Category: wp8

The Best of 2014: Windows Phone 8 Devices in PH

Daniel Morial Leave a comment

Last year, Windows Phone embraced a lot of worthy attention from multiple OEMs from different countries. Here in the Philippines, we saw Windows Phone emerged through several offerings from Nokia, Microsoft and even Cherry Mobile.

Here are the smartphones powered by Windows Phone 8.1 that were seen from the previous year.

Cherry Mobile Alpha Style

Cherry Mobile’s entry-level Windows Phone with enough power to do everyday tasks. Since WP8.1 runs buttery smooth even on low specifications, the Php2,999 price tag is a great deal.

Quick specifications:

  • 4″ WVGA IPS LCD
  • 5MP and VGA cameras
  • Dual Sim, Dual Standby

Cherry Mobile Alpha Luxe

Cherry Mobile’s mid-range offering under their Windows-powered Alpha line-up. It offers a bigger display and higher internal specifications than the Alpha Play with an SRP of Php4,999.

Quick specifications:

  • 5″ HD IPS LCD
  • Dragontrail Glass
  • 8MP and 2MP cameras
  • Dual Sim, Dual Standby

Microsoft Lumia 535

Microsoft’s first phone after acquiring Nokia Lumia. It’s a good start with decent specifications like a wide-angle selfie camera and an attractive price tag of only Php5,999.

Quick specifications:

  • 5″ qHD IPS LCD
  • Gorilla Glass 3
  • 5MP main and 5MP selfie camera
  • Dual Sim, Dual Standby

Nokia Lumia 530

The cheapest of all the Nokia Lumia series that is a successor to their popular Lumia 520/525. Being the cheapest at Php4,490 means being the most inferior of the Lumias. With only a fixed focus back camera and poor display, it could disappoint some buyers.

Quick specifications:

  • 4″ FWVGA TFT display
  • Free 15GB via OneDrive
  • 5MP fixed focus rear camera only
  • Dual Sim, Dual Standby

Nokia Lumia 630

The Lumia 630 was the first Windows Phone to feature on-screen buttons. While it doesn’t offer much, it is a compelling choice if you want to jump to the Windows Phone wagon. It retails for Php7,990

Quick specifications:

  • 4.5″ FWVGA ClearBlack display
  • 5MP AF camera, no front camera
  • Dual Sim, Dual Standby

Nokia Lumia 735

Nokia’s selfie smartphone that boasts a 5MP wide-angle front camera with a bright f/1.9 Zeiss Optics primary camera. It can be a hard catch since it is only officially available through Globe Postpaid, free @ Plan 1200.

Quick specifications:

  • 4.7″ HD OLED display
  • 6.7MP f/1.9 Zeiss Optics and 5MP wide-angle selfie
  • 4G/LTE

Nokia Lumia 830

The middle ground of the Nokia Lumia line-up. Lumia 830 sports a PureView camera with OIS and Zeiss Optics plus a nice build borrowed from its bigger brother, Lumia 930, but it comes in a cheaper package at Php18,990.

Quick specifications:

  • 5-inch IPS HD ClearBlack display
  • Gorilla Glass 3
  • 10 megapixel PureView with Zeiss optics and OIS
  • 4G/LTE

Nokia Lumia 930

Nokia’s top-tier Windows Phone that features a full HD screen and camcorder quality video recording. It has a premium build and quality display for Php29,990.

Quick specifications:

  • 5-inch IPS Full HD ClearBlack display
  • Gorilla Glass 3
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 w/ 2GB of RAM
  • 20 megapixel PureView with Zeiss optics and OIS
  • 4G/LTE

Now that Lumia is under Microsoft, we expect the leading Windows Phone maker to again lead the pack this 2015 with better offerings and competitive pricing. As for our local brands, we’ll see if Cherry Mobile has another Windows line-up and also from Starmobile, MyPhone and other major local players.

The post The Best of 2014: Windows Phone 8 Devices in PH appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Facebook Messenger now on Windows Phone 8

Daniel Morial Leave a comment

Facebook’s very own messaging service, Facebook Messenger, finally finds its way into Windows Phone 8.

Coming from Android and iOS, Facebook Messenger will take care of your Facebook messages on your WP8 devices on-the-go. Not just plain text-based messages but you can use the numerous stickers and send photos, something that the integrated Facebook messaging feature on WP8 can’t offer.

Here are the initial features according to its official Windows Store page:
- Get to all your messages without having to open Facebook.
- Bring your conversations to life with stickers and send photos privately.
- Have group conversations and make plans on the go.
- Share your location so people know when you’re nearby.
- Know when people have seen your messages.
- See who’s using Messenger and who’s active on Facebook.
- Stay logged in so you never miss a message.
- Turn off notifications when you’re working, sleeping or just need a break.
- Never lose your conversation history or contacts.

If you have a Windows Phone 8 device, head on to Windows Store by clicking here and give it a shot.

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GTA San Andreas hits Windows Phone Store

Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

After getting a month’s worth of head start, Android and iOS users are now joined by their WP-wielding friends as developer Rockstar Games brings Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to Windows Store.

The debut of the game on WP8 doesn’t really come as a surprise as the team behind the popular title already said that they will also port it on other platforms like Windows Phone 8 and Amazon AppStore in the succeeding month.

GTA San Andreas

The game is still pretty much the same as the two previous ports. WP8 users will also have to download the massive 2.5GB file from the Windows Store and install on their handset.

Speaking of handsets, not all WP8 smartphones are compatible with the first build. The developer’s did, however, mention that they will be adding support for more Windows Phone devices in the future iteration of the game.

Nokia Lumia 1520
Nokia Lumia 1320
Nokia Lumia 820 (822 & 810)
HTC 8XT

GTA: San Andreas can now be purchased for USD6.99 either by accessing the Windows Phone Store on your device or by going to this link.

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Sony plans to reunite with Microsoft for WP handset

Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

It’s already been five years since Sony and Microsoft collaborated to produce a smartphone. And although it seems like Sony has totally forgotten about their short stint with the Windows mobile platform, Pierre Perron of Sony Mobile Europe made it clear to TechRadar that a Sony-made Windows Phone device isn’t too far-fetched.

Sony Windows Phone

Although Pierre didn’t single out the Windows Phone platform per se, he stated that their doors are open for “other partners, including Microsoft”. He also said that despite having strong ties with Google, Sony is just not up to challenge of putting all of their eggs in a single basket.

“We don’t want to be a single OS manufacturer; I don’t think it’s a viable position in the long term,”
-Pierre Perron, Head of Sony Mobile Europe

This is not the first time that we’ve heard about a Windows-powered device from Sony. In fact just recently The Information reported that the Japanese company is planning to launch a WP8 handset by mid-2014 along with ZTE.

As you would expect, Mr. Perron didn’t comment on any of these recent speculations nor give TechRadar a definite answer as to when consumer can expect the fruit of their “on-going negotiation” with Microsoft.

{Source}

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Top 5 Most Affordable Windows Phone 8 Devices in PH

Bob Freking Leave a comment

It’s the midway point of the year and if you’re planning to get one of those Live tile touting phones with your mid-year bonus, you should probably check out our list of the most affordable phones running Windows Phone 8 in the local market, and maybe we can help you in deciding which one to choose.

(Note: Prices are based on online sellers and lowest mall prices we’ve found.)

1. HTC Windows Phone 8S (around Php12,990)

htc-8s

Pros:

  • Solid and beautiful design
  • Loud and clear sound performance
  • Refreshing user interface

Cons:

  • So-so battery life
  • Sub-par camera performance
  • Prone to dirt stains

HTC Windows Phone 8S specs:
4-inch S-LCD Display (480 x 800) 233ppi
1GHz dual-core Krait CPU
Adreno 305
512 RAM
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 3.1
4GB internal memory
up o 32GB via microSD card
5 megapixel camera (LED flash, 720p video)
Windows Phone 8
120.5 x 63 x 10.3 mm (dimensions)
113 g (weight)
Li-IOn battery 1700 mAh

2. Nokia Lumia 720 (Php12,700 – Php14,500)

nokia lumia 720

Pros:

  • Great performance for a WVGA screen
  • Snappy performance
  • Outstanding battery life

Cons:

  • Inconsistent camera performance
  • Lack of apps because of 512MB RAM

Nokia Lumia 720 specs:
4.3-inch ClearBlack IPS LCD display @ 800×480 pixels, 217ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 2
Qualcomm MSM8227 Snapdragon 1.0GHz dual-core
Adreno 305 Graphics
512MB RAM
8GB internal memory
microSD card up to 64GB
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band
HSDPA 21.1 Mbps
Bluetooth 3.0
NFC
6.7MP AF camera, Carl Zeiss, with LED Flash
720p video recording at 30fps
1.3 megapixel front-facing wide angle camera
Li-Ion 2,000mAh battery
Windows Phone 8
Wireless Charging support
GPS w/ aGPS, GLONASS
Dimension: 127.9 x 67.5 x 9mm
Weight: 128g

3. Huawei Ascend W1 (Php8,990)

huawei-ascendw1

Pros:

  • Solid construction
  • Attractive design
  • Good battery life
  • Decent performance

Cons:

  • 512MB RAM
  • Limited internal storage
  • Average camera performance

Huawei Ascend W1 specs:
4.0-inch IPS OGS display @ 480×800 pixels, 233ppi
Qualcomm MSM8230 Snapdragon 1.2GHz dual-core Krait
Adreno 305
512MB RAM
4GB internal storage (up to 32GB via microSD)
3G/HSDPA 21Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.1 w/ A2DP
5MP rear camera @ 720p
VGA front-facing camera
GPS w/ aGPS, GLONASS
Li-Ion 1950mAh battery
124.5 x 63.7 x 10.5 mm
130 g
Windows Phone 8

4. Nokia Lumia 620 (Php8,600 – Php11,600)

Nokia_Lumia_620_03

Pros:

  • Solid construction
  • Good design
  • Decent performance
  • Great display

Cons:

  • 512MB RAM
  • Limited internal storage

Nokia Lumia 620 specs:
3.8-inch TFT WVGA (800×480), ClearBlack
1 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon (TM) S4
512MB RAM
8GB internal memory, up to 64GB via microSD
5MP autofocus w/ LED flash; Video capture: HD 720p@30fps
VGA front camera
NFC
WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 3.0
GPS/A-GPS, Glonass
1,300mAh battery
115.4 x 61.1 x 11.02 mm
127g
Windows Phone 8

5. Nokia Lumia 520 (Php7,400 – Php7,990)

lumia520

Pros:

  • Solidly and beautifully built
  • Amazing display

Cons:

  • 512MB RAM
  • Limited internal storage

Nokia Lumia 520 specs:
4-inch WVGA (480 x 800) IPS LCD, 233ppi
Qualcomm MSM8227 Dual-core 1 GHz
Adreno 305
512MB RAM
8GB internal storage
microSD up to 64GB
5MP AF camera
720p video recording at 30fps
HSDPA, 21.1 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual band
Bluetooth 3.0
GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
Li-Ion 1,430mAh battery
119.9 x 64 x 9.9 mm
124g
Windows Phone 8

Special Mention: We’d like to add though; if you are good in seeking for better deals – we have to tell you that we did see HTC 8Xs being sold for a cheaper Php10k recently.

That’s about it folks. Fancy anything on the list? Or rather, maybe you have one of them already? Feel free to give us all your says on the space down below.

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