Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Thursday, April 2, 2015
2013 Christmas Guide Best Chinese Smartphones
Welcome to our 2013 Christmas Guide. It has been a full year with several big flagships from different manufacturers especially Xiaomi and Meizu : Mi2S, Mi2A, Red Rice, MX2, MX3. So which one should you buy ? Here is your answer.
Summary :
1) Entry Level Smartphones
2) Mid Range Smartphones
3) High End Smartphones
1) Entry Level Smartphones
2) Mid Range Smartphones
3) High End Smartphones
Entry Level
King of the Hill
Xiaomi Red Rice at ~ $229/€170. It is a bit more expensive than others entry level smartphones. But it has one of the best cheap SoC with the MT6589T running at 1.5 GHz, a truly beautiful display and a very capable 8MP Camera.
What sets the Red Rice apart from the others is the fact that it is natively running MIUI V5 on top of Android 4.2.2 insuring at least one year of full software support. You will hardly get such quality software and support in this price range.
Find our full video and written review here.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Great Software Good Camera Decent HD Display MIUI Software | A bit pricey |
Most affordable Smartphone
Lenovo A630 at less that a $100/€74.99. This is the cheapest smartphone of our catalog but we dont sell useless hardware. For this price, you will get a double core CPU that can take care of all the basics functions (social media, calling, messaging, emailing and web browsing).
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Best Price Great Battery Life, 2500 mAh | Average connectivity (GPS, Wi-Fi) Average performance |
The other way
THL W200 at less than €150, it is a bargain. It uses the same MediaTek Quad Core chip already found in the Red Rice. Specs wise, it is the same but the THL W200 is a bit cheaper and offers a Full HD Display. This is the cheapest FHD smartphone and it is still very capable.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
FHD Display Decent Hardware | The software might not be upgraded |
Mid Range
At this price point $359.99/€269.99 and considering its size, the Xiaomi Mi2S is the best Mini smartphone of the moment. We dare to say that it will even beat the 2014 upcoming competition in the "Mini league".
The Mi2S offers a very powerful hardware : Snapdragon S600 Quad Core SoC, one the most powerful out there, 4.3 inch HD Display, 13 MP Camera and 32 GB of internal storage.
You can find our comparison review between the Xiaomi Mi3 and the Mi2S here.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Great Software Great Hardware MIUI Software | No MicroSD Port |
The Jack of Clubs
The Xiaomi Mi2A is the second in line. It keeps the same GPU as the Mi2S but only 2 of the 4 cores for its CPU alongside 1 GB RAM and an 8MP Camera. Still, it is $60/€45 cheaper coming at less than $300/€225. But at the moment, the difference is hardly noticeable if you dont push the device to its limits.
Here is some side to side benchmarks comparison against the Mi2S and the Red Rice.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Great Software Great Hardware MIUI Software | No MicroSD Port Only 16 GB of Internal Storage Only 1 GB RAM |
The other way
The Meizu MX2, like the Mi2S, got a price cut after the launch of the MX3 and it is still a very capable handset but not as powerful as the Mi2S. Though it is cheaper, you can buy if for $329/€247, so it is a good compromise between the Mi2A and Mi2S.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Great Software Great Hardware MIUI Software | No MicroSD Port Only 16 GB of Internal Storage Only 1 GB RAM |
High End
The Snapdragon S800 Xiaomi Mi3 will be available on December, 17th and this is by far the best smartphone that money can buy. It should be available for $479.99/€359.99, we will open our pre-orders on December, 1st at midnight GMT+1.
You can find our Xiaomi Mi3 review here.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Great Software Best Hardware MIUI Software Great Design Great Unibody Build | No MicroSD Port Only 16 GB for now. 64 GB should be available at some point Battery is no longer removable Not yet available |
The Rival
The Meizu MX3 wants its share of the pie but failed to beat the Mi3 hardware wise. It is running on a 6 months old hardware using the same "Octa-Core" chip as the Samsung Galaxy S4, so it doesnt perform as well as the Mi3 but it is cheaper and available right now starting at $459/€344.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Decent Hardware Flyme OS Skin Available in 16/32 GB flavors | No MicroSD Port The Mi3 is more powerful |
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
12 of the best Christmas apps for Android
It’s officially the holiday season which means people are decorating, celebrating, and giving to others. It’s a wonderful time of year and, by far, one of the most colorful and engaging. You can use your Android device to get into the Christmas spirit too and here are 12 of the best Christmas apps that can help out!
First up is a delightful little puzzle game called 100 Christmas Gifts. It is a room-escape puzzle game where you’re shown a room and you must solve the puzzle to move on to the next room. It’s themed for Christmas and it’s fun to play for both kids and adults. It’ll require you to use your device in a myriad of ways and so far people seem to really enjoy it. Also, it’s free.
One of the most popular ways to celebrate the holidays is by decorating so we thought a nice Apex and Nova Launcher theme would help put a little more holiday spirit into your device. For this we chose the unimaginatively named Christmas Apex Nova Theme. As the title suggests it works for Nova and Apex Launchers. It includes a few wallpapers and an icon pack. It’s also free and not overly ostentatious so if you have Apex or Nova, this is a good option for holiday cheer.
Christmas HD is a beautiful 3D live wallpaper that not only looks really good, but offers a surprising amount of customization. Pretty much every setting allows you to add personal touches like your name on the mailbox or on the stockings. You can also determine what pictures are on the mantel and there are add-ons should you need them. It’s a highly rated app in the Play Store and one that we found ourselves enjoying.
If you want something more colorful and flash, we recommend Christmas Live Wallpaper Full. There is a free version but it’s the holiday season and we believe in the spirit of giving. Included with this live wallpaper are a number of flashy lit Christmas trees that glow in a variety of colors and patterns and a countdown to Christmas. There are also fireworks scenes and a Valentine’s Day scene included so you can use this for a couple of other holidays throughout the year.
If you’re into old school Christmas scenes, this is for you. It includes a scene where people are ice skating around a Christmas tree. There aren’t as many customization options but it is a very solid live wallpaper.
We included a theme for Apex and Nova Launcher so we thought we’d also include a theme for GO Locker. This is a very traditional theme and uses a lot of dark red and gold elements. It’s simple, elegant, and definitely unlike most of the Christmas themes in the Google Play Store. It has a matching theme, but people seem to be having problems with it so for now we’d only recommend picking up the GO Locker theme.
It is the holiday season which means it’s the season of giving. This inevitably means you’ll have to do some shopping either for yourself or for others. So we included the Shopular Coupons & Hot Deals app. Most of the time people shopping online may just use Amazon’s Lightning Deals or other online venues but if you’re looking for some gift ideas and don’t want to pay retail price for them, this is an excellent app to browse.
If you’re looking for something familiar, Doodle Jump has been re-released with a Christmas spin. It’s the same mechanics and game play as the original so fans of the game will have no problems transitioning. About the only difference you’ll notice are the graphics, enemies, and power ups are all holiday themed. This is a great game for kids and it’s also free so there are very few reasons not to grab it.
This is our last theme on the list and it’s for Apex, GO, and Nova Launchers. It includes wallpapers, icons, and some smaller theme elements. It’s free and it’s very colorful so if you’re into something a little more busy than what’s above, we encourage you to give this one a test run. It’s nothing mind blowing or amazing, but it is a solid and colorful theme that can help you get into the holiday spirit and people seem to like it.
If you’re looking for something that isn’t a full blown theme, an icon pack is always a good option. With Xmas Cyrcle Icons you get 1500 icons, 15 wallpapers, and it works with most of the major launchers. It’s not so outrageous as a full theme, but it does add a little holiday cheer to your app drawer and home screens without going nuts, this is a perfect way to do it.
We could’ve put up a any number of Christmas-specific apps that deliver ringtones or wallpapers, but you’d only have an app you’d use two or three weeks out of the whole year and it’d only have about 100 options at best. So instead we decided to include Zedge. If you search for Christmas, you’ll find a good variety of holiday inspired wallpapers and live wallpapers along with over 1,000 holiday ringtones. Plus, after the holidays are over, you can use Zedge again to find non-holiday wallpapers and ringtones. It’s a win-win.
Finally, we have Best Christmas Apps. If this list just isn’t doing it for you and you want to find some awesome apps on your own, this is what we recommend. It’s an app store with a focus on Christmas so you can find whatever you need to find. This includes apps for kids, games, quotes, ringtones, wallpapers, and more. If you’re worried about security, you’ll be happy to know that any app you download will be from either Google Play or AppBrain and it is a lot easier than trying to search through all the apps in the Play Store.
Read more »
100 Christmas Gifts
[Price: Free]First up is a delightful little puzzle game called 100 Christmas Gifts. It is a room-escape puzzle game where you’re shown a room and you must solve the puzzle to move on to the next room. It’s themed for Christmas and it’s fun to play for both kids and adults. It’ll require you to use your device in a myriad of ways and so far people seem to really enjoy it. Also, it’s free.
Christmas Apex Nova Theme
[Price: Free]One of the most popular ways to celebrate the holidays is by decorating so we thought a nice Apex and Nova Launcher theme would help put a little more holiday spirit into your device. For this we chose the unimaginatively named Christmas Apex Nova Theme. As the title suggests it works for Nova and Apex Launchers. It includes a few wallpapers and an icon pack. It’s also free and not overly ostentatious so if you have Apex or Nova, this is a good option for holiday cheer.
Christmas HD
[Price: $1.99]Christmas HD is a beautiful 3D live wallpaper that not only looks really good, but offers a surprising amount of customization. Pretty much every setting allows you to add personal touches like your name on the mailbox or on the stockings. You can also determine what pictures are on the mantel and there are add-ons should you need them. It’s a highly rated app in the Play Store and one that we found ourselves enjoying.
Christmas Live Wallpaper Full
[Price: $1.49]If you want something more colorful and flash, we recommend Christmas Live Wallpaper Full. There is a free version but it’s the holiday season and we believe in the spirit of giving. Included with this live wallpaper are a number of flashy lit Christmas trees that glow in a variety of colors and patterns and a countdown to Christmas. There are also fireworks scenes and a Valentine’s Day scene included so you can use this for a couple of other holidays throughout the year.
Christmas Rink Live Wallpaper
[Price: Free]If you’re into old school Christmas scenes, this is for you. It includes a scene where people are ice skating around a Christmas tree. There aren’t as many customization options but it is a very solid live wallpaper.
Christmas Theme GO Locker
[Price: Free]We included a theme for Apex and Nova Launcher so we thought we’d also include a theme for GO Locker. This is a very traditional theme and uses a lot of dark red and gold elements. It’s simple, elegant, and definitely unlike most of the Christmas themes in the Google Play Store. It has a matching theme, but people seem to be having problems with it so for now we’d only recommend picking up the GO Locker theme.
Coupons & Hot Deals – Shopular
[Price: Free]It is the holiday season which means it’s the season of giving. This inevitably means you’ll have to do some shopping either for yourself or for others. So we included the Shopular Coupons & Hot Deals app. Most of the time people shopping online may just use Amazon’s Lightning Deals or other online venues but if you’re looking for some gift ideas and don’t want to pay retail price for them, this is an excellent app to browse.
Doodle Jump Christmas Special
[Price: Free]If you’re looking for something familiar, Doodle Jump has been re-released with a Christmas spin. It’s the same mechanics and game play as the original so fans of the game will have no problems transitioning. About the only difference you’ll notice are the graphics, enemies, and power ups are all holiday themed. This is a great game for kids and it’s also free so there are very few reasons not to grab it.
LC Christmas Launcher Theme
[Price: Free]This is our last theme on the list and it’s for Apex, GO, and Nova Launchers. It includes wallpapers, icons, and some smaller theme elements. It’s free and it’s very colorful so if you’re into something a little more busy than what’s above, we encourage you to give this one a test run. It’s nothing mind blowing or amazing, but it is a solid and colorful theme that can help you get into the holiday spirit and people seem to like it.
Xmas Cyrcle Icons Apex Nova
[Price: $1.00]If you’re looking for something that isn’t a full blown theme, an icon pack is always a good option. With Xmas Cyrcle Icons you get 1500 icons, 15 wallpapers, and it works with most of the major launchers. It’s not so outrageous as a full theme, but it does add a little holiday cheer to your app drawer and home screens without going nuts, this is a perfect way to do it.
Zedge
[Price: Free]We could’ve put up a any number of Christmas-specific apps that deliver ringtones or wallpapers, but you’d only have an app you’d use two or three weeks out of the whole year and it’d only have about 100 options at best. So instead we decided to include Zedge. If you search for Christmas, you’ll find a good variety of holiday inspired wallpapers and live wallpapers along with over 1,000 holiday ringtones. Plus, after the holidays are over, you can use Zedge again to find non-holiday wallpapers and ringtones. It’s a win-win.
Best Christmas Apps
[Price: Free]Finally, we have Best Christmas Apps. If this list just isn’t doing it for you and you want to find some awesome apps on your own, this is what we recommend. It’s an app store with a focus on Christmas so you can find whatever you need to find. This includes apps for kids, games, quotes, ringtones, wallpapers, and more. If you’re worried about security, you’ll be happy to know that any app you download will be from either Google Play or AppBrain and it is a lot easier than trying to search through all the apps in the Play Store.
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