Showing posts with label premium Android phones. Show all posts

Users Speak: The Samsung Galaxy SII


Samsung Galaxy SII: 2011's Phone of the Year for the T3 Gadget Awards. We at Android Alliance Ph found Samsung Galaxy SII users and give us their first-hand stories of their experiences with the Samsung Galaxy SII.

So, shall we?

First things first: What went into your decision to purchase your specific Android?        

RaF: It's the best competition to the iPhone the market has to offer.     

Achilles Tan:  I wanted to upgrade my original Android phone: the LG Optimus One, since it was too slow. I began looking for phones with better specs and stumbled upon Samusung Galaxy S2 on gsmarena.com.

What were your considerations?

RaF: Text, Call, Camera

Achilles Tan:  I was first impressed with the Processor speed which is 1.2ghz (Dual Core), and the camera was my second benchmark at 8.0 MP.

Price was a factor, but I wanted the phone (SII) really bad and gave myself reasons to rationalize buying it, though I wouldn't spend more than 30k for it.     
               
What were your options?           

RaF: SGS2, SGS1, iPhone4 (Not a chance that I'll get this), Nokia Something.

Achilles Tan:  It was this or the LG Optimus Black.

Why did you finally choose your specific Android?        

RaF: Friend gave me a good deal.            

Achilles Tan:  I was convinced with its performance and reviews. It was dubbed the iPhone killer and won the phone of the year award. So that stapled my decision to REALLY get this phone.          

What were your first impressions upon unboxing?        

RaF: Gotta love the big screen.

Achilles Tan:  It's so light!             

What did you like best about your Android?     

RaF: Alot of cheap/free apps.

Achilles Tan:  The SG S2 has everything I need in a phone and even more. I could watch videos in 720p!

What did you dislike the most?               

RaF: Short battery life, battery charging takes so long.

Achilles Tan:  Some minor glitches occasional phone reboots, but nothing that turned me off completely.            

Would you recommend this model?     

RaF: Yes

Achilles Tan:  Yes             

Any other thoughts?

RaF: SGS2 kicks Apple's ass anytime!

Achilles Tan:  I am eagerly waiting for ICS update for S2.


There you have it guys, the readers' first-hand review of the Samsung Galaxy SII. We'll have more of these in the coming days!

If you have questions or concerns regarding certain phone units, send them over at talk-to-us@androidalliance.ph.

----- 

"RaF" is a SAP-ABAP It Consultant currently based in Mandaluyong City.

Achilles Tan is an Android enthusiast, an active member of the Philippine Android Community, who works from home in an international IT Company. He is based in Iloilo City.

***
Photo Credits: MobileSyrup
Android phones
Share:

New Year's Eve: Time to Dream Big [Three BIG-spec'd Androids I'm Personally Attracted To]

 
It's New Year's Eve: the perfect time to look back, and also the perfect time to build new dreams.

When it comes to dreams, we're told to "dream big." And even if it doesn't seem reachable or budget-friendly at the moment, those big dreams have their purpose: they keep a person "hungry": willing to dream, willing to work, willing to reach out until they get what they want.

Thus, let's change the tone of our budget-conscious discussions on Android gadgets, and for today, DREAM BIG.

When it comes to Android phones, there's no other way to dream big than to think and consider the Android Superphones. Thanks to the Samsung Galaxy SII setting the trend of creating a smartphone to beat the iPhone, Android phone and tablet makers like Motorola, HTC and even LG are working hard to follow in the rubber marks that Samsung had left in the Android innovation pavement. Thus, expect that Androids will become more and more powerful as the days go by.

I'm actually a very practical girl. I prefer "doable" and "reachable" than the ostentatious. I do not see the point in owning a Php 20,000 phone, and I once swore that I would never spend more than Php 3,000 on a phone, because I got traumatized when my then-de rigueur 3310 got picked from my knapsack's back pocket. In front of a church, at that. But since then, innovation could no longer be contained, and now, I'm absolutely all for spending a reasonable amount on a good Android phone.

I still have my spending "set point," the maximum that I'd go for any phone. I still feel like it's too much to spend Php 25,000 and above on a phone, no matter how amazing it is, at the moment. So my strategy will be to wait until the prices drop as the companies release new models.

But price points notwithstanding, here are my personal picks for high-end SuperDroids:

Motorola Droid 3 -- One of the reasons why I'm not interested in a Samsung Galaxy SII is that I want to hold out for 4G/LTE. The technology is currently being implemented by Smart Communications, and I want to take advantage of that when it's fully rolled out in the country. If I choose the Samsung Galaxy SII as my "ultimate" Dream Droid, I may limit myself to 3G connectivity at around the same price. So as I was thinking about looking for the "Ultimate Androids" that I may want to purchase within 2 years' time, I decided on finding a 4G Android and putting it on a sort-of bucket list to think about and, well, pray for. I found this! And the next phone.

But before I go on to the next Dream Droid, I want to say one more main reason why I put this on the top of my list:

I chose this phone because of the Slide-Out Keyboard. As I just mentioned in my recent comprehensive review of the Cherry Mobile Nova, I am re-realizing that I hate texting for long periods on a touchscreen phone. I seriously need a physical keyboard, and by Seriously, I mean SERIOUSLY. So when I came across the Moto Droid 3, I was happy to have found a better, 4G model similar to my first slide-out keyboard "crush," the HTC Desire Z.

HTC Amaze -- While everyone else is obsessed by the HTC Sensation XE because it is among the Beats-branded Androids of HTC, I'm yawning. I'm not impressed because of one major thing: it's just not powerful enough. While the HTC Sensation XE has 1.5GHz CPU speed/768MB RAM/4GB ROM size/1GB user-available Internal Storage, the HTC Amaze has, to pun around, more amazing specs at 1.5GHz CPU speed/1GB RAM/16GB ROM size. Imagine the difference. Plus, it has an HSDPA speed of up to 42MBPS. Can you say "whoa" with me? Here's a side-by-side GSMArena Comparison chart so you can see why I'm amazed.

Samsung Galaxy Note -- While I'm not into the Samsung Galaxy SII, I'm really going goo-goo eyes over the Samsung Galaxy Note. For one, it is marketed as a tablet/phone hybrid with a stylus and some functions for note-taking and journaling. I'm more attracted to the S-Pen than anything else on this unit. But I'm also happy at the fact that: It is LTE, it is wide enough for handy browsing, reading and note-taking, and, it's not as chunky as the Samsung Galaxy Tab(lets). The real draw for me is really on the fact that it has handwriting support. It doesn't hurt that it's on Gorilla Glass, either.

Will I be able to buy all three Androids within the next three years? I'm not sure. I'd settle for either the Moto Droid 3 or the Samsung Galaxy Note, actually. Either way, I'm not in a hurry. My Android journey is only beginning, after all. :-)

***
Photo Credits: Xylker.com
Android Superphones
Share:

"Separated At Birth": The LG Prada 3.0 and the Cherry Mobile Magnum HD


We depart from the usual parade of affordable Androids with this special. Have you ever come across those "Separated At Birth" types of articles popularized by celebrity blogs (most notably Perez Hilton)? Well, we came across this beauty of a phone:




That, our Android Alliance friends, is the LG Prada 3.0. It is reportedly priced at £500, or $777, or Php 34,000. Just like the iPhone, only... Flatter.

Most of the Android phones, especially the high-end ones, seem to carry the rounded corners form factor. Even the iPhone, even as it upgrades and develops, seems to be kept with its corners on the curvy side. Rarely do you see phones with sharp, defined corners slated for the high-end market. In fact, rarely would you see Android phones being designed with sharp corners at ANY market. Across the board, manufacturers -- and the buying public -- seem to favor the sleek rounded-corner factor.

There are even tech reviews of certain sharp-cornered phone models that tout the sharp corners as "old skool" in form. But look at this. Not only is the LG Prada 3.0 a high-end premium phone, it is also marketed as a luxury phone, carrying the designer brand Prada.

If you're a caveman, we're sure you won't be able to appreciate that word. But if you know a bit about high fashion and how women would sell a kidney or a slice of their liver for a Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Hermes or PRADA bag, then you'd know how much bling the "Prada" label is supposed to add to this particular LG Android phone.


If you're not impressed by the name, then let's see if you'll be impressed by the specs:

ROM: 8GB
RAM: 1GB
CPU: Dual-core Cortex-A9, TI OMAP 4430 Chipset, 1GHz
GPU: PowerVR SGX540
Connection/Speed: 3G HSDPA, 21 MBPS; HSUPA, 5.76 MBPS
Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
4.3" IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M Colors
Camera: 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Secondary Camera: 1.3 MP


On the other hand, the iPod Touch has better internal storage than that, at around a third of its price. But that's just me being a curmudgeon.


Now for the killer. Check out the Cherry Mobile Magnum HD: 




Separated at birth, don't you think?

Now for the specs: 

ROM: 2GB
RAM: 512MB
CPU: Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon, 1GHz
GPU: Adreno 205
Connection/Speed: 3G, HSDPA 14.4 MBPS
Android 2.2 Froyo (2.3.4 Gingerbread update already available)
4.1” WVGA capacitive touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels)
Camera: 5 MP, autofocus, LED flash
Secondary Camera: Front facing, VGA (0.3 MP)


The Differences:

ROM: 8GB for LG Prada 3.0 vs. 2GB for Cherry Mobile Magnum HD (6GB difference)
RAM: 1GB for LG Prada 3.0 vs. 512MB for Cherry Mobile Magnum HD (512MB difference)
CPU: Both Dual-Core, both at 1GHz
Connection/Speed: HSDPA, 21 MBPS for LG Prada 3.0 vs. HSDPA 14.4 MBPS for Cherry Mobile Magnum HD (6.6 MBPS potential maximum speed difference)
Screen Size: 4.3" for LG Prada 3.0 vs. 4.1" for Cherry Mobile Magnum HD (0.2-inch difference)
Camera: 8 MP for LG PraDda 3.0 vs. 5 MP for Cherry Mobile Magnum HD (3 MP difference)
Secondary Camera: 1.3 MP LG Prada 3.0 vs. 0.3 MP for Cherry Mobile Magnum HD (1 MP difference)

The Price Difference: 

Php 34,000 for LG Prada 3.0 vs. Php 11,999 for Cherry Mobile Magnum HD.

Php 22,001 difference, for some differences in specs.

In my personal opinion, some of you won't feel it much, in terms of performance, but all of us will feel the price difference acutely.

So is the LG Prada 3.0 worth the extra Php 22,001 on its price tag? Only those who can afford it will be able to tell.

Either way, they do look like spitting images of each other, right? Welp, guess which one's on MY wishlist and which one isn't.

More Android news later today. So stick around for that!

***

Edit/Erratum: The Cherry Mobile Magnum HD runs on Qualcomm's Scorpion MSM8255 processor, a member of the Snapdragon line of processor chips. These are the specs of this specific product:

Model Number: MSM8255
Semiconductor Technology:  45 nm
CPU Instruction Set: ARMv7
CPU: 1 GHz Scorpion
GPU: Adreno 205
Memory Technology: Dual-channel 333 MHz LPDDR2
Wireless Radio Technologies:GSM (GPRS, EDGE), W-CDMA/UMTS (HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+), MBMS

So the Cherry Mobile Magnum HD may not be Dual-Core, but since it's on a Qualcomm Scorpion from the Snapdragon S2 line, this is the kind of technology it actually runs on, from ExtremeTech.com:

As Qualcomm moves forward, they aren’t done innovating. The new dual-core Snapdragons are beginning to make their way onto the market in devices like the HTC Sensation and Evo 3D. Unlike competing the dual-core chips from Nvidia and TI, the Snapdragon with its custom Scorpion cores is capable of asymmetric use. This essentially means the cores can be clocked independently and have different power draws. Users will see better power management from these chips, even in a dual-core world. [Source]

On the other hand, these are the specs for the LG Prada 3.0's Texas Instruments OMAP 4 Chipset:


Model Number: OMAP 4430
Semiconductor Technology: 45 nm
CPU Instruction Set: ARMv7
CPU: 1-1.2 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9
GPU: PowerVR SGX540 @ 304 MHz
Memory Technology: Dual-channel LPDDR2 memory controller

I'm not an expert at looking at those specs, but these resources may show you why Qualcomm is the industry leader in mobile processor technology:

Snapdragon vs. Hummingbird vs. OMAP - the mobile CPU war beyond 1GHz


And here are SeekingAlpha articles on Qualcomm being the industry leader, in terms of stocks, for mobile computing hardware:
So the bottom line is that the Cherry Mobile Magnum HD is NOT on a Dual-Core processor, but its Qualcomm MSM8255 has computing capabilities that are possibly close to what the Texas Instruments OMAP 4330 may provide, especially given the fact that Qualcomm IS the industry leader in mobile processors, as well as given the price point for the Cherry Mobile Magnum HD. :) --Ed


***
Android phones
Share:

The Android Searcher: Sky Vega Racer


On my way to a coffee shop in Ortigas Park, I met a Korean friend who was also on his way to the same coffee shop. After a few pleasantries of "Annyeong haseyo" and "How are you?", we got into a talk of what we're currently doing. When I mentioned that I was working as a writer for Android phones in this online magazine, he began talking about how much he loves Android phones. Since he is Korean, of course his staple should expectedly be that of LG and Samsung. Great brands, indeed and two of the first mobile phone companies to utilize Android as their OS. He showed me his LG phone which was very cool: With an in-built Facebook Chat system, he can go Facebook chatting anytime, anywhere either with Wi-Fi or a mobile internet plan. If you think my feature is on an LG or Samsung phone...

No!

It's something exclusive; an Android so remarkable, that the market has only caught whispers and glimpses of it prior to this post.



Meet the Sky Vega Racer! Long name isn't it? What brand is it then? Not Samsung, not LG... But Sky.

Sky is a line of mobile phones made by Pantech Curitel, the third largest mobile phone company in South Korea, just behind Samsung and LG. This specific Android phone is the property of a pretty gal pal of the Korean friend I met on our way to the coffee shop. She is also Korean, which explains why she was able to have -- and hold-- the Android beauty that is the Pantech Sky Vega Racer.


On a cursory glance, one could mistake the Sky Vega Racer for an iPhone. Just like the iPhone, the Vega Racer is a touch screen phone, from end to end. An interesting, distinct feature of the Sky Vega Racer, however is its double speaker. On the top part, there is a speaker on both ends of the phone which can also function both as phone receivers. For sound, movie and other media buffs, this feature is truly a must-have. Those double speakers are best used for movies while on long trips.

The Korean girl was kind enough to let me explore the features of the phone. I immediately searched for the phone profile and found out that it runs on Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread), and the 1.5 GHz processor runs on Qualcomm MSM 8260 v1.444, Snapdragon, the same processor powering the HTC Sensation.

To test the processor, I flipped on the phone several times and played a short game. This made me say "Wow!" Unlike the other Android phones like Samsung and LG, this one is really fast: just like iPhone, this particular model does not have that "trademark Android" split-second drag! Both the home and app screens are fully customizable; what's more, with this phone, you can make calls on Skype hassle-free! The slick Skype call features are both a blessing and a curse for the phone since you can call on your loved ones anywhere with a WiFi connection or a mobile internet plan. The big catch? Overusing Skype may take a toll on your Sky Vega Racer's battery life.

"So what?" I, The Android Searcher may say, since this is THE Android phone I have fallen in love with.

This phone poses as a direct competitor for Samsung S-II phones with a faster processor at a cheaper price (around a few thousands lower than the Samsung S-II). Talk about convenience, affordability and style. The phone can be seen in the Philippines but among the Korean residents only. Will it hit the Philippines soon? Some "whispers" say maybe next year, and by storm. For now, if you have a chance to swing by South Korea and have loads of tourist budget, don't forget to get yourself one. It's worth the cost. Don't worry about the language feature, since Sky Vega Racer has an English language mode.

Have I found the perfect phone for me? Maybe. But I'll still be on the prowl for that perfect first Android Phone, and when that happens, you'll be the first to know!
Android Gadget Review
Share:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)