Hankering for a Phone: MyPhone A848i

One of the phones that have been generating a lot of buzz as of late is the Cherry Mobile Flare, a 4.0 inch, dual core, Android 4.0 ICS phone that's going to be selling for 3,999 and will be available by mid November. Not to be outdone, MyPhone is set to release a 4.0 inch with nearly identical specs in the form of the MyPhone A848i.

photo credit to Harold Dela Fuente

Like the CM Flare, the MyPhone A848i Duo is going to run on a 1Ghz Dual core processor, with 512 MB RAM, 4GB Rom, and will have a 4.0 inch IPS-WVGA display. It will also have 3G connectivity and a VGA front cam. Unlike the CM Flare, the battery rating for this phone is a little bit bigger, but only by an additional 100 mAh at 1600 mAh (but this is still to be confirmed). This unit also seems to be a rebrand of the i-mobile i-style Q3 coming out of Thailand (I think. I can't be sure. The pages are all in Thai).

So far no release date has been announced and the price that's been floating around has only been hearsay and rumor, but if it's true, the A848i can be yours for Php 6,999 (as much as an A878).

Now, seeing as this unit has nearly identical specs to the CM flare, but is more expensive by Php 3,000, would you buy it? Knowing that there's a 4.3 inch 3G toting, front facing VGA camera having A898 out there for just 500 pesos more, would you buy it?

Personally, if I had to choose between a rebrand carried by MyPhone and a rebrand carried by CherryMobile, it will more than likely come down to price.

Rumored Specs of the A848i Duo
• Dual Sim / Dual Standby
• 4" IPS-WVGA Capacitive Touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels)
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 512MB RAM / 1GHz Dual Core Processor
• 4GB internal memory, 2.56GB usable, expandable to 32GB via microSD
• 1600mAh Lypolymer Battery
• Motion Sensor / Proximity Sensor
• Triband GSM
• 3G / WiFi Hotspot / GPS
• HSDPA 7.2Mbps / TV-Out
• Dual Camera: 5MP Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash (Main) / VGA Camera (Front)
• 720p HD Video Recording
• Bluetooth
• JAVA / EDGE / WAP / GPRS / SMS / MMS
• MP3 / Multimedia Player / FM Radio
• Pinoy Phone Apps.
• 3.5mm Headset Jack / 2.0 Micro USB
• Rumored SRP: Php 6,999

Hankering for a Phablet: MyPhone A919

I've been visiting the MyPhone kiosk often lately because I've been interested in getting the A878. I recently learned that they'll be releasing the A898 soon for 500 pesos more than its 3G-less counterpart so I decided to hold back on buying one. However, my curiosity was piqued by a flyer for this promo which states that people who purchase several phone models have a chance of winning an A919, a model they didn't even have specs for, at least at the time.

I spotted this on PINOY Phones on facebook and thought I'd share it.

Now, where this photo was taken, I can't be sure, but if this is to be believed, it would seem that the A919 is MyPhone's weapon of choice to attract the 5.0 inch market.

According to the specs, the A919, like its two 4.3 inch brothers, will be running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It will probably have roughly the same amount of storage space (4GB, with around 2.56GB user usable) and Ram (512 MB) and run on 1GHZ Dual Core Processor. Like the A898, it will have 3G and a front cam, but instead of a 5MP main camera, the A919 will be sporting a 8MP auto focus cam with LED flash. The slightly larger 5.0 inch IPS-WVGA Capacitive touch screen will eat up more juice, and to compensate, the A919 will be packing a 2000mAh Lypolymer battery. It will reportedly be available for  Php 7,999.

Like the Cherry Mobile W500 Titan I wrote about in a previous post, the A919 is more of a phablet than just a phone. However, aside from the price, what the Titan has going for itself is a higher batt capacity rating, with 2350mAh, 350mAh more than the A919. The A919 will have an a higher MP count for the rear camera though, so if that is what matters to you, you might still opt for it over the Titan.

If anyone's been able to hold either, or both, please let me know about comparative build quality.

When this will be officially released is anyone's guess. As it is, the A898 has yet to make it to any MyPhone store. But if this doesn't get released soon, MyPhone's going to have a lot of ground to cover specially since the W500 Titan is already available for sale in selected Cherry Mobile stores.

A919 Duo specs at a glance:
• Dual Sim / Dual Standby
• 5" IPS-WVGA Capacitive Touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels)
• 5-Point Multi-Touchscreen
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 4GB ROM / 512MB RAM / 1GHz Dual Core Processor
• 2000mAh Lypolymer Battery
• G-Sensor / Proximity Sensor / Accelerometer
• Triband GSM
• 3G / WiFi Hotspot / GPS
• HSDPA 7.2Mbps / TV-Out
• Dual Camera: 8MP Auto Focus Camera with Dual LED Flash (Main) / VGA Camera (Front)
• 720p HD Video Recording
• Bluetooth 3.0
• JAVA / EDGE / WAP / GPRS / SMS / MMS
• MP3 / Multimedia Player / FM Radio
• Pinoy Phone Apps.
• 3.5mm Headset Jack / 2.0 Micro USB
• Micro SD up to 32GB / 2.56GB Internal Memory
• SRP Php 7,999

Hankering for a Phone: MyPhone A898

Yep. You read it right. I'm blogging about the MyPhone A898. The phone that everyone was hoping for when the A878 came out but had to wait for til, well, apparently later this month. This was rumored to be MyPhone's flagship android handset, but since launching this recent promo, it has become apparent that something better than even this will be coming out probably by year's end, if not early next year. But lets get back to the phone, shall we?

I present to you the A898 as caught in the wild...

(Image Source: PINOY Phones | Photo Credit: www.tjsdaily.com)

Why would you want to buy this phone? Why would you not?

It's got everything that the A878 has...

• Dual Sim / Dual Standby
• 4.3" IPS-WVGA Capacitive Touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels)
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Downloading Thousands of Applications and Games
• 4GB storage (2.56 GB user usable) / 512 RAM (484MB usable) / 1GHz Dual Core Processor
• 1800mAh Lypolymer Battery
• Motion Sensor / Proximity Sensor
• Triband GSM
• WiFi Hotspot / GPS
• HSDPA 7.2Mbps / TV-Out / Video Call
• Dual Camera: 5MP Auto Focus Camera with Dual LED Flash (Main)
• Bluetooth
• JAVA / EDGE / WAP / GPRS / SMS / MMS
• MP3 / Multimedia Player / FM Radio
• Pinoy Phone Apps.
• 3.5mm Headset Jack / 2.0 Micro USB
• Micro SD expandable up to 32GB

... plus a couple of things that it lacked...
• VGA Camera (Front)
• 3G connectivity.

Those two things which may have been deal breakers for the previous model will give this newer unit the edge. Plus, if the web chatter is to be believed, it's going to sell for a measly 500 pesos more than the A878. The A898 Duo can be yours for P7,499. That, my dear readers, is a real steal. Really.

I'm betting that the folks who jumped at the chance at buying the A878 might be experiencing a bit of buyer's remorse. But, then again, maybe they're already happy with what they have. :) I'm betting though that some people might be letting go of their A878 for cheap when this one actually hits the market.

Hankering for a Phone: MyPhone A878

I've been looking around at phones lately, and last time I was talking about a budget Cherry Mobile offering in the W100. However, considering the screen quality, and the pitiful usable phone memory, I decided I'd keep my options open and look at what other brands had to offer. While exploring the newly opened Robinsons Magnolia mall on the corner of Aurora Blvd and Hemady, I discovered the MyPhone a878, and now I can't get it out of my mind.

Some of the key specs are on the image itself (click to enlarge). The MyPhone A878 is selling for a measly Php 6,999. For that bargain price, you get a 130 x 69 x 10.8mm, 4.3 inch WVGA (800x480) IPS capacitive touch screen, a 5MP auto focus cam with LED flash, with 4GB (2.5GB user usable) internal storage (expandable to 16GB via micro SD), 512 RAM, running Android 4.04 Ice Cream Sandwich, with 1Ghz Dual ARMv7 processors. Oh yeah, and it's dual sim capable.

 4.3 inches is a lot of screen folks. Think Samsung Galaxy S2. Ok, so it has no 3G connectivity. But really, if you're not the type who has to flood the world with details of your life via twitter or status updates every second of the day, who needs 3G? It has no front cam, but that's not a big loss. Remember, you're paying Php 6,999.

Supposedly there's going to be a better unit coming out soon, which will cover the "deficiencies" of this particular unit, but be assured that the price will adjust accordingly. For me though, this seems like a pretty good deal.

 Anyone want to buy a Samsung Galaxy 5? 2 years old. Still in good condition. :) 

Oh yeah. If anyone wants to look at some user reviews and some general info (like where to buy a jelly case) learned by actual owners and users, check out this link from Tipidcp.com.

Now if you are a new owner and you want to root the phone, you can check out this link. Users say that version 11 is the one to use. (updated 10.09.12)