Yesterday, I appeared in the GMA 7 morning show Unang Hirit where I discussed affordable gadgets that students can use for their online classes this coming schoolyear. I’m getting a lot of inquiries about these devices and since the brands and models were not mentioned in their program (they don’t allow it) I decided to share this list with everyone. The prices range from P3,499 to P17,990.
As I explained in the show yesterday, these gadgets for online classes can be used for video conferencing, word processing or taking notes. Apps can be installed to aid them in learning. Tablets have bigger screens and can be paired with a bluetooth keyboard (you can purchase a bluetooth keyboard for as low as P500). Those who can afford to stretch their budget up to at least P17,990 can opt for a full-sized laptop.
Before I continue, here’s our segment shown in Unang Hirit yesterday:
SMARTPHONES
Cherry Mobile Flare S8 is a value for money smartphone which is the brand’s best product released in the entry-level segment. It comes with a 6.26″ with HD+ resolution and TrueView Teardrop Display and powered by a MediaTek Helio P23 chipset, the same chipset used in mid-range phones in 2017 so it is still a reliable processor. It comes with a 32GB internal storage with expandable storage up to 128GB and 3GB of memory. It has a 13 Megapixel front camera which takes clear images and can be used for video conferencing. The price of the Cherry Mobile Flare S8 is P3,999.
You can watch my unboxing video below:
I recently reviewed the Lenovo K5 Play and for P3,990, I consider its cameras to be one of the best for this price range. The large 5.7″ screen is good enough to view online classes, and its Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor is capable to operate apps. Storage is 32GB expandable up to 128GB and its memory is 3GB. Front camera is 8 Megapixels, lower than the Flare S8 but it still produces clear images.
You can read my Lenovo K5 Play review HERE.
I considered the realme C3 as the best smartphone in the entry-level segment. Screen is larger at 6.52-inches and its processor is very fast so you can be sure it can run all the apps needed to be installed for online learning. Storage is also at 32GB expandable up to 256GB with a MicroSD card and memory is 3GB. Front camera is only 5 Megapixels but it’s good enough for making video calls. This is the highest priced smartphone in the group at P5,990.
My review of the realme C3 can be found HERE.
TABLETS
This is the most affordable among the devices I featured in the show. The Cherry Mobile Superion S1+ DTV features a 7-inch screen display which is larger than smartphones. It has a 1.3GHz Octa-Core processor, 16GB of storage with expandable storage, 1GB of memory and Android 8 Oreo Go OS (it is the light version meaning the Google apps are not fully featured.) As the name suggests, this tablet has a built-in Digital TV, so students can watch digital TV channels. The price of the Cherry Mobile Superion S1+ DTV is P3,499.
Did you hear the news about Heart Evangelista giving away more than 550 tablets to students? This is the tablet that she gave away, the Cherry Mobile Flare Tab. Evangelista, who happens to be a Cherry Mobile endorser, made the right choice of choosing the tablet to give away. It also has a 7-inch display with HD+ resolution, 1.4GHz Quad-Core processor, 16GB of Storage expandable with a MicroSD Card up to 64GB, 2GB of memory and a 2 Megapixel front camera. It has a newer Operating System with Android 9 Pie. The price of the Cherry Mobile Flare Tab is P3,699.
Now if you need a bigger sized tablet, the Cherry Mobile Flare Tab Pro is what I recommend. Display size is 10″ with a faster 1.6GHz Octa-Core processor, 16GB of Internal Storage expandable up to 128GB, 2GB of memory, 5,000 mAh battery, and a 2 Megapixel front camera. It also has Android 9 Pie as its Operating System. The price of the Cherry Mobile Flare Tab Pro is P5,499. I’ll be reviewing this tablet soon so watch out for it.
LAPTOPS
Researchers of Unang Hirit were looking for cheap laptops under P10,000. I told them this is impossible for now, and the most affordable one I know under 10k is the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 1 but it’s only a special online sale price for Lazada’s 5.5 and 6.6 sales. If Lenovo sells it again in the Lazada 7.7 sale and that is your budget limit for your child’s laptop, then go ahead and buy it. Otherwise, go for the ASUS X409 Laptop which I also featured in the show.
I purchased the ASUS X4099MA-BV106T last year for my nieces. They used to have a tablet+bluetooth keyboard combo so I decided to buy them a laptop. The ASUS X409 has a 14″ HD display and powered by an Intel Celeron processor. Storage is a 1TB HDD and memory is 4GB. It also has USB ports, an HDMI port and a SD Card reader. Windows 10 Home edition is already pre-installed. The ASUS X409 has a price tag of P17,999.
For cheap bluetooth keyboards, they can be purchased at department stores or even at tiangges. Just make sure to test them before making the purchase. I saw one in Miniso also for P500 but I bought one for my niece at CD-R King when they were still open.
I hope I am able to help you buy the most affordable gadgets that your child can use for their online classes. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section and I’ll try to answer them.
