The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 tips off on August 25. It offers hoops fans the ultimate experience to see the sport’s best global stars.

No less than Gilas Pilipinas will do its best to represent the Philippines proudly at home. Hundreds of thousands are expected to watch the prestigious event in-person from August 25 to September 10.

For those who do not have the luxury of attending live, there are still various ways to watch the World Cup. You can use whatever device from wherever location you’re from.

Here’s a quick rundown:

TV

For Cignal TV prepaid and postpaid subscribers, a one-time Pay-Per-View fee of PhP 650 entitles viewers to all 92 games of the FIBA World Cup in both SD (Ch. 198 and 199) and HD (Ch. 298 and 299).

They will come commercial-free and with access to exclusive FIBA content such as documentaries and highlights of previous tournaments.

For people mainly interested in Gilas Pilipinas games, TV5 is the surefire way to catch the action. The channel is accessible for free via CignalPlay and via any way you access free TV, like digiboxes.

Smartphones, tablets

For smartphone and tablet users, there are a handful of streaming apps that will show the World Cup games live and on demand.

Cignal’s novel streaming platform, Pilipinas Live will show all 92 games for a PhP 99 a month subscription.

Unlike cable subscriptions, this rate does not have a lock-in period. A month would be enough since the World Cup runs from August 25 to September 10. You can cancel afterwards.

Games will also be shown on the Smart Livestream app for FREE. To watch all 92 games, Smart subscribers simply have to connect to a Smart mobile data, TNT or PLDT WiFi while using the Smart LiveStream App. The app is downloadable on the App Store and Google Play Store.

Speaking of Gilas, Smart has a prepaid Gilas Power subscription promo which is inclusive of 78GB of total data, including a fixed allocation for the Livestream app and open access data good for a month.

More details here.

PC and laptops

For PC and laptop users, the best workaround is availing of CignalPlay Premium, which starts at just PhP 75 monthly, inclusive of most channels you’re used to seeing on cable TV from movies to sports to news channels and more.

The post How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Historical buildings and landmarks continue to stand the test of time, becoming a home to cultural pursuits and a display of Manila’s rich history.

Every nook and cranny picture a story that only shows when you take the moment to walk through its cobblestone alleys.

That je ne sais quoi of the walled city is indescribable with mere words.

Yet, here are some attempts to capture its grandeur using the HONOR 90 5G, one afternoon stroll inside Intramuros.

Heritage bar

First stop: Batala Bar! This heritage bar located in Plaza San Luis has always been a staple to our Intramuros strolls. Situated in front of San Agustin Church, the bar can be easily seen while traversing the cobblestones of General Luna Street.

It’s a two-story bar serving craft beer, craft coffee, specialty ice cream, and delightful meals worth taking any time of the day.

It also shares a space with the Philippine Artisan Trade Gallery on the second level, housing unique handmade products exclusive to the Philippines.

There’s a balcony where you can enjoy the warmth of the afternoon sun while admiring the quietness of the city.

On the other side, there’s an overlooking view of the fountain in Plaza San Luis. You can also get a glimpse of Casa Manila, a living museum of what life as an affluent Illustrado looked like in the past.

It’s a glance at an opulent life from centuries ago. The architecture and intricate details served as a photo opportunity for the ‘gram.

Good food, good company

What’s good food without company? GadgetMatch’s Philippine team was out for a late lunch with our jet-setter and freelance journalist friend, Ayano Tominaga.

While waiting for our meals, we ordered a seasonal fruit shake. Batala bar served us a dragon fruit shake — which was currently in season — blended with banana and milk. It’s best to cool down from the scorchingly hot weather with a tasty, ice-cold blended beverage!

I ordered a Tinapa Puttanesca. It’s a linguine pasta savored in homemade red sauce, capers, olives, and of course, Tinapa. ICYDK, Tinapa is a smoked fish usually made from blackfin scad or milkfish.

On the other hand, Martynne ordered a Shiitake Aglio Olio. It’s an oil-based pasta cooked with tomato, paprika, and chili flakes, and topped with vegan parmesan, basil, and lemon.

Meanwhile, Vincenz ordered a Pollo Quesadilla. It’s basically chopped chicken adobo stuffed with mozzarella cheese, red onion, pickled chili, and tomato salsa.

Rodneil and Ayano ordered Bomba Longga Silog, which is loosely translated as a bomb Spanish sausage with fried rice and egg. It really is a bomb, though!

The homemade skinless Spanish sausage tasted delicious, served alongside a sunny-side-up egg, pickled vegetables, and garlic rice. It simply is a good pick-me-up order, any time of the day.

Ice cream, anyone?

Given that the Philippines is basically a tropical country that has summer weather all year round, Batala Bar is a good spot to cool down after a long walk inside Intramuros.

They serve homemade ice cream that even I, a lactose-intolerant kiddo, can’t resist.

Rodneil and Ayano shared one serving of Banana Split Sundae, which melted in just a few minutes. That’s how hot that day was.

Making my way downtown

After our merienda, we walked alongside General Luna Street to head over to Fort Santiago, a citadel where the Philippines’ national hero, Jose Rizal, was imprisoned before.

Of course, it’s not a quick walk across a few blocks. Martynne took the chance to have her photos taken by yours truly.

We also stopped by the Manila Cathedral and got some bottled water in the shade of trees situated in Plaza Roma, a public square in Intramuros.

While everyone was hydrating, Martynne posed in front of the cathedral. I played around with the wide-angle lens to make the shot somewhat touristy. Let’s pretend we’re not always in Manila.

Hidden cafe!

After queueing to get to Fort Santiago, we made our way to the hidden cafe tucked in the corners of the defense fortress. Papakape, which had its first branch as a glass house cafe in Makati, opened its doors inside Fort Santiago.

It’s situated inside a 400-year-old water cistern, extended with an al fresco garden seating.

The interiors, albeit quite small, are as cozy as any home.

Bayongs, traditional handwoven bags made of dried leaves, are displayed in the corner along with a wooden guitar.

Another corner seemed pretty for a spot to read and write, what with the cozy lamp and table facing a brick wall.

Papakape offers a few, good coffee that we thoroughly enjoyed. We tried the Black Gulaman Americano, an espresso-based drink with pandan syrup, grass jelly, and basil seeds.

The same drink that Canadian Singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen drank when she visited Papakape early this year.

Another signature drink is called Tahoat, a combination of Taho (Silken Tofu mixed with Brown Sugar Syrup and Sago Pearls) and Oatmilk.

Of course, it’s also espresso-based and instead of purely silken tofu, it used soy curds and tapioca pearls.

Capping it off

Intramuros puts on a different face when the sun sets and the night fills the street. We decided to call it a day and part ways after having good laughs and conversations inside the walled city.

But before that, we took one last glance at the outdoor seating in Papakape. It hits differently when you enjoy the drink in total silence, completely disconnected from the hustle-bustle of Manila and the hubbub of the tourists flocking the defense fortress.

We also didn’t pass up an opportunity to do a photo-op inside the ruins. For the ‘gram, remember?

And what’s a day without a sunset photo? Overlooking the Pasig River and Manuel A. Roxas Memorial Bridge, the sunset allowed us a moment to recollect our thoughts and memories.

It was a good day filled with good food, conversations, sight, story, and company.

Before we get off Fort Santiago, here’s a night shot of a tree adorned with pretty lamps at night. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll take you on another tour. Perhaps, Intramuros After Dark?

An exquisite camera

The HONOR 90 5G is an excellent midrange smartphone equipped with a superb camera system that will let any user capture sights and stories. It’s certainly a device worth using, not just for the ‘gram, but for capturing your daily life.

Pre-order HONOR 90 5G from August 16-25, 2023 for only Php 24,990 and Get a FREE JBL Flip 6 worth Php 7,499 until supplies last! Get it via Shopee, Lazada, or TikTok Shop.

This feature article is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and HONOR Philippines.

The post Inside Manila’s walled city appeared first on GadgetMatch.

So, along with the group of people I consider as my family outside home, I decided to give myself that long-needed trip overseas. Obviously, we booked the tickets way before and I needed to make sure that I would use this time to be away from home for a while; to disconnect, if you will. Of course, just to make sure I keep the memories safe, I’m bringing the Canon EOS R8 with me.

We departed from Manila, and was finally en route to a small, bustling island known simply as Taiwan.

The sights within the streets

My significant other and I had a game plan on how to completely maximize one week in Taiwan. This while also considering I still had work to do.

Part of the itinerary was to explore as much of the Taipei area. This includes every nook and cranny that presented itself. With the Canon EOS R8, this was pretty easy.

Needless to say, I looked like I was gathering memories of the simple streets that the country had to offer. 

The food we got to eat

Part of any person’s journey to another country is trying out all the food that’s out for the tasting. Fortunately in Taiwan, there was an abundance of establishments and food spots that you simply cannot miss.

Of course, as working professionals, you can’t help but try your luck at some cafes in the area, and there were a lot of them.

The EOS R8 enabled me to capture some of the food I got to try with near-perfect detail. Even the most minute detail on specialized caffeinated drinks became the highlight of the photos I took. Although, it wouldn’t be as quick and easy to get the perfect shot compared to using a powerful smartphone. 

The attractions we got to experience

It wouldn’t be a trip to another country without going everywhere and anywhere that stands out to us. In my case, apart from the streets, it’s the grand attractions that even the most typical of tourists visit. Considering that most of these are attractions even during night time, this would be the perfect opportunity to see if the EOS R8 stacks up.

During the entire time I was in Taiwan, most of the mornings were pretty cloudy so daytime shots had a dimness to them.

At some point in the day, it rained and you can imagine how difficult it is to bring a camera with a long camera lens to boot.

Still, the shots I took looked pretty decent and no details were sacrificed.

Night time shots and even photos in less than favorable lighting conditions were good enough.

Shifting to Manual Focus gave me the opportunity to create the near-perfect conditions to take quality night shots within Taiwan’s well-known night markets.

Also, since the Museum of Contemporary Art had an exhibition under rather low-light conditions, I also gave it a shot.

The company you’re with

One great thing I appreciated about this trip was the fact that I was with great company all throughout.

Sure, there was only like one full day wherein we all had one place in mind, but it was worth it!

Because I had the EOS R8 for the trip, I became the group’s photographer whenever possible.

In a way, we all needed the disconnect from going through our usual routines back in Manila. Even though most of us still had work to do during the last few days before heading home, it felt refreshing. Plus, I think it allowed us to get work done faster to enjoy the trip as much as we can!

Heading home

After one whole week of walking around, taking beautiful pictures and having delicious meals, it was time. An early morning flight back to Manila was waiting for us at the airport, which was honestly just a handful of train stops away from the main Taipei area. Unfortunately, the Canon EOS R8 was already tucked inside my luggage and I didn’t have enough time to pull it out once we got to the airport.

Although, what I do appreciate about it is how compact it can be when storing it inside. Despite having a rather wide body and with a long camera lens, it doesn’t take up too much space. In my case, it was better to tuck it inside a carry-on with bubble wrap and reinforced with soft clothing. After a few hours and a delay in our flight time, we arrived in Manila and returned to the heat of the world.

For trips like these, having both the Canon EOS R8 and a smartphone of choice allowed me to capture beautiful yet short-lived moments in time. Whether we were inside closed spaces or exploring the natural attractions, it grabs everything in full detail with the proper adjustments. I would consider this as a must-have for anybody looking to travel anywhere they want; just make sure you make space and take care of it while you’re out.

SEE: Elevate your vlogging: Canon announced EOS R8, R50 cameras

The post Disconnecting in Taiwan with the Canon EOS R8 appeared first on GadgetMatch.

PRE-ORDER LINKS:

• Galaxy Z Fold5: https://howl.me/ckeOzVqdyUn 
• Galaxy Z Flip5: https://howl.me/ckeOySKS8Gp
• Tab S9: https://howl.me/ckeOAoras3b
• Watch6: https://howl.me/ckeOBaaFajd

Samsung has turned the spotlight on the Galaxy Z Flip line over its Fold counterpart. Over the years since it first came out, the Galaxy Z Flip has garnered more mainstream interest. It also helped that this particular foldable line has prominently featured in K-Dramas which has only boosted its appeal.

Here are the Flip5’s specs:

Main screen — 6.7-inch FHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz Adaptive refresh rate (*Same as Flip4)
Cover screen — 3.4-inch Super AMOLED 60Hz Display
Rear dual camera: (*Same as Flip4)

• 12MP Ultra Wide Camera f/2.2, Pixel size: 1.12μm, FOV: 123˚
• 12MP Wide-angle Camera Dual Pixel AF, OIS, f/1.8, Pixel size: 1.8μm, FOV: 83˚

Front camera — 10MP Selfie Camera f/2.2, Pixel size: 1.22μm, FOV: 85˚ (*Same as Flip4)
Processor — Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
RAM and Storage — 8GB+256GB, 8GB+512GB
Battery — 3,700mAh, Wired Charging: Up to 50% charge in around 30mins (*Same as Flip4)
Water resistance — IPX8
OS — Android 13, One UI 5.1.1
Network and connectivity — 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.3
SIM card — One Nano SIM and One eSIM.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Z Fold5 launch with expected changes

The post Galaxy Z Flip5: Samsung finally FIXED IT! appeared first on GadgetMatch.

PRE-ORDER LINKS:

• Galaxy Z Fold5: https://howl.me/ckeOzVqdyUn 
• Galaxy Z Flip5: https://howl.me/ckeOySKS8Gp
• Tab S9: https://howl.me/ckeOAoras3b
• Watch6: https://howl.me/ckeOBaaFajd

Here are the Galaxy Z Fold5’s specs:

Main screen — 7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X , Infinity Flex Display (2176 x 1812, 21.6:18), 374ppi , 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (1~120Hz) (*Same as Fold4)
Cover screen — 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display (2316 x 904, 23.1:9), 402ppi, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (48~120Hz) (*Same as Fold4)
Cover camera — 10MP Selfie Camera, f/2.2, Pixel size: 1.22μm, FOV: 85˚
Under display camera — 4MP Under Display Camera, f/1.8, Pixel size: 2.0μm, FOV: 80˚
Rear Triple Camera: (*Same as Fold4)

• 50MP Wide-angle Camera Dual Pixel AF, OIS, f/1.8
• 10MP Telephoto Camera PDAF, f/2.4
• 12MP Ultra Wide Camera f/2.2

Processor — Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
RAM and Storage — 12GB+256GB, 12GB+512GB, 12GB+1TB [Samsung.com Exclusive]
Battery — 4,400mAh, Wired Charging: Up to 50% charge in around 30 mins (*Same as Fold4)
Water resistance — IPX8
OS — Android 13, One UI 5.1.1
Network and connectivity — 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.3
SIM card — Up to two Nano SIMs and One eSIM.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Z Fold5 launch with expected changes

The post Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5: Worth the Upgrade? appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Through the years, the tech giant unlocked different innovations to their tablet, making it the version we are used to today.

2010

Samsung introduced the world’s first Android tablet which had a compact 7-inch build, followed by 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch versions.

2012

Two years later, Samsung slimmed its Galaxy Note 10.1 down. The S Pen was also introduced as every Galaxy Tab’s partner.

Removing the pen from its slot activates a taskbar with quick access features.

2013

Just a year after the S Pen innovation, Samsung brought the easy-to-hold Galaxy Note 8-inch tablet to the market.

It had Smart Remote features, allowing users to control TVs and Blu-ray/DVD players. The C Pen, a more durable version of the S Pen, was also launched.

2014-2015

In 2014, Samsung unveiled its first premium line in the Galaxy Tab S, which had a Super AMOLED display and was available in two sizes (8.4-inch and 10.5-inch).

The Galaxy Tab S2 succeeded it shortly in 2015, with a 4:3 aspect ratio designed for reading and browsing. It was also pre-loaded with Microsoft Office.

2017

Galaxy Tab S3

Another noteworthy year in the evolution of the Galaxy Tab was 2017. The 9.7-inch Galaxy Tab S3 had a renowned S Pen and enabled special functions such as PDF annotation and professional-level drawing for creatives.

The Galaxy Book came in the 10.6-inch TFT LCD and 12-inch Super AMOLED versions, offering professionals even larger screens for their tasks.

2018

Galaxy Tab S4

The Samsung DeX feature was then made available for the 10.5-inch Galaxy Tab S4, for PC-like productivity and mobility on a tablet.

It also boasted a thinner 07mm S Pen for writing, and four 1.2W speakers with Dolby Atmos support for better entertainment.

2019

The thinnest Samsung tablet was revealed in 2019 in the Tab S5e. Weighing less than a pound, the device had added features for seamless connectivity, thanks to SmartThings.

In the same year, the Galaxy Tab S6 was released, becoming the world’s first 5G capable tablet.

2020

Galaxy Tab S6

At the turn of the decade, Samsung redesigned the S Pen even further for more power and control. The S Pen Air allowed for gesture functions, enabling users to take selfies and videos quicker or command multimedia content.

The slim and lightweight Galaxy Tab S6 was also launched in May 2020.

2021

Chaeyoung fan art by gwen.arts423

Lastly, the Galaxy Tab S7 series (S7, S7+, S7 FE) entered the lineup two years ago. It featured easy syncing across Galaxy devices with Samsung Notes for seamless productivity.

On a landscape view, the devices’ cameras took a “center stage” placement.

SEE ALSO: Making TWICE art with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+

The present and future

Currently, Samsung’s latest and most versatile tablet yet is the Galaxy Tab S8 series, which come in humongous 11-inch (S8), 12.4-inch (S8+) and 14.6-inch (S8 Ultra) sizes.

They are powered by fast 4nm processors and come with an Armor Aluminum built. Complementing them is the newest S Pen that offers the best precision yet, with a latency of only 2.8ms.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra review: Smashing, superb, splendid

As for what’s next, Samsung is hosting the first Unpacked event in Seoul, South Korea on July 26 at 8:00 P.M. (Philippine time) where the next lineup of devices will be revealed. Watch it here.

The post Timeline: The Samsung Galaxy Tab through the years appeared first on GadgetMatch.

The Korean giant created some buzz when they unveiled a teaser of a massive cat billboard shot on their upcoming 200-megapixel camera last May 2022. Then the announcement of the ISOCELL HP3 sensor followed just a month after.

Two months later, motorola announced the first smartphone with a 200-megapixel camera through the China-exclusive X30 Pro then followed by the Xiaomi 12T Pro. These phones both rock the first-generation ISOCELL HP1 sensor.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (2023)

Finally! Samsung started 2023 with a bang when they announced the Galaxy S23 Ultra with a 200-megapixel camera based from the ISOCELL HP2 sensor. Then, the 200-megapixel hype has already reached the midrange level with the announcement of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G — albeit having an ISOCELL HPX sensor.

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G (2023)

As of this writing, the latest 200-megapixel-touting smartphones are the realme 11 Pro+ 5G and HONOR 90 with the ISOCELL HP3 sensor mentioned earlier.

HONOR 90 (2023)

But I’m not here to bore you with the specific sensor talk. You can head over to this website (after reading my write-up) if you want a detailed explanation of Samsung’s existing 200-megapixel sensors.

Just out of my own curiosity, I tried comparing what it’s like to fully-utilize the 200-megapixel cameras of a flagship versus a midrange smartphone as well as what makes one superior over the other (or vice versa).

200MP Smackdown

I’ve used and compared both Samsung’s flagship and the Redmi-dranger in this very specific 200MP camera duel. But if you’re curious about each phone’s full camera specifics, I’ve listed them down for you:

We’re all here for one thing anyway, and that’s the 200-megapixel camera of both phones. The only differentiating factor is the sensor size, nothing else.

While fiddling with their camera settings, I then realized two things. Even though both of these phones sport a 200-megapixel camera, each phone has its own limitations. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra can shoot photos in JPG and RAW formats simultaneously through the added Expert RAW mode but it’s only limited to a 50-megapixel output.

Meanwhile, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G can shoot either between 50-megapixel and 200-megapixel resolution but without the option to shoot RAW. The culprit is most likely due to its less-powerful Mediatek Dimensity 1080 chipset based on a 6nm process (compared to S23 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 4nm processor).

With these gaps, I then opted to limit my shooting options to just 50-megapixel in JPG format for fairness’ sake.

It’s Showtime!

I only picked fifteen (15) shots for you to see and compare.

Just like any other camera comparison in this website, all of the photos were taken without any modifications other than resizing, labeling, and collaging for faster previewing. Still, I’ve provided specific links for each photo for everyone to see the full-resolution and quality. Just don’t view the EXIF or you will not be surprised anymore.

#1

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#2

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#3

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#4

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#5

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#6

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#7

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#8

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#9

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#10

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#11

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#12

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#13

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#14

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

#15

Full-resolution A here  |  Full-resolution B here

Results

Have you guessed it right? Well, I hope you got your picks right:

A – Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G

B – Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Conclusion

For the most part, most shots looked close to one another. But upon closer inspection, both phones feature a consistent image output.

Just like other camera comparisons I’ve conducted, Samsung is very evident with its color-boosted AI algorithm. The skies are bluer, the trees are greener, basically everything are on the warmer and more saturated side.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G on the other hand sticks to the more “natural-looking” color calibration. Shots taken with this Redmi-dranger are also noticeably brighter. The Galaxy S23 Ultra have photos with the lesser amount of highlights and overall exposure — which also results to better HDR photos. The HP2 sensor clearly displays better dynamic range than what the ISOCELL HPX sensor offers.

As I stated in my previous flagship shootout with the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Xiaomi 13 Pro, the only main advantage I can see when using a 200MP camera is the ability to keep all the details even if you crop the photo. But for most photographers, they barely crop to 50~100x as they already have a composition in mind right before hitting that shutter release.

Xiaomi 13 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

After doing this follow-up camera shootout, I still think 200-megapixel camera sensors are more of a gimmick than a real deal because both phones took some time (at least around 1.5 to 2 seconds) to deliver these full-resolution photos. For my needs, I want a faster-snapping camera — and having a 1-inch camera sensor is the answer to my previous smartphone camera woes.

At the end of the day, it still boils down to one’s preference. If 200MP is a valuable feature for you and you always prefer shooting it RAW (no pun intended, I swear!), the Galaxy S23 Ultra is your best answer. That’s with the inclusion of liking the more vibrant photo output.

But if you’re on a tighter budget but want to experience the goodness of a 200-megapixel camera that’s still made by Samsung, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ is not far from your choices. It might even be the most affordable 200MP camera smartphone you can buy today.

The post 200MP Camera Shootout: Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Redmi Note 12 Pro+ appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Or are you one of the gods in Bali? Om swastiastu!

Regardless if you’re a god or a boring human being (like yours truly), Bali, Indonesia is one heavenly place that is a must-visit. It’s called the “Island of the Gods” for a reason.

Not only does it have one of the best beaches around, it’s also an island home to scenic volcano views and mountainous peaks and terrain. Most of all, the rich Bali heritage and culture has been preserved for hundreds of years.

Godlike smartphone cameras

Just to backtrack, the HUAWEI P60 Pro was first launched in China last March 2023 followed by a global rollout this May.

The specific camera hardware goes like this:

• 48MP main (wide) camera, f/1.4-4.0 Dual Variable aperture system
• 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle (UWA) rear camera
• 48MP f/2.1 telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom
• 13MP f/2.4 ultra-wide angle (UWA) front camera

Even though it’s unfortunate that their exclusive partnership with Leica has ended, the phone’s XMAGE imaging system is still one of the best in the smartphone market today.

Can’t wait to see how the “godlike” cameras of the HUAWEI P60 Pro perform? Well, I’m gonna let all the 60 photo sets speak for themselves — with a little bit of trivia and commentary in-between.

Pop on the top

Admit it or not, most of us hate the idea of waking up early before the sun even shines. But it would be a big missed opportunity to skip the early morning ride towards the peak of an active volcano called Gunung Batur (or Mount Batur).

After some time, with the right weather and timing, you could end up having SwEEt anD LoVeLy shots like this.

Portrait Mode

Despite the large pack of ATVs, the HUAWEI P60 Pro still clearly captured the detail of the grasses, trees, and the whole mountainous area. More so, how the colors of the sunrise pop with the right amount of HDR evident in the sun along its light rays.

Portrait Mode

Bear with us. There will be more definitely-in-a-relationship shots like this of my friend together with her Hype Boy.

Tough and rough

After that scenic sunrise, Bali tourists have the option to continue the ATV ride further down the rougher surfaces of the mountain (or volcano).

3.5x Telephoto Zoom

With the 3.5x telephoto zoom lens of the HUAWEI P60 Pro, my friend and her boyfie were able to take these exhilarating shots of the ATVs like they were shot by a professional camera with a super-fast shutter release.

3.5x Telephoto Zoom

Even though these are the common sights among the rural parts of most Southeast Asian nations, these luscious forests and rural landscapes are the views that Bali tourists get to enjoy in their visit.

Life lesson: not everything is smooth-sailing. Just by looking at the transition of photos, that felt like a rough and tough ride.

This is where the ultra-wide angle (UWA) camera of the P60 Pro comes in handy. With that super-wide FoV (Field of View), my friend perfectly flexed her look alongside that massive ATV above those rocks (or hardened ash, whatever they may be).

Don’t Mess Up My Temple

If you read that to the tune of EXO’s (Don’t Mess Up My) Tempo, you were absolutely right — just in time for their latest 7th Album comeback release

Anyhow, Bali being a god-loved island, you will see many temples around. One of which is the very popular Lempuyang Temple.

You can even do a photo-op with your lovey-dovey if you both like it that way

That’s just one among the many temples in the island. There are also the Temples of Uluwatu, Taman Ayun, Ulun Danu Beratan, Besakih Mother Temple, and many more in the itinerary.

This suddenly reminded me of my Jakarta trip last January 2020 where I also wandered around several temples even in the middle of Indonesia’s city center. This proves how Indonesians value their culture.

Breathtaking Penida-scapade

Another highlight of Bali is none other than the view you will see when you go to the western part of the smaller Penida Island just below the main island of Bali — Nusa Penida to be precise.

If you can’t reach the ever-scenic shooting place featured in the Korean Drama Descendants of the Sun because it’s in the faraway island of Zakynthos in Greece (and requires a European visa for most travelers), Nusa Penida is your next best bet.

Whether it’s the main (wide) and ultra-wide cameras of the HUAWEI P60 Pro, shots look stunning and superb. Not only does it highlight the subjects, but also the full view you see like anyone who sees it IRL.

And as I was writing this, it felt like I teleported to that particular scenery and became part of their escapade.

I’m Gonna Swing…

From the chandelier? Not really. But here at Uma Ceking in Ubud, Bali, there are several swings for any couple to enjoy

3.5x Portrait

1x Portrait | 3.5x Portrait

Already evident with the heart-shaped swings and seats, it is, indeed, heaven for couples (and haven for the lovelorn souls ).

Tourists from different parts of the globe surely enjoy their lovely surroundings.

If I were here all by myself, I think I still would have enjoyed my alone time just by focusing on these beautiful stacks of Ceking Rice Terraces all noon long.

The Indo Taste

Indonesia is known for their popular fried rice Nasi Goreng, famous instant noodles Mi Goreng, or just several packs and varieties of Sambal that locals put in their rice, meat, or other types of meal.

Even though I love spicy food, the level of Indonesia’s spiciness is just on a whole other level.

Still, it wouldn’t be a complete Bali experience without actually trying their cuisine. These include a special set of nasi putih (white rice), daging (meat), kulit (roasted crispy pork skin), gorengan (batter fried meat), sayur (Balinese vegetables), and even sosis (blood sausage). Lastly, base genep (or Balinese spices) to top that authentic Bali taste.

And oh! The perfect way to fulfill that tropical island experience is by drinking fresh coconut juice.

Cat-puccino

You heard that right! Catpuccino (or “cat poo chino” as how they stylized it) is a real deal in Bali.

The “cat poop coffee” isn’t coming from the usual cats we see since most of us know that cats and coffee are not in good terms.

The coffee actually comes from Asian Palm Civets (also known as musang) — or just civet cats in simpler terms. But because of how they digest coffee cherries and leave the rest of the beans out, harvesters believe their “poo” gives an extra oomph when brewed as coffee.

Even though it looks or sounds disgusting, Kopi Luwak is considered as the most expensive coffee in the world. And with the very thorough and tedious process of actually making it into a by-product, it’s more of the many reasons why this Bali delicacy is a must-try.

Wild and mild

While we’re already on the topic, it’s also not surprising for any tropical country to have a variety of wild and mild animals roaming around.

Whether that may be a civet cat or a domesticated cat, these furries will be harmless as long as they are unharmed and being taken care of.

And can I just mention how fierce this tabby cat looks — the same way my indoor tabby cat looks at me whenever I’m eating.

I don’t support biases among pets but if cats aren’t your thing, these adorable sleeping puppies are enough to fill-up your empty day.

But if you’re more of a thrill-seeker, here’s a Malayan Krait (or Bungarus Candidus) at Tanah Lot — popularly known as the “Holy Snake”.

Built like a chimp-ion

The aforementioned animals aren’t the only thingyou will see when you visit Bali. There’s a specific sanctuary for Bali Monkeys at the Ubud Monkey Forest.

These long-tailed monkeys aren’t just here to wander. Knowing how intelligent these species are, they can even interact with you like you belong in their tribe.

Taking selfies like a chimp-ion — like how this Balinese macaque held the HUAWEI P60 Pro and took ultra-wide angle (UWA) groufies with the gang.

Using the same type of lens at the back gives us the ethereal vibe of the forest.

And even without the Leica lens optics, HUAWEI was still able to deliver “sun-kissed” shots with flares all around particularly due to its XMAGE imaging system.

Water the odds?

With Bali’s rich heritage, you shouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of water-filled temples, statues, symbolisms, and scriptures anywhere you go.

The abundance of temples will be more than enough for your photo-ops. Just remember to walk with respect and leave the preserved ruins unscathed.

Another must-visit is the Tirta Empul Temple where visitors can bathe in the sacred and holy water to “purify” and “cleanse” themselves.

Want to see and feed these giant Koi fishes? Tirta Gangga is where you have to head next!

Can we just appreciate the prowess of the P60 Pro’s 3.5x telephoto shooter as it was able to achieve the beautiful scenery of the dragon-decorated bridge alongside the majestic-looking swan boat passing by.

Seas the day

How could one skip the swimming and tanning on Bali’s beautiful beaches?

Quality-wise, the consistency is evident all throughout the set — regardless which type of lens you use. Heck, its portrait mode algorithm even looks professionally-shot with that clear distinction between the foreground subject and objects against the slushy water waves.

Even these selfies are testaments that HUAWEI values not just the rear cameras on the P60 Pro, but even the front camera as well.

A split-second movement usually results to blurred shots. But with the fast AF (Auto Focus) of the P60 Pro, it felt like there was a freeze in time — regardless if there is an abundance or absence of light.

Mandatory memento

Any trip would feel incomplete without bringing along some souvenirs before going back home.

Whether it’s the tiny ref magnets, dangling keychains, vibrant surfboards, colorful paintings in huge canvases, wacky-looking Balinese masks (called barong), or just photos of these altogether, these are already enough to keep and relive the Bali moments whenever, wherever.

Even a photo of your hotel’s façade/balcony, or just a super wide-angle #OOTD selfie are enough mementos after all that hectic travel to and from several tourist spots around the town.

And don’t forget your mandatory plane window shots before you head back to reality!

1x | Ultra-Wide

Perfect for pros and non-pros alike

Whether you take it early in the dawn or a little bit late by the dusk, the HUAWEI P60 Pro proves to be a real champ when it comes to taking photos — even without the necessary pro-grade skills and equipment to do so.

Admittedly, neither of them are professionals when it comes to photography. But as I usually say in my camera-specific write-ups, anyone can take professionally-looking snaps as long as they get the right framing and timing.

And with the HUAWEI P60 Pro’s astounding cameras plus excellent XMAGE imaging system and AI algorithm, they were able to shoot not just picture perfect photos, but professional-looking perspectives — at least in my eyes who’s very photography-centric.

Even that one macaque is a proof that regardless of which user is holding the phone, a device equipped with a great set of camera hardware contributes in taking great-looking sequential photos in a second — especially those blurry-free snaps we all desire.

SEE ALSO: HUAWEI P60 Pro review: Picture perfect

Special thanks to my friend Judai, together with her lovey-dovey boyfie and friends for bringing us (virtually) to Bali through the wonderful cameras of the HUAWEI P60 Pro.

The post Bali through the lens of the Huawei P60 Pro appeared first on GadgetMatch.

But in this special 2023 camera shootout, there aren’t just two, but a complete mix of six smartphones for you to dig in.

To be specific, these are the iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, OnePlus 11, Huawei P60 Pro, HONOR Magic5 Pro, and Xiaomi 13 Pro.

Most in this list have already been tested in several camera shootout. But a six-way camera shootout is a good way to feed our curiosities. It’s also great for seeing all the differences of these smartphones in terms of camera performance and imaging quality.

P.S: With the absence of the “higher-grade” models such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Huawei P60 Art, OPPO Find X6 Pro, and HONOR Magic5 Ultimate, we’ve decided to just stick with what we have in our stash.

A Mix of Six

Steering away from our usual camera shootouts, I’m going to reveal which photos belong to which phone to eliminate that dizzying guess work. After all, we’ve tried to avert from doing “blind” camera shootouts as people want the results pronto:

A – HONOR Magic5 Pro

B – Huawei P60 Pro

C – iPhone 14 Pro Max

D – OnePlus 11

E – Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

F – Xiaomi 13 Pro

Disclaimer: Phones are listed alphabetically. All photos were taken straight from the phones’ camera app. No additional manipulations applied aside from collaging, resizing, and labeling for faster website loading.

Photo Perspectives

To celebrate the current year we’re living in, I’ve carefully nitpicked 23 photo samples and combined them into 23 photo sets. Each sample may either highlight or degrade the prowess and performance each smartphone has.

A (1x wide)

B (2x zoom)

C (3.5x zoom)

D (2x zoom)

E (2x zoom)

F (Dedicated zoom)

G (3.5x zoom)

H (Ultra-wide)

I (Dedicated zoom)

J (Ultra-wide)

K (Ultra-wide Night Mode)

L (1x Night Mode)

M (1x Night Mode)

N (1x Night Mode)

O (2x zoom)

P (3.5x zoom)

Q (2x zoom)

R (2x Night Mode)

S (1x Night Mode)

T (Portrait Mode)

U (1x Wide)

V (1x Wide)

W (Dedicated Zoom)

The Verdict

HONOR Magic5 Pro

The Good: The HONOR Magic5 Pro is one among the two in this list that offer a dedicated periscope zoom lens. But unlike its Samsung rival, HONOR actually has a zoom range of 3.5x instead of the farther 10x.

That being said, zoomed shots can be on par with the Galaxy S23 Ultra in most scenarios. However, different from the actual camera shootout I did where I despised how HONOR performed, there are times when Magic does its trick — especially in Sets F, G, and I.

Also, I love how wide its 50-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera looks — and the additional Action Mode, too (which we didn’t do for fairness’ sake).

The Bad: The inconsistencies in shots may not be evident to most but the HONOR Magic5 Pro is a dual-faced titan for taking photos that are either too cool or too warm. No matter what scenario it is, I can’t find the pattern on how HONOR decides which algorithm goes to each shot taken.

The Ugly: I stated this too in my previous camera duel: the HONOR Magic5 Pro still delivers brighter-looking photos because of its f/1.6 aperture. In that sense, I’m also not a fan of how HONOR deals with HDR.

Huawei P60 Pro

The Good: The variable aperture of the Huawei P60 Pro may sound like a gimmick, but it’s a true feat when you switch between bright or dark subjects. Speaking of, night shots taken using the P60 Pro look decently bright and sharp without unnecessary blurring or smudging.

Its ultra-wide angle camera gives the widest Field of View too alongside the HONOR Magic5 Pro (122-degrees). But with the lesser 13-megapixel count, it means less details in a single shot.

But on a greater scale of things, I like how the P60 Pro uses its telephoto lens to achieve a “super macro” shot such as in Set E. Additionally, I like how it has the most unique bokeh cutout in Set O.

The Bad: Portraits taken specifically using the Portrait Mode look very pleasing and enticing (evident in Sets T & U). But annoyingly, there’s some weird auto-smudging happening under Set V taken using the conventional 1x mode.

We all know how many East Asians are obsessed with AI face enhancements. This isn’t something I’m fond of. I want my photos to look as natural as possible.

The Ugly: It looks like Huawei has adapted some of Samsung’s not-so-pleasing color boosting that can be seen on food shots — especially if it’s taken indoors (Set D, R) or at night (Set Q).

iPhone 14 Pro Max

The Good: No matter what type of lens you use, the iPhone 14 Pro Max (or even the 14 Pro) offer/s a consistent look all throughout its photos. Also, its color science may not be the most vibrant but it shows a complete balance — the “most natural look” if one must say.

The Bad: Its 3x telephoto zoom lens may not be the worst performer but it isn’t the best in class either. Most shots look good in their own but some photos are a hit or miss. 2x crop zoom looks fine as it relies on the phone’s main sensor but once you go past the 3x mark, there’s some weird algorithm happening between its sharpening and contrast.

The Ugly: I’ve been an iPhone user for quite some time. I’ve been excited to try Night Mode since it first came out on the iPhone 11 series. Four years after, it’s still unacceptable how it shoots photos in low-light where Night Mode is activated — especially when you zoom in. It’s one of the worst Night Mode performers on my list.

OnePlus 11

The Good: Most would argue: “What is the OnePlus 11 doing here?”. Well, it can be considered as the toned-down version of OPPO Find X6 Pro that touts the same Hasselblad partnership minus the 1-inch sensor. And while on the topic, I love the color science in most shots taken on the OnePlus 11. No overdoing of the essentials, especially saturation.

Also, it displays the ideal amount of HDR with the right amount of highlights, shadows, and contrast. Personally, it’s my best pick in Set V.

The Bad: While its 2x telephoto zoom is decent, in some cases where you want to zoom in further, you’ll just be stuck with its crop zoom capabilities. That degrades the quality and detail of most zoomed shots.

The Ugly: The OnePlus 11 might just be the worst performer when it comes to shooting Portrait Mode (Set T). The overall quality is bland that the subject never looked lively in contrast with the other shots in the set.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

The Good: Hands-down, the 10x periscope zoom of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of (if not the) best out there. Unfortunately, we haven’t showcased it here to be fair to other contenders that lack a dedicated 10x lens. Still, I would say the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers exquisite zoomed photos with clear detail and motion-free output altogether.

The Bad: I said this before and I’ll say it again: there’s too much over-sharpening happening just to make people see that Samsung always has the “clearest” photos of the bunch. But in all honesty, there are certain (but not a lot of) instances where that added sharpness truly makes the subject stand out.

The Ugly: Over-sharpening can be forgotten, but that harsh Night Mode is and will always be unforgiven. Out of all the night shots we took, Samsung not only had one of the longest shutter durations that resulted in blurry motion (Set N), its Night Mode AI algorithm also overdid the shadows and highlights — particularly in Sets K, L, and M. Even an indoor shot like in Set A isn’t safe from Samsung’s strange post-processing technique.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

The Good: Being the only smartphone with a 1-inch sensor in this list, the Xiaomi 13 Pro tops everyone else with its super-fast shutter release. This also comes handy in low-light shooting scenarios. While it doesn’t have the brightest night mode shot, it still delivered blur-free photos with a fair amount of overall exposure and not overdoing it.

Also, it rendered food shots quite well and is the closest to what I’ve seen in reality (Sets B, D O, Q, and R).

The Bad: While I personally prefer the less-saturated look of Xiaomi 13 Pro’s photos, most would probably think its color-calibration is the dealbreaker — even if you switch to the “more vibrant” Leica Vibrant mode.

Being surrounded by other flagships that lean towards the more saturated side of the spectrum, the Xiaomi 13 Pro feels left behind with its “natural-looking” colors. Even though some shots turned out so damn well (Set A), others are just plain — in a literal sense.

The Ugly: I’ve always loved portraits I took with the Xiaomi 13 Pro. Whether just by using the regular 1x lens or the special portrait mode, it made portrait subjects stand out even more.

However in this particular shootout, MJ and I both disliked the outcome of our photos in Sets T, U, and V. While the portrait bokeh looks deliciously creamy, the vignette (which I previously praised in my review write-up) actually ruined the overall feel of the shot. Moreover, the dark and warmer skin tones you see aren’t actually what we look IRL.

Conclusion

So far, we’re in this specific technological timeline where smartphones can now go head-to-head against near pro-grade shooting equipment. While we’re still far from replacing these professional cameras with pocketable smartphones alongside their gigantic bumps, lenses, and sensors, it’s still quite a dream that we’re living now where photos taken with phone cameras look great in just a finger tap of that digital shutter button.

Nonetheless, nothing is precisely perfect — that includes smartphones alongside their camera performance.

If you’re fond of zooming in, your obvious choices would be the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, HONOR Magic5 Pro, and the Huawei P60 Pro. Ultra-wide champ can either be the Magic5 Pro or the P60 Pro with their similar FoV — minus the latter’s smaller megapixel count.

For those who want swift and precise shooting, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is the most recommendable among the list. That’s also on top of a user who prefers Leica’s less-saturated calibration. But if that’s not your cup of tea, either Samsung or Huawei could provide that punchy look for you.

The OnePlus 11 can be recommended as your go-to camera smartphone. Even without any additional bells and whistles, it still kept up with most flagships thanks to its built-in Hasselblad calibration. But for all-around flexibility, the iPhone 14 Pro Max simply is the answer — not to mention it still triumphs in the videography category today (that we didn’t cover since this is a photo-only camera shootout).

The post 2023 Flagship Smartphones: Mega Camera Shootout appeared first on GadgetMatch.

However, there are three models to choose from: the Infinix NOTE 30 Pro, NOTE 30 5G, and the non-5G version of the NOTE 30.

But here at GadgetMatch, we are here to make your purchasing decision easier than ever.

Can’t wait to own a new Infinix smartphone?

Head over now to our Infinix NOTE 30 Series Buyer’s Guide and Real-World Test to know which is your GadgetMatch!

The post Infinix NOTE 30 Series: Buyer’s Guide and Real-World Test appeared first on GadgetMatch.

The fact that this device tackles both noise and air pollution is a godsend for someone who lives in a bustling city like New York.

But do you really need one?

Head over to Michael Josh’s one month later with the Dyson Zone Air-Purifying Headphones to find out if it’s your GadgetMatch.

Check it out
https://howl.me/cj0ZIYJkEF7

The post Dyson Zone Air-Purifying Headphones: One Month Later appeared first on GadgetMatch.

With its Super Design, Super Camera, and  Super Charge Innovation, you’ll definitely feel, well… Super! 

Super Design

The nova 11 Pro’s back panel will immediately catch your attention. First with the way it looks. Second with how it feels. 

This black colorway that we have, in particular, showcases a touch of elegance not often seen on midrangers. The back has a Monogram Vegan Leather design. It has ‘nova’ engravings making the phone feel premium to touch. 

The black look is highlighted by gold — both by the HUAWEI nova logo at the bottom part of the phone, as well as the lining around the main camera which we can’t wait to showcase to you. More on that later. 

It has a 6-point-78-inch, OLED, curved-edge display with 120Hz of refresh rate and FULL HD, ultra-high resolution for a truly enjoyable viewing experience.

And that display is protected by Kunlun Glass making it near impervious to accidental drops and falls.

Super Camera

The nova 11 Pro has a killer look. But it impresses even more with its portrait-taking capabilities. 

Here are the lenses that the phone is rocking: On the rear are the 50 megapixel Ultra Vision Camera and the 8 megapixel Ultra-wide macro camera. And up front you have the 60 megapixel Ultra wide Autofocus camera and the 8 megapixel portrait close-up camera.

More important than the numbers are all the things that it will let you do. 

You can take portraits, in more ways than one! The nova 11 Pro is built for that.  

What about selfies? We all love them! The nova 11 pro lets you take them at different focal lengths… and different lighting conditions. 

What about non portraits and selfies? Naturally, the nova 11 Pro can more than deliver quality photos, in many different shooting scenarios. This makes it a really handy camera to always have in your pocket. 

Are you more into videos? Hop into vlog mode, and show off your style.

Super Charge

You can say a nova is somewhat of a burst. Charging speed-wise, it definitely does just that with the SuperCharge Turbo feature.

With the 100W HUAWEI SuperCharge Turbo charging modes, the HUAWEI nova 11 Pro can be charged with haste. 

That’s up to 60% in 10 minutes and fully charged in 20 minutes when the screen is off. Screen on? You get to 50% in 15 minutes. Easy and speedy.

AppGallery with GBox

But what’s a smartphone without the apps that you need? Fret not, Huawei has beefed up the AppGallery. Now you can download all the necessary apps. 

There’s the Grab Super App for deliveries, getting around, and more. GCash for all your transactions and Landbank and BPI for your banking needs! 

Into gaming? Pick your favorite Hero and help get the win in Mobile Legends or grab your favorite assault rifle and lead the charge on Call of Duty Mobile!

What about Google Apps? We’ve talked about in detail before, but Google Apps are now available through GBox. And GBox is now integrated into AppGallery. 

Simply look for the Google app you need to install it! 

Need access to your files, download Google Drive. Have to send those files via email? Go ahead and get Gmail. Download GMeet to get your video calling needs done and wind down by watching your favorite videos on YouTube. 

Huawei nova 11 Pro

The HUAWEI nova 11 Pro is a midranger but already has that flagship flavoring.

The feel is elegant, the look is divine, and the capabilities are breathtaking. The cameras let you capture in great detail and the phone, as a whole, delivers a complete experience. 

It’s a smartphone that takes care of all your need and looks pretty darn good while doing it. 

Price and availability

The HUAWEI nova 11 Pro retails for PhP 33,999. From June 23-29, it comes with a Watch Fit freebie worth PhP 4,999.

HUAWEI nova 11 series

• nova 11i (8GB+128GB) — PhP 11,999 (*online exclusive)
• nova 11i (8GB+256GB) — PhP 13,999
• nova 11 — PhP 24, 999

The post HUAWEI nova 11 Pro Hands-On appeared first on GadgetMatch.

In a media briefing, I asked ROG if the goal of the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is to attract new users or get older ones to upgrade. To which they answered, “a little bit of both.” The company said they see a core user base that upgrades every two or three years. That behavior appears to be in line with most other smartphone users. 

But the ROG Phone isn’t just any other smartphone. It’s a smartphone designed specifically for someone who wants to play mobile games. So, I asked current and former ROG Phone owners what made them buy one. Unsurprisingly, the two most prominent reasons are Gaming Capability and Battery Life. 

What mobile gamers want

ASUS has had five years to perfect the ROG Phone formula. And you can say that they have to some extent. The improvements over the last two iterations of the phone have been marginal. They have maintained and refined everything that made users want to buy the phone in the first place. 

Gaming performance 

While the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate does use a processor that other Android flagships use — the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The company does a few things to draw out more of its power.

It showed no signs of struggle in playing any of the games I played. Then again, this is par for the course for any recent ROG Phone. And I tried everything from the power-heavy Honkai Star Rail, the criminally free on Netflix TMNT Shredder’s Revenge, the racing game staple Asphalt 9, and a timeless classic, Subway Surfers.

TMNT Shredder’s Revenge is a free game if you’re subscribed to Netflix

Interestingly enough, it’s this same reason that keeps the ROG Phone from supporting models beyond 2-3 years. Its features are so specific that it makes more sense to just release a new one over maintaining active support for older models. 

Air Triggers

No other manufacturer does air triggers as well as the ROG. The ROG Phone, being especially skewed to gaming, means they’re really the only ones taking the time to master this pretty handy feature. 

The air triggers function much like shoulder/trigger buttons on more traditional controllers. They are mappable and can help any player have a more comfortable, if not advantageous, gaming experience while gaming competitively. 

It has been especially useful to gamers who play Call of Duty: Mobile and other shooter-type games.

Front-firing speakers 

Watched plenty of aespa Karina, “Spicy” fancam on this thing

A boon for both gamers and video enjoyers. This is one of the other aspects of the ROG Phone that make just as much of a daily smartphone like other flagship. 

It’s great for catching up on anime like “Mashle”

Like a broken record, year-after-year, it’s one of the best. It’s loud without distorting the audio. And the sound is generally balanced, as full a sound you can get from a smartphone’s form-factor. 

Battery endurance maxed out

It’s pretty great as just a regular smartphone.

Again, this is one of the things that the ROG Phone is fantastic at. If you use it for a couple of days only as a regular smartphone, you won’t feel the need to rush to the nearest power outlet. 

When I knew I was pretty much done testing its gaming capabilities, I didn’t use it much to play — only to browse socials, watch a few videos, and answer a few chats. With this usage, it took about two and a half days before I felt the need to juice it up again.

Cool to be cool  

AeroActive Cooler 7

A huge talking point during the briefing with the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is what they did with cooling. In fact, for a few devices now, that’s been one of their main talking points. 

Naturally so. You play a demanding game for an extended period and the phone will heat up. To keep the performance at a manageable level, the manufacturer has to be creative with how the cooling works. 

And for extra cooling, they also apply the same solution they’ve had for users – an extra cooling unit called the AeroActive Cooler, now also with a “7” to its name. 

Is the ROG Phone boring now? 

Armoury Crate on ROG Phone

Hear me out. I’m not saying it’s a bad smartphone. But the ROG Phone has reached a level of notoriety that it’s just not as exciting to report on anymore. And that’s true even for the Samsung Galaxies and the iPhones of the world — but that’s another topic altogether. 

With the ROG Phone, you know what you’re getting: A gaming smartphone with gaming-specific features. There’s the distinctly gamer look with a bunch of lines that evoke a mech-vibe. In both the top-line models of the ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 7, you even get the ROG Vision. It’s a tiny display on the back of the phone whose only real purpose is for showing off. 

ROG Vision just for kicks

Of course, you also have the staples — the Air Triggers, front facing speakers, and a display that’s built to keep you immersed. Battery life hovers around the same ballpark too. But writing all of that felt like a slog. Absolutely nothing new

Point is, the ROG Phone is a known quantity. That’s a great thing for fans of the product line. But it doesn’t leave much room to be talked about in the pretty crowded smartphone space. 

Is the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate your GadgetMatch? 

As a product to report on or write about, I would argue that, yes, it kind of is boring now. Writing about the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate felt like taking a test I already knew the answers to. But that’s only because it knows exactly what it is and who it is for. 

Literally no one else is doing it quite like the ROG Phone. From form to function, it’s THE undisputed gaming smartphone of choice. And the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate continues that tradition. It’s the best that the ROG Phone has ever been and that’s something we’ve come to expect year in and year out. 

If your smartphone priorities align with that of the ROG Phone, then it is an excellent product. It’s certainly a mobile gamer’s GadgetMatch.

Is it newsworthy? In the general sense, not really. Not anymore. But is it a goddamn good product? Hell yeah it is. One that deserves the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.

More on the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate here.

The post Is the ROG Phone kind of boring now? appeared first on GadgetMatch.

As of this writing, it’s Pride Month — and GadgetMatch is celebrating all genders in the spectrum.

These cases are perfect regardless of how you identify yourself. And even if you’re a guy, you could rock these too.

Heck it’s 2023! Stop putting stereotypes on case designs and colors. Be confident and BE YOU!

Swift unboxing

While Moshi’s set of accessories aren’t limited to the new iPhone 14 series, what we have here are cases that are specially-meant for the new iPhones.

With its clear packaging, you can clearly see the case details including the leather texture as well as the golden touch of its logo.

Right out of the box, it already entices you with its 10-year warranty.

Unlike the previous Moshi iPhone 13 case collection I’ve held last year, the new Moshi cases for the iPhone 14 series now have MagSafe built-in instead of their in-house SnapTo technology which is limited to Moshi cases and accessories only.

For product authenticity, no need to worry as these have ready-to-scratch seals for serial code activation. All you have to do is to grab your iPhone, open the camera app, scan the QR code, and fill-in your necessary details to activate the product.

And if the photos above did not satisfy you at all, here’s the unboxing of the two fab cases caught on video.

@gadgetmatch Shut up and take my money #iphone14 #iphonecase #moshi ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch

Moshi Napa Slim in Lavender Purple

Most of you were probably looking at that golden camera cutout. Well, it’s not just painted in gold as this camera cover is an aircraft-grade aluminum for better durability when laid out flat on tables or put in rugged pockets.

And as already shown earlier, the back of the Moshi Napa Slim is crafted with a vegan premium leather for that added grip and better texture when held. Speaking of better texture, the inside of the case has a microfiber inner lining to avoid unwanted scratches when putting the phone in.

The Moshi Napa Slim case is lightweight at just 94 grams (or 0.2 pounds). Durability-wise, it features a hybrid shock-absorbing frame that resists shocks when dropped all throughout.

The power button and volume rockers are also made out of aluminum-grade aluminum for that tactile response.

Setting up a pretty lockscreen wallpaper and an #OOTD that adds complement to the case and completes that fab and fancy look.

The Moshi Napa Slim is also available in three more colors including Serene Gray, Midnight Black, and Juniper Green. The regular iPhone 14 and 14 Pro cases retail at US$ 45.95 while the bigger cases meant for the iPhone 14 Plus and Pro Max siblings sells for US$ 49.95.

Moshi Overture with Detachable Wallet in Serene Gray

On the outside, the Moshi Overture isn’t any different from its Napa Slim case sibling.

It features that strong anodized aluminum camera cover that is also raised — also for unwanted camera scratches.

The same can be said with its power and volume buttons — irresistibly tactile to the touch.

Et voilà! With MagSafe built-in onto the case itself, the wallet stand attachment perfectly snaps into place.

Like previously mentioned, this case also has a built-in wallet with up to three (3) slots for your debit, credit, and even transit cards.

And as already teased earlier, the Moshi Overture features this golden circular element when you completely cover your iPhone that blends well to its premium vegan leather skin as well as its microfiber lining and the same shock-absorbing frame.

And just like that, it looks classy and fabulous too — even if you’re a heterosexual male without an ounce of fragile masculinity

Moshi’s Overture case with Detachable Wallet is also available in a Midnight Black colorway. It retails for US$ 65.95 for the smaller-sized iPhone 14 and 14 Pro while a dollar more (US$ 66.95) for the larger iPhone 14 Plus and Pro Max variants.

SEE ALSO: There’s a Moshi bag for your every need 

The post Here are two Fancy iPhone 14 cases for the Full-on Fab appeared first on GadgetMatch.

I took a long way home after dropping off my friends, sighing at every stoplight at 32nd Street. I was crestfallen that I was alone inside a big car, yearning for companionship and laughter. When I used to drive small cars, I didn’t have this longing but I guess it was the price to pay for being engulfed with joy after driving the Next-Gen Ford Everest Titanium+

After all, this automobile gave me an opportunity to bridge people together. I finally had ample space for my buddies and our luggage. Everything and everyone was able to fit in comfortably — stories, laughter, happy moments, and emotional baggage included.

It gave me a weekend full of core memories to cherish and remember.

Home is where the heart is, but that’s not where mine lives

When my mates Aureil and Miguel arrived at 30th East A parking at The Fort, they were amused at how comfortable I was. I transferred between seats with bare feet; scarves and blankets thrown everywhere; bags scattered across the trunk.

What can I say? The Everest has a cozy vibe, it’s impossible not to feel comfortable as if it’s your own home.

That afternoon, there was a downpour and we were watching the raindrops splatter on the panoramic moonroof. We were sitting in the backseat, waiting for the rain to stop, killing time while we listen to folklore.

We comfortably sat in the second row which accommodates three individuals, thanks to the spacious leg- and headroom. Even if I was sitting in the middle, there was enough room despite the high-center tunnel. This wasn’t anything like the Ford Everest two years ago.

The soft-touch materials and leather-padded seats kept us warm like a brittle fire, even with the air conditioner turned on at 16 degrees Celsius.

That’s one of the first things I liked about the Next-Gen Everest Titanium+, everyone felt cozy in the homey atmosphere. We felt safe being in each other’s presence.

Even if we were traveling from East to South and up North, the long trip gave us a safe space to be comfortable in and with ourselves. Don’t you just like yourself more when you feel at home (with the right people)?

L-R: MJ, Miguel, Aureil, Jomi.

Drive out of the city, away from the crowds

I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with driving, what with the never-ending bumper-to-bumper traffic across Metro Manila — be it on inner roads, national highways, and even expressways.

When there’s an opportunity, I switch with a trusted confidante of mine like Jomi who also got a chance to drive the Next-Gen Ford Ranger early in February, so I can sit in the front passenger seat, shake my iced coffee, and look at the side mirror while taking selfies and ~helping~ with the navigation… sometimes. Long live the passenger princess and the walls we crashed through!

But there are also moments when I want to drive and make an effort for people close to my heart. Primarily when I have a refined, tech-savvy vehicle that makes everything comfortable.

Everything inside the Next-Gen Everest parades sophistication. It has the right blend of modern interiors, accented by high technology accordingly.

The steering wheel is incorporated with quick access buttons so you won’t have to look away just to adjust your vehicle and audio controls.

There are also several storages upfront: Bottle holders, an upper glove box, and a center glove box. As a driver with lots of unnecessary “important” stuff, having plenty of storage options give me peace of mind that whatever I need can be stored easily should I need them.

Nine out of ten, I barely needed the stuff I put in glove boxes, but it’s still a nice touch for those who really need extra space.

Just the right amount of space

Speaking of space, there’s plenty for my short legs. With an 8-way power adjustment, the front seats are easy to calibrate to get our desired seating position. This has been extremely helpful for my friend, Jomi, and I who fall below 5’4” in height and struggle with reaching the pedals.

The electronic gear shifter is easily accessible, too, even if we have short hands, which was also designed ergonomically for better grip. It felt like a bulky gaming mouse, reminiscent of the ones I use when playing with the ROG Strix G16.

The fully digital instrument cluster shows everything I need to know, in signs that are easy to understand and comprehend. Simply put, the Next-Gen Everest Titanium+ made me want to be the driver more than the passenger princess.

I’m now at a point where I’m willing to drive and bear the traffic, even if I have to travel roads as far as 70 kilometers down South and be on the road for four hours or more. (Only if I have this car.)

Wonderstruck, blushing all the way home

When we picked up my friend Kalvin in Parañaque, he was astounded by the vehicle’s convenient and innovative features.

He was mesmerized, gasping at the sight of the hands-free Power Liftgate and the power-folding function for the third-row seats, which I pressed so we can have an adequate cargo space for all our luggage and essentials.

Miguel arranged the placement of our luggage upon opening the hands-free Power Liftgate.

When we let him ride the shotgun, he was astonished by how much technology you can tinker with inside the vehicle.

It all started with the massive, 12-inch portrait touchscreen infotainment system. He was ecstatic using the voice-activated controls using Wireless Apple Carplay with our iPhones, and the Android Auto Compatibility for his Samsung Galaxy S21+.

Jomi’s iPhone 13 wirelessly charging at the pad.

Then, he saw how we used wireless charging for our iPhones, and how Miguel didn’t have any power bank and used the 230V inverter in the rear center console instead.

Of course, there are 12V sockets found in the front center console, third row, and in the cargo area — which we only got to use when we had to pick up more passengers during a heavy downpour around SM Clark and my power bank couldn’t accommodate everyone’s smartphones.

We were singing in the car, getting lost upstate

We opened the panoramic moonroof to let the light and wind in.

During our drives along C5, SLEX, Skyway, NLEX, SCTEX, and other major highways, we were blasting music using the Next-Gen Everest’s 8 speakers.

When the weather conspired in our favor, we opened the moonroof to let the light and fresh air in and sang our hearts out with Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream”. Let’s run away and don’t ever look back~

Using Apple CarPlay, we were able to navigate the Clark Freeport Zone using Google Maps while playing on Spotify simultaneously. We felt young with no regrets, just love. (Almost 30 is still young, right?)

Remember when you hit the brakes too soon?

Perhaps, the thing that got me really excited about the Next-Gen Ford Everest is how I felt the security features and driver-assist technology. Even more-so compared to my previous rides with other Ford vehicles.

I came to the conclusion that it was the enormous veneer of the Everest Titanium+. That, coupled with my lack of expertise in maneuvering 7-seater SUVs that triggered the features made me appreciate them.

With a recent mishap using my own car during a heavy downpour and I ended up rolling down a 70-degree slope, the Next-Gen Everest’s Hill Launch Assist, Roll Over Mitigation, and Hill Descent Control gave me reassurance that the accident won’t happen again while I was behind the steering wheel.

The front and rear parking sensors were also working hand-in-hand to alert me when vehicles, pedestrians, and other inanimate objects are too near or getting in the way while I was on the road.

While driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic in the incorrigible Ortigas Avenue Extension where motorcyclists and street vendors pop in a flash, prompting other vehicles for a sudden brake, the Pre-Collision Assist activates when I didn’t get to step on the brakes as quickly as I could.

The vehicle would vibrate, emitting an alarm loud enough to shake you off the driver’s seat. I got saved by the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), which works when you aren’t able to respond to a potential collision.

Remember when I pulled up and said “Get in the car”~

The evasive steer assist and lane-related features helped me navigate the hellish C5 traffic at night. But I found the parking assist even more commendable.

Parking small cars is a piece of cake for me — be it parallel, diagonal, or perpendicular. The Next-Gen Everest, however, is a different case. It’s enormous, and I found it difficult to squeeze in between other colossal automobiles.

What astounded my friends was the activation of the Active Park Assist 2.0. The vehicle used its 360-degree camera and parks on its own with the Park Aid assist.

But of course, we have the utmost confidence in our abilities to park the Next-Gen Everest properly. We simply used the infotainment system to give an overview of whether we were alighting in perfect symmetry.

The Terrain Management System also came into play when we were driving and parking across the lahar-filled concrete and gravel parking in Alviera and around Clark Freeport Zone.

It just has everything you can ask for, and maybe more.

I just wanna stay in that lavender haze

Photo-op before we hop on a ride to participate in our Spartan BEAST (21KM+30 Obstacles) race in Alviera.

Riding the comforts of the Next-Gen Everest felt like finally finding someone whom you’ll want to clean up bottles with on New Year’s Day. It’s delicate and gorgeous at the same time — both the relationship and the experience of a shiny, new vehicle.

It lasted long enough with only less than half of the tank with over 500km ride in four days. Refueling the tank fully only happened on the fifth day as I drove back to the East.

Long trips used to be grueling, no matter how big a car is. But when it’s designed to look and feel like home, 500 kilometers on the road from East to South and to the North and back is just a breeze through time.

Not to mention, the exterior of the Next-Gen Ford Everest Titanium+ comes with a tough, aggressive facade. It doesn’t give a cozy vibe, but we have to look beyond its appearance. Sometimes, we end up liking a person when we spend some time to know them more.

I guess that’s the lesson the Next-Gen Ford Everest Titanium+ wants to impart: Look beyond what you see, and get the best experience you can ever feel. 7-seater SUVs aren’t that intimidating to me anymore.

Price and availability

The Next-Gen Ford Everest comes in many finishes and colors. These are: Absolute Black, Aluminum Metallic, Arctic White, Equinox Bronze, Meteor Gray, Sedona Orange, Snowflake White Pearl, and Blue Lightning. It starts at PhP 1,799,000 for the Everest 2.0L Turbo Trend 4×2 AT. It goes up to PhP 2,495,000 for the Everest 2.0L Bi-Turbo Titanium+ 4×4 AT variant.

For more information, visit the Ford Everest page. To reserve the Next-Gen Ford Everest through www.ford.com.ph or check your nearest Ford dealer.

The post Home away from home: Next-Gen Ford Everest makes long trips cozier appeared first on GadgetMatch.

But its biggest upgrade has got to be its new full-on cover screen — and it might just be the best one yet!

Can’t wait to see how the new razr looks and feels?

Here’s our hands-on with the new moto razr+.

If you haven’t kept track of the record, motorola released two razr flip phones globally. Those are the motorola razr back in 2019, and the motorola razr 5G in 2020.

motorola (or Lenovo) then skipped the year 2021 and brought us the motorola razr 2022 — only to be sold exclusively to China.

Fast track to 2023, motorola is coming back with a whole new flip phone for the international markets! Say hello to the 2023 motorola razr family

The post moto razr+ Hands-on: Flip Phone Done Right! appeared first on GadgetMatch.

It’s been more than a month since the release of Horizon: Forbidden West’s DLC, Burning Shores and the reviews came in hot. There were plenty of raves that the game is a treat as are the visuals. But what really made the most waves on the is that the fiery redhead heroine gets a partner. In more ways than one.

Aloy was first introduced in Horizon Zero Dawn as an outcast, so being on her own was expected. Understandably, when you’re treated like a pariah since childhood, warming up to people isn’t exactly second nature.

The burden of being The One

She picks up new friends, even some potentially interested parties along the way but the game steers us from expecting that they’ll be tagging along for the long run. By the game’s sequel, she is still Ms. Independent, but with blossoming character development in terms of her interpersonal relationships

While there’s a bit of attraction and tension with men and women alike thrown in-game, Aloy never gets into anything no matter how hard you try to flirt. (Yes, we tried). Horizon clearly didn’t focus on finding her mate, given that there is indeed a lot on Aloy’s plate.

She even admits in dialogue that her mission as The One created to save the world, is a full-time occupation that she can’t think of anything else. Fair enough, you go do what you gotta do, girl.

Along came Seyka

With the introduction of Seyka in Burning Shores, it would’ve been easy to dismiss that sure, they have chemistry but nothing’s going to happen. We’ve gone so far with Aloy embracing singlehood by choice, why would it change now?

That’s probably what made this DLC stand out. After becoming partners in crime, the pair share an intimate conversation where they first met to consider pursuing something more. The player option to engage in a romance probably has the audience saying “finally” or asking, “why now?”, and those who appear to take issue in Seyka’s sex are asking “why?”

But the better question is, WHY NOT?

Seyka is no stranger to duty and purpose, being intent in rescuing her sister and tribespeople from Burning Shore’s main villain, Walter Londra. She is headstrong, agile, and fierce — qualities she shares with our main girl. Aloy also learns to rely on someone for help, which is a big deal.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise either that Aloy would take on a lady love: Forbidden West final boss Tilda did express that she loved Elizabet Sobeck — Aloy’s clone source or “mother” — more than we know. Who’s to say that the genetic copy of the apple would fall far from the tree? Ultimately, should the player to decide to let Aloy initiate a romance, it’s not the end of the world if it’s a girl. Actually, they even saved it together.

SEE ALSO: Horizon Forbidden West Review: Back to save us from machines

Burning Shores

The story of Burning Shores picks up directly where Horizon Forbidden West left off. It contains additional content for Horizon Forbidden West, including new characters and experiences in a stunning yet hazardous new area.

To enter the Burning Shores, you must complete the main quest (up to and including Singularity) in the PS5 version of Horizon Forbidden West. Following the main quest, the player will receive a call over Aloy’s Focus, beginning the DLC.

The post Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores sways both ways appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Things are promising on paper. The ROG Ally is built to be able to run AAA titles. Here’s a quick look at the specs of the unit we had for recap:

Model	RC71L
CPU	AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor  4nm  Zen 4/ 8 core & 16 threads   24M cache  CPU Clock: up to 5.10 Ghz  TDP: 9 – 30 watts
GPU	With AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Config:  AMD Radeon Graphics  RDNA3 & 4G RAM capacity / 8.6 TFlops  12 CU  GPU Clock: 2.7GHz
Panel	Full HD (1920 x 1080), 120 Hz / 7 ms eDP1.4b, 500 nits, IPS-panel, 100%  sRGB, FreeSync Premium, Gorilla® Glass Victus and Gorilla® Glass DXC,  10-point Touchscreen  Gyro support
Memory	16GB (LPDDR5 6400Mhz) dual channel LPDDR5 8GBx2 on board  memory
Audio	2 x 1W speakers with smart amp technology, Dolby Atmos®, Hi-Res Audio,  AI Noise Cancellation
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth	WiFi 6E (802.11ax) / Bluetooth® v5.2
Storage	512GB (for Z1 Extreme config)  +SD card slot UHS-2
I/O PORT	ROG XG Mobile interface (8PCI express lanes) and USB Type-C  combo port (with USB 3.2 Gen2, DP 1.4 support) — (1x) 3.5mm Audio jack — (1x) Micro SD slot (UHS-II, Micro SD 4.0) — (1x)
Battery	40Wh
Adapter	65W PD adapter, supports pass through charging
Dimensions	280.44 * 111.18 * 21.22 mm 608g

PlayStation Studios on PC 

PlayStation, in the past couple of years, has decided to spread the love and let PC players experience some of the best they have to offer. Currently, there are 12 PlayStation exclusive titles playable on PC. And they’re available on either Steam or the Epic Games Store. 

In case you’re curious the available games are as follows: 

• Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
• God of War (2018)
• Uncharted: The Legacy of Thieves Collection
• Destiny 2: Lightfall 
• Horizon: Zero Dawn
• Returnal
• Days Gone
• HELLDIVERS
• Predator Hunting Grounds
• Sackboy: A big Adventure
• The Last of Us Part 1

PlayStation Asia was kind enough to give us codes for three of the 12 titles now available on PC. Here’s how they ran on the ROG Ally. 

Quick note: I played on Performance mode with brightness hovering at around 50-55% indoors in an air conditioned room. 

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered

Marvel’s Spider-Man, along with NBA 2K, is my comfort game. Whenever I feel frustrated or just having a bad day, I fire up either game. On Spider-Man, I just swing aimlessly around the digital Manhattan that Insomniac built. 

It was such a delight to learn that I can do this on the go now too with Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered playing pretty darn well on the ROG Ally. 

I had the framerate limiter turned on, maxing out at 60. Despite that, I only reached a max of 31 fps with dips to as low as 15. It looks bad on paper, but is much more tolerable during actual gameplay. The dips usually happened during cutscenes. Majority of the gameplay hovered around 25-30 fps. 

I knew it was never gonna reach the level of detail and smoothness that I get on the PS5 and LG C2 combo that I usually play on. There was plenty of noticeable stuttering especially during the busier sections of the game. But I didn’t think any of it was game breaking. 

Audio wasn’t as loud as I hoped it would be despite me playing in a pretty quiet room. I opted to pair it with Bluetooth earbuds (OnePlus Buds Pro 2) to get the most of the audio. There were no audio delays whatsoever which was a very welcome development. 

My average play time was about one hour and 20 minutes. That’s with the battery going from 100% to 20% each time. 

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Coming from the same Studio and pretty much being essentially the same game, Spider-Man: Miles Morales didn’t run too differently from Spider-Man Remastered.

I played in the exact same conditions: Indoor room, AC on, started at 100%, performance mode, and medium brightness settings. Curiously, the frame dips happened more during open-world swinging and not as much during cutscenes. This could be because of the busier version of New York due to the events of the game being set during the Christmas season. 

But the numbers weren’t too different. I still maxed at 31 fps, with most of the gameplay hovering around 25-30 fps, and the lowest dip coming in at 16fps. 

Again, nothing game breaking and it is much more tolerable during gameplay. Naturally, you have to have your expectations set properly. The ROG Ally is, after all, a handheld gaming PC. 

Average play time is around one hour and 25 minutes with about 75% to 80% of the battery life being consumed. 

Returnal

Returnal is one of the titles I was most excited to try. I was curious about how the audio and controller rumble would translate to the ROG Ally. On the PS5, Audio and DualSense implementation are two of the game’s many strengths. 

Due to audio cues on enemies’ locations, this game is best played with earbuds/headphones on. The experience on the ROG Ally isn’t quite 3D Audio on PS5 levels, but it’s as close as it gets. 

The same can be said for the controller rumble. It’s not as precise nor finely implemented as the DualSense – that’s a unique feature after all. However, I was still thoroughly impressed with how the ROG Ally implemented rumble in certain sections of the game. The rumble effect is also a testament to how well-built the Ally is. Despite the internals shaking, the Ally never felt brittle nor that it would suddenly come apart. 

Knowing this is a shooter game, I turned the framerate limiter off and reached highs of 115 fps. The framerate did dip to as low as 15 fps which is about the widest variance I got from any game I played using the Ally. This did affect gameplay especially during sections where I had to deal with multiple enemies. 

I did experience plenty of crashes which isn’t ideal for a game like Returnal whose progress relies on you surviving as long as you can on a single run through. But this only happened during the first few minutes. After a while, it seemed like the ROG Ally had adjusted to the performance-demands of the game. 

It took about an hour and 10 minutes before I had to plug-in the Ally to not lose a playthrough. 

Remote Play?

Since the ROG Ally is essentially a handheld gaming PC, you can certainly install the Remote Play app on it. However, you can’t just immediately use the gamepad. To play Horizon: Forbidden West, and generally just run the app, I had to pair the Ally with my DualSense controller.

You can map the gamepad so that it works but mapping isn’t an activity I enjoy nor did I have the time (I had to return the review unit) to do it. Other reviewers pointed to using a third-party app called Chiaki. But again, I didn’t have time to test it. I did see gameplay of it though so it seems to be working just fine. 

Knowing that you can do all these on the Ally actually makes you question the upcoming PlayStation Q handheld. Sure, the integration will likely be seamless. But its core function can already be replicated on other handhelds and handheld-like devices. I digress.

It’s worth noting that the relatively smooth experience I had with the ROG Ally was also aided by an internet connection that constantly hovers in the 250+ mbps range along with a Wi-Fi 6 router. 

The ROG Ally is PlayStation friendly 

If you want to know what it’s like playing PlayStation 5 games on a handheld device, the ROG Ally is easily one of the best devices to play with. The gameplay isn’t quite as smooth but you shouldn’t expect it to be. And yes, you’ll find yourself reaching for the power adapter after a little over an hour of playthrough. But being able to play AAA titles on a handheld device still feels crazy to me.

Having started gaming on a family computer and covering tech for a living, it’s still mind-blowing to me how far technology has come. The stuff I only dreamed of as a little fat gamer is coming true thanks to the ROG Ally and its contemporaries. 

The ROG Ally Z1 Extreme retails for US$ 699. The ROG Ally Z1 variant retails for US$ 599. Pre-orders begin on May 11. It will be available for sale worldwide on June 13, 2023.

The post How well do PlayStation games run on the ROG Ally? appeared first on GadgetMatch.

While we don’t have anything like that until today, the closest thing we can have is the Final Cut Pro made specifically for the iPads.

Now, it’s finally available for download on the iPad App Store.

Starting at US$ 4.99 per month and US$ 49 annually, is it actually worth the subscription?

In this video we’ll show you all the features and tools exclusive to the new and game-changing Final Cut Pro for iPad!

The post Final Cut Pro for iPad Hands-on: Game Changer! appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Samsung headlines the Galaxy S23 Ultra with its astronomic 200MP camera. That’s with the inclusion of three more cameras. On the other hand, HONOR offers a completely different setup for the Magic5 Pro: triple 50MP cameras to be exact.

While the phone’s naming superlatives don’t actually feel like they are the direct competitors of one another (as HONOR also has the Magic5 Ultimate), this is still the best comparison we can deliver to you because the latter is China-exclusive.

Best of both worlds

Just like in other camera shootouts, it would be amiss not to talk about the specific camera hardware these two smartphones possess.

Aside from the obvious difference in megapixel count, the wide camera of the HONOR Magic5 Pro is slightly brighter at f/1.6 (versus f/1.7). Moreover, the Magic5 Pro has an overall bigger pixel count in its ultra-wide and periscope lenses.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (2023)

I just find it weird how HONOR decided to choose a “periscope” camera that only zooms in optically at 3.5x. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 10x periscope zoom lens with a separate 3x telephoto zoom shooter. Of course, both phones are capable of up to 100x digital zoom.

HONOR Magic5 Pro (2023)

Lastly, the HONOR contender is equipped with a ToF 3D sensor on its front and back for depth (plus biometric scanning through Face Unlock). While the Galaxy S23 Ultra doesn’t have one, it can record videos up to 8K/30fps whereas the HONOR maxes out at 4K/60fps.

Wide (1x)

On paper, their main cameras seem like a day and night difference — but is that actually the case when they almost share the same lens opening minus the inclusion of 1-inch camera sensors?

W1

W2

W3

W4

W5

Ultra-Wide (UWA)

Choose your weapon: 122-degree + f/2.0 aperture or a 120-degree Field of View + f/2.2 ultra-wide camera?

Lastly, 50MP versus 12MP?

U1

U2

U3

U4

U5

Zoom (3~3.5x)

As already stated, the HONOR Magic5 Pro rocks a 3.5x periscope shooter while Samsung is equipped with a telephoto lens that zooms in to 3x. But which is actually the better deal?

Z1

Z2

Z3

Z4

Z5

Farther Zoom (10x)

As previously mentioned, HONOR markets its 3.5x lens as “periscope”. Meanwhile, Samsung’s periscope is rather farther at 10x. While having that huge optical zoom gap, this doesn’t mean we can’t do a comparison as the HONOR can do its “Magic” using its periscope shooter.

P1

P2

P3

P4

P5

Night Mode

Shooting low-light photos using Night Mode is and will always be the dealbreaker in every camera shootout we make. Proven over many write-ups, Samsung is notorious for its bright night AI algorithm and post-processing techniques. But can you even tell which is which?

N1

N2

N3

N4

N5

BONUS: Faces

The closest camera spec we could have are the selfie cameras of each phone. But actually, one has the advantage of having an ultra-wide angle lens. Also, there’s a lone comparison which showcases how each phone shoots portrait subjects.

B1

B2

B3

BONUS: Farthest Zoom (Day)

In this comparison we’re going past 10x to actually know how each model performs when it comes to digital zoom.

B4 (30x)

B5 (50x)

BONUS: Farthest Zoom (Night)

I also did the same comparison during the night to actually test out how each phone can withstand the lack of ample light when taking zoomed shots.

B6 (10x)

B7 (30x)

B8 (70x)

Results

Confused with your picks? Well, you’re not alone. Even I had a hard time determining photos side by side.

Photo A – HONOR Magic5 Pro

Photo B – Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Conclusion

For the most part, you would barely distinguish the differences between each phone’s camera quality since they both looked similar. But in other shots, the Galaxy S23 Ultra still has that distinct saturation-boosting among its samples that Samsung always does in its phones (refer to W5 / U3 / U5 / Z5 / P5 / N2 / B5).

But to my surprise, the HONOR Magic5 Pro also delivered an almost equal ratio of photos that lean more towards the warmer and more saturated spectrum (W1 / U2 / Z1 / Z2 / Z4 / N1 / N4 / B6).

When it comes to HDR, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has the obvious advantage by not bumping up the shadows too much while still preserving the highlights of each photo taken. On the other hand, the Magic5 Pro delivered photos that has an overall brighter exposure — which honestly isn’t my cup of tea (W1 / W2 / W3 / W4 / U2 / U4 / P5 / B4 / B5). It’s either caused by the larger f/1.6 aperture or just HONOR’s HDR algorithm.

Zoomed shots in 3-3.5x look crisp and clear on both phones but if you go past the 10x mark, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra easily beats the HONOR Magic5 Pro with its dedicated 10x periscope zoom lens. With the provided moon shots, well, Samsung isn’t safe from the previous fake moon AI controversy so I’ll leave the judgments to you.

Lastly, selfies are down to your personal preference. In my opinion, the HONOR Magic5 Pro overtakes the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra especially because it has an even wider lens plus a ToF 3D sensor for both portrait depth and biometric scanning (or Face Unlock). The compromise is just the longer pill-shaped cutout instead of the Galaxy’s cleaner punch hole camera.

The post HONOR Magic5 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Camera Shootout appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Slimmer, thinner

Forget heavy, bulky laptops of the past and even those ~slim~ laptops that don’t really like one. The Zenbook S 13 OLED (UX5304) is so slim, it fits in my laptop sleeve inside my backpack, sling bag, and even my briefcase. There’s even room to slide in a tablet or another laptop!

It’s also incredibly thin at 10.9mm and still houses an impressive amount of ports. One USB-A, one full-sized HDMI port, two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, and of course, an audio jack.

So lightweight

Weighing only 1 kilogram in weight, I didn’t feel I was carrying the laptop when inside my bag. I had to double-check twice if it was already in there. Plus, I can carry it using only three fingers without straining my forearms, something that I can’t even do with the Macbook Air.

That 180-degree hinge

The Zenbook S 13 OLED has that Ergo Lift Hinge where the bottom part lifts up when you lift open the laptop. It has that air vent for cooling and a perfect angle for typing.

But more than that, the 180-degree hinge creates more versatility in terms of productivity. For people who are used to presenting their pitches and concepts to clients, a laptop that you can almost fold provides a better preview to make presentations easier.

Military-graded!

Like most ASUS notebooks, the Zenbook S 13 OLED has a MIL-STD 810H military-grade in terms of durability. It was tested against harsh environments and stress tests such as power-on drop tests, vibration tests, and operation at extremes of humidity, altitude, and temperature.

It exceeded an extreme test, just like the iconic ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition!

S means Style

I’d like to think that the S in Zenbook S 13 OLED doesn’t just mean slim, but it also means style, too. The lid is extremely stylish, smudge-resistant, and so smooth with a matte finish.

It has metallic line accents making out the ASUS A monogram, which the company debuted during its 30th anniversary a few years back. Moreover, it uses a new material called plasma ceramic aluminum making it look more premium, and more durable while being good for nature with zero harmful compounds, and a shell that’s 100% recyclable.

S also means Sustainable

The new Zenbook S 13 OLED is the first Zenbook made with eco-friendly materials. Its chassis cover and bottom case were made of 50% recycled aluminum, and the keyboard cover comes from 90% recycled magnesium and aluminum.

Both were made using the post-industrial kind, which is waste recycled from the manufacturing process. Meanwhile, the keycaps on the keyboard are all 50% recycled plastic and the speakers are made from 5% ocean-bound plastics.

Moreover, the packaging is so eco-friendly, it was made with zero plastics and no glues. Just 100% recyclable and compostable paper!

ASUS Lumina OLED Display

Using the ASUS Lumina OLED, the Zenbook S 13 OLED comes with a stunning, immersive display. Yes, it has an 85% screen-to-body ratio and sports a NanoEdge design with ultra-slim bezels.

But just in case you didn’t know, having the ASUS Lumina OLED on your laptop means you’ll get professionally-graded colors.

Aside from that, you’ll experience a PANTONE-validated display, a customizable color gamut, 70% blue light reduction for eye care, and buttery-smooth motion clarity, thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate.

In a nutshell, it has a gorgeous 2.8K OLED panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. More importantly, the panel exhibits punchy colors and an exceptional level of color accuracy — perfect for consuming and creating content.

Impressive audio

Creating and consuming content wouldn’t be great if the device didn’t come with an impressive audio system. The audio-visual experience is something ASUS prides itself at, thanks to its Harmon-Kardon tuned Dolby Atmos speakers and ASUS’ very own Smart Amp.

Enjoy watching your favorite shows while you’re on your break!

Advanced camera systems

Don’t get fooled by the Zenbook S 13 OLED’s light and small frame.

It houses a bunch of improvements on the video calling fronts, such as its new 3D noise-reduction technology, AI noise-canceling audio technology, lighting optimization to help compensate for poor lighting conditions, background blurring, and even motion tracking to keep you in the center of a frame.

The power of 13th gen

Multitasking is seamless and easy, even with a thin and light laptop like the Zenbook S 13 OLED. It’s powered by up to a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU, integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, LPDDR5 RAM up to 32GB, and 1TB of PCIe 4.0×4 storage.

Despite having a small frame, it houses so much power to help you have uninterrupted, productive sessions when using this machine. Moreover, the Zenbook S 13 OLED is Intel Evo certified, which basically states that it’s a high-quality laptop that meets incredibly high standards.

To put it simply, it’s definitely a daily driver you can trust!

Almost all-day battery life

The Zenbook S 13 OLED has a 64Wh battery, promising a full workday or more. You won’t really need to rely on electric sockets when working outside!

Fast charging

If you’re still worried about the battery life, fret not. The Zenbook S 13 OLED ships with a 65W power adapter, charging the device from 0 to 70% in 49 minutes. Although, it still supports any other USB Power Delivery charger you have and even a power bank — just expect a slower speed.

Rivals MacBook Air

Above all, the ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED (UX5304) prides itself as a worthy rival against the MacBook Air. We even compared the 2022 model before! But of course, this 2023 model is slimmer (10.9mm versus 11.3mm), lighter (1kg versus 1.24kg), and more powerful as compared to the MacBook Air M2.

Heck, its panel is even brighter. I mean, OLED versus IPS display? Come on, man.

Price and availability

The ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED (UX5304) retails at PhP 79.995. It’s currently available in ASUS Concept stores, online stores, and authorized shops and resellers. Click here to see the full list of where you can get this device.

The laptop is also available via Home Credit with 0% interest and up to 18 months of flexible payment terms. Upon purchase, it has ASUS Platinum Warranty: 1-year local warranty and 2 years of Global Warranty.

Peace of mind is also guaranteed since there are currently 69 service centers nationwide. You’re safe, bud!

On another note, ASUS has also launched other Zenbook laptops: the Zenbook Pro 14 OLED (UX6404) and the Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404).

This feature article is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and ASUS Philippines.

The post 13 reasons why you should get the ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED appeared first on GadgetMatch.

As the eyes are all about the newest Zelda title, Michael Josh didn’t want to miss the opportunity and went to the nearest Nintendo Store in New York.

Aside from showing the gameplay of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,

He also unboxed the newest Nintendo Switch OLED in a very special Zelda skin.

But wait, there’s more!

He even has several Zelda goodies for you to drool in.

Those include some TotK merch, amiibos, and most of all, the Collector’s Edition of the game.

Can’t wait to see them?

Head over to our Nintendo Switch Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom unboxing now to see all of ’em.

The post Nintendo Switch Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom UNBOXING! appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Michael Josh personally thinks it shouldn’t be more than $300.

However, this one from Louis Vuitton costs 5x more.

It’s even more expensive than an iPhone 14 Pro Max!

But is it even worth every penny?

Here’s our unboxing of the very expensive Louis Vuitton Horizon Light Up earphones!

The post Louis Vuitton Horizon Light Up Earphones Unboxing appeared first on GadgetMatch.

But first, Unboxing!

• ROG Ally
• 65W PD Adapter
• Proof of purchase, user guide, and warranty 
• Cardboard stand

Light, white, ready to fight

The ROG Ally tips the scales at 608g. Seems hefty but ASUS did a good job with weight distribution that you don’t really feel it as much. It certainly feels like something you can use for a couple of hours without feeling strain on your hands.

The reason why it’s white is because of the polycarbonate material that they used which is naturally white. ASUS opted not to paint over it to not put on any more unnecessary weight.

The sides curve to the edges to make it easy to hold. You’ll have no trouble reaching the left and right sticks, directional pad, and face buttons. The triggers are also easy to reach but it feels a little tougher to get to the shoulder buttons. Perhaps, it just takes some getting used to.

You also have extra triggers at the bottom of the device. These are also easy to reach and can be assigned any function based on whatever you’re playing. 

As for the buttons themselves, they feel durable and tactile. I could use a little bit more click on the shoulders, but overall, have no complaints. 

Windows + Armoury Crate SE

The true pain point of this thing is how Windows 11 is not at all optimized for this kind of device. Setting up and signing in to your accounts to get to your games can get a little bit cumbersome.

ASUS’ Armoury Crate software tries to help out with this, but even its “Desktop Mode” for its controllers doesn’t work as well as we hope. Thankfully, the gorgeous 1080p display is touchscreen making it a little easier to navigate the tiny Windows screen that you have to work with. 

Microsoft is reportedly already working on a version of Windows that supports this particular form factor. Anyone trying the ROG Ally right now will tell you that it can’t come soon enough. 

The sooner they can get something like Steam’s Big Picture mode running, the better for every manufacturer looking into making this kind of device. 

All your games, all the time

Speaking of Steam, the ROG Ally does deliver on the promise of making all of your PC games available to you all the time. When you fire it up, Armoury Crate launches right away. From there, you can access both Steam and the Xbox Game Pass Apps right away.

Like Windows, launching and moving around the Xbox Game Pass app isn’t intuitive. Microsoft really has their work cutout for them in developing a Windows Handheld mode. 

What’s interesting is that launching Steam takes you directly to Steam Deck mode. In fact, the app thinks you’re using a Steam Deck, even showing ‘Verified’ tags for games that have been tested to work well on Valve’s own handheld console. 

In our limited time so far, we’ve played Dragon Ball FighterZ and NBA 2K22 on Steam. On Xbox Game Pass, we tried Hi-Fi Rush and Doom Eternal. That’s a couple of hours jumping through four games, but all of them ran well. There was no noticeable screen tearing or hiccups. That’s a testament to both the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Chip as well as the multiple display tech meant to help run games smoothly. 

We’ll have more detailed tests on the review. 

Oh and the front-firing speakers sound great. So good that I didn’t mind watching the “No Return” fancam of LE SSERAFIM Chaewon on it.

#ROGAlly
Expectation: Gaming.
Reality: Chaewon Fancam. pic.twitter.com/0hJh5WKDcF

— rodneil (@rodneilquiteles) May 10, 2023

ROG Ally Specs 

Some of it has been leaked, but here’s the actual, official specs of the ROG Ally.  

Model	RC71L
CPU	AMD Ryzen Z1 Processor  4nm  Zen 4/ 6 cores & 12 threads  22M cache  CPU Clock: up to 4.90 GHz  AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor  4nm  Zen 4/ 8 core & 16 threads   24M cache  CPU Clock: up to 5.10 Ghz  TDP: 9 – 30 watts
GPU	With AMD Ryzen Z1 Config:  AMD Radeon Graphics  RDNA 3 & 4G RAM capacity/ 2.8 Tflops  4 CU  GPU clock: 2.5GHz  With AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Config:  AMD Radeon Graphics  RDNA3 & 4G RAM capacity / 8.6 TFlops  12 CU  GPU Clock: 2.7GHz
Panel	Full HD (1920 x 1080), 120 Hz / 7 ms eDP1.4b, 500 nits, IPS-panel, 100%  sRGB, FreeSync Premium, Gorilla® Glass Victus and Gorilla® Glass DXC,  10-point Touchscreen  Gyro support
Memory	16GB (LPDDR5 6400Mhz) dual channel LPDDR5 8GBx2 on board  memory
Audio	2 x 1W speakers with smart amp technology, Dolby Atmos®, Hi-Res Audio,  AI Noise Cancellation
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth	WiFi 6E (802.11ax) / Bluetooth® v5.2
Storage	M.2 NVMe 2230 Gen4x4 SSD 256GB (for Z1 config)   512GB (for Z1 Extreme config)  +SD card slot UHS-2
I/O PORT	ROG XG Mobile interface (8PCI express lanes) and USB Type-C  combo port (with USB 3.2 Gen2, DP 1.4 support) — (1x) 3.5mm Audio jack — (1x) Micro SD slot (UHS-II, Micro SD 4.0) — (1x)
Battery	40Wh
Adapter	65W PD adapter, supports pass through charging
Dimensions	280.44 * 111.18 * 21.22 mm 608g

Price and availability 

The ROG Ally Z1 Extreme retails for US$ 699. The ROG Ally Z1 variant retails for US$ 599. Pre-orders begin on May 11. It will be available for sale worldwide on June 13, 2023. 

The post ROG Ally Hands-On: Light, white, ready to fight appeared first on GadgetMatch.

POCO F5: A powerful base form

The POCO F5 is the first smartphone in the market to house them Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2. Given the Qualcomm’s history, there’s very little reason to doubt that the phone will handle nearly everything you throw at it.

You can even choose between a 8GB+256GB variant or one that’s 12GB+256GB to make sure you have more than enough memory and storage.

Its 6.67-inch 120Hz Flow AMOLED display is immersive and offers an enjoyable mobile viewing experience. Whether you’re catching up on your favorite Netflix shows, watching the latest GadgetMatch video, or just mindlessly scrolling on TikTok, the POCO F5’s screen will deliver more than satisfactorily.

Its 5,000mAh battery can be recharged to 100% within 50 minutes using the 67W wired charger.

POCO F5 Pro: An all-rounder

POCO usually offers phones that put a focus on performance. And while the POCO F5 Pro does the same, it doesn’t skimp out on the rest of the package.

First of, the white colorway that we reviewed “exudes a premium feel as a flagship does.” Performance-wise, it comfortably runs the latest game from Genshin Impact maker Honkai: Star Rail at high graphics settings on 60fps.

Fret not though, like the base version, you can juice up the 5,160mAh battery on this thing goes up to 100% quickly with the 67W charger.

The camera array: 64MP f/1.79 main, 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, 2MP f/2.4 macro, 16MP f/2.45 selfie — which it shares with the base version — also won’t leave you wanting. Check out some of these shots:

SEE ALSO: POCO F5 Pro review

Is the POCO F5 Series your GadgetMatch?

Whether you’re looking for a solid performer or an all-rounder that can keep up with your demanding phone habits, the POCO F5 Series has something for you. The POCO F5 is as great a base smartphone as there is for its price point. Meanwhile, the POCO F5 Pro “shines with a cohesive flagship experience worthy of its price.”

Shopee Special

You can get the POCO F5 Series smartphones at a discounted price with Shopee until May 16. Discounted pricing are as follows:

POCO F5 Pro (Black or White)

• 8GB+256GB: PhP 23,999
• 12GB+256GB: PhP 25,999
• 12GB+512GB: PhP 27,999

POCO F5 (Black, Blue or White)

• 8GB+256GB: PhP 18,299
• 12GB+256GB: PhP 20,099

The post Is the POCO F5 Series your GadgetMatch? appeared first on GadgetMatch.

There have been handheld PC gaming consoles, prior to it, of course. But none made by a major brand that most are familiar with. Now, ASUS is putting its horse in the race with the release of the ROG Ally. 

While we’re excited at the prospect of the future of this segment of gaming, it presents us with an opportune moment to look back at handheld gaming gadgets from yesteryears. 

Here are some of the most notable handheld gaming devices, from the perspective of the team.

Nokia (3310, 2600, N70, N-Gage)

Luigi: Technically, the classic Nokia phones aren’t gaming consoles. However, you can’t start off a discussion about handheld gaming without talking about Nokia. Not everyone owned a handheld console at the time, but practically everyone had a phone. Nokia, especially the Nokia 3310, introduced the idea that handheld gaming isn’t just a niche market. My mom would lend me her phone, and I played Snake and Space Invaders while she had meetings.

Vincenz: I grew up in a household full of Nokia phones. The classic Nokia 3310 isn’t an exception. That’s probably my awakening point that I can be competitive when it comes to mobile/digital games. I defeated several monsters in Space Impact as well as beating the existing high score in Snake. Also, the Nokia 2600 was very popular with the Bounce title. I also remember enjoying the better version of Snakes 3D using the Nokia N70.

Gab: Yes, you’re not reading that wrong: Nokia made something like a handheld console and disguised it as a cellphone called the N-Gage. Although I never personally owned one, in my younger years, I had a family friend who had one and we took turns playing with it. This device seemed like the cellphone world’s first attempt at coming up with a device that works like a console with calling capabilities. Honestly, it seemed promising until I found out that every time you wanted to switch games, you had to take out the battery first. At least you could play Crash Nitro Kart on it!

Game Boy (Original/Color/Advance/SP)

Gab: The original Gameboy was the first Nintendo-related console I owned. It was a hand-me-down from my dad when I was three. This thing ran on four AA batteries and was the foundation of handheld consoles during the 90s. I remember playing Super Mario Land with my dad helping me out in some levels; to be fair, I was three so I was slow in learning how the buttons work.

Also, the Gameboy SP had accessories like the Link Cable which made it perfect for Pokemon games with your friends. Personally, I never got to use it outside of trading Pokemon with some classmates in grade school. But it was a good way to find people with similar interests as you.

Luigi: The Game Boy Advance SP was my (and, I imagine, a lot of other’s) first actual handheld console. Though the console already went through so many iterations prior, the SP was a culmination of everything that came before. It had a decent battery, a backlight, and backwards compatibility for past cartridges. I didn’t have a lot of cartridges, but I remember playing those I had until I got sick of them. There were countless afternoons spent hunting for legendary Pokemon on Leaf Green or banging my head endlessly on Donkey Kong Country 2 levels.

So many Game Boy memories…

Vincenz: I was three when the millennium started — and that also reminded me of when I played Super Mario Land and Jurassic Park on the classic (and thicc AF) Game Boy with a black and green display reminiscent of the Nokia 3310. We even had this absurd-looking Light Magnifier to enlarge the pixels we see while playing. 

Then 2005 happened. That’s when our mom suddenly bought us a Game Boy Advance SP in a pretty black-ish Onyx colorway. That was a big upgrade coming from the OG Game Boy because of the colorful LCD and slimmer, more compact form factor. I may not have the popular titles but the three titles we’ve owned are enough for any 8-year-old (Spongebob, Shrek, and 135-in-1 game). Most of all, blowing those game cartridges to make the game work (no matter what Game Boy it is) will always be part of my core memory.

MJ: The Game Boy Color was the first handheld gaming I’ve owned, which was gifted to me so I would stop being envious of my older brother’s Game Boy. I still remember how I spent countless hours playing Pokémon Crystal, with Chikorita as my favorite companion. All those playtimes led me to my obsession with gaming on the go. When the world gets noisy, I know I can get lost in a different world through a console that I carry and own.

PlayStation Portable (PSP) and PlayStation Vita

Rodneil: I unapologetically love everything PlayStation. It should come as no surprise that the first handheld gaming console I purchased with my own dime was the PlayStation Portable or PSP. For the life of me, though, I can’t exactly remember which version it was. What I do remember is NBA 2K, God of War, and a few other games helping me get through my internships and first few years as part of the workforce. 

Gab: Everyone I knew in my age group owned a PSP at the time, whether it was the thicc version or the slim version. I had the slim one because I found out that the thicc one had problematic batteries at the time. We wanted a version that lasted longer. The PSP introduced me to some of the games that I’m still fond of to this day, like TEKKEN 5: Dark Resurrection and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. 

Maybe we do need a new PlayStation handheld?

Vincenz: I clearly remember it was in 2007 when we had the PSP. During those years, it was a powerful piece of gaming hardware at your fingertips. I wasn’t even aware that Sony released several iterations – until I saw the PSP 2000 (Slim) of my cousins and the sleeker PSP 3000 of my grade school classmates. Thus, the realization that we had the OG “Phat” model (or PSP 1000).

Shockingly, I’m today years old when I found out there’s another version called ‘Street’ (or PSP-E1000) right after my younger brother’s friend lent me the device for the photos above. I realized it after seeing the weird-looking bottom control bar and that matte-ish, less glossy body compared to its predecessors. The PSP Go, well, it’s a whole new device that people barely wanted.

The PSP also made me discover my strengths in gaming: Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories, Chinatown Wars, Ridge Racer, Gran Turismo, Need For Speed, Midnight Club: DUB Edition, and even the mind-boggling EXIT and EXIT 2.

During the start of the pandemic, a lot of people were so hyped about the Nintendo Switch (and even the cheaper Switch Lite variant). Meanwhile, I’m one among few who bought a PS Vita. I got the fat version since I love its OLED screen. It’s also more premium-looking than the plasticky Slim. Even though the game library isn’t as vast as what the PSP has offered over the years,

I’ve chosen a variant with a jailbroken firmware / homebrew so I could play both PS Vita and PSP games through an emulator. PSN is useless on the Vita anyway. Games are truly enjoyable with its bigger screen — and graphics are clearly better than what the PSP had when it was released (ngl, it amazed all of us during its peak).

Nintendo Switch 

Luigi: Before the Nintendo Switch came out, there wasn’t anything like it. The Switch doubled as a home console and a handheld gaming device. It was both the new generation and a love letter to Nintendo’s previous successes. Six years later, it is still one of the most popular consoles, brandishing iconic titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It also helped that the console peaked during the 2020 lockdowns, a time when most people were stuck home with only their Switch for company. 

MJ: I’ve stopped console gaming after I focused on my career and studies, and sought comfort through mobile games instead for accessibility. That changed when the pandemic bored me to death being stuck indoors, and I bought a Nintendo Switch Lite to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Pokémon Diamond that I borrowed from my best friend, and eventually played Pokémon Legends: Arceus. I haven’t dusted off my Switch ever since I finished the game and went back to my outdoor life after the pandemic eased up. Maybe when I’m in my off-season, I’ll probably pick it up and play Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

ROG Phone 

Rodneil: Mobile gaming was already blowing up when the ROG Phone came into the picture. At the time, we were already getting mobile games that rival some console games when it comes to visual presentation. The ROG Phone was a device validating the growing popularity and legitimacy of mobile gaming. Things have only gotten better since its 2018 release — both the ROG Phone and the quality of certain mobile games.

Future is promising

Handheld gaming is on the uptick and it’s not just because of the Steam Deck and the ROG Ally. The AMD Ryzen Z1 series chips powering the Ally is made specifically for this type of device. It’s not a farfetched assumption that more devices from other manufacturers are on the horizon. 

Microsoft, for its part, is also working on a version of Windows designed specifically for handhelds. PlayStation, meanwhile, has been rumored to be working on its own handheld. Although, it may be focused only on cloud gaming. 

Handheld gaming’s past is rich, its present on the uptick, and its future extremely promising. We’re excited.

The post REWIND: Handheld Gaming appeared first on GadgetMatch.

While both smartphones were unveiled in China during the last quarter of 2022, they were announced globally at the earliest months of 2023.

The vivo X90 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Pro are different in many ways but also very similar.

Both sport a very similar 1-inch Sony IMX989-based wide camera sensors — just different in aperture count.

Both also have partnerships with renowned lens manufacturers — ZEISS for the vivo X90 Pro and Leica under the Xiaomi 13 Pro.

Lastly, both have a long legacy of excellence.

But which of these Pro flagships is your GadgetMatch?

The post vivo X90 Pro vs Xiaomi 13 Pro Showdown appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Some we put over our ears, like noise-canceling headphones.

Others we place on our temples — the bone-conducting kind.

But there is one that are like mini speakers and don’t leak sound.

Thanks to a company called NTT sonority,

that sound technology comes to life through “Personalized Sound Zone” or PSZ.

The nwm MBE001 Wireless On-Ear Speakers is a testament that the technology works IRL.

Watch our video now to know how this sound technology works.

The post nwm MBE001: Wireless On-Ear Speakers appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Guitar amplifiers, headphones, and speakers usually come in mind.

Then you’ll be immediately transported to concerts, lights, music, rock n’ roll!

A fun experience full of energy.

During this year’s SxSW 2023, that’s exactly what Michael Josh has experienced.

Now that he’s back in New York, he can relive those experiences — all thanks to the new Marshall Middleton speaker.

The post Marshall Middleton: Loud and Rugged appeared first on GadgetMatch.

The midrange smartphone features a Sony IMX766V as its main sensor and comes with EIS + OIS dual-ultra stabilization, allowing users to snap incredible photos and film high-definition videos for their social media posts and even vlogs.

Speaking of which, here are a few ways to maximize the phone’s usage:

Compile a ‘dump’ of your best experiences

As phones nowadays can take thousands of photos and videos in just a breeze, users sometimes overlook good captures as they often tend to get buried deep into one’s gallery.

That does not have to be the case with the V27 5G; in fact, you can compile everything — from photos of sunsets to OOTDs or your ulam of the day — into a creative reel.

The dual-ultra stabilization feature on the phone eliminates shaky movements, leading to blur-free videos when filming.

The Vlog Movie creator also gives users a quick and easy way to create ready-made vlogs, without the need for a tedious editing process.

Make your video relatable with the vlogging front cam

Aspiring vloggers must understand that sometimes, it’s okay to showcase yourself on your videos.

The V27 5G’s 50MP eye AF vlogging front camera does the trick, as it enables users to record in HD and capture ultra-clear details along the way.

Be yourself and share what matters

Lastly, you don’t even have to be picky with your background or setup, since the V27 5G’s camera is 59% larger than most flagship standard cameras.

This leads to 145% more light intake, which makes videos appear brighter and more vibrant – even if they’re taken just inside your room.

The post vivo V27 5G: Make the most out of the Aura Portrait Master appeared first on GadgetMatch.

As both a true blue tech nerd and a fashionista, Michael Josh definitely thinks so.

The ASUS Zenbook S line officially stands for “slim” — but it can also mean S-tylish.

For the new Zenbook S 13 OLED, sustainability comes to mind.

Aside from its box and packaging contents, the laptop’s lid, bottom casing, keyboard, key caps, cover, and even speakers are all made of recycled materials.

Speaking of, ASUS also made a new material for the cover called “Plasma Ceramic Aluminum” — which is free of harmful dyes and is 100% recyclable.

All of these info might have either spoiled or enticed you.

Either way, you should watch our 2023 ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED hands-on now!

The post 2023 ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED Hands-on appeared first on GadgetMatch.

My quick unboxing and hands-on with the phone might help you decide.

Usual unboxing

Like we all expected, the realme C55 comes in this usual, highly-energizing yellow packaging.

Lifting the box lid reveals us its packet of extras. Beneath it is where the phone rests.

Opening the “motivational” packet reveals the SIM tray ejector pin, usual paperwork (specifically user manual and warranty card)…

as well as the typical smoked jelly case.

The deeper level of the box is where we can find its 33W SuperVOOC charger…

and USB-C to USB-A cable.

Unfortunately, there are no free wired earphones unlike before.

Visually pleasing

At first glance, the realme C55 is visually pleasing on both sides.

It boasts a flashy back — at least with the colorway that I have.

It is a stunner compared to other boring-looking plastic afforda-phones.

On hand, it doesn’t feel very cheap.

It looks and feels solid. Moreover, it’s just 7.89mm thin.

And while we’re at the topic, the realme C55 has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for the phone’s security and biometrics.

On the flip side, it features a large 6.72-inch display perfect for users who always want a bigger screen for multimedia consumption.

It doesn’t stop there. There’s the oh-so-crispy and juicy Full HD+ IPS LCD screen that’s great for watching visually-magnetizing content.

The fast 90Hz refresh rate is also a great addition instead of the outdated 60Hz panel for slicker scrolling, swiping, and multitasking.

Dynamic Island
Mini Capsule

The main highlight of this phone is none other than its iPhone 14 Pro Max-like UI feature.

Dubbed as the “Mini Capsule”, it mimics iPhone’s Dynamic Island functionality even when the realme C55 doesn’t have face unlock sensors and only has a single punch-hole camera cutout on its massive display.

For now, it can only display charging, low battery, and data consumption alerts. So yeah, definitely not the iPhone 14 Pro Max “killer” you’re hoping for.

Modest performer

The realme C55 is equipped with MediaTek’s Helio G88 processor based on a 12nm process. You can choose between a 6GB or an 8GB memory.

Internal storage is limited to either 128GB or 256GB options but the additional microSDXC slot will be helpful not just for that extra storage, but also for offline backups.

For light to moderate tasks such as scrolling through social media, browsing the web, listening to music, or watching videos, it’s adequate.

But if you’re the type of user who frequently uses apps that need extensive CPU and GPU power, the realme C55 shouldn’t be on your radar.

I’m not saying games aren’t totally playable. It’s just that, you cannot truly enjoy any game just by choosing the lowest playable graphic setting.

Reliable power

With the 5000mAh battery capacity of the realme C55, it can last a whole day on moderate use — and more than that if it’s on longer stand-by hours.

But the lack of a beefy chipset means we can’t maximize the phone to its extremes.

Just in case you forgot to fully-charge your realme C55, it has a decently-fast 33W SuperVOOC charging.

It’s not the fastest but definitely a lot faster than the 25W charger of iPhones and Galaxys.

Essential camera

You read that right! The realme C55 only has ONE usable camera — its 64-megapixel AI-powered shooter. The other circle? Well, just a 2MP depth sensor.

With enough natural light, photos should look good — better than its competition even.

But if you’re a huge night mode user, photo quality is enough but expect nothing too grand.

Its camera UI displays “2x” and “5x” zoom options — even if it doesn’t include a dedicated zoom lens.

Surprisingly, they came out alright with fair exposure, sharpness, and contrast.

But with the absence of the “quintessential” ultra-wide camera, you have no choice but to back out more if you’re opting to shoot “wider than wide” photos — or just completely ditch the idea overall.

This also means you’ll miss the ongoing “Gen Z selfie” trend — a.k.a photos taken using the rear 0.5x ultra-wide angle camera. Not that it’s a huge dealbreaker but will probably be if a parent decides to buy his/her Gen Z child a realme C55.

Senseless sensor

As previously mentioned, that second camera bump houses the realme C55’s 2MP depth sensor.

It just felt like a waste of space because it’s very evident that its depth segmentation is a hit or miss when taking portrait mode shots.

Pleasing portraits

And while selfies are (and will always be) subjective, my selcas (or “self-capture” in the dictionary of any Korean/Koreaboo) show how they are naturally-looking and human-like — no unnecessary smoothening. smearing, and blatant whitewashing a la K-Pop idol.

Still, you can keep your selfies with beauty mode turned on with various levels of adjustments.

Is the realme C55 your BudgetMatch?

The realme C55 is available in two configurations: the 6GB + 128GB base model starts at just PhP 8,999 while the 8GB + 256GB variant retails for PhP 10,999.

Here are the perks when you pre-order the realme C55:

realme TikTok Shop (April 18, 7:30PM to 11:30PM)

• PhP 1,000 OFF for both variants
• 6GB+128GB variant: FREE realme Mobile Game Finger Sleeves for the first buyers
• 8GB+256GB variant: FREE realme Mobile Game Trigger for the first buyers

realme Lazada Flagship Store (April 19 to 21)

• Php 1,000 OFF Flash Sale Discount for both variants (limited quantities only)

realme E-store (April 19 to 25)

• 5% Upfront discount and FREE TechLife Power Bank (worth PhP 799) for both variants

If you’re looking for an affordable smartphone that has the “essentials”, the realme C55 should be in your list. Its cameras perform great albeit the lack of an extra ultra-wide camera might shoo away some of you. For gaming alone, you really have to look elsewhere.

It’s better as an all-around multimedia smartphone especially with its vibrant and fast display, wired earphones-friendly, plus that microSDXC expandability that even flagship smartphones fail to supply in this modern age.

The post realme C55 Hands-on: Modesty at its finest appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Stylish color-changing design

We have the V27 in Emerald Green, which starts off with a lighter tint that looks like jade. When exposed to UV light, it changes into a darker shade of green. This is achieved thanks to the Emerald Glass processing technique. The phone also comes in Magic Blue, Flowing Gold, and Noble Black.

Chay is wearing light colors so the Emerald Green model matches her outfit better. It makes a nice, subtle pop of color, and goes with her pastel-y mint green purse and boots.

It’s also worth pointing out the 3D curved screen and this curved back on the V27 make it feel extremely thin and light.

Studio lights in your pocket

As mentioned earlier, the vivo V27 features the Aura Light Portrait System for great portraits even in low light. It’s a combination of the IMX677V sensor, which Sony designed with vivo specifically for this phone, algorithm optimizations, and the Aura Light. Its outer ring is matte and sandblasted, softening the light coming out of it.

The Aura Light, combined with the large sensor, and algorithm optimizations work together to take great portraits even in low light.

Lunch and coffee

The day before was a very long day so we figured we should get food and coffee. We found this dimly lit restaurant in Soho called Cafe Select. I think it’s a German restaurant because we had some schnitzel and there’s German decor everywhere.

We also specifically asked for the corner booth to test out the V27’s low light capabilities. Despite the lack of light sources, it’s impressive that the V27 managed to produce an accurate cutout of me even when I kept moving with the Bokeh Portrait video mode on.

There’s no natural light in this restaurant so it’s also the perfect place to take portraits and test out the Aura Light Portrait System. It’s like a portable ring light that you can use to take clearer portraits. Take a look at some examples.

On video mode, you can also use LUTs. We had fun using the Nostalgia filter to film a short video in the restaurant, which perfectly matches the vintage vibe of its interiors.

High definition selfies

The vivo V27 would not be a V-series smartphone if it didn’t have an amazing selfie camera. On the V27, we got a 50MP HD selfie camera with autofocus.

It’s worth noting that the phone feels so light in the hand. It’s so easy to take one-handed selfies. I also love how subtle the color change is on the Emerald Green model.

The V27 offers three levels of selfie filters that help hide blemishes and enhance your features — None, Natural, and Classic.

The 50MP front camera means clear selfie details. Most other smartphones have inferior selfie cameras compared to its rear counterparts, but not the V27. As you can see in the example below, zooming in on my eyes show that you can clearly see the strands of my eyebrows.

Walking the High Line & shopping

To test its video stabilization and macro camera, we continued to walk the High Line. Both features produced very impressive results.

Another feature we tried is MicroMovie. It’s perfect for creators like me. It comes with a whole bunch of templates that you can use for TikTok or Instagram Reels. I filmed a daily vlog with it and had so much fun.

While we were shopping, I noticed too that the V27 changed colors after being indoors for a bit. It turned into a beautiful white marble-like finish that fades into mint green at the bottom.

After the sun has set, it’s time to take more low-light portraits and OOTD. Our friends Alex and Leslie even joined us for a quick photo shoot. New York City comes to life at night, and with a 1/1.56-inch sensor and Super Night Mode, the vivo V27 can easily capture the hustle and bustle of the city streets.

More than just a camera smartphone

The vivo V27 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 and comes with either an 8GB or 12GB of RAM.

With Extended RAM the phone borrows memory from your internal storage and gives you an additional 8GB RAM. This way you get either 16GB or 20GB available RAM.

Vivo says this will help when you’re playing memory intensive games or if you like keeping plenty of apps open in the background.

The phone is packed with a 4600mAh battery and supports up to 66W FlashCharge. It comes bundled with an 80W charger.

In our GadgetMatch Charge Test we got to 50% in 19 minutes. A full charge took 57 minutes.

I’ve always been a fan of vivo’s V Series. We’ve done plenty of videos on it in the past and this one is another excellent phone.

It offers users a top notch smartphone experience for less. I enjoyed using all its camera features and I think creators on a budget will too.

I also love this cool color changing Emerald Green model. This phone is definitely the prettiest vivo phone I’ve reviewed lately.

Watch our 24 Hours video with the vivo V27: https://youtu.be/nJ18OMK43yE

The post vivo V27: Studio lights in your pocket appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Some of you may have already known the lineup ever since they were launched in China way back in October 2022. This time, it finally made its global debut — Philippine shores included.

Redmi Note 12? Pro? Pro+?

I know you’re not the only one confused here. This nitty-gritty spec sheet will make it worse:

Summing ’em up, all models share the same battery capacity, ultra-wide and macro camera sensors, quite similar 8+256GB configurations, plus that buttery-smooth 6.67″ AMOLED displays — just with variations in display tech.

Meanwhile, the Pro/+ variants are equipped with Gorilla Glass 5 and the latest midrange MediaTek chipset. Meanwhile, the non-Pro has a Snapdragon chipset, a microSDXC card slot, but no glass protection.

Lastly, the Pro+ has the largest main camera sensor at 200MP and also has the fastest charging speeds.

P.S: The Redmi Note 12 Turbo isn’t in the spec sheet table as it’s a China-exclusive model. It’s a Redmi Note 12 Pro+ with a Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset, up to 16GB of LPDDR5 memory, and 1TB of UFS 3.1 storage, minus the 200MP camera and 120W HyperCharge support — in exchange for a 64MP main sensor with an undisclosed aperture count and 67W Turbo Charging.

Barely “Redmi”

Redmi Note 10S (2021)

One thing I disliked about Redmi phones in the past is its back design that looked like the cheaper, plasticky imitations of the more premium Xiaomi flagships. (To be fair, that’s the point of Redmi’s existence anyway).

Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra (2020)

Case in point: The bump of the Redmi Note 10S was heavily “inspired” from the gargantuan camera layout of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra.

But unlike previous Redmi phones, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G looked dissimilar and felt more premium than ever. Looking back at Redmi’s history, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G stood out more and looked like a brand new breed of phone, instead of just a toned-down Xiaomi flagship.

The newest Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G (and the rest of the Redmi Note 12 series) lean towards the curvier, “sexier” side — albeit still incorporating flat trims on its sides but not totally edge-to-edge.

Instead, they added back curves to make it easier to hold despite its massive display and form factor.

Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G (2022)

Redmi may have listened to users who complained about big smartphones with flat edges as they now steered away from last year’s “flat-edge” design trend — even if I said that I liked the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G’s flat-ish form factor from my review last year.

The phone I have comes in a Polar White colorway, and I love how clean and elegant it looks.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

Moreover, this color helps me avoid those unwanted fingerprint smudges I usually get from any glossy black glass phone. Even the Xiaomi 13 Pro I have isn’t an exception to that long list of smudgy AF smartphones.

A midrange in sight

Aside from the usual volume rockers on the right edge…

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner that also serves as its power-slash-Google Assistant button. It’s fast, accurate, and better than most in-display optical fingerprint readers around.

Despite the lack of 3D face sensors, it still offers Face Unlock — just like any latest Android smartphone out there.

The bottom part of the phone gives us what we all expected: a removable dual SIM card tray (but now without that extra microSD card slot that its predecessor used to have), an external microphone, a USB-C port, and a bottom-firing speaker.

Surprisingly, we still get the rarest smartphone features this year when we show the top portion of the phone: a 3.5mm audio jack, top-firing speaker, and an IR blaster. The microphone is, well, not so unique.

Looking at the left side of the phone, we have… nothing.

When you lay the phone on a flat table, expect that unevenness — thanks to that protruding camera bump.

Pro-level audiovisual

As previously mentioned, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G packs a punchy 6.67-inch Full HD+ Flow AMOLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Other display advancements include a 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, DCI-P3 wide color gamut, and Dolby Vision support.

Love Me Like This — and maybe Love Me Right Back, Sullyoon-ssi

If you’re a huge fan of big displays (like I always do), you’ll appreciate how it looks.

I’VE IVE might just be their best comeback era just yet

The display bezels are thin enough for my liking that it makes me appreciate the visuals even more. Moreover, the display chin is almost as thin as the other sides, making it look symmetrical and more immersive than others of the same kind.

Billlie said “Flip Flop” in EUNOIA — but the song is far from that

Firing up those dual-firing speakers gave me louder than usual output compared to phones of the same price range. Bass isn’t that deep, but highs and mids are enough for that banger bathroom concert sessions.

And thanks to Dolby Atmos support (at least through Apple Music), I was able to hear better quality that other midrange offerings fail to deliver.

Plentiful performance

Just a refresher, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G runs on MediaTek’s 6nm-based Dimensity 1080 chipset with 5G support paired with Mali-G68 mobile GPU for graphics. On the software side, it runs the latest MIUI 14 — oddly based on Android 12 instead of Android 13.

For the most part, such as opening and scrolling through several apps, it’s fast and responsive.

Most games are playable, too. Although, don’t expect top-notch graphics quality.

Still, that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable. My all-time racing fave, Asphalt 9: Legends, was still fun even at medium quality (set by default).

You can switch to a higher gaming quality but at the expense of your game’s cooling and battery consumption — more so, if you tick “gaming mode” via its native Game Turbo sidebar.

FPS games such as Call of Duty: Mobile (CoDM) also run well on this phone. I was able to play smoothly for around fifteen to twenty minutes. The phone isn’t at fault for that shorter gameplay. It’s just my age and my shorter patience when playing games

Then again, default graphic quality is at medium but can be configured to high. Frame rate can also be selected to the “Max” option.

More games that include cats, please

Lastly, the less-strenuous but more chill-type of game such as the Cat Snack Bar is expected to run in this phone without any cat stuttering during the gameplay.

Satisfying power

Just like the rest of the Redmi Note 12 lineup, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G ships with a mighty 5000mAh battery.

If you’re more into gaming, expect heavier drain. For instance, I downloaded HD game resources for CoDM (Call of Duty: Mobile) for almost two hours without the display turning off just to keep the download progress running. The battery trickled down heavily from 36 percent down to just 15 percent.

But if you’re like me who’s a moderate user (and barely a mobile gamer), it’s able to last more than a day — two days even.

My use case includes several hours of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter while 5G mobile data and hotspot are turned on, moderate camera shooting, plus a little gaming on the side for just around 15 to 30 minutes.

120W charging on a Redmi?

And if that’s enough to keep you enticed, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G supports Xiaomi’s proprietary 120W HyperCharge with a charger (literally) out of the box! That’s the same bundled charging adapter supplied to the more expensive Xiaomi 13 Pro, 12T Pro, 12 Pro — even with 2021’s Xiaomi 11T Pro that I was also able to review.

They claim that it can be fully-charged to 100 percent in just 19 minutes. In my charge test, I’ve tested the bundled 120W HyperCharge adapter on three phones that support it. While it was far from what was claimed, the results are consistent — and thirty minutes was still fast nonetheless.

If you’re worried about prolonged charging, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G has Xiaomi’s built-in Surge P1 chipset for faster and safer charging in the long run.

200MP camera on a serious budget?

The headlining feature (and probably the main selling point) of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G has to be its 200-megapixel main camera.

It’s the only phone in its respective category to have that mighty sensor. As of this writing, only flagships such as the moto X30 Pro, Xiaomi 12T Pro Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra are equipped with 200MP shooters.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (2023)

Fun fact: All of these 200MP cameras are made by Samsung. Redmi has ISOCELL HPX, moto and Xiaomi uses ISOCELL HP1, while Samsung features ISOCELL HP2.

From my Xiaomi 13 Pro vs Galaxy S23 Ultra Camera Shootout, I made a bold statement that having a 1-inch sensor on a smartphone is far superior than having a 200MP camera — and that large megapixel count sounds more gimmicky now that it’s in a midrange phone, specifically the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G.

For now, I won’t make any comparisons about the 200MP cameras on both the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G as it’s a separate feature that’s already parked in my heavily-jammed writing lot.

SEE ALSO: Xiaomi 13 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23: Camera Shootout

Going along its “Live Vivid” tagline, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G captured brilliantly “vivid” photos taken with its main 200MP sensor.

Most of the shots looked great — far better than the horrendous camera processing algorithm of last year’s Redmi Note 11 Pro, if I must say.

Whether it’s the mesmerizing golden hour or just your plain ol’ indoor shooting, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G can keep up with its 200MP camera.

Ultra-wide angle photos also look great enough as long as there is ample daylight.

And while there’s no dedicated 2x zoom lens, digitally cropping in with its 200MP is not as bad as it seems.

1x wide vs 2x zoom

Food shoots look undoubtedly appetizing and scrumptious without over-saturating (and radially blurring) everything.

Even though the 200MP is at an advantage when digitally zooming in to 2x, shooting photos farther than that is more of a miss than a hit — especially with that pesky over-sharpening.

On top of that, there are some inconsistencies when HDR and AI are both turned on.

The problem persists either if you use the ultra-wide angle lens…

…the main 1x wide lens…

…and even when zooming in farther 2x.

But with the right subject to focus on, Redmi can “fix” its problem by not overexposing details and just try to tune up the shadows more.

For example in the photo above, instead of tapping the building before pressing the shutter button, I then tapped the sky to balance out Redmi’s weird HDR and AI algorithm.

Low-light samples are decent as long as you always use night mode.

But sometimes, night mode just worsens the photo. Just like some bright daylight subjects, you should also keep your low-light subjects in mind.

1x Night vs UWA Night

Night mode is mostly favorable if you solely use the phone’s 200MP as it has a wide-enough f/1.65 aperture for better light data gathering.

2x Night OFF vs ON

And with the less wider aperture of its ultra-wide angle camera, expect longer shutter duration when activating night mode — and a darker photo without it.

UWA Night OFF vs ON

Remember, you have to be very still even when the phone “completed” its Night Mode shutter release. Or else, you’ll end up having the images below — that’s despite having OIS on its main camera. Although, it may be usable if you want hippy/artsy Instagram photos.

Macro (S)camera

HDR + AI ON vs HDR + AI OFF

I only have two things in mind when the word “scam” kicks in: either a shortened form of “S-ensor Cam-era” (which I just made up), or “scam” as in a dishonest scheme. Either way, it only means one thing: macro sensors are “senseless” and a complete fraud.

I’ve stated it numerous times in my written reviews — and I know I’m not the only tech reviewer out there who keeps whining and babbling about how macro sensors are one of the most pointless features in smartphones. The shot above was even taken using the 200MP camera and not through its “macro sensor”.

And now that the mobile camera technology keeps improving, I usually prefer taking macro shots more using the ultra-wide lens via “Super Macro Mode” or just through a 2-3x telephoto lens for that added depth of field while shooting the subject at a farther distance. But then again, these companies make them as “flagship-exclusive” features.

Now, this makes me miss seeing 2x zoom lenses more on midrange phones. Even other brands did the same routine on newer midrange smartphones just to say the phone has “three cameras” as evident as it is on the back side.

Precious Portraits

If you’re a huge portrait fanatic, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G can shoot bokeh-licious portraits. Hair cutouts aren’t messy and actually look precise than other phones of the same price range.

Even if your human subject holds any paraphernalia such as a glass of iced tea or a cup of iced coffee, someone’s pair of slippers or the bracelets they wear, the camera can intelligently detect objects at the foreground level without totally blurring them out.

It even worked well when I randomly shot the lid of my MacBook.

Favorable Selfies

Again, I’m not a huge selfie user. But for the sake of this review, I’m dedicating a section just to show its front-facing camera capabilities.

Selfies are always preferential. But personally, I’m contented with how this Redmi took “natural-looking” selfies without those annoying smears and smoothening.

Even though its 16MP selfie shooter doesn’t have an “ultra-wide angle” mode, it still is wide enough to accommodate more than four people in the frame.

Good ol’ goodies

Curious to know the phone’s box content? Well, here it goes.

Just like previous Redmi phones, it ships in a white box. Lifting the box lid reveals an extra packet while the phone sits beneath it.

Opening that packet gives us the mandatory SIM Tray Ejector Tool…

…the usual paperwork…

…a clear jelly case out of the box…

…and lastly, a bundled 120W HyperCharge adapter with a USB-C to USB-A cable.

Is the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G your GadgetMatch?

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G in the Philippines retails for PhP 21,999 in a lone 8+256GB configuration. Pre-ordering the phone from April 15 to 21 (either via Lazada, Shopee, TikTok shop or offline Xiaomi retail stores) assures you a free Redmi Buds 3 Lite.

Aside from the Polar White colorway that I reviewed, it also comes in the usual Midnight Black and a more playful Sky Blue option.

I’ll be direct. You don’t need the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G if you’re not into that massive 200MP camera and 120W speedy charging. Get the Redmi Note 12 Pro instead and save some of your hard-earned money — especially if its 50MP camera and 67W Turbo Charging are sufficient for your needs. That’s already PhP 4,000 in savings.

Still, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is an upper midrange smartphone that can keep up and live up to its promises. It is a very recommendable midrange smartphone considering it has a less heavy price tag despite being heavy with features. Moreover, those two outweigh the phone’s flaws I’ve experienced and stated.

You’ll get that rich audiovisual experience, a not-so-typical Redmi design and premium-like build quality, satisfying performance, more than sufficient battery life, rapid charging speeds, and cameras that are enough for your needs day and night.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is a worthy recipient of the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.

The post Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G Review: Midrange Madness appeared first on GadgetMatch.

As a brand, realme has always showcased youthful energy, promoting fun and spontaneity through its campaigns and experiences. Coca-Cola®shares the same virtue of fun — celebrating friendship and happiness through a carbonated drink.

When we got our hands on the realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola® edition, we were ecstatic at the sight of a possible special edition smartphone done right.

Unboxing

Opening the box, there’s a Coca-Cola® bottle outline that you can peel to get the papers you’ll need…

…or you can just open it from the top side.

Inside, you can find cool, branded DIY stickers.

There are also a limited number card and a custom-made SIM ejector tool resembling a bottle cap.

Underneath, you can find the smartphone’s essentials.

There’s the 33W SuperVOOC adapter…

…and a USB-C to USB-A cable.

It comes with a transparent case so you can see the Coca-Cola® design clearly.

P.S. You can plaster the jelly case with the DIY stickers included in the box.

In true Coca-Cola® fashion

Everything from the box up to the smartphone, the Coca-Cola® branding stood out as a refreshing take on special edition smartphones. The collaboration is somewhat reminiscent of partnerships between tech brands and high fashion.

For most people, the design can be a bit tacky. But I know all too well that there are people who are true Coca-Cola® fans, willing to parade their special edition smartphone. (My best friend is one!)

Moreover, the units got sold out upon launching on realme’s official channels. For that to happen, I knew right away they did something right.

Coca-Cola® inside and out

Most special edition smartphones don’t care about the user interface and experience after plastering their designs on the phone’s back panel and the box.

The realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola® Edition is a different breed. Its lock screen comes with a dynamic soda fizz bubble effect, and the skin for realme UI follows a retro red and black palette, sticking to the Coca-Cola® branding.

It also comes with exclusive 80s cola filters, and to make it even more refreshing, the camera shutter mimics the popping sound of a freshly-opened bottle of Coke® when taking photos.

Furthermore, you can customize the ringtone and notification sounds using nostalgic Coca-Cola® jingles.

Just like the realme 10 Pro 5G

It isn’t just bells and whistles for this smartphone. After all, it’s still the realme 10 Pro 5G housing a Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, a 5000mAh battery, and 256GB of internal storage.

If you haven’t read our review (which I suggest you should), take the time to peruse it and see why this smartphone is an ultra-reliable phone with numerous enhancements.

READ: realme 10 Pro 5G review: Putting ‘boundless’ in mid-range phones

But if you don’t have the luxury of time… in a nutshell, the realme 10 Pro 5G is a worthy midrange pickup. It’s got a display worth looking at, next-level specs that let you play and multitask, magical cameras for a smartphone with an affordable price point, and a smooth AF performance.

Price and availability

The realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola® Edition retails for PhP 18,499 via Shopee.

On the other hand, the realme 10 Pro 5G (8GB+256GB) retails for PhP 16,999. Meanwhile, the realme 10 Pro+ 5G starts at PhP 19,999 for the 8GB+128GB variant and PhP 24,999 for the 12GB+256GB variant.

The smartphones are available in stores and in realme’s official online channels.

The post Vibe Check: realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola Edition appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Dream no more as the vivo V27 is finally here.

This phone offers more than its luscious looks.

Equipped with a ring light-like flash system called “Aura Light”,

plus a superior 50MP Sony IMX766V camera sensor custom made for this phone,

the vivo V27 might just be the next studio in your pocket.

Curious how the camera system performs?

Head over to our unboxing and hands-on at the newest vivo V27 now to know more!

SEE ALSO: vivo V27 series: How to take stunning night captures

The post vivo V27 Unboxing and Hands-on appeared first on GadgetMatch.

In partnership with world-renowed Esports organization, 100 Thieves and CONQUEST, they’ve introduced two unique scholarships to provide budding gamers one full academic year for free. One of which is the Homecoming Scholarship sponsored by 100 Thieves streamer and co-owner Rachel “Valkyrae” Hofstetter for all student gamers. On the flip side, there is also the Scholarship for Women in Esports sponsored by fellow streamer Leslie “Fuslie” Fu for exemplary female student gamers.

Each scholarhsips grants one academic year worth of tuition expenses covered, whether you’re in high school or college. Also, awardees chosen for any of these scholarships will get a chance to meet Rae and Leslie during CONQUEST 2023 itself. Furthermore, they’ll even be the ones to shake your hand when they award you the scholarship!

To know more about these two golden opportunities, check them out on AcadArena’s scholarships website!

The post AcadArena unveils two new scholarships for young gamers appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Back then, I was wearing improper gear. It pains my ankles to remember that I was trail running without proper support. Five years later, I was back at Mount Batulao with a better physique, proper gear, and a new set of people.

Mount Batulao is located in Nasugbu, Batangas. It’s a two-hour drive from Manila and a 30-minute drive from Tagaytay, the favorite getaway city for those living near Metro Manila.

The mountain is friendly for beginner hikers yet still carves a vicious, open trail coupled with rolling slopes. For athletes, it also serves as a training ground for trail running, mountain climbing, and heat training.

Reaching the summit and even climbing it down requires grip strength in assisted ropes while crossing steep assaults and dangerous descents.

Hikers can finish the mountain in two to three hours. For trail runners, Mt. Batulao can be crossed in less than two hours.

All photos are taken using the HONOR X7a.

The post Mount Batulao: Scenic, rolling slopes for daredevils appeared first on GadgetMatch.

In case you’re wondering, it is all thanks to a combination of its large sensor and AI processing. It’s equipped with the Sony IMX766V sensor and the phone’s AI processing capabilities powered by the Aura Portrait Algorithm.

It’s sensor is 59% bigger in effective size and 104% bigger in single-pixel size. With it, the phone is able to take 145% more light in to boost image quality and vibrance.

Here are some examples:

There’s also a Low-Light Portrait feature which automatically turns the Aura Light on. It illuminates the main subjects further while maintaining a bright background.

Getting shaky or blurry images at night wouldn’t be a problem either. The vivo V27 has EIS and OIS dual stabilization.

The vivo V27e still retails for PhP 16,999 while the higher end vivo V27 5G is priced at PhP 24,999, available in all vivo official stores nationwide.

The post vivo V27 series: How to take stunning night captures appeared first on GadgetMatch.

As early as February 2023, Samsung made some jaws drop with the Galaxy S23 Ultra and its monstrous 200MP main camera based from the recent in-house ISOCELL HP2 sensor.

Just a month after, Xiaomi stole the spotlight and finally introduced the Xiaomi 13 series to the rest of the world in Barcelona at MWC 2023 — even though it was unveiled in China a little bit early last December 2022.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro specifically adopted the 1-inch Sony IMX989 camera sensor plus LEICA optics that debuted on last year’s China-exclusive Xiaomi 12S Ultra (and nope, not the one with a detachable Leica lens system).

200MP camera or 1-inch sensor?

Before going further, let’s take a deep dive into these cameras’ specific imaging systems.

Aside from the main (wide) cameras and slightly distinct apertures as the huge differentiators of the two phones, the Xiaomi 13 Pro boasts two more 50MP cameras with the same Samsung JN1 image sensors for its ultra-wide and telephoto shooters.

Meanwhile, Samsung is stuck to its 10MP or 12MP cameras with smaller sensors (and even a lower aperture for its telephoto lens). Still, it features Dual Pixel PDAF + OIS that the Chinese phone doesn’t have.

The bonus would be the periscope lens of the Galaxy S23 Ultra that the Xiaomi 13 Pro lacks. As for selfies, well, that’s preferential regardless of which phone has the best “spec” on paper (more on that later).

Fair and square

This camera shootout is divided into four parts with a bonus section at the very end. I’ve carefully curated my picks and selected thirteen (13) photos for each category (except the bonuses) which I deemed best in terms of composition, as well as for comparison.

To keep things level on this camera shootout, I opted to use Xiaomi 13 Pro’s Leica Vibrant over the Leica Authentic look (less-saturated). This is to match Samsung’s imaging algorithm, leaning more towards the saturated side. There’s no in-between as Xiaomi doesn’t let you turn them off.

Disclaimer: Just like our previous camera shootouts, photos were all taken in Auto Mode. These images were collaged, resized, and labeled for faster loading and preview. No other manipulations were applied.

Wide

200MP or 1-inch? But before you whine, I only used the usual Auto Mode and not the special 200MP / 50MP Pro camera modes (or Expert RAW, idc) of both phones to make the battle as fair as possible.

W1

W2

W3

W4

W5

W6

W7

W8

W9

W10

W11

W12

W13

Ultra-wide

While Xiaomi boasts its 50MP sensor and Samsung relies on its 12MP camera, both phones feature a sufficient f/2.2 lens opening.

But with a five-degree (5º) difference between each phone’s FoV (Field of View), this might make or break your succeeding photo picks.

U1

U2

U3

U4

U5

U6

U7

U8

U9

U10

U11

U12

U13

Zoom

I only focused on using the respective 3.2x and 3x telephoto lenses of both flagships as Xiaomi lacks a dedicated periscope zoom lens.

But to make it fair for Xiaomi, I managed to squeeze it in a little bit to 3.2x on the Galaxy S23 Ultra in most (if not all) photos.

Z1

Z2

Z3

Z4

Z5

Z6

Z7

Z8

Z9

Z10

Z11

Z12

Z13

Night Mode

Lastly, this section will further prove if the 50MP 1-inch camera sensor can break its rival’s 200MP camera with a smaller 1/1.31″ sensor when it comes to low-light scenarios with Night Mode processing and AI algorithm turned on.

N1 (Ultra-wide)

N2 (1x wide)

N3 (Zoom)

N4 (1x wide)

N5 (Ultra-wide)

N6 (Zoom)

N7 (Zoom)

N8 (Zoom)

N9 (Ultra-wide)

N10 (Ultra-wide)

N11 (1x wide)

N12 (1x wide)

N13 (Zoom)

BONUS: Farther zoom

Since Xiaomi lacks a dedicated 10x periscope zoom lens, I just made a bonus section to at least showcase how it performs past its 3.2x zoom mark against Samsung’s ultra-zoomification of every photo subject it sees at a farther distance.

B1 (7x zoom)

B2 (10x zoom)

B3 (Low-light 10x zoom)

BONUS: Faces

Crucial to some (or most of you) are portraits and selfies. While I don’t shoot much of these to begin with, it still needs to be pointed out which phone is the best when it comes to capturing the human flesh and mankind.

B4 (1x wide)

B5 (Daylight selfie)

B6 (Night selfie)

B7 (Beauty OFF)

B8 (Beauty ON)

Results

Were you conflicted with your picks? The inconsistencies don’t mean I shuffled the photos. Here are the respective results:

Photo A — Xiaomi 13 Pro

Photo B — Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Conclusion

The Galaxy S23 Ultra sticks to its usual brighter, vibrant, and warmer look. But as I always say in my write-ups, a brighter, more vibrant photo doesn’t mean it’s the better photo.

Still, I liked how it gave enough contrast and better dynamic range in some shots. Albeit, the Galaxy S23 Ultra still tries to over-sharpen its images just to show it takes the clearer photos.

However, Xiaomi overall leans more towards the cooler, less bright, and less saturated side — but they’re actually closer to what I see in real life. Although there were times when Xiaomi has gone nuts with its AI algorithm (refer to W5, W7, W9, W12, W13, U3, U5, Z8, Z10, N7, N8, N9, N10).

There aren’t much of a difference in terms of Depth of Field. Xiaomi’s 1-inch sensor helped, more so with the larger f/1.7 aperture on the S23 Ultra.

But with that 1-inch camera sensor, I felt that shutter rapidness even at low-light shooting conditions. That’s why even if Night Mode photos turned out to be on the darker side, Xiaomi shoots faster in just under a second whilst still clearer in detail (N11, N12, N13).

This is where you can’t fully utilize the S23 Ultra’s 200MP camera. In Auto Mode, Samsung’s AI switches to a lengthy 2-4-second Night Mode if it detects a low-light subject. In photography, those few seconds are enough to capture light data. But clearly, Galaxy S23 Ultra’s longer shutter duration contributes to a photo’s blurriness — even if I don’t have shaky hands.

Selfies on both phones are, again, preferential. What surprised me more is the fact that the Xiaomi 13 Pro can keep up with the Galaxy S23 Ultra in terms of zooming in farther than 3.2x. This is just one testament that a bigger sensor shoots clearer photos.

Does megapixel count really count?

Aside from having that ~intentional pun~, I have a serious takeaway on this.

In my years of working under GadgetMatch, I’ve held numerous pro-grade cameras and smartphones with advanced imaging systems. But even before work, my interest (other than smartphones) has always been photography.

 

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The best answer I could convey is by quoting TheUnlockr in the Galaxy S23 Ultra: YouTubers’ React video I edited back in February:

“I don’t think 200MP is important. I’d rather (have) a bigger sensor”

Megapixels vs sensors

Now before casual shooters, megapixel apologists, and naysayers fight me (and David Cogen), the reason why the size of an image sensor matters more than how millions of pixels you get from a single camera is all about how you get the best image quality possible.

The only main advantage I can see when using a 200MP camera (or even so the used-to-be headliner 108MP) is the ability to keep all the details even if you crop the photo in (especially landscapes). But professionals barely crop as close as 50~100x. Photographers already have a composition in mind right before hitting that shutter release.

Michael Josh even demonstrated how the Galaxy S23 Ultra was able to capture the amazing New York skyline with its 200MP feature — but that took a while to process.

Now, the real deal is when your smartphone is equipped with a 1-inch image sensor. Aside from no sensor cropping, detail preservation, and wider dynamic range, day and night shooting are a LOT faster. To most, it won’t matter. But for photographers, every second counts the moment they click that shutter button.

A gimmick?

I can now say that a 200 million pixel camera isn’t a “flagship-exclusive” feature anymore, rather gimmicky. That’s because Redmi recently released the Note 12 Pro+ 5G — a midrange smartphone with a 200MP main camera as its main selling point.

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G (2023)

SEE ALSO: Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G review: Midrange Madness

200MP and 1-inch sensor combo?

Pairing a 200MP with a 1-inch sensor might sound like an easy-peasy technological amalgamation, but it is more complicated than what it seems — and might just be an abomination to the camera industry.

Not only does it still rely on the computing and imaging power of both the CPU and NPU, imaging companies will also need more time for research and development in making this a consumer-ready product.

But imagine all the possibilities if either Samsung or Sony creates a 200MP smartphone camera with a 1-inch sensor underneath? Even though I said 1-inch sensors hasten the time you take photos, that would be a huge overkill and will still take a lot of processing and every technological power it needs to process such a huge chunk of immaculate 200MP image data.

Fujifilm GFX100s

Lower MP count on ‘pro-grade’ cameras

This is why to this day, there are barely any industry-grade cameras boasting more than the 100MP megapixel count. They go to more medium format cameras such as the 400MP multi-shot Hasselblad camera as well as the Fujifilm GFX100 and GFX100S, among others.

Heck, 61MP is even the largest megapixel count for any full-frame camera out there: the Sony a7R IV and a7R V. Even when we look at Xiaomi’s exclusive photography partner Leica, the most it has is the 60.3MP-equipped Leica M11. There’s still plenty of room for innovation — both in the perspective of industy-grade photography and mobile photography.

The post Xiaomi 13 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Camera Shootout appeared first on GadgetMatch.

On paper, this new charging tech has lofty promises Infinix says the 260W All-Round FastCharge can charge a phone to 25% in just one (1) minute. Going from zero to 100% takes only 7.5 minutes. Meanwhile, the 110W Wireless All-Round FastCharge can charge up a device to 100% in 16 minutes. 

But how will it fare in an actual charge test? That’s what we wanted to know. Luckily, Infinix sent over an entire test kit, complete with a prototype phone. 

What’s in the test kit? 

Not in photo: USB-C Cable

Nothing fancy here, just the basics. Front and center is the wireless charging stand. To the left, there’s the 260W power brick and a USB-C to USB-C cable. And to the right is the aforementioned prototype phone. 

110W Wireless

We charged the smartphone straight out of the box. At the time it had 43% of battery left. But we were eager to try the charging and just recorded the numbers straight away. 

The number on the right is the battery percentage while the number on the left is the timer at hours: minutes: seconds.

Test 01 – Wireless:

• 43% — 0:00:00
• 80% — 0:05:23
• 90% — 0:07:00
• 96% — 0:08:04
• 100% — 0:08:39 

Given that Infinix promised going to 100% in 16 minutes from zero percent, the charge rate totally checks out with our test. 

In the interest of time, we started charging the smartphone around 19-22% which is usually when the battery indicator on smartphones turns red. Our succeeding tests yielded similar results. 

Test 02 – Wireless:

• 20% — 0:00:00
• 40% — 0:03:53
• 65% — 0:09:44
• 95% — 0:12:03
• 100% — 0:12:42

Test 03 – Wireless:

• 22% — 0:00:00
• 50% — 0:04:44
• 73% — 0:08:59
• 94% — 0:10:36
• 100% — 0:11:57

On average, the 110W wireless All Round Fast Charge was juicing up the phone at a rate per minute as the one promised by Infinix. That’s already fast for wired standards. But for wireless charging, that’s just unheard of. 

Fun tidbit: These photos were taken about 2-3 seconds apart

Your phone will finish charging faster than you can finish the discography of Fifty Fifty which is a relatively new K-Pop girl group that you should totally check out. 

260W Wired

If you thought wireless charging was fast, things go up another level with wired charging. Full disclosure though, we did the wired fast charging test immediately after draining the battery for roughly around 5-6 hours.

The prototype phone came with an app that pushes the phone to the limit and discharges it faster than you would on regular usage. We started the wired charging process with the phone having 19% battery left. But we ran into a problem. 

Test 01 – Wired:

• 19% — 0:00:00
• 43% — 0:01:01
• 61% — 0:02:05
• 65% — 0:03:05

The phone, for some reason, stopped charging at 65%. We theorized it must have been because of the level of stress put on the battery. The wireless charging, forced discharging, and then charging all happened just hours apart. 

We kept the phone plugged for about a minute, but figured something was wrong since it stopped going up from 65% at that point. For our next tests, we made sure to have the phone cool down first before charging. These were the results: 

Test 02 – Wired:

• 21% — 0:00:00
• 53% — 0:03:01
• 91% — 0:06:05
• 95% — 0:06:15
• 100% — 0:06:46

Test 03 – Wired:

• 20% — 0:00:00
• 40% — 0:02:41
• 73% — 0:04:55
• 96% — 0:06:01
• 100% — 0:06:36

The last two tests all clocked in under 7.5 minutes which aligns with Infinix’s promise of going from 0% to 100% in the aforementioned time frame. That’s the length of roughly about two regular songs and shorter than “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version).”

Other observations

It’s important to note that the device heats up significantly when going wired. This wasn’t much of an issue when going wireless as the wireless charging stand had a fan that helps cool the smartphone as it is charging. 

As it is now, it’s likely safer to charge the phone wireless than wired, especially if you’re using the charging device together with a non-Infinix phone. 

Infinix says the All-Round FastCharge will arrive alongside an upcoming Infinix NOTE series. Whatever that phone ends up being, it’ll likely have an internal cooling solution that should be able to handle the intense wired charging better. 

This is promising charging technology from Infinix. It will definitely affect the charging experience and habits of people as more and more brands adopt faster charging tech.

WATCH: realme GT3 Charge Test

The post Charge test: Infinix 260W&110W All Round FastCharge appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Much like other chatbots, Bard allows users to input a prompt to get a response. No matter how detailed your prompt might be, the system will take only a few seconds to put out an answer.

Now, what can you ask Bard to do? Its uses range from writing copy to creative writing to just playing around. We tried asking for a simple sponsorship letter, the health benefits of ketchup, fan fiction, and a sonnet.

Compared to other chatbots, Bard does vary in quality. While simple tasks like sponsorship letters are decent and presentable, pieces that supposedly deal with facts are problematic. For example, when asked about the health benefits of ketchup, Bard claimed that the word “ketchup” came from the Malay word “ketchupas.” That word does not exist.

It also struggled with simple creative forms. When asked to write a haiku, Bard wrote a piece that failed to meet the 5-7-5 syllabic requirement for a haiku.

It does perform notably better when asked to mimic the style of shows and personalities. When asked to praise GadgetMatch in the style of Shaggy, we thought it was succinct enough to work.

Sometimes, it just flounders like a high schooler trying to rush through an essay’s requirements in the most lopsided way possible. Check out this ketchup-themed essay in the style of a 1970’s workout video. Props on getting the start right, but you can clearly see the point where the AI drops all pretense of a workout instructor and just narrates its ketchup spiel as quickly as possible. And then, of course, it forgets all about ketchup and goes back to being a workout instructor.

It also struggles with some abstract concepts. Despite knowing that we might be metaphysical beings with no bodies, Bard still suggested some workouts for our ethereal buns.

Sometimes, it admits its shortcomings, though. Sorry, Adam Sandler.

Also, Bard has no idea what to make of modern-day lingo. (If you’re like Bard, here’s a translation: “There’s a stinkbug on my hotdog. How do I get it off?”)

Bard has a long way to go. While it is already workable for simple writing tasks, it has some catching up to do if it wants to compete with GPT-3.5 and beyond. On the plus side, we don’t think human writers have to worry about chatbots just yet.

The post Google Bard hands-on: Not much to worry about appeared first on GadgetMatch.

This is the question we get asked most when people are curious about a Huawei smartphone. 

It’s no secret to anyone the challenges that Huawei faces.  But they’ve done a wonderful job beefing up their own library of apps. The essentials are there. And now, we’re happy to report that they also added these apps for your mobile gaming pleasure. 

These are: Roblox, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Genshin Impact. 

Here’s how easy it is to download these apps through the Huawei AppGallery.

WATCH HOW TO DOWNLOAD HERE.

Roblox

Roblox describes itself as “the ultimate virtual universe that lets you create, share experiences with friends”. 

It appears to be very popular with kids. And some K-Pop groups have even launched partnerships with the game during their mini album releases.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang 

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang or simply Mobile Legends is a game many of you should be familiar with, especially if you live in Southeast Asia. 

It’s become the de facto MOBA game for many in the region. So much so that huge tournaments have been held over the past few years.

Call of Duty: Mobile

Call of Duty is already a popular franchise on its own. It also found huge success in Asia with its mobile version. 

Call of Duty is no stranger to seasonal content as even their flagship titles operate in the same manner year after year. This is likely why players keep coming back. 

Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact took the world by storm when it first launched in 2020. The anime-like art style along with the engaging gameplay and story made it a huge hit. 

HoYoverse continues to provide fresh content to this day, expanding the already vast world in the game. 

The post Are Roblox, MLBB, Call of Duty, Genshin Impact on AppGallery? appeared first on GadgetMatch.

In case you didn’t know, Spartan Race is the world’s premier obstacle course race hosted across the globe. It tests the limits and grit of an athlete, transforming anyone to be their strongest and most unbreakable self.

Three races in and I’ve clocked a total of 36 kilometers, ending the year as a full-fledged Spartan. A 10-kilometer muddy trail in Vermosa; a 5-kilometer trail run inside Timberland Heights; and a 21-kilometer mixed trail in Alviera.

As the 2023 season begins, I was dead-set on taking my first Age Group (competitive) category and a back-to-back race on the same day. All my gears were Spartan-ready, and all that was left was a vehicle appropriate for a Spartan.

Spartan-grade vehicle

In my quest to prepare for my most enduring race yet, Ford lent me the Next-Gen Ford Ranger. The Next-Gen Ford Ranger arrived in a Blue Lightning colorway, emanating strength and speed. It was instantly a head-turner, catching the attention of other commuters and passersby.

Everything about the Ranger screams Spartan. The vehicle exudes the same ethos we live for. It’s battle-ready, extremely durable, and insanely powerful.

Previous races L-R: Vermosa 10K Trail (September 2022), Timberland 5K Sprint (November 2022), Alviera 21K Trail (December 2022)

Not to mention, it has striking looks — which I always exude whenever I take on a race. How can you get noticed by event photographers if you won’t play with colors, right?

It looked strong and it made us feel powerful. “Us” as a collective because the emotional state doesn’t just pulsate with the driver, but also with its passengers. One weekend with the Ranger and we felt like warriors. Ready to take on any challenges that we can conquer.

Made for Spartans

Just because I’m a Spartan doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the creature comforts the Next-Gen Ford Ranger brings. In fact, I am trained to be uncomfortable but the vehicle’s features allow me to pursue the Spartan lifestyle.

Call it a paradox but we take the convenience of having a comfortable ride and/or drive so we can train our minds and bodies to be familiar with pain and discomfort. As a modern-day Spartan, life isn’t all about battles and preparing for war under the heat of the sun.

We wage our fights through our day jobs, balancing our personal lives, while also developing our bodies to be ready for sports.

Having a tech-infused vehicle enables me to freely pursue the life of a Spartan. If you’re familiar with Ford’s driving experience, which we have mentioned several times here in GadgetMatch, it’s always buttery-smooth.

Even with a humongous body, I can maneuver the steering wheels easily. As someone who drives small cars, I felt the heft and the pain of driving a bigger automobile. But the features packed inside the vehicle made driving smoother — both for rookies and seasoned drivers.

When a smartphone and a vehicle match!

With every technology update to Ford’s lineup of automobiles, it’s becoming more of a tech machine each year. The Next-Gen Ford Ranger is no exception with the ability to use FordPass Connect. If you’ve been living under a rock, FordPass is Ford’s newest technology utilizing remote control functions for the vehicle through an app.

When I was in a hurry and I couldn’t locate my keys, I used the FordPass app on my iPhone to remotely unlock the Ford Ranger. Through the app, I was able to remotely start the vehicle so I can turn on the air conditioner even before I step in. I was also able to stop the engine, lock the car, and check the fuel level — all in one space.

What I like the most is the vehicle locator feature, which allows me to find the Ford Ranger in crowded parking areas. Thankfully, I didn’t have to use the feature when the Ranger was parked in Vermosa’s gravel lot since I was the only one with a vehicle in a striking blue colorway.

Aside from FordPass, the accessibility and ease of use of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto allowed everyone to connect with the vehicle to help in navigation and music playback. We sang “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus while on our way to Alabang so we can hopefully shake our pre-race jitters.

I personally love the bigger, best-in-class 12-inch portrait touchscreen that allows me to see an overview of the map, adjust music playback, and even have a space for responding to calls and messages.

The perfect companion for an endurance race

For a pick-up truck, the Ranger offers extremely comfortable space for its passengers. We picked up Alison — my friend, a teacher, and an elite athlete — partaking in the first race of the weekend. Alison competed with elite and national athletes, hopefully qualifying for the national team.

Alison, together with other competitive athletes, gleefully took some rest in the back seat while in transit. They loved the leg space and the coziness the couches offered. The same experience goes for the front passenger seat, which I took as I was playing with the car’s features while my friend Betty took on the wheels.

When female Spartans are lovin’ it

Perhaps, the people who enjoyed the Ranger the most are Spartan women that I befriended after my first race. Jomi and Betty, competitive athletes who are consistently part of the Top 10 of their respective age groups, took over the wheel while I was exploring the Ranger’s features and technology.

Recently, I have learned that the Next-Gen Ford Ranger is officially the best 4×4 and pick-up according to the Women’s World Car of the Year judges. It won for a multitude of reasons; the same reasons that Jomi and Betty loved when they experienced driving the Ranger.

From excellent ride and handling, a suite of advanced driver-assist technologies and other safety features, an upgraded chassis and suspension, and the bold and confident look that resonates with strong, independent women. What more can they ask for?

Fostering a sense of community

What I love about the Next-Gen Ford Ranger is how it builds a sense of community, the same way a Spartan race brings people together. Parked in the gravels of Vermosa, the Ford Ranger became a holding area for my friends and teammates.

We used the cargo box to house our bags, equipment, and food. We were able to gather behind, passing jokes and drinks after an exhilarating day.

I used to do things alone and now, I’m surrounded by like-minded people — which was the best plot twist I’ve had so far. And even if it’s just for a weekend, I’m grateful that the Next-Gen Ford Ranger helped in making my first competitive and back-to-back race memorable.

Even with an aching body, the Ranger offered a smooth, safe, and reliable ride on our way home. It’s definitely a Spartan-grade vehicle, made for modern-day Spartans.

The Next-Gen Ford Ranger comes with a 5-year warranty. The longer warranty offering will cover the Next-Gen Ranger for up to 5 years or a total mileage of up to 150,000 kilometers, whichever comes first.

For more information, visit the Ford Ranger page on the website to reserve the next-gen Ranger through www.ford.com.ph or check your nearest Ford dealer.

The post Why the next-gen Ford Ranger is a Spartan-approved vehicle appeared first on GadgetMatch.

With its quaint abodes, cobblestone streets, fine architecture, evergreen trees, and naked branches — the sights are perpetually picturesque.

Everywhere you look is a marvel; buildings glimmering from the sun’s glow. But there’s something about its nook and cranny that are filled with love and charm, and it only shows up when you take the time to get to know the city.

In love with the streets of Eixample

Every street in Eixample brims with magic. It is, after all, one of the busiest districts in Barcelona known for its iconic grid pattern and octagonal blocks.

It’s dubbed as the trendiest neighborhood — home to streets of stylish boutiques and restaurants.

It’s impossible not to feel wonderstruck when you wander, most especially when you cross its main thoroughfare, Passeig de Gracia, and my favorite street: Rambla Catalunya.

Sunny days around Fira Gran Via

Every year, technology journalists from around the world convene in Barcelona to cover the annual Mobile World Congress.

This year, I was able to join other delegates from the Philippine press. The annual technology conference was set at Fira Barcelona Gran Via, a contemporary exhibition and trade center.

The majority of our days were spent in and out of this area, and I was lucky to experience sunny days around Fira Gran Via even in the middle of winter.

The sheer cold was balanced by the heat of the sun’s rays, allowing me to admire the district amidst the busy crowd.

A blend of architecture across Barcelona

Barcelona is home to towering pieces of architecture — contemporary, art nouveau, and historic landmarks blending in the beauty of the city.

These pieces of architecture stand the test of time; a wish we all make for the connections that we have in our lives.

In most explorations, I accompanied my friend Nathan as we dilly-dally around Barcelona, hoping to stumble upon undiscovered gems.

Unexpected beauty of Plaça Reial

Going past Mercado de La Boqueria, we found ourselves wandering La Rambla to get to the Gothic Quarter — the historic center of the old city of Barcelona — until we discovered Plaça Reial.

Believe me, I was only looking for a beautiful cafe so we can sit and sip some good coffee when we came across this paved square with towering palm trees.

I was astounded by its lampposts designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, the man behind historical landmarks such as Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, and Casa Milà.

Plaça Reial, in a way, reminded me of how love works. It catches you when you least expect it. A risk and a gamble. What’s waiting for you can end up being the best decision you ever make.

Now, it’s my favorite spot in the city of Barcelona, so far.

Midnights became my afternoon

With my companions, the city was alive and well by midnight.

I’m still reeling from the number of dinners I attended, filled with stories and new memories to bring home.

The highlight would probably be the old and new faces I met, and the shrieks of laughter passed in between.

Overlooking, overview

I’ve had plenty of opportunities to stand in good spots, overlooking Barcelona from different destinations.

While I find myself in awe, I still took the time to be grateful for the beauty that unfolds in front of me.

Gratefully, I had the OPPO Find N2 Flip to capture the spectacles of Barcelona. It’s a city I didn’t expect to fall in love with. And a place I’d be glad to come back to in the future. Hopefully, with someone to hold hands with in the middle of winter.

All photos were taken using the OPPO Find N2 Flip.

The post Exploring wonders and falling in love with Barcelona appeared first on GadgetMatch.

2022 was a crucial moment in K-Pop. Not only did we see some of the best group debut lineups, songs, choreographies, collaborations, and performances, the K-Pop industry itself has toned-down their COVID-19 restrictions and limitations between idols and fans. As borders slowly opened, live events, international fanmeets, region-specific concerts and world tours have also started.

TXT: ACT LOVE SICK World Tour in Manila

Now this feels like there’s a subtle connection between 2022 Huawei and 2022 K-Pop — they both came back stronger than ever. Idk about you, but the resurrection of the Huawei Mate 50 Pro shocked me upon knowing it was already “dead”. To my surprise, they came back on track with another flagship in town.

But you know what’s more shocking? The Mate 50 Pro offers an excellent set of cameras — a 1x lens with an Ultra-Aperture system, an even wider Ultra-Wide camera, and lastly, a 64MP periscope telephoto lens that every concert-goer would love to have.

Not only does it focus optically as far as 3.5x, it can also capture clearer shots way further 10x through Huawei’s smart AI algorithm. Now, these lenses will give any K-Pop fan the utmost flexibility in capturing concert moments with their beloved group(s) alongside their ultimate bias(es).

Okay, enough of the nerdy talk. This 2023, I’ll bombard you with plenty of ITZY, ENHYPEN, and Stray Kids photos — shot on the Huawei Mate 50 Pro.

Disclaimer: Photos were resized for faster loading and preview. Watermarks were also applied to avoid unjust ownership claims.

ITZY (있지) – ‘CHECKMATE’

ITZY started the year for Filo MIDZYs with a bang! Comprised of Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna, JYP Entertainment’s second currently active girl group alongside their 선배 (sunbae) / senior labelmate TWICE + 후배 (hoobae) / juniors NMIXX has finally reached the shores of Manila.

They held a 2-day concert inside the SM Mall of Asia (MoA) Arena last January 14-15, 2023. To make it more special, the first leg of the tour started here.

Just for context, here’s how the Mate 50 Pro captured the stage from the General Admission (GA) section of the arena.

1x wide

It’s show time! Finally time to use the periscope zoom lens.

For some intro, here are some solo performances starting with Ryujin…

1x Wide

followed by Yuna, Lia, Yeji…

…and lastly, Chaeryeong.

Now onto the best part: ITZY as a group in one frame!

Spoiler alert: there will be A LOT

Finally! A closer and clearer view (at least in Mate 50 Pro’s eyes)

Just creating a separate section to my all-time fave ITZY track WANNABE

It won’t be a complete ITZY experience without seeing one of the best debut songs DALLA DALLA

Just QUEEN tingz with their legendary crown poses

Ending this section with the very heartfelt encore stage for the crown girls

Stray Kids (스트레이키즈) – ‘Stay With Bench’ Fanmeet

Stray Kids (shortened as SKZ) is also under JYP Entertainment. They are the juniors of TWICE and seniors to ITZY and NMIXX.

They are an 8-member boy group starting with Bang Chan, followed by Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and lastly, I.N as the 막내 (maknae) / youngest member.

And as we’re talking, here’s I.N in his natural, goofy state.

Had to compile in a .GIF (jeef, not geef nor G-I-F) format because he looked like he enjoyed the banging-loud guessing game A LOT

I never had any control over what my friend wanted to capture so don’t blame me if your faves aren’t here (I am a Seungmin stan and he’s also not here) but hey, here’s Felix with a li’l bit of Han and Hyunjin.

Saving the best for last: my friend’s not-so-obvious obsession with Lee Know

These direct eye contacts are already killing me. How much more if you stan him hard?

~ I hope you reached this part and survived ~

ENHYPEN (엔하이픈) – ‘MANIFESTO’

Also known as “ENHA“, the group is composed of Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Niki.

Having massive popularity in the Philippines, the 7-member boy group under HYBE and BELIFT LABEL performed for three days straight in Manila.

It was also held inside SM MoA Arena but with a massive difference from ITZY’s views earlier.

Here’s the Lower Box section PoV…

and a VIP perspective closer to the stage.

Admittedly, even if I know all of them (and my current biases are Jungwon and Jay), I am not a full-on ENGENE, more like just a Polaroid Love and FEVER enjoyer .

I apologize if I don’t have anything to say other than appreciating these beautiful photos…

alongside these beautiful boys…

with beautiful side profiles and pointed AF noses.

This further makes me realize that life is, indeed, ~ u n f a i r ~

Reliving the experience

I never went to any concerts posted here but it felt like I was there because of how clear these photos are. What more if you’re like my friend who attended all of these but still has a severe sepanx (separation anxiety) with her long list of biases?

Thankfully, Huawei has revolutionized their current camera system with the Mate 50 Pro. You get the flexibility of not just one or two lenses, but three lenses all at once.

Ultra-Wide

Tap the UWA mode so you can capture the whole vibe of the concert. Switch to 1x to focus on the lightstick and banner while the singing crowd is in utmost blur. Finally, zoom in further 3.5x until it reaches your eyes’ (and heart’s) content just to see your bias/es as close as possible. Bonus would be its ultra-wide angle front-facing camera for those memorable concert selfies.

And not only because it has the best hardware, its XMAGE imaging made these concert moments feel closer to the eyes and heart.

SEE ALSO: HONOR Magic4 Pro: My Best Concert Companion

Very special thanks to my friend Dyan Carelle for reliving these K-Pop concert experiences with us through the eyes of the Huawei Mate 50 Pro

The post GadgetSnaps: ITZY, ENHYPEN, SKZ with the Mate 50 Pro appeared first on GadgetMatch.

We’ll need some time to put the watch to the test, so for now, we’ll do an unboxing.

The box is rectangular lengthy.

Up close, you see an image of the watch itself.

Based on reviews and unboxings we’ve seen online, the box will show you outright which variant you’re getting. There two options:

• Black stainless steel case with black fluororubber strap
• Silver stainless steel case with brown leather strap

At the bottom front, you’ll see the name of the smart watch.

Flip it over and you’ll some important info. It shows the smartwatch works with both Android and iOS.

The writing on the side of the box shows its many features.

Lift the cover of the box and you’ll be greeted by the smartwatch itself.

Here’s a closer look.

The display, made of sapphire glass, is covered with Xiaomi sticker. The back of the black stainless steel case has a similar cover.

Underneath the watch are wireless charging dock…

…and the user manual with the warranty notice.

Here’s what the watch looks like out of the box. The rotatable crown sticks out prominently.

Here’s what it looks like from the side.

The rotatable crown is studded making it easy to touch and turn. Xiaomi says it’s inspired by classic watches. There’s also a button on the lower right side. It quickly access the 100 types of workouts that the watch can track.

The black fluororubber strap is made specifically for workouts.

Xiaomi recommends this strap for exercising. Thanks to it being black, it seems to be the more versatile strap compared to the brown leather one. The leather does look more luxurious but using it while working out isn’t advisable.

Replacing the strap should be easy. There’s no information on Xiaomi’s fine print as to which straps are compatible. We’ll have to ask Xiaomi first to find out.

Setting up the Xiaomi Watch S1 Pro

After powering up the watch, the first thing it’ll ask you to do is select a language. After that, there will be a QR Code that you can scan to pair with your smartphone.

Download the Mi Fitness app.

Once paired, the app will show you a quick guide on how to use the smartwatch.

You can sync it with Apple Health and Strava.

You can also choose which apps will send notifications to the watch.

There’s a Xiaomi Pay feature but…

It’s not supported where I am which sucks.

Watch faces are pre-loaded on the watch.

There are more watch faces you can download through the app. The selections are nice, but I find them limited.

First impressions

As of writing, I’ve already spent a day with the Xiaomi Watch S1 Pro. It’s much lighter than the smartwatch I’m coming from. That alone makes me excited to wear it while I do my usual basketball shooting drills. The overall black look is… classic.

I’ve only taken some casual walks and the step counter seems to be accurate. The rotatable crown is fun to use but once I start swiping on the display, I end up just swiping instead of using the crown. More actual workouts, testing the battery life, and more will be on the full review.

Price and availability

In the Philippines, the Xiaomi Watch S1 Pro retails for PhP 16,999. There’s an early bird pro that will last until March 12 where buyers will get Xiaomi Buds 3 for free. It’s available in all Xiaomi stores both online and offline.

The post Xiaomi Watch S1 Pro Unboxing and First Impressions appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Fast forward this 2023, we might actually hear “Hello Moto” in this new form factor.

Originally unveiled at Lenovo Tech World ’22, motorola’s rollable concept made its way through the eyes of many at MWC 2023 in Barcelona, Spain.

Are you excited to see the future of smartphones with rollables?

Here’s our brief hands-on with motorola’s rollable concept A.K.A the moto rizr.

The post motorola rizr Hands-On appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Familiar brands, especially those to smartphone news followers, like HONOR, OnePlus, and OPPO led the way. But their partners Qualcomm and MediaTek showed out too, showcasing promising tech that more of us can experience in the near future. 

Here are our picks on what MWC 2023 had to offer.

OnePlus Active CryoFlux Concept

Showcased through the OnePlus 11 Concept, Active CryoFlux is an experiment in smartphone cooling. 

While most smartphones today use graphene to dissipate heat, OnePlus’ concept mimics the pipeline system used in today’s gaming PCs. In concept, the smartphone will use the pipelines to circulate its own cooling liquid composed of water, oil, and mica powder.

WATCH: OnePlus 11 Concept First Look

OPPO Find N2 Flip

Launched globally in London, the OPPO Find N2 Flip is easily the top contender against Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series. Both are clamshell-type foldables but OPPO one-ups Samsung by adding a much-larger cover screen. 

Naturally, there’s more to the Find N2 Flip than just that. If you’re looking for one that’s globally-ready and is NOT as pricey as the Galaxy Z Flip4, then the Find N2 Flip might just be your GadgetMatch.

WATCH: OPPO Find N2 Flip Unboxing and Review.

HONOR Magic Vs

While we’re on the topic of foldables, why don’t we take a look at HONOR’s first one to make it to the global market – the HONOR Magic Vs. The hardware does a lot in making this a device one could reasonably use for a while. The software needs work but isn’t a total dealbreaker.

What HONOR has with the Magic Vs is a challenger-in-the-making. They only need to stay the course and work out the software issues in order to truly stand against the reigning champion of foldables.

SEE: HONOR Magic Vs review: Galactic Outside, Harmonious Inside

realme 240W SuperVOOC Charging

Zero to 100 in nine (9) minutes and 30 seconds. realme puts the “Super” in SuperVOOC with this ultra-fast charging technology. In case you’re unable to wrap your head around 240W – that’s a lot of power. 

Laptop chargers ship with 65W, 96W, and 180W chargers. The amount of power needed to power a gaming laptop can now charge a smartphone? That’s how big of a deal this is! Watch our Charge Test to see how it works.

Xiaomi 13 Pro’s 1-inch sensor

Xiaomi is going all-in on mobile photography even more by equipping their latest flagship with a 1-inch ultra-large sensor. And they double that down by emphasizing how their partnership with Leica goes deep both in hardware and software. 

The Xiaomi 13 Pro might just be the company’s best smartphone for mobile photography to date. The company worked closely with its camera brand partner Leica to achieve what they call the “Leica Authentic” look for their photos.

SEE: GadgetSnaps: Xiaomi 13 Pro in Barcelona

motorola rizr

Got rizz? Moto, apparently has. motorola has a Rollable Concept Phone and they’re calling it the “RIZR”. This phone has one long flexible display that wraps around its backside

In its compact form it’s a 5.1 inch smartphone that’s more squarish than tall. The magic happens when you double press the power button. The screen expands into a 6.5 inch phone. 

In this orientation the phone feels and operates just like any other Android phone. And because the display rolls instead of folds. It doesn’t have a crease.

Lenovo Rollable Laptop

From a rollable smartphone, we’re moving on to a rollable laptop. Lenovo continues to experiment when it comes to form factors. And this one is pretty awesome. At first glance, it looks like any other laptop. But flipping a switch on the right side of the laptop rolls up the display. 

It goes from a 12.7-inch display with a 4:3 aspect ratio to a 15.3-inch display with an 8:9 aspect ratio. The rolling process takes a while but it’s usable in both modes so you don’t always have to roll up the screen. 

Qualcomm Stable Diffusion 

This one is a little too technical and is tough to explain. But if you’re familiar with the Lensa AI app, what the Qualcomm Stable Diffusion does is “kind of” similar. Big emphasis on kind of. 

Essentially, after a few prompts, the phone should be able to produce the image. But unlike Lensa, all the AI things are happening just on the device. 

Image generation is just one of the applications. Qualcomm says it can be used for image editing, style transfer, super resolution, and more. 

Here’s a more detailed explanation from Qualcomm.

MediaTek Satellite Connectivity

Mediatek will put out 3GP Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology. It will allow users to communicate with others (especially authorities) during emergency situations in hard-to-reach areas. Brought by Bullitt, MediaTek’s MT6825 chipsets will grace two motorola devices first: the motorola defy 2 and the motorola defy satellite link. It will also come with the Cat S75.

In the coming years, the company hopes to move on to 5G New Radio NTN technologies. Unlike the current zeitgeist, NR-NTN technology will open up communications to allow bigger media transfers and video calls

Huawei Watch GT Cyber 

The Watch GT Cyber is an offering that allows users to choose from different cases which serve as both the watch’s housing and wristband. The device comes in both the Urban Edition and slightly lighter Sport Edition.

There are three “quick-to-change” cases to choose from: Space Grey, Golden Black, and Midnight Black. Users will only have to hold the case and press to remove, while Smart Movement shows dynamic effects while changing cases.

The post Best of MWC 2023 appeared first on GadgetMatch.

We used the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra for a few weeks. Enough time to figure out if it’s your GadgetMatch or not. So, we’re listing down things you might want to ask yourself before splurging. 

Do you like big phones?

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra feels massive to hold. The 6.8-inch display listing is not at all an accurate representation of how it feels holding the phone. For comparison, the HONOR Magic5 Pro has a 6.81-inch display. But since both its display and back panel curve to the side, it feels easier to hold. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a boxy behemoth. 

You’ll likely want to buy a case to protect the phone and that will add to its overall bulk. If you can, drop by your nearest Samsung experience store to get a feel of the phone for yourself to gauge if it’s something you don’t mind lugging around for the next couple of years. 

How do you feel about ONE UI?

While you’re at it, play around with ONE UI. That’s the Android wrapper that Samsung puts on top of Android 13. Many tech bros aren’t too fond of ONE UI. Personally, I don’t think it’s as bad as some make it out to be. Sure, it’s not the snappiest, but it’s pretty easy to get used to. 

This is completely a matter of preference, and you can always switch things up by changing themes or using a different launcher. But swipe around and see for yourself if ONE UI is something you’re okay with. 

Will you ever use the S Pen? 

I was a huge fan of the Galaxy Note series when it first came out. The Galaxy SXX Ultra has become the spiritual successor of the line. It’s literally the Note in everything but name. 

Back then, I thought I liked the Note because of the S Pen. But as the line kept going, I found less and less use for the S Pen. Turns out, I liked the Note not because of the S Pen but because of the massive screen. I’m a heavy media consumer and consider big screens a boon. 

Now, I’m not saying the S Pen isn’t useful. It’s just that, personally, I don’t think it’s for me. So, that’s the question you have to ask yourself: Is the S Pen something you see yourself using regularly? 

I’ve had this conversation several times with Lea of UnboxPH. For her part, she uses the S Pen a lot for signing PDFs. I’ve also had a couple of friends who have taken full advantage of its art applications, doodling here or there whenever possible. 

Think about your smartphone usage and see if there’s something you’re already doing that can be elevated with the help of the S Pen. 

How much videos and music do you consume?

STAYC’s Isa is

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is one helluva media consumption machine. The gorgeous and large display is perfect for watching literally anything and everything. And the speakers are also easily one of the best on ANY smartphone right now. 

It’s the perfect media machine, except it does put a strain on your hand after a while. But that didn’t stop me from watching the “Teddy Bear” fancam of STAYC Isa on loop. 

Are you a mobile gamer?

Whether casual or hardcore, you would be pleased to know that the Galaxy S23 Ultra should be able to handle any sort of gaming. Samsung even made a point of highlighting this in their presentation. Mobile gaming is on the rise, especially in many parts of Asia, and Samsung made sure that their latest and greatest slate is up to the task. 

Although, I’ve never really encountered anyone who’s eyed the Galaxy SXX Ultra for gaming purposes. Self-proclaimed gamers tend to go for the more actual gaming-centric phones. That said, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is plenty capable whether you’re just passing time on Subway Surfers or you’re looking to be the MVP in a Mobile Legends match.

Do you REALLY like colors that POP in photos?

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a fantastic set of cameras. Easily one of the best today. Samsung likes to punch-up the contrast on their photos. They don’t do it as much now, but it’s still there.

You know what? Just take a look at these samples so you can decide for yourself. 

Food

Zoom

30X Zoom

1X | 10X | 30X

Indoors

Portrait and selfies

Outdoors

‘Nightography’

Will you take plenty of videos?

When it comes to smartphone videos, most of us in the team still think the iPhone is king. But the Galaxy S23 Ultra might just be the closest thing in terms of overall quality. 

Here’s a video that was taken entirely using the Galaxy S23 Ultra. 

@gadgetmatch 29Rooms is an experiential funhouse and it was an absolute blast to experience. Here’s a quick look #ShotOnGalaxy S23 Ultra. More info on 29rooms.sg #artinstallation #art #galaxys23ultra #samsunggalaxy #galaxys23ultra #galaxys23 ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch

If you’re curious about the zooming capabilities in a rather dark environment, here’s a quick sample too. 

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is also home to plenty of video features. The portrait video is particularly fun. You get the usual “bokeh” effect but there are also other filters like Color Point and Glitch.

You also have to consider storage if you fancy using the Galaxy S23 Ultra as a video-taking tool. Videos take up A LOT of space. You’d want to get the 512GB variant if you’re gonna make videos regularly.

Do you need a smartphone that charges fast?

Because the Galaxy S23 Ultra isn’t exactly blazing fast in this department. At least not against some of the other flagships already available as of writing. 

Watch our charge test. 

So, is the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra your GadgetMatch?

These are just some of the questions you might want to ask yourself before shelling out at least PhP 81,900/ US$ 1199.99/ SG$ 1,828 to get your hands on one. 

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a fantastic device. But there are certain things about it that may not be your cup of tea. The devil, after all, is in the details. 

Our advice is either visit a Samsung experience store or bug a friend who already has one. Make sure to get a feel of the device before committing to it long term.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specs

• Display — 6.8-inch QHD+ Edge, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Vision Booster, Enhanced Comfort
• Processor — Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
• RAM and Storage — 12GB+1TB, 12GB+512GB, 12GB+256GB
• Battery and Charging — 5,000mAh, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless Powershare
• OS — Android 13, ONE UI 5.1
• Water Resistance — IP68
• Cameras:
  • 200MP f/1.7 Wide
  • 12MP, f/2.2 Ultra-Wide
  • 10MP, f/2.4 Telephoto, 3x optical zoom
  • 10MP, f/4.9 Telephoto, 10x optical zoom
  • 12MP, f/2.2 Front

Watch our Galaxy S23 Ultra One Week Later Review.

The post Buyer’s Guide: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra appeared first on GadgetMatch.