Event Coverage

PC Show 2013 - Telco, Tablets, GPS & Mobile Accessories Buying Guide

By Team HardwareZone - 7 Jun 2013

Smartphones

Smartphone Buying Guide

A smartphone has become an integral part of our daily lifestyle. With so many options from the different mobile platforms, it must be very confusing for consumers to decide on their next phone purchase. The attractive deals at tech shows often complicate things further, with reduced prices and more freebies.

 

Smartphone Deals at the Show

Here are some highlighted smartphone deals at the PC Show this year.

ASUS PadFone Infinity

ASUS jumps on the 5-inch bandwagon with its PadFone Infinity which runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core 1.7GHz processor and 2GB RAM.

PC Show 2013 Offer

  • PC Show Price: $249 with StarHub SmartSurf Premium at $98/month (2-year contract)
  • PC Show Promotion: Free PadFone Flip Cover
  • Brochure
  • More Information: HWZ Review

Location

HALL 5, BOOTH 5006

BlackBerry Q10

The Q10 is no doubt the dream phone that BlackBerry loyalists have been waiting for. Equipped with a new, refined QWERTY keyboard, the BlackBerry Q10 provides an unrivalled typing experience. Its 2,100mAh removable battery ensures that you stay connected wherever you go.

PC Show 2013 Offer

  • PC Show Price: $328 with M1 LiteSurf at $59.90/month (2-year contract)
  • PC Show Promotion: NIL
  • Brochure
  • More Information: HWZ Review

 

Location

HALL 5, BOOTH 5004

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 has arguably the biggest display ever on a smartphone in the market at 6.3-inch. Running on a dual-core processor and 1.5GB RAM, the Mega 6.3 is an excellent multimedia device if you do not mind the huge form factor.

PC Show 2013 Offer

  • PC Show Price: $398 with SingTel Flexi Lite at $39.90/month (2-year contract)
  • PC Show Promotion: Free anti-dust plugs.
  • Brochure

Samsung Galaxy S4

Driven by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.9GHz quad-core processor, the 5-inch Samsung Galaxy S4 runs on the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean platform, and includes a 13-megapixel camera along with proprietary features such as Group Play, ChatON, and S Travel.

PC Show 2013 Offer

  • PC Show Price: $998
  • PC Show Promotion: Free accessories pack (desktop dock, HDTV adaptor, car charger)
  • Brochure
  • More Information: HWZ Review

 

PC Show 2013 Smartphones Portal

SMARTPHONES TODAY

The mobile industry is dominated by the likes of Apple iOS and phones powered by Google Android. There are also other players such as Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10. So which mobile platform suits you better?

Apple iOS is well-known for its simplicity and user-friendly interface. The consistency in user experience across the board helps you adapt to it pretty quickly.

Backed by a vast and superior collection of apps, you will be spoilt for choices when it comes to choosing apps from photography, games, social networking, instant messaging, productivity and entertainment. Its great cross device synergy, anchored by iTunes and iCloud, provides a unified experience that is unrivalled.

If you want a simple, easy-to-use and stable phone to use, you can't go wrong with an iOS device.

More Information: WWDC 2012: iOS 6 Highlights, iOS 6 Hands-on

BlackBerry recently unveiled its next generation operating system, BlackBerry 10 (BB 10), which will serve as a single platform for phones and tablets.

BB 10 provides a whole new user experience where you use swipe gestures to navigate the interface instead of relying on a home, menu or back navigation button.

One of its key features is the BlackBerry Hub, a notification center where your social and email accounts integrate. It is deliberately designed to be accessed from any app or lock screen, hence making it very convenient for you to check new notifications without quitting the app or task that you are doing.

BlackBerry has one of the best, if not the best virtual keyboards in the market. The BB 10 keyboard is able to adapt to your typing style, learns from your message history and tries to predict the next word you are typing. Used over a substantial period of time, the BB 10 keyboard is able to deliver a faster and more accurate typing experience.

If you are a loyal fan of BlackBerry's QWERTY keyboard, you will be glad to know that the company refined the design on the Q10. Whether you like a virtual or physical keyboard, BlackBerry has just the right device to meet your needs.

More Information: BlackBerry Z10 Review, BlackBerry Q10 Review, BlackBerry Live 2013

As an open-source OS, it is no wonder that Google Android has grown to become the world's most popular mobile platform. 

As Google Android offers the freedom of choice and customization, vendors are able to manufacture a range of mobile devices with different screen sizes, form factors, price points, and user interfaces to suit the needs of different consumers. Its tight integration with Google's services such as Gmail, Maps and Drive is an asset that other mobile platforms lack.

If you like the flexibility of customizing your home screens and taking more control over how your phone works, Google Android is clearly for you. 

More Information: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, Google I/O 2012: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, For Butter or For Worse.

Windows Phone 8 (WP8) does not offer a drastically different user experience from its predecessor, Windows Phone 7.

Its core still revolves around Live Tiles, which act as tiny windows that are constantly updated with the latest information. As such, you do not need to switch or jump between different apps to get the information you want. Windows Phone gives you all the necessary information with a single glance on the Start Screen.

What's different in WP8 is the new Smart Screen, where you can resize the tiles according to your preferences. This allows you to enlarge certain functions of higher importance such as Calendar to be more visible on the home screen.

Other updates include the option to enable app notifications on the lock screen, backup and restore data via Microsoft's SkyDrive, private group conversations in Rooms, NFC payment service in Wallet, and a selection of photo apps known as Lenses.

If you want a break from the typical app and widget-filled home screens, WP8 can offer you a different and refreshing experience.

More information: HWZ Tech Guide to Windows Phone 8

 

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

Getting a Phone with Contract or Without Contract? If you are renewing your contract to purchase a phone, a gentle reminder that all three telcos have rolled out new tiered smartphones in September 2012. In a nutshell, you will no longer enjoy data bundles of at least 12GB or unlimited data usage once you switch over to the new smartphone plans. Check out our illustrated overview of tiered smartphone plans for a clearer picture.

3G or 4G? So far, M1 and SingTel are the two telcos in Singapore to launch a nationwide 4G LTE network. As for StarHub, its 4G network covers 60% of the island with a focus on outdoor coverage. Island-wide street-level coverage is expected by end of the year and pervasive in-building coverage is slated thereafter in the future. We did a mid-year review of the telcos' 4G LTE network in April. You may want to check the two articles (1) (2) out to have an idea of where the different telcos stand with regrards to 4G LTE coverage across the island. 

More and more 4G-enabled mobile devices are entering the market and the telcos are actively promoting the adoption of 4G. If you want to enjoy faster mobile data connectivity, it is advisable to get a 4G phone but you have to take note that 4G phones generally have lower battery life. In addition, you are likely to switch to the new tiered plans and be limited by the lower data bundles. If you want to find out more about 4G LTE, do check out our 4G LTE Tech Guide. Do not know which devices are 4G-enabled? Fret not as we have compiled a list of devices with 4G LTE support.

Check out the latest mobile phones at our HardwareZone Mobile Phones Product Guide.

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