Huawei has announced that they’ll be shipping the new E5 “Pocket MiFi” to the Philippines this month. E5 is the next gen of Globe’s MyFi (only that it’s open-line). They have the same weight and size but the main difference is that the E5 now has a screen to show the signal strength, if you’re connected and the battery meter.

Here’s the press release from Huawei and GComm Business Corp.:

“Huawei is finally bringing its innovative terminal products to the Philippine market. In line with its vision of providing people the opportunity to join the information age regardless of geography and social class, Huawei will officially launch its consumer line products this November starting with the E5 “Pocket Mifi” mobile wireless modem.

Huawei E5 Pocket Mifi is a personal connection device and an ideal mobile broadband solution for Filipinos wanting portable, affordable and high-speed wireless connectivity, anytime, anywhere.

It will be available for sale at Php5,995 in retail shops soon and is exclusively distributed by GComm Business Corp.”

The E5 can function as a mobile wireless hotspot up to 5 devices. You can also turn it into a network storage device by adding more storage with a microSD up to 16GB capacity. Battery is really good, it can give you 3G speed connection for 5-10 hours in a single charge.

I’ve been playing around with the E5 for a couple of weeks now and I’ll be bringing it to my trip to Hong Kong this week. With Globe, my max speed with it is 1.2Mbps downstream. I want to try the maximum 3G speed in Hong Kong. I tried using it on the road and I was pretty impressed that I did not lose signal and WiFi connection in EDSA while cruising.

And since I’m a Globe Tattoo user, one thing that you need to know is that even if you don’t have battery left on the E5, you can still connect it to your laptop’s USB port to charge and act as a regular 3G USB dongle. This unit should be available in the market by the end of November. I can’t see myself going back to using the old Globe Tattoo 3G USB dongle. Full review coming out next week.

Gcomm Business Corp. is the exclusive distributor of Huawei E5 Pocket MiFi in the Philippines. You can contact them at (+632) 659.00.72 or email at admin@gcomm.ph.

Editor’s Note: Dale is a reviews & special assignments contributor for YugaTech. You can follow him on Twitter @dalekins. – Yuga

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There was a time when mobile Internet was considered a luxury service. It was only limited to corporate executives who needs mobile Internet to access Outlook emails and SharePoint files. Globe’s Visibility and Smart WeRoam were still uber expensive and you’re locked with a contract. Prepaid 3G or even EDGE connection is non-existent.

Then 3G USB dongles came and swept the world by storm. 3G services are now more accessible to everyone. Students can now have mobile Internet on their laptops to do their research, thesis and homework almost anytime and everywhere as long as you have a 3G connection. Prepaid data is cheaper and unlimited postpaid data plans are now starting to catch up.

The only caveat with 3G USB dongles is that you’re only limited to one computer at a time and that’s assuming you have an extra USB port to use. “Pocket MiFis” or mobile wireless modems solves that single problem and offers additional features no one ever thought they needed one (maybe it’s just me). Huawei E5 is an upgraded version of the MiFy offered for a limited quantity by Globe.

Huawei E5 “Pocket MiFi” is a mobile wireless modem. You put a 3G-enabled sim card on it and it becomes a mobile Wifi router. You can connect up to 5 different wifi devices that can input a password. It’s a 802.11b/g router. You can also send text messages. It also act as a normal 3G USB dongle when connected to a computer via the included mini USB connector. So technically, you can connect 6 devices in total, the computer its connected to and 5 more WiFi devices.

The main difference of the E5 to the one sold by Globe is that the E5 now has a LED screen to see the signal, if you’re connected, the remaining battery life and how many devices are connected. I find this feature worth the upgrade.

I used my postpaid Globe Tattoo SIM on the E5. I was getting a good 1MBPS down speed here in Manila. I never had an issue connecting 5 devices at the same time. Just keep in mind that the speed you will get is dependent to your 3G speed connection. I tried using the unit while inside a moving car along EDSA. My iPad and iPhone 4 are connected to the E5. I never lost the connection while moving. I was able to browse the web and download apps at the same time.

What I like about the E5 is its size. It’s so pocketable — it can easily fit in your jeans’ pocket. It is half the size of a regular phone. The unit is also unlocked so you can use it with any network. Since it’s unlocked, I was able to use it on my trip to Hong Kong. I used a One2Free SIM and I was getting a download speed from 2MBPS to 3MBPS down. While riding the MTR (HK’s version of our MRT), moving and underground, I was getting 2MBPS speed! The unit can get speed up to 7.2MBPS.

If you have an iPhone 4 or iPod Touch 4G, you’ll know that FaceTime is only possible over a WiFi. And because I was using the WiFi router, I was FaceTime-ing while walking the street of Mongkok. How awesome is that? During my stay there, I was confronted to download a 650MB Snow Leopard OS update. I was able to download it using the E5 in a coffee shop in just under 30 mins. This is important note because E5 has its own battery that can last 5-10 hours of use. If you use it continuously with a 3G connection, it can last up to 5 hours. But if you walk around and use it occasionally, let say with an iPod Touch, it can last for half a day. To maximize the battery, you need to power it off when not in use.

If you use the E5 as a normal 3G USB dongle and connect to a laptop, it will charge the unit and can still be used as a wifi router at the same time. It’s very convenient if you’re in a coffee shop with your classmates or officemates doing some research or reports. You wont be needing 5 different 3G USB dongles.

Setting up the unit is pretty straightforward. You just need the APN setting from your internet provider. The unit, when connected to a computer for the first time, will install a management software. You can send and receive text messages using the software. You will need this if you want to get load updates from your network. Another feature of the device is the “connect” button. This is ideal if you’re using a prepaid SIM. You can connect or disconnect whenever you want.

Conclusion:
If you love your Globe Tattoo or SmartBro dongle, you’ll love the Huawei E5 even more. I seriously don’t know how to live without it anymore. The Php5,995 price tag is worth every peso. If you own more than 1 WiFi-capable devices, Huawei E5 is a must-have gadget.

The unit is now available in the Philippines. You can contact your favorite gadget stores.

Gcomm Business Corp. is the exclusive distributor of Huawei E5 Pocket MiFi in the Philippines. You can contact them at (+632) 659.00.72 or email at admin@gcomm.ph.

Editor’s Note: Dale is a reviews & special assignments contributor for YugaTech. This review had some minor revisions from me. You can follow him on Twitter @dalekins. – Yuga

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Bought a Sapido 3G Mobile router last year as a possible replacement for my SmartBro Share-It. So I’m just waiting for my 24-month contract to expire so I could completely move up to this set-up in the car. But then, the local distributor met up with me early this week and showed me their whole new Sapido line-up.

They even gifted me with this “Mobile Hotspot‧Mini USB Power Supply Pocket N+” which is a small mobile router that support 3G dongles, smartphones, DSL and even WiMax connections.

The device is actually small (smaller than the Apple Magic Mouse) and has a couple of LAN/WAN ports at the back as well as a switch to make the Sapido an access point (AP), a DSL router or 3G/4G/WiMax router. The WiMax is still untested since we don’t have any commercially available WiMax dongle around (update: Wi-Tribe has one but we don’t have any available). However, this will work with your DSL modem at home, your Smart/Globe/Sun and even BayanTel (CDMA) 3G dongles as well as the Tonino Lamborghini Tattoo stick.

I am told this could also tether your smartphone as well although that seems a bit redundant since Android and iPhone devices can already serve as WiFi hotspots on their own. This should only be useful when you have an old 3G device (or older Android OSes) that doesn’t do WiFi tethering.

I have to admit though, setting up this Sapido router isn’t a walk in the park. First, you have to hook it up via LAN cable to your PC before you can gain access to the admin panel. Then, you’ll have to set up the APN settings of the device you are hooking it up with and you’ll have to change it every time you plug in a different device (I think the Huawei E5 does that automatically already).

But I guess that’s what you get if you want a device that can do a whole lot of things and support a host of other 3G/4G devices.

This unit does not have a built-in battery so you’ll have to really plug it in the socket or the USB port of your laptop (a portable battery will also suffice). I am told there are other variants of this that has built-in batteries which can last up to 8 hours. It’s also WiFi 802.11n compliant though so you get up to 150Mbps along your local network.

This Sapido router (Mobile Hotspot‧Mini USB Power Supply Pocket N+) has a suggested retail price of Php1,900 and I’m thinking it’s a good alternative router at home that can be both a DSL and 3G router at the same time (3G is mostly as back-up when your DSL is down). Or you can bring it in the car and hook it up to your smartphone (it charges it at the same time, btw) or 3G/4G dongles while on the road.

The post Sapido Mobile Router as 3G/4G Hotspot appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

I have a number of mobile internet solutions while on the road or outside doing some stuff — a Globe Tattoo on MyFi, a Smart Bro Share-It and a Bayan Broadband USB stick. Lately though, I’ve come up with another combo that seems to be working just as well.

It’s a Sun Cellular + Sapido + Mili combo and here’s how it looks.

I must admit, it’s not the prettiest set-up. If you have an unlocked Huawei E5 and 3 different SIM cards from Sun, Smart and Globe, that would be more pocket-friendly. Tethering on an Android smartphone is a juice-guzzler as well.

However, some types of set-up like this one allows for more flexibility — the Sapido is a WiFi-N router that supports HSDPA and CDMA USB dongles as well as a LAN port; the Mili portable battery gives you 1500mAh of battery capacity in one full charge (lasts about 2 to 3 hours with the dongle).

So when my SmartBro Share-It doesn’t seem to work and my Globe MyFi is acting real slow, this last resort is a life-saver.

I’m sure you guys have other last-resort alternatives for mobile internet. Do share what’s your set-up like in the comments below.

The post The Sapido + Sun + Mili Combo appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

We featured this HSPA+ capable mobile hotspot from ZTE a few weeks ago and we’ve finally gotten a review unit to test. Like many other pocket WiFi (MiFi) devices before it, the ZTE MF60 is one pretty kick-ass unit. If only it were more affordable.

The ZTE MF60 looks like your typical portable mobile hotspot device — small, lightweight, bar soap shaped 3G/WiFi router. Unlike the previous ones we’ve seen and reviewed here, this one actually supports HSPA+ networks — just like the Tonino Lamborghini Tattoo stick and the Smart Bro Rocket.

That means you can theoretically reach as fast as 21Mbps over mobile internet. Of course locally, we only have Globe promising up to 10Mbps and up to 12Mbps with Smart on their respective HSPA+ networks.

The performance, coverage and actual street speeds of the telcos are another matter altogether. Here’s our collective speed tests for Globe HSPA+ and Smart HSPA+.

Given these initial test data as control points, we tried out the ZTE MF60 if it can achieve similar or better results.

The MF60 comes with the usual accessories — the wall charger, 1500mAh removable Li-Ion battery, a micro-USB cable. It’s got a microSD card slot on the side (up to 32GB, card sold separately) and a CRC9 port for connecting an external antenna. The SIM card slot is found inside, beneath the battery compartment.

There’s a small OLED display, about 2cm x 1cm, at the front that shows the battery life indicator, signal strength, connection status, cellular network, WiFi status and number of devices connected.

The device supports a slew of GSM cellular networks and frequencies, ranging from GPRS all the way up to HSPA+.

ZTE MF60 4G MiFi Router
HSDPA/HSUPA/UMTS 850/1900/2100 MHz
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
HSPA+: DL 21.6Mbps, UL 5.76Mbps
WCDMA CS: 64Kbps UL/DL
WCDMA PS: 384Kbps UL/DL
WiFi Standard: 802.11 b/g/n
WiFi Security: WEP/WPA/WPA2/WAPI
Up to 8 concurrent users/devices on WiFi

The WiFi router supports speeds on the local network of up to 54Mbps and can handle a maximum of 8 wireless devices at the same time.

The device performs really well and connects to the network in less than 20 seconds from the Off state. The old MyFi devices can take between 30 seconds to 1 minute to do the same.

It auto-detects the cellular network for the SIM card so when you slap a Globe, Smart or Sun Cellular SIM, it automatically plugs in the correct APN settings.

ZTE used a web-based administration panel for the MF60 (provided by GoAhead Webserver) and supports a lot of operating systems (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, etc).

Device management and even SMS management can be done via the web interface, which is great since you can send text messages thru the device over WiFi (mostly used for subscribing to data plans or balance inquiry).

The only downside here is that if you’re having problems connecting to WiFi, you won’t be able to access the admin panel and diagnose the problem. I have not yet experienced that with this unit though. (Update: It will still work as long as you plug the device via USB to the PC and run Mobile Hotspot. Would be a problem if you only have a WiFi phone or tablet with you when that happens.)

Our numerous speed tests in the last two weeks were a bit erratic but, in general, they were impressive to say the least.

This is the best one we got with the Smart network (using the SmartBro Rocket SIM):

Done at the same time of day and same location (3AM, Bangkal, Makati) previously tested on SmartBro Rocket.

I was able to connect to an Smart HSPA+ network once in Megamall (PLDT Jump Center) but only got around 2Mbps downlink speed. The uplink speed was great though at 1.5Mbps (highest I recorded ever).

This is the best one we got on the Globe network (using a regular prepaid Tattoo SIM):

What’s surprising with this one is that I only used a regular prepaid SIM card subscribed on Globe SuperSurf 50. This test was done at Starbucks in Paseo de Magallanes at around 4pm.

Note though that results will greatly vary depending on your location and the time of day.

As for battery life, I was able to squeeze a total of 4 hours and 45 minutes on a single, full charge. This is with continuous use with web surfing on two laptops but with minimal file downloads.

The last 2 weeks with this device has been pretty good — the hardware is impressive and the network connectivity has been very satisfactory both on Globe and Smart networks. I didn’t include speed tests for Sun Cellular since they don’t have HSPA+ yet.

The only downside of this unit is the retail price — Php7,500 a pop (it’s unlocked and actually a rare find). Still not that bad considering the unlocked Huawei E5 (supports HSDPA only) could set you back around Php5k to Php6k.

Disclosure: HotGadgets provided us with this review unit. You can find the item being sold in TipidPC here and in Sulit here.

The post ZTE MF60 HSPA+ Pocket WiFi Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Don’t exactly know when they rolled this out but just saw that Globe Telecom has upgraded their Tattoo Superstick and now offers up to 7Mbps on the WiFi device. They’re still offering the Globe MyFi but that’s just up to 3.6Mbps or 5Mbps depending on your postpaid plan.

By the looks of it, the Globe Tattoo Superstick uses the ZTE MF60 we reviewed here a few weeks back.

The device comes free with a postpaid plan of Php1,299 per month, locked in for 24 months with 200 free SMS allocation a month. The Tattoo Superstick is an HSPA+ device so it will ride on Globe’s upgraded network.

The post Globe Tattoo Superstick now up to 7Mbps appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Huawei continues to improve its very popular line of pocket WiFi, the latest of which is the E587 that claims HSPA+ speeds of up to 42Mbps. We already reviewed the first Huawei E5 before as well as the E586 and if you’ve already read them, go and proceed to our Huawei E587 after the break.

Unlike the previous E5′s we’ve seen before, the Huawei E587 got a bit of a re-design with a bigger body, a rubbery matte back cover and a completely polished, piano-black front cover but with a smaller LED panel.

Almost 95% of the features and functionality of the E587 are the same as the one on the Huawei E586 so I suggest reading up o our review of the older model to give you a better perspective.

Once you’re done with that, head back here and we’ll tell you what that 5% difference is all about.

The Huawei E587 supports HSPA+ download speeds of up to 43.2Mbps. In comparison, the E586 already supports downlink speeds of up to 21Mbps so the E587 is basically double that speed.

This capacity is really good if you are connected to an HSPA+ network which supports great downlink speeds that maximizes the pocket WiFi. In the Philippines, Smart offers mobile internet speeds of up to 20Mbps via their SmartBro Rocket WiFi Plus service while Globe offers downlink speeds of up to 21Mbps via an upgraded plan of the Globe Tattoo Superstick. Also take note that the prepaid Rocket WiFi Plus actually uses the E587 and priced it at Php6,495 (network locked).

Technically with these theoretical speeds being offered by local telcos, the Huawei E586 can still handle it. However, using the Huawei E587, you’re already set once the telcos offer a speed upgrade later.

Then again, actual performance will vary depending on a lot of factors — location, type of SIM/account, time of day, carrier, day of week, and other interference. Here are sample speed tests I took using the Huawei E587:

O2 Germany on prepaid (highest recorded) taken at Cologne City.

Smart Bro Postpaid (highest recorded) taken at Pearl Farm Resort, Samal Island, Davao.

The top speeds are impressive on their own but when you compare that to what was already achieved by the Huawei E586 and the ZTE MF60, there’s really no significant difference. This is primarily attributed to the performance of the network rather than the devices that we used in doing the speed tests.

What is interesting though is that using an openline E586, E587 or MF60, I am still able to reach speeds of up to 7Mbps or 8Mbps even if I am only using a Smart Bro Postpaid Plan 999 that promises only 5Mbps (using the USB stick). In essence, I am getting more than what I paid for with this set up. I’m looking forward to be able to test the same using a Globe Tattoo Postpaid SIM card, preferably the one with the add-on to make it up to 21Mbps.

The other improvement on the E587 is the included Li-Ion battery. It now has a capacity of 2,000mAh from the 1,500mAh of the older models. I was hoping this would add 33% more battery life to the device but it turns out since the modem eats up more juice than the older chips, the expected battery life maxes out at 4.5 hours. From experience, it is around 4 hours but that really depends on the usage pattern and how many devices are connected to it.

Here’s a more detailed list of specifications for the E587.

Huawei E587 specs:
* WiFi 802.11b/g/n
* DC-HSPA+/HSPA+/HSPA/UMTS
* EDGE/GPRS/GSM
* DC-HSPA+ data service up to 43.2 Mbps
* HSUPA data service up to 5.76 Mbps
* Equalizer and receive diversity
* microSD slot (up to 32GB)
* Data and SMS Service
* 4.5 hours working and 150 hours stand-by on battery
* Dimension: 102.0mm×56.0mm×15.5mm
* Weight: 110g

Like the older Huawei pocket WiFi devices, the E587 only supports up to 5 WiFi devices at a time. It would have been better if they increased this capacity to around 10 devices considering the speed it can handle.

For those who already have the E586, the Huawei E587 might not be a sensible upgrade but those who have the earlier models of the Huawei E5 will surely feel the speed improvements whatever network they are connected to.

The Huawei E587 is being sold in online stores like Hot Gadgets in Sulit for under Ph8,500 {see here}. It’s about Php2k more expensive than the E586 but that’s the investment you’ll have to make to be future-proof on mobile internet speed.

Disclosure: Hot Gadgets provided us with the review unit for free.

The post Huawei E587 Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

So now that Globe’s LTE service has been finally revealed, we look at the pricing plans and compared it to Smart LTE. The chart below should give you a bigger picture on what each telco is offering.

What we know is that Globe and Smart have the same device supplier — Huawei — so the hardware performance is even between the two plans.

Here are the LTE service plans offered by Smart and Globe.

From the table above, we can drawn a number of conclusion:

● Globe offers two plans while Smart has one. Globe’s two plans are priced lower than Smart. Smart’s price is 40% more expensive than Globe’s plan.

● Globe offers bigger bandwidth allocation compared to Smart’s cap. At the top tier, Globe’s 15GB is 50% more than what Smart offers at 10GB.

● Comparing Plan 2499 at 15GB and Plan 3499 at 10GB, Globe’s plan is 110% more cost-effective than Smart. That is based on cost per GB of bandwidth (Globe: Php166.6/GB, Smart: Php349.9/GB).

● Smart has wider coverage in Metro Manila while Globe is only restricted to Makati at the moment.

● Both Smart and Globe offered unlimited internet for the first 3 to 4 months after the launch.

● Smart has more LTE bands deployed (3 vs. 1) compared to Globe.

● Globe now offers a USB stick and a pocket WiFi free with the plans while Smart is only offering a USB stick at the moment.

● Both telcos offer up to 42Mbps.

So far, that’s what we’re seeing between the two. On paper, it looks like Globe has one up against Smart in this round.

The post Smart LTE vs. Globe Tattoo Black Price Comparison appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

One of the two new LTE modems that Globe has recently released in the country is the Huawei E5776 (aka Tattoo Pocket WiFi). We couldn’t wait for Globe provide us with a unit, so we decided to buy one of our own and see what it has offer. Check out our full review after the jump.

Design and Construction

Similar to the Huawei E589 which we featured earlier, the E5776 looks and feels well-built albeit the all-plastic body. The latter is tad smaller compared to E589, but has a broader waistline and is a little heavier.

The E5776’s design is straightforward, which we assume would appeal to most users. The only thing that broke what would otherwise be a black slab of plastic is the LED-lit Power button on the front besides the fairly small LCD screen. The Cobonpue-made sticker on the front also added an artsy touch to the pocket Wi-Fi which you can easily remove should you find it a little too distracting.

The top and bottom portion of the E5776 is mainly occupied by different ports and slots. There’s a slot for a full-size SIM card, Micro-SD and a port for an external antenna. There’s also a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button on the bottom corner, as well as Micro-USB port for charging and USB Tethering.

Performance and Battery Life

We ran a handful of SpeedTests while we’re connected to the Huawei E5776 using an LTE-enabled SIM card. Unfortunately, we were only able to test it with a Globe SIM card as the device is locked to that telco. Here are the results we got.

Note: These tests were done while we’re in Boracay. Results may vary depending on location and LTE signal.

The one on the left were the results we got using a mobile device. Meanwhile, the one on the right is the screenshot of the Speedtest result on our PC. Needless to say that the E5776 delivered on our expectation, and was able to maximize whatever speed there was on our current location.

Now as far as battery life is concern, we’re happy to report that we got around 6-7 hours out of a single full charge. We only wish that Huawei made the battery pack removable, so users have an option to swap a fresh one once the other got drained.

This slight drawback, however, is well-compensated by the E5776’s other function – as a Powerbank. That’s right, this Mobile Wi-Fi charges your other devices through its pre-bundled USB dongle.

Huawei E5776 specs:
LTE 4G, 3G, 2G multimode
LTE CAT-4
LCD Screen
Download speed up to 150 Mbit / s
Upload speeds up to 50Mbits
LTE 2600/2100/1800/900/DD800 MHz
GSM 800/900/1800/1900 MHz
UMTS 2100/900Mhz
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
up to 32GB via microSD card
3000mAh
113 x 66 x 15.5mm (dimensions)
150g (weight)

Conclusion

Despite the non-removable battery, we’re all praises for the Huawei E5776 LTE Pocket Wi-Fi (aka Tattoo LTE Mobile Wi-Fi). It’s got a decent build that can seem to withstand a fair amount of beating, plus it doubles as a powerbank which is a pretty neat addition to its feature set, and one that’s missing on the E589.

The Huawei E5776 is available in some online stores for Php12,000 (see listing here. It’s also being offered by Globe under their Tattoo Postpaid (+Php2,000 cash-out) and Prepaid deals (Php4,995 off-contract).

The post Huawei E5776 LTE Pocket Wi-Fi review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Back in the days when 4-inch smartphones were abundant, the term “phablet” is used to coin a smartphone with a screen size that’s larger than five inches. But as 5-inch displays become the norm, the term is almost exclusively reserved for really ginormous handsets like the recently-launched Lenovo Phab Plus that sports a 6.8-inch panel.

Although its specs sheet alone should already convince anyone that it is indeed a humongous device, holding the Lenovo Phab Plus for the first time is still a surreal experience. It changes whatever perception you had about phablets and from there you’ll either be awed with the sheer size of its display or find it absurd for a smartphone to have such a huge screen.

Whatever impression it left, the Lenovo Phab Plus is truly a sight to behold. Its 6.8-inch, 1080p panel is almost the only thing you’ll see on the front of the device with a just tiny room at the top for the earpiece, sensor and secondary camera.

There were some undeniable semblance to the iPhone 6 Plus’ design can be found on the Phab Plus. This include the unibody design with rounded corners, the flat back panel complete gray pinstripes that run across bottom section of the handset and along the side of the top panel, as well as the design of the microUSB port.

Despite the similarities, the Phab Plus is far from being an iPhone 6 Plus knock off. Perhaps the most striking design feature of the former is the top-mounted speakers on its back side. Apart from providing very decent audio output, the loudspeaker also serves as an accent to the otherwise all-metal smartphone.

Also found in this section is the Phab Plus’ 13-megapixel rear camera along with its dual-LED flash unit near the left corner of the device.

Around the edges of the device, you’ll find the usual set of components which include the three physical buttons on the right side for power and volume adjustments, microUSB at the lip and audio jack at the top.

As is expected from such a big smartphone, one-hand operation can be quite a chore, unless of course you’re Shaq or someone with similarly-sized mitts. Even the most mundane task of reaching for the power button or adjusting the volume can be quite challenging without holding the phone with both hands.

These are just some of the tradeoffs, but in return you get a spacious 6.8-inch IPS display with full-HD resolution that equates to a respectable pixel density of 323ppi.

Lenovo PHAB Plus specs:
6.8-inch Full HD IPS display, 1920 x 1080 @326ppi
64-bit 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core CPU
2GB RAM
32GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD
13MP rear camera w/ dual-tone LED flash
5MP front camera
Dual SIM (micro + nano)
4G LTE, 3G
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
1.0 cc Sound Chamber, Dolby ATMOS
Android 5.0 Lollipop w/ VIBE UI
3,500mAh battery
Unibody metal
Dimension: 186.6 x 96.6 x 7.6 mm
Weight: 229 g

There’s no getting around the simple fact that the Lenovo Phab Plus’ greatest attribute is its display. Sure, the specifications meet the standard of what we consider as a mid-range smartphone nowadays, but at the end of the day it’ll still boil down to whether or not you’re comfortable to use such a big handset that won’t fit your side pocket.

The Lenovo Phab Plus can be had for Php14,999 and is exclusively available in all AllPhones outlets nationwide. It will also be available under Globe Tattoo Plan 999 with a Php9,000 cash-out and under MyLifestyle Plan 999 with a Php3,500 cash-out.

The post Lenovo Phab Plus Hands-on appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews.

It’s head to head with the two major networks in the country as Globe matches Smart’s 4G and LTE Pocket Wi-Fi offerings.

Globe Tattoo 4G Mobile Wi-Fi now retails for just Php 888 coming from Php 1,495 while its LTE Mobile Wi-Fi is now down to just Php 1,999 from Php 3,495. Choosing between the two depends on your area of usage. Not all areas have LTE coverage but both should work fine with Globe’s HSPA+ network.

Globe uses the Huawei devices as its choice specifically the E5330B and the E5573 models.

The post Get a Globe Tattoo 4G and LTE Mobile Wi-Fi starting at Php 888 appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews.