The first time I saw the leaked ads of the F9, I honestly thought OPPO was finally going to release its very first water-proof (or at least splash-resistant) phone. As it turns out, those layouts that prominently featured water was an allusion to the F9’s new take on the notch—which they call the water drop display.
Barely four months after the well-received F7, OPPO has revealed its successor, the F9, Wednesday night at the Shangri-La Fort with celebrity endorsers Joshua Garcia, Julia Barretto, Glaiza de Castro, Robi Domingo, Gretchen Ho, and Sanya Lopez.
Aside from the waterdrop notch, the F9 also boasts of several major upgrades including fast charging, a bigger RAM and a dual rear camera setup. Also worth mentioning are its stunning gradient color combinations-- Sunrise Red, Twilight Blue and Starry Purple. The brand say they utilized a special spraying technique to achieve the refined gradient partnered with flower petal pattern in the phone’s body.
Just like what they did in the Find X with the stealth cameras, I must say the waterdrop is another pretty neat concept to create that all screen phone. Inspired by the water droplet, it gives the F9 an almost entirely bezel-less screen with an extremely high screen-to-body ratio of 90.8%. Its impressive 6.3-inch screen has a resolution of 2340x1080 and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9.
For its cameras, the F9 is the first in the F series to be equipped with AI-enhanced dual rear cameras (16MP + 2MP). The two cameras work together to create a depth of field and achieve a great Bokeh effect. Sixteen independent and 800 combined scenes can be recognized by AI Scene Recognition.
And because OPPO is a Selfie expert’s dream phone, the F9 comes with a 25MP front-facing camera with a re-invented 'Sensor-HDR' technology. This feature dramatically improves backlight selfies and allows users to check high dynamic exposure live effects in real-time. The F9 can accurately collect 296 feature points for each subject, referencing them against its massive database of facial images and analyzing features before making enhancements that are customized for each subject. The AI Beauty Technology can provide users with 8 million different beautification effects, personalizing selfies in the most attractive way possible while keeping the natural look of each human subject. In addition, the F9 supports multiple interesting camera features such as AR Stickers, vivid mode and slow-motion video.
No time to charge? No worries as OPPO’s VOOC Flash Charge Technology provides a charging speed of up to four times faster than regular charging. This means that a quick 5-minute charge is enough to enable 2 hours of talk time.
OPPO was actually one of the first to introduce fast charging via VOOC in 2014 and has gained over 500 patents used by over 90 million consumers. VOOC utilizes an intelligent five-layer protection system from the adaptor to the port and interior of the phone. VOOC replaced the voltage reducing circuit with an MCU, effectively preventing the mobile phone from overheating while charging and making VOOC an ingenious, fast charging technology. Even better is that you can use your phone and still keep the speed of fast charging, which high voltage fast charge cannot do.
Finally, the F9 sets a new standard for mid-range smartphones as it now comes with a 6GB RAM + 64GB. It also supports two sim cards slots and one 256GB storage card slot.
“The launch of the OPPO F9 serves as a major milestone for the company as it debuts world’s first technologies like the VOOC Flash Charge, gradient body, and waterdrop screen design,” OPPO Philippines’ Vice President of Marketing Jane Wan said. “It has also made leaps in its rear and front cameras, hardware, and overall user experience, which we know are very important features for Filipino smartphone users. The F9 represents how our consumers inspire the brand to push boundaries and develop innovations that not only carve out trends in a technology-driven world, but also help these consumers make the most of their digitally savvy lifestyles.”
OPPO F9 Specs
MediaTek octa-core Helio P60 processor
ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU
6GB RAM
6.3-inch 19:9 aspect ratio Full HD+ LTPS IPS display, 2280 x 1080 resolution
64GB of expandable storage
16-megapixel f/1.8 and 2-megapixel rear cameras PDAF with LED flash
25-megapixel front camera with f/2.0 aperture, SONY IMX576, AI beautification
Dual SIM
3G, LTE
WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, fingerprint sensor
3500mAh battery with VOOC quick charging
Android 8.1 Oreo with ColorOS 5.2 UI
The OPPO F9 will be initially available in Sunrise Red and Twilight Blue for PHP 17,990 (6GB RAM). Freebies include an OPPO Backpack, Game Holder, Ring Holder, and a Bluetooth Headset. Additionally, consumers may avail via Home Credit at 0% interest for 9 months. It is also available with Smart at GigaX Plan 1299. Pre-order starts August 24, 2018 until August 30, 2018 where customers can get freebies worth up to PHP 3,490.
SMART WAY TO OWN THE NOTE 9
Another phone that debuted this week was the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Revealed at the much anticipated Unpacked event in New York City last August 9, the new super powerful Samsung Galaxy Note9 is designed for heavy multitaskers who strive for unstoppable excellence.
The S-Pen now has Bluetooth and lets you take photos and selfies, direct presentations, and control voice recording. The Samsung Galaxy Note9 also offers the next evolution of Samsung Dex, allowing you to connect the smartphone to a monitor, keyboard and mouse for a convenient desktop experience while you access your apps, files, and documents.
Samsung’s latest flagship comes with a 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Infinity display – the Korean giant’s largest Infinity display yet – for a more immersive and richer mobile entertainment experience, plus an advanced AI-assisted camera with super slow motion and dual aperture for professional level photography. Moreover, it features a long-lasting 4000maH battery to power all your mobile activities across your favorite apps throughout the day.
Having used the first five Notes, I’d say this one packs a lot of cool upgrades, however, it also comes with a very high high price tag. So if you really want the Note 9 you might want to get it via a Smart GigaX plan.
Under Smart’s the data-packed GigaX Plans, you can get the Galaxy Note9 at Php2,799 per month, inclusive of monthly 15G data that comprise of 10GB video streaming and 5GB for surfing websites and enjoying online apps. The plan also includes monthly unlimited texts to all networks, and 60 minutes of calls to all networks under a 24-month contract.
As an awesome bonus, customers who will pre-order from August 11 to 19, 2018 can also enjoy up to Php18,000 worth of Samsung freebies to complement your Samsung Galaxy Note9 experience: a FREE Gear Fit 2 Pro, Gear IconX wireless earbuds, and a 1-year Nanofixit screen protection with the 512GB variant. If you opt for the 128GB variant, you get a FREE Gear Fit 2 Pro plus Nanofixit screen protection.
By leveling up to the new Smart GigaX Plans, you can optimize Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone powered by the country’s fastest LTE network, based on the latest Speedtest report by Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis.
Using over 2.1 million user-initiated on LTE-capable handsets in Q1-Q2 2018, Ookla cited Smart as fastest network in the Philippines, delivering average download speeds of 17.25 Mbps and average upload speeds of 7.65 Mbps.
BOOMING SOUNDS AND A TRIP TO VEGAS
If you’ve been reading my previous columns and my blog (whereiseduy.com), you know that I am such sucker for speakers and headphones; and that if I ever win the lotto, I’d probably build a separate room and fill it with all sorts of audio equipment. I’m not much of an expert, but I do love to listen to my favorite songs with the volume at max just to enjoy the booming sounds that reverberate with all the thud, clatter and tinkles.
One of the speakers that I’ve been checking out is the JBL Boombox. This powerful and portable Bluetooth speaker delivers enormous sound and the hardest-hitting bass to bring the roar and the rumble of your music all day. With just a single charge, you can party all day, all night thanks to its humongous 20,000mAh battery. You can even use it to charge your phone or tablet while you rock to the music.
It’s also ruggedly designed so you can bring it almost anywhere. The IPX7 waterproof casing makes it an ideal all-weather speaker for your indoor or outdoor parties: by the garden, the beach or at poolside. With a few button pushes, you can switch modes to optimize sound quality, with deeper, richer bass in enclosed spaces, or stronger and capacious sound when you bring it outside. And if in case the JBL Boombox is not yet enough, the JBL Connect+ feature lets you add more speakers within Bluetooth range.
If the boombox is a bit too big for you, you might want to check out the JBL GO2. Despite its small form factor, it packs a punch with with its signature JBL sound. So you can stream your music from your phone or tablet or use it as a speakerphone and still enjoy crystal clear sound. It also has an IPX7 waterproof design and you can even choose from 12 colors designs.
If you are planning to get a new speaker, now might just be the perfect time to do it because JBL is raffling off a trip to Las Vegas!
From July 1 to August 31, 2018 purchase any JBL, Harman Kardon, or AKG products at all participating JBL concept stores, kiosks or authorized dealers in the country and you get the chance to win a trip to Las Vegas for the JBL Fest 2018. This year, the JBL Fest will be headlined by PitBull and Ellie Goulding. To qualify, go to www.jblfest.com.ph and register to get a raffle entry that corresponds to the amount of product purchased. The JBL Fest 2018 promo is open to all JBL customers in the Philippines and should have a valid passport and US visa.
This article first appeared on the Business Mirror
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