20 February, 2012

The Philippines Remains to be a Nokia Nation : 64% of Filipinos in Metro Manila Own a Nokia Phone, According to New Survey!




Posted: 20 Feb 2012 01:56 PM PST
"Results from the Mobile Life Study of TNS only show that the Philippines is still a Nokia country," shares Dharmesh Goshalia, General Manager of Nokia Philippines.

philippines nokia

"Despite the deluge of other mobile phone brands, Nokia remains in the consciousness of Filipinos as a reliable mobile device that meets their lifestyle."

Full results of the new survey are disclosed in Mobile Life 2012 study by TNS, the world's leading custom research company. With a total of 34,000 respondents the world over, Mobile Life is the most comprehensive research on mobile phones that covers 43 markets from North America to Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa.

For Metro Manila coverage, 500 face-to-face interviews were conducted among Pinoy respondents with ages ranging from 16 to 60 years old across all economic classes. Among the questions asked in the survey was what brand of handset is owned by Filipinos in Metro Manila or what brand of mobile phone reflects the urban Filipino.

A whopping sixty-four percent of the respondents interviewed revealed they currently own a Nokia handset. The handset brand on the second spot trails behind with merely 12%.

Note that, compared with the 2010 study, the recent result reveals a decline of ownership of the Nokia brand from 70%. Still, the results reflect Filipinos' continuous preference for Nokia handsets even when faced with a lot more choices.

Goshalia further reveals that Nokia is serious about making 2012 another landmark year. The company is geared up to deliver new aspirational products that offer choice for consumers, with differentiation on quality and value for money. "Watch out for our Nokia with Windows Phones coming very soon. Those Lumia devices will amaze everyone who try it out. Also, expect more Dual SIM and QWERTY devices. We promise that it will be more fun with Nokia," he shared.

TP Thoughts:

So I guess the hardcore geeks can say a lot of things about the Finnish brand; slam it whatever way they can. But they can't deny the fact that - when everything's said and done - Nokia is still number one -- not only in the Philippines but also in other territories around the world. I mean, that's how it is -- because numbers don't lie.


Posted: 20 Feb 2012 01:14 PM PST
Apple iPhone 4S is an amazing, amazing handset. But it is by no means perfect.

Ask any level-headed iPhone 4S owner to write down points for improvement for his or her smartphone and I bet battery life will be near the top if not at the very top of the list. I own an iPhone 4S; I think it's in a league of its own but I really feel like Apple could have done something to make its battery last longer. That's how it is. I don't really know what's up with that (maybe iOS 5 is just plain power-hungry) but I hope the Cupertino company is doing something to fix it.

Anyway. While we're all awaiting Apple's hopefully-permanent fix to this issue, we can always turn to other solutions like this one from our friends at Digital Hub and Beyond the Box;

increase battery life of iphone 4s

BoostCase is actually two cool iPhone 4S accessories in one. First, you have the gorgeous case that's meant to protect the handset from scratches. Second, there's the snap-on extended battery pack that can practically double your iPhone's uptime. What's nice is that, despite being a two-in-one device, BoostCase is surprisingly lightweight and hardly bulky.

Apple iPhone 4S has a Li-Po 1420mAh standard battery and you can more than double that with BoostCase's 1900 mAh extended battery pack. Once you notice that your handset is already low on juice, you can turn on BoostCase and let it charge your iPhone 4S on the go! (Oh, and if you're wondering, BoostCase also works with Apple iPhone 4.)

To get the maximum uptime away from an electrical outlet, fully charge your iPhone 4S and BoostCase before leaving the house; There are LED lights at the bottom of the case indicating the amount of juice left in the pack so you'll know when it's fully charged.

BoostCase - which comes in various luscious colors - is now available in the Philippines via Digital Hub, Out of the Box and Power Mac Center. And if you're one of the first 50 customers to buy it, you'll get a free limited edition BoostCase shirt; Isn't that nice?! More about this cool iPhone 4S extended battery pack and case on TechPinas soon.


Posted: 19 Feb 2012 10:58 PM PST
TechPinas Exclusive!

Since we have both units in the TP Hideout and - according to sales ladies in gadget shops - smartphone sales usually get a spike every graduation season, I figured I should do this comparison post.

TP Friends, check out Samsung Galaxy Y vs. Samsung Galaxy Y Duos --

Overview: Samsung Galaxy Y Duos S6101 - as its very name suggests - is the Dual SIM Dual Standby version of the Korean company's Q4 2011 best-seller entry-level Android handset, Samsung Galaxy Y S5360. As of writing, Duos has an official SRP of Php 8,990 while the single SIM version sells for around Php 6,000 to 6,500 in malls; That's a difference of around Php 2,500. Now, the question is, are the extra features of Duos enough to justify that amount?

Design Faceoff: For this, it's imperative that we share these images --

Samsung Galaxy Y and Samsung Galaxy Y Duos, respectively.






As you can see, Duos is wider, taller and slightly thicker than Galaxy Y. What you can't see is that Duos - with its real metal accents - feels a lot more solid in the hand.

Just by looking at its name, it's easy to imagine that Duos would look exactly like Samsung Galaxy Y. But that's hardly the case. In front, Duos has a bigger Home button and slightly wider display; At the back, its camera can be found at the top center region vs. the off-center placement in Galaxy Y; The microUSB port of Duos can be found at the rear with no cover vs. Galaxy Y's port found at the top with plastic flap.

So which phone is better in terms of design? Honestly, it depends on what you're looking for and your taste. Duos feels a lot more solid and durable but Galaxy Y is lighter and smaller.

Specifications Comparison: No other way to do it than via our traditional TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specifications Comparison Table --

TP Specs Comparison Table: Samsung Galaxy Y Duos vs. Samsung Galaxy Y
Detail/Feature Samsung Galaxy Y Duos Samsung Galaxy Y
Availability and Price in Philippines Now out in the Philippines
Current Price in Malls - Php 8,990
Now out in the Philippines
Current Price in Malls - Php 5,990
*we're receiving reports that some stores are actually selling it for Php 6,500
Dimensions/
Weight
109.8 x 60 x 12 mm
109 g
104 x 58 x 11.5 mm
97.5 grams
Screen/
Features
3.14 inches (~127 ppi pixel density),
240 x 320 pixels
TFT capacitive touchscreen, 256K colors
- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
- Multi-touch input method
- Touch-Sensitive Controls
- TouchWiz User Interface
3 inches (~133 ppi pixel density)
240 x 320 pixels,
TFT, capacitive touchscreen, 256K colors
- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
- Multi-touch input method
- Touch-Sensitive Controls
- TouchWiz User Interface
Operating System Upon Release Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread) Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
Dual SIM Dual Standby Functionality Yes No
CPU832 MHz processor 832 MHz processor
Internal storage 160 MB, expandable via microSD, supports up to 32GB, ships with 2GB SDcard 512 MB, expandable via microSD, supports up to 32GB, ships with 2GB SDcard
Wifi Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
3G Yes, HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps Yes, HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps
MicroSD Yes, Supports up to 32GB Yes, Supports up to 32GB
Camera 3.15 MegaPixels, 2048x1536 pixels, no flash
Video capture: Yes, QVGA 15 frames per second
Secondary camera: No
2 MegaPixels, 1600x1200 pixels, no flash
Video capture: QVGA 15 frames per second
Secondary camera: No
Accelerometer Yes Yes
Digital Compass Yes No
EDGE Yes Yes
GPRS YesYes
Bluetooth Yes, v3.0 with A2DP Yes, v3.0 with A2DP
Built-in MicroUSB Port Yes, v2.0 Yes, v2.0
Audio Jack Yes, 3.5mm Yes, 3.5mm
HDMI Port No No
Stereo FM Radio Yes Yes
Games and Apps Yes, via Android Market Yes, via Android Market
Java Yes, via Java MIDP emulator Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
Default Browser - Flash support No (possible via SkyFire Browser) No (possible via SkyFire Browser)
Battery Type Li-Ion 1300 mAh Li-Ion 1200 mAh


Here's the thing: Aside from the obvious fact that Duos one-upped Galaxy Y with its Dual SIM Dual Standby capability (which a lot of people actually need - mind you), it appears that the former hardly offers any other - uhm - major improvement to the latter; Duos' screen is slightly wider, the camera has slightly higher resolution and the battery is slightly bigger; Yes, the operative word is slightly. Now, to answer the question that we asked at the top of this entry, "I think, all things considered - especially because of that key extra feature, it's alright."