My Samsung Galaxy Note 3!

Oopps! I did it again..

It's been almost three months had passed and I still could not believe that I, again, allowed myself to indulge in what I call as, "a taste of a lavish lifestyle".  And every time I take a look at my credit card bill, my heart still palpitates.. :(

Well, I just consoled my frugal me that I guess I deserve a treat once in a while.  And the best of it all is that I do not have any regrets with my decision.  In fact, I am enjoying my new phone! ;)

The sad part, however, was, I was not able to avail of the promo for the discounted S View Flip Cover.  Samsung's store outlet in SM Megamall did not have any stocks when I purchased my phone then.  I finally bought my S View Flip Cover at SM North just last month, only after I squeezed myself through Christmas traffic in going to SM MOA and found out that they were out of stocks. :(

But that's okay.  I just wish I had more extra time to explore my Samsung Galaxy Note 3.. 

Gear Up Your Note 3 Promo, a hoax?

I made a quick trip to SM North yesterday during lunch break and due to limited time, I proceeded directly to Samsung shop and immediately inquired on the Gear Up Your Note 3 promo which was posted on Facebook.

I was disappointed however when the salesgirl I talked to had no idea whatsoever on what I was inquiring about.  And when I checked Facebook post again this morning, there was one comment which also shared the same sentiment.  And going back to the mechanics of the promo quoted below:

2. This promo is available in all Samsung authorized stores nationwide.

something must have gone wrong somewhere, which prospective buyers like me are left confused and frustrated.I hope Samsung will do something to correct this inconsistency before October 28, 2013.

FYI, Samsung  is also offering free 6-month accidental phone damage coverage for those who are going to purchase the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on or before October 28, 2013.  Thus, buyers who are interested to avail both promos should get their credit cards ready on or before such date.

And by the way, speaking of credit cards, BPI and BDO are offering their credit card holders a "buy now, pay next year" scheme.  That means, payment will be deferred next year yet.  Isn't that, great?

But then, Samsung must fix the Gear Up Your Note 3 promo first. :(

And I'm Getting Tempted...

Source

While still pondering on whether or not to buy a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, I came across a Facebook post of the recent promo on the product.  Check out below the full promo mechanics:

1. Samsung's Gear Up Your Note 3 Promo will run from October 25 to November 10, 2013
2. This promo is available in all Samsung authorized stores nationwide.
3. For every purchase of a Galaxy Note 3, you are entitled to any or all of the following discounts:
4. To avail of the discounts, you must purchase the discounted items with the
GALAXY Note 3 in a single transaction

Promo period is from October 25 to November 10, 2013.  That only means one thing, I have to think fast.. :(

I'm Falling In Love With N3..

At first, I got hooked up with Samsung Galaxy S4.  Then suddenly, my eyes shifted to Sony Xperia Z1.  And now, I'm beginning to fall in love for Samsung Galaxy Note 3...

(For brevity, I'll be referring to Samsung Galaxy Note 3 as N3 in this post)

I can't help it.  I  admit, I got tired waiting for Sony Xperia Z1.  And to make matters worse, all I see were advertisements screaming for N3. :(

Just last month, I was not totally sold out for this product.  I'm not actually impressed with its stylus pen considering that I had one attached to my old phone before and due to the inconvenience of taking the time to take it out, I rarely, if not never, bothered to use it at all.  And I've also read reviews that there are complaints of the stylus pen's delayed response which is a big turn off for me as I am a certified impatient freak.

But then, reviews also disclosed that N3 is an improved version of Samsung Galaxy S4 (e.g., battery life, speed, etc).  And accordingly, N3 is the best phablet so far, even surpassing most of the features and specifications of Iphone 5S.

What holds me back however from buying N3 is that, it is too expensive.  Even review authors acknowledged that sad fact, too.  Because of that, I am forced to think on it a hundred times over.  And I'm wondering if it is still practical for me to invest on N3 considering that I am always on the go and might not have enough time to explore and enjoy it at all.

To whom it may concern, please help me decide by leaving your comments below.. ;)

Speaking of the... Z1!

Finally, Z1 is coming!

According to Sony Mobile Philippines' Facebook post (3 hours ago as of this writing), Sony Xperia Z1 will be available in stores nine days from now.  I'm getting excited!  Sad to say, I'm not as excited as I was before..

Z1 turns out to be cheaper than Samsung Galaxy Note 3 by P2,000 (USD46.51 at USD43 exchange rate).  To make the phone appealing, freebies and discounts might probably be offered on its launching day.  I guess I better decide now whether to grab the phone or learn again the lesson that I got from not taking the chance of purchasing the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 upon its launching, which by the way, could have saved me by as much as P4,000 (USD93.02).

Nonetheless, I have nine days to think about it.. 

And then there's Z1...

A day after I finally had my eyes fixed (and pockets, too) on the Samsung Galaxy S4, the Sony Xperia Z1 was launched.  Curious on what this new phone has to offer that would make Samsung's sales tremble, I browsed through its features and was totally blown away by its 20.7 megapixel camera.  Whoaa!

It can be recalled in one of my previous posts that I got interested in having a new mobile phone only because I simply wanted to buy a high-resolution camera.  And I thought the 13 megapixel camera of Samsung Galaxy S4 was good enough.. until Sony Xperia Z1 came along..

Gotta have this phone!  Sad to say, I have to wait for it not earlier than next month.  I just read from asia.cnet.com that the Sony Xperia Z1 will be available in Singapore starting October 4 this year.  If only I were in Singapore.. :( 

Video Credit

Prepaid? Or Postpaid?

Photo Credit

I am now in dilemma., whether to buy the Samsung Galaxy S4, or bundle it with a postpaid plan.  Right now, I am maintaining two separate plans, one for my internet needs and the other for my mobile use.  Good thing, the lock-in periods of both plans have already expired.  Hence, I could terminate my subscriptions anytime I want to.

Now I am thinking, why not get two-in-one package for internet and mobile postpaid plans?  By doing so, I might get the phone I'm aiming for as a freebie.  But then, browsing through the plan builder of Globe and that of Smart, I realized I could not consume the free calls and texts that goes with the plan.  In fact, I have not maximized the unlimited texts that I am getting from current mobile plan.

With that, having a prepaid plan might be a better idea.  In that way, I only get to pay on  what I consume for.  But then, spending P30,000+ for a phone may not be practical for budget-conscious freaks like me.  Now, I'm more confused...

Next question, Globe or Smart? :)

Opting for an S4

Photo Credit

Now that I have set my mind into buying a new mobile phone which also coincided with the termination of my subscription contract with Smart Communications, Inc., my next step would be to find a new mobile phone.  When I was in HK, I almost bought a Samsung Galaxy which model and features I didn't bother to care about.  I was just too focused on getting a new phone, as a souvenir from HK.

One thing that held me back from buying that phone, aside from the price, of course, was knowing that someday I will regret shelling out a pretty penny without doing any research at all.  As much as I can, I do not want to buy anything on an impulse.  On the other hand however, I tried to justify that I did not have anymore the luxury of time doing my homework while we were in HK.  Good thing, I still listened to my senses.

I found out that the Samsung Galaxy model (I almost had) has features which specifications are lower than that of the S4, not to mention the poor resolution of its camera.  And that model was bigger than the S4!  I could not imagine myself trying to hold a humongous phone in one hand while taking a call. :(

I'm just thankful that I waited this long. :)

Eyeing for a New Mobile Phone

I guess it all started when I yearned for a high-megapixel camera for myself.  I could not even equally reciprocate my colleague's generosity from taking pictures of me while we were having a grand time in Hong Kong.  Our HK memories were beautifully-documented in high-resolution images thanks to her 16-mp Olympus magnificent camera.

No, I was not lost.  I was just talking to a friend over the phone when my colleague took this shot in front of a map at the MTR central station in HK.

Although I had tried to do my share, but my lousy 8-mp camera would barely cooperate at all.  How embarrassing!  I vowed however to properly equip myself for my next travel.  And I mean it!

And not only that, when we took a taxi from the hotel to a friend's house, I let the driver use my phone to talk to my friend and ask for the directions to our destination. He looked at my phone as if it was a Nokia 5110.  I was so amused! Hahaha!

Also, while we were riding a bus going to Admiralty, everyone else was furiously tapping and sliding their fingers on their phones.  Suddenly, my colleague nudged me to take out my phone and compete with them.  And we both giggled in laughter! :)

You see, I am currently using a phone from a non-touchscreen era.  I could even call and text in the middle of a busy street and nobody would dare snatch the phone from me.  Or perhaps, the hold uppers at Cubao would even take pity on me, if not, get the phone and throw it back to me. Whew!

Since I had been planning to buy a new camera and a new mobile phone, I realized I could get the two units in one gadget.  That is, buy a new phone embedded with a high-mp camera.

I was almost at the brink of buying a Samsung Galaxy phone in HK had it not for the very, very limited time that we had.  And I was so haunted by the thought of it even when we were already at the airport to catch for our flight back to Manila, that when I saw the Fortress shop, I literally ran towards it and looked around. Unfortunately, the kuripot in me prevailed, as usual.. Tsk! Tsk!

And it's almost five months since then.  I thought my hunger for a new phone was already a history.  But I was wrong.. Huhuhu

Apple vs Samsung

Just few days ago, Apple was awarded with $1.05B in damages from an infringement suit against Samsung on intellectual property issues over multiple devices.

While I favor various moves to bring down prices of gadgets thru free enterprise, I still believe it is not justifiable enough to illegally copy one's ideas, that is, if it is proven to be true. :(

Watch? Or Cellphone?

I'm not fond of wristwatches (that may be the reason why almost all of my time pieces were given to me, a.k.a. donated).  Hence, when I was asked by Eastwest Bank to choose between a wristwatch and cellphone (as their freebie for a new credit card), I immediately opted for the latter.

Just this morning, I finally received my new credit card.  Attached with it was a voucher (see image on the right) that says, I may claim either a Timex Marathon T5K367 wristwatch or a Samsung E1080 cellphone.

The wristwatch looks cute.  As I wondered how much is its cost in the market, I then googled for Timex Philippines and found the contact number of its branch nearest my office, at SM Mall of Asia.  The person I talked to asked me first if I was referring to the Eastwest credit card promo before answering my inquiry.  Accordingly, the watch is priced at P2260+.

Since I already knew that the phone sells at around P1200, I begin to doubt whether the Timex man was telling the truth.  If the watch was indeed priced at P2260+, then why a big price disparity between the cost of two freebie items?

If you were asked to choose between a valuable item and a less-valuable item, common sense would tell you to take the former, wouldn't you?  To solve the problem, I inquired the phone's market value online and found this:

 It does not however include shipping fees.  But then, I still wonder..

I guess I will just have to go to the mall and verify it myself before making a decision between - a wristwatch or a cellphone. :)

It's Time To Buy A New Cellphone

The Nokia 70 cellphone I have been using was given to me by sister. The previous one she gave me, a Samsung D600, was already handed over to my mother.  I really love that phone. (Sigh!).  But then, some good things never last. (Barry, where are you?)

Here's what I'm excited all about:  Samsung phone is on sale!



I came across this website from cricKet which offers cellphones at low, low prices!  Is this a sign that I need to change now my cellphone and buy a new one?  This is a perfect post-birthday gift that I owe myself, don't you think?