This Week in Tech

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

MANILA, Philippines - Samsung’s top of the line tablet got an upgrade this week with the introduction of the Galaxy Tab S2. Like the rest of its 2015 flagships, this new tablet is made of premium materials including a non-removable aluminum back. Most noticeable though is its 4:3 screen aspect ration which is more more squarish compared to last year’s widescreen model. The aspect ratio switch is more ideal for reading e-books and surfing the web, but it’s still a good tablet for watching videos. In the Philippines the Tab S2 comes with the iFlix app pre-installed and includes a free 6-month subscription to the TV and movie on demand service.  The Tab S2 will come in two variants, 8 and 9.7-inches and will retail for P24,990 and P29,990 respectively starting Aug 22nd.

Asus ZenPad S 8.0

Following the success of its ZenFone 2, Taiwanese tech company Asus hopes to achieve similar success in the tablet space. It’s new ZenPad S 8.0 is its first premium tablet, and the world’s first with 4GB of RAM. Expect monster performance from this 8-inch, Intel-powered tablet. It is also one of the first tablets with the new USB Type-C port. In terms of video performance the ZenPad S 8.0 has a feature called smooth playback, which is reminiscent of that hyper-realistic quality on some high-end televisions. The tablet will retail for P16,995 and will be available later this month from Asus official retailers.

Lenovo VIBE Shot

In this age of digital photography there are digital cameras and smartphone cameras. Occasionally there are devices that try to be both. Lenovo’s new VIBE Shot is one such device – a premium Android smartphone made to look and work like a digital point-and-shoot. The phone packs a 16 megapixel sensor, f/2.2 lens, and optical image stabilization. It has a dedicated button to switch between Auto and Pro modes, and a dedicated shutter button that lets you soft press to focus, just like on a regular camera. The phone retails for P16,999 and is now available via Lazada.com.ph.