Hankering for a Phablet: Cherry Mobile W500 Titan

Ok, let's see. Where do I start with this post? I want to ask the world, what makes a phone a phone, and a tablet a tablet and what makes a phablet, well, neither of the previous two and at the same time both of them?

Well, personally I guess a phone ceases to be a phone when you hold it up to your head when answering a call and it blocks half your face, but is not quite a tablet when it can still ride somewhat comfortably in your pocket. That's what the Samsung Note was. Something else the Note was also was expensive. If you're looking something with a reasonably large screen to watch videos on, but don't want to spend the money for a Note, then you can check out the Cherry Mobile W500 Titan.

Launched at roughly the same time as the CM Flare, the Titan also shares many of the same specs, like 3g connectivity, a dual-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, 5MP digital cam with LED flash and a VGA front facing camera for video chat. Two major differences would be a larger display, 5 inches to be exact, and battery capacity, at a whopping 2350 mAh. The picture above shows a pen, though you can bet that you won't get any S-Pen functionality. While it can't compete with the Samsung Note II, or the first Note either, it's a phablet you can afford at Php 6,499 (it's even cheaper than the A878!).


If you really need a cheap phablet, I'd give it a go. But since I'm not inclined to get one, I'll leave it up to the future owners.

Cherry Mobile W500 Titan Specs:
MediaTek MT6577 1GHz dual-core processor
PowerVR SGX531 GPU
5.0″ capacitive touch panel (800 x 480)
512MB RAM
4GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD
HSPA+ 21Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi hotspot
Bluetooth 2.1
GPS w/ aGPS support
Dual-SIM, Dual-Standby
5-megapixel rear camera with flash
VGA front-facing camera
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
2350mAh battery
SRP: Php 6,499.00

source

Hankering for a Phone: Cherry Mobile Flare

The malls are playing holiday jingles, the weather's getting colder, sales are getting more prevalent and everyone's breaking out their decorations. Christmas starts with the Ber months. And it seems that two of the bigger local mobile brands are breaking out new models. MyPhone recently came out with the A878 last month, and should be officially the A898 by end of this month. Not to be outdone, Cherry Mobile has recently launched the Flare.

(photo credit: Pinoytechblog.com)

The Dual-SIM Cherry Mobile Flare will be running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, on a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon S4 processor, with Adreno 203 GPU. It'll run with 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of internal storage (though I'm betting you'll be able to use less than that for sure) expandable to 32GB via microSD. It'll be packing a 5MP autofocus cam with LED flash, and will have a VGA front facing camera for video chatting. The 4.0 inch WVGA IPS capacitive display will more than likely have a plastic covering instead of glass. It will reportedly go for Php 3,999 and be available by the middle of next month. 

(photo credit: Pinoytechblog.com)

Considering the price, it will render the W100 obsolete and trigger buyer's remorse in a lot of users. My hope though is that the display will be better than the W100's clearly low quality displays, and hopefully not plagued by the touch-screen issues while charging.

Why buy this phone? Well, it's smaller than the MyPhone a898 but pretty much has the same specs, but at just over half the price. I haven't handled it yet, but if it's anything like the W100, you can almost be assured that the feel will be a bit plasticky, whereas the A878 and A898 are of decent quality for twice the price. But hey, if you consider the specs, you really do get bang for your buck. 3G connectivity with a 4.0 inch screen with a dual core processor running Android ICS... for 3,999 pesos. Wow.

If, and only if, the display's decent and the touch screen doesn't get buggy when the charger is plugged in, I'd probably get this. However, since the MyPhone A878 has both been rooted and now have Custom Roms available (and I assume that the same techniques and Roms will work on the A898), I may think twice.

Cherry Mobile Flare Specs at a glance:
1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon S4 processor
4.0" WVGA (800x480) IPS capacitive display
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Adreno 203 GPU
512MB of RAM
4GB of internal storage
microSD up to 32GB
5MP autofocus camera with LED flash
VGA front-facing camera
Dual-SIM, Dual-Standby
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 900/1800/1900MHz WCDMA 900/2100Mhz
HSPA+ 21Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi hotspot
GPS with aGPS support
Bluetooth 2.1
microUSB 2.0
Li-lon 1600mAh 1500 mAh battery
131×68.2×11.3mm (dimension)
152g (weight)

Would anyone who gets to handle this unit test it out with a charger attached to it and let me know in the comments how it goes. Thanks!

UPDATE: Several netizens have pointed out that this is actually the a rebranded Huwawei unit, the Huawei Ascend G330.

If you check the specs, they're pretty spot on. The only difference you'd notice is that there is no mention in any G330 spec sheet of the Huawei G330 as being dual-sim, dual standby. It could be more of a clone than a rebrand. Plus the LED flash is located under the camera lens in the G330, while in the Flare, it is to the right.

It seems to be more like the Karbonn A9+ which comes out of India.

   However, if it really is made by Huawei, I've known several people who've owned Huawei phones before, and they seem sturdy enough. I guess I'll have to wait until I get my hands on one and find out for myself. (10.26.12)

UPDATE (10.31.12)
Closer inspection and other reader comments from different blogs have convinced me that the CM Flare is the Karbonn A9+, however with a bigger battery capacity (the A9+ comes with a 1420 mAh batt VS the 1600 mAh 1500 mAh on the Flare). Other web sources say that the front camera on tha A9+ is a 1.3MP cam, while the one on the Flare is just VGA. Either the other sources are getting it wrong, or CM is marketing it wrong. But what the heck....

If you want to check out actual Karbonn A9+ user reviews from their Indian owners, check this page out. It seems that the owners who cared to post their reviews about the A9+ are generally happy. Mind you, the phone seems to have been only recently released in India earlier this month as earliest user review stated they bought it then. But if it's good enough for them, it should be good enough for us. And at Php 3,999, you get what you pay for, but you'll be getting quite a fair bit. I wonder if anyone has rooted this yet.

Local Blogger Alexie, from thetechnoclast.com, has been able to unbox a flare and test it out. Check the video here. He's noticed two bugs on his unit so far. The gyro sensor doesn't seem to be calibrated correctly, or at least not for Temple Run. I believe that the sensor can be recalibrated, though I have no idea how to do this in ICS. Another thing he noticed was that, when Skyping, the picture of himself in the screen is upside down, however the video is right-side-up as far as his Skypee is concerned so not a real issue. Whether this will be an issue when it comes to the retail units remains to be seen. Better test your unit thoroughly before leaving the store. edited 11.03.12

UPDATE 11.03.12
   I've been to at least two Cherry Mobile stores the past few days and I've noticed that a lot of people are looking for the Flare. Well people, according to the sales staff, the Flare will be available mid-month / 2nd week / around November 15. :) For those like me who can't wait, well, I'm sorry to say we'll really all have to. But only just a little while more.

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)

Hankering for a Phone: Cherry Mobile W100

A lot has happened in the mobile phone industry since my last post. The success of Android OS phones for one has given people with less dough options to the iconic, and still ever expensive Apple iPhone. The way technology is moving, even those on a strict budget can purchase multi-touch screen capable, 1Ghz processor powered phones on the cheap. One of the latest to be announced in the Philippines is the W100 by Cherry Mobile. 

Cherry Mobile W100 Specifications: 
Dual Sim / Dual Standby
3.5-inch HVGA (320x480) IPS Display
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Qualcomm MSM7X27A Snapdragon S1 1GHz Single-Core Processor
Adreno 200 GPU
512MB of RAM
512MB of internal storage
Micro SD up to 32GB
3.2MP Camera with LED flash (Main) VGA Camera (Front)
Quad band GSM 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900
3G/ UMTS 2100
Motion Sensor / 5-Point Touchscreen
Bluetooth / WiFi Hotspot / GPS
MP3 / Multimedia Player / FM Radio
3.5mm Headset Jack / 2.0 Micro USB
Li-ion 1,400mAh Battery
Talk time: Up to 6 hours
Standby time: Up to 200 hours
117 x 62 x 12.9mm (dimension)

While I can't exactly post a user review, I've been able to handle the phone several times at the Cherry Mobile Kiosk in SM Megamall Cyberzone. Some comments:

• It feels plasticky. The housing itself seems to be made of a brittle plastic, which I guess is what you get for the price. The white version looks a little less plasticky though, but I guess this is really somewhat subjective. 
• The HVGA 3.5 inch screen, which on paper seems like a great deal, seems a bit poorly made. The icons are noticeably pixelated. My current phone, a Galaxy 5, which is only QVGA, handles photos and android graphics better. 
• When charging, the phone is effectively unusable. Touch screen is all over the place. Cherry Mobile sales people say that this is something inherent in all their Android devices, but honestly I've never heard of such a problem affecting any other brand of phone running droid. 

If you're interested in reading user reviews and other comments, follow the W100 user thread on Tipidcp.com here.

If you're not too picky about the build quality, and you're ok with the graphics that the W100 has, it promises to be a good buy for Php 3,499. Dual Sim, dual camera, with 3G capabilities, running Gingerbread. Not bad at all.

Hankering for a Phone: iPhone in the Philippines

Up until recently, those who've been wanting to own an iPhone in the Philippines have been forced to buy their unit abroad, have it unlocked, and risk bricking it everytime they use it (ok, maybe a bit over exaggerating with this line, but you know what I mean). They might have the newest Apple toy on the block, but they won't have the full functionality of the fully-working official deal.

Lately however, one of the biggest networks in the country have decided to officially bring the iPhone to the Philippines. Globe has recently announced and started selling the iPhone locally. Lucky you if you happen to subscribe to one of the higher plans that globe provides, or if you intend to get a line and stick yourself with the minimum 2 years at those rates, but if you're thinking of just buying the phone outright, as a prepaid kit, and keep your old prepaid number, get ready to shell out at least Php 37,599 (for the 8 gig model) or Php 43,799 (for the 16 gig).

Hankering for a Camera: Olympus E520

Woohoo!! I mentioned this model in a previous entry about the E420. And it's finally arrived. Was it worth waiting for? Well, near as I can tell, it is.

pictures from dpreview.com

Announced May 13, 2008, the E520 is Olympus' upper-entry level camera upgrade to the E510. The E520 sports similar features to its older counterpart, with nearly identical external features, even down to the measurements and weight. One of the few cosmetic differences one would notice between the two would be blue markings instead of green. Another would be a differently texutrized and finished command dial. However, one of the biggest differences between the E510 and E520 comes in a bigger 2.7 inch, 230,000 pixel LCD screen.

E510 rear (photo from dpreview)

VS

E520 rear (photo from dpreview)

While both the E510 and E520 have the sensor-shift image stabilization feature, (a feature you won't find in their compact little brothers, the E410 and E420), other improvements you'll find in the later model are...

• Contrast detect autofocus (with select lenses)
• Face detection in live view mode
• Auto Gradation (Dynamic Range enhancement)
• Faster continuous shooting speeds (3.5 vs 3.0 fps)
  
• Wireless flash control (Up to three groups)
• Additional Image Stabilization mode for panning

While most of the features that the E520 possesses would be a considerable upgrade from the E410, or even from the E420 that it came out with, if you're able to do without the above mentioned new features, you'd probably be set with the E510. But then again, who wouldn't want additional Image Stabilization for panning, or wireless flash control? :)



For a more indepth interview, please visit depreview.

cross-posting: photobu.