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Mobile Phones

Samsung Galaxy S

Samsung Galaxy S

With the exponential growth of the Android platform, Samsung has finally released what could be today’s best Android–powered phone, the Samsung Galaxy S. Building upon their previous Android phones, the Galaxy S boasts of features only slowly becoming available in other phones:

  • 4–inch Super AMOLED
  • 1 GHz Hummingbird processor
  • 8 or 16GB internal storage
  • 720P HD video recording

I’ve personally held this phone at the local launch here in Manila more than a week ago. Looking at the Super AMOLED screen, “super” seems to be not good enough—it is that beautiful. Apparently, it beats the screens from other current high–end smartphones:

Samsung’s Hummingbird processor clocked at 1GHz may seem like as good as the Snapdragons on the Nexus One and similar devices, but it has a significantly better GPU that’s capable of respectably running a Quake 2 test. That’s on a mobile phone!

16GB (or 8GB) of internal storage is also rare for Android devices, to the point that some apps fail to recognize and take advantage of what it offers. Preemptively, Samsung had the foresight to allow for removable microSD storage, in case you still need the extra space, or for those apps that insist on saving their data on the microSD storage. And because this phone records HD video at 720P, you’ll be needing all the space you can get. I got to try video recording and it was surprisingly good for a mobile phone, even in dimly lit situations. Too bad we didn’t get the chance to record the launch using a Galaxy S like they did at the NYC launch event.

If you want a Samsung Galaxy S now, carriers around the world are scrambling to carry it so you just might find it in your city soon. For us here in the Philippines, the Samsung Galaxy S will be exclusive to Globe only, but offered in reasonably tempting deals! A postpaid suscription at 2499 pesos a month gets you this phone for free, with a 36–month contract. If you’d rather go prepaid, the kit comes at 32,995 pesos, a bit steep, but liberates you from any contractual obligations.

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Mobile Phones

Globe’s new Android Phone: Samsung Galaxy Spica

I’ve been waiting for an easy and safe way to acquire a Google Nexus One that I silently wish Globe would offer it themselves, or even some other Android–powered goodness in a smartphone. I can actually just go for an iPhone 3GS that’s already available without the worries, but why settle for something older? After all, I think the future of mobile phones will be powered by Android and Linux in general.

I was pleasantly suprised when I saw this on the paper last Saturday:

Finally, an Android–powered phone available directly from Globe! The Samsung i5700 Galaxy Spica appears to be a good enough phone with a very attractive price. On paper, the specifications suggests that it’s not as good “advanced” compared to a Nexus One. It has an 800MHz processor instead of 1GHz, and the camera does not have a flash. On the other hand, it has the native capability to play DivX and XVid videos, something the Nexus One cannot do just like many other smartphones.

At less than 15,000 pesos, I don’t mind this phone being not as good as the Nexus One. If it can do the basic things a phone should do along with the niceties that come with Android, as long as it’s not built on buggy hardware, I’ll gladly take it. The Nexus One costs almost twice as much if you decide to order from the US now, even more if you buy from gray market importers, so this is a really viable alternative.

This should be a bit cheaper under my retention plan since I’ve yet to renew my postpaid contract; I think I’ll be visiting a Globe Business Center later today to ask. It would be nice to play with one for a thorough review though before I commit into this. But since it’s got Android and Samsung’s no slouch in building phones anyway, I just feel this will be worth the money.

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Asides

Do You Think Globe Tattoo is the Fastest …

Do You Think Globe Tattoo is the Fastest? Be sure to share your thoughts over at technograph!

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Asides

Globe ImmortalCall+ is a new promo that …

Globe ImmortalCall+ is a new promo that buys you 5 minutes of call time along with 50 free texts for Globe/TM subscribers, all for only 15 pesos! And here’s the clincher: it doesn’t expire. Your free minutes and texts are good until used up. Just text IMMORTAL15 to 8888 to subscribe.

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Asides

Globe IDD Suki is another promo from Glo …

Globe IDD Suki is another promo from Globe that pushes great service to its prepaid subscribers. Now calling your overseas loved ones is even easier! (As always, Jepoy gives us the breaking news!)

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Asides

Globe now offers iPhone plans at 399 and …

Globe now offers iPhone plans at 399 and 899 per month! The cheapskate in you who’d rather not call and text too much every month (or if you barely have friends) will find this very enticing.

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Mobile Networks Promos

Globe Super-Unli

Globe Super Unli

Every time Globe offers promos like this, I feel bad I’m on postpaid. Though their new “Globe Super–Unli” offer is for both prepaid and postpaid subscribers, the prepaid guys just seem to squeeze a bit more value for their money.

Globe Super–Unli gives you unlimited calling and texting to Globe/TM for only P150 for 5 days. That’s simply unlimited with no catch at all.

Globe Tattoo gives you Super-Unli. Enjoy unlimited texting AND calling to Globe/TM for only P150 for 5 days. Now you’re free to connect non-stop with friends, anytime and anyway you want to because it is complete with unlimited texting and calling.

It’s so easy to subscribe to Super-Unli! Simply text SUPER150 to 2824, and you’ll enjoy unlimited texts to Globe / TM for 5 days. To make unlimited calls, change the 0 to 238 at the start of the Globe / TM number you are calling (eg 238917xxxxxxx).

There’s also more details for everyone on Globe Super–Unli.

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Asides

All day surfing with your mobile phone f …

All day surfing with your mobile phone for just 20 pesos! Globe offers unlimited web browsing access for the mobile version of any of these popular sites: Facebook, Wikipedia & Friendster. A good deal especially for Facebook addicts!

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Mobile Networks News

Globe U-CALL

Globe has recently silently offered an unlimited calling promo called Globe U–CALL, allowing for unmetered calls to fellow Globe or TM subscribers. Unfortunately, the service is not available in Metro Manila and is reportedly just for the following provinces:

  • Aklan
  • Capiz
  • Catanduanes
  • Guimaras
  • Marinduque
  • Masbate
  • Occidental Mindoro
  • Quezon
  • Sorsogo

Registration is simple as usual: just send UCALL30 or UCALL100 to 2868. UCALL 30 buys you 1 day unlimited Globe to Globe/TM for just 30 pesos, while UCALL 100 gets 5 days for 100 pesos which comes out to 20 pesos a day. A good deal for sure; too bad it’s not available for us here in Manila.

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Mobile Networks

Globe Free Apps

globe-free-apps

Now here’s some great news for Globe subscribers: Globe Free Apps!

Globe Free Apps is the telco’s new initiative for its mobile users, aiming to provide a wide range of free mobile phone and desktop applications. Most of the apps are from Globe Labs developers while others are popular ones from all over the web. You’d be wondering, why would Globe Labs launch free apps? In a nutshell:

The vision of Free Apps is to be the showroom of applications developed by members of the developer pool of Globe Labs.

It also aims to promote the developers by providing them a venue to display their products and also allow them to earn from their products through an express commercialization scheme.

Free Apps also aims to provide spice to the everyday subscriber by making available applications for entertainment, productivity and information purposes.

As of now, there’s a handful of useful applications in Free Apps though I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more in the coming weeks. Try them now!

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Mobile Phones New Products

Apple iPhone 3GS Globe Prices

Like what we’ve told you about a week ago, Globe will be offering the just released Apple iPhone 3GS here in the Philippines. Reservations are accepted at Globe Business Centers since the 15th of this month, so head on there if you’re planning on getting one. Prices are still just as expensive as the first time they released the iPhone 3G:

Regular Plans iPhone 3GS 16GB iPhone 3GS 32GB
Plan 500 PHP 29,500 PHP 35,100
Plan 800 PHP 25,350 PHP 30,950
Plan 1200 PHP 23,100 PHP 28,700
Plan 1800 PHP 19,050 PHP 24,650
Plan 2500 PHP 11,850 PHP 17,450
Plan 3500 PHP 3,950 PHP 9,550
Plan 5000 FREE PHP 1,000
Plan 7000 FREE FREE
Plan 10000 FREE FREE

Like before, you can also get the 3GS in a prepaid kit, but you’ll be paying a lot more:

iPhone Prepaid Kit
iPhone 3GS 16GB PHP 38,850
iPhone 3GS 32GB PHP 45,250

There’s no other official way of getting the iPhone 3GS here in the Philippines but through Globe, so if you’ve been waiting for it, you can get it now!

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Asides

Globe will be offering the Apple iPhone …

Globe will be offering the Apple iPhone 3GS starting on the 31st of this month. Reservations can now be made through their hotline at 7301000, their site at www.iphone3g.globe.com.ph, or through Globe Business Centers. Unfortunately, no final word on pricing just yet.