HTC One S, Desire V and Desire C now official in the Philippines (Cont)

   Click here for HTC One S   

Along with the HTC One S launching, HTC also introduced the next generation of Desire family with HTC Desire V and Desire C at the event. Desire phones are specially designed to give users affordable smartphones that don't compromise the power and overall performance. Featuring Beats Audio technology, this family of smartphones, allows you to hear your music just as the artist intended. The HTC Desire family is also incredibly smart, enabling you to easily manage your professional and personal lives and share the moments that shape them.

As what Sir Richard Javier, country Manager, HTC Philippines shared during the launch,

“Listening to music is one of the most popular things people use their phones for, so it’s more important than ever that we deliver the power and emotion artists capture in the studio,” “The HTC Desire family offers customers excellent design, easy access to content and fast connectivity – making them the perfect lifestyle smartphone choice.”

What you'll like about the HTC Desire phones is that it comes in Dual-sim allowing your communication more active wherever you go! If you're a busy user who needs to keep track of your work and personal lives on a single mobile companion, HTC Desire V and Desire C is just for you!

HTC Desire V

HTC Desire V

With a brilliant 4-inch screen and the latest HTC Sense 4.0 integrated with Android 4.0, HTC Desire V (3G and GSM) is HTC’s most affordable 4-inch smartphone, and a fantastic choice for those who want to combine technology with style. The Desire V makes it easy for users to save all contact numbers—from business contacts to family and friends, they can access all of them in one gadget.

This dual-SIM smartphone lets users switch easily between personal and work mobile phone numbers and accounts, allowing for greater freedom and cost management. It also enables users to easily switch between networks for better coverage, ensuring that you stay connected no matter where you are.

HTC Desire V costs Php 16, 990 only and is now available at all authorized seller nationwide.

HTC Desire C

HTC Desire C

Meanwhile, HTC Desire C is available in red, white and black, and coming with HTC Sense 4.0 integrated with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). This smartphone is great as a first smartphone or for those upgrading from an existing one. Packing a powerful battery and offering access to thousands of apps and games– available through Google Play – you will always be connected and entertained whether at work, home or on the move.

HTC Desire C just costs Php 10,990 and is now also available at all authorized stores nationwide!

HTC One S, Desire V and Desire C now official in the Philippines

HTC Philippines unveiled last night the HTC One S smartphone--the best smartphone that fall in the mid-range I've seen and the next generation HTC Desire family with Desire V and Desire C at The Block, SM North EDSA.

I know how much HTC fans out there have a lot of questions to ask about HTC One S and Desire series such as memory, battery life and of course, the price so I'll share all about that from what I've learned straight from the event.

HTC One S

Elegantly styled with an ultra-slim 7.9mm metal unibody, HTC One S is well suited for people who want a powerful smartphone that pushes the boundaries of mobile phone design. Built with premium materials, One S has a wonderful gradient color, ultra-matte black ceramic surface and unlike the HTC One X, its   unibody design is made up of super-dense crystalline metal that is four times harder than anodised aluminum, resisting the bumps and scrapes of everyday use to leave the HTC One S looking pristine. Despite that metal covering, HTC did a good job for making it light and sexy that is easy to grip even when using only one hand.

It is not true that HTC One S in the Philippines is only powered by SD3 as this phone comes with the powerful Snapdragon S4, Qualcomm processor and it is powered by the latest android operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich. The 1.5GHz dual-core CPU powers an ultra-responsive interface with rich graphics that come to life on the 4.3 inch bright Super AMOLED screen. With Gorilla Glass that flows over the edges of the phone, I can say that this phone really has a durable screen. It also has optical lamination offering wide viewing angles to make reviewing pictures and videos easy.

Among all incredible features sported by this phone, what I like the most is its 8MP Camera and its  Beats-integrated audio makes it produce more authentic sound.

With an f/2.0 lens and auto HDR mode, HTC ImageSense technology delivers fast image capture with stunning results, even under adverse lighting conditions. In just 0.7 seconds you’re able to take a shot and, with its new superfast 0.2 second autofocus, you’ll never miss a moment again. You can even take pictures as you shoot HD video, or extract high resolution stills from HD video in playback.

The Beats By Dr. Dre Audio integration gives a richer, more authentic sound whether you’re listening to your favourite music, watching a YouTube video or playing a game. HTC One S lets you customise the new Music Hub with your favourite services and music applications so there is only one place to go for all of your music.

Guess what, HTC has also partnered with Dropbox to provide consumers with 25 gigabytes of free online space for two years - that’s enough to keep more than 10,000 high-quality photos - so it’s easy to edit, save and share your documents on the go!

HTC One S is now available at authorized retailers and mobile operators with a suggested retail price of Php 26, 990.

   Click here for HTC Desire V and Desire C   

SM Megamall Now an iButterfly Mall

SM Supermalls released the SM iButterfly, an Augmented Reality Application on your IOS and Android mobile devices last May 5, 2012 at select SM Supermalls. SM Mall of Asia, SMMegamall, SM North EDSA, SM City Fairview, SM Southmall, SM City Baguio, SM City Davao andSM City Cebu simultaneously launched the iButterflies. Catching iButterflies at SM Supermallsis a fun and entertaining mobile information and couponing experience when you are at an SMMall.

It uses 3 technologies: Augmented Reality, for seeing the iButterflies in the real world, Motion Sensors for catching iButterflies using your phone and your phone’s Global Positioning System or GPS for finding where the iButterflies are. It is definitely a unique way of enjoying promosfrom our te nant partners such as Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, Forever 21, David’s Salon, Kenny Rogers, Jollibee, Mang Inasal, Chowking, Red Ribbon, Greenwich, Smart, BDO andMc Donald’s! 

Catching an iButterfly is easy. First, download the application by connecting to the free SM WIFI or the SM_iButterfly SSIS at the participating malls you may also use your phone’s 3Gconnection. Using your gadget, simply download the App via Google Play and App Store’s, just search for the iButterfly Asia App. Once downloaded, open the App and start catchingiButterflies. These turn into instant prizes. Simply claim your prize at participating mall stores.

Related: MY IBUTTERFLY EXPERIENCE AT SM NORTH EDSA

As a sustaining effort, SM MEGAMALL launched its own iButterfly campaign offering instantprizes from concepts unique to Megamall, namely: Yabu, Akiba Café, J.CO Donuts & Coffee,Papa John ’ s, Cha Time, Marithe Francois Girbaud, and SM Megamall Cinema.

An iButterfly catch-up event was held at the SM Megamall Mega Atrium on June 8, with specialguests like Tim Yap, Tessa-Prieto Valdez, Jenni Epperson, and more. Guests enjoyed anibutterfly tutorial from YouTube sensations Petra Mahalimuyak and Bogart the Explorer andhad a fun SM ibutterfly experience.

For more information, you can visit their dedicated iButterfly website at: www.smibutterfly.com or visit SM Megamall Facebook page at www.facebook.com/smmegamall 

Download, catch and win now!

Samsung Galaxy S3 Soon in Smart Postpaid Plan

One of the HOT gadgets today, Samsung Galaxy S3, will soon become available at SMART postpaid plans according to SMART.

"Spotted: Samsung Galaxy SIII from Smart. Coming very soon" - SMART

The recently launched smartphone of Samsung Mobile is a successor of Samsung Galaxy S2. Among its cool features include the 720p HD super AMOLED screen, a 2100mAh removable and replaceable battery, a micro SIM and a microSD slot for expanding its memory in addition to its 16-32 GB on-board. It is available in pebble blue and marble white.

You can check out the specifications and some of the photos of the handset from the launching event in London here.

Somehow it is quite regretting that this phone didn't make it to the Plan 1000, the latest promo of SMART that allows subscribers get their dream smartphone at 0% interest.

There are no further details yet about the pricing of the phone but some users suggested that it will be around 25 - 30K Php - seeing a quad-core phone at this price range is decent!

Check back for more updates for the handset's official price and on what SMART postpaid plan it will be available.

UPDATE 1: Yugatech got an official statement from SMART saying that the unit will be available at bundled with Unli Data Plans that all come with unlimited mobile Internet, plus free SMS and call minutes. The device will also be available under Smart’s All-In Plans. Pre-orders will be accepted starting May 23, 2012.

My iButterfly Experience at SM North EDSA

SM Supermalls bloom the flowers of May as they free the second batch of iButterflies at the virtual garden of The Block Atrium, SM North EDSA last May 5, 2012 morning.

Hosted by Raymond Gutierrez, the launching of the iButterfly app is the beginning of another way of enjoying unique shopping experience at SM Supermalls in the metro!

The event was surprisingly star-studded! Among the celebrities that were present include the Magalona family, all-girl rock band General Luna, DJ Callum (The DJ during the recently concluded Bb. Pilipinas 2012), Youtube sensation Bogart the Explorer and others! (see the pictures at the end of this post)

I was lucky to be one of the participants invited to witness and catch these wonderful iButterflies that don’t just give you great collection of attractive virtual butterflies but also give you cool freebies and discounts if you catch those "special" iButterflies in their participating branches.

iButterfly is indeed ideal for todays modern shopping as the concept allows you to experience both the magic of modern technology (augmented reality, motion sensor and GPS) and spending your money wisely (lots freebies and discounts from participating sponsors such as BDO, Forever 21, Red Ribbon, McDonalds, Jollibee, Yellow Cab, TIMEX and many more!)

Using my android device, I easily downloaded the iButterfly app at the Google Play for free. There’s also an app available for apple devices which can be downloaded at iTunes. Once installed, I immediately launched the iButterfly app and prepared myself for some awesome catching!

Within the app are the three main functions namely: The Map, the Catch and the Collection. I knew that the map can be used to indicate where iButterflies are currently fleeing. I can just navigate the map anytime to see if there's some iButterfly available. Catching iButterfly is available at the participating SM Supermalls branches including  SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM City Cebu SM, City Fairview, SM Southmall, SM City Davao and SM City Baguio.

I clicked the catch menu in my screen and my phone turns into iButterfly catcher. I noticed the cyan square at the middle of the screen while my phone is searching for some iButterflies. There’s an instruction below the screen saying that when the word catch appears, I can shake my phone forward to catch the iButterfly. While enjoying the moment, I finally happen to see some iButterflies flying on my screen so I immediately move my phone to position the iButterfly at the center - within the square - and tilt my phone forward then catch the iButterfly!

I really enjoyed catching iButterflies so I keep looking for some more until I completed the collection that gave me hints and instructions on how to catch and redeem iButterflies.

I was also lucky to catch one special iButterfly – the BDO ATM Debit / Cash Card iButterfly which is equivalent to 1000 pesos! – Thanks BDO! :)

Clicking the special iButterfly shows the instruction on how I can redeem the price. I only have until June 30 to claim my prize.

Now watch me as I catch iButterfly at SM North Edsa. By the way, I would like to thank SM Cyberzone, SM Supermalls and SM North EDSA for holding such a wonderful event! I hope all the  customers will love it!

To learn the complete information about the iButterfly, you may visit their website at http://smibutterfly.com/

Raymond Gutierrez Hosts the iButterfly Launching at The Block, Atrium SM North EDSA	Celebs grace the event during the iButterfly app launching (Photo courtesy of Azrael)
iButterfly is another way of enjoying unique shopping experience at selected SM Supermalls branches	Bloggers take a pose after covering the iButterfly launching event. (Photo  courtesy of Azrael)
iButterflies carry exciting freebies that can be redeemed at participating sponsors!	Azrael took a photo of me while I'm busy finding some iButterfly at the place
A Fox correspondent reporting about iButterfly app launch	SM North EDSA provided the venue for the iButterfly app launching.
Me at the iButterfly app launch	A huge butterfly wings at the side of  the stage allow audiences to take a  photo and look themselves as if they're  wearing it
Everyone enjoying the food at  the launch courtesy of Forever 21!	Everyone enjoying the food at  the launch courtesy of Forever 21!
Still busy looking for some iButterfly	Bloggers enjoying the app at the launch

[Infographic] Facebook Reaches 488 Million Mobile Users

About fifty percent (50%) of the total Facebook users have the Facebook mobile app installed in their phones according to the recent IPO (Initial Public Offering) filing of Facebook company, showing that their mobile application has reached an outstanding 488 million users across the globe, with United States recorded to be the top country of the mobile app and Nigeria recorded to have the highest Facebook mobile penetration at 81.2%. 

The infographic below courtesy of SocialBakers show the current statistics of the facebook mobile application across all platforms, the top 10 countries with the highest Facebook mobile app users and the top countries with highest penetration of the said mobile app based on the recently submitted IPO of Facebook.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Specs and Photos

Samsung's newest flagship in the galaxy series has finally arrived- the sleek, shiny and sexy Samsung Galaxy S3. From the launching event in London, the most anticipated smartphone this year is capturing attention, receiving good impressions and reviews from mobile reviews sites as well as experts because of its nicely-packed features.

With the theme "Inspired by Nature" the organic-looking Samsung Galaxy S3 showcases a shiny plastic finish and a metallic border. It has a 720p HD super AMOLED screen, a 2100mAh removable and replaceable battery and a micro SIM and microSD slot for expanding its memory in addition to its 16-32 GB on-board. It is available in pebble blue and pearl white. Check the specs of Samsung Galaxy S3 below: 

• Quad-core Samsung Exynos chip @ 1.4 GHz, as previously announced 
• HSPA+21 and LTE versions 
• 4.8-inch HD SuperAMOLED 720x1280 screen 
• 8MP / Front 1.9MP camera (720p video recording) 
• 2100mAh battery 
• 1GB RAM 
• Wifi Channel Bonding 
• Bluetooth 4.0(LE) 
• Accelerometer, Notification light, Digital compass, Proximity sensor, Gyro, NFC, Barometer 
• 1080p video playback 
• Various multimedia codecs supported 
• MHL/DLNA 
• Dimensions: 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6mm 
• Weight: 133 grams 
• Available in blue and white.

Here's a collection of photos of the Samsung Galaxy S3 from the launching event in London:

Disclaimer: Images of Samsung Galaxy S3 are courtesy of Androidcentral

Watch The Live Unveiling of Samsung's Next Galaxy Smartphone

The day has finally come to put all the rumors and teasers into an end as Samsung, world's top mobile company, will finally unveil the next galaxy phone today, May 3, 2012 in London.

If you're in the Philippines, you can watch the live launching event by logging on to TheNextGalaxy site starting 2am tomorrow.

The next Galaxy phone is said to be the successor of Samsung Galaxy S2 and will be labeled as Samsung Galaxy S3. From the said launching event, the phone will soon become available to different mobile distributor, reaching different countries worldwide including the Philippines - check out their official Facebook page.

Prior to the launching event, lots of rumors, fake press invites and leaked images (see below) have been reported which, I suppose, helped the phone to catch the world audience.

This image is showing that the next Galaxy phone
(Samsung Galaxy S3) will be available in blue and white 

This next leaked image popped out in the web 2 days before the launching
and suggests that the next Galaxy phone is running Android 4.0.4 - Ice Cream Sandwich  

This is one of the earliest images that leaked online about the next galaxy, Samsung
Galaxy S3, which shows the service manual and device render of the device

Philippines Contributes to $962 Million Worth of Tablets Sales in Southeast Asia

There's a consistent craze for tablets in Southeast Asia and Philippines is one of the developing economies that contributed to the whooping $962 million worth of tablets sales, with android being the favorite operating system in the region according to Gfk Asia based on their 12-month span survey conducted on 2011.

That is equivalent to 1.6 million of tablet units sold in SEA alone wherein a strong 97 percent of sales in the fourth quarter has been recorded in Indonesia, the fourth world's most populous country. However, the computed total sales in Southeast Asia revealed that it was Malaysia that has the biggest market setting a total revenue of $374 million. Indonesia ended the year with a total sale of $284 million.

Five out of six in the surveyed countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam showed that there's an expansion of market over each previous quarter, with Indonesia sought to have an almost twofold unit sales growth in Q4.

Gerard Tan, Account Director for Digital Technology at GfK Asia said:

"Tablet sales, which started off on a slower note at the beginning of the year has definitely taken off in this part of the world, as reflected by the exponential growth within the year.."

"..In Indonesia, several key manufacturers were successful in stepping up their marketing and distribution efforts nearing the end of last year, as evident in the steep sales surge in the last quarter."

Gfk Asia findings also revealed that android is the most preferred platform since it is being offered in a much lower price at just around $531 compared to other platforms that is being offered 30 percent higher at $676. Android tablets sales performed well showing a progressive growth where 2 out of 3 tablets sales are android.

"Due to the open source nature of the Android OS, tablets running on this system are generally priced lower than those running on other OS and its greater affordability encourages mass consumer adoption which in turn accelerates further development of its ecosystem.” explained Mr. Tan.

Further, different mobile manufacturers that are implementing android OS in their hardware have also contributed to the gradually increasing expansion of the adoption of the OS, Mr Tan said.

Source

Angry Birds Space Hits 50 Million Downloads, Sets new Record Pace

Mobile game developers has a new record mark to beat: 50 million downloads within 35 days! The record was set by Angry Birds Space, which is now, after the massive downloads, the fastest growing mobile game in history!

Angry Birds Space did even beat the records set by its predecessors- Angry Birds, Angry Birds Rio and Angry Birds Seasons.

Rovio, the team of developers behind Angry birds said they were thrilled to see such a fantastic reception for the game and thanked the avid Angry Birds fans for their support. The team also concluded that they   will bring something even bigger soon.

"We extend our deepest gratitude to all fans of Angry Birds everywhere. While numbers like this certainly say something about the popularity of Angry Birds, for us the main goal is to keep creating fun new experiences that everybody can enjoy! We just launched the first free update for Angry Birds Space, with plenty more surprises in stock." - Rovio

It said that the simultaneous release of the game to different mobile and pc platforms including Android, iOS, Windows and Mac has benefited the game from its success and continuous popularity.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 now Only 27,990 Pesos!

A second splash of Samsung's Galaxy Tab units is expected to hit this summer as Sumsung Mobile Philippines formally announced the price mark down of the Galaxy Tab 7.7 effective April 27, 2012.

From Php35,990, the first Super AMOLED tablet is now available at 27, 990 Pesos only - 8,000 less from its original price!

This was after the Samsung Galaxy S2 also offered in a much lower price and   Samsung Mobile Philippines is still to announce a price drop of another unit in the next few days.

Meanwhile aside from the price tag slashes happening in selected Samsung mobile products, the top mobile company is also in a big preparation for the launching of the most anticipated unit they are about to launch this summer - the Samsung Galaxy SIII. But for now, all what's surrounding in the internet are just teasers and leaked images of the said unit. Check out later for more information 'cause we'll surely have it covered!

WHAT DOES THE EXPERTS AND USERS SAY ABOUT GALAXY TAB 7.7?

The statements below are taken from the top mobile review sites and selected users about their views, impressions and experiences in using Samsung Galaxy Tab7.7:

SlashGear

"If you’ve tried a 10-inch tablet and you find it sort of absurd, but still want a display larger than your everyday average smartphone, take a peek at this tablet at your local Verizon outlet. It’s certainly an entertaining device to play with."

Engadget

"Putting it bluntly, the 7.7 is the best 7-inch tablet money can buy: it performs well, offers a stunning screen and manages to deliver twice the battery life of other small tablets, despite being markedly thinner."

PocketNow

"The Galaxy Tab 7.7 has got almost everything right: it's a great size, it's lightweight, plus has terrific battery life, a fast processor, and a gorgeous display. It is Honeycomb that hampers the Tab 7.7 almost to the point of rendering it unusable at times."

"love it beautiful machine. still has some software issues very expensive but i needwd this form factor. shame it doesnt do pockets but i had the original 7. and device blows everything away. the screen is amazing. some issues are the software is not consitent, and the market doesnt have apps to..." - bzelealem

"I really enjoy this tablet! The size is perfect to fit in your suit coat pocket and back pocket of your pants!" - td2gdgt

"There isn't much to not like here except perhaps for Honeycomb. Samsung's TouchWiz makes the device easier to use, but I'm looking forward to the ICS upgrade. The display is superb as is the 1.4 GHz dual-core Samsung chip. I've benchmarked it against most recent Android tablets " - KevinCTofel


You may also visit the Samsung site to learn more information about this unit.