Archive for the ‘smartphones’ Category
Tuesday, February 17th, 2015
The Gold version of the Lumia 930 comes with an anodised gold colour around its sides and will be available in Singapore (S$699) starting this Saturday, 21 February, 2015. Promotions for other Lumia models below.
The Lumia 930 will be available in black or white, both with a premium gold finish.
The gold Lumia 930 will be retailing in Singapore for S$699 at Singtel, M1 and Amobile with bundled data plans.
Below are some promotions for other Lumia Windows smartphones for this Chinese New Year. Promotion ends Saturday, February 28, or while stocks last.
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Tags:gold, Lumia, Lumia 930, Microsoft, Nokia, prices, promotions, Singapore, smartphones, Windows, Windows Phone, Windows Phone 8.1
Posted in Announce, Availability, Gadgets, gadgets, Lumia, Microsoft, Microsoft Devices, Nokia, Phones, Prices, Promotions, smartphones, Windows Phone 8 | No Comments »
Monday, February 16th, 2015
The ASUS Fonepad 8 is one of the largest and most affordable phablet on the market. At only S$299, it provides you with all the features and functionality that you need out of a tablet/phone combo.
ASUS designed the Fonepad series with affordability in mind. The Fonepad 6 and Fonepad 7 were released in 2013, while the Fonepad 8 were launched in late 2014.
The dual-SIM gives you much needed flexibility especially when you’re travelling and wants to slot in a cheap local SIM, but still wants to remain contactable on your regular number.
Two features which impressed me was the dual-SIM capability and long battery life of the ASUS Fonepad 8 phablet.
It is easy to slot in/out the two micro-SIM cards as both slots are in a special compartment on the left side of the phablet, along with the microSD card slot, that allows you to expand the 8 or 16GB internal storage of the Fonepad 8 by up to another 64GB.
Top right corner of the Fonepad 8.
The phone supports 3G for both SIM cards but not 4G/LTE.
I found usage of dual SIM straightforward like in other dual-SIM Android phones.
The internal, non-removable 4,000mAh battery provided long hours of usage without worry of running dry.
Even with intense usage and video viewing, the Fonepad 8 easily lasted an entire day and then some.
On my more typical day, there was usually at least 20-30 percent battery left at the end of the day.
Fonepad 8 is available in four colours—black, white, red and gold. White and gold models include white bezels, while the black and red models feature a black fascia. Out of the box, the pre-loaded ZenUI color scheme matches the device’s back cover color, which is plastic and features a non-slip diamond-pattern coating.
ASUS rates the battery life to 14.2 hours of Wi-Fi Web browsing, 12 hours of HD video playback, and 21 hours of 3G talk time.
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Tags:Android, Android 4, Asus, Fonepad, Fonepad 8, KitKat, mobile, phablets, reviews, smartphones, tablets
Posted in Accessories, Android, Asus, battery, Gadgets, gadgets, Opinion, Phones, Prices, Review, smartphones, Specifications, Tablets, tablets | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 11th, 2015
The new LG G Flex2 is curved along its length and width, with a 5.5-inch curved screen. Available in Singapore on 14 March 2015 at S$998. Pre-order from M1, Singtel and StarHub from 27 February 2015.
The LG G Flex2 (S$998) comes in two colors: Platinum Silver and Flamenco Red. I prefer the red version.
Compared to its predecessor (the 6-inch G Flex), the G Flex2 has a smaller 5.5-inch display, but with increased resolution to 1080p Full HD at 403ppi.
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Tags:Android, Android 5, G Flex, LG, Lollipop, Singapore, smartphones
Posted in Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, Launch, LG, newArrivals, Phones, Prices, smartphones, Specifications | No Comments »
Monday, January 19th, 2015
The FantaStick BA700 is an extendable smartphone monopod with detachable remote shutter and external power bank. Available at S$89 at ante@Tangs Orchard Level 3, EpiCentre, EpiLife and istudio.
The FantaStick BA700 is available in 6 vibrant colours – Black, Blue, Green, Pink, Red and Orange.
The 3-in-1 FantaStick from Ye!! comes with a built-in wireless Bluetooth Remote Shutter and 2,800mAh external power bank.
The FantaStick BA700 measures 2.8 x 2.8 x 113cm and weighs 280g.
The FantaStick has an adjustable phone holder that fits all phone width ranging from 5.5cm to 8.5cm and is padded with soft EVA for securing the phone in place without scratching it.
The FantaStick has a swivel head for multiple-angle shoots.
The connection point of the phone holder features a ¼”-20 male thread that is also compatible with compact cameras or camcorders.
The stick is constructed in 5-sections, which can be extended from 25cm to 113cm, great for capturing photos or videos overhead.
The 2,800mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery keeps the Bluetooth remote shutter running with a good store of power to spare for charging your smartphones, tablets and other devices via its 2.4A fast-charging output port.
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Tags:accessories, FantaStick, Lamch, selfie, selfie stick, Singapore, Ye!!
Posted in Accessories, Availability, battery, Gadgets, gadgets, newArrivals, Prices, smartphones, Specifications | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 13th, 2015
Samsung has launched in Singapore its GALAXY A Series of Android smartphones. The mid-range smartphones include the 4.5-inch A3 (S$448), 5-inch A5 (S$598) and the 5.5-inch A7 (S$TBA).
The A3 and A5 will be available in Singapore on 16 January while the A7 will be available this quarter.
The new GALAXY A series comes in three sizes (from left) – the 5.5-inch A7 (S$TBA), 5-inch A5 (S$598) and the 4.5-inch A3 (S$448).
The A3 and A5 were launched in Korea on 31 October, 2014 while the A7 was launched on 12 January, 2015 in Korea.
First impressions
I like the thin metallic body of the A-series.
The GALAXY A3 4G will be available from January 16 in Pearl White and Midnight Black, at $448 without contract. The Platinum Silver, Champagne Gold (24 January), and Soft Pink (February) versions will be available later.
The beauty face feature is really interesting.
This offers three ways of enhancing your selfies – skin retouch, eyes enlargement and face-slimming.
There are sliders to let you control how much of the effect to apply, and you can preview the effect as you drag the slider to the left or right.
The skin retouch effect is nothing new and is basically the run-of-the-mill skin blurring functionality which produces instantly-recognisably fake blurred skin.
So it’s good that you can use a slider to limit how much of the effect to apply to avoid appearing too amateurish.
The GALAXY A7 4G will be available this quarter in Pearl White and Midnight Black.
The eyes enlargement effect is really interesting but you have to try-and-error, as the effect can be either flattering or downright weird.
I was most impressed with the face slimming feature. I can see how it’s going to be flattering for many to see their face slimmed slightly.
All three models come with SUPER AMOLED screen for a vivid and colourful display.
The A-series GALAXY smartphones are priced more affordably than Samsung’s two flagship smartphones – the Note and S series.
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Tags:A3, A5, A7, Android, Galaxy, launch, Samsung, selfies, Singapore, smartphones, wefies
Posted in Android, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, GALAXY, Launch, newArrivals, Phones, Prices, Samsung, smartphones, Specifications | Comments Closed
Sunday, December 14th, 2014
A dual-SIM phone allows you to stay contactable to your regular contacts yet enables you to take advantage of more affordable local data/voice rates to avoid expensive overseas roaming charges – without having to carry two separate mobile phones.
The Motorola Moto G (2nd Generation) is one of the increasing number of smartphones that support a dual-SIM capability.
Nowadays, it is increasingly easy to get a local SIM card when one travels overseas for work or leisure.
The local SIM allows you to make/receive calls at affordable local rates and more significantly, to stay connected via mobile broadband – without chalking out a huge bill.
You can read
over here all about the benefits of getting a pre-paid local SIM card whenever you travel overseas.
But most mobile phones allow only one SIM card to be installed – so if you put in the local SIM card, you’ll have to remove your regular SIM card and become uncontactable to those who call you on your regular number, unless you forward those calls to your local number.
Otherwise, you’d carry a second single-SIM card phone, which is a hassle.
Not too long ago …
I remember in the early days of smartphones, people were selling dual-SIM card adaptors the size of regular sized SIM cards that you could place two micro SIM cards in.
You’d have to cut your regular sized SIM card yourself into micro SIM card size and it was a daunting proposition for most people to risk damaging your SIM card in the process.
These adaptors only worked for certain models of mobile phones, and you need to switch off and on the phone to switch between the SIM cards.
Fortunately, smartphones have evolved and nowadays, you have dual-SIM card phones that enable you use both SIM cards at the same time.
I brought along a Motorola Moto G (2nd Generation) dual-SIM card phone during my short break to Thailand and it was such a blessing.
There are two micro-SIM card slots so I could keep my regular SIM card in one slot and plug in the prepaid local SIM card that I bought at Suvarnabhumi Airport in the other.
The guy at the True Move counter did all the set up for me.
So after five minutes of queueing and five minutes of installation and payment, I was as connected in Thailand as I was at home back in Singapore.
I could receive roaming calls on my regular number from my friends back in Singapore and other parts of the world, while at the same stay connected on email and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram via the mobile broadband on the local SIM card.
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Tags:airport, broadband, Lumia, Mi-Fi, Microsoft Devices, mobile, Moto G, Motorola, prepaid, SIM, Suvarnabhumi, Thailand, Thailand 2014, tips, travel, True Move
Posted in Android, Events, Gadgets, gadgets, Holiday, Lumia, Microsoft, Microsoft Devices, Moto, Motorola, Nokia, Phones, smartphones, Thailand 2014, Tips, travel, Windows Phone 8 | No Comments »
Saturday, December 13th, 2014
First thing I did when I exited the gates in the Arrival Hall in Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok was to get myself a pre-paid SIM card that gave me a local number for voice calls and seven days of mobile data broadband at 299 THB.
The truemove shop is one of the first things you come across when you exit the gates at the Arrival Hall at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.
Immediately after exiting the gates in the Arrival Hall, you’ll come upon this telco shop that sells pre-paid SIM cards, as well as other mobile plans.
The 7-day prepaid SIM card offered by True Move is one of a few pre-paid mobile plans available in Thailand. This package bundles 7 days of unlimited data, free call credits of 100 THB and incoming call, your own local number, attractive international call rates – all for 299 THB or approximately S$12.
Here’s where you can grab an affordable and convenient pre-paid SIM card that gives you mobile broad band as well as voice calls, and a local number.
I’m here for seven days, so I was delighted to grab the 7-day SIM card that costs 299 THB, or S$12.
You get seven days of free broadband mobile data as well as 100 THB of free call credits, which gives you 100min of local talk time at 1 THB/minute.
The seven days are calendar days and includes the day you bought the card, ending at 2359hrs on the seventh day.
What I found useful was not only the free call credits but having a local number that you can give out for others to contact you via local calls.
My wife can now call me at local rates, through her autoroam.
Otherwise, she would have to make an overseas call just to get me on my Singapore mobile number – you know sometimes we get separated in crowded places, or we deliberately split up to visit different shops etc.
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Tags:airport, Bangkok, broadband, Changi, Hua Hin, Mi-Fi, mobile, Moto G, Motorola, prepaid, SIM, Suvarnabhumi, Thailand, Thailand 2014, tips, travel, True Move
Posted in Events, Gadgets, Holiday, Howtos, Internet, Network, Phones, Promotions, smartphones, Thailand 2014, Tips, Travel | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, November 25th, 2014
Microsoft Devices offers the 5-inch Windows Phone 8.1 phablet at an affordable S$199. The budget phablet comes with a 5-megapixel front camera and dual SIM.
The Lumia 535 Dual SIM will be available in a range of colours including orange, white, cyan and black. Bright green and dark grey are not available for Singapore.
First announced on 10 November in the US, the Lumia 535 will debut in Singapore on 5 December, at an affordable price of S$199.
The Lumia 535 offers five free integrated Microsoft experiences:
- Make memorable Skype video calls and seamlessly switch between voice and video with built-in Skype integration. Fit more memorable backgrounds or add more friends into Skype video calls and selfies with the 5 MP wide angle front facing camera.
- With Microsoft Office Mobile, you can now access, edit and share Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents and OneNote notebooks wherever you are, with the pre-installed Microsoft Office suite.
- Save and sync photos, videos and Office documents securely with 15GB of free OneDrive cloud storage.
- Connect with work and personal e-mail while on the go, with built-in Microsoft Outlook.
- Add a whole new dimension to your console entertainment with Xbox One SmartGlass, the perfect companion app if you want the best of your Xbox One from both in your living room and on the go. Connect and control your Xbox One and stay connected with the games and gamers you like.
Lumia 535 sports a 5-inch qHD (960 x 540 pixels, 16:9) IPS made of Gorilla Glass 3 with capacitative touchscreen at resolution of 220ppi.
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Tags:availability, Lumia, Lumia 535, Microsoft, Nokia, phablets, prices, Singapore, smartphones, Windows, Windows Phone
Posted in Announce, Availability, Gadgets, Lumia, Microsoft, Microsoft Devices, newArrivals, Nokia, Phones, Prices, smartphones, Specifications, Windows Phone, Windows Phone 8 | 1 Comment »
Monday, November 24th, 2014
HTC hopes to reinvent mobile photography and imaging with the HTC Desire EYE “double exposure” smartphone, the RE fun camera, EYE Experience imaging software, and enhanced Zoe video editor.
The HTC Desire EYE will be available in Singapore from 27 November at SITEX 2014 at S$728 S$628, through StarHub and M1.
Errattum:
HTC has updated that the price of the HTC Desire EYE in Singapore during SITEX 2014 to S$728 from the S$628 in the original press release.
HTC Desire EYE (left, in White and Coral Red duotone) phablet and HTC RE (in green) camera.
HTC has announced two new innovative gadgets which I had the chance to preview last week – the RE fun camera and Desire EYE Android phablet – both of which are water proof.
HTC RE camera
The RE camera will be available from late December onwards. HTC has yet to announce its price tag in Singapore.
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Tags:Android, cameras, Desire, HTC, phablets, RE, Singapore, smartphones, waterproof
Posted in Accessories, Cameras, cameras, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, HTC, HTC Desire, Launch, newArrivals, Phones, Prices, smartphones, Specifications, Tablets, tablets | No Comments »
Saturday, November 1st, 2014
As a pioneer of 2-in-1 mobile devices, ASUS offers with the PadFone S the portability of the smartphone and the larger screen of a tablet by selling both at the price of one device.
Two colours are available for the ASUS PadFone S – Dark Ruby (shown above) and Pure White. Photo: ASUS Singapore.
The PadFone S was launched in Singapore on 14 October, 2014 together with 11 other new mobile and computing products.
The PadFone S is a 5-inch Android smartphone that comes with a PadFone S Station.
The PadFone S I reviewed was the Pure White version. Normal retail price: S$449.
You can use the PadFone S on its own like any smartphone or you can slot it into the back of the PadFone S Station and use the combination as an 8.9-inch tablet, leveraging the larger backlit Super IPS display of the Station.
PadFone S Promotions
The PadFone S retails for S$449 normally but until 2 November, you can purchase it at S$399 and receive a 1-year Screen Replacement Warranty free.
There is also a Facebook contest by ASUS Singapore with a PadFone S up for grabs.
Simply Like, Post, Tag and Share by 4 November.
You can’t use the PadFone S Station on its own though, because it is simply a dumb display with no computer processors within.
Actually, the Station has more – it also includes a 4990mAh Li-Polymer (non-removable) battery to provide the larger energy demands of powering a larger display.
The larger battery can also be used to charge the PadFone S to extend its battery life from 22 hours talk-time (3G) to 64 hours.
The combined PadFone S in the Station felt a little bit hefty though, at a combined weight of 664g.
My view:
I found the ASUS PadFone S provided me with the portability of a smartphone and – only when I need it – a truely larger display and usability of a tablet –> all at the price of a single device (or less).
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Tags:accessories, Android, Android 4, Apps, Asus, KitKat, PadFone, PadFone S, phablets, prices, promotions, reviews, Singapore, smartphones, tablets, ZenUI
Posted in Accessories, Android, Apps, Asus, Gadgets, gadgets, Phones, Prices, Review, smartphones, Specifications, Tablets, tablets | No Comments »
