Showing posts with label Android Buying Guide. Show all posts

Android Acquisition Tips For The Android Addict


Are you an Android phone addict? Do you want to be able to buy several Androids throughout the course of the year? Here is how you may be able to save on your Android phone purchases:

One great thing about the Android is that it is an Open Source platform. Meaning, it's not tied to the company that made it, and Google has built a business model around it that allows it to keep the platform free, open and highly customizable to whichever company wants to make use of it on their phones. Thus, if you hate the fact that there is only one and only one single form factor for the iPhone, then the Android may be a better alternative for you.

But what if you just wanna have them all?

Let's face it. Not everyone earns Php 50,000 a month. Let alone Php 35,000 or Php 20,000. Thus, it may not be realistic to keep a bad Android phone addiction. However, if you're serious on getting your phone every month or every other month, how about using these Android phone-acquisition strategies?

Buy Used. If collecting Androids is your hobby, then you honestly don't need to buy every single Android you earn, brand new. You may buy your Androids on the cheap, used, from either Sulit.com.ph, TipidCP.com, or even eBay.com/eBay.ph or other websites with User Feedback and Ratings systems. This way, you can ensure that you will be buying from a reputable, trustworthy seller.


IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure that you buy ONLY from sellers with 100% Positive feedback. If there are Negative feedbacks, check what the nature of the customer dissatisfaction is. If it's something you can live with, like either an isolated case or something that got resolved later, then proceed to buy from the seller. If the negative feedbacks are serious, like at least two people with defective items who were not compensated properly, then it's time to look elsewhere.

Get A Postpaid Plan. Phone plans are so affordable lately, that you can get a Samsung Galaxy Y at Plan 349 on Smart Gold, Plan 350 on Sun Cellular, and Plan 499 on Globe Telecom. Also postpaid plans are fully customizable and budget-friendly lately, so you will be able to find one that will suit your needs. When you find the perfect plan for you, you may also enjoy being able to get another phone, on retention/loyalty rewards, every 2 years, or depending on the number of months stated on your contract with your network.

Get Multiple Plans. This is a little crazy, but given the unlimited offers for the three giant networks and their sub-networks, you may find that while you need your Sun plan with the significant other, you may also need the Globe plan for your workmates or business partners, or a Smart plan for your family in the province. Given that Unlimited calls and texts are readily available on Sun for Php 350 per month, or Smart and Globe at Php 599 a month, each, getting 3 brand spanking new Android phones to have and to keep at the end of every two years may be worth the monthly billS.

Buy And Sell. This is probably the craziest notion of all. Buy a new phone, and sell it for less than the original price after a while. While this would usually mean that you would have to transfer contacts every single time you give up your phone to sell it, on an Android, you won't need to worry about the tedious task of transferring every entry. Contacts are regularly synced with your Google Account, so you will be able to retrieve your Address Book as soon as you register your next Android. All you will have to do will be to backup and then wipe out the other data on the Android you're selling.


Feeding an Android addiction may be costly, but if you think it's worth it, these four ideas will give you the spark and the excuses to fuel that Android phone addiction.

Don't blame us for your Android phone buying mania, though. :p

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Photo Credits: Shake Them All and screenshot
Android Buying Guide
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Dual-SIM Android Shootout: Cherry Mobile Stellar vs. Lenovo A60 vs. Alcatel OneTouch Blaze Glory


I promised to give you an impressions shootout of the Lenovo A60, the Alcatel OneTouch Glory (918N), and the Cherry Mobile Stellar, and finally, here it is. I didn't have the luxury of getting to play with all three phones for a week, but I will do my best to find these phones' users and interview them for you, soon.

But for those who are in a hurry to buy any of these three models now, here are my impressions of these three:

Cherry Mobile Stellar -- Php 7,899

The Cherry Mobile Stellar is probably the stateliest-looking of these three phones. Just one look at this beauty was enough to get me to believe that this may be my next Android. Its pictures online just don't give it justice. It has a gorgeous metallic finish and a beautiful bottom ridge that ensures a good grip. The screen is also beautiful and wide enough for games.

At 512MB ROM/512MB RAM, and powered by a Qualcomm 7227T Processor, clocking at a paper speed of 800 MHz, my instant love for this Android is justified.

The downside, however, is that the Cherry Mobile Stellar feels very light to the touch, a testament of its plastic build.

On the other hand, the lightness may be a boon for users who usually carry their Androids in their jeans pockets. If you've ever gone beltless, or you just don't believe in wearing one, you'll understand what heavy gadgets will do to your jeans. Just make sure that you keep your Android in a good, sturdy protective case, as pocket pressure tends to be the demise of many a touch screen phone.

Lenovo A60 -- Php 7,990

When I first saw the Lenovo A60 in the wild, used by a high school classmate and dear friend at that, I let out a shriek. It meant one thing: I would be able to play with the Lenovo A60 and tinker with it up close!

And I did. I immediately went to the Settings area and bugged my classmate about it. Indeed, like we heard, the Lenovo A60 only has 3G in one of its SIM Card slots. SIM #2 only hosts a 2G network, though SIM #1 can connect to 3G.

In terms of its build and profile, the Lenovo A60 is sleek and slender, perfect for both ladies and men who don't like bulky phones.

Its camera, even at a "mere" 3.2 MP, takes really clear, good-enough pictures. If you've been on a Chinaphone or a Cherry Mobile for so long, you'll appreciate the camera on this one.

All in all, I believe that the Lenovo A60 is good for a consumer who will use his Android as a phone.

Last, but not the least, the much-talked-about Alcatel OneTouch Blaze Glory.

Alcatel OneTouch Blaze Glory -- Php 5,999 (Promo Price)/Php 7,999 (Regular Price)

My first impression about this phone is this was meant to be a guy's phone: with a rubberized coating and a bit of a heft in its profile, this isn't for those who are looking for the sleek phone types. Rather, when seen wielding a OneTouch Blaze Glory, you will be labeled a "Barako," and they will be justified in saying so.

The phone looks like it can withstand a number of falls and even tosses across the room. However, we weren't at a liberty to test that theory.

The screen is clear and much better than a Samsung Galaxy Y. Its implementation of the Android is standard, and, aside from some Dual SIM Management features and APN menu differences, if you've used an Android, you'll find your way fine with the Alcatel OneTouch Blaze Glory.

There's a bit of a speed bump, however, as the SIM card placement isn't the usual one SIM card stacked upon the other, with gold contact points all facing down to touch the terminals. Rather, with the Alcatel OneTouch Blaze Glory, you have to position your SIM Cards to face each other, with their gold terminals touching each other. Odd, but that's how it goes with this unit.

Dual SIM and 3G

Indeed these three Androids are 3G-Capable, however, these are the differences with their network implementations:

Lenovo A60:

The Lenovo A60 is 3G-Capable on SIM 1 only. And, you will not be able to swap your 3G connection to be hosted from SIM 2. As this implies, SIM 2 is 2G-only.

Cherry Mobile Stellar:

Cherry Mobile Stellar appears to allow 3G for BOTH its SIM Card slots. There was an option to assign SIM 2 to be "2G Network Only," in order to save battery, with this battery-saving note also indicated in the menu. I believe that implies that unless you choose to assign 2G-only for SIM 2, it is connected to 3G on a regular basis.

Data management is accessed via the Wireless and Networks/Data Management menu.

Alcatel OneTouch Blaze Glory:

Just like the Cherry Mobile Stellar, both its SIM Cards are 3G-Capable, with just some Data Management swapping involved. Its 3G toggle options are accessed via the "SIM Card Management" menu, however, which, conveniently is also on the Wireless and Networks menu. You can choose to turn either SIM card off.


Collective and Comparative Impressions

I believe that the best buy for a regular phone user would be the Lenovo A60. It has all that you need and more: a great cam, the ability to host a 3G Connection on your phone, as well as a great screen. All that, packaged in a sleek profile, sans the "signature Android lag."

On the other hand, if you're a non-phone Android user like me, meaning your Android is really used as a MiFi/Mobile Internet device, then it would make better sense to get the Cherry Mobile Stellar instead. It seems to be able to host 3G simultaneously, and is the fastest Android of the three.

On the other hand, for those who are looking to buy an Android at the most affordable rates, then there's no stopping you from catching Alcatel Mobile Philippines' promo of the Alcatel OneTouch Blaze Glory. At the promo price of Php 5,999, this is the best buy of the three, price-wise.

In terms of the "signature Android lag," however, I would have to say that I experienced it just starting up and tinkering with the fresh Alcatel OneTouch Blaze Glory. For a machine running Android 2.3 Gingerbread on 256MB RAM and a 650MHz processor, at Php 5,999, I don't think you can expect much.

The Bottom Line

If you're looking for power, go for the Cherry Mobile Stellar. If you're looking for an awesome phone with awesome standard phone features running an Android, go for the Lenovo A60. If you're looking for a rugged, sturdy form factor, at a price you won't be able to resist despite a lag that you shouldn't mind, then the Alcatel OneTouch Blaze Glory is for you. Just remember to buy it soon, as it may revert to pre-promo price.

Edit, 1/11/2011: 

In my research for this article, I discovered that the Cherry Mobile Stellar may just be similar to the Lenovo A60 in its 3G/HSDPA functions. Check out the Manual and the Product Page on the links.

 

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Photo Credits: 
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How, When, And For How Much? Benchmarks For Buying A New Gadget


The other day, I broke the news that the Nokia 3310 now retails for only Php 190 in a certain store in MaryMart Mall (the section with the Iloilo Supermart grocery) in Iloilo City. In that same article, I noted a series of questions that gadget buyers may be thinking about:

  • How often should one buy a new gadget?
  • At what rate/price should a buyer make that decision to get a new machine?
  • How soon after release is it "safe" to buy without regret?

These questions may be considerations that a gadget consumer is thinking about, given that technology seems to upgrade at rates that consumers' wallets may not be able to keep up with. In fact, I've personally noted some bloggers getting disillusioned with Android Smartphones because of this "bad habit" that gadget manufacturers seem to be adopting.

We also discussed that gadget manufacturers have one concern: to get consumers to buy and upgrade constantly, and up to bigger and better specs, every single time. Thus, as a wise consumer, there is one thing you can do to protect yourself:

Don't believe the hype.

That's basically it. When you know what you want, and you know what you can be contented with, you won't need to get flushed out with the flood of advertising that companies can inundate you with. All you need to do is to take a stand. Don't mind, don't care.

But how do you deal with the gadget envy that plagues techies everywhere, when specs get better with every new release, which seems to happen every single month?

How about set a benchmark and refuse to budge unless the gadget meets it?

The Android Searcher has constantly noted that Androids have this "signature lag" which isn't experienced on an iPod Touch or an iPhone. Even as an Android evangelist of sorts, I would have to honestly agree. Whenever I play Pumpkins vs. Monsters, I do get that annoying "catch" and lag, but I can say that it's pretty much tolerable. I'm on a Cherry Mobile Nova, and at 256MB/600MHz, you can't expect much. But here is what I do to deal with this, when ignoring is no longer an option: remove all widgets, kill all previously opened apps, then go back to playing the game. Using Android Assistant also helps, as its "Quick Boost" button frees up the RAM itself.

This is what happens when you're on a low-spec Android. But if you're on a Samsung Galaxy SII or a Sky Vega Racer, this shouldn't be a problem.

Usually, dissatisfaction with one's gadget is the main reason that prompts users to upgrade. But for those who are limited by the amount of resources in their hands, it would be wiser to grin and bear the defects for a few months more, and then upgrade when able.

It would also make sense to just make a list of gadgets you can, and will buy for that year and stick to it. Unless you do that, you may get prone to wanting every new release that comes out on the market.

Now, to answer the three questions posed earlier:

How often should one buy a new gadget?

How about every two years?

Take the benchmark of postpaid plans: Postpaid plans will issue a new phone as a loyalty reward for its subscribers, every 24 months. That means that they will give you a new unit to use with your plan every two years. I believe this is a sensible benchmark for upgrading phones. New units may have significant hardware upgrades every 2 to 3 months, but these are not truly necessary for day to day use. You don't really need to have your Facebook load lightning-fast. It pays to get disconnected every now and then.

At what rate/price should a buyer make that decision to get a new machine?

I'd rather wait for a gadget to depreciate up to half its original price, if possible. I've always had that sick feeling to my stomach whenever I bought a machine, only to find that it's depreciated considerably, just months after. I also have a smug feeling whenever someone else (usually my significant other) made the stupid decision to buy a gadget I wanted at first-release price, only to see it depreciate to half or even a quarter of its original price, a year later. Thus, I've learned to make the purchase when the price has gone down to a comfortable level, or the lowest it can go.

How soon after release is it "safe" to buy without regret?

Frankly, I won't buy a gadget when it comes out. I'd rather wait a year or even two years before I get it. Nevermind that the market will make me think it's obsolete. It's not. It will be faster than my previous machine, and it will be exactly what I need, even though months, even years have passed since I first wanted it.

I don't and will never buy the patterns that the manufacturers will try to set for the market. While the Androids are on a race to be bigger and better in terms of months, and Apple's machines will always have a 2-year timeline for its gadgets, I will maintain that it would be better to be a wise and sensible consumer. As I said, two articles by now, manufacturers only want one thing: your money. It is your job to stand your ground and not be taken in by their wiles.

Hope this guide helps!

More on my personal experience here.

With thanks to Karen Ang for unwittingly sparking the idea for this article. :)

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Photo Credits:

Android Buying Guide
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More On The Samsung Galaxy Y: Free On Globe's SuperPlan 499

As we mentioned yesterday, the Samsung Galaxy Y is the "It" entry-level Android as of the moment. For one, all three networks have created dirt-cheap postpaid plans around this phone, and it's all good for the consumer. Just in case you didn't catch our brief on some of the best deals in Androids this season, here's the link: Sale Watch: What's Happening This Christmas.

We didn't catch wind of Globe's Postpaid offering on the Samsung Galaxy Y until just this weekend. Yugatech spotted the promo flyer back in October 2011 and blogged about it here.:

As it says there, as well as on this post the Samsung Galaxy Y is available for free on Globe's Plan 499. If you're familiar with Globe's Plans, these are fully customizable with add-on promos. The Plan is the basic MSF you will be paying, and depending on which Plan you choose, you will be able to take advantage of freebies from Globe.

For Plan 499, you can choose 2 Freebies to go with your Plan. Below is a photo showing the Freebies you may choose from, using your plan.


The downside to Globe's Postpaid Plans (especially those on the SuperPlan system) is that, if you want to avail of unlimited promos and offers, they will be added ON TOP of your plan. Unlike Sun Cellular's Plans, where the unlimited promos can already be factored in with your MSF, in Globe's SuperPlan system, you will have to configure your personal SuperPlan. Then the total bill will depend on the basic MSF, plus whatever promo you take advantage of.

Take for example, this demo SuperPlan we configured is based on Plan 499, with a MySuperText (Unlimited Text to Globe/TM) add-on, and we chose 6 hours worth of mobile surfing as freebies.


This plan is basically consumable, meaning whatever value you accrue when you text, call or surf, will be taken out of the MSF allotment, at regular rates.

So whereas you can get unlimited calls and texts on a Sun Cellular Plan 350, or unlimited texts, unlimited access to social networking, and even unlimited chatting via YM and FB Chat (via SmartNet) on a Smart Postpaid Plan 349 (a Samsung Galaxy Y Netphone exclusive plan), you will get a regular SuperPlan 499 on Globe Telecom. Just to emphasize, SuperPlan 499 is just good old Php 499 you can consume, plus a couple of other services you can choose as freebies.

Does this scheme make sense? Maybe the table below will help you decide:


That's it for the Samsung Galaxy Y for now. Hope you enjoyed this two-part series, and watch out for more gadget overviews here on AndroidAlliance.Ph!
Android Buying Guide
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The Complete Cherry Mobile Android Lineup: Your Holiday Gift-Giving Selections From Cherry Mobile



Last week, we promised to give you hot Droid deals and sales for Christmas. As we mentioned, among the top bargain Droids on our Christmas list are Cherry Mobile Androids. Cherry Mobile Androids have always been priced lower than the market's lowest-priced Droids, and usually with specs that give you better value for money.

Today, we bring you the Complete List of Cherry Mobile Androids, compared side by side in a table we made just for you:





From left to right, we've listed down the Cherry Mobile Droids, from tablets to entry-level offerings. We've also charted their specs side by side so that you can compare their products.

If you want to view this chart in a tab on its own, [CLICK HERE].

Our editor is still partial to her Cherry Mobile Nova, and it does seem interesting that Cherry Mobile maintained its price at Php 400 higher than the Cherry Mobile Orbit, despite the Orbit being a newer release (the Cherry Mobile Orbit seems to be a precursor to the Cherry Mobile Stellar) and a Dual-SIM model at that. Could it be that the Nova is of a higher-quality make than the newer models? These are just our speculations. Our publisher has also mentioned the Cherry Mobile Nova's durability, given that he had already dropped his own Cherry Mobile Nova to the point of actually unhinging the back cover. Still alive and kicking, up to today.

Take note, too, that the models Eclipse 2.2, Candy and Candy Chat are rudimentary WiFi phones. The big advantage to these models over the run-of-the-mill WiFi phone, is, of course, the Android OS inside. Not even the older generations of WiFi and 3G- capable Symbian OS phones can compare to the sleek interface of the Android.

These are the selections of Cherry Mobile Android gadgets that you can give (or give yourself) this Christmas. We'll be giving you more bargains and more Android selections this holiday season!

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Photo Credits: ISP101.net
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Sale Watch: What's Happening This Christmas



It’s already December next week, and we’re sure that we’re all excited about the sales that are coming our way. While we’re still populating our comprehensive table of Cherry Mobile Android Phones, we thought it’d be great to alert you on what’s bound to happen this Christmas month.
  • Cherry Mobile has already published its “12 Cherrys of Christmas” price list. If you recall from Cherry Mobile’s promotions last year, they put on promo one Cherry Mobile phone a day, ramping up the sales until they finally released premium phones for a steal. This year, we’re waiting with bated breath, as they may put Cherry Mobile Androids on sale.
  • Even if Cherry Mobile Androids are NOT on sale, they’ve already bumped down the prices to affordable price points. So if you’re no longer in the mood to wait for the Droids to plummet to possibly obscene prices, check out Cherry Mobile’s Droid catalog.
  • The Samsung Galaxy Y has been put on Smart Communications and Sun Cellular’s best plans. On Plan 349 for Smart and Plan 350 for Sun, getting yourself a Droid has now gotten more sensible.


These are the Droid sales we've caught so far; we’ll keep gathering what we can find as the days hurtle into Christmas.

Watch out for more sales and bargain updates!

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Affordable Androids
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Android Newbie's Guide To Buying An Android


Are you a n00b?

...An Android n00b, a.k.a Newbie, that is. If this is your first time to buy an Android, fear not. The decision-making process is pretty straightforward.

The dozens of Android models on the market may be intimidating for those who hate needing to compare and canvass for the best model to buy. That's why the iPhone is such a hit -- just one item on the list. The only decisions you need to worry about are whether you're getting the White iPhone or the Black iPhone, or if you're getting it in 16GB or 32GB.

With the Android, you'd have to decide which brand to refer to, which model to choose, what "flavor" Android you should get, among other crazy mind-bending questions to answer.

That being said, we created a simple process for you to filter out your Android choices:

1. Look at the tech specs before anything.

While 256MB RAM/512MB ROM/600MHz Qualcomm CPU is pretty decent and standard for an Android, higher specs will always be better, when it comes to gadgets. You'll come face to face with this truth when you're a rabid gamer and you acutely feel the micro lags during a furious session of Angry Birds or Pumpkins vs. Monsters.

Thus, first determine the tech specs that would make you happy, then start looking at the models that have this benchmark. We believe that around 768MB RAM/1GB ROM/1GHz CPU would be a decent starting point. If price is no problem, you can start looking at the Super Droids that are coming our way.

As for Android "flavor," never choose anything released earlier than Froyo (Android 2.2). That way, you will be able to move your apps to your SD Card.

Here's a quick guide to the Android Flavors in the order by which they were released:

  1. Cupcake -- v.1.5
  2. Donut -- v.1.6    
  3. Eclair -- v.2.1
  4. Froyo -- v.2.2
  5. Gingerbread -- v.2.3.x
  6. Honeycomb -- 3.x.x 

2. Form factor counts.

If you have big, chunky fingers (sorry), forget about the thinner and sleeker models. They'll only make you want to hurl your unit across the room. When you're checking and testing units in cellphone kiosks, try the soft keypad in portrait form. If you can type a whole 160-character message without mistyping, then you're in soft keypad heaven.

If you've reconciled with the fact that you absolutely hate touchscreen phones, forget about the models that are fully touchscreen. Think about the sliders or the Blackberry-type QWERTY models instead.


3. Now you can think about the price.

If money is not a problem, then, as we mentioned, a Super Droid would be a better buy than one of the regular droids. But if price is a major factor, then filter our your picks with this point.

Here are the low-end to mid-range Droids available on the market:



Here is the spreadsheet version of the list:



With this list, we've gotten you started on the low to mid-end Android phones with the best value for money. As you can see, Samsung has opted to keep its phone models with lower internal memory, possibly to keep price points lower. Since all of their models are on Froyo anyway, users can keep their apps in their SD Cards.

Judging from the specs, we believe that the HTC Wildfire S, Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini, Sony Xperia Mini Pro, and the Cherry Mobile Magnum offer the most bang for the buck. Also, we recommend the Cherry Mobile Magnum because of its screen size: texting in portrait orientation will be a lot easier because of its screen real estate. And if you're all for dual SIM phones, the Cherry Mobile Orbit is not a bad choice, either. But if the phone's camera quality is also a consideration, Sony Ericsson is known for having the best cameras on cellphones. The Smart Netphone could also be a great buy, if you consider the SmartNet perks. SmartNet services are free until December 31, 2011. So remember, specs first, form factor second, then let the axe fall with the price. And if you care about the brand, factor that in, as well. But the bottom line really is, after you try everything that catches your fancy, it's all about the total package.


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***We didn't include Android players like LG and Acer because of the dismal specs for their products. Neither did we include the Motorola line because they're not readily available in Philippine malls, but are available via online sellers.


Photos, specs and prices are available on the links provided. Go ahead, click on!



Photo Credits: Quantrimang
Affordable Androids
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