It’s now the month of June and it’s time to look back at all the gadget reviews we’ve done last month. The list includes the Microsoft Surface Pro that we’ve given away to our readers and four Alcatel One Touch smartphones.
Microsoft Surface Pro
The Surface Pro is an interesting hybrid of a tablet and laptop. Unlike its little sibling (Surface RT), which is considered more of a tablet, the Surface Pro has more affinity to the ultrabook. The Surface Pro is definitely a fully functional, high-power ultrabook in a tablet form factor.
What we liked about it:
* Great, solid build and design
* Powerful hardware
* Large storage
* Full-sized USB 3.0 port
* Full HD resolution
What we did not like:
* A bit chinky and heavy for a tablet
* Lackluster battery life
ASUS FonePad
The FonePad is ASUS’s Intel-powered phone-slash-tablet offering. It’s more of a Jack-of-all-Trades tablet rather than a device that specializes in certain categories as it has a little bit of everything including phone functionality.
What we liked about it:
* Premium build
* Phone functionality
* Decent battery life
What we didn’t like about it:
* Camera
* Display is a bit dim
* so-so sound performance
Starmobile Goal
Solid and ergonomic – these are the lasting impressions that the Starmobile Goal left us with. Although a great phone for its price, it’s a bit limited in terms of display quality and performance but the good battery life compensates for that.
What we liked about it:
* A lot of freebies in the box
* Camera works well
* Good battery life
What we didn’t like about it:
* Thick bezels
* Ice Cream Sandwich is a bit outdated
* No LED flash
Samsung WB30F Smart Camera
The WB30F Smart Camera is a perfect companion for traveling users with tablets or smartphones who like taking pictures but are somehow limited with their device’s camera performance. For a camera with WiFi capabilities, a slew of software features, and iOS and Android app support, the WB30F is surely handy.
What we liked about it:
* Slim and light
* Good imaging performance
* microSD support
* microUSB charging
* Good battery life
* WiFi connectivity
* Tons of on board software features
What we didn’t like about it:
* Low-res display
* Smart Auto is slow on fast moving subjects
* Below average low-light performance
Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra
Alcatel’s thinnest smartphone in the market that draws a lot of attention. The slim form factor, the simple yet elegant design, makes for a very compelling first impression. It’s not big in the performance department but what it lacks in muscle it makes up in looks.
What we liked about it:
* Nice, simple yet elegant design
* Very slim profile
* Very good AMOLED display
* Decent camera performance
What we did not like:
* No built-in 3.5mm plug (comes with adaptor though)
* So-so battery life
Nokia Lumia 720
The Nokia Lumia 720 is the Finnish firm’s latest mid-range offering under its Windows Phone 8 lineup. A refresher to the Lumia 710, the 720 packs a handful of nifty features found on its high-end siblings whilst keeping the mid-tier price range.
What we liked about it:
• Great performance for a WVGA screen
• Snappy performance
• Outstanding battery life
What we didn’t like about it:
• Inconsistent camera performance
• Lack of apps because of 512MB RAM
Alcatel One Touch Scribe HD
The One Touch Scribe HD is one of Alcatel’s competitively priced Android offerings. It has a good 5-inch display, great performance thanks to the quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, great battery life, and a cheap price tag at less than Php14K.
What we liked about it:
* Great HD display
* Good performance
* Good camera
* Slim profile
* Great battery life
* Affordable price tag
What we didn’t like about it:
* Speaker volume issues
O+ 8.15
A good combination of hardware, simple and elegant design and latest Android Jellybean — all packaged in an affordable price makes up for a compelling offering with the O+ 8.15. O+ USA definitely has a really good contender for the quad-core smartphone category.
What we liked about it:
* Very good performance
* Nice, large HD display
* Good build quality
* Jellybean 4.2 out of the box
What we did not like:
* Average camera performance
Dell Latitude 10
If you’re looking for a portable and powerful Windows 8 tablet with great battery life with solid feel and construction, the Dell Latitude 10 is probably the one you’re looking for.
What we liked about it:
* Amazing battery life
* Solid feel & construction
* Not much bloatware
* Snappy & fast
What we didn’t like about it:
* Bad cameras
* Buttons are hard to press
Alcatel One Touch Scribe Easy
The One Touch Scribe Easy is the Alcatel One Touch Scribe HD’s lesser-powered yet more affordable sibling. Although throttled down, it has a large display and decent battery life for a smartphone that is priced under Php9K.
What we liked about it:
* Large display
* Good camera
* Decent battery life
* Affordable price
What we didn’t like about it:
* Sluggish at times
* No support for 1080p video playback & recording
Seagate Wireless Plus
The Seagate Wireless Plus is a great storage solution for those on the go. It eliminates the need for a wired transfer of media files and documents across multiple WiFi-enabled devices. In addition, the 1TB worth of storage space will suffice for those with small personal collection of mp3s and videos.
What we liked about it:
* Wireless transfers and streaming
* App-enabled
* Good battery life
* Good wireless range
* 1TB storage space
* Solid build
What we didn’t like about it:
* A bit expensive
Alcatel One Touch Idol
The One Touch Idol easily surpassed our impressions especially in the display and design department. It’s not going to wow anyone though in terms of performance but it’s good enough for an average smartphone junkie.
What we liked about it:
* Simple and Neat Design
* Very slim and light profile
* Very good display performance
* Simple customized UI
What we didn’t like about it:
* No Full HD Recording
* Slow camera in low light conditions
* No rotation animation
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