Specification of Galaxy S4 Singapore Release

One of the most confusing part of the Galaxy S4 specifications is probably the processor. At its unpacked event held in New York last month, Samsung made known their plan to release 2 different variants of the Galaxy S4 globally. The two variants are labeled as GT-I9500 and GT-I9505. The GT-I9500 will be powered by Samsung’s very own Exynos 5 Oct-Core processor that is clocked at 1.6Ghz. The GT-I9505 will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 Quad-Core processor that comes in at 1.9Ghz. Other than the sheer computing power discrepancy between the two, they differ in terms of LTE support.

The GT-I9500 is a non-LTE version while the GT-I9505 is an LTE version. Since LTE in Singapore is now offered by all the three local telcos here, Singapore will naturally get the LTE version of the Galaxy SIV.

A whole lot of debate and benchmarking has been going on to compare the performance of the two processor. Some claim that the performance difference is not significant while some claim that the difference is notable. But I will not go into this thing and if you are interested, you can refer to here instead. What I can say is, the GT-I9505 is here to stay and let us just try to live with it.

Price Information of Galaxy S4 Singapore

At the time of this writing, all the three telcos have opened their registration of interest for the Galaxy S4. As of my last check, only Singtel is bold enough to show off their price to public. M1 and Starhub are somewhat more cautious but as lessons in the past have shown us, do not expect significant difference from them.

I am not sure how your 3G or LTE experience has been so far. Some time back, many have voiced out their disappointment with the quality of the LTE network. Problems such as intermittent network drop and poor data rate were among the common issues raised out. I reserve my judgement for now as this kind of technical glitch is kind of expected as with any new technology roll out. But one thing is clear based on my conversation with friends and colleagues. The network quality in Singapore, particularly in support of data, has significant room to improve.

So, if you are considering of ditching your current telco for another, give it a more careful consideration and not just act based on impulse. The main reason is simply because none of them are better than the others and all of them are equally far from good.

Based on the snapshot that I’ve captured from Singtel’s Galaxy S4 registration page, the cheapest data plan Flexi SuperLite costs $27.90 that gives you 100 minutes of outgoing talktime and 100MB data. The handset price for this plan is $678. The next plan is Flexi Lite which costs $39.90 and gives you 2GB of data bundle. The handset price for this plan is $578. If you think 2GB is not enough or you need more outgoing talktime, the next tier will be the Flexi Value that costs $59.90 and comes with 3GB data bundle. The price of your Galaxy S4 would be $328.

If we do a simple math calculation, it means that over the course of two year period, you are paying $7.85 extra to enjoy the 2GB instead of the 100MB. To enjoy the additional 1GB (and of course the outgoing talktime of 200 instead of 100 minutes), you need to fork out $9.45 extra every month. Do you really need the 1GB additional bandwidth? I definitely don’t. Check your monthly telco bill. If you are making less than 100 minutes of outgoing call every month or your data meter does not exceed 2GB, I would think the Flexi Lite makes the most sensible choice. Otherwise, the Flexi Value would make sense.

Storage Capacity

Despite all the previous complains and fuss that were raised during Samsung’s previous Galaxy launches, they are still sticking with the 16GB for the Galaxy S4 launch in Singapore. I know many of you have sounded your disappointment before and wanted the 32GB or even the 64GB version. But do not expect to be the first to own Galaxy SIV in Singapore if 16GB is not for you. There is still no clear indication as to when the larger storage models will arrive or whether they will ever arrive in Singapore.

Android Version

The Galaxy S4 will be made available with Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 pre-installed. On this front, S4 is leading all other phones, including HTC One which comes pre-installed only with Jelly Bean 4.1.2.

Limited Edition Accessory

As usual, Samsung is offering some perks when you buy your Galaxy S4 during its initial launch period. If you have registered and successfully allocated a unit, your purchase will come with $160 limited edition accessories. But wait a minute, do not get yourself overly excited. The accessory pack that you will be getting may just be gimmick. No, it does not consist of its much touted S-View Clip Cover which I think is the accessory that would be most useful for most of us. Instead, you will merely be getting a desktop dock, HDTV adaptor and car charger. Does it sound enticing to you? It depends I guess. If you are planning to get your new Galaxy SIV and wondering where to get these flip cover, they are now available for pre-order at Amazon. The S-View flip cover costs US$59.99 while the one without the S-View costs US$30.50. With these flip covers costing so much, now you know why I refer to the accessory pack that comes with the launch as ‘gimmick’ rather than anything substantial.

Launch Date of Samsung Galaxy S4 in Singapore

The exact date is still tightly wrapped but making a calculated guess is not too difficult I think. The launch event will be held either on Thursday or Friday, that is almost 90% probability. If they are targeting April launch and it is end of April, it can only be either 25 or 26 April. If they drag on to May, it will be no later than 2nd or 3rd May. But for now, do your own calculation and see if it is in your best interest to grab a Galaxy S4, given that Note 3 is not too far away from the horizon and not forgetting the rising contender from HTC One and well, maybe Google’s Nexus 5. I’m sure if you are thinking about Galaxy S4, iPhone will not be on your radar anyway.

Color Option

For its upcoming global release, two color options will be made available. The first option is black mist and the second is white frost.

Conclusions

In conclusion, I feel that S4 is a phone with shoes that is too big to fill. Millions of marketing dollars have been poured in and the tech blogs run on hyper mode. However, it don’t think it lives up to what has been expected to deliver. No eye sensor. No flexible screen. It does not have any extraordinary capability that only it can claim to have. Only time will tell if it is going to be a hit or a major tech flop. What do you think? Will you buy it?

I can go on about the smartphone revolution. I can go on to tell about how Apple, through iPhone, has killed the traditional phone market and dethroned who were once formidable king such as Nokia and Blackberry. But I will not go on. The wave of revolution sparked by Apple’s iPhone is eminent and speaks for itself. Fast forward to today, we are now halfway through the full decade of the revolution. Ever since the departure of Steve Jobs, Apple’s innovation machine seems to have slowed down. Whether we realize it or not. Whether we accept it or not. Android is now becoming the epicenter of the smartphone universe. It is where the excitement and big battles are fought.

Just days ago, Samsung held what was labeled by industry analysts and watches as the biggest smartphone launch in 2013. It seemed to me that Samsung has mastered another stance from Apple’s playbook – hype machine. Of all places in the world, New York is picked as the launching pad for the latest Galaxy S4, taking on Apple at its very own turf. Specs leaks. Image leaks. Software leaks. The entire blogsphere is abuzz in the build up to what is tipped to be the hottest selling smartphone this year. As expected, some of the leaks were genuine while some were fake. As Carla pointed out in her earlier discussion, the future of smartphone is not going to be in hardware superiority but software features that are going to fill the holes to the way we do things in our every day lives. Buried among all the rumors and speculations is the eye scroll feature which many of us thought is going to be really cool. But when the wrap around the Galaxy S4 is finally lifted, we had Smart Scroll. Instead of eye control, the Smart Scroll relies on the tilting and movement of the phone to control the scrolling. A big let down indeed. But the bigger disappointment comes from the initial feedback that has been streaming in from tech bloggers who happened to have laid their hands on the Galaxy S4. The general consensus is the Smart Scroll is a nice attempt by Samsung but it does not work as well and as smooth as it should be. There are tonnes other reviews about Samsung’s latest flagship Galaxy S4 phone. In many instances, the initial jury seems to be that Samsung has just let slip their biggest opportunity to land the final blow to knock Apple’s iPhone dominance.

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Soon after the unveiling, many critics are quick to jump into critizising Samsung’s latest Galaxy S4 as far from a revolutionary device that many have come to expect from Samsung. Some are harsh enough to even describe it as an iterative and not even worth to be considered as an evolutionary product. One of the harshest critics has to be HTC’s chief marketing officer, Benjamin Ho. Ho went as far as describing Galaxy SIV’s plastic build as pales in comparsion to HTC One’s all aluminum unibody.

Remember few months back when Apple debut the iPhone 5? It was met with equally, if not more hostile reception. Despite the screen upgrade and improved appearance, many (including those in Samsung’s camp) blasted Apple for complacency and started predicting doomsday for the Cupertino tech giant. Many were convinced that Apple has lost its magic after Jobs departure and tipped Samsung as the next leader in innovation. Samsung had its chance to show the world that it is ready to take over the helm but they just blew up the chance. The lack of innovation in Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone means that this year will be an interesting year for the smartphone, particularly the Android segment. As Samsung stalls, the rest of the pack are closing in. LG just had a fresh success in their partnership with Google in building the Nexus 4.

If you recall, Samsung were an established player in handset market before the iOS and Android era. That was during the Windows mobile era. They tried and they failed. Then they started by playing a supporting role in supplying components to Apple. At one point of time, more than 50% of iPhone’s components were from Samsung. Along the way, Samsung learned a trick or two and started producing its own phones. Do you the similarity with LG? LG has already been producing Andorid phones before Nexus 4 but they were all crappy that the number of Singaporeans to even willing consider LG’s phone were just a fraction of a tiny fraction. But they seem to have learnt from Google on what it takes to make a beautiful and truly usable Android phone. Despite the huge success and popularity of Nexus 4, LG refused to ramp up its production. (Until today, we have not seen any sign of Nexus 4 coming to Singapore) Instead, LG is trying to switch everyone to their Optimus G and Optimus G Pro. The Optimus G is pitched as Nexus 4-optimized version. But will anyone in Singapore bite into it? That is where the battle for Android King throne is going to be interesting this year.

Read also: Online Shopping Singapore Guides

Aside from HTC and LG, Sony is trying to make a comeback and they seemed to be showing strong determination in doing so. Announced in recent MWC 2013, Sony’s latest Xperia Z has been made available in Singapore since March 1. It has so far received rave reviews. But most of the positive reviews have so far been centered around the superior hardware build of the Xperia Z while most still see some catching up to do from software perspective.

While Apple has not been showing much innovation with the iOS lately, the battle is heating up in the Android space. Now that smartphone is entering post-infancy stage, the benchmark for smartphone user experience has been established. Everyone seems to have figured out how to make smartphones that are usable and it is quickly approaching the maturity of PC computing. Who do you think will be the Android King in Singapore in 2013? Do you think Samsung’s Galaxy SIV will solidify its grip at the top? Or do you think we are ready for another Korean dominance with LG Optimus G Pro? Do you think HTC One has a chance at all? Do you think Sony’s Xperia Z will turn around the fortune for the ailing Japanese electronic behemoth? Don’t miss out on this epic battle. Cast your vote in our polling!

LATEST NEWS: The coming of Galaxy S4 Singapore with Price Details

I’m no fan of football, but the equivalent of the Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Manchester United, to geeks worldwide and in Singapore, is probably this one event. It seems that Samsung is learning really fast and taking each lesson from Apple’s playbook into practice. It has learnt how to build the hype machine surrounding its product launch. Claimed leaks of technical specification and images of what is expected to be the next Galaxy S4 is abundant. It has reached to the point where you are no longer able to tell which leaks are genuine and which are not. This is again, reminiscent of Steve Jobs’ time when every Apple’s product launch was massive. The question is whether Samsung has learnt enough to manage its fans’ expectation and if things went unplanned (remember iPhone’s antennagate?), can they still withstand the storm?

It is atypical of Apple to have no big event at this period of the year. During Steve Jobs’ era, Apple’s marketing was so simple yet was successful. It has only 2 major events every year. One is held during March which was typically reserved for the iPads and Macs refreshments. Second is held during September which was typically reserved for the iPhones, making it fresh and hot gadget just in time for the Christmas holiday shopping. But under Tim Cook, things have changed and we have yet to see clear pattern on how their product launch plan. So far, most of Apple’s product launches under Tim Cook, has been underwhelming or if not, disappointing. Think about this. Every time Tim Cook takes on the stage and start to speak, Apple’s stock plunges (click here to read the details).

With so much hype and rumors behind the S4 launch, what is it the biggest new feature do you expect out of the S4? Just days ago, new rumors suggested that the S4 will be equipped with eye sensor that allows you to scroll on the text that you are reading. This, to me is the biggest of all. Faster processor. Bigger screen. Better camera. Those were the old rule of the game. I see the future lies in the software and capability powering up the new and upcoming smartphones. Will eye scroll change the way we read from our phone just like the way the touch keypad change the way we type on our phone? Or will it be a flop just like the way Siri is floundering now? Only time will tell. If this feature is really going to work, Samsung may be worthy of taking over Apple as the world’s most innovative tech company, in my opinion.

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What do you think? Share with us what is your biggest expectation of the Galaxy S4. My adrenaline is definitely running high but we still have 7 more days to go before the big bang!

You might also be interested in: Epic Battle for Android King in 2013

[PREVIOUS UPDATE] Samsung has successfully made a dent to the smartphone universe that has until now been dominated by Apple. In the past 2 years, Samsung has turned its back against one of its previously closest ally. Initially started as component suppliers to majority of Apple’s i-devices (particularly the iPhone), Samsung was a fast learner indeed. In smartphone, they saw the beginning of a new computing era and it was a market too big to ignore. This was even if it means risking one of its biggest customer and partner.

The Samsung Galaxy line of devices started back in 2010 with the first generation of the Samsung Galaxy S I9000. Looking back and in Steve Jobs’ word, let’s try to connect the dots, we can now see that by the naming alone, Samsung was already harbouring big ambition and it was quietly learning from its closest and biggest partner. It did not choose to name the phone with all the long and meaningless serial numbering (remember the days when we have to remember so many phone models with the likes of Nokia E63/E71/E72 bla bla bla?). Instead, it decided to go with a more sexy and cool name Galaxy S.

READ ALSO: Counting Down to Galaxy S4 Unveiling: What to Expect

Now we are in 2013 and the Galaxy S has seen 3 generations of refinement. 2011 was the birth year of Galaxy S2 and 2012 was the birth year of Galaxy S3. While the initial Galaxy S and S2 did not receive much success, the Galaxy S3 was the breakthrough for Samsung. Unveiled at the beginning of May 2012, its pre-order three weeks later hit a record of 9 millions which was high by any means of standard.

This year, all rumours and speculations are pointing to March 14 as the date for the unveiling of the Galaxy S4. The date is interesting to me. First of all, it seems a bit too early considering that last year, the S3 was unveiled only in May. But maybe they are really feeling the pressure from other smartphone makers such as HTC (which has recently launch the HTC One), Sony (which has recently launch the new Xperia Z) and LG (which has recently seen unprecedented success in Nexus 4 (See also: LG Optimus G is the Nexus 4-Optimized?) and now gearing up for Optimus G). The other thing that puzzles me is the date that is barely two weeks after the Mobile World Congress 2013. It seems that the era of such big conferences as CES and MWC is coming to an end and brands prefer to flash their new sexy gadgets on their own time and place. At the time of this writing, the fresh news out of New York City is the unveiling of PlayStation 4 by Sony. They could have announced it during the CES, could they not?

LATEST NEWS: Galaxy 4 Teaser is Out! Samsung Unpacked 2013 is set for March 14

The most interesting question that Galaxy fans in Singapore are eagerly asking is when will the Galaxy S4 release date in Singapore be? Let me try to look back at past records and come up with a rough estimate on when this date is going to be. In 2011, the S2 was announced on February 13 and that was held during MWC 2011. It was only made available in Singapore on June 11. Simple maths calculation here. The lag time was 4 months. In 2012, the S3 was announced on May 8 and was made available in Singapore on May 29. (See also: Galaxy SIII Singapore Telco Price Comparison: SingTel vs Starhub vs M1) The lag time was significantly reduced to only 3 weeks. Unless Samsung is able to achieve the kind of supply chain that only Apple has been able to master, I think the Galaxy S4 will only make its debut in Singapore some time end of March or first week of April.

Have you been waiting for the Samsung Galaxy S4? Share with me your thoughts in the comment below. Stay tuned and I’ll provide more update as soon as they are available.

Who do you think will be the Android King in 2013? Will Samsung retain the throne with its Galaxy S4? Pick Your Winner Now

[PREVIOUS UPDATE] Samsung has successfully made a dent to the smartphone universe that has until now been dominated by Apple. In the past 2 years, Samsung has turned its back against one of its previously closest ally. Initially started as component suppliers to majority of Apple’s i-devices (particularly the iPhone), Samsung was a fast learner indeed. In smartphone, they saw the beginning of a new computing era and it was a market too big to ignore. This was even if it means risking one of its biggest customer and partner.

READ ALSO: Counting Down to Galaxy S4 Unveiling: What to Expect

The Samsung Galaxy line of devices started back in 2010 with the first generation of the Samsung Galaxy S I9000. Looking back and in Steve Jobs’ word, let’s try to connect the dots, we can now see that by the naming alone, Samsung was already harbouring big ambition and it was quietly learning from its closest and biggest partner. It did not choose to name the phone with all the long and meaningless serial numbering (remember the days when we have to remember so many phone models with the likes of Nokia E63/E71/E72 bla bla bla?). Instead, it decided to go with a more sexy and cool name Galaxy S.

Now we are in 2013 and the Galaxy S has seen 3 generations of refinement. 2011 was the birth year of Galaxy S2 and 2012 was the birth year of Galaxy S3. While the initial Galaxy S and S2 did not receive much success, the Galaxy S3 was the breakthrough for Samsung. Unveiled at the beginning of May 2012, its pre-order three weeks later hit a record of 9 millions which was high by any means of standard.

This year, all rumours and speculations are pointing to March 14 as the date for the unveiling of the Galaxy S4. The date is interesting to me. First of all, it seems a bit too early considering that last year, the S3 was unveiled only in May. But maybe they are really feeling the pressure from other smartphone makers such as HTC (which has recently launch the HTC One), Sony (which has recently launch the new Xperia Z) and LG (which has recently seen unprecedented success in Nexus 4 (See also: LG Optimus G is the Nexus 4-Optimized?) and now gearing up for Optimus G). The other thing that puzzles me is the date that is barely two weeks after the Mobile World Congress 2013. It seems that the era of such big conferences as CES and MWC is coming to an end and brands prefer to flash their new sexy gadgets on their own time and place. At the time of this writing, the fresh news out of New York City is the unveiling of PlayStation 4 by Sony. They could have announced it during the CES, could they not?

LATEST NEWS: Galaxy 4 Teaser is Out! Samsung Unpacked 2013 is set for March 14

The most interesting question that Galaxy fans in Singapore are eagerly asking is when will the Galaxy S4 release date in Singapore be? Let me try to look back at past records and come up with a rough estimate on when this date is going to be. In 2011, the S2 was announced on February 13 and that was held during MWC 2011. It was only made available in Singapore on June 11. Simple maths calculation here. The lag time was 4 months. In 2012, the S3 was announced on May 8 and was made available in Singapore on May 29. (See also: Galaxy SIII Singapore Telco Price Comparison: SingTel vs Starhub vs M1) The lag time was significantly reduced to only 3 weeks. Unless Samsung is able to achieve the kind of supply chain that only Apple has been able to master, I think the Galaxy S4 will only make its debut in Singapore some time end of March or first week of April.

Have you been waiting for the Samsung Galaxy S4? Share with me your thoughts in the comment below. Stay tuned and I’ll provide more update as soon as they are available.

You might also be interested in: Epic Battle for Android King in 2013

If you are like most other Galaxy Grand Singapore fans who pinned high hopes on this sibling of the Samsung Galaxy family, it is time to lower down your expectation if you do not want to end up with disappointment. If earlier I applauded Samsung for their bold decision to treat smartphone users with 5.3 inch screen found in Galaxy Note (1st edition) hence inventing the non-official ‘phablet’ category, I think the decision to line up the Galaxy Grand to be part of the awesome Galaxy family and even awarding it the Grand title is a real foolish decision.

Galaxy Grand Singapore fans need to get to know the technical specification of the phone and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Top of the list is the network capability supported by the phone. Samsung’s Galaxy Grand supports only 2G and up to 3G networks. No, it is not LTE-ready and it means no blazing speed Internet connectivity. Compared this to the Galaxy Note II N7100 and SIII I9300. Next is the display panel. Unlike the Note 2 and S3 that use Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, the grand uses ordinary non-Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen. Resolution-wise, the grand offers 400×800 compared to the 700×1280 pixel resolution offered in Samsung’s two flagship galaxy models. The pixel density of the grand comes in only at a pathetic 187ppi, much lower than Note 2′s 267ppi and S3′s 306ppi. The grand does not come with corning gorilla glass protection. The internal storage capacity of the grand is only 8GB with 1GB RAM. The entry-level variants of Note II and SIII come with 16GB storage and 2GB RAM. The processor used to power the grand is dual-core running at 1.2GHz, compared to the quad-core 1.6GHz and 1.4GHz used for Note 2 and S3.

WHY AND WHEN DO YOU NEED A DUAL-SIM PHONE?

Just by looking at the spec alone, let us try to decode which market segment does Samsung has in mind with this Grand Galaxy. First off, the phone is a full dual-sim phone. Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is a cool new feature. It is not. Support for dual sim has been around for the longest time, even before smartphone took over the reign from traditional handset. The question that I have is if such feature is really popular and cool, why is there no flagship smartphone equipped with this capability? This is not the first time Samsung is making a full dual-sim phone (eg Galaxy Champ DUOS) but it ended up being only a fringe and not flagship model of Samsung.

How often in Singapore do you see people carrying multiple phones? Rarely. How often in places like Jakarta or Mumbai do you see people carrying multiple phones? Almost 1 in 2 mobile phone users in such places carry more than 1 phones. There is a good reason for this. I’m not sold on the marketing tagline for the use of dual sim phone in Singapore that champions the flexibility of switiching between work and personal phone with one device. If there is such an urgent need for us in Singapore to separate our work and personal phone line, sales of dual sim phones would be thriving in Singapore. Then we can absolutely be certain that Galaxy Grand Singapore fans will be in for a treat. But it is never really the case.

The real reason why you need dual sim phones is the competition between the local telcos. In Jakarta for example, there are dozens of telcos around. Among the perks used to retain or grow their subscriber base, telcos there are offering lucrative deals such as free or minimal charge for intra-operator calls. Things like free SMS for intra-operator numbers is common. Such kinds of offers are the norms in places where telco competitions are stiff such as India and Philippines. In Singapore? Yes, we have 3 telcos fighting for a small pie. Do we really feel the existence of real competition between them? I leave you to answer the question.

Now you see the real needs for dual sim phones in markets such as Jakarta, Mumbai and Manila. As almost everyone carries at least 2 numbers from different operators, it makes logical sense to use a phone where you can activate two sim cards from two different operators in a single phone. This will save the cost of buying additional handset and carrying multiple phones that can be a hassle.

WILL GALAXY GRAND SINGAPORE MAKE ITS DEBUT HERE?

Now that you have seen the technical specification of this member of the Samsung Galaxy clan, you very much have a good idea on how it fits into the overall plan. The phone is not as ‘Grand’ as its name suggests. At best, it is a grand compromise on Samsung’s part. I see it as their ploy to expand the ‘phablet’ category into the low cost market segment. Do I think it is a phone worth considering by Galaxy Grand Singapore fans? I don’t thik so. Do I see the Galaxy Grand Singapore release coming? I don’t see any good reason for Samsung to bring it to the Singapore market.

Do you think Samsung Galaxy Grand will ever be released in Singapore? Tell us in the comments below.

If you are among those who have been on the sidelines and waiting faithfully for the lovely pink note 2 to be here, you may be in for a celebration. Samsung is indeed, still listening to fans like us, who would wait for the pink version no matter what. The Pink Galaxy Note II has been officially made available. There was no big hu-ha or launch celebration. There was not even official press release yet (as far as I can reliably find). But it is officially listed in Samsung Taiwan’s website. Here is the screenshot of the new queen.

One big delight to me, is the pink color variation that is offered this time round. The pink color is lighter and appear more like a baby pink to me. This is awesome as the new queen looks absolutely prettier than its predecessor, Pink Note 1.

But… Pink Note fans in Singapore still probably have to wait a little longer. It is quite disappointing. If only it is made available now, it would make a perfect gift for the Chinese New Year.

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Now that the Note 2 in pink appear to be officially on the radar, do you think it will definitely be made available in Singapore? If it is, will you rush to get it?

LG accused Google of providing poor demand forecast that resulted in the global shortfall of the Nexus 4. Based on past Google Nexus releases, none have predicted such a strong demand. In one instance, LG was reported as saying that Google’s estimate was only one tenth of the actual demand that they were receiving. Really, this is a classic example of how bad things could go wrong even when you are successful.

You might also be interested in: Epic Battle for Android King in 2013

Few days ago, LG Singapore held a launch event for its latest generation of LG Optimus G. It is clear that LG Optimus G is LG’s best Android smartphone that we have seen so far. Mind you that I’m not saying it is a good Android phone, but it is the best among LG’s other offerings.

Given that the price of LG Optimus G with no contract is $768, Nexus 4 Singapore fans may be in for a big disappointment. With such pricing, is there a room for the Nexus 4 to be sold here in Singapore? As we know, the smartphone penetration rate in Singapore may have reached a saturation point. Among the most popular models, we have the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and Samsung Galaxy S3. This is not to mention the likes of Sony’s Xperia and HTC’s One series.

LG Optimus G is claimed to be the optimized version of LG Nexus 4. Do you think so? If Nexus 4 is not going to be made available in Singapore, will you be giving the LG Optimus G a shot? Let us know by taking part in the polling below.

Anyway, Galaxy S3 mini Singapore fans finally have a reason to rejoice. The long wait is over and it is not a futile wait. If you are among those who have been holding back on your handset upgrade plan, it is time to act. According to M1′s listing, the Singapore retail price of the Samsung Galaxy S3 mini without contract is $568. At the time of this writing, my check with the local mobile phone shops found that their non-contract price is between $520-$550. If you are not in a rush, wait for a few weeks till the demand-supply situation has settled.

You might also be interested in: Epic Battle for Android King in 2013

In the case of its bigger sibling, the Galaxy SIII, its recommended retail price is $868 but you can get unbundled price between $750-$780. But if you can’t wait to get your hands on this little addition to the Galaxy family, then I have compiled the mobile plan price comparison across SingTel, Starhub and M1. Unlike the iPhone telco price comparison, comparing the offering for the SIII mini is a little slippery. The 3 telcos are not bundling the S3 mini with the same price plan.

I’m not sure if it is just the error with the online system or it is intentionally the case. For Starhub, the online system does not allow me to select the SmartSurf plan. It only allows me to select one of the the 3G PowerValue plans, which is a total crap. As you know, the Starhub 3G PowerValue plans do not come with any data bundle. For M1 and SingTel, there is no such problem. If you are with M1, you can still go for the ValueSurf+ or LiteSurf+. If you are with SingTel, you can still opt for FlexiLite or FlexiValue.

Just to make sure that we are comparing apple to apple here, I’ve excluded the comparison for Starhub. If you are keen to find out their plan, please click here. Based on the comparison below, the price that you have to pay at the end of your 2-year contract with SingTel is slightly cheaper than M1. Whether you opt for the cheaper ($39) or the more expensive ($59) plan, the price difference is around $60 at the end of 24-months period.

If you look at a not so recent report from a study commissioned by Paypal, you would think that Singapore online shopping is thriving. The report states that Singapore online shopping market hit the $1.1B mark back in 2010. According to the report, the Singapore online shopping market is projected to grow to $4.4B in 2015. I’m not sure how does it translate to the reality of Singapore online shopping trend. Based on my conversation with friends, colleagues and relatives, it seems that there are still relatively small number of people who are comfortable with online shopping in Singapore. I heard many doubts. I answered many questions. And I received many requests to write a beginner’s guide to doing online shopping Singapore. This article serves as a beginner’s guide and if you are well ahead into the online shopping game, then this might not be for you.

First of all, when we talk about online shopping sites, we need to be clear of one thing. We need to be clear if we are talking about local (Singapore online shop) or International sites. This is important because shopping from a Singapore online shop is totally a different matter compared to shopping from a global e-tailer (or non-Singapore online shop). The methods of payment may also be different.

ONLINE SHOPPING SINGAPORE GUIDE: LIST OF SINGAPORE ONLINE SHOPPING SITES

Let us begin by looking at the list of Singapore online shopping sites. While there are new blogshops popping up every once in a while, I have yet to take them seriously when I shop online in Singapore. The reason is simple. I’m not trying to discourage the brave young entrepreneurs who pull the courage to set up their own blog shops. In fact, I very much would like to see more successful blog shops in Singapore. But for now, I will just list few of the established Singapore online shopping sites.

• Qoo10: This is by far what I see as the most popular online shopping Singapore site. In case you found it alien, Qoo10 is renamed after Gmarket. The items being sold there are generally cheaper than the retail price that you normally have to pay. This, in my opinion, is the biggest draw the site has to offer. Apart from the large collection of items (from clothes to kitchenware to fashion accessories), the site offers 5 different method of payments that you can choose from. You can choose to use your PayPal (if you have one) account, Credit Card (if you feel it is secure to do so), Cash transfer, e-Nets (I’m sure you have an Internet Banking account) or QAaccount.
• Reebonz: Some of you might have heard of this online shopping Singapore site while some of you might not. Reebonz operates based on flash sale model. Flash sale is a kind of e-commerce model that has gained popularity in recent times. In brief, a flash sale site usually offers a limited range of products for a limited period of time. In US, the biggest flash sale site is Gilt. While Reebonz and Gilt operate on similar sales model, I still find prices offered by Reebonz to be too high for such model. If you are into designer handbags, clothes, watches and shoes, Reebonz is where you want to head on to. The site allows you to pay using either Paypal or Credit Card.
• NutritionPark: If you are looking for an online shop in Singapore that sells vitamins and health supplements, this is where I would recommend. The site might be bare and simple, but I found them to be reliable. In addition, their prices are usually lower than the retail prices you find in retail stores. They accept PayPal and Credit Card as payment method.
• Zalora: They are the newest entrant into the Singapore online shop scene. Although they are new to the online shopping Singapore scene, I can see that they are well funded. Immediately after their launch in 2012, they embarked on aggressive marketing push. I’m sure in one way or another, you would have come across their banners at least once in the past 6 months alone. Whether you are stalking your friends in Facebook or you are googling for something or checking your Yahoo email, there is a high chance that you have come across their ads at least once. The biggest draw that Zalora has to offer is the Cash on delivery payment in addition to the usual PayPal and Credit Card options. They are also offering a Free 30-days return. Personally, I have not tried making any purchase from them before, so I reserve my comment for now.
• WhyMobile: If you are into mobile phones and tablets, this is the site you want to bookmark and remember. If you need to check on the latest prices of any new mobile phone models, this is the place. They take in eNets or Credit Card as payment method.

That is all for this edition of Online Shopping Singapore Guides for newbies. I’ve shortlisted 5 Singapore Online shopping sites that should fulfill almost all your basic shopping needs. What do you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comment below.