Top 10 stories on HardwareZone in 2015
With CES 2016 out of the way, and our team settling back to normalcy, we took a peek to check out which of our stories had the most impact for our readers in 2015. Did you manage to ride the wave along with the rest of our readers? Find out!
Note: This article was first published on 24th January 2016.
Being a one-stop IT media hub for consumers is a 24/7 job for the folks who run HardwareZone. Not only does our team cover an ultra wide array of content categories, but HardwareZone is also home to our other content services like Price Lists and Price Guides to get price info of the latest goods, tech promotions, MarketPlace for trading and second-hand sales, and last but not least, our well used forums. Complimenting all this, we recently added a new Shopping@HWZ section in the pursuit to help you easily find current prices of any tech product you have in mind and even shop with the respective online retailer. So do give it a shot.
So you can see, although HardwareZone is all about tech, reader interest and pursuits can be quite skewed to a select few topics or services. That's why we took a quick look to see which feature articles and stories we put out that interested you most in 2015. Did you manage to catch all the stories? We line up the top 10, so read on to find out!
Here are our top stories of 2015 according to HardwareZone readers
No.10) What is DVB-T2 & why should I care?
We suppose all the outdoor, radio and store advertising of the need to switch to digital TV has helped raise awareness of the DVB-T2 standard and the need for consumers to get their existing or new TVs ready for this standard.
While its common knowledge that there's very limited free local programming available for consumption compared to the paid options, it is nevertheless an important checklist to ensure you're not left out and your household can receive local free-to-air channels should the need arise.
You can read up on our detailed coverage of why and what DVB-T2 is, what estates are covered in Singapore, the roll-out plan and the equipment required for receiving DVB-T2.
There's also a very strong discussion group in our forums regarding this topic and the notable opinions of existing users and opinion leaders.
No.9) Overview of the fastest fiber broadband plans in Singapore
Folks are still clamoring about 4G and 3G coverage in certain spots of the island, let alone being concerned about throughput. So the bulk of the internet connectivity race shifted to fiber broadband where at the very end of 2014, we reported massive price restructuring and the introduction of 1Gbps plans for the consumer - a milestone indeed compared to the days when HardwareZone started where 28.8K modems were most likely the norm back then.
The article isn't the most updated, but what it offers is price comparisons, consideration of differentiation factors to pick the right ISP like bundling opportunity, triple-play services, differentiating between subscribed speeds vs. real-world throughput, a knowledge of who offers symmetric upload/download speeds, concerns behind P2P throttling and the official stand between various ISPs. All in, a very knowledgeable piece for any consumer.
And if you always want opinions from consumers and power users on specific topics, you only need to look at our forums.
8) Singtel releases its price plans for the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus
The launch of any iPhone is a global phenomenon and is widely covered across all respective countries. Now what draws our readers is more about the local market updates with regards to the iPhone 6s devices and what more than the local telco price plan offerings from the largest provider of them all, Singtel. That's enough to land it the number 8 spot on our readers' favorite list.
Meanwhile, it's time to stay tuned with our iPhone 7 related rumors.
No.7) Xiaomi Mi Note smartphone review
When this phone launched in January 2015, we immediately hailed it as the best value phablet after our review and it could even stretch to hold the best phablet title. Unfortunately, Singaporeans were left to wait more than half a year before it was made available in late July. It was still a competitive product, but it is nevertheless frustrating to know there's a capable product, but you can't get it easily even when the company has a local presence. Fortunately, good value, build, usability and performance still kept consumer interest high.
Now folks are wondering if the Mi Note Pro would ever retail in Singapore. Meanwhile, there's the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 5 to look out for.
No.6) Battle of the AC3200 monster routers: ASUS RT-AC3200 vs. D-Link DIR-890L
Going hand in hand for opinions, thoughts and comparison for fiber broadband service provider options, you'll need a capable router to serve your home and the multitude of connected devices safely. That's where these powerful AC3200 routers come into play and we believe our reviews have made an impact on what powers the home of many prosumers these days.
For this interested, we have even more AC3200 routers tested in this newer shootout and for those who don't mind splurging, we've even assessed the AC5300 routers available locally.
No.6) Samsung announces Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Singapore pricing and availability
Yet another highly anticipated product, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Note 5 ruffled the feathers of several staunch Samsung supporters for their lack of removable battery and expandable memory options. In return, many consumers experienced improved product handling and some design updates both on the hardware and software levels.
Will Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S7 woo some of the disgruntled folks back? Only time will tell.
No.4) Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus local pricing revealed!
This one is an expected entry; who doesn't want to know about the official local prices for the most anticipated smartphone update of the year?
For Apple fans, it's time to keep their eyes and ears tuned for iPhone 7 updates. For Android owners, Mobile World Congress 2016 is just next month and we anticipate several new phone updates, including the Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG's G5.
No.3) ASUS ZenFone 2 (4GB RAM) review
The ASUS Zenfone 2 series.
The ZenFone series from ASUS has been a runaway hit since its introduction in 2014 with a great blend of price and capabilities. The updated ZenFone 2 only made the series even better. This time round, the ZenFone 2 series exploded to encompass several variants to suit every budget and need, including a village of suitable accessories. The most popular of the ZenFone 2 series for our readers is none other than the best equipped model with a whopping 4GB RAM and the first phone in Singapore with that RAM capacity.
More recently, ASUS launched the ZenFone 2 Laser, ZenFone 2 Go and the ZenFone Selfie. The last addition before the year ended was the S$379 ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser 6-inch with Full HD resolution and amped up speakers that boasts of being a mobile theatre, challenging the likes of HTC and its BoomSound branding. Sounds like great value, doesn't it?
But if you want to read about the model that interested our readers most, check out our full review of the ASUS ZenFone 2 (4GB RAM) here.
No.2) Xiaomi power bank reviews
Xiaomi's 10,400mAh power bank next to its 16,000mAh power bank.
It's no secret that Xiaomi has set the standard for quality power banks at an amazing price. But just how good is it? That's why we cracked down 3 of their initial power banks to find out and we had nothing but good things to say about it - well, in consideration of its really low price point:-
- Xiaomi's 10,400mAh Mi Power Bank review and teardown: S$14 for this is crazy!
- Xiaomi 5,200mAh Mi Power Bank review: This is what you get for S$9!
- Xiaomi 16,000mAh Mi Power Bank review: Get it if you need to charge 2 devices fast
While the articles are old, they are nevertheless one of the most read on our site, even now.
More recently, they've launched a 20,000mAh power bank that can charge two devices simultaneously with a maximum output of 5.1V/3.6A. It even has fast charging incorporated so that you don’t have to wait forever to get it charged. Unfortunately, it's only available for the China market.
Other interesting new Xiaomi offerings are its smart Mi Water Purifier and the new Mi Air Purifier 2 that's much smaller than its predecessor.
No.1) The AC1900 Wireless Router Shootout
Surprise!
Expecting a phone review, weren't you? Well, the unexpected can only happen on HardwareZone.
We've done countless router reviews and shootouts but we reckon most of our readers are well aware that a good mid-range router is more than adequate for their needs, thus the AC1900 class wireless router shootout is probably very fitting for their needs.
Another reason why our router roundup is important is because most of the default free routers you get with your internet service providers are of poor standard and you're much better off topping up for a quality one or just spending for a router at your own expense to really enjoy your high speed home fiber broadband plan.
Read the Full Shootout Article Here.
Well, that brings us to the end of our top 10 reads on HardwareZone. Stay tuned for more updates on all verticals such as what to expect in 2016.
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