Cherry Mobile Skyfire 2.0 live on the Unbox Video Podcast!

Newest Cherry Mobile Products on the Unbox Video Podcast!

After a short 1 week break the Unbox Crew is back! For this special episode we intentionally crammed as many gadgets as we can in our 45-minute time slot to make up for last week, hehe. Our main headline of course are the newest gadgets from Cherry Mobile including the Skyfire 2.0, Fusion Fire Tablet, and the entry-level Sonic. We also featured the Marshall Hanwell, ASUS Zenbook Touch, Nokia Lumia 720, and the ASUS Zenbook Touch on the show. Watch the entire episode below!

Let us know what you guys think in the comments section below! Don’t forget to share on Facebook

Previous Unbox Video Podcast Episodes

Episode 21: MyPhone A919i Duo, Alcatel One Touch Scribe HD, ASUS Fonepad
Episode 20: Lenovo K900, A706, and A390 Hands-on! ASUS VivoTab Smart and VivoBook Reviews!
Episode 19: Smart LTE Prepaid Pocket WiFi, Avengers Phase 1
Episode 18: Cherry Mobile Omega HD vs Starmobile Diamond
Episode 17: Live Otterbox Armor Series (iPhone 5) Drop, Crush, and Water Tests! Nokia Lumia 820 Feature.
Episode 16: Cherry Mobile Omega HD, Lenovo P770, and Galaxy Note 8
Episode 15: Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0, Samsung Galaxy S4, ASUS New Tablets
Episode 14: High-end Smartphone Shootout – Sony Xperia Z, HTC Butterfly, BlackBerry Z10, and Nokia Lumia 920
Episode 13: Mobile World Congress 2013 and Samsung World Forum
Episode 12: BlackBerry Z10, LG Optimus G
Episode 11: Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt and Cherry Mobile Thunder
Episode 10: Starmobile Flirt and the Cookoo Smart Watch
Episode 9: Nokia Lumia 620 and the Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos
Episode 8: Cherry Mobile Omega, Cherry Mobile Cruize, Asus Padfone 2, and Lazada
Episode 7: PiPo S1, Lenovo A800, A690, and S720
Episode 6: Cherry Mobile Blaze, Starmobile Crystal, and Cloudfone Thrill 430x
Episode 5: Divoom, MiLI, and Beyond the Box
Episode 4: iPhone 5 Special, Google Nexus 4
Episode 3: Samsung Galaxy Camera Review, BlackBerry Jam Asia
Episode 2: Starmobile Engage 7HD and Starmobile Crystal
Episode 1: Otterbox for iPhone 5, Starmobile Astra
Episode 0: iPad Mini

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Unbox Video Podcast on iTunes!

You can download previous episodes of the Unbox Video Podcast via iTunes. Don’t forget to subscribe!

The Unbox Video Podcast Season 2 is sponsored by Smart Communications.

Smart LTE powering the iPad with Retina Display = WIN.

Unboxing the Smart LTE iPad with Retina Display!

A choice between the iPad Mini and iPad with Retina would be easy for a lot of people (majority would go for the iPad Mini), but we took quite a while to decide which of the two we would get. After much thought we ended up going for the iPad with Retina Display for several reasons. First, it had a whopping 11,560mAh battery which would potentially make it the longest-lasting LTE portable WiFi modem we could ever get our hands on. Second, it makes for better gaming with the better specs (the iPad Mini just has iPad 2 specs), and lastly the display quality. We got the unit yesterday and we just want to share with everyone our unboxing.

By the way, here’s a quick spec rundown of the iPad with Retina Display. Most people don’t know what are the internal of the iPad so it’s kinda cool to check out what’s inside, hehe.

iPad with Retina Display Spec Sheet

• 1.4GHz Dual-core Apple A6X CPU
• PowerVR SGX554MP4 GPU (quad-core graphics)
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB/32GB/64GB/128GB Internal Storage
• 9.7-inches LED-backlit IPS LCD Capacitive Touchscreen
• 1536 x 2048 resolution, 264 pixels per inch, Retina Display
• Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating
• 5.0-megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus, records video 1080p@30fps
• 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, 720@30fps
• WiFi a/b/g/n, WiFi Hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, 3G, LTE, GPS/aGPS
• iOS 6, upgradeable to 6.1.3
• 11,560mAh Battery

Okay, with that out of the way let’s proceed to the unboxing!

iPad and LTE Sim Unboxing!

The iPad with Retina Display came in the usual Apple packaging. White carton box covered with plastic. Product photo in side-view up front. Product details and specs at the back. Inside is the iPad with plastic cover and beneath it are the manuals, Lightning Cable, and the wall charger. Again like we said, standard fare.

Usual Apple packaging for the iPad with Retina

iPad with Retina from Smart officially unboxed!

Of course powering the iPad with Retina Display is the Smart LTE SIM card. We’re digging the vibrant colors and attention grabbing visuals. Unfortunately we made the mistake of getting the Nano SIM. The iPad with Retina Display still uses micro SIM cards. It’s a good thing though that we live just next to Greenhills so we just bought a converter tray so that the Nano SIM we got would fit in the iPad. Win.

Here’s what the SIM card looks like. We just got the prepaid one.

The SIM Card actually looks nice, hehe. Love the colors.

As users of Smart LTE for several months now we can’t stress how awesome this combo is. Smart LTE has fantastic coverage and the speeds have been very consistent for us. The fact that we can now put it in an iPad is exciting. Goodbye slow downloads, agonizing buffering, and laggy e-mails. Crazy speed on the go.

LTE on iPad Y U NO WORK!?

Before you scream that LTE doesn’t work on your iPad you have to make sure of two important things. One you have to update the iOS version to the latest one. If you don’t you won’t find the toggle for LTE. Second you have to make sure you’re in an area with LTE signal.

Update your iPad to IOS 6.1.3 via the software update control in Settings

“Enable LTE” should now be visible

If you’re on postpaid, did the update, and have LTE signal, it should work already. It’s different though for prepaid.

How to get Smart LTE prepaid to work on your iPad with Retina or iPad Mini

First buy a Smart LTE Prepaid SIM card. It should cost you Php350 and that will give you 7-day unlimited LTE access. The next step is to update iOS version and toggle on LTE. After that you have to go to an internet-enabled laptop or PC and go to the Smart website. If you don’t have a My Smart Account yet, register for one. Log-in and then add the LTE Sim Card to your account. To verify the SIM Card pick the second option (since SMS won’t obviously work) and input the IMEI number at the back of your SIM card holder in the field. After that go to LTE packages and buy the 7-day package (the SIM comes with 310 load).

Add your LTE prepaid SIM to your account and then buy the 7-day Unlimited access.

It should work after.

Full Review Coming Soon

We’re going to go around and take this iPad for a spin to see if the LTE speeds hold up in different parts of Metro Manila. We’ll report back with the results in a week or so.

Both the iPad Mini and the iPad with Retina Display are now being offered by Smart via their postpaid plans. Click here for all the juicy details.

Galaxy Note 8 First Day Promo in Cebu On-going

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 First Day Promo Hits Cebu

Samsung Mobile Philippines is currently offering the First Day Promo at SM Cebu today for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Just like the First Day Promo which was held first here in Manila, you get a free Flip Cover worth Php1,690 and a chance to win a free Samsung smartphone (you draw from a fishbowl upon purchase). Phones up for grabs include the Galaxy Note 2 and the Galaxy S3 Mini so it’s not really a bad deal!

If you haven’t read our review yet of the Galaxy Note 8, click here. It’s actually one of the best Android tablets out there so it’s definitely worth a look.

Lastly, check out this special web exclusive video produced by Samsung Philippines for the Galaxy Note 8 starring Lourd de Veyra and Jun Sabayton. Really cool stuff.

iPad powered by Smart LTE

iPad powered by Smart LTE

If you’ve been thinking of buying an iPad or iPad Mini but you’ve been holding off now might be the perfect time to do so. Smart just released their LTE postpaid plans for the iPad with Retina Display and iPad Mini and they are both pretty compelling! They’re basically offering two plans. Read on for details so you can figure out which one is the best for you.

Plan 999

The first gets you unlimited LTE/3G for 24 months and you pay for the iPad Mini or iPad with Retina at a discounted price with the option of either doing it as a one-time payment or via installment for 12 months.

Plan 999
- Unlimited Smart LTE/3G for 24 months
- iPad Mini or iPad with Retina at Php8,000 discount
- Installment scheme for payment of iPad at discounted prices

So you’re probably thinking… how much for the iPad? Is it lower than buying from an online store or local Apple shop? The answer is a resounding YES. Check out the price comparison chart that we made below.

Pricing of iPad and iPad Mini (Store, Widget City, and Smart)

Again you can pay for this one-time or you can opt to have it in installment for up to 12 months at 0% interest via major credit cards. Note that you will still be paying the 999 for 24 months for the unlimited LTE/3G internet.

Plan 499

The second plan offered by Smart is a little more interesting but quite a bit to chew on. Let’s break it down into two parts so we can better understand. First is the payment for the iPad. Basically we can get it at Php1,000 less the SRP (just check the Apple store prices above) at 0% for 24 months. The second part is the LTE subscription. For 499 you get 65 hours of Smart LTE/3G internet. Beyond 65 hours you pay Php10 for 30 minutes. The good news though is that this is protected by anti-billshock so if you go beyond Php999 you just pay Php999. That’s practically unlimited internet already.

Plan 499
- 65 hours of Smart LTE/3G Internet with anti-billshock
- iPad Mini or iPad with Retina at Php1,000 discount, 0% interest for 24 months (even without cc)
- Pay only Php1,374 a month all-in. No credit card or cash-out.

This means you can actually get an iPad Mini with 65 hours of Smart LTE for just Php1,374 per month (all-in) for 24 months. If you want unlimited internet then you’ll pay Php1,874 per month. The good thing about this option is that it doesn’t require a credit card.

Gets niyo na?

Woot.

Everything clear? We hope you guys found this post useful and to those getting their new iPads, congrats! We’re sure you’ll love the Smart LTE experience.

Lourd de Veyra and Jun Sabayton

Ultimate Selfie and Ang Tipo Kong Bigote

TV personalities and artists Lourd de Veyra and Jun Sabayton teamed up for two special videos featuring the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Both videos are pretty funny and they highlight the Multi-Window and S Pen functionalities of Samsung’s newest tablet offering. Check out both videos below!

Ultimate Selfie

Ang Tipo Kong Bigote

Like ‘em? Share!

New 3G tablet from Torque Mobile

3G Dual SIM Text and Call 9.7-inch Tablet from Torque

Torque Mobile just announced a new 9.7-inch 3G Dual SIM Android tablet that you can use for calls and texts. The spec sheet is pretty competitive and the pricing is fair. We just have a big issue with the name… “DROIDZ Ultimate”. The tagline for this should be “Jejejejejeje”.

Torque DROIDZ Ultimate Spec Sheet

• 1GHz Dual-core CPU MT6577
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB Internal Storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD
• 9.7-inches XVGA capacitive touch screen, 1024×768 resolution
• 8.0-megapixels rear-facing camera with LED Flash
• 2.0-megapixels front-facing camera
• Call and Text features, Dual SIM and Dual Standby
• Mobile TV, FM Radio, Bluetooth, WiFi, WiFi Hotspot, GPS
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• SRP: Php9,999

We couldn’t find any info yet on the battery. We’ll update this post once we get more details.

Ajejejejejejejeje!

iPad and iPad Mini powered by Smart LTE!

iPad and iPad Mini powered by Smart LTE coming soon!

Smart announced last night via social media that they will be offering the Apple iPad (Retina) and the iPad Mini via postpaid LTE plans very soon. In fact they already put up a teaser page for it already on their website. This is definitely an exciting development since we’ve already seen how robust and REAL the Smart LTE network is. Their coverage is truly expansive and the speeds are consistently above 8-9Mbps.

Unfortunately we don’t have any details yet on the actual plans. Smart will be announcing them next week so let’s just stay tuned for further announcements. If you already have a 4G iPad or iPad Mini though and you want to test out Smart LTE, just go to the nearest Smart Store near you and buy a Smart Prepaid LTE micro/Nano SIM.

Smart Prepaid LTE on the Unbox Video Podcast

We had Smart Bro Product Manager Anne Binuya on the show last week to talk about Smart LTE and the different Smart Bro LTE offerings. We’ve embedded the full episode below but if you want to skip directly to the part where we interview her go to 32:35.

PS: If you haven’t read our review of the iPad Mini, click here.

ASUS Fonepad on the Unbox Video Podcast

The ASUS Fonepad officially lands on Philippine shores next Tuesday, May 14, 2013. ASUS PH will be having a media event on that evening to showcase the features of their newest product. Of course the main selling point is that this gadget has phone functionalities which means you get the benefits of your mobile phone and tablet in just one device. The price tag is also very competitive given the specs as it’s expected that it will debut locally for a little over Php13,000.

Here’s a quick rundown of the specifications:

ASUS Fonepad Spec Sheet

• 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2460 processor
• PowerVR SGX540 GPU
• 1GB RAM
• 32GB internal storage, expandable via MicroSD up to 32GB
• 7-inches WXGA (1280×800) IPS touchscreen display, 216ppi
• WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, HSPA+, Bluetooth 3.0 w/ A2DP, GPS w/ A-GPS, GLONASS
• 3.15-megapixels rear-facing autofocus camera
• 1.2-megapixels front-facing camera
• 4270mAh Li-Ion battery
• Android Jelly bean

ASUS Fonepad on the Unbox Podcast

We had Eason de Guzman, PR Product Specialist of ASUS PH, guest on the most recent episode of the Unbox Podcast. Watch the full podcast episode below but if you want to skip right to the Fonepad segment, go to 29:52.

Read our ASUS Fonepad Initial Review

We actually had some hands-on time with the ASUS Fonepad when it was first announced and revealed to the public in Barcelona, Spain during the Mobile World Congress. Click here to read our initial impressions.

Check back again next week for our coverage of the ASUS Fonepad launch in the Philippines!

Time to unbox the ASUS Vivo Tab Smart!

Meet the most affordable Windows 8 Tablet: The ASUS VivoTab Smart

The Microsoft Surface Pro is not your only option if you’re in the market for a Windows 8 tablet PC. The ASUS VivoTab Smart, which retails for a little over php25,000, has the full Windows 8 experience packed into it and with the right accessories you can actually use it as your laptop. The specs won’t allow for heavy applications though but it should be enough for core apps like Microsoft Office, e-mail, browsing, and watching videos. Think of it as a modern-day hybrid tablet netbook of sorts.

Here’s a quick rundown of the specifications:

ASUS VivoTab Smart Spec Sheet

• 1.8GHz Intel Atom Z2760 Dual-core CPU
• 2GB RAM
• 64GB Internal Storage, around 32GB available for the user
• 32GB 36 Months ASUS Webstorage Space (Cloud)
• 10.1-inches Multi-Touch IPS Screen WXGA, 1366×768 Resolution
• 8.0-megapixel rear-facing camera with auto-focus, F/2.2 aperture, BSI, and 5-element lens
• 2.0-megapixel front-facing camera
• WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
• Windows 8 Software
• Ports: 2-in-1 audio jack, micro HDMI, Mirco USB, Micro SD Card Reader (SDHC)

To get a better feel of the features and the design, watch this promotional video from ASUS:

We also featured the ASUS VivoTab Smart during the last episode of the Unbox Video Podcast. To watch us do a quick review, check out the video below. Just skip to 26:25 if you want to get straight to that segment.

Who is it for?

Build is very similar to the ASUS Padfone (back and screen)

Given that it can’t run graphics demanding games and apps, it stands that the ASUS VivoTab Smart is really for people who use laptops more for office work (sans photo and video editing). If you’re looking for a device that will allow you to create documents, presentations, e-mails, etc., then this might be worth looking it. However please note that you don’t get a USB port with the ASUS VivoTab Smart and that’s a major letdown considering it would have been a great productivity device. Also the magnetic keyboard and cover are sold separately. We were told that it would be available locally late May.

What the back looks like

If this is something you want we recommend that you wait for the accessories. Otherwise it’s just a tablet which doesn’t really give you the full Windows 8 experience. Windows 8 is meant to be more of a Hybrid experience and for you to full enjoy that you need a keyboard with a trackpad.

The ASUS VivoTab Smart is already available locally. You can get it at Widget City for just Php24,900.

That’s the Starmobile Engage 7 3G at the back

Starmobile Engage 7 3G: Most Affordable 3G Android Tablet?

Starmobile is the only local brand that’s really pouring a lot of effort and energy in developing their tablet line-up. Their newest tablet is somewhat of a milestone though as it’s their first 3G tablet. Aptly called the Starmobile Engage 7 3G, the device packs a Qualcomm dual-core processor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a dark brushed metal finish, and telephony features. Yes, you can call and text with this bad boy, lol.

Here’s a full rundown of the specifications:

Starmobile Engage 7 3G Spec Sheet

• 1GHz Dual-core CPU, Qualcomm Chipset
• 512MB RAM
• 4GB Internal Storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD Card
• 7.0-inch capacitive multi-touch display
• 800×480 resolution, 160 pixels per inch
• 3.0-megapixel rear-facing camera
• VGA front-facing camera
• 2G, 3G, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS
• Can call and SMS
• Digital TV and Streaming (I have no clue what this is, hehe)
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 3,000mAh Battery

Fascinating. We’re a bit concerned with the 3,000mAh battery but maybe that’s enough already considering this just has a dual-core processor. Then again the telephony features will definitely drain the battery fast. Hopefully we can get our hands on one so we can do a full battery test.

The “digital TV and streaming” feature is also intriguing. Unfortunately we’re not entirely sure what that’s all about. We’ll clarify this once we get the opportunity to talk to the good folks from Starmobile.

Taken from the Starmobile website

For more information about the Starmobile Engage 7 3G, check out the product listing on the Starmobile website.