Get a discounted on an Apple iPad with Retina Display with a Smart Data Plan

Smart Communications is offering Apple iPad's and iPad's mini's discounted when bundled with a data plan. Bundled with Data Plan 999 you get a Php8,000 discount on a 3G/LTE iPad with Retina Display.

Bundled with Plan 499, you get a Php1,000 discount and deferred payment over a period of 24 months.

Plan 499 falls under Smart Anti Bill Shock plan, so even if you exceed your 65 hour allocation, you will never go beyond Php999.

Get a discounted on an Apple iPad mini with a Smart Data Plan

Smart Communications is offering Apple iPad's and iPad's mini's discounted when bundled with a data plan. Bundled with Data Plan 999 you get a Php8,000 discount on a 3G/LTE iPad mini.

Bundled with Plan 499, you get a Php1,000 discount and deferred payment over a period of 24 months.

Plan 499 falls under Smart Anti Bill Shock plan, so even if you exceed your 65 hour allocation, you will never go beyond Php999.

Asus Fonepad Tablet - Intel Inside

We are seeing more Android devices with Intel Processors inside. The latest is a 7-inch Asus tablet which has full call and text functions, and HSDPA connectivity. In essence, it is a 7-inch smartphone, much like the original Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Priced at Php14,995 the Android powered Asus Fonepad Tablet is a competitively priced product, undercutting the price of the 3G version of the Asus built Google Nexus 7 and the Apple iPad mini. It comes with Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) a 7-inch HD (720 x 1280) display, 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage, expandable via a MicroSD card. It also comes with a 3 MP primary camera and a 1.2 MP from camera. 

What makes it different from the rest of the Android tablets is the dual core Intel Atom Z2420 inside. This single core processor benches around 12000 to 13000 points on the AnTuTu benchmarks with a HD display. This puts it neck and neck with the quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 found in the Nexus 7. Asus also promises that this tablet has a good 9 hours of battery life.

The future of the tablet is at US&169

Reading an article about Acer's new Iconia A1, it dawned on me. The future of the tablet is US$169. That just amazed me. A year and a half ago, Amazon, subsidizing its Kindle Fire tablet managed to bring it to the market for US$199. Several months later, a Google subsidized tablet, the Nexus 7 managed to hit the market at US$199. That US$199 price point was viewed as an amazingly low price.

Now, Acer's new offering will start at US$169, and it has decent specifications. The Acer Iconia A1 has a 7.9-inch (768 x 1024) display with a quad core processor, 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot. For an operating system it will run Android 4.2. 

Now this is not a subsidized price. Acer will be selling this tablet for US$169, and will be turning a profit selling it at that price. This release will follow in the heels of the equally inexpensive ASUS Memo Pad and Acer Iconia TAB B1. Tablets from lesser known brands sell for even less. Products like the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt comes it at less than US$100 with a HD display and quad core processor.

At these prices, everyone will buy one, whether they need a tablet or not. For many, in developing countries it will be their first opportunity to buy a computer.  For educational institutions, it will be the most cost efficient way to move into the paperless 21st century, with books and notebooks being replaced by eBooks and Apps. Tablets have gotten so expensive, that even people who primarily need a notebook will find a tablet worthwhile buying as a bedside device.

Simple math says that tablets will sell in more quantities than desktop computers ever have. 

Apple's iPad mini and cheap iPhone conundrum

Apple sold 19.5 million iPad's during its second fiscal quarter of 2013. That is a healthy 65% year on year growth. But the numbers are actually give Apple reason to worry.

iPad mini cannibalizes iPad sales. Of the 19.5 million iPad's sold by Apple in its second fiscal of 2013, 12.5 million were iPad mini's. That's about 64%. The problem with that figure is that year on year, 9.7-inch iPad sales dropped from 11.8 million in Apple's second fiscal quarter of 2012, to 7 million in the same period this year.

Basically, 12.5 million iPad mini sales, came at the cost of 5-6 million 9.7-inch iPad sales.

65% growth is sluggish in a market which has a year-on-year growth of 142.4%. While Apple increase sales, year on year by 65%, its share in the market dropped to 39.6%, from 58.1% for the same period in the previous year. This seems to indicate two things. The market for tablets is big. But the bigger market is for cheaper tablets.

What the numbers spell for the cheap iPhone? When people talk about a cheap iPhone, I am not sure what they are talking about. Apple keeps three generations of iPhone's in manufacture at any given time, so at present you have the iPhone 5, 4S and 4 all for sale. I do not think anyone suggest making an iPhone with specifications lower than the iPhone 4. This nearly three year old design with its single core processor is hard pressed to keep up with budget Android's and Windows Phone's these days.

A cheap iPhone would probably mean a new model, which is cheaper than the current flagship, but more current than a two year old model. Basically, a cheaper iPhone would replace the iPhone 4, but have better specifications to make it a more attractive choice.

The problem with this, is that it will really just replace an existing option, and it might even cannibalize sales of the iPhone 5 and 4S, like the effect the iPad mini had on the full sized iPad.

What the numbers say about the market in general. There is a big market for smartphones and tablets. When Apple entered this market, it was probably hoping it could maintain what Nokia and BlackBerry has been doing for years. Keeping the lions share of a small, but premium priced smartphone market. Nokia and BlackBerry captured the market and were able to keep prices high because there was no viable "other" operating system.

Than came Android. With Android, anyone could build an Android phone or tablet. The result. Instead of Apple having to fight to win a smaller but premium smartphone market, it has to face a new market. One, much larger than Apple ever envisioned, but where the smartphone and tablet are cheap.

This is Apple's conundrum. As the market gets bigger, mainly by offering cheaper products, it share in the smartphone and tablet market gets smaller. Apple will make tons of money, even if its market share in smartphones and tablets drops below 20%. It would be a healthy company with half of that. Or it could try to reach for a broader market with more low cost offerings, which would mean lower margins. This is probably more worrying for the tech giant. 

In the long run Apple's apprehensions go beyond that. With more and more Android devices in the market every day, developers might start to prefer that platform. If that happens, iOS might follow the path of the Mac. 

Source of data: IDC

Windows gets 7% of the tablet market for Q1 of 2013

While Windows RT have not been a smashing success, in part because the full PC version of Windows 8 runs well on tablets. Windows 8 itself has been labeled a failure by many sectors, with a 14% drop in PC sales year-on-year. However, the two criticized operating systems have been a success for Microsoft in a very important arena. Windows 8 and Windows RT have captured 7% of the tablet market in Q1 2013. While, this might not be a roaring success, it is a firm foothold in the largest growing category of consumer electronic devices.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 N5100 - Wrong model launched?

Samsung latest Note, the Galaxy Note 8.0 is now available in the Philippines. Checking the prices from a local retailer, the Galaxy Note 8.0 can be had for Php22,850 with an official Samsung Warranty.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
• 8-inch HD (800 x 1280) display
• 16 GB internal storage, expandable via a MicroSD card
• 2 GB RAM
• 1.6 GHz quad core ARM Cortex A9 processor
• 5 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
• 1.3 MP front camera
• HSPA
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• A-GPS
• 4600 mAh battery

The specifications strike me as being transitional. Better than the Google Nexus 7 or the iPad mini, but  both of those models are likely to be updated in the next three to six months. An updated Nexus 7 tablet or iPad mini should exceed the specifications of the Galaxy Note 8.0, especially in terms of display resolution. A 1080p display, a quad core ARM Cortex A15 and LTE would what have made the Galaxy Note 8 a bleeding edge device.

The feature that will draw buyers toward the Galaxy Note 8.0 is the S-Pen or the fact that it really is an 8-inch GSM phone with voice and SMS functionality. But if the S-Pen is not a must have or you are buying it to use as a tablet and not as a all-in-one device, the Galaxy Note 8.0 becomes a less attractive proposition.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 looks expensive by comparison. It only costa about 6K more than a Nexus 7 3G and a few hundred more than the iPad mini, but that has LTE. 

What makes a expensive proposition for most buyers is that the WiFi only version of the Galaxy Note 8.0 has not yet been released in the Philippines. If 3G is not something you want in a tablet, than the Nexus 7, iPad mini or one of the growing number of tablets pried at less than 10K would probably be more compelling options.

All-in-all, a Galaxy Note 8.0 costs what it costs. I has features which are not found in its competitors, so a direct price comparison is not possible. But I think Samsung launched the wrong model in the Philippines and the WiFi only N5110 is what would have been a better fit for the local market. If the N5110 takes a long time getting here, it may find itself competing against a Full HD Nexus tablet and a retina iPad mini.

Dell Latitude 10 Tablet

We have seen several Windows 8 tablets hit the market from Acer, Asus, HP, Microsoft and Samsung. These are Windows 8 tablets, which run the full desktop version of Windows 8 and are powered by Intel Processors. The Dell offering, is unremarkable in most respects with a 10.1-inch HD (1366  768) display, a Intel Atom Z2760 processor, 2 GB of RAM and a 64 GB SSD internal storage. Being part tablet it comes with front and rear cameras. Being part PC it comes with full sized USB ports, HDMI out and a SD Card slot.

Differentiating Dell Latitude 10 Tablet from other Windows 8 Tablets is a user replaceable battery, which is very rare in a tablet. The Dell Latitude 10 also stand out with its magnesium allow construction.

The Dell Latitude 10 Tablet comes in two versions, one bundled Windows 8, and the other with Windows 8 Pro. The Windows 8 version is priced at Php29,999. The Windows 8 Pro version is priced at Php32,999.

Understanding the Post-PC Phenomenon: Apple iPad versus 11-inch MacBook Air

This...

...or this.

This post was inspire by Joanna Stern and Kevin Tofel's discussion on Twitter.

The worse than expected decline in the sales of traditional desktop and laptop computers has spurred a lot of debate on the Web recently. What is the culprit? It really is not too hard to understand. A comparison of two products will explain this phenomenon easily enough. Lets compare the Apple iPad 64 GB with the 11.6-inch Apple MacBook Air 64 GB.

Price. The iPad WiFi 64 GB will cost you Php33,900 at the local Apple Store. The 11.6-inch MacBook Air 64 GB will set you back Php46,990. In this first round, the iPad wins the day by a cool 13K.  The question is, can the 11.6-inch MacBook Air 64 GB make up for a 13K deficit?

Winner: iPad

Display. The iPad 64 GB has a 9.7-inch display as opposed to the 11.6-inch display, and following the bigger is better theory, the 11.6-inch MacBook Air wins that aspect of this category. But this is only part of the story. The smaller iPad display has a sharp 2048 x 1536 resolution display, against the 11.6-inch MacBook Air 1366 x 768 display. Overall, I think most of you will agree, the higher resolution gives the iPad the edge. 

Winner: iPad

Portability. The 11.6-inch MacBook Air is "razor" thin being just 0.67-inches at the thickest point. It is also terribly light at 2.5 pounds. Still, this feels thick and heavy compared to the iPad's 0.37-inches and 1.44 pounds.

Winner: iPad

Battery Life. The 11.6-inch MacBook Air has a battery that will last up to five hours. The iPad will run up to 10-hours on a single charge.

Winner: iPad

Apps. The iPad App Store has over 300,000 dedicated iPad apps. Apple does not post on its website how many apps there are in it MacBook App Store. Two years ago, there were 30,000. I think it is fair to say, the iPad has more available apps.

Winner: iPad

Keyboard. The MacBook Air has a nice keyboard. The iPad has none out of the box. You can add a keyboard to the iPad, but it still wont be as nice as the keyboard on the MacBook Air.

Winner: MacBook Air

Score: 

Apple iPad 64 GB: 5

11.6-inch Apple MacBook Air 64 GB: 1

Many of you will point out that there are other things I should look at like USB or Thurderbolt ports. Other will see I should give the iPad another win for having more and better cameras or having an LTE option available. I think, most of the market sees it my way, with the six categories I selected being what most buyers will consider.

Microsoft's best play in the Tablet Wars - Sell keyboards

When I look at all the Windows 8 touch "hybrid" designs that have hit the market, I really only like one: Microsoft's own Surface Tablet. The keyboard cover allows you to carry the keyboard with you all day without the penalty of lugging around more weight. Basically, it weighs as much as your typical tablet protective case. The simple kickstand incorporated into the Surface tablet allows for a light keyboard since it does not have to anchor the tablet in place. It is an ingenuous design.

Sales have not been great so far, with about 1.5 million Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets sold to date. 

• This is not too hard to understand. Windows RT was a mistake. It look good when it came out, but Intel quickly proved its low powered Atom processors could run Windows 8 fine. This kind of made Windows RT redundant in Microsoft's operating system line-up, with Windows RT being the less attractive sibling. The Surface Pro, well it is too expensive to be a volume seller. 
• Microsoft Surface Pro, is more configurations might make a substantial impact on the market, with versions with HD displays (1366 x 768) and lower powered processors (Atom's and Core i3's) bringing options at more price points. More sizes (8 to 12 inches) could also attract more buyers. 

Microsoft could get into the hardware business seriously and make a whole range of Surface tablets, but that would not sit well with their OEM partners. 

What Microsoft could do to offer a wide selection of Surface type tablets, without causing a rebellion in the ranks of its OEM partners, is to sell keyboards. Basically, have it OEM partners build their own surface type tablet compatible with Microsoft branded keyboards and similar designs under license from Microsoft. The connector between the tablet and the keyboard should be standardized so that you can select any "Surface" type tablet from one company and a keyboard from any other company.

With this simple stroke and viola... Microsoft could become a serious player in the tablet game. 

Well... its Saturday morning and I have not had my coffee yet. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 - Bitten By the Ugly Bug

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be hitting Philippine shores in two weeks. Yugatech reports that the suggested retail price will be Php23,990. This places is at 2K higher the price of the Apple iPad mini LTE that it will be competing against. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8, features a more powerful processor, expandable memory and the S-Pen (stylus). The Apple iPad mini will have faster LTE connectivity.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
• 8-inch HD (768 x 1280) display
• 16 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot
• 2 GB RAM
• 1.6 GHz quad core Samsung Exynos 4 processor
• 5 MP primary camera with no flash
• 1.3 MP front camera
• HSPA
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• A-GPS
• 4600 mAh battery
• S-Pen

Essentially, the specifications are nearly identical to a Galaxy Note 2, with a larger screen and battery, with a downgraded camera.

Unfortunately, what it does not borrow from the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is the design. Instead of the thin bezel surrounding the 5.5-inch display of the Galaxy Note 2, you have a rather large bezel around the 8-inch display of the Galaxy Note 8. Compare the Galaxy Note 8 design to a Samsung Galaxy S 4, and the Galaxy Note 8 looks even more dated.

For the asking price, the Galaxy Note 8 offers enough in terms of hardware and software with the S-Pen optimized Android OS. I am just wondering if its rather dated look will get into the way of its road to success.

GalaPad 7" WiFi

There are so many low cost Android tablets in the market, that I really cannot follow most. So I try to pick out a few interesting ones. One that caught my eye is the GalaPad 7" WiFi. The point of interest in this tablet is that it runs a Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, just like the Google Nexus 7. Priced at Php9,200 is about 4 to 5K less than the retail price of a Nexus 7.

The GalaPad 7" does have lower specifications than the local version of the Nexus 7. The Nexus 7 is sold with 32 GB of internal memory, while the Galapad 7" comes with just 8 GB. The Galapad 7" does come with a MicroSD card slot, while the Nexus 7 does not. The GalaPad also comes with a lower resolution 1024 x 600 display instead of the HD, 1280 x 800 resolution on the Nexus 7. The lower resolution does mean less sharp images, on the other hand it also means better 3D performance as a Tegra 3 can run 3D graphics on a 1024 x 600 with ease. Finally the GalaPad has a smaller battery,  3500 mAh, as against the 4350 mAh battery of the Nexus 7. However, the lower resolution display will also be a more power efficient one.

The Tegra 3 processor on the GalaPad 7" does mean that it can take advantage of the Nvidia graphics optimizations found in some games. The GalaPad 7" also runs Android 4.1, Jelly Bean, so the operating system is current enough. I would probably just hunt down a Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt myself. But if you want a Tegra 3 based system, and on a budget, the GalaPad 7" is worth a look.

Samsung XE700T1C-H02PH ATIV Smart PC with HSPA+

A few weeks ago I took a look at Samsung's new line of ATIV Smart Tablet PC's. The latest model, the Samsung XE7001C-H02PH ATIV Smart PC puts all the elements of what could define the next generation personal computer.

The Samsung XE7001C-H02PH ATIV Smart PC is composed of three elements:

The Tablet. The core of the Samsung XE7001C-H02PH ATIV Smart PC is a 11.6-inch Full HD (1080 x 1920 pixel resolution) tablet powered by an Intel Core i5 processor with 4 GB of RAM and a 128 GB SSD drive for storage. You get USB 3.0, HDMI out via a Micro HDMI port and a SDCard reader. For an operating system, you have the same Windows 8 operating system you have on a desktop. Basically, it is a fairly powerful PC in a tablet form factor.

At the same time, you get all the tablet hardware like a accelerometer, gyro, ambient light sensor, GPS and most notably, this tablet is a 3G tablet with HSPA+ connectivity.  

The Dock. An 11.6-inch tablet is a bit on the large size for a tablet, and weighing in at about 1.9 pounds is not the most comfortable thing to use in hand. But when it is mated to its dock, the large size all makes sense. A larger tablet, means that it mates nicely to a full sized keyboard dock. With the dock, it becomes a reasonably light 11.6-inch 3G capable laptop.

S-Pen. Most Windows 8 apps are designed to be used with a touchpad, and with the dock in place you will likely manipulate this device with the keyboard and touchpad. You may want to use your traditional Windows apps in tablet mode. The buttons and menu's on most Windows PC software are not designed to be manipulated by your finger. To facilitate the use of tradition Windows PC software a stylus, or S-Pen, is included. 

The S-Pen is also useful in graphic manipulation and drawing applications, adding productivity to your traditional Windows PC.

Cost. All this will set you back a hefty Php59,900. A 11.6-inch MacBook Air with a 128 GB SSD will cost you less at Php50,990. Still, the additional 9K could be easily justified by the higher resolution display (Full HD vesus HD), the stand alone tablet functionality, the S-Pen and built in 3G. 

Microsoft Surface PRO 128GB Now Available

The Microsoft Surface PRO, the full Windows 8 version of Microsoft's Surface Tablet has hit local shelves at Php59,999 sans keyboard. The Php59,999 price does include a pen to manipulate the touchscreen, but getting the nicer Microsoft Surface Type Cover Keyboard will set you back another Php6,999. So the entire package of tablet, pen and keyboard will set Php66,998. 

At that price you get a 10.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) display, a Core i5 processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 128 GB SSD. The 128 GB of storage can be expanded via a microSDXC card. This makes it the most powerful, but also the most expensive tablet in the market. But it will run all of your old Windows Vista and 7 apps. 

At this price, I do not expect to see many Surface PRO's to be sold in the Philippines. Still, high end Touchscreen Windows 8 devices are expensive, and this one seems to make more sense than a Acer Aspire S7, Asus Taichi or Sony Vaio 11 Duo. You may want to take a look at the MSI S20 Slider, which at Php49,900 is much cheaper, still the Microsoft Surface PRO is a much more portable device.

Cherry Mobile Fusion Benchmarks - Smokin

Exactly how fast is the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt? Initial AnTuTu benchmarks of units distributed to bloggers during the launch of the tablet fell a bit below the 6000 mark. Decent for the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt asking price of Php3,999, but disappointing to many given that the table had a quad core processor.

The day before the launch, Cherry Mobile posted it own benchmarks on in Facebook page showing its tablet nearly hitting 12000 Antutu benchmark points. This level of performance makes its performance comparable to a Tegra 3 powered Google Nexus 7.

byrone of TipidPC has posted his Cherry Fusion Bolt benchmarks.

With this, I think we can put all doubts as to the stellar performance of Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt to rest. 

The BlackBerry PlayBook is Alive and Well

The BlackBerry PlayBook, first released towards the end of 2010 is alive and well. While considered a commercial failure, BlackBerry has stood behind its PlayBook and it will be getting an updated to the BlackBerry 10 operating system.

The hardware has stood the test of time, is still pretty decent two and a half years after its release. The PlayBook has a 7-inch, 600 x 1024 pixel resolution display. It is powered by a dual core 1 GHz ARM Cortex A9 processor on TI OMAP chipset and PowerVR SGX 540 graphics, backed up by 1 GB of RAM. Basically, it can still stand toe to toe with Apple iPad mini.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is not probably the oldest tablet still offered for sale. The 16 GB version will now cost you just Php10,990, while the 32 GB version will set you back Php13,490. 

Updated Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt Benchmarks

Last month Cherry Mobile gave away samples of its Fusion Bolt, a quad core tablet with an HD display. Benchmarks posted by PinoyTech Blog put the AnTuTu benchmarks at 5665 points, which was disappointing to some. Comparing it with benchmarks from AnTuTu's database, it still looked like a very good value for money proposition.

With Cherry Mobile set to release the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt for sale, the company has posted its own benchmark on its Facebook page showing a much higher 11932 points, which puts it within spitting distance from a Google Nexus 7, which does 12726 AnTuTu benchmark points.

A Php3,999 tablet with a 7-inch HD (800 x 1280) display which scored 5665 points on the AnTuTu benchmarks gets a buy recommendation from me. At 11932 points, getting one for Php3,999 would seem to be highway robbery, with the buyer being on the winning end.

It looks the time between the launch and the release in the market, Ainol, which manufactures the Cherry Mobile Fusion bolt, has been optimizing the firmware for the new Actions Semiconductor ATM7025 processor and Vivante GC1000+ graphics processing unit. 

Too good to believe? Let's keep out fingers crossed.

Update: An independent test score the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt at 12042 points. Benchmark results vary a bit with each run, but this basically confirm Cherry Mobile post.

HP ElitePad 900 Business Tablet WiFi+3G

HP has released its Windows 8 powered ElitePad 900 Business Tablet in the Philippines. At Php39,999 for a 32 GB model with a stylus, it is probably the most expensive 32 GB tablet ever released in the country. Remember, a retina display 64 GB Apple iPad 4 with LTE will set you back Php39,990.

The HP ElitePad 900 Business Tablet is really hard to recommend. The tablet has a 10.1-inch display with a decent 1280 x 800 resolution, but at 40K, I would be expecting a 1920 x 1080 display. Inside you get a Intel Atom Z2760 processor. At this price I would expect an Intel Core i3 or i5 processor. It has a HSPA radio, but the market is moving toward LTE. On the plus side, the HP ElitePad 900 Business Tablet comes with 2 GB of RAM and the 32 GB internal storage is expandable via a MicroSD card.   

Okay, lets not dwell on the HP ElitePad 900 Business Tablet. If you are looking for a good Windows 8 tablet, take a look at the Asus VivoTab Smart instead.

Antutu Benchmark Scores of Several of the Android 7-inch Tablets.

Updated on March 9, 2013

I compiled a Antutu Benchmark scores of several of the Android 7-inch tablets.

Asus Memo Pad ME172v - Php6,995

- Processor/Chipset: Single core 1 GHz ARM Cortes A9/Via
- Display: 1024 x 600

Antutu Benchmark Score - 4558

More info on the Asus Memo Pad ME172v

Samsung Galaxy Tab P3110 - Php9,990

- Processor/Chipset: Dual Core 1 GHz ARM Cortes A9/TI OMAP

- Display: 1024 x 600

Antutu Benchmark Score: 4974

More info on the Samsung Galaxy Tab P3110

Acer Iconia Tab B1 - Php7,200

- Processor/Chipset: Dual Core 1.2 GHz ARM Cortes A9/MediaTek MTK8317T

- Display: 1024 x 600

Antutu Benchmark Score: 6847

More info on the Acer Iconia Tab B1

Starmobile Engage 7HD - Php7,990

- Processor/Chipset: Dual core 1.2 GHz ARM Cortes A9/AmLogic AML8726-MX

- Display: 1280 x 800

Antutu Benchmark Score - 9369

More info on the Starmobile Engage 7HD

Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt - Php3,999

- Processor: Quad core 1 GHz/Actions ATM7029

- Display: 1280 x 800

Antutu Benchmark Score: 12042

More info on the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt

Google Nexus 7 - Php14,400

- Processor/Chipset: Quad Core 1.3 GHz/Nvidia Tegra

- Display: 1280 x 800

Antutu Benchmark Score: 12726

More info on the Google Nexus 7

Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt Performance and Benchmarks

Cherry Mobile has shocked the local tech scene by announcing the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt. Php3,999 for a 7-inch tablet with an 1280 x 800 pixel resolution HD display, quad core processor and 1 GB of RAM almost unbelievable. The specifications sheet reads like a Asus Nexus 7 at less than a third of the price.

The biggest question mark in with the new Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt is the chipset and graphics processing unit (GPU). The Fusion Bolt has a 1GHz quad-core Actions Semiconductor ATM7025 processor paired with a Vivante GC1000+ GPU. How well does this combination perform.

Pinoytech Blog has benchmarked the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt an the tablet and the performance is very good for a Php3,999 tablet, but really is better than dual core tablet but not as good as powerful  than a quad core tablets.

Antutu Benchmarks

Samsung Galaxy Tab P3110 - 4974 

Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt - 5665 points

Google Nexus 7 - 12726 points

The Samsung Galaxy Tab P3110 uses a dual core processor on a TI OMAP chipset with a PowerVR SGX 540 GPU. The Google Nexus 7, has a quad core Nvidia Tegra 3.                          

Examining a breaking down of three key aspects of the Antutu benchmarks would show they key areas where the ATM7025 processor paired with a Vivante GC1000+ GPU fall short.

Samsung Galaxy Tab P3110

CPU integer - 1358

CPU float point - 1102

3D graphics (1024 x 600) - 1085

Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt

CPU integer - 1313

CPU float point - 901

3D graphics (1280 x 800) - 1513

Google Nexus 7

CPU integer - 3679

CPU float point -2692

3D graphics (1280 x 800) - 2874

The quad core ATM7025 processor really does not perform better than a dual core unit. The dual core 1 GHz TI OMAP on the Samsung Galaxy P3110 is actually one of the slower dual core options on th market.

The Vivante GC1000+ GPU actually fairs pretty well. It does 40% better than the PowerVR SGX540 GPU on the Samsung Galaxy P3110 despite having to push 60% more pixels. Roughly the  Vivante GC1000+ GPU is twice as powerful as the PowerVR SGX540 GPU.

My advice, is don't look a gift horse in the mouth. If you compare the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt to a Google Nexus 7 which costs more the than three time more, the Google Nexus 7 is more than twice as fast. But you should not expect the same performance for a third of the price.

If you compare the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt to a Samsung Galaxy P3110 which will cost you more than twice as much, the Fusion Bolt looks to be a much better value for money option.

Update: Apparently, the Cherry Mobile Fusion benchmarks cited above was the result of pre-production firmware. An independent test score the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt at 12042 points.