O+ USA has just announced a surprisingly affordable new smartphone today. Packing a 5 inch HD screen, 1GHz quad core CPU, 3GB RAM, and 32GB of internal storage, the newly unveiled O+ Xfinity is coming off as a ... Read More
This article, O+ Xfinit Announced Packing 3GB RAM, 32GB Storage and LTE!, was originally published at www.NoypiGeeks.com - The source of Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
Two for the price of one: O+ USA has announced a new convertible that runs not just one, but two operating systems, Android 5.1 Lollipop and Windows 10. Meet the O+ Duo.
Although ... Read More
This article, O+ Duo: a convertible that supports Windows 10, Android Lollipop dual-boot capability, was originally published at www.NoypiGeeks.com - The source of Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
O+ USA has announced a new smartphone, the Ultra 2.0.
The O+ Ultra 2.0 has a lot to offer, and its biggest selling point is the storage. Not only does it have a ... Read More
This article, O+ Ultra 2.0 smartphone announced, was originally published at www.NoypiGeeks.com - The source of Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
If you find the recently announced Ultra 2.0 too extreme for its price and features, O+ USA has a toned-down smartphone for you. It’s the O+ Ultra Lite.
Unlike the Ultra 2.0 phablet, ... Read More
This article, O+ Ultra Lite: big battery, big memory, was originally published at www.NoypiGeeks.com - The source of Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
Is your smartphone disappointingly small? Upsize it! That is, check out O+ USA’s latest phablet with 40GB worth of storage you can use right off the shelf—the O+ Upsized.
To break it down, ... Read More
This article, O+ Upsized offers 40GB storage right out of the box, was originally published at www.NoypiGeeks.com - The source of Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
It is a business strategy to most smartphone manufacturer to bombard the market with new devices, and see which one will sell and make it out alive. For one, we have O+, a company that is releasing new ... Read More
This article, O+ Xfinit Review, was originally published at www.NoypiGeeks.com - The source of Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
The advancement of technology prompted the possibility of almost everything. From individual devices that offer different set of features, to cater people with particular needs; to devices that have a jack-of-all-trades character, which can basically do everything under ... Read More
This article, O+ Duo Review: Dual OS Windows and Android device, was originally published at www.NoypiGeeks.com - The source of Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
O+ USA has announced another storage upgrade on one of their existing products.
O+ Notepad 4G with Intellipen is easily one of our favorite devices the company has every released. It has a small netbook-ish form ... Read More
This article, O+ Notepad 4G 2.0 laptop/tablet hybrid now comes with 128GB internal storage, was originally published at www.NoypiGeeks.com - The source of Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
Not long ago we released a review about the O+ Duo — a budget-friendly Tablet hybrid that boots both Android and Windows. The device was aimed for those people looking for something that balances their work/school life and ... Read More
This article, O+ NotePad 4G Intellipen Review, was originally published at www.NoypiGeeks.com - The source of Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
O+ USA has announced their first ever smartphone running on Google’s latest Android OS.
It took a while before the company jumped into the Marshmallow party but it’s finally here. The O+ M is an entry-level ... Read More
This article, O+ M: An affordable Android Marshmallow smartphone, was originally published at www.NoypiGeeks.com - The source of Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
O+ USA has announced two new affordable smartphones.
O+ Venti is a huge 6-inch phablet and its the direct successor to the widely popular O+ Grande. Yup, they’re named like the sizes from a popular coffee shop. The Venti has a low-resolution qHD display, but it has IPS so the screen is quite good when viewed from different angles. It’s powered by a quad-core processor and 8GB of internal storage expandable up to 64GB via microSD.
O+ Upsized is a bit smaller than the Venti at just 5.5-inches, but it does come with a sharper 720p display. It seems like it’s equipped with the same processor and same set of shooters. Check out the rest of the internals below:
Both phones are now available on all O+ stores, kiosks, and dealers nationwide. O+ Venti costs Php6,395 while the O+ Upsized is priced at Php5,395.
This article, O+ Venti and O+ Upsized officially announced, was originally published at www.NoypiGeeks.com - Your Source of Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
O+ USA has announced a new smartphone + mobile internet package.
The O+ Online Supreme Kit is the company’s first package ever. It includes an O+ Selfie smartphone and a bundle of FREE Smart Prepaid SIM and 1 year of FREE internet (100MB/month). A TNT SIM with FREE SMS, Facebook, Viber and Twitter usage is also in the package.
The O+ Selfie is a capable smartphone on its own. And at only Php2,690, it’s a decent smartphone. Add all the freebies that O+ included in the package and it’s an awesome deal. The free internet’s data cap is not so much, but it’s a nice touch nonetheless.
The O+ Online Supreme Kit is now available on all O+ USA stores, kiosks, and dealers nationwide for only Php2,650.
This article, O+ Online Supreme Kit: Quad-core O+ Selfie Phone + 1 year internet for only Php2,650, was originally published at www.NoypiGeeks.com - Your Source of Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
O+ outs two new devices a few months back. Devices that have familiar names; which were the O+ Upsized and the O+ Venti. Does it ring a bell, coffee aficionados? These titles came from large coffee drink serving sizes.
And just like what it portrays, these two new devices are a bit on the enormous side. Or as how we address it on the tech space, phablets. But, it doesn’t stop there. O+ really wants the users to “Live Big” by including a free Sandisk 32GB microSD card inside, which makes both devices capable of storing 40GB of files. For today, we’re taking a closer look at the O+ Venti.
Does this device justify its Php6,395 price tag? An asking price that is quite assuming, in contrast to its targeted competition. Let’s figure that out.
The Venti’s overall aesthetics is really refreshing. It is a real departure from O+’s usual design language. It sure is still made primarily of plastic, but this time around, the use of plastic is really forgivable, considering how good looking it is.
The front quite resembles the flagship HTC devices, with its two front-facing speaker grills. However, the bottom one is the only actual loudspeaker, the one at the top only houses the earpiece for calls. And since we’re here, let us talk about the loudspeaker, which is not that good for our taste. Sound quality is fair, but the volume is just too low. Thankfully, it is in the front, so we can fully utilize its potential.
I also loved the semi-rounded corners, the breathing LED notification indicator at the bottom, the textured rounded design accent that surrounds the camera and the flash, and the color variant that we have, which is the Dark Blue. Thank God it’s not the Rose Gold, which is the only other option.
This is where things start to get disappointing. On the Php5k to Php10k price range, we can do expect a 1080p display, with a 720p as the worst case scenario. What I didn’t expect is that we can still get something worse than that. The O+ Venti features a qHD display, not to confuse with the high-end QHD one which has a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution. That’s far south from a 1080p, or even a 720p display.
However, sharpness is really not that bad. The difference is hardly noticeable when compared to a 720p panel. Besides, the bigger the display, the farther we look at it.
The O+ Venti as a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, Mali-400MP GPU, and 1GB of RAM. Yup, only 1GB of RAM, which is a bit disappointing.
Processing performance is something to be expected. Games ran okay, thanks to its pretty powerful processor and graphics card, but opening a game is a different story. It takes a full two to three seconds before an app starts when multitasking, thanks to its small RAM. For casual social media browsing and multitasking, it can also perform very well.
Check out these benchmark test results:
The O+ Venti runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop. Thankfully, just like all of the company’s devices, it’s dressed in full stock-Android interface. No fuss, no nonsense shenanigans.
Probably the only hurdle I saw, and this is actually a shared problem to almost all Android devices, is the existence of bloatwares. Not only that it takes precious storage space, but it also results in some applications having duplicates, which is a real eyesore. There are two Camera app, Calendar, different internet browsers, and photo gallery. Some Android manufacturers have already addressed this issue by giving way to Google’s native apps and refraining from trying to push their own.
But nonetheless, User-experience is pretty much okay. The entire UI is generally smooth and fluid. And if we’re judging the interface itself, there’s nothing to complain about.
Of course, let’s not forget the Air Shuffle. Which lets you control the FM Radio, Music, Gallery and Camera by hovering your palm at the display. Off-screen gestures are also present, which lets you draw letters while the display is off which corresponds to an app shortcut. Double-tap to wake is also here.
The O Plus Venti boasts an 8-megapixel primary camera, and a 5-megapixel front-facing one. Image quality is not something to brag about – it take decent to impressive photos, but nothing too special about it.
The sensor used is very identical, if not the same, to almost all 8-megapixel shooter on this price range. We’ve seen a lot of this before, and we’re seeing it again. Colors are middling, contrast is just okay; sharpness is impressive, although zooming in reveals a lot of software manipulation. But what surprised me is the impressive dynamic range. Dark areas are still present without overblowing the highlights.
The front-facing camera does a satisfying job. The images sure aren’t sharp, but it is bright with decent color reproduction, which makes it perfect for video calls, even in low-light scenarios. It can also take acceptable selfies, depending on your tolerance.
Samples shots:
The device has WiFi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 and of course, the Venti’s main marketing front, 4G LTE connectivity.
During my tests, Bluetooth 4.0 was pretty reliable. I have tried connecting the device to a wireless speaker and showed no disconnection or track stutters. The WiFi also didn’t drop even on long range.
4G LTE also worked well. Speeds may really vary depending on your location. On my test, I’ve used a Smart 4G LTE sim and was able to get download speeds of 12mbps, up to 23.94mbps. You can check the screenshot for some speed test results.
The Venti has a pretty substantial battery capacity, something that isn’t really surprising for a phablet like this. We do have a large 3,00mAh non-removable battery. Yup, despite the back cover being removable, O+ still decided to screw it in and hide the module.
Battery performance is not that impressive, but it’s quite good. Screen-on time exceeded our 4-four passing mark, but not by a large margin. While light to moderate usage lasted the device a whole day, it sure needs to be recharged every night.
O+ USA is definitely one of the most trusted brands here in the local market. With their distinct combination of quality, hardware, and price – they’ve captured the hearts of the consumers.
The O+ Venti has a refreshing new design and a large display, and that is perfect for people who are really in the market for large devices. It’s a ginormous phablet that has a capable processor, but the 1GB of RAM under the hood is really hitting the performance.
But on the brighter side, the O+ Venti offers 4G LTE, Android Lollipop, a free 32GB microSD card, and the said large 6” display. If you’re an O+ USA phone, then this one’s for you.
Pros
Cons
This article, O+ Venti Review, was originally published at www.NoypiGeeks.com - Your Source of Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
O+ USA has a new budget smartphone – O+ 8.98.
It’s been a while since O+ last released a new smartphone, and it seems like we finally got a new one listed on their website. However, it’s a bit disappointing because it’s not a flagship handset. It’s been almost two years since its last high-end phone. Anyway, having another option in the budget category isn’t a bad thing either, right?
The O+ 8.98 is a simple smartphone that can get all the basic things done. It’s powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 1GB RAM. There’s no information on the screen resolution so we’re guessing it’s lower than HD. There’s 16GB of internal storage and it’s expandable up to 32GB more via microSD. Knowing O+, they may even throw in a free microSD in the package (not sure though).
It’s by no means a weak phone, but don’t expect it to run the AAA game titles on the Play Store. Browsing the webs, social media apps, and playing casual games are certainly doable on the O+ 8.98. It won’t be blazing fast, but it’s good enough for most tasks. Take a look at the full list of specifications below.
Of course, given its price point, O+ had to cut some corners. It’s running on an old Android 5.1 operating system and only has a mediocre battery life. If you want something better, the O+ M is only Php1,000 more and you’ll get a better display, more storage, longer battery life, and Android Marshmallow as OS.
O+ 8.98 is priced at Php3,395 and it’s now available on O+ USA stores and authorized dealers nationwide.
Source: O+ USA | Via: Siena Mobile
This article, O+ 8.98 affordable Android smartphone now available for Php3,395, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
O+ USA unveils its latest smartphone with a massive 144GB of storage – O+ Ultra 3.0.
O+ Ultra 3.0 is the successor of the Ultra 2.0, a phone which made its mark because of ‘Yaya Dub’ and its long lasting battery. The third installment is very likely to succeed as well because it improved upon the key features consumers want.
First, O+ calls the Ultra 3.0 the #PhotographersChoice. It’s kind of hard to gauge this bold claim because we have yet to see the device perform in person, so take it with a grain of salt. The company describes it as a great smartphone for taking pictures for Instagram. It’s got a better low light imaging capabilities to capture beautiful photos even with little lighting. There’s an 8-megapixel rear shooter and 5-megapixel camera in front.
Related: O+ 8.98 affordable Android smartphone now available for Php3,395
For starters, it’s powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM and Mali-400 MP2 GPU. It’s now running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow too, which is a great addition. Out of all the upgrades, I like the extra 700mAh capacity the most – up from the previous 4000mAh. Here’s the full list of specifications:
UPDATE: Our written and video review of the O+ Ultra 3.0 is now up!
The upgrades didn’t come for free, though. O Plus puts a premium to the Ultra by adding Php2,000 to its price. But considering the improvements, it’s very much understandable. With this move, they’re inching closer to a more competitive market dominated by the likes of ASUS, OPPO and Samsung.
O+ Ultra 3.0 is now available on all O+ stores, kiosks and dealers nationwide for Php8,995.
This article, O+ Ultra 3.0 with 144GB storage and 2 days battery life now official, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
Smart Communications Inc. and O+ USA has released the newest fruit of their partnership – O+ Presto 700 LTE.
The O+ Presto 700 LTE banks on its high-speed data connection capability and 700MHz support – a band that significantly improves mobile data connection. Aside from that, it’s a pretty decent smartphone for not a lot of money. First, it’s running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow which is second to the latest version of Android. It’s powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core chipset but unfortunately is a little short on RAM having only 512MB.
Other features include an 8-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel in front. It also has a 5-inch screen with FWVGA resolution and 2000mAh of battery.
This time Smart isn’t phasing out the previous Smart prepaid phone kit Starmobile Play Click just yet. Instead, they will be simultaneously available together. The Play Click is for those who don’t need much from a smartphone – 4.5-inch screen, quad-core CPU, Android Lollipop – all for only Php1,288.
But for those who want an additional oomph, the O+ Presto 700 LTE is a great choice. To be honest, it’s really not a device for those who already dipped their feet wet in the smartphone world, but rather for those who just want to jump in and get a feel of it.
Along with its affordable price, buyers would also get Php30 of monthly load rebates when they top-up at least Php100 per month. Another addition is FREE 100MB of mobile data per month for 1 whole year. How’s that for a deal?
O+ Presto 700 LTE is now available at Smart Online Store for a price of only Php2,188 + Php300 worth of load purchase.
This article, O+ Presto 700 LTE Smart Prepaid Phone Kit now available for Php2,188, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
O+ USA has unveiled a new budget smartphone with Digital TV – O+ Stream HDTV.
Announced several days ago, the O+ Stream HDTV is the company’s first smartphone that comes with the ability to watch TV shows on the go. And not only that, it can record those shows, too.
The O+ Stream HDTV features a 5-inch IPS display with an unidentified resolution. We’re guessing it’s either WVGA or qHD, because they would probably put 720p there if it’s HD. Since they didn’t, it’s more than likely to be less than HD resolution.
Related: O+ Ultra 3.0 with 144GB storage and 2 days battery life
It comes with a 1.2GHz quad-core chipset but not much information has been revealed as of the moment. Consumers shouldn’t expect too much, though. It’s probably 512MB RAM, but we’re hoping that it’s 1GB. Again, if it was 1GB, they would’ve revealed it straight away.
Anyway, that’s not the main selling point of this device. If you want something a little more powerful, there’s plenty of choices. However, there’s no digital TV feature in most of them. An example is the O+ 8.98 smartphone which offers the same specs for only Php3,395. Another is the Smart X O+ USA device – O+ Presto 700 LTE. It’s an incredible value for its low Php2,199 price tag, and I highly suggest it if you’re not after the digital TV.
The Stream HDTV also come equipped with a 5-megapixel rear camera at the back and 2-megapixel in front. The phone have different back case designs available. There’s a total of designs to choose from: Metro, Paint, Art, Jive, and Splash. Check them out and see which one you like.
O+ Stream HDTV will be available on O+ stores, kiosks, and retailers nationwide for a price of only Php3,995.
This article, O+ Stream HDTV is an affordable smartphone with Digital TV feature, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
O+ USA has announced a new flagship smartphone after a long while – the O+ Compact Pro.
Before reading the rest of what is has to offer, I’d like to give a quick reminder. If you’re after the best price-to-specs ratio handset, stop reading and look somewhere else. That’s not O+’s game, and it seems like they’re continuing it right now. To be fair, they’ve always boasted about being more sturdy than its competition and they really are – to some extent.
The O+ Compact Pro has a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS scratch resistant screen in front with a 5-megapixel selfie shooter at the top. All the buttons are located on the right side, while the other are pretty bare except for the headphone jack at the top. There’s also no home button in sight, as it utilizes on-screen buttons for operations. The build is made of plastic, with probably the same feel to other more affordable O+ smartphones like the Ultra 3.0.
Since it’s a flagship, we expect it to come with top-notch specs. But it doesn’t. It’s powered by an unspecified octa-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz each and a measly 2GB of RAM. You read that right – not 3GB, not 4GB, but 2GB. In terms of storage, it’s a little buffed, having a total of 80GB – 16GB of internal plus an additional FREE 64GB SanDisk microSD card.
Perhaps computing power isn’t really a concern for the brand. The O+ Compact Pro has a ” professional camera performance” with the help of its “dual Ultra HD” camera. On my first look, I thought they equipped the device with a dual-camera setup, but I was wrong. They are actually talking about the cameras both in the front and back. The rear shooter is a 13-megapixel sensor with Back Side Illumination, f/2.0 aperture, and dual LED flash. The company claims that you can get “DSLR-quality photos” with the handset. Whether that’s true or not, we will just reserve judgment until our review.
As usual, it will come with loads of O+ USA’s custom proprietary software features such as peace to selfie and air gestures. To be honest, there’s not much to like about this phone considering its steep price. But if it helps, the company is also throwing in a pair of FREE JBL earphones in the package.
There’s two color options: titanium and rose gold. Another important thing to note is that it’s quite bulky, even though its battery capacity is not that large. On paper, I’m quite underwhelmed as I expected more from the brand. Nevertheless, we’re going to try it out and let you know what we think about it.
O+ Compact Pro is priced at Php11,395 and it will be available on all O+ stores, kiosks, and authorized dealers nationwide.
This article, O+ Compact Pro: 5.5-inch Full HD Display, Octa-core CPU, 80GB storage, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
O+ USA has another new smartphone just in time for the holidays.
The company already has a lot of products in the entry-level market, but it doesn’t hurt to have more options, right? And they vary in design, so that’s a valid point in choosing a device. For example, the O+ Stream HDTV has a unique and cool design which is fit for younger kids. On the other hand, the O+ Velocity can cater to the more mature audience because of its simplisic design.
O+ Velocity 700 LTE has a 5-inch screen with an unspecified resolution as well as a MediaTek quad-core chipset. These days a bare minimum of 1GB of RAM is ideal to help make the handset run smoother and perform better. Fortunately, there’s a sufficient 8GB of internal storage to store a number of apps and games. Since it’s running on Marshmallow, you can use a microSD card as extra storage and move apps there as well.
As you might expect, the cameras are pretty basic. In front is a 2-megapixel shooter for selfies and video calls while the back contains a 5-megapixel sensor with LED flash. Also, just like every other O+ phone, it supports dual SIM.
Related: O+ Compact Pro: 5.5-inch Full HD Display, Octa-core CPU, 80GB storage
The O+ Velocity is considerably thick at 142 x 72 x 9.2 mm, but it fails in the battery department. Its 1800mAh capacity surely won’t go a long way through the day. It would’ve been great if they filled that space with a larger battery, but they didn’t – probably too keep the cost low. For smartphones in this price range, it’s acceptable but other handsets did a better job. That means that you would need to bring a powerbank or charger in case you want to do something heavy like watching movies and gaming.
O+ Velocity 700 LTE is available for purchase on the company’s online shop as well as authorized dealers nationwide for Php3,595. The package includes a free TNT SIM card with free Facebook, Twitter, and Viber for the first seven days of use plus two days of unlimited texts to all networks. Additionally, it comes with freebies from Smart Communications. For 1 year, it will come with 100MB free mobile data every month and another 500MB if the user accumulates over Php150 each month.
Source: O+ USA
This article, O+ Velocity 700 LTE: Quad-core CPU, 1GB RAM, and Marshmallow for Php3,595, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
The O+ Ultra line-up is one of the few range of smartphone in the market that delivers extra large batteries. This category is seeming to be an emerging one, as most people are getting tired of charging their devices several times a day.
Both the first and the second iteration of the Ultra had large 4000mAh batteries. And now, the company is stepping it up a bit more with the O+ Ultra 3.0. The third iteration now has a larger 4700mAh battery. Plus, O+ also claims that this is a “Photographer’s Choice” smartphone.
However, upon comparing the spec sheet with its predecessors, the device has the same characteristics with its older brothers. So, the question is this – will the larger battery be enough to satisfy a customer, even those who are just looking for a device that lasts more than a day? Does the O Plus Ultra 3.0 really has what it takes to be admired by photographers? That’s what we’ll need to figure out.
O+ tweaked the Ultra’s looks this time around. As what I have said in our first generation O+ Ultra review, it really did feel like a utilitarian device with its tall build and sharp corners, which really strained my hand after hours of use. But it is now a completely different scenario with the O+ Ultra 3.0. The device now has rounded corners, and the edges at the back are now also curved to increase ergonomics when holding the device. This rounded aesthetic is also carried at the front, thanks to its 2.5D arc glass. The front panel is slightly curved at the edges as well.
However, the O+ Ultra 3.0 is still entirely made with plastic, which is actually a good thing rather than bad. First, it made the price still relatively cheaper. Second, the device is surprisingly thin, despite the large 4700mAh that’s inside it.
Speaking of the battery, the back panel is removable, but the battery isn’t. O Plus may have some confidential technology on how they were able to achieve such large capacity that’s why they sealed it in. No, they probably don’t, I’m just kidding. But still, users will now have a hard time replacing the batteries when they start to crap out over time or swap it with a fully-charged one when it runs out of juice. Battery longevity is extremely long these days, so you probably wouldn’t need to anyway.
Taking a tour, we have a large 5.5” IPS display in front, together with the earpiece, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with LED flash, ambient light and proximity sensors, and the capacitive buttons with an outdated layout. Yup, despite the fact that I liked how they utilize the chin of the device other than having on-screen buttons to save precious screen real-estate, the button’s order and functions doesn’t please me. The layout is Menu, Home button, and back; instead of Back, Home and Recent Apps. I am also surprised that they still didn’t include a Recent apps button as you have to long-press the Home button to activate it. Holding the middle button must also give you access to Google’s On Tap feature, which we are now missing in this case.
Left side is clean, while at the right we have the volume controls and the lock/power switch. The buttons felt satisfying to press, quite mushy but still decently tactile.
At the top, we have the 3.5mm headphone jack. I strongly believe that this port should be at the bottom of the device, as using the device while a headphone is plugged in at the top is quite irritating.
At the bottom, we have the microUSB port and two speaker grills. The one on the right serves as the actual loudspeaker, while the left has the built-in microphones. The speaker quality on this thing is pretty decent. It has decent volume when playing music or watching videos, but clarity is a little disappointing. Also, this thing can get easily muffled and go completely muted when you’re using the device in landscape as your fingers may obstruct it.
At the back, we have this stealthy, yet luxurious looking brownish back panel. When removed, it shows the non-removable 4700mAh battery, two micro SIM card slots, and of course, the 8-megapixel primary camera with LED flash.
On the downside, we don’t see a microSD card slot in here. And I’m suspecting that the board actually has it, and O+ may have pre-occupied it with a 128GB microSD card. The O+ Ultra 3.0 may probably only have a 16GB of internal storage, then the addition of an extra 128GB – that’s a total of 144GB, the storage capacity that the company is bragging about.
Overall, I’m pretty impressed with the O+ Ultra 3.0’s design and build quality. It’s straightforward, lightweight and subtle.
The O+ Ultra 3.0 has a large 5.5-inch IPS 2.5D arc display, which only has 1280 x 720 pixel resolution. It’s got a pixel density of 267.
Now, there’s actually pros and cons of only having a 720p panel on the Ultra 3.0. Having a 720p panel means that there are fewer pixels to power, which compliments the long-lasting battery title that the brand brags. But on the bad side, having a panel with fewer pixel count on a large 5.5-inch screen isn’t really ideal. The integrity of the sharpness and details are now at stake.
But nonetheless, unless you’re pixel peeping, the display quality is still acceptable for the average consumer. Colors are decent, with deep blacks. The large display gives a really large real estate for productivity and immersive gaming.
This is where things get a bit disappointing. The O+ Ultra 3.0 has a MediaTek MT6580 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a Mali-400MP GPU. The processing power that this thing has is quite underwhelming, even on paper. We’ve seen other devices in this price range that even have an octa-core processor. But I guess processing performance is not the focus of this device.
With that said, I did experience a lot of bumps while using this device. Browsing through social media applications like Facebook and Instagram, and even just through the home screen, there is some noticeable bumpiness. Gaming experience is also middling. All game titles are playable with decent frame rates, but it isn’t as smooth as what I have expected. However, if you plan to run the latest AAA titles, get ready to get disappointed.
Also, 2GB of RAM feels too small these days due to the existence of 3GB and 4GB options. With the Ultra 3.0, it would take a few seconds for an app to launch (because they are not kept in RAM). Also, switching between applications isn’t as seamless when compared to the competition.
But on the flip side, thanks to its underpowered processor, I didn’t experience any overheating issues when playing games extensively. Well, at least we have that one.
Like what I’ve said earlier, the device has a total of 144GB of storage, which is immensely large even to some enthusiasts. In my experience, I was able to save my whole Spotify library offline which
consists hundreds of songs and albums. I was also able to store a whole season of Big Bang Theory, and there was still a lot of room left to store other media.
And since O+ was really promoting the storage prowess of this device, the company also included a USB OTG cable on the package, filled with pure O+ looks thanks to that obvious branding and the red color theme.
The O+ Ultra 3.0 runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. And just like any other smartphones in this category, the interface isn’t tailored with any manufacturer-made interface. Which, as what we’ve seen in other devices like the Asus Zenfone 3, can cause the device to be bogged down a little.
With that said, the O Plus Ultra 3.0 is clean and uncluttered, like what it really should be. Everything that Android intended to happen is displayed here, especially on their Marshmallow update. However, the Now on Tap feature is missing on this device. The said feature works when you long press the home capacitive buttons, but on the Ultra 3.0’s case, it displays the Recent Apps tab, instead of triggering the Now on Tap feature.
But nonetheless, all of the other features are working fine. Plus, we’re also seeing other standard features that we previously saw on other O+ devices: the trademark Air Shuffle technology, which the company pioneered is still here – allowing you to control your music, gallery, camera and FM Radio just by hovering your palm at the top (sensor) of the device.
Doodle control is also present, which lets you draw specific shapes and/or letters to quickly launch an application when the screen is off. The designated app per shape/letters are can be customized on the settings menu. Double tap to wake is also available.
Now, to answer the question, “Is the O+ Ultra 3.0 a photographer’s choice smartphone?”, the answer is a definite “No.”. Although don’t get me wrong, this is not the worst thing that I have seen on a smartphone, but it is also not the best. So clearly, it really won’t appeal to photographers.
We have an 8-megapixel primary camera with LED flash that delivers decent performance. Photos taken looks sharp, dynamic range is decent and colors look a bit pale but quite acceptable. Shooting at low-light scenarios is also middling. Photos are serviceable, but not as stunning as it should be.
The 5-megapixel front-facing camera also has satisfactory performance. It clearly is not made for extensive self-portrait shooting, but it sure is capable of making video calls.
Now this is probably the most left out section of this device. The device only has Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and 3G HSPA+ networks. Yup, that’s all we get, not even a 4G LTE connectivity.
It’s 2016 alread and I believe that almost all of devices that are being offered today should be capable of supporting 4G networks. Entry-level handsets should be exempted, but missing it out in this price range is completely unacceptable. With the applications and internet activities becoming more data extensive, network antennas should be able to cope up.
The 3G connection of the O+ Ultra 3.0 wouldn’t cut it. It even has troubles in connecting to networks at times; I tried toggling on the wireless data, and it took about half a minute before it got connected. We’re not sure if this is just specifically with out unit, though.
And now to the main event of this O+ Ultra 3.0 review. Like I have said earlier, the O+ Ultra 3.0 has a 4700mAh battery capacity. That’s 700mAh more than the previous iterations.
The results that I’ve garnered from my tests were unsurprisingly impressive. Screen-on time reached up to 5 hours and 40 mins, that is significantly longer than the standard 4-hour mark that I’m getting in other devices.
O+ also said that the device can last for up to 2 days with light to moderate usage, but I was even able to reach a third day, with still 15% battery left. Now if that ain’t impressive, I don’t know what is.
To wrap it up, I think the O+ Ultra 3.0 is really targeted to those people who are serious about their battery game. And why not? The entire line-up is made for that. However, I think it is just not fair to disregard the other components of this device. This thing is worth Php8,995, and I think having a large 4700mAh battery and 144GB of onboard storage wouldn’t be enough to justify its asking price.
I can forgive O+ for compromising some things. Having a 720p panel rather than a 1080p one is forgivable, thus also complimenting its intended prowess. The all-plastic build instead of metal is actually beneficial. And lastly, its claim of “Photographer’s Choice”, I can let it pass since the sensor, despite being not the best nor worst, is still capable.
But what kind of grind my gears is the underpowered processor and the lack of 4G LTE. Like I said, it’s nearly 2017, and processing performance and connectivity hurdles should be the last thing we are facing in today’s smartphone.
But nonetheless, it’s hard to discount the fact that I’m really impressed with its battery performance. My power bank went for an indefinite leave – sometimes as long as 3 days. Also, that large 144GB of onboard storage is ridiculously spacious. You can store a 1080p whole season of a TV show, with still tons of memory left.
Overall, O+ really did deliver a really Ultra device. It gave importance to its main selling points, instead of trying to be a jack of all trades. If you’re a fan of O+ USA, you might want to check it out.
This article, O+ Ultra 3.0 Review: Battery and storage on steroids, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
