Thursday, September 11, 2014

REVIEW: MYPHONE AGUA RIO

This one is barely a month old (as of this writing). Another "official" company issue. Well, what can I say, it's one of those "perks" you get when you work in a company like mine (ehem... kidding aside...)

The latest addition to my Android-experience, the MyPhone Agua Rio.  

SPECS:

Phone Type: Smart Phone
SIM Slot: Dual SIM
Operating System or Software Version: Android 4.2
Hardware Platform: MT 6582M
CPU: 1.3GHz Quad Core
GSM Band: 900MHz/1800MHz/1900MHz
WCDMA Band: 2100MHz/850MHz
Data Segment: EDGE, GPRS, HSPA+21Mbps
Flash Memory: 4GB+1GB
GPS: YES
Touch Lens: G+F
Input Method: Android Keyboard
External Memory: 32GB
LCD Type: IPS
LCD Size: 5″
LCD Display Resolution: HD 1280*720
Front Camera: 2 MP
Back Camera: 8 MP
<*drooling...*>
(View Complete specs HERE.)







This is currently the phone I am using everyday for the past few weeks, and I must say, it's pretty handy! It's a bit too big for your pocket, and your hands, and it's pretty hard typing using only one hand, but you could always turn it horizontally, to give you that wide, gameboy feel. What I don't like about it, is that it's too colorful! It almost feels like it was designed for the opposite sex! (as you can see below, mine is bright yellow!). But there's always the silicone casing which you could buy off the "bangketa" and cover it up. The sales lady even offered me a silicone case by saying "Sir, may black silicone case po kami para sa phone mo, para hindi naman masyadong masakit sa mata." (Sir, we have a black silicone case for your phone, so it won't hurt the eyes so much.) Yes, she actually said that! And yes, I did buy the silicone case, to no longer inflict harm to innocent victims whose eyes got teary when they accidentally glanced at my bright yellow colored phone.




Anyway, back to the review... Let's go to Video Quality:

With an HD resolution of 1280*720, the videos seem crisp and clear. 

Sound, on the other hand is pretty good. It's loud and crisp!

It comes with Wi-fi and Bluetooth... (weh, di nga? as if devices like these won't come with these kind of package? )

Camera:  Picture quality is awesome! Both for the front and back. Make sure there's not too much movement when taking night shots though. The flash is really bright! And you can take up to 99 sequence photos!

Browsing: Pretty much with every device, browsing speed always depend on internet speed. The faster your ISP, the faster you browse. Youtube, Facebook, and those other stuff...

Apps: As of now, the apps I have are as identical as those that I have on my Cherry Mobile tablet. Except maybe for the games, which I currently only have four (4). Not to mention I do have  Facebook, Skype, Twitter, 9gag, and some other apps that came pre-installed on the phone.

Battery Life: Due to the high specs of the phone, the battery drains pretty fast. On the pros- side, it will last for 8 hours or longer (on regular use). But one thing I noticed about it is that, at some point, it stays somewhere between 70% or 60% for a long time. I mean, when it's fully charged, it would go from 100% to 90% in a span of a few minutes, then from 90% to 80% in a few more minutes, but when it reaches 70%, it kinda just stays there for a few hours even when you're blasting on your music, browsing the internet, or even on a call. So that's pretty cool right there. 

Antutu Benchmark:

Pretty awesome! I finally came with a "Good" remark on the Antutu Benchmark, with 18115 points! (see images below):




The MyPhone Agua Rio comes just behind Google Nexus 4. Not bad, huh?
Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars!


I forgot to mention, does anyone need a Bloody Red Leather casing??? It came with the unit, and I don't think it would make a very good color combination. Imagine "Bright Yellow" and "Bloody Red" together??? It's like the Yellow Vs. Red (Cory vs. Marcos) era all over again!

REVIEW: CHERRY MOBILE FUSION FIRE 10.1

This one is our company-issued tablet. So, don't expect me to download, install, and test those high-end games (...yeah right!)

OK... so I did install "some" games... but since it's an "official" gadget, I installed mostly office applications like:


  1. Google Drive - for all your files "on-the-go"
  2. Cloud Print - if you don't have your own printer at the office, set it up on the cloud!
  3. Cloud Magic - (e-mail app... you should definitely try this for corporate e-mails)
  4. Kingsoft Office - (I think this no longer comes free in the PlayStore, since it's pretty much covers everything! the Excel App is excellent! I still have the Free version, though... and it works really well! )
  5. ES Task Manager
  6. ES File Explorer
With a 10.1 inch screen, and if you have a leather case which could keep the tablet upright, it actually feels more like a "notebook" without keyboards. Viewing and editing your files and documents is very comfortable. 



This device comes with WI-FI, but doesn't come with a BLUETOOTH... <*bummer*>

Officially, we use this tablet for taking pictures for making reports and assessments. Sending e-mails, and for communication purposes. However, it does not come with a sim card slot, so communication can only be done via wi-fi internet access.

See Full Specs HERE.

Watching movies on this device is great! Just make sure you have an external speaker for better audio experience. And if you have a 16GB memory card, fill it up with movies, please! You can also use a USB device via a USB dongle (separate item).

GAMES!

Ok, so we've got this far. You can play almost any games on this tablet (except for the really high-end, high-graphics ones...) below is a list of some of the games I have, which runs smoothly on this tablet:


  1. Plants Vs. Zombies 2 - this is such an amazing puzzle game! The first game was great and kept me up most of the night, but this one is awesome! A little bit harder, but the same old excitement is there! Keep updating for newer games and levels...
  2. Turbo FAST - feels like Need for Speed, only with a Snail!
  3. Bike Xtreme - for the MotoX enthusiasts... lousy game... sorry fans!
  4. CSR - the best Drag Racing game for Android! The graphics are top notch!
  5. CSR Classics - Ever tried fixing a car from scratch? Nuff Said!
  6. Gun Bros 2 - if you shoot them, kill 'em all!
  7. Fail Hard - it's like Trial Extreme, but with a bicycle.
  8. Trial Extreme - it's like Fail Hard, but with a motorcycle (correct me if I am wrong..)
  9. Dead Trigger - it's Counter Strike with Zombies!
  10. Angry Birds GO! - It's a cool racer, a serve away from the traditional slingshot game.
  11. Banana Kong - Something to keep your fingers busy...

So far, those are some of the games I have installed on my Fusion Fire... yeap... not so many... I mean, that's not all of them... There are still some of those "keep-you-awake" games or those "fly-time-games"... but it's not worth mentioning all of them here... like that FART App! it's so funny, my son loves it, and won't let me uninstall it! (I think I listed one too many...)

In my own opinion, this device a pretty much a "house/leisure tablet". I mean, it's good for office use also, but there are just so many things you could do with it that you don't necessarily need in an office. 

It's too big to be a "hand-held" device, but too small to be a "desktop" device. Good thing it doesn't have call capabilities because it would be a very awkward-sized phone.

Some problems encountered.

During the first month, I had a problem with this device's battery heating up. Even when you turn it off, the battery would still heat up, as if it was shorted or something. The only way to cool it down was to take off the back casing, and pull off the battery's wire. But then it would heat up again whenever you turn it on. I guess it did come with a defective battery, cause when it came back from the shop, it didn't have the same problem that it had. But right now, it's working like a charm. You do need to turn off the device when its not being used. The battery drains really fast!

Overall RATING: 4 Stars!!!

A great tablet, for a very reasonable price!









HOW TO TAKE SCREENSHOTS (Android Phones and Tablets)

Hello Tech World!

I had comments asking me how to make screenshots, like the images I post on some of my blogs.

This is going to be a very short blog. I will only be explaining how to take "SCREENSHOTS" using your Android Phones or tablets.

The most common way is to simultaneously hold or press the:


  •  "VOLUME DOWN" + "POWER BUTTON"
On other units (like most Samsung units), simultaneously hold or press the:

  • "VOLUME DOWN" + "HOME" + "POWER BUTTON"
On the other hand, most units have a "Screen Shot Icon" on their screen (like most Cherry Mobile phones, and tabs). Simply press on that icon and you will automatically have your desired screenshot.

Hope this helped!

If you already knew, then please help spread the word!

Thank you so much!





-Jonathan Paul 

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

REVIEW: SAMSUNG GALAXY STAR PLUS DUOS

Ok, over the past two years, I've been into the "Android" tech world... and it's pretty awesome! To tell you frankly, I haven't been using my Windows PC and Laptop for gaming and browsing recently, unlike before. It's now turned basically into an "office-tool" for the house (well, technically, the laptop is my official "office-tool" for the office...) My 5-year old son uses the PC for his games, and movies, and he loves playing GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas. 

Anyway, I have been satisfied with my android phone (Torque Atom), and I wasn't really expecting to buy another one. But, when your boss comes to you and offers you his "1-month-old-SAMSUNG GALAXY STAR PLUS DUOS" as a gift because he got pissed about the scratch he made on the screen protector, who wouldn't want it? Of course I said YES!




It looks and feels almost like the Torque Atom! Except it's a bit thicker, and heavier. 




Most people would really prefer an all-in-one phone, with wi-fi, bluetooth, music and video player, and a very good camera.

CAMERA

The camera is pretty basic, with only 2.0 MP, (1600x1200 resolution), and does not come with a flash (The Video Camera's resolution is only at 320x240.) And it also does not have a front camera. So, I would not recommend it to people who like doing the "selfie" using the front camera, and it's not gonna work with video calls.

But the picture quality itself is pretty good! Especially when taking pictures in a well lighted environment. (2.5 stars)

AUDIO

Audio is very good! The audio player plays almost all common audio format (mp3, wav, mid, flac, etc.) The little speakers are pretty LOUD for a small phone, which is very good! (5 stars!!!)

VIDEO

Video is also pretty, capable of playing all common video formats (avi, wmv, mkv, etc.). So it gets pretty much the same score as Audio. (5 stars).

BATTERY LIFE

As with every gadget, the battery life depends on how long you use it. If you will use the phone simply for ordinary calls and text, the battery is gonna last more than 8 hours, at least. But if you're a die-hard browser, or gamer, don't expect your battery life to reach 8 hours. (3 stars)

APPS / GAMES

There are some apps and games that aren't compatible with the device. Like Temple Run 2, and CSR Classics.

But then again, there are so many games to choose from in the Google Play Store. And I'm pretty sure, most of your favorite apps will run smoothly on this phone.

I currently have these games installed:


All are working smoothly...

 And the good thing about Samsung is that they have their own Samsung App where you can download apps specifically for your Samsung phone. This is pretty much a good thing. (4 stars)   

DUAL SIM

Very good feature, since I need to use both my company and personal sim cards. (5 stars)

ANTUTU BENCHMARK

Frankly, I am surprised with the LOW SCORE I got for this phone (only 5942!!!), my Torque phone got a slightly higher score of 6595. Maybe it's due to it being a single core processor phone. Anyway, it doesn't really bother me 'cause like I said in my previous post, I'm not really into the "high-end" trend. But then again, how reliable is Antutu Benchmark anyway? (no offense Antutu guys!)








It's pretty much an AVERAGE everyday phone, but atleast it's a SAMSUNG phone. The only brand that is worthy of competing with the Apple brand. 

4 STARS!!!

Go SAMSUNG!!!

Click HERE for complete specs.