Features

GadgetMatch’s Favorite Gadgets of 2017

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The goal of GadgetMatch is clear: matching our readers with their perfect gadget through easy-to-read articles and fun videos. But which products do the members of the GadgetMatch team enjoy the most? Let’s find out!

After looking through all the devices we’ve reviewed so far this year, choosing just one per person was a tall order, but lots of inner deliberation brought up this surprisingly diverse list with individual testaments as to why they are each person’s GadgetMatch.

Check ’em out:

Alven’s GadgetMatch: Samsung R7

As the holiday season inched closer and more occasions started to fill my calendar, having the Samsung R7 wireless speaker was all I’ve needed to turn any get-together into a fun event. Not only did the R7 provide great sound quality, its unique design was a conversation piece for everyone that saw it!

WATCH: Alven’s 2017 GadgetMatch looks like it came straight out of the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie 

Chay’s GadgetMatch: Fossil Q Tailor

I’ve used a couple of smartwatches in the last three years and while they all work well, I couldn’t stand having to charge yet another device every night. The Fossil Q Tailor functions like any other regular watch, but it can also track my steps and sleep. I love using it as a remote shutter for my phone’s camera, so I can take hands-free OOTDs when traveling alone. Fossil promises six months of battery life with Bluetooth perpetually turned on, but it’s been 10 months and I have yet to replace the battery.

WATCH: Chay shows off her GadgetMatch. 

Dan’s GadgetMatch: Huawei Mate 10 Pro

Huawei flagships have always been beautiful, but it was only when the Mate 10 series launched that I truly fell in love. The bigger and better Mate 10 Pro brings everything together along with the latest artificial intelligence features. The Leica co-engineered cameras with the secondary monochrome sensor are truly impressive and fun to use. The bright blue color option is simply the cherry on top.

WATCH: Dan crowned the Huawei Mate 10 Pro as his favorite gadget of 2017. 

Isa’s GadgetMatch: Paper Shoot Camera

It’s a camera that’s made mostly of paper — how can one not be fascinated? This toy camera makes photography more meaningful. It takes me back to a time when photos were not so haphazardly shot; when we didn’t have smartphones to shoot with nor the luxury of seeing how the photo came out instantly. It also helps that it’s super cute!

WATCH: Isa’s 2017 GadgetMatch is great for flat lays!

Kevin’s GadgetMatch: Ford Ranger Wildtrak 3.2L 4×4

Of all the cars I was fortunate enough to test drive this year, none were as powerful and well-equipped as Ford’s latest Ranger Wildtrak. Its toughness and roominess inside are matched only by the excellent safety features, such as the lifesaving collision alert. When I’m done driving, I can just pull out my bike from the spacious cargo bed!

Leez’s GadgetMatch: Yuumei Cat Headphones

The tough work behind the Yuumei Cat Headphones was one that panned out through years. The headphones were born from a single sketch, troubled with tons of poor-quality cop-outs, and developed with friends and fans. Honestly, if having speakers and headphones in a single gadget was a great enough concept, the frustratingly adorable design (not to mention the lights) just made it tough not to choose this as my favorite.

WATCH: Leez says there’s more to these headphones than meets the eye, that’s why it’s her 2017 GadgetMatch

Marvin’s GadgetMatch: Acer Predator Triton 700

Since first laying my eyes on the Triton 700 during an Acer event at New York, I knew it was going to be something special, and I was right. I was never much of a gaming laptop enthusiast — bulky bodies and sub-par performance compared to desktop computers did that to me — but the Triton 700 has so much power in such a sleek body, and I can’t get enough of the fast response times of the display and mechanical keyboard.

WATCH: Marvin’s played a lot of AAA games on his 2017 GadgetMatch

Michael Josh’s GadgetMatch: Apple iPhone X

I still have my first iPhone, the OG model from 2007, and recently took it out for perspective on how big a difference a decade makes. While I love Apple and Android equally, there’s something about the 10th-anniversary iPhone that excites me more than usual. The iPhone X has the highest-rated still camera in the biz, an edge-to-edge display, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and the funnest new feature on a phone — Animojis.

WATCH: Michael Josh likes his 2017 GadgetMatch because of the potential it represents

Rodneil’s GadgetMatch: Star Wars: Jedi Challenges

I’m in no way a hardcore Star Wars fan, but I have always wanted to know what it’s like to be a Jedi. That’s exactly what Jedi Challenges does. This augmented reality experience puts a lightsaber in your hand and pits you against stormtroopers and Force users from the dark side. Parrying gunfire from the blaster rifle while crossing lightsabers is extremely satisfying.

WATCH: Rodneil’s Jedi dreams came true thanks to his GadgetMatch for 2017

SEE ALSO: Lenovo introduces Star Wars: Jedi Challenges augmented reality experience

[irp posts=”19363″ name=”Lenovo introduces Star Wars: Jedi Challenges augmented reality experience”]

Features

DUO more with the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024

Make things easy

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ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024

We are fans of what ASUS did with their latest dual screen offering — the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024. The Zenbook Duo isn’t exactly new. ASUS has been adding extra screens to their laptops whenever they can — but never quite like this. 

You see, ASUS managed to put a literal second display but still make it compact enough to fit most bags with provision for 14-inch laptops. As cliché as it sounds, the Zenbook DUO 2024 is an engineering marvel.

However, it’s more than just a gimmick. In our review, we noted how the form factor lent to a slight boost in productivity despite us not maximizing the product just yet. With that, let us share with you our favorite things about the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024. 

A unique mode for every scenario

A built-in, sturdy kick-stand unlocks the many possibilities available to the Zenbook DUO 2024. Some of the modes are: Laptop, Dual Screen, Desktop, and Sharing.

Each one lends itself nicely to different work and media consumption scenarios. Don’t feel like showing off? Keep things discreet and save some battery life with laptop mode. 

Need two screens? Switch to either Dual Screen or Desktop mode to take advantage of more screen real estate. 

Presenting something to someone across the table? Sharing mode lays the laptop flat allowing for easier viewing. 

 

The ability to morph to different modes depending on your needs is astounding. The best thing is that it is both functional and can serve as an ice breaker.

TWICE Momo and LE SSERAFIM Chaewon <3

Oh and we’ll never tire of sharing how the Desktop mode is perfect for watching two K-Pop fancams at the same time. 

Screen Xpert for the dual displays

This form factor won’t work without the right software support backing it. To that end, ASUS made Screen Xpert. What it does is essentially let you adjust the layout of the apps according to your needs. 

You can have up to four (4) apps live viewed at the same time. For our part, we usually only divided the screen to two, using one to reference a review guide or press release while writing news articles and/or reviews. 

But if you’re monitoring certain things, this will be pretty helpful having multiple windows laid out right away to get a quick overview of things is a godsend. 

Zenbook DUO 2024

The best thing is that a lot of these functions work intuitively. There’s a single button you can press to easily switch what’s displayed on the two screens. 

If you want more granular control, you can have the Screen Xpert floating bar ready at your disposal. Here you can control the brightness level of each screen individually. You also have the ability to change the orientation of each screen to your liking. 

There are also App Switcher and App Navigator functions to give you a better, more seamless way to layout the apps you use so that it’s most efficient for your needs. 

AI, Copilot, and more 

 

Something we didn’t mention much in the review is how the laptop is built with the AI age in mind. Powered by Intel Core Ultra 7 155-H, this thing is equipped with an NPU chip to aid in on-device AI tasks.

There’s stuff that happens in the background like making sure the AI-related tasks are processed with the NPU while the main CPU handles the rest. In the simplest terms, the Intel Core Ultra 7 is smart enough to delegate a task to the chip that will best execute it. That results in a more optimized overall performance.


Copilot is one of the biggest AI additions to any Windows machine. The possibilities are close to limitless. For our part, we’ve only really played around with Copilot Designer. But there’s so much more that you can do with it. Just remember to always check the results. Every AI output still needs a human touch. 

AI is also present in other functions like noise cancellation and the camera. AI Noise Cancellation makes sure you can hear and be heard no matter what scenario you’re in. It’s perfect for remote workers who do not exactly have control over their immediate surroundings.

Meanwhile, AiSense Camera works not only as a Full HD IR camera. It also automatically detects the lighting levels in your environment and adjusts brightness levels accordingly. You also get functions like auto-framing and background blur. Lastly, there’s the slightly creepy Eye Contact feature that locks your gaze to the camera. It can be a bit disorienting so maybe pick the occasions when you’ll use it. 

GlideX 

Working beyond this dual screen laptop? ASUS also made sure to equip the Zenbook DUO 2024 with software that makes adding even more screens a no-sweat task. 

With GlideX you can easily connect your Zenbook DUO 2024 with smartphones, tablets, or even another PC. Even better, it’ll give you the option to control everything from a single device. 

DUO more 

For a first-of-its-kind device, the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024 is pretty darn polished. That’s thanks largely to the company experimenting with dual screens long before releasing this dual screen machine. 

The Zenbook DUO 2024 literally lets you do more, providing options for flexibility that will help you optimize your workflow so you can finish your tasks more efficiently. This is more than just a gimmick device, it’s actually helpful and that’s because ASUS took the time to fit it with the proper software support. 

More on the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024 here. 


This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and ASUS Philippines.

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Features

GadgetSnaps: Malaysia shot on the Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Beyond charging tech

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Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

The Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G prides itself in its charging technologies. But what about its camera capabilities? Well, here’s a quick round-up of the many photos we took around the time the Note 40 series was launched in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

The NOTE 40 Series features a 108MP main shooter with 3x Lossless Superzoom. It also has OIS for steadier shots when taking videos.

The edits applied to the photos here only some resizing and cropping to make the page easier to load. Take a look at all these sample shots

Infinix Note 40 Pro series launch day

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Kwai Chai Hong/ ‘Little Ghost Lane’

Little Ghost Lane | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Petaling Street (Chinatown)

REXKL | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Tanghulu | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Petaling Street | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

In and around Central Market

Central Market | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery

Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Istana Negara entrance

Istana Negra | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Merdeka Square

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Merdeka Square | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Malaysian Bak Kut Teh and more

Bak Kut Teh | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Petronas Twin Towers at night

Petronas Twin Towers | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Steady shooter

The Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G isn’t a stellar shooter. But at its price point, it’s pretty darn decent for capturing different scenarios. Take these photos into some editing software and you can certainly elevate their look.

The NOTE 40 Pro+ 5G is priced at PhP 13,999. It may be purchased through Infinix’s Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop platforms, where customers can get up to PhP 2,000 off. Additionally, the first 100 buyers can get an S1 smartwatch or XE23 earphones. Alternatively, customers may opt for the Shopee-exclusive NOTE 40 Pro (4G variant) for PhP 10,999.

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LOQ and LOAD: The Lenovo LOQ 2024 is for gaming and more

Your entry to PC Gaming

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Lenovo LOQ

Get your game on with the Lenovo LOQ 2024. This capable laptop is your entry point to PC Gaming and a lot more.

It comes an absolutely affordable price point: PhP 48,995.

You get capable hardware and the hood to support gaming and more. The Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I runs on the 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor and Intel Arc Graphics.

Those are key to bringing unreal graphics to this segment. Supporting latest tech like DirectX 12 Ultimate, players are able to enjoy high frame rates on the Lenovo LOQ.

Creating content? It comes with AI Advantage to help boost performance. Engines and accelerators boost the media processing workloads especially for creatives. It also works with Intel’s X Super Machine Learning, Leading to images that are as close to reality.

The laptop supports a configuration of up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD Storage.

As for its display, the device has a large 15.6-inch, Full HD panel that is more than enough for gaming, video editing, content consumption, and whatever else you do on a laptop. This display has 144Hz refresh rate, 300 nits brightness, and anti-glare.

Videos come out clear, crisp, and realistic. Audio is punchy and as loud as it gets. Windows Sonic elevates it more when you use headphones. And it just takes a few minutes to render HD videos on editing software.

As it runs on Windows 11, if you are going to use it for work, you can take advantage of various features. The Lenovo Vantage Widget is there for constant reminders, Copilot will help you organize your tasks, and Microsoft Edge is there for casual browsing.

There is an assortment of ports at the back for easy connectivity. And as this is meant for gaming, we put it to the test. Racing that looks better with high frame rate? Check. Shooting titles that require heavy work? Not a problem. You can play all your favorites and not worry about performance.

Best of all, it takes less than an our to juice up this laptop all the way to 100%.

So, whether you’re looking to get started with PC Gaming, or an upgrade for work and entertainment needs, the Lenovo LOQ has you covered.


This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and Lenovo Philippines.

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