lollipop

Lenovo A2010

With Lenovo A2010, you’ll get a 4.5-inch display, a quad-core MediaTek processor, 1GB of RAM, and expandable 8GB storage. There’s LTE as well and it’s running Android 5.1 Lollipop. You can grab one for Php 3,990.

lenovo a2010_1

Lenovo A2010 specs:
4.5-inch 480 x 854 display, 218ppi
1GHz MediaTek MT6735M quad-core CPU
Mali-T720 GPU
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD
5M rear camera w/ LED flash
2MP front camera
Dual-SIM (micro)
4G LTE, 3G
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS, A-GPS
2,000mAh battery
Android 5.0 Lollipop
131.5 x 66.5 x 9.9 mm
137 g
Black, Pearl White

Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016)

Of course, Samsung has some budget offerings for the consumer market starting with the Galaxy J1 (2016). It’s a pocket-friendly smartphone thanks to its 4.5″ display plus it’s an AMOLED panel, ensuring you’ll get a good viewing experience. The internals are nothing to write home about with a quad-core 1.3GHz Exynos 3475 processor, 1GB RAM, and 8GB of expandable storage. The phone has an SRP of Php 5,490.

samsung galaxy j1 2016_1

Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) specs:
4.5-inch Super AMOLED (480 x 800) display, 245ppi
1.3GHz Exynos 3475 quad-core CPU
Mali-T720 GPU
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
up to 128GB via microSD
5MP AF rear camera w/ LED flash
2MP front camera
Dual-SIM
3G HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS, A-GPS
FM Radio
2,050mAh battery
Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
Black, Gold, White

Samsung Galaxy J1 mini

The Galaxy J1 (2016) has smaller brother dubbed as the J1 mini. Everything about the phone is shrunken aside from the design. It has a 4-inch TFT display, 1.2GHz quad-core processor, less than 1GB of RAM, and a 5-megapixel rear camera. You can say that everything is basic about the handset. Samsung is selling this for Php 3,990.

galaxy-j1-mini-body

Samsung Galaxy J1 mini (2016) specifications:
4-inch TFT LCD (480 x 800 pixels), 233ppi
1.2GHz Spreadtrum SC8830 quad-core chipset
Mali-400MP2
756MB RAM
8GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD (uses SIM 2), up to 128GB
5-megapixel rear camera w/ LED flash
VGA front-facing camera
Dual SIM / Dual Standby
3G HSPA+
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS w/ A-GPS
Removable Li-Ion battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop

Samsung Galaxy J2

A slightly bigger sibling of the J1 is the Samsung Galaxy J2. It’s got a 4.7-inch AMOLED display with a 1.3GHz Exynos 3475 quad-core CPU and 1GB of RAM. Storage is expandable via microSD starting at 8GB internally. You can spot one in retail stores for Php 6,999.

samsung-galaxy-j2-white

Samsung Galaxy J2 specifications:
4.7-inch qHD (960 x 540) Super AMOLED display, 234ppi
1.3GHz Exynos 3475 quad-core CPU
Mali-T720
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage, up to 128GB via microSD
5MP AF rear camera w/ LED flash
2MP front camera
Dual-SIM (micro)
4G LTE, 3G HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.1
GPS, A-GPS
FM Radio
2,000mAh battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop
136.5 x 69 x 8.4 mm

Microsoft Lumia 550

There are also Windows 10 options for tested and loyal Microsoft users. The Lumia 550 is the cheapest from the line-up and it’s also appropriately sized at just 4.7-inches. Its specifications won’t impress everybody but we know that Windows 10 doesn’t need much power to run well on a mobile device. It’s being sold with an SRP of Php 6,490.

lumia-550-render-leak

Microsoft Lumia 550 specs:
4.7-inch IPS LCD display (1280 x 720 pixels), 315ppi
1.1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 quad-core CPU
Adreno 304 GPU
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
up to 200GB via microSD
5MP rear camera w/ LED flash
2MP front camera
4G LTE, 3G HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.1, A2DP
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
FM Radio
2,100mAh battery
Windows 10
136.1 x 67.8 x 9.9 mm
142g

Acer Liquid M330

Another compact and budget Windows 10 Mobile handset is the Acer Liquid M330. Basically, it’s a Windows 10 version of the Z330 from the same manufacturer. Everything is identical from the 4.5″ display, Snapdragon 210 quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, and two 5-megapixel shooters. It’s on sale for just Php 4,490.

acer_m330

Acer Liquid M330 specs:
4.5 FWVGA display @ 854×480 px, 218ppi
1GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8909
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
expandable via microSD
5MP AF rear camera w/ LED Flash
5MP FF front camera
Dual-SIM, Dual Standby
WiFi
Bluetooth
LTE
2000mAh battery
Windows 10 Mobile

Those are the devices we were able to find around. If you have some handset to add, feel free to comment below.

The post Smartphones Under 5 Inches You Can Buy Now appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Sony Xperia XA hands-on, first impressions

We’ve seen what the Xperia X has to offer and now we’re here taking a quick hands-on look at its sibling that targets a more budget-conscious market. Read on to see how Sony‘s Xperia XA is different from the Xperia X.

sony-xperia-xa-philippines-1

Just like the Xperia X, the Xperia XA carries a screen that spans 5 inches across. It doesn’t have the company’s famous Triluminos display, but features In-plane switching (IPS) so that’s not bad at all.

Sony also opted to go for a lower HD resolution on the Xperia XA, but makes up for it by implementing an edge-to-edge display that honestly makes the device more attractive to look at.

sony-xperia-xa-philippines-5

There is a strip of unused space at the base of the handset and serves simply as a handle when using the device on landscape orientation.

sony-xperia-xa-philippines-6

The physical buttons are also lined up at the right side, namely the camera shutter, volume rocker, and power/lock button. Do take note that the power/lock button is not the same as the oval-shaped one from the Xperia X. Instead, it’s circular and is reminiscent of the older Xperia Z2.

sony-xperia-xa-philippines-4

Looking at the upper part of the handset we see sensors on the left side of the logo with the 8-megapixel front-facing camera located on the right. The speaker for calls is stealthily tucked away at the slit near the frame and is almost unnoticeable on first glance.

sony-xperia-xa-philippines-3

Turning it around and we will be greeted with its 13-megapixel main shooter. It might not have Xperia X’s Predictive Hybrid AF, but it’s been equipped with Phase Detection Autofocus that makes focusing smarter than what others can offer.

sony-xperia-xa-philippines-7

While all the buttons are on the right side, the slots are on the left. Prying open a flap reveals the nano-SIM and microSD card slots. Expanding the storage is possible until 200GB.

sony-xperia-xa-philippines-8

Finally, we have the lonesome audio jack pushed to the left edge of the device. From this angle, we also see the handset’s curved corners just like the Xperia X. Both are easy and light on the hands, but we prefer the overall look of the XA mainly because of its edge-to-edge display.  In terms of specs, however, the XA lags far behind.

sony-xperia-x-philippines-1

Just like the Xperia X, the XA is available in different colors including White, Graphite Black, Lime Gold, and Rose Gold.

During the announcement, the Xperia X series still has no definite date of availability, but will be arriving sometime in summer. Stay tuned as we wait for new updates.

Sony Xperia XA specs:
5-inch HD IPS LCD display @ 1280 x 720 resolution, 294ppi
2.9GHz MediaTek MT6755 octa-core processor
Mali T860 MP2 GPU
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD
13MP rear camera with Phase Detection AF
8MP front camera
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.1
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
NFC
2,300mAh battery
Android Marshmallow 6.0

The post Sony Xperia XA hands-on, first impressions appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Specs Comparison: Sony Xperia X Performance vs LG G5

Sony announced a new range of Xperia smartphone during the Mobile World Congress 2016 dubbed as Xperia X. One of them sports the latest Snapdragon 820 chipset, thus making it on par with the LG G5 prowess. Here’s a quick specs comparison of the two:

x-performance-vs-g5

Sony Xperia X Performance LG G5
5-inch Full HD Triluminos display @ 1920 x 1080 pixels, 441ppi 5.3-inch QHD IPS Quantum Display @ 2560 x 1440 pixels, 554ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core CPU
Adreno 530 GPU Adreno 530 GPU
3GB RAM 4GB RAM
32GB internal storage 32GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD, up to 200GB
23MP PDAF rear camera w/ LED flash, f/2.0 16MP rear camera + 8MP wide angle camera - dual rear module
13MP front camera, f/2.0 8MP front camera
Dual-SIM
4G LTE 4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, apt-X Bluetooth 4.2, aptX HD
NFCNFC
GPS w/ A-GPSGPS w/ A-GPS
Fingerprint scanner Fingerprint scanner
IP68-certified
USB Type-C
Android 6.0 Marshmallow Android 6.0 Marshmallow
2,700mAh battery 2,800mAh Li-Ion battery (removable)
144.8 x 71.1 x 7.6 mm 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm
165 g159 g

Summary of advantages:

Sony Xperia X Performance:

  • Expandable memory
  • Higher megapixel count on both cameras
  • Dual SIM capability
  • IP68 certification, water-resistance

LG G5:

  • Larger, denser high-res display
  • Higher RAM
  • Dual rear camera module
  • USB Type-C
  • Bigger battery, removable

Looks like the Sony Xperia X Performance battles the LG G5 pretty well. Choosing between the two will depend on your needs. But obviously, the major advantage of the G5 is its modular design wherein you can swap the chin of the body to different accessories by LG.

The post Specs Comparison: Sony Xperia X Performance vs LG G5 appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Specs Comparison: Sony Xperia X Performance vs Samsung Galaxy S7

Sony unveiled a new range of Xperia smartphone during the Mobile World Congress 2016 dubbed as Xperia X. One of them sports the latest Snapdragon 820 chipset, thus making it a flagship contender. Let’s pit it against the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S7 and see how they fare against the other.

x-performance-vs-s7

Sony Xperia X PerformanceSamsung Galaxy S7
5-inch Full HD Triluminos display @ 1920 x 1080 pixels, 441ppi5.1-inch Super AMOLED Quad-HD display @ 2560 x 1440 pixels, 576ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core CPUQualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core CPU / Samsung Exynos 8890 octa-core CPU
Adreno 530 GPUMali-T880 GPU / Adreno 530 GPU
3GB RAM4GB RAM
32GB internal storage32GB, 64GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD, up to 200GBExpandable via microSD, up to 200GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
23MP PDAF rear camera w/ LED flash, f/2.012MP Dual Pixel rear camera w/ LED flash, f/1.7 aperture
13MP front camera, f/2.05MP front camera, f/1.7
Dual-SIMDual SIM, dual LTE hybrid (2nd SIM tray is for microSD)
4G LTE4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/acWiFi 802.11ac
Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, apt-XBluetooth 4.2
NFCNFC
GPS w/ A-GPSGPS w/ A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
Fingerprint scannerFingerprint scanner
IP68-certifiedIP68-certified
N/AFast wireless charging, Heart rate sensor
Android 6.0 MarshmallowAndroid 6.0 Marshmallow with TouchWiz
2,700mAh battery3,000mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery
144.8 x 71.1 x 7.6 mm142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm
165 g152 g

Summary of advantages

Sony Xperia X Performance:

  • Higher megapixel count for both front and rear cameras
  • MicroSD card doesn’t share with the SIM 2 slot
  • Slightly thinner by 2 mm

Samsung Galaxy S7:

  • Sharper, high-resolution display
  • Bigger RAM
  • Larger internal storage option
  • Brighter f/1.7 cameras
  • Wireless charging
  • Heart rate sensor
  • Higher battery capacity
  • Lighter

Seems like the Galaxy S7 outshines the Xperia X Performance in a lot of aspects. But with the lower resolution display, the Xperia X Performance can benefit in terms of power since it has fewer pixels to power. Also, we’re expecting a lot from the 23-megapixel sensor of Sony that’s been performing well with other Xperia devices.

The post Specs Comparison: Sony Xperia X Performance vs Samsung Galaxy S7 appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.