And in this digital-savvy world, gadgets are on top of everyone’s wish list. Here are a few of the season’s must-haves.
OPPO F1 Limited—OPPO may have already become the country’s second bestselling smartphone, but the brand remains committed to increasing its market share in ASEAN’s fastest growing mobile market.
In less than three months since the F1s sold out immediately after its debut in August, OPPO introduced a limited edition metallic grey variant of its celebrated camera phone—the F1s Limited.
The F1s Limited has the same features of the F1s including its 16-megapixel front camera, large F/2.0 aperture, selfie-enhancing Beautify 4.0 app, and lightning-fast fingerprint recognition access.
OPPO’s flagship selfie phone to date really put a premium on its front-facing camera. It was always a standard for phones to have the main shooter at the back have more MPs than its secondary counterpart at the front.
But clearly, OPPO doesn’t abide by standards as the F1s clearly defied expectations by introducing a 16MP front camera with a 13MP main shooter, setting a hallmark for other brands to try and emulate. This will allow any user to improve their “selfie game,” thus making it Manila Standard’s Best Selfie Smartphone.
iPhone 7—Admit it. You maybe an Android guy, but the thought of having the latest iPhone model has crossed your mind.
Finally, Apple’s new pair of iPhones are water resistant, with new colors, a dual-camera system for the iPhone 7 Plus, better screens, stronger processor and innovations that may force you to sell your iPhone 6 to grab the new ones.
The only drawback with the new models is that Apple decided to remove the 1/8-inch audio jack, which has already raised a couple of howls from purists.
The new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have definitely bettered the previous models, boasting of a faster processor due to the new A10 Fusion chip, which is 120 times faster than the chip in the original iPhone. The A10 Fusion uses for the first time an architecture that combines powerful cores and more energy-friendly ones.
Apple also ditched the 16 GB model, with 32 GB now the new base capacity. The other models offered are the 128 GB and the 256 GB variants.
One of the biggest improvements, though, is the iPhone 7’s camera, which allows you to take better pictures. Its 6-elements lens boasts a respectable F1.8 opening, which should especially help in low-light situations.
The iPhone 7 also gets optimal image stabilization, a feature that was so far exclusive to its bigger counterpart. The biggest news here is the new dual camera setup that can be found behind the iPhone 7 Plus.
Lenovo Yoga Book—Lenovo ups the ante on tablet design with the release of the Yoga Book, a thin and light 2-in-1 tablet that allows users to take notes and even sketch their own artworks using a stylus with real ink.
Housed in a unique form factor that inspires creativity, the Yoga Book gives users the freedom to let their imagination roam free.
It is an open book for digital-savvy millennials who love to write and sketch, and features an instant Halo Keyboard and dual-use stylus that writes on both paper and screen.
Featuring a thin and light design, 15-hour battery life, and a 360-degree watchband hinge, the Yoga Book offers extreme productivity in a form factor that matches the mobility of a smartphone.
The Yoga Book’s first productivity feature is also what makes the thin and light design possible: the halo keyboard, a full touch screen backlit keyboard that weaves software and hardware into one fluid interface.
The touch screen is made with glass that was meticulously chosen to give a rough, matte feel and finish, along with anti-glare coating to ensure the best possible touch-typing experience.
The keyboard lacks any physical keys, showing up as a solid white outline on the Yoga Book’s second panel only when it’s needed. While the touch-sensitive surface acts as a keyboard with light-up keys, it also accepts input from a stylus.
The Yoga Book Real Pen allows users to swap in an ink cartridge into the included stylus and take notes on real paper. The Yoga Book will then automatically copy and digitize their notes in real time. Users can then seamlessly organize, merge, and share their notes instantly with friends or colleagues. They can even use the included Book Pad clipboard to magnetize their papers and keep them in place.
Featuring two panels that open up like a book, the Yoga Book breaks free from the conventional tablet paradigm. At 9.6 mm thick, the 690- gram Yoga Book packs a punch in its svelte frame, allowing users to easily bring it along with them while in transit.
Brother JS-1410 Entry-level Sewing Machine—Bring the joy of sewing to your homes this holiday season with the machines that will bring out your and your loved ones’ utmost creativity – the Brother Home Sewing Machines loved the world over.
For starting or rekindling you and your family’s love for sewing, the Brother JS1410 Mechanical Sewing Machine is perfect for you. It is affordable and easy to use with multiple functions.
All the basic features you need are packed in this compact and lightweight model – automatic buttonhole, 14 decorative and quilting built-in stitches, twin needle, top load bobbin, and LED sewing light. In other words, it’s just perfect for basic sewing and mending.
With this machine, one can make fancy pillowcases, trendy cloth bags, sleek blouses, or even a jacket for each family member this holiday. No other present could be more ideal for yourself or your loved ones who have passion for fashion and crafting.
HP Pavilion X360—It’s time to rethink how you use a laptop and try something radically new. The Pavilion X360 lets you seamlessly shift between four modes for an entertainment experience that gets you closer to your screen than ever before.
The 360 degree geared hinge gets you in the perfect position to work, watch, play and go, and the Pavilion x360 is powered by the Intel® Pentium® N3710 Processor (2b) running Windows 10 Home.
Write reports, update your blog and listening to your favorite songs in the traditional Laptop mode. Stand mode is perfect for watching movies and making those video calls. Tent mode is great for playing with photos, apps and games. Finally, check your newsfeed, read a book and browse on the go more comfortably via Tablet mode.
HP is also “threading” a new path in the Pavilion line up for 2016 with the use of the digital threads inspired by the fashion industry. The result is a colorful lineup with a pop of hi-tech digital threads. The Pavilion X360 is now available in Modern Gold.
With a choice of 11.6-inch or 13.3-inch diagonal HD (33) IPS UWVA WLED-backlit multi-touch-enabled edge-to-edge glass (1366 x 768) the 360 offers the highest quality viewing experience, implementing a variety of the latest display technologies such as OLED displays.
Vivo Y55—When a phone brands itself as selfie-centric, people might expect that they’ll only be left with a handset whose only strong point is its camera. But when a handset adds sleek design and an intuitive OS into the mix, you’ve got yourself a do-it-all smartphone perfect for the busy millennial.
Launched a couple of weeks ago, the new Vivo Y55 is the latest smartphone from the company to hit Philippine shores – and the first entry-level phone from the Chinese manufacturer.
For starters, the device has a 5.2-inch display—giving it a “just right” feel, not too big or too small. Right off the bat, the phone offers the Funtouch OS powered by Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and comes with 2GB RAM, 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core CPU. Certainly the definite phone fit for all of the apps and heavy processes, but we’re still not close to the good part.
The 5MP front-facing camera also sits neatly with the proximity and light sensors, while below the screen are the unlit capacitive navigation buttons for Options, Home, and Back. At the bottom part are the microUSB port, speakers and the microphone.
Lenovo Pocket Projector—Global technology leader Lenovo recently announced the availability of its latest innovation in the Philippine market: the Lenovo Pocket Projector, a carry-anywhere projection dynamo that turns any room into a private theater with a push of a button. All eyes will be on this device, which allows work presentations, movies, TV shows, home videos, games, or photos to be shared and project up to 110 inches of stunning display.
Powered by Lenovo’s vibrant color technology, the Pocket Projector delivers amazingly high contrast images and features a built-in lithium ion battery for extreme mobility.
Dim and blurry projection is a thing of the past with the Lenovo Pocket Projector, which consistently delivers stunning display of up to 110 inches with a 50-lumen, high-contrast Digital Light Processing (DLP) Technology optical engine designed and developed by leading semiconductor manufacturer Texas Instruments.
DLP technology allows projection quality of up to 1080p for larger screen sizes, perfect geometry and linearity of images, and a wider range of colors than other display technologies.
Every small detail is clear and vivid, making the Pocket Projector perfect for any type of presentation, even for discerning, meticulous clients. Couple this ultra-portable projector with a great speaker system and you can turn a boring old room into a high-end theater with dramatically crisp and clear visuals.
Flash Plus 2—Flash Philippines—one of Asia’s rising developers of lifestyle and smart devices—rolls out its flagship phone, the Flash Plus 2, with superior and highly durable built-in features valued at the lowest price of P6,190.
Among the pioneering features of Flash Plus 2 include its sleek metal case, a fast-charging battery, fingerprint recognition, high definition phone camera, and Hi-Fi audio capacity. These attributes allow for more durability, efficiency, and convenience.
Flash Plus 2 is made more durable with its aluminum case, which is crafted employing several kinds of metal polishing processes. The case’s sides are treated with Bead Blasting textures, allowing for a stylish side view. Meanwhile, the back panel is treated with high-density hairline metal drawing processes for excellent grip and added protection against scratching.
Haier Digital TV—In three to five years, Philippine television is expected to shift from analog broadcast to digital, said the National Telecommunications Commission last May. The shift promises consistently clear audio-visual quality no matter the distance from the station, on top of having more channels to watch from local networks.
The transition does come with a catch: homes will need to upgrade their analog TV setups. “Digi-boxes,” or external digital tuners offered by cable providers to subscribers, are currently satisfying this.
For households that are only after local programs, having to pay for an external digital tuner along with cable subscription might be too much for a limited budget. Fortunately, TVs are now being designed to address that possible problem.
Haier responds to the coming transition with the introduction of digital TVs. Designed with a built-in ISDB-T-compliant digital tuner, these new sets not only make the shift less of a hassle, they also come with features for fully immersive entertainment the whole family can enjoy.
Unlike their analog counterparts, digital TVs receive signals without degradation or interruption. This means that viewers get to fully enjoy channels that offer shows in high definition with Dolby Digital audio.
To add to image quality, Haier digital TVs are designed with in-plane switching panels for the LCD screen along with the latest in picture enhancing technologies. The sleek, two-tone design and metallic strip detail further create a polished, classy look without the high price.
Haier currently offers two digital TV lines: the B8500 series and the K5000 Smart digital series. Available in 32-, 40-, 50-, and 55-inch screen sizes, the K5000 has a YouTube TV feature for browsing online videos, as well as a Smart Share function that enables users to connect their smartphones to the TV and play media.
Moto Z—Crafted from military aircraft-grade aluminum and stainless steel, Moto Z smartphones combine durability with a svelte build and a brilliant 5.5” Quad HD AMOLED display.
At 5.2mm, the smartphone packs a punch: it features a Qualcomm Snapdragon TM 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal storage to address users’ memory requirements, and up to 24 hours of battery life.
Pricing for Moto Z starts at Php33,999. It comes with a free Moto Style Shell so that customers can experience Moto Mods immediately.
Torque Ego—This is a smart phone that boasts of three key features—simplicity, reliability and value for money.
Complementing the technology behind the phone is an exclusive platform built for the Torque community to enjoy interaction among its users—the Torque Ego Speaks.
It’s a centralized user-forum on the Internet that allows posting under wide-range of topics to relate users’ everyday experiences related to smartphones. The Ego Speaks forum offers Torque a quick way to voice the users’ concerns, give feedback and simply connect with each other.
The entire Ego Series smartphones, including the Torque Ego tablets, are now available with prices ranging from P999 to P3,499 at your nearest Torque kiosk or concept store.
Samsung Gear Fit2—Imagine what it would be like to not have to lug around your smartphone, which actually weighs a runner down and hinders him from unleashing himself to reach his full potential.
Enter the new Samsung Gear Fit2: a lightweight GPS sports band that gives advanced fitness tracking to help you outdo your last.
With a few swipes, the standalone GPS is capable of tracking your distance, route, pace, calories burned, etc. more accurately, without needing your smartphone with you.
What’s great about the new Samsung Gear Fit2 is its ability to give you more functionality that would ultimately help push you to workout harder. Knowing that everyone has a competitive side, when it comes to fitness, there’s no better motivator than your peers. So, Samsung Gear Fit2’s social fitness challenge feature becomes pretty handy for peer motivation and fun.
And – what if – while you’re out on a run, it suddenly rains? Surely you’ll need to make a full stop and run to the nearest shelter, unless you don’t mind letting your smartphone get wet. The new Samsung Gear Fit2 has a solution for that, too! The GPS sports band has an IP68 rating – meaning it’s both dust and water-resistant – making it the perfect fitness companion for those who love to go running despite rainy weather conditions or hiking in the mountains.
The new Samsung Gear Fit2 can also provide the soundtrack to your workout. Whether you’re running, doing yoga, Pilates or even if you’re just biking around the metro, you don’t need that smartphone around to listen to your favorite tunes. All you need to do is to connect your Bluetooth earphones to your new Samsung Gear Fit2. With its 4GB memory, it’s able to store up to 500 songs, which becomes a much more effective way to keep yourself motivated, thanks to its standalone music player.
Focal Sphear—The Focal Sphear breaks conventions and proves that high-fidelity in-ear headphones can be used for hours on end without the slightest discomfort.
Sphear is faithful to Focal’s historic acoustic signature, the “Spirit of Sound,” with a particularly rich mid-range that is never muffled, with accurate and clear sound. It is extremely faithful to the original work, and offers harmonic richness, from the low end to the high end, for true listening pleasure.
Thanks to their unbeatable performance in this price category, Sphear is the most accomplished in-ear headphones to date, the most comfortable and the most generous for getting the most out of your music, wherever you are.
In this age of “High-Resolution” and CD quality audio files, through its spherical design and its preservation of Focal’s acoustic signature, Sphear provides an original and unique solution for those passionate for high-resolution sound. Estimated price for the Focal Sphear earphone is P7,500.