MyPhone My28s DTV Price is Php 1,799 : Watch Clear Digital TV Channels On The Go!

Last week, I told you about a new MyPhone dongle that you can plug to your Android smartphone, allowing you to watch Digital TV shows on your device. The product only costs Php 499, which is fairly affordable considering the added value that it gives your handset.

But if you don't have a smartphone yet and you're currently looking for a wallet-friendly daily driver with DTV functionality, MyPhone also has something for you.

As its very name suggests, MyPhone My28s DTV is a Digital-TV-enabled version of the 2016 best-selling entry-level Android smartphone by the company.

Apart from DTV functionality, this handset has the exact same technical specifications of the regular model, which include the 4-inch WVGA display, 5 MegaPixel main camera, 2 MP front cam with Soft LED flash that comes in handy for low light conditions, Dual SIM Dual Standby capability, 3G HSPA+ support, and a removable 1,450 mAh Li-Ion battery pack. Inside, it runs Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system with 1.2 GHz Quad Core ARM Cortex A7 and Mali 400 based Spreadtrum SC7731 chipset, has 512 MB of RAM for multitasking, and comes with 4GB of expandable storage.

MyPhone My28s DTV is a basic Android smartphone through and through. I personally see it a decent smartphone for browsing social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well as browsing blogs and websites via any mobile browser for Android. For gaming? Well, maybe just the basic 2D titles. As for the cameras, again not the best ones out there; But at this price point, that's forgivable.

The highlight of this handset is certainly the Digital TV support that lets you watch clear and crisp DTV channels from ABS-CBN, GMA7, and TV5 on the go, wherever there's signal. If you enjoy watching telenovelas while you're in the bus or jeepney on the way home, you will surely appreciate this feature.

MyPhone My28s DTV is now available at all MyPhone Concept Stores, kiosks, and authorized retail channels across the country for only Php 1,799. I believe it's out in a number of fun colors including Light Blue, Red, and White, among others.

CloudFone Lite Senior Phone Price is Php 799 : For Our Dear Grandmas and Grandpas

Last week, as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility Give-Back Project, our friends from CloudFone held a Peace of Mind Activity where they gave 20 senior patients at the Martinez Memorial Hospital in Caloocan City free Lite Senior phones that they can use to stay in touch with their loved ones.

At the event, CellPrime executive showed how the phones' unique S.O.S. Button can help people seek help during medical emergencies or times of distress. Pressing the button automatically activates an alarm, sends emergency text messages, and calls up to five pre-assigned contacts.

"In a non-life threatening situation, you can always text or call someone. But if the situation is life threatening, you may not have the time or even the ability to turn on your phone, unlock the screen and look for a number to call. You’re not even sure if those you call can respond fast enough to help you. The S.O.S. Button in the CloudFone Lite Senior can take care of all that and more," shared Mr. CellPrime COO, Mr. Jaime Alcantara.

Mrs. Dominga Martin, 71, was one of the grandmas to receive a CloudFone Lite Senior phone.

She recalled her difficulty in getting help when she accidentally slipped while at home. She also shared about an instance when she was trying to ask for help when she was held up and robbed of her money during a trip in the city.

With her new CloudFone Lite Senior phone, Lola Dominga can have peace of mind that her loved ones will only be a press of a button away should she require help and assistance.

Our friends from CellPrime handing their Lite Senior Phones to grandpas and grandmas at Martinez Memorial Hospital in Caloocan City.

Cloudfone Lite Senior was developed by the Proudly-Pinoy company within a span of one and a half years before launching the device in June 2017. They took into account how they could make available technologies more useful to seniors.

Mr. Ray Caguin, CloudFone Group Brand Manager, expounded, "Here in the Philippines, a feature phone like the Cloudfone Lite Senior is a volume driver, meaning many people still look for this kind of phone. For every niche market, we want to develop something awesome for the Filipino customer and we make sure that the development of each feature in every phone is given enough time and thought, so we can reach that goal to be awesome. For the senior segment, we believe that the S.O.S. button is awesome because it serves as a lifeline to your family and loved ones."

Mr. Niño Mendoza - CloudFone Chief Strategy Officer, Ms. Tess Tiu-Cloudfone Chief Finance Officer, Mr. Azer Villola- CloudFone Chief Product Officer, Mr. Joey Oreta- CloudFone Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Jaime Alcantara- CloudFone Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Bradford Martinez - Martinez Memorial Hospital Board Member, and Dr. Elizabeth Del Rio - Martinez Memorial Hospital Chief Operating Officer - at the CloudFone 'Peace of Mind' Activity.

CloudFone Lite Senior Bar version's SOS button is located at the back, beside the camera.

Available in Candybar and Flip versions, the CloudFone Lite Senior Phone has basic functionality including the ability to send text messages and make calls. Both models also have a colored display to deliver a more enjoyable mobile experience.

"When Cloudfone explained to me the features, I liked it. I explained to the recipients about the advantages in cases of accidents and distress. Ang galing. If I had that kind of phone when I had an accident, this phone could have helped. Maganda ito," shared Martinez Memorial Hospital’s COO, Dr. Elizabeth Martinez Del Rio.

Suitable for users aged 60 and above, the Cloudfone Lite Senior Bar and Cloudfone Lite Senior Flip are now available all all CloudFone trade channels for only Php 799 and Php 1,299 respectively.

MyPhone DTV Dongle Price is Php 499 : Watch Digital TV on Any USB-OTG Enabled Phone

Are you fond of watching shows by local TV networks and you wish that you can binge on them anytime, anywhere?

Well, if you own an Android smartphone with a microUSB 2.0 port and USB-On-The-Go support, here's a plug and play device that you can purchase to watch live Digital TV broadcast on your handset for free!

With price tag of only Php 499, the new MyPhone DTV Dongle turns your regular Android smartphone - from any brand, midrange to high-end - into a mobile-TV-enabled phone that lets you enjoy clear and crisp DTV channels whether you're on the road or while you're enjoying your office or classroom break.

Available in the number of colors including Green, Yellow, White, Blue, and Red, MyPhone DTV Dongle works with the MyPhone DTV application that you can download for free via Google Play Store. Simply plug in the device and run the app to start watching your favorite shows and telenovelas, no internet connection required!

The big three local television stations - namely, ABS-CBN Channel 2, GMA7, and TV5 - have already launched their Digital Television Broadcast, which is far better than the usually hazy or blurry analog broadcast. The only limitation of DTV is that there are still areas in the country where the signal may not be as strong or not yet available.

MyPhone DTV Dongle is now available at all MyPhone Concept Stores and kiosks across the country and also via the new MyPhone Online Store.

Cherry Mobile Desire R8 Giveaway, Unboxing, Key Features Check

Cherry Mobile Desire R8 is currently the flagship smartphone or top-of-the-line release of the proudly Pinoy handset company. And as such, it has the best design and build as well as set of technical specifications out of all mobile devices that the brand offers as of writing.

As a sign of gratitude to my readers and to allow one of you to fully experience the best that Cherry Mobile has to offer, I have decided to raffle of my own Cherry Mobile Desire R8 unit.

Before I give you my mechanics for the raffle, let's do a quick unboxing of this cool model just to show you everything that you're getting.

The Desire Series is the Cherry Mobile's latest line of premium line smartphones -- and that's well reflected in this phone's packaging. The outer sleeve has deep red, black, and gold hues that blend well together to exude an air of elegance.

At the back of the outer sleeve, we find a list of Cherry Mobile Desire R8's key technical specifications, including the 5.5-inch Full HD IPS OGS display protected by 2.5D Curved Gorilla Glass 3 touchscreen, Dual Camera Module - made up of a 13 MegaPixel main shooter plus a secondary 5 MegaPixel lens, an 8 MegaPixel front cam for selfies with Soft LED flash, Fingerprint Scanner for quickly unlocking the phone, USB Type C port, and non-removable 3,000 mAh Li-Ion battery pack.

Under the hood, this Dual SIM, 4G-LTE-enabled phone runs its near vanilla Android 7.0 Nougat operating system with a 64-Bit Octa-Core 1.5 GHz MediaTek MT6750T chipset that incorporates a Mali-T860 GPU, handles multitasking with 3GB of RAM, and comes with 32GB of internal storage that can be beefed up using the hybrid secondary nanoSIM slot that supports microSD card memory expansion. This set of innards gives this model an Antutu Benchmark Score in the range of 43,000 to 45,000, which reflects decent - albeit not exemplary - 3D gaming experience and overall performance.

Pulling the outer sleeve off, we see the plain black box -- which, unlike the ones for the Cosmos line, doesn't have the image of the phone printed on top.

Lifting the lid, we are greeted by the Cherry Mobile Desire R8 with the familiar screen protector - showing a list of the phone's specs - and the soft foam cradle protecting the device during shipment.

This is the complete retail package, which you can purchase for Php 9,999 at all Cherry Mobile Concept Stores, kiosks, and partner retailers nationwide.

The pack includes the unit itself, the 2A charger, the USB Type C cable, user manual, Cherry Mobile App list, SIM tray ejector pin, and earphones with in-ear silicone buds and microphone.

Design-wise, I'd say that the Cherry Mobile Desire R8 looks like a mash-up between the OPPO F1s and the Huawei Mate9. It has a 'square with rounded corners' footprint and its shell is made predominantly of anodized aluminum. Surprisingly, despite having a rather thick metal frame, the phone feels light compared to the far heavier Cherry Mobile Cosmos Three, which has similar build.

If you're wondering, the handset's Dual Camera set-up lets the user apply interesting bokeh or depth of field effect on the photos, ranging from f/9.0 to f/0.8 for maximum background blur behind a clear subject.

Now, as for our giveaway, we've decided to do it via Rafflecopter. It's very easy to join, simply use the widget below to complete all requirements and to send your entries:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Join now and let your friends know about our giveaway!

CloudFone Excite Prime 2 Pro Has Dual Camera for 2X Lossless Zoom

Local handset brand CloudFone has a number of exciting new Android smartphones that are set to be launched within the next few months. Many of these devices are metal-clad and have stellar imaging capabilities.

CloudFone Excite Prime 2 Pro is one of these amazing new models.

I got to play with the device when the people behind the brand took me as well as some of my friends from the local tech media on a helicopter ride to Mabalacat, Pampanga to experience race car driving at the Clark International Speedway last July 4, 2017.

Off hand, I'd say that if the company can price this below Php 10,000, it'd be one that's worth recommending to millennials and mobile photography enthusiasts alike.

As of writing, the phone's official pricing details and exact release date have yet to be disclosed by the company. If you're interested in this model, kindly stay tuned for updates.

Just from looking at these images, it's obvious that one of the main strengths of this model is its stunning looks. Let me tell you: It looks even better in flesh.

This slim and slick shell is crafted from anodized aluminum (which comes in a number of classy colors including Red and Gold) and has antenna bands at the back that are reminiscent of what you'll find on the far more expensive Apple iPhone 7 Plus.

CloudFone Excite Prime 2 Pro, however, is hardly 'all looks no substance'. It has other key features both on the outside and in the inside that are just as awesome.

The handset sports a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display that's protected by 2.5D Curved Glass, which meets seamlessly with the shell to give a reassuring feel in the hand.

Under the hood, Excite Prime 2 Pro runs its Android 7.0 Nougat operating system with a 64-Bit Octa Core 1.4 GHz ARM Cortex A53 and Adreno 505 GPU based Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage that you can easily beef up using the dedicated microSD card slot. That's right, no need to compromise Dual SIM capability should you want to expand storage.

On top of all these amazing features, the true highlight of CloudFone Excite Prime 2 is its Dual Rear Camera module, which gives this cameraphone true 2X lossless zoom capability, which comes in handy when you can't go too near a subject to get a more interesting or better looking shot.

This is made possible by the secondary 8 MegaPixel optic, which has a different focal length from the main 13 MegaPixel f/2.0 lens.

The Dual Camera set-up likewise features Super Pixel Mode and Portrait Mode, which delivers interesting bokeh or depth of field effects where the subject in focus has a background that's beautifully blurred.

Consumers who love to take selfies should also find the phone's 20 MegaPixel front facing camera with Sony IMX376 sensor a joy to use in various lighting condition. This shooter also benefits from the selfie-centric Beautification software that comes pre-installed in the device.

For added protection, this release is equipped with a Fingerprint Scanner at the back, which provides another layer of security and allows the user to quickly unlock the interface with but a touch of a finger.

Powered by a non-removable 3,000 mAh Li-Ion battery pack and supporting 4G LTE connectivity, the feature-packed CloudFone Excite Prime 2 Pro represents the local brand's stellar efforts give Filipino consumers great value for money products that deliver an awesome mobile experience in this digital age.

Get Unli FB Access and 3GB of Data for 7 Days with Smart Giga Surf 99 Promo

Smart Communications is not actively promoting this generous promo -- but for those who require mobile connectivity on a daily basis, I hope you guys would try it out as it gives great value for money.

From giving subscibers just 1.5GB of data allocation with an additional 600MB for viewing content on Youtube, iflix, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Dubsmash, and Spinnr, the boosted Smart Giga Surf 99 promo currently offers 3GB of data, Unlimited Facebook Access with Photos, Unlimited FB Messenger, and the same 600MB for video streaming -- with 7 days validity!

Browsing Facebook on the go - with all those photos - is usually the biggest data hog for mobile consumers. Since this promo already gives you that for free, you can really maximize the use of the 3GB data allocation, which lasts for a whole week.

Personally, as a technology blogger who's always out covering gadget launches and other events around the country, I'm grateful that this promo is available to help me make the most of my hard-earned money for staying connected 24/7. Aside from the Unli FB access that's essential for me for sharing content with my readers and followers in social media, I also appreciate the doubled data allocation, which is more than enough for sending and replying to emails, uploading photos on Instagram, downloading large files from my clients via the cloud, making quick Viber calls, browsing tech news sites, and posting my own blog entries on the go.

I reckon that students, young professionals, SME business owners, and even seasoned corporate achievers - with their unique uses for mobile data - will be able maximize the big services that come bundled with this quietly launched Smart Data Promo. If you want to try out Smart Giga Surf 99, just make sure you have enough load to cover it then text GIGA99 to 2200.

I heard that Smart Giga Surf 99 is a limited time offer so you'd do well to try it out as soon as you can. Here's to hoping that Smart would extend it or even make it a standard data offering for the benefit of all Pinoy mobile consumers.

CloudFone Excite Prime 2 Price is Php 5,999, Has Good Specs and 'Awesome' Selfie Camera

Earlier today - July 4, 2017, courtesy of our friends from local handset company CloudFone, I - along with my tech blogger buds and members of the media - rode a helicopter from NAIA compound all the way to Mabalacat, Pampanga to get a memorable race car experience at Clark International Speedway. (I'll talk about this experience more extensively in a separate post; For now, if you're interested, you may check out photos in my Instagram and Facebook accounts. Thanks!)

The unique theme of this tech event is inspired by the top-notch features CloudFone handsets that excite consumers - similar to the feeling you'll get when riding a chopper through the clouds and over the sea - and give them an awesome overall experience - just like the thrill of riding a top-caliber race car.

Following the extreme activities, CloudFone reps took the opportunity announce their latest campaign slogan 'You Deserve Awesome Selfies' and in line with it, unveiled two new selfie-centric midrange Android Smartphones.

Donning an official suggested retail price of Php 5,999, CloudFone Excite Prime 2 - shown in these photos - is the more affordable of two models but it's just as interesting and feature-packed.

Having played with the handset, I'd say this model has three main strengths or key selling points.

The first one would have to be its design and build.

As you can see in these images, CloudFone Excite Prime 2 flaunts a very slim form factor making it easy to hold and keep in the pocket.

The phone's shell is crafted from aluminum and has chrome-plated accents, which makes the device look elegant and opulent when viewed both up-close and from a afar.

Having a real metal shell also makes the smartphone more durable or more resilient to the knocks and bumps of daily use.

The second thing that's great about this release are its imaging capabilities.

The phone's 13 MegaPixel autofocus camera features a 5-Element-Lens, a wide f/2.0 aperture, and a Sony IMX135 sensor, which performs well in low light conditions. You can rely on this camera to deliver pretty clear shots even when you use it indoor or with artificial lighting.

The rear likewise supports Super Pixel Mode and Portrait Mode, which gives you interesting bokeh or depth of field effects where the subject's background is beautifully blurred.

CloudFone's move to focus on smartphones that deliver awesome selfies means that they'd have to give their new releases good front-facing camera and the Excite Prime 2 certainly has that.

This handset's 8 MegaPixel front-facing camera, which is located above the 5.5-inch HD IPS display panel, features the company's software innovations including a new camera interface reminiscent of what's on the iPhone as well as screen flash that comes in handy in low light situations.

The camera software also includes a built-in multi-level Beauty Mode, which instantly evens out the user's skin-tone and enhances good facial features to deliver selfies that are ready for sharing on social networking sites.

The third thing that I like about this model is its decent set of internal technical specifications -- given the phone's price, of course.

Under the hood, CloudFone Excite Prime 2 runs its heavily customized Android 7.0 Nougat operating system with a MediaTek MT6737 processor that incorporates four ARM Cortex A53 cores and a Mali-T720 GPU. This chipset is complemented by 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage for all your photos and videos.

CloudFone Excite Prime 2's set of innards give it an Antutu Benchmark Score of 27,712 when we ran the test after the phone's unveiling. This score pretty much reflects the rather smooth overall mobile experience that the handset delivers; Touch response is good and you'll experience rather stutter-free multitasking experience.

3D gaming experience will be decent on titles that aren't so taxing on resources. Otherwise, you'll get what you can expect from an Android smartphone in this price echelon. Here's the phone's Manhattan 3.1 frame rate score.

CloudFone Excite Prime 2 will be available at all CloudFone kiosks and partner outlets across the country within July 2017. It will be available in a number of colors, including Gold, which I featured in this entry. Overall, if you're currently on the look-out for a sub-Php 10,000 selfie-centric Android phone with good design and decent specs, you might want to include this one in your list of devices to check out.

Cherry Mobile Desire R7 Mini Price is Php 2,299, Specs, Actual Photos, Initial Review

"Sir Mark, is it true that Cherry Mobile Desire R7 Mini looks and feels like the Apple iPhone 5S (or Apple iPhone 5 and SE) in the flesh?"

That's the question that several of my readers sent me on Facebook right after my guesting stint at Cherry Mobile Facebook Live Show Episode 3, featuring the company's new Desire Series, last night - June 30, 2017.

Well, my short and sweet answer to that is: Yes.

I mean, just look at the photo above. It does like an iPhone when viewed from some angles.

However, I'd like to note that Cherry Mobile Desire R7 Mini is not a complete clone of Apple's previous flagship smartphone.

They have similarities in design language but there are also differences.

The biggest similarity between Cherry Mobile's very budget-friendly release and Apple's high-end model from a few years back is their real metal body.

Both are crafted from anodized aluminum and have diamond-cut edges that give them an air of corporate sophistication. This feature is a real treat particularly on Cherry Mobile Desire R7 Mini since it costs only Php 2,299.

Also, the footprints of both handsets - that is, rectangle with rounded sides - are largely identical.

Now - as for the differences, if you look at the photo above, you'll see that the Desire S7 Mini's real metal volume rocker and power button, which has brushed feel and texture, are both on the right panel. Likewise, you have a microUSB port on the CM phone, which is located on the top panel along with the 3.5mm combo jack.

CM Desire R7 Mini's face couldn't be more different from the face of the iPhone 5, 5S, or iPhone SE.

For one, its glass touchscreen gently curves on the sides. It's not flat like what's on the above-mentioned iPhone models.

Also, this model doesn't have a clickable circular home button and instead has a row of capacitive buttons below the display for navigating the interface.

Anyway, enough about the looks. Let's jump to technical specifications.

As an entry-level release, Cherry Mobile Desire R7 Mini has pretty modest specs both inside and out.

The handset sports a 4-inch WVGA IPS display panel, a 5 MegaPixel rear camera with LED flash, 2 MP front cam for selfies, Dual SIM Dual Standby capability, 3G HSPA+ mobile connectivity support, and non-removable 1,500 mAh Li-Ion battery pack.

Under the hood, the device runs vanilla Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system with a 1.4 GHz Quad Core ARM Cortex A7 and Mali 400 GPU based MediaTek MT6580 processor, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of internal storage that can be expanded using the microSD card slot.

Here are some of my initial impressions of these features and what they can do collectively:

1. The screen is a tad small for my taste but it's pretty responsive to touch gestures -- especially when the resources are not so taxed by many apps running at the same time.
2. It's good that the display is IPS so it looks readable when viewed from more than one angle. I find the colors a bit muted, though.
3. The phone's imaging capabilities are not particularly in the device's list of strong qualities or top selling points. Nonetheless, having those two shooters is certainly better than having none at all.
4. If you use your smartphone mostly for checking Facebook, browsing the web, playing non-resource-intensive 2D or 3D games, posting status updates, or uploading photos to social networking sites and the cloud, this model should be able to handle those tasks well.
5. The phone's battery size is just right given the size of the display and its resolution, as well as the other hardware components. According to our friends from CM, this handset is capable of delivering up to a whole day of uptime with regular use.

Obviously, the strongest suit of Cherry Mobile Desire R7 Mini is its "iPhonesque" design and build. I would say that if only for that, this model is a good purchase at its current official suggested retail price. If you want to own a classy, durable, and elegant Android handset but your budget for a new gadget is very limited, I'd advise you to check out this interesting release.

Cherry Mobile Desire R7 Mini is available in a number of colors including Gold, Rose Gold, White, and Grey.