Smart Shopper PNG

Ho ho ho, it’s Christmas time again. ‘Tis the season for spending your hard-earned money. If this sounds like you, we recommend you consider brand as an essential part of your gift idea. Brand says a lot about you and the person you are gifting. It shows integrity in that you have chosen reputation over a cheap no-name option. Buying by brand virtually guarantees your gift is one of quality. With big brands you can’t go wrong. You are buying years of investment in research and development. It is also prudent to buy brand-name items through a reputable, authorized on-seller, as this ensures the product is genuine and covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. Here is our choice of PNG’s top 10 tech brands that will not let you down. 1. Sony Country of origin: Japan Founded: Sony 1946 / PlayStation 1994 Products: audio/visual (wireless speakers, headphones, earbuds, TV), cameras, video cameras, PlayStation consoles and games. Smart Shopper says: Sony is the one and only! ...

The bigger, better coverage of internet throughout PNG, thanks largely to Digicel and Telikom, means there are now greater possibilities for medical care reaching more people, faster and more effectively than previously thought possible. Technology may indeed be the cure for an ailing health care system, especially in delivering ICU services to remote areas.  For proof we can look at eSanjeevani and the Government of India. During COVID and the lockdowns that affected the world, India included, the public had no means to consult doctors and specialists. A transformative telemedicine platform was rapidly developed & operated nationally by a company -  eSanjeevani -  powered by global tech company InstaVC.  Now it rightfully claims to be one of the world's largest telemedicine platforms, having delivered 100 million telehealth consultations. This integrated telemedicine technology was deployed in two modes: a doctor-to-doctor telemedicine system, to provide ac...

If your phone is acting strange, over-heating with excessive battery and data use, it may mean that you are being tracked, or you have one or more malignant, unwanted apps or files installed on your device. If you suspect your device has been hacked, check it for suspicious apps and files you don't remember creating. The following advice is designed to make you smarter. How to Protect Your Device The first thing to do is to frustrate whoever or whatever is trying to track you. Put your phone into flight mode or turn off data now and then. This will interrupt the flow of data, which will confuse whoever is trying to track you. Then get to work. Delete Suspicious Apps If you installed a third-party app right before your phone started acting weird, there's a good chance that the app was infected with malware. Delete it immediately. Check your apps list for anything you don't recognize, especially if they have the word "tracker" in the name, that means...

A privacy screen protector is a good idea! Recently we published a guide to buying a smart phone in PNG. In the article there is a section on after-sales, part of which relates to covers, screen protectors etc. No good spending a lot of money on a new phone and finding out there are only crappy covers and cheap screen protectors available, right? I can report from first hand experience you may need to look off-shore (or on Amazon), if you want the best gear for your expensive phone or tablet. I have a Samsung Galaxy S21+. It’s not the most recent of the S series, but it’s a nice device and it’s still as new – because I take care of it. Two years ago, I bought a screen protector for my phone in PNG and the protector was crap. Basically, it just covered the front glass, didn’t wrap around the curved edges of the phone, it hindered the touch-screen functions, and showed finger prints. It basically did everything you didn’t want it to do. Not good! I removed and disposed of...

Our recent review of the Google Pixel 8 was popular among readers. The most common response was “where can we get it in PNG?” It’s a good question. If you know where, then let’s know and we will give it a plug in our article. In the meantime, you can view (and purchase) Pixel 8 online at the Google Store site, although that won’t be the best solution if you are in Papua New Guinea. Pixel 8 is the current shining star in the Google product line-up. New York Times just announced it as the best Android smartphone of 2023.    Here’s what they said: “After spending hundreds of hours testing Android smartphones, we’ve concluded that the Google Pixel 8—which sits in the sweet spot of competitive pricing and great hardware—is the best Android phone for most people.” But wait! There’s more to Pixel Pixel 8 is the most recent in a string of developments in the Google product lineup. It shows that the Pixel brand has really come of age. In the Google store you will a...

The following guide is a work in progress, so feel free to contact us with any updates. Please email updates, corrections, or new information to smartshopperpng@gmail.com For now, the focus is on dedicated tech retail companies as there are many general retail outlets and resellers that offer some tech products as a sideline. The information below has been paraphrased from various sources, mainly from the respective company’s website and/or Facebook page. It is presented in alphabetical order. ABLE HOME & OFFICE Able sells a range of “cutting-edge technologically inventive products,” including computers, electronics, printers, copiers, network and wireless products, inks and toners, phones and communications. T: +675 3252599 E: info@pom.able.com.pg W: www.able.com.pg

The retail market in Papua New Guinea seems to have been caught up in the hype of the new iPhone 15 and Galaxy S23 and missed one of the best releases of 2023.  It went straight over their heads, wooosh… and it was so obvious. Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro was announced and released last month (October 2023) and is the latest in the line of Pixel phones that have been engineered by Google since 2016. The Pixel brand has been around even longer, with Google releasing the Chromebook Pixel laptop in 2013. Fast forward to 2023, and Google Pixel now encompasses a wide range of tech products including speakers, earbuds, tablets, watches, smart home appliances, various accessories… and the smartest of smart phones. About Google Most people think of Google as a search engine. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Google is in fact an American multinational technology company with interests in artificial intelligence, online advertising, search engine...

Earlier this year Samsung released the new Galaxy S23 line up. This included the base model Galaxy S23, S23 Plus and S23 Ultra. Just recently, Samsung also released the S23 FE – announced on October 3 and available on October 26. Much to their credit, local retailer Fone Haus got the scoop on the product, offering it for sale in Papua New Guinea the following day on October 27 at K2899 (8GB/256GB) with free Wireless Galaxy Buds FE. Not a bad deal, and not a bad phone. Why the hype? FE stands for Fan Edition. It's a special edition of the S23 that gives access to the latest S series at a more affordable price, given that the base model S23 retails at around K3800. S23 FE is also a step up from the A Series A54 which retails at around K1700-K1800. In short, the S23 FE is for fans who want in on the S Series at the lower price of K2899. So, what’s different? Aesthetically, the S23 FE looks the same as the S23. The FE does use cheaper materials, such as Gorilla Glass ...

This article will focus on two new iPhone base models, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. We’ll look at the high-end flagship models iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max in another blog post. iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus were launched in September 2023, introducing the first major redesign for iPhone since iPhone 12 in 2020. Among the new design features is a curved display and back glass. But that’s not all… Dynamic island Dynamic island was first released with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max last year. Its success has now made it a permanent feature of all iPhone 15 models. Dynamic island is basically a widget that shows you live, clickable updates showing all kinds of information from the various apps you use. It’s not just a gimmick, but a very practical tool to keep you informed. The inclusion of this feature has also led to a redesign of the front-facing camera module. Apple says: "Dynamic Island bubbles up alerts and Live Activities — so you don’t miss them while ...