10:02 PM
gtventic
Smart Gilas Pilipinas vs Chinese Taipei Game Result: 95-78
Smart Gilas Pilipinas beats team Chinese Taipei during the quarterfinals of 2011 FIBA Asia championship held in Wuhan, China.
The Philippine team stunned Chinese Taipei with a 17-point lead, 95-78, on Friday, September 23.
Quarterscores: 9-23, 45-42, 70-57, 95-78
9:51 PM
gtventic
Smart Gilas Pilipinas vs Jordan Game Result: 61-75.
Smart Gilas Pilipinas lost to Jordan Saturday, September24, during the semifinals of 2011 FIBA Asia championship held in Wuhan, China.
Smart Gilas has defeated this team last June 1 with score of 74-72, but this time that they face once again and it’s for the slot in the finals, Jordan was more determined to win.
Jordan will meet china in the FIBA Asia 2011 Finals while Smart Gilas Pilipinas will play against Korea for third place.
Since the Philippine team is already assured of 4th placement, this can be considered their best performance at the FIBA Asia Championship since 1987 in Bangkok when they finished fourth overall.
Team Philippines has been champion of the FIBA Asia Basketball Championship 5 times: 1960, 1963, 1967, 1973, and 1985. From 1960 to 2011, we rank 2nd to China.
11:11 AM
gtventic
Smart has just announced a revamped offering for all postpaid plans with a more flexible Smart All-In Plans.
The All-In Plans allow subscribers to pick a Postpaid Plan, choose a corresponding handset that comes free with it, and select Unli Services that fits into the consumable plan.
The unlimited services include UnliTalk (Php500), UnliTxt (Php350), UnliSurf (Php1,000) — all of which can be deducted from your consumable plan.
Here’ the full line-up of Unli Services that you can choose from:
For example: You can take Plan 2500 and get the HTC Sensation for free. You now have Php2,500 of consumables. You now have an option to get UnliSurf for Php1,000, UnliTalk for Php500 and UnliTxt for Php350.
That gives you:
Php2,500 – Php1,850 (Php1,000 + Php500 + Php350) = Php650
The Php650 is your remaining consumable plan which can be used on other services (calls and text to other networks).
Lastly, Smart All-In Plans also allows you to change your Unli Services each month. All you need to do is send a text to 7577 to activate any of the Unli Services for the month.
This new postpaid offering is obviously a stab at Globe My SuperPlan but with a few differences:
Smart All-In Plans makes Unli Services inclusive of the consumable; Globe My Super Plan puts add-on services on top of consumable.Globe My Super Plan offers wider selection of add-on services.Globe My Super Plan offers additional free bucket services depending on the consumable plan (up to 9 free add-ons on Plan 3799).All Smart All-In Plans come with a 24-month lock-in period.
4:34 PM
gtventic
Last night, Smart Comm. officially launched the Netphone 701, their very own branded Android phone that’s exclusively hooked up to the SmartNet. Check out our first impression of the device and thoughts regarding the Netphone ecosystem after the jump.
While we’ve already discussed the hardware used for this project (a ZTE Blade) and the dedicated internet plans and prices under the Netphone line, here are some more information we gathered during our interview with Smart reps yesterday.
The Rationale
It is obvious that Smart is aggressively shifting its focus towards IP connectivity, seeking out that sweet spot where customers can comfortably migrate to. Revenue from text messaging and calls (most especially SMS) has significantly gone down in the past couple of years because of the internet with Facebook and Twitter as the major culprits.
The Netphone attempts to address that widening gap by offering very affordable “always on” internet plans to access popular social networks and enable IP-based messaging. We’re not categorically calling it a “walled garden” since there’s a possibility that, in the future, any Android device can actually join in.
The Hardware: Netphone 701
The handset used in this roll-off is very intriguing. It’s not the top of line in terms specs but it’s pretty decent. With a prepaid price of Php9,990, the closest Android handset in this price point would be the Samsung Galaxy Fit S5670, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro and LG Optimus One P500.
Smart Netphone (a.k.a ZTE Blade)
3.5? LCD display @ 480×800 pixels
600 MHz ARM 11 processor
Adreno 200 GPU
420MB RAM
Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset
HSDPA 7.2Mbps; HSUPA 5.76Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi hotspot
Bluetooth 2.1 w/ A2DP
3MP autofocus camera
FM radio tuner
GPS w/ aGPS support
Li-Ion battery 1250mAh
Android 2.2 Froyo
The Netphone 701 is actually a pretty decent handset considering its price. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM), ZTE, is a relatively known company and the ZTE Blade V880 is among the top selling, mid-range Android smartphones in China.
The handset is well made, pretty solid construction despite the plastic body and decent performance running Android Froyo (worth noting that it’s actually got 420MB of RAM).
Our Quadrant benchmark gave a score of 422, just a bit below the Xperia X10.
Some noticeable shortcomings include a slightly lower battery capacity (1250mAh) and a very narrow virtual keyboard.
The catch here is that you’re only able to subscribe to the special Netphone plans when you use the Netphone 701 so comparing it to other Android handsets becomes moot.
The Netphone platform and SmartNet
The Netphone platform sits on top of Android 2.2 and acts like a collection of Android apps so, essentially, you can copy these apps (the APK files) to another Android handset and they should work. In the case of the Netphone 701, some functionalities might not work since there’s an OEM API that’s attached to it.
In the future though, Smart intends to make these collection of apps available to anyone for download straight from Smart itself (OTA) or via Android Market.
When you first boot the device, you are asked to login with your Google account (or create one) the same way you do with other Android devices. You will also be asked to register your name to the SmartNet along with a photo. This information is then stored to the Global Directory of Netphone users.
The Smart Global Directory is still somewhat free for all eYellowPages — it allows you to search for people with Netphone and add them as friends on top of your existing contacts, and them chat with them for free (think BBM) as long as you’re online and logged in to SmartNet.
Downside though is that there’s no identity verification so any prepaid user can just sign in using any name (so I’m sure there will be a lot of people posing as celebrities in the network) so it could be prone to abuse.
The internet plans are attractive and very affordable if you’re heavy on Twitter and Facebook.
Our initial assessment?
The handset is pretty decent, not really an aspirational device but we might see more models in the future — which could be either a cheaper, entry-level device or a high-end flagship model. For the meantime, OEMs such as ZTE or Huawei are the likely candidates as sources for future products but it’s possible we might see one coming from HTC too (it’s all about how many units you can commit to sell, right?). The nomenclature (701) will hint of the phone’s capability (same as how Nokia is doing with their handsets) and OEM origin.
The Smart Netphone is a brave attempt at capturing a niche market. The service is currently free until end of the year so we have yet to see the baseline cost to customers who want to remain in the network after that time. The concept is innovative, even at this early stages and could spark a followwing the same way RIM’s BBM did in Indonesia.
What would really catapult it to mass-adoption is when they finally release the SmartNet apps in the Android Market for anyone to download and use.
Smart isn’t selling a handset here but the mobile internet service (they say they actually partially subsidized the units) so I say allow everyone else to gain access to that service thru readily downloadable apps. When that happens, Smart might have a winner here.
Disclosure: The unit used in the photos above was among the 10 raffle prizes Smart gave away during the media event last night.
4:02 PM
gtventic
After taking some time using the Netphone 701 under the SmartNet, I think I finally got where this is headed and how it is going to boil down. Check out our review of the Netphone 701 and the Netphone ecosystem after the jump.
We looked at two aspects in this review as they are practically married to each other — the hardware (Netphone 701) and the ecosystem (SmartNet).
The Hardware
The choice of OEM, ZTE, for the Netphone 701 is interesting. The ZTE Blade is a successful handset in China and also enjoyed some relative popularity in Europe as the Orange San Francisco.
With a 3.5? display, the Netphone 701 places itself somewhere in the mid-range category of Android smartphones. Its two-tone black and dark-brown color with silver accent reminds us of a long lost HTC device.
It’s got some heft to it despite the plastic construction and the matte finish all around the body helps prevent the unit from being slippery and prone to fingerprints. The power button and 3.5mm port is on top, volume rocker and speakers are on the right side, microUSB port on the left and mic at the bottom.
The front panel is all glass with a single, thin strip of button at the bottom for the usual Android controls (Home, Menu and Back). The LCD display is bright, crisp and sports a high pixel density of 270dpi at 480×800 resolution. There’s some noticeable LED light leaking out of the side when the screen is set to a dark background — nothing biggie to worry about.
Smart Netphone 701 specs:
3.5? LCD display @ 480×800 pixels
600 MHz ARM 11 processor
Adreno 200 GPU
512MB RAM
Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset
HSDPA 7.2Mbps; HSUPA 5.76Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi hotspot
Bluetooth 2.1 w/ A2DP
3MP autofocus camera
FM radio tuner
GPS w/ aGPS support
Li-Ion battery 1250mAh
Android 2.2 Froyo
The 3.2-megapixel camera at the back is said to be autofocus but the focusing is terrible and the images are very blurry and pixelated you can’t even get single a decent photo out of it. There’s no camera flash or dedicated shutter button here too.
Despite the low processor speed, the handset performs well, thanks to that ample internal memory (430MB to be exact). Playing Angry Birds is smooth and flawless, movie playback is good but don’t expect any HD movies here. We got a score of 422 on Quadrant (which is close to the Xperia X10i). You may sometimes encounter some lags or slowness but that’s pretty common to most Android phones.
Capacitive touch screen is responsive and scrolling is smooth. It’s the hardware buttons up in the front that’s a little small and hard to press that’s quite frustrating at times. The virtual keyboard is also a bit cramped in portrait mode but it’s nice that they added some haptic feedback when you type on the keys.
Over-all performance is decent, not very impressive, but is expected in most handsets in this category and price-point.
The Netphone 701 runs on stock Android 2.2 Froyo with no additional custom UI on top, except for the widgets added by Smart.
Contrary to my interview with Smart representatives regarding upgrade to Android 2.3 Gingerbread, it looks like the Netphone 701 will not get any future updates (based on their FAQ).
Will my Netphone support future releases of Android OS?
The Netphone does not support future Android OS releases.
I think it will really depend on ZTE if they’re going to push Gingerbread on this device.
There’s a Netphone/ZTE PC Suite stored in the microSD card which you can install and use to sync data and contacts with the device but it requires that USB Debugging is switched on (an odd thing which indicates the software might not be ready for commercial use).
Smart promises more handsets in the future — probably cheaper ones since they’re really targeting the masses here. The naming system follows the way Nokia does to their handsets (number indicates category, class and iteration), only that with Smart, it will be manufactured by several OEMs.
The SmartNet
The SmartNet is Smart’s own version of a mobile social network and is the heart of the Netphone ecosystem. It is complemented with a suite of Android Apps and widgets developed by Smart to work with the handset and the OS — the Smart Inbox, IM, Social Stream and Smart Center.
I especially liked the widget that displays a running balance of your prepaid account. It’s not really shown in real-time (there’s a timestamp when the balance was last updated) but a nice feature altogether (I think Smart should just release this app/widget to all Smart Android devices soon).
The Global Directory is an interesting feature which lists all Netphone users. There you can search for friends and contact and add them as a friend. The biggest shortcoming though is that the directory is not moderated so anyone can just assume any name (imagine a hundred Sam Pinto in the directory) so it’s pretty hard to verify the identity. This could also be an opportunity for abuse later on (spam and scam, anyone?).
Those who are Twitter and Facebook addicts will love the Social Stream. I just wish they included FourSquare into the package as well.
The Netphone Plans
For postpaid accounts, the Netphone 701 is free at Plan 1200 which closely competes with the HTC Chacha, Samsung Galaxy Mini and HTC Wildfire S which are all free at Smart Unlimited Data Plan 1500.
For prepaid kits, the Netphone 701 retails for Php9,900. The price point competes directly with the LG Optimus One, Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro and Samsung Galaxy Fit.
Access to SmartNet is free for now (Smart says until end of December) so after that you will be paying Php999 per month to get 1GB of web surfing, 3 hours 20 minutes of free calls, 3,500 free SMS, unlimited access to your Social Stream and IM.
In essence, expect to spend a maximum of Php999 per month to fully appreciate the Netphone — how else can you use a Netphone if you don’t pay for net access, right?
The Verdict
While Android is the platform that the Netphone rides on, it is important to note that the SmartNet ecosystem is what makes this whole package a Netphone. They complement each other and the Netphone experience is crippled without SmartNet.
It’s like getting a BlackBerry handset without applying for a BIS account. In essence, you can look at it say Smart wants a piece of that BlackBerry pie.
The handset is decent, capable and sits between the low mid-range to entry-level category of Android smartphones. While the processor is typically slow (most entry-level Android phones starts at 600MHz), the amount of RAM (420MB to be exact) is actually generous it’s more than what the old HTC Desire, Xperia X10 or Galaxy S have. Too bad Gingerbread update is not supported according to Smart so you’re stuck with Froyo on this device.
The biggest opportunity for Smart here is to deliver the complete suite regardless of the handset and allow any subscriber using an Android device to just download the suite of apps, subscribe to a plan and become part of the whole Netphone ecosystem.
Disclosure: The unit used in the photos above was among the 10 raffle prizes Smart gave away during the media event last week.
10:32 AM
gtventic
After beating defending champion Iran last Saturday, the Smart Gilas Philippine basketball team won its crucial game against Chinese Taipei on Sunday, 90-78 in Taipei.
Smart Gilas is now 2-0 in the team standings on the second day of the William Jones Cup 2011 at the Hsinjhuang Stadium in Chinese Taipei.
The scores:
SMART GILAS 90- Douthit 23, Aguilar 12, Casio 10, Hontiveros 9, Lassiter 9, Lutz 9, Tiu 8, Baracael 8, Barroca 2, Taulava 0, Ababou 0.
CHINESE TAIPER 78- Hsin 17, Wen 14, Chih 13, Cheng 9, Shou 8, I Chieh 7, Chin 6, Tsung 2, Chia 2,Douglas 0, Po 0, Hsueh 0
The quarterscores were 21-17; 49-36; 72-58; 90-78.
Other results on Sunday:
Malaysia lost to Jordan, 63-93
Korea stunned United Arab Emirates, 102-54
Iran deafeated Japan, 77-58
The Philippines now has 2 wins and 0 loss alongside Jordan and Korea.
The team will face Jordan at 3:00pm this afternoon.
9:27 AM
gtventic
The Smart Gilas Pilipinas basketball team outclassed their Iranian rival, 73-59 at the start of the William Jones Cup 2011 at the Hsinjhuang Stadium in Chinese Taipei.
The Iranian team, a two-time defending champion, was shocked when our very own SMART Gilas team dominated the game on Saturday. Marcus Douthit led the Philippine team with 24 points and 11 rebounds, followed by Marc Barroca with 13 and JV Casio with 11. Iranian NBA player Hamed Haddadi, on the other hand, led his team with 25 points.
The quarterscores were: 17-12; 37-30; 54-38; 73-59.
Jordan, Korea and Chinese Taipei also won in their corresponding matches.
Smart Gilas is currently playing against host country, Chinese Taipei as of this moment. It will face Jordan tomorrow at 3:00 pm.
10:54 PM
gtventic
So Smart’s putting unlimited calling and texting on their postpaid plan for just Php599 per month with the Unli Call & Text Plan 599.
If you’re not into calling, they also have another Unli Text Plan 299 just for unlimited texting. The plan also comes with a free handset (Samsung E1080 or Nokia C1-01).
The unlimited calls and text are applicable within Smart’s own network (Red, TnT and Smart).
For only P299 a month, UNLI Text Plan 299 is the perfect entry-level postpaid package for heavy texters. Not only does it let users send unlimited local texts to any of the 46.6 million subscribers on Smart, Talk N Text, and Red Mobile’s networks, it also comes with a free Samsung E1080 GSM handset.
For those who are also into calling, UNLI Call & Text Plan 599 takes the UNLI experience a step further with unlimited local calls and a more premium Nokia C1-01 handset.
This doesn’t look to be a permanent plan as it will only be offered until October 7, 2011 at the following Smart branches: SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, Smart Tower Ayala, Robinsons Place Manila, SM South Mall and SM Cebu.
6:14 PM
gtventic
So Smart’s putting unlimited calling and texting on their postpaid plan for just Php599 per month with the Unli Call & Text Plan 599.
If you’re not into calling, they also have another Unli Text Plan 299 just for unlimited texting. The plan also comes with a free handset (Samsung E1080 or Nokia C1-01).
The unlimited calls and text are applicable within Smart’s own network (Red, TnT and Smart).
For only P299 a month, UNLI Text Plan 299 is the perfect entry-level postpaid package for heavy texters. Not only does it let users send unlimited local texts to any of the 46.6 million subscribers on Smart, Talk N Text, and Red Mobile’s networks, it also comes with a free Samsung E1080 GSM handset.
For those who are also into calling, UNLI Call & Text Plan 599 takes the UNLI experience a step further with unlimited local calls and a more premium Nokia C1-01 handset.
This doesn’t look to be a permanent plan as it will only be offered until October 7, 2011 at the following Smart branches: SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, Smart Tower Ayala, Robinsons Place Manila, SM South Mall and SM Cebu.
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