Of the gadgets that were officially launched in the Philippines last year, the following made us sit up and take notice:
Samsung Galaxy Note
Price: P34,990
Justin Timberlake has brought sexy back, you say? How about “this Android has placed sexy into the stylus back,” proof of which are the more than a million Galaxy Notes shipped these past two months? The 5.3-incher that was introduced in the Philippines in November brings back memories of the PDAs (personal digital assistants) of yore. It makes drawing, note taking, and sharing of ideas easier, and it helps that the device has a 1280 x 800-pixel-resolution screen and a dual-core 1.4GHz processor.
Apple iPhone 4S
Price: From P33,200
High expectations, when not met, equal great disappointment, and this has never been truer than when Apple launched its new handset on October 4. The iPhone 4S may have Siri; a better, 8-megapixel camera; and a faster, dual-core A5 processor, but it looks the same as the previous model. That didn’t prevent Apple from selling over a million units in 24 hours and more than 4 million handsets in four days — the best smartphone launch in its history.
Apple MacBook Air
Price: From P49,990
A tempting price and the inclusion of Intel dual-core i5 and i7 processors, Thunderbolt, Bluetooth 4.0, and a backlit keyboard into the 2011 MacBook Air has made the laptop harder to ignore. In fact, according to Morgan Stanley, the ultraportable “now represents 28 percent of Apple’s notebook shipments.” JP Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz also expects Apple to sell an average of 1.6 million MBAs per quarter over the next year. Ultrabook manufacturers should offer significantly lower prices of their products if they want to make a serious dent in MacBook Air sales.
Apple iPad 2
Price: From P23,990
This year, there are only two tablets: the iPad and the others. Estimates by Canaccord Genuity put the Apple tablet’s share in 2011 at two-thirds of the market. The second-generation iPad, with its new, thinner design; dual webcams; and A5 chip, boosted Apple’s numbers. Who would have known that the tablet whose name was poked fun at when it was first introduced in January 2010 would single-handedly bring the category back from the dead?
Olympus PEN E-P3
Price: P47,999
If there’s one Micro Four Thirds camera that really bridges the gap between a DSLR or digital single-lens reflex (image quality) and a point-and-shoot (size), it’s this 12.3-megapixel small looker. Noteworthy new features are its Live MOS sensor, which is powered by a dual-core processor; system that makes use of 35 focus points for a fast autofocus; low-light performance; and zippy shutter response time of less than 60 milliseconds.
Sony Alpha SLT-77
Price: P59,999
From the category that’s said to kill the DSLR comes this 24.3-megapixel Single Lens Translucent camera that isn’t all hype. It can continuously shoot and focus at the same time, even when you’re shooting a 1080p video. Throw in a fast 12fps shooting, an ISO 16,000 sensitivity mode, a release time lag of only 0.05 seconds, and a 2.5-million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder, and you’ve got yourself a camera equivalent of an alpha male.
