MarcForrest.com

Category: Android

  • Afrihost now offering Mi Smartphones with FREE Data!

    Afrihost now offering Mi Smartphones with FREE Data!

    mi5_dual_1The team at Afrihost & Mobile In Africa, who distribute the Xiaomi products in South Africa, have joined up and are offering some awesome deals on Xiaomi phones. And the best part of the deal is you get a FREE data sims, loaded every month, for a YEAR when you sign up for one of the phones.

    Having reviewed the Mi4, Mi5 & Redmi Note 3, these are some of the best phones at that price point. They match up to phones that are much much higher up the price scale. As an example, the Redmi Note 3 which I recently reviewed, offers Dual Sim capabilities, which means with this Afrihost deal you can now just use the Data Sim for data, and your normal sim for voice & SMS. Bonus!!

    The phones on offer are as follows:

    • Redmi 2 8GB – R1799 (With 500MB Free Data PM x 12)
    • Redmi Note 2 – R2799 (With 500MB Free Data PM x 12)
    • Redmi 3 32GB – R3299 (With 500MB Free Data PM x  12)
    • Mi Max – R4699 (With 1GB Free Data PM x 12)
    • Mi5 – R7999 (With 2GB Free Data PM x 12)

    The phones are available for purchase today through the Afrihost website, and come with FREE delivery!

    Afrihost Logo

    This is an awesome deal if you looking for a decent spec for, for an affordable price WITH Free data!!

  • How to add GIF Images to your Whatsapp conversation on iOS & Android

    How to add GIF Images to your Whatsapp conversation on iOS & Android

    The team at Whatsapp released an update this week for iOS  & Android which now includes the ability to send GIF images in your messages. This has probably been one of the most requested features for the Whatsapp app for a while now!

    If you don’t know what a GIF is, I’m pretty sure you’ve seen one of those silly looking silent video’s of cats somewhere on the internet, much like the image below…

    Excited Dance GIF from Excited GIFs


    To insert GIF’s into your Whatsapp messages follow the steps below:

    1. Download a GIF enabled keyboard for iOS or Android. My favorite is Tenor GIF keyboard (iOS or Android) or GBoard Keyboard for iOS

    2. Once installed, open the keyboard and select your GIF.

    img_4810

    3. You then need to “paste” the GIF into your conversation, which will then show up on the other person’s phone.

    img_4813

    The process is pretty much like typing out any message or sending a photo or video, so very simple. The one thing to consider is GIF’s are a bit larger in size, so I would recommend turning off your “Save Incoming Media” on Whatsapp. I also suppose Group chats may become annoying with people sending unnecessary GIFs, but hopefully Whatsapp give an option in later editions to turn this option off :)

    Have fun with some cool GIFS :)

     

  • Review: Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

    Review: Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

    It’s not very often that when I get to test a new device from a manufacturer that I get anxiety attacks when having to return it after my review period. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 was one of those devices, and the first in a while.

    The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 may not be the top of the range in the world of smartphone devices, but it sure packs a punch to be reckoned with. The standout for me on this phone had to be the option of Dual Sim. As data is getting more expensive and competitive in the South African Mobile space, service providers are offering great deals on data at the moment if you shop around.

    So I was rather excited to see an Afrihost sim card in the delivery, which I could use as my Data sim card.  The Redmi Note 3 allows you to then select which sim you want to use for Data and which one for voice. This was a treat, as I had recently run out of data, and used the included sim. The only downfall with this though is that the sim tray only allows you use 1 Micro sim (which I used for data) and 1 Nano sim (calls), but you then forfeit the use of a Micro SD card for storage, which shares the same slot as the Nano Sim.

    redminote3-1The Redmi Note 3 is fantastic value for money and at around R3700 the specs on the device match up to a number of higher end smart devices currently on the market. The camera on the phone offers an awesome 16MP camera, and a Full HD (1920 x 1080) 5.5” display.

    One thing I was very surprised with was the battery. Even though the phone was using 2 sim cards and being through its paces, the battery sometimes even lasted for around a day and a half. One of the better things about Mi products is the MIUI software that is embedded in on the phones. The software is not “bloated”, and offers the essential apps for the device. The new MIUI 8 is fantastic as well and is an improvement on the MIUI 7 software I previously tested.

    I have to admit though, I may be becoming a bit of a Xiaomi fanboy. The devices that they deliver are world class, and even some of their latest announcements are making some waves on some of the larger tech-focused sites. After reviewing the Mi 4 & Mi 5, and now the Redmi Note 3, I’m quite excited to see what else hits the SA shores in the future. The price of the Xiaomi products are at a near perfect price point for consumers looking to get a decent specced Smartphone at an affordable price.

    You can purchase the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 online at MIA Africa or on Takealot.com or if you outside of South Africa

    Disclaimer: I was sent a Redmi Note 3 review unit from the team at MIA Africa. I was not asked to write a specific blog post about the device, but really enjoyed this unit, so thanks guys for the opportunity




  • Chipolo – Finding all the lost stuff!! (Giveaway)

    Chipolo – Finding all the lost stuff!! (Giveaway)

    I came across a new little gadget this week called Chipolo. I honestly think this thing is going to save my life.

    As someone who is ALWAYS misplacing their stuff, from wallets to my keys, to my phone and even sometimes my mind, I have always wanted something to tell me where I put my lost items, and this does the trick!

    The Chipolo tag is a small tag (35mm wide & 5mm thick) that can fit in almost anywhere and comes in a variety of 9 different colours. The tag connects via Bluetooth to your iPhone or Android device and allows you to “ring” it from the device using a dedicated Chipolo app (iOS App & Android App) . Similarly, you can also shake the Chipolo to find your phone. Because it uses Bluetooth the max distance you can ring the Chipolo from is 60m, which is a pretty fair distance if you trying to find something around the house.

    But the best part about this cool little device is that it also works “inside a community” So what this means is, if you misplace your wallet, which has a Chipolo attached to it, at a shopping centre for example, you can mark it as “Lost” from inside the app. If anyone else who has a Chipolo walks past it, the 2 connect and it can send you a notification and email to tell you exactly where it is. Amazing!!

    I have only had mine for about 24 hours and I have already had to use it once to find my wallet. It is small enough to pop inside the coin pouch and doesn’t add any extra weight.

    The cost of the Chipolo tag is R399 and it comes with an extra battery as well (batteries last about 6 months or so) You can buy it online in SA from the iStore online store and they also available in iStores.

    Because I love this little gadget so much, I have decided to give one away. Follow the steps below in the Gleam giveaway, and we will select a winner on Friday 7th October. Shipping free to anywhere in SA. There are a 6 different ways you can enter including liking my new Facebook iGuy Page or even subscribing to my YouTube channel I recently setup.

    Chipolo Giveaway

    Disclaimer: I was not asked to write about the Chipolo Tag. I was given one as a gift from the good people at Above & Beyond distributors. The Chipolo in the giveaway is not a sponsored prize, it was purchased to give away in this competition :) 

  • Review: Huawei P9 Smartphone (with unboxing video)

    Review: Huawei P9 Smartphone (with unboxing video)

    I recently had the opportunity to get my paws on the newly Huawei P9 Smartphone. This is the latest offering from Huawei and is packed with some amazing features.

    The biggest selling point of this phone has to the Dual 12MP Leica Camera lenses on the phone. The 2 lenses are a colour and a monochrome lens which provides for the ability to capture more light through the black & white lens. This means your photography ends up looking a lot sharper and easier to shoot in low light environments. This also means there a number of preset shooting modes (Standard, Vivid Colours and Smooth Colour) which look fantastic.

    As with my review on the Mi5, which I did a few weeks ago, I did a quick unboxing & first impressions video. Any comments welcome :)

    Some of the specs of the P9 include:

    • 1080 x 1920 resolution screen
    • 5.2 inches in size
    • Android OS 6
    • CPU: Quad-core 2.5 GHz Cortex-A72 & quad-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53
    • 3GB RAM
    • 12MP Back & 8MP front camera

    One of the other things that I noticed with this phone was the speed of the device, and that i

    I was very impressed with the phone and although the price is a bit higher than some of the other phones available in this spec range, it is a great phone for the specs it offers. The 3000 mAh battery means you get quite a bit of battery life out of the phone (Some reviews have even said up to 3 days standby time!!)

    The one thing the phone seems to lack is the ability to record in 1080p or 4K, which looks like it is becoming a standard now on most high-end Smartphone devices. The design of the phone is also great and slightly curved on the edges to make it easier to hold.

    Overall, the phone seems to cover a few good points, but not an all rounder. Having said that, if you looking for a phone dedicated to taking amazing photography on the go, the Lecia lenses are a must-have addition to your photography stable. All in all a great phone all round!