Design and Construction

The Flare S8 has a glossy polycarbonate gradient design covered with the shades of Blue. When angled, the reflected light shows a ray-like pattern which makes the aesthetic more appealing. The front panel comes with a teardrop notch design that houses the 13MP camera while above is the call speaker, following the trend of smartphones nowadays.

The Flare S8’s component placements are switched in terms of the smartphone standards nowadays. You’ll see the lone hybrid SIM setup on the right while the typical power button – volume rocker pairing are found on the left side.

Up top, you’ll see the micro USB and 3.5mm audio ports while the loudspeaker and microphone are found at the bottom.

Flip on its back, and you’ll see the 13MP + 2MP rear cameras while the fingerprint scanner is located at the middle. Overall, the Flare S8 is lightweight and very comfortable in my hand.

The device is also sleek; however, it is prone to smudges and fingerprint marks that could be annoying to clean. Thanks to the free jelly case in the package, this problem can be prevented easily by equipping it to the phone.

Display and Multimedia

In terms of display, the Flare S8 sports a 6.26-inch screen with an HD+ resolution. I’m used to Full HD+; however, watching on this device makes you feel that the color accuracy and sharpness are somewhat lacking. Nevertheless, my viewing experience ist good thanks to the large screen size and thin bezels.

At 80% brightness, the phone is readable even under direct sunlight which is excellent, especially for people who are usually exposed outdoors.

Audio quality-wise, the Flare S8 is loud even at a room full of people. The highs and mids are present while the lows are not there; that’s not too bad, given that not all phones are capable of that.

OS, UI, and Apps

The Cherry Mobile Flare S8 is skinned with Cherry OS V2.0, based on Android 9 Pie. The user interface is simple and easy to understand; however, the home page might look bulky, given that it doesn’t have an app drawer by default.

It has a built-in app called Game Booster, which helps the phone focus on the gaming capability to enhance its performance better. Other applications include the typical Google apps, Hi Weather, Property System that performs security checks, and Power Manager.

Out of the 32GB storage, 24.9GB can be used to store documents, images, photos, videos, games, and other files.

Cameras

The Flare S8’s camera interface is simple and easy to understand even for people who hare not used to using smartphones. Rear camera modes such as Panorama, Watermark, GIF, Time-lapse, Beauty Video, Pro mode, and QR Code can be found here. The front camera modes, on the other hand, has Watermark, GIF, Time-lapse, and Beauty Video only.

You can also access the flash, settings, AI camera, filters, on the same row as the camera modes.

Checking out the rear camera sample shots show that, for its price range, the Flare S8 produces good photo quality under natural or good lighting conditions. When it comes to low-light conditions; however, images tend to become creamier and noisier. The camera also can’t capture much at night as the photos are very dim.

I’ve also noticed that it takes around two to three seconds before the camera can focus entirely on the subject. It might take you some more time shooting with this device.

For the selfies, quality is not that good even in the right lighting conditions. At first, I thought it might be the HD+ display, but the photos are blurry even if I tried manually focusing it to my face. My comment about low-light images is pretty much the same with the rear.

The Flare S8 can record up to 1080p 30fps. Do take note that there is no video stabilization. You can also see that the video is pulsating given that it’s having a hard time focusing on the environment. Check it out below.

Performance and Benchmarks

Powering the Flare S8 is the Helio P23 chipset, 3GB of RAM, and Mali-G71 MP2 GPU. Executing tasks such as browsing, file transferring, and simple navigation are smooth. However, you’ll notice an input delay when you try to multitask or open the Google Play Store. I also noticed that the fingerprint scanner takes about 1 or 2 seconds before it unlocks; it’s understandable given that this is an entry-level smartphone. It’s also not that touch-sensitive as compared to other devices that I handled given that it needs a slight force to respond.

Here are the benchmark scores:

• AnTuTu v7 – 82,307
• PC Mark – 5,141
• Geekbench – 832 (Single-Core), 3544 (Multi-Core), 2696 (Compute)
• 3D Mark – 521 (SSE – OpenGL ES 3.1), 555 (SSE – Vulkan)
• Androbench – 267.62 (Sequential Read), 25.46 (Sequential Write)

Gaming-wise, the device can run low to moderate games such as Mobile Legends and Clash Royale with ease. If you’re playing Asphalt 9: Legends or Honkai Impact 3, then I’m sorry to say that this isn’t the phone for you. Even with the Gameboost on, the frames per second of those games are under 20, which is not tolerable. Playing games and cameras usually cause this phone to warm up, and the heating can usually be found on the rear camera area.

Connectivity and Battery Life

For connectivity, the Flare S8 comes with the typical dual-SIM with 4G LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS. The sensors are not doing hot as it doesn’t have an orientation sensor which helps you to accurately pinpoint your location when using apps such as Maps, Waze, and Grab.

For battery performance, running the PC Mark Work 2.0 battery benchmark shows that the phone lasts up to 8 hours and 36 minutes which is average. Our video loop test (1080p movie, 50% brightness, 50% sound, w/ earphones, airplane mode) yielded 9 hours and 25 minutes. It’s not impressive, but it’s not that terrible either.

Conclusion

For PHP 3,999 the Cherry Mobile Flare S8 is pretty much a good deal given that you have a large screen size, RAM, and storage capacity. The overall performance is not bad, as well, but you’ll also notice that there will be input delays when multitasking or just merely navigating throughout the device.

Smartphones such as the Realme C2 and Redmi 7 could be its fiercest competitors given that their prices are not that far; but, their performances are significantly different. Nevertheless, Cherry Mobile’s attempt at delivering quality smartphones with an affordable price didn’t disappoint. If you are on a tight budget, then I would suggest the Flare S8 as your daily driver.

Cherry Mobile Flare S8 specs:

• 6.26-inch HD+ Teardrop Display
• MediaTek Helio P23 2.3GHz octa-core
• Mali G71-MP2 GPU
• 3GB RAM
• 32GB storage
• expandable via microSD up to 128GB
• 13MP + 2MP dual rear cameras
• 13MP front camera
• 4G LTE
• Bluetooth
• Wi-Fi
• GPS
• Fingerprint scanner (rear-mounted)
• FM Radio
• micro USB port
• Cherry OS V2.0 (Android 9 Pie)
• 2,800mAh battery

What I liked:

• Stylish design
• Large screen size
• 3GB RAM at an affordable price
• 32GB storage at an affordable price
• Decent performance for an entry-level smartphone
• Good rear camera quality at right lighting conditions

What I Didn’t:

• Average battery life
• Subpar selfie performance
• Hybrid SIM setup

The post Cherry Mobile Flare S8 Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews.

When you pay your bills via PayMaya every Friday and Saturday throughout the month of September, you’ll get a PHP 100 cashback on your first three transactions. However, the bills should be worth a minimum of PHP 1,000 and should be paid in full and on time.

To pay for your bills, follow these steps:

• Open the PayMaya app and select Pay Bills.
• Choose your desired biller.
• Enter the account number from your bill.
• Enter the amount of your payment.
• Confirm your payment.
• You will be notified in-app and via SMS that your payment was successful.

To know more about the deals and promos, visit PayMaya’s website here. Download the Android and iOS application here.

The post PayMaya launches Triple Bill Deal Promo appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews.

The OnePlus 7T will sport 6.55-inch FHD+ display with the same 90Hz refresh rate as the Pro variant, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, 48MP + 12MP + 16MP triple rear cameras, 16MP front camera, and 3,800mAh battery with 30W warp charge technology.

The OnePlus 7T pro, on the other hand, will have a 6.65-inch UHD+ display, the same RAM as the 7T, only 256GB of storage, 48MP + 8MP + 12MP triple rear cameras, 16MP front camera, and 4,085mAh battery with 30W warp charge.

The main difference here is that both the 7T models will have the Snapdragon 855+ chipset which is seen in various flagship and gaming-centric smartphones lately. It also comes with the Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box.

We’ll know more once the OnePlus device’s launch draws near. Stay tuned for more details.

OnePlus 7T leaked specs:

• 6.55-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) Fluid AMOLED display, 402ppi
• 90Hz refresh rate, HDR10+
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ 2.96GHz octa-core
• Adreno 640 GPU
• 8GB RAM
• 128GB, 256GB storage
• 48MP F1.6 + 12MP telephoto F2.2 + 16MP ultra-wide F2.2 triple rear cameras
• 960fps slow-motion, Macro mode
• 16MP F2.0 front camera
• 4G LTE
• Bluetooth 5.0
• GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
• Wi-Fi
• In-Display fingerprint scanner
• Face Unlock
• OxygenOS (Android 10)
• 3,800mAh battery w/ 30W Warp Charge technology

OnePlus 7T Pro leaked specs:

• 6.65-inch UHD+ (3100 x 1440) Fluid AMOLED display, 516ppi
• 90Hz refresh rate, HDR10+
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ 2.96GHz octa-core
• Adreno 640 GPU
• 8GB RAM
• 256GB storage
• 48MP F1.6 + 8MP telephoto F2.4 + 16MP ultra-wide F2.2 triple rear cameras
• 960fps slow-motion, Macro mode
• 16MP F2.0 front camera
• 4G LTE
• Bluetooth 5.0
• GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
• Wi-Fi
• In-Display fingerprint scanner
• Face Unlock
• OxygenOS (Android 10)
• 4,085mAh battery w/ 30W Warp Charge technology

Source: CompareRaja

Via: GSMArena, OnLeaks

The post OnePlus 7T, 7T Pro detailed specs leak ahead of launch appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews.

Vivo S1 specs:

• 6.38-inch FHD+ (2340 x 1080) Super AMOLED Halo FullView display
• MediaTek Helio P65 2.0GHz octa-core
• Mali-G52 2EEMC2 GPU
• 6GB RAM
• 128GB storage
• expandable up to 256GB via microSD card slot
• 16MP f/1.78 (main) + 8MP f/2.2 (ultrawide) + 2MP f/2.4 (depth) triple rear cameras
• 32MP f/2.0 front camera
• 4G LTE
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
• Bluetooth 5.0
• GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo
• MicroUSB
• Fingerprint scanner (in-display)
• Face Unlock
• Funtouch OS 9 (Android 9 Pie)
• 4,500mAh battery w/ 18W fast charging
• 159.5 x 75.2 x 8.1 mm
• 179 g
• Skyline Blue, Diamond Black

Price: PHP 14,999

The post WATCH: Vivo S1 Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews.

One of the first things you’ll notice about the Joyroom JR-T04S TWS is that it will remind you of the Apple AirPods. It comes in white, made of plastic, and has a glossy finish. When inside the charging case, we wouldn’t even notice that it’s a different brand if it weren’t for the Joyroom branding on the front.

Although it’s heavily inspired by the Apple AirPods, the Joyroom earbuds look different. The body has a flat surface with buttons on the left and right earbuds, as well as microphones and vents. At the bottom are connectors for charging.

Since it’s plastic, it’s light yet feels secure in the ears. Your ears might need some time to adjust to the hard plastic, but overall, it’s snug and comfortable.

Setting it up is easy, just need to take the earbuds from the case, and they automatically switch on and pair with one another right away. From here, you can start pairing them with your smartphone and listen to your tunes.

To play or pause, press the multi-function button on either side. To select the previous song, just press and hold the left button for two seconds. Do the same thing on the right button to select the next song. If someone is calling, press any of the buttons to answer or call. Press and hold either button for two seconds to activate Siri or Google Assistant.

When it comes to battery life, the Joyroom TWS can provide three hours of playback. Charging using the case take about two hours using its 500mAh battery. The case can be charged using the micro-USB port at a bottom and has an LED indicator for the battery level.

Joyroom JR-T04 TWS specs:
Bluetooth 5.0
Frequency response: 20-20KHz
Earphone battery: 50mAh
Charging case battery: 500mAh
Playback time: 3 hours
Charge time: earphones – 2 hours, case – 2.5-3.5 hours

The Joyroom JR-T04 TWS Earphones is available at Digital Walker and OMG Feel Good Gadgets for PHP 1,390.

The post Joyroom JR-T04S TWS Earbuds Hands-on appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews.

Like in our previous comparisons, we break them down into several categories for this round-up:

• Design and Build
• Display
• Camera
• Processor
• RAM
• Storage
• Battery Life
• OS
• Price

Design and Build

All three phones look different and use different designs, but there’s one thing in common about them – all them wants a premium appeal, which is observed in the materials used. The Huawei Nova 5T and the OPPO Reno are the leading candidates for having glass backs, but the former has a metal frame for a more premium feel. The Samsung Galaxy A70 uses a plastic panel but is glossy enough to be mistaken for glass.

The three also varies in size and come in different colors. The Galaxy A70 is the largest, followed by the Reno. The most compact is the Nova 5T. When it comes to ports, all three uses USB Type-C. But when it comes to the 3.5mm audio port, only the Nova 5T lacks it.

When it comes to fingerprint scanners, the Reno and the Galaxy A70 have in-display types, while the Nova 5T has a side-mounted scanner. Although in-display types seem cooler, we find the one on the Nova 5T to be faster and more responsive.

When it comes to the overall design, all of them are pretty, but I like the Nova 5T better due to its attractive finish with a multi-layered 3D effect and premium build. The Reno comes second with its symmetrical design and flush cameras. Coming in last is the Galaxy A70, which managed to be slim despite the large battery.

Display

When it comes to the display, the three have different screen sizes, but all of them are more than 6-inches. The largest among them is the Galaxy A70 at 6.7-inches with Full HD+ (2400 x 1080) resolution at 393ppi. Coming in second is the Reno at 6.4-inches with Full HD+ (2340 x 1080) at 402ppi. Lastly, we have the Nova 5T with a 6.26-inch screen and Full HD+ (2340 x 1080) resolution at 412ppi.

The three also use different panels. The Reno and Galaxy A70 sport AMOLED screens, while the Nova 5T has IPS. The glass protection is also different. The Reno has Gorilla Glass 6, the Galaxy A70 has Gorilla Glass 3, while the Nova 5T doesn’t have any special glass protection.

When it comes to the viewing experience, the Reno leads for not having any notches or hole-punches like the Galaxy A70 and the Nova 5T.

If I’m going to pick, the Reno wins this round for having the most immersive screen, followed by the Galaxy A70, then the Nova 5T.

Camera

The Nova 5T has the most cameras by having a 48MP (main) + 16MP (ultrawide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (portrait) rear cameras, and a 32MP front camera. Coming next is the Galaxy A70 for having a 32MP (main) + 8MP (ultrawide) + 5MP (portrait) rear cameras, and a 32MP front camera. For the Reno, it has a 48MP (main) + 5MP (portrait) rear cameras, and a motorized pop-up 16MP front camera.

But pixels and the number of cameras don’t matter if it can’t shoot good photos, so we’re going to take a look at each phone’s samples.

Huawei Nova 5T

OPPO Reno

Samsung Galaxy A70

Looking at the samples, the images produced by the Reno seem to have punchier colors, followed by the Nova 5T and then the Galaxy A70. For bokeh effects, we like the shots taken by the Nova 5T as it produces the most blur without looking too artificial while retaining natural colors and details. The Nova 5T comes second, then the Galaxy A70.

However, when it comes to ultrawide shots, the Galaxy A70 seems to have the widest field-of-view but we like the quality produced by the Nova 5T. The Reno sits this one out as it doesn’t have an ultrawide lens. The Nova 5T also wins in macro shots thanks to its dedicated macro lens that allows us to shoot really close to the subject. For Night mode, we’re choosing the Nova 5T as it was able to illuminate the scene the most. The Galaxy A70 comes second, and last is the Reno which looked it didn’t even try.

As for the front camera, we’re choosing the Reno as it can produce selfies that are enhanced beautifully and with the most bokeh effect, which OPPO is known for. Coming second is the Nova 5T for preserving details and colors while coming last is the Galaxy A70 as the shots look washed out.

Overall, we had a better experience with the Nova 5T. Since it has plenty of lenses available, it allows us to adapt to a wide variety of shooting scenarios. If it’s between the Reno and the Galaxy A70, I’d go for the Reno for quality.

Processor

The Reno is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 (10nm) chipset, while the Galaxy A70 has a Snapdragon 675 (11nm). Both can be considered mid-range devices. The Nova 5T trumps both by sporting a flagship HiSilicon Kirin 980 (7nm) – the same chip that is powering the Huawei P30 Pro. The Nova 5T wins this round, but if you want to see the numbers, check the benchmark scores below:

	Huawei Nova 5T	OPPO Reno	Samsung Galaxy A70
AnTuTu	319,526	155,330	163,410
PC Mark (Work 2.0)	8,998	6,532	7,230
3D Mark SSE	4,275 (OpenGL ES 3.1)	1,813 (OpenGL ES 3.1)	982 (OpenGL ES 3.1)
	4,363 (Vulkan)	1,743 (Vulkan)	1,068 (Vulkan)
Geekbench	3,356 (Single-Core)	1,481 (Single-Core)	503 (Single-Core)
	9,972 (Multi-Core)	5,843 (Multi-Core)	1,575 (Multi-Core)
	8,696 (RenderScript)	6,699 (RenderScript)	344 (OpenCL)
AndroBench	787.74 MB/s (Read)	475.31 MB/s (Read)	498.85 MB/s (Read)
	572.33 MB/s (Write)	203.28 MB/s (Write)	181.21 MB/s (Write)

Again, the winner is the Nova 5T.

RAM

Aside from the chipset, it’s also essential to know the RAM capacity of the smartphones as the larger the RAM, the better it is when it comes to handling background processes and multitasking. Based on the models officially offered in the Philippines, the Reno and the Galaxy A70 has 6GB of RAM. The Nova 5T, on the other hand, has 8GB of RAM. It is a rare feat for a smartphone with this kind of price tag. So the Nova 5T wins this round.

Storage

For the storage, the Nova 5T and the Galaxy A70 come with 128GB capacities. The latter features a dedicated microSD card slot, while the former is non-expandable. The Reno, on the other hand, offers 256GB of storage out of the box. It doesn’t have support for microSD cards, but this is large enough even for heavy users. The winner here is the Reno.

Battery Life

Let’s take a look at the capacities first. The Nova 5T has a decent 3,750mAh battery with a 22.5W SuperCharge. For the Reno, it has a slightly larger 3,765mAh battery with 20W VOOC 3.0 Flash Charge. But the Galaxy A70 has the largest at 4,500mAh with 25W Flash Charge. However, having the largest capacity doesn’t always translate to ora longer battery life, so we took a look at the video loop test performance of the said devices in our past reviews and here are the results:

• Huawei Nova 5T – 14 hours, 16 minutes playback
• OPPO Reno – 21 hours playback
• Samsung Galaxy A70 – 17 hours, 32 minutes playback

The Reno wins for having the longest playback in our tests which can be attributed to the AMOLED screen and efficiency of the Snapdragon 710 chipset.

OS

All phones run on Android 9 Pie but with different skins. The Reno has ColorOS 6, the Nova 5T has EMUI 9, while the Galaxy A70 has One UI. Each of these custom operating systems has its own features and advantages. Since that is the case, we’re tying all three for this round.

Price

The most expensive of the three is the Reno at PHP 26,990. The Samsung Galaxy A70 comes second at PHP 22,990. The Nova 5T has the most impressive pricing at PHP 18,990. It was able to provide the mentioned features above without even breaking the PHP 19K mark. The Nova 5T wins this round.

Now let’s do a recap:

• Design and Build – Nova 5T
• Display – Reno
• Camera – Nova 5T
• Processor – Nova 5T
• RAM – Nova 5T
• Storage – Reno
• Battery Life – Reno
• OS – Nova 5T, Reno, Galaxy A70
• Price – Nova 5T

Looking at the tally, the Huawei Nova 5T leads the comparison, followed closely by the Reno. Trailing behind is the Galaxy A70. But since we’re looking at which phone has the most value, the Nova 5T definitely wins for offering flagship features at the lowest price.

The post Huawei Nova 5T vs OPPO Reno vs Samsung Galaxy A70: Which phone can provide the most value? appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews.

Looking at their Shopee store, the Nintendo Switch Lite comes with a pre-order price of PHP 11,995 from its original price tag of PHP 12,999. It’s available in Turquoise Blue, Yellow, and Gray.

The Switch Lite was unveiled in July and is a toned-down version of the Switch. It has a 5.5-inch touch screen, lighter and more compact than the switch, supports local wireless or online play, has fixed controllers.

Thanks, Carl!

The post Nintendo Switch Lite PH price spotted online appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews.

Below is the coverage of GCash Customer Protect:

• You experienced an unauthorized Point-of-sale merchant transaction using your GCash Mastercard
• You experienced an unauthorized ATM withdrawal from your GCash Mastercard
• You had an unauthorized online payment from your GCash Mastercard

If a customer experiences any of the mentioned issues above, GCash will start an investigation. Below are the guidelines:

• Check if the transaction happened on the GCash App, GCash on Messenger, and/or GCash Mastercard
• File a report no longer than 15 days from the date of the unauthorized transaction
• Comply with the required documentation so GCash can investigate right away

Once the unauthorized transaction is verified, GCash will provide a refund depending on the customer’s account verification level:

• Up to PHP 2,000 if you’ve never gone through verification
• Up to PHP 10,000 if your account is partially verified
• Up to PHP 100,000 if your account is fully verified

To learn more about GCash Customer Protect, visit their webpage here.

The post GCash now covers up to PHP 100K in case of unauthorized transactions appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews.

From September 14 to 19, customers may visit an OPPO concept store nationwide to reserve. A non-refundable down payment of PHP 1,000 is required to proceed with the full reservation of the said handset. OPPO will issue a blind pre-order card upon successful reservation which should be presented as an official proof of claim.

The pre-ordered A9 2020 handset will come with an XSound Wireless Bluetooth Headset worth PHP 2,099 as a freebie. Turnover of pre-ordered units will start on September 28, 2019, and can only be claimed where the reservation was made.

OPPO A9 2020 specs:
6.5-inch HD+ (1600 x 720) Waterdrop IPS screen, 269ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 2.0GHz octa-core CPU
Adreno 610
8GB RAM
128GB UFS 2.1
microSD card support (dedicated slot)
48MP (main) + 8MP (ultrawide) + 2MP (depth)+ 2MP (mono) quad-rear cameras
16MP front camera w/ AI Beautification
Dual-SIM
4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
USB Type-C
3.5mm audio port
Fingerprint scanner (rear)
Dual-stereo speakers
Dolby Atmos Sound Effects
ColorOS 6.0.1 (Android 9 Pie)
5,000mAh battery w/ Reverse Charging
163.6 x 75.6 x 9.1 mm
195 g
Space Purple, Marine Green

The post OPPO A9 2020 blind pre-orders now open appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews.

The Realme Power Bank has a 10,000mAh capacity, USB-A and USB Type-C ports, and a two-way Quick Charge input and output with a maximum power of 18W that can charge devices like laptops and handheld consoles.

The power bank also features 12 security protection layers and can retain its sufficient capacity even after 500 charge-discharge cycles.

The Realme Power Bank is available Yellow, Red, and Gray colors, and is priced at INR 1,299.

The post Realme Power Bank now official appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews.