02 March, 2012

TechPinas

TechPinas


Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 S6500 Philippines Price Guesstimate, Complete Specifications, Release Date

Posted: 02 Mar 2012 09:34 AM PST

There are three things that the existence of Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 S6500 will tell you:

1. The first Samsung Galaxy Mini - 'the Android Samsung Corby 2', as some people call it - had been a big success.

2. Samsung is serious about dominating all price categories in the smartphone industry.

3. Considering that Samsung already has Samsung Galaxy Y - one of the best selling phones last Yuletide - and its dual SIM variant in the entry-level Android category, I guess we can say that Samsung wants to overwhelm consumers with a lot of options. I think this has been one of the main reasons for the company's big success in the past few years.

samsung galaxy mini 2 s6500

As an entry-level Android release, you can't really expect much from Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 in terms of specifications. But, of course, it's still better than almost all similarly priced feature phones out there. S6500 runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS with an 800 MHz processor, handles multitasking with 512 MB of RAM, and features a meager 3.15 MegaPixel camera with no autofocus and flash, VGA video recorder, and Wifi, Bluetooth and 3G connectivity support.

Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 is by no means a powerhouse Android handset but I'm sure it will have its own fans. I mean, for sure, this smartphone will attract the attention of students and pennypinchers who want to be familiar with how Android looks and works.

As of writing, Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation hasn't given us word on Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 S6500's availability in our country. Nevertheless, given the fact the Philippines is an Emerging Market, I'm confident that the phone will find its way to stores shelves across the archipelago within a month or two. The TP Guesstimate for its suggested retail price is around Php 5,000 to 6,500; Hopefully, it will be even more affordable than that.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)
Name Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 S6500
Type Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen)
Price Category Entry Level
Dimensions109.4 x 58.6 x 11.6 mm
Weight 105.3 grams
Available Colors Black, Orange
Operating System Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Display 3.27 inches (~176 ppi pixel density), 320 x 480 pixels, TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Processor 800 MHz Adreno 200 GPU Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset
RAM/ROM 512 MB RAM
Camera 3.15 MegaPixels, 2048 x 1536 pixels, no front camera
Video Capture VGA 25 frames per second
Audio and Video Playback MP4/H.264/H.263/MP3/WAV/eAAC+/AC3/FLAC player
Ports microUSB v2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP, 3G HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps
Network 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G Network HSDPA 900 / 2100
Internal Storage 4 GB, expandable via microSD, supports up to 32GB
Sensors Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity
Battery Li-Ion 1300 mAh
Uptime TBA
Value-Added Features SNS integration, Google Services Suite
Announcement Globally: February 2012
Availability Q2 2012
Price TP Guesstimate: Php 5,000 - Php 6,500


Are Printers Still Important in this Digital Age?

Posted: 02 Mar 2012 04:27 AM PST

Last Thursday, I received an interesting question from one of our readers. Catherine M. sent me this inquiry via email, "Dear TechPinas, we are in the Digital Age. Obviously, everything can be done online. […] Files can be viewed on smartphones and tablets. […] Do you think printers are still important?"

TP Answer:

Dear Catherine, we may be in a day and age when conversations and transactions can be done online and content can be saved, managed and shared on the cloud but I really can't say that printers are no longer important at home and more importantly, I can't deny that they are still a requirement in the business setting.

Sure, nowadays, a lot of things can be accomplished digitally. We can send emails in lieu of snail mail or carry files in a flash disk instead of bringing an envelope full of sheets of paper. However, since we still live in a physical world (lest we forget), preparing hard copies or printed documents still make a lot of sense in more ways than one.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of printed materials versus their digital counterpart is that they are more accessible. That is, you don't need a laptop, tablet or netbook, for example, to read a hard copy of a Word or Excel file.

In fact, in business meetings, it is almost a requirement to bring printed copies of reports or thumbnails of Powerpoint presentations for everyone in the boardroom. You'll definitely be seen as more than ready, courteous and considerate by your officemates or business partners for putting your trusty printer to good use and giving them a few sheets of paper instead of making them bring a gadget just to see your work.

And that's not the only thing that a good printer can help you accomplish in the business environment.


There's what we call an all-in-one printer, which - aside from having its essential functionality - also lets you scan and fax documents and even works as a telephone! It's practically more than three devices in one! Such a printer I think is an absolute requirement for any office regardless of size. I mean, printing, faxing and scanning are almost staple 'activities' in the business setting.

At home, family members especially the kids who are still in school can truly benefit from having access to a printer, be it the regular or the all-in-one type. I believe a lot of professors still require their students to submit printed papers or essays instead of just emailing them; You don't want to always go out of the house and ask a friend to print your school paper for you. Also, the all-in-one printer's scanner becomes particularly useful for creating school projects involving photos from childhood or old magazine pages. And really, that's just some of the things you can do with it. Think about all the things a printer can help you with at home or in school.

So there you go. Obviously, if you're going to ask me if a printer is still important in these digital times, my answer is a resounding yes. I think all us need at least one at home and in the office. I'd suggest you get one; These days, they are rarely all too expensive any way.


HTC One V Philippines Price Guesstimate, Complete Specs, Release Date

Posted: 02 Mar 2012 02:00 AM PST

If you refuse to experience Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on any other handset than an HTC but you aren't keen on blowing too much moolah on a smartphone, then this fresh release is for you.

htc one v

Wrapped in unibody gunmetal case, HTC One V is the most affordable smartphone in the Taiwanese company's 2012 One series. Although lacking supposedly top-notch Android smartphone innards and specifications this year, including a Quad Core processor, a Full HD video recorder and a large display, HTC One V nevertheless comes with features that HTC fans have grown to love on their phones, which include solid construction, gorgeous design, Beats Audio enhancement and HTC Sense experience, which - in my opinion - is the best Android 'skin' out there.

htc one v philippines

HTC One V was officially announced at Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain earlier this week along with the midrange HTC One S and the flagship level HTC One X. HTC also disclosed that the borderline entry-level lower-midrange Android phone will hit store shelves come Q2 this year with a 299 Euros SRP. No word yet on HTC One V's exact release date and pricing details in our country but I guess it will also land here in Q2 with price tag of around Php 15,000 - Php 18,000.

Like what we usually do here on TP, let me wrap up this entry by giving you the complete technical specifications of the affordable HTC One V --

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)
Name HTC One V
Type Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen)
Price Category Midrange
Dimensions120.3 x 59.7 x 9.2 mm
Weight 115 grams
Available Colors Brown
Operating System Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Display 3.7 inches (~252 ppi pixel density), 480 x 800 pixels, TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Processor 1 GHz Single Core
RAM/ROM 512 MB RAM
Camera 5 MegaPixels, 2592 x 1944 pixels with autofocus and LED flash, no front camera
Video Capture 720p 30 frames per second
Audio and Video Playback MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player/MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player
Ports microUSB v2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, 3G
Network 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100
Internal Storage 4 GB, expandable via microSD, supports up to 32GB
Sensors Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity
Battery Li-Ion 1500 mAh
Uptime TP Guesstimate: Standby of up to 330 hours, Talk time of up to 5 hours
Value-Added Features Gunmetal Unibody case, HTC Sense UI, Beats Audio, SNS integration, Google Services Suite
Announcement Globally: February 2012
Availability Q2 2012
Price TP Guesstimate: Php 15,000 - 18,000