Gadget Gallery

CEBU, Philippines - With the number of new gadgets unveiled last month, keeping track of the newest this or the newest that has somewhat become a challenge for electronic consumers, particularly for those on the lookout for an investment-worthy device.

From the official release of new tablets and new smartphones, the 10th month of 2012 had also witnessed the announcement and release of new laptops, new computer systems, new game consoles and new hybrid devices, along with the entry of new players to the already populated device and gadgets domain.

To say that tech brands have been busy last month (and for the rest of the year too) would be an understatement, given how heavily populated stores will be with new product options soon.

Below are some of those new products, which just may be available in Cebu before the year ends.

Samsung's Galaxy Note II

The Galaxy Note II is certainly more than just an updated version of the Galaxy Note, with the new device sporting a 5.5" sized screen, a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, and a standard battery rated at 3,100mAh.

Categorized as a "phtablet" or phone-tablet, the Note II also comes with Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) installed, a system RAM rated at 2GB, and storage capacity-model variants available at 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.

With its featured specs and hardware highlights, the Note II's capability for multiple screen use and operation has made it quite infamous as a powerhouse mobile, with its multi-screen features anchored on the multi-screen-and-multitask features found operating systems for computers.

Nokia's Lumia 510

Pegged as the "most affordable Lumia yet", the Lumia 510 takes after the Lumia 610 (released in mid 2012) as the series' entry level model.

Powered by an 800 MHz Snapdragon S1 processor with 4 gigs of non-expandable storage, the smartphone comes with 256MB of RAM and is driven by Windows Phone Mango as its operating system.

Featuring a 4 inch screen, the Lumia 510 comes with a screen resolution of 800 x 400.

Apple's 5th Gen iPod Touch, 7th Gen iPod Nano, iPad Mini, 13" MacBook Pro (w/ Retina Display) and new iMac

As a brand, Apple once held a reputation for being "conservative" with its product releases, in the sense that it took its time in churning out new iDevices each year.

Things have obviously changed, with Apple releasing the iPad 3 early this year and the iPhone 5 last September, followed by the recent roll out of the iPad Mini, the new iPod Nano and iPod Touch, a new 13" MacBook Pro and a new iMac.

Word has also come out that an iPad 4 is currently on-the-works, with the Apple Developer website featuring the schematic diagram of the next generation iPad.

The iPad Mini - Primed as a smaller variant of Apple's premium tablet series, the iPad Mini is described as "every inch an iPad", with the device boasting the design and function conventions of its bigger-sized cousin.

iOS 6 driven, the iPad Mini comes with Apple's new Lightning connector port, an A5 processor and a 7 inch-sized screen that sports a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 (4:3 aspect ratio).

iPod Nano (7th Gen) – As the newest version of Apple's industry defining iPod, the 7th iPod Nano is the largest Nano to date, ditching its predecessor model's "wearable form factor".

Featuring an overall look that's reminiscent of the 5th iPod Nano, the new Nano isn't iOS-based, but highlights "apps" for users, including Videos, Music, Nike+ (fitness), Photos, Clock, Podcasts and FM Radio.

iPod Touch (5th Gen) – "Engineered for maximum funness", the newest iPod Touch is built with a 4-inch Retina display, an 5MP iSight camera that can record videos in 1080p HD and all the features and functions of the iOS 6 mobile operating system.

Powered by a dual-core A5 processor, the 5th iPod Touch is bundled with Apple's new EarPods, designed for quality audio listening and movie viewing experiences.

The New MacBook Pro - Operating on an all-flash architecture, the new MacBook Pro (in 13 inch and 15 inch variants) doesn't work with conventional mechanical hard drive storage standards, yielding to faster application deployment and faster user experiences.

Sporting a Retina display, the new MacBook Pro also comes preinstalled with Mac OS X Mountain Lion, defining it as a graphically-inclined powerhouse that is "millions of pixels ahead of its time".

The New iMac – Described as a desktop that is "in its most advanced form ever", the new iMac is built with a display that is 75% less reflective, with the newest GPUs from NVIDIA effectively catering to graphics intensive tasks and operations.

Powered by Intel's new Core Processor Series, the new iMac's featured specs is matched with Mac OS X Mountain Lion preinstalled.

Microsoft's Surface

As a device, Surface is Microsoft's flagship tablet series, developed to work with its newest operating system, Windows 8.

Available in two variants – one for tablet-centered consumers and another for PC-and-tablet users - the device essentially combines stellar hardware components which allows it to be used as either a tablet or a laptop.

The consumer level Surface features an NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU, USB 2.0 connectivity, a Micro HD Video port, and a rated storage capacity of either 32GB or 64GB, with Windows RT as its operating system.

Surface Pro comes with an Intel Core i5 Processor, a rated storage capacity of either 64GB or 128GB, USB 3.0 support, a Mini Display port and Windows 8 Pro, making it more of a laptop than a tablet.

Both versions feature 10.6 inch screens, but differ in their screen resolutions. Surface boasts a screen resolution of 1366 x 768, as Surface Pro features an HD-inclined 1920 x 1080 screen resolution rating.

Archos' GamePad

Announced to roll out by October, the scheduled release of Archos' new portable game console and tablet is revealed to have been moved to November.

Featuring a 7-inch sized screen (1024 x 600 screen resolution), the device is built with dedicated game controls, and is powered by (an announced) 1.5GHz dual-core processor.

Android-driven (ICS, Android 4), the tablet is obviously aimed for Android-gaming experiences, as it is also featured to come with an automatic game mapping system which readily allows its users to play games with the device's built-in game controls.

Sony's Xperia Tablet S and new Playstation 3

With is splash proof aluminum body, the Xperia Tablet S is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, and comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage size variants. The tablet is Android-driven (Android 4.0.3) featuring a 9.4-inch sized screen, and also features an HD-capable 8MP primary camera.

The Xperia Tablet S also offers users with Playstation Mobile access features, which allows for direct Playstation Store games downloading.

While the new Xperia Tablet S is up and about, Sony also released an updated version of the Playstation 3 (Yup! You read it right, Playstation 3 not 4), redesigned as a slimmer and lighter PS3 game console.

Available in Classic Black and Classic White body color variants, its smaller by 20% size and lighter by 25% weight stands to be the new Playstation 3's more notable highlights. (FREEMAN)