News

realme 7 series launches in the Philippines

Another pair of noteworthy midrangers

Published

September 30, 2020

GadgetMatch

Well, that was fast. After launching the realme 7 series in India, the brand is now bringing its latest devices to other markets. Now, realme is bringing the realme 7 and realme 7 Pro to the Philippines.

The launch of the realme 7 series towards the end of September puts it almost within six months of launching the popular realme 6 series into the country. By all aspects, the realme 7 seriesis a marginal improvement over the realme 6 series. However, this upcoming smartphone is a likely contender for the best value midranger again, thanks to its specs and competitive pricing.

realme 7 Pro

Upfront, the 90Hz refresh rate has been retained on the 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G is now powering the device. Also new for the realme 7 Pro is faster wired charging thanks to 65W SuperDart charge that can charge the smartphone from 0 to 100% percent in just 34 minutes.

The quad cameras also got some upgrades. The newer and bigger IMX682 64MP imaging sensor replaces the one on the realme 6 Pro. The rest of the setup practically remains the same. However, the quad-camera setup now resides on a refined camera bump design that looks in line with other midrangers released recently.

The secondary ultra-wide selfie camera is gone now. In place, realme bumped the primary selfie camera to 32MP, which is double the resolution of the realme 6 Pro.

realme is also touting the 7 Pro as the first smartphone in the world to receive a TÜV Rheinland Smartphone Reliability Verification. We don’t exactly know what this certification does to a smartphone, but the brand is touting a much reliable device for everyday use.

realme 7

The realme 7 has a 6.5-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Powering the phone is a MediaTek Helio G95 processor with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.

It includes the same camera setup that’s found on the elder sibling. However, it gets a bigger 5000mAh battery with 30W fast charging. realme claims it can fully charge the phone within 65 minutes. For authentication, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner is provided.

Pricing and availability

The realme 7 series will be available nationwide starting September 30. Pricing and special offers are as follows:

realme 7 pro (8GB+128GB) — PhP 17,990
realme 7 (8GB+128GB) — PhP 14,990

Purchase the realme 7 Pro in stores nationwide from September 30 to October 4, 2020 to get an automatic umbrella and a realme Band worth PhP 2,390.

Home Credit

Starting September 30
realme 7 8+128 and realme 7 Pro 8+128 are available via 0% interest installment plans of 6 and 9 months.
Special Offer: First 10 purchasers of the realme 7 Pro will be getting free realme Buds Q worth PhP 1,490, while the first 10 purchasers of a realme 7 will get free Buds Classic worth PhP 590.

E-Commerce Partner: Lazada

September 30, 1PM
First 200 purchasers of realme 7 Pro via the dedicated product page will get free realme Buds Q worth Php1,490
realme 7 is PhP 500 off on September 30
realme Buds Q is PhP 500 off on September 30

Credit Card Installment

6 and 12 mos 0% interest via all major credit cards in participating stores nationwide

BUY THE REALME 7 PRO HERE
BUY THE REALME 7 HERE

News

Apple reportedly gives up on the Vision Pro

But Apple will continue to sell the current model.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

When they unveiled the Vision Pro in 2023, Apple touted the wearable as the next big thing after the iPhone. Now, almost three years removed from the launch, the Vision Pro hasn’t really taken over the coveted spot occupied by the iPhone. Apple, according to a report, is allegedly canning the short-lived wearable.

According to MacRumors, Apple has reportedly given up on making the Vision Pro a thing. The team handling the wearable has supposedly been subsumed by other teams within Apple.

If true, the wearable’s end is unfortunate but not surprising. Despite being out for years, the Vision Pro has sold only a little more than half a million units with numerous returns from customers. Most recently, Apple updated the wearable with the M5 chip, but the move hasn’t revitalized the device’s status in Apple’s lineup.

Most of the complaints about the device stem from its exorbitant price or its cumbersome battery pack. Besides costing a whopping US$ 3,499, the Vision Pro is also difficult to move around with, especially because of its total weight and a battery pack that can get in the way.

To be clear, Apple has not officially discontinued the Vision Pro yet. The company continues to sell the version with the M5 chip. Apple can also restart development in the future.

However, the meantime retirement on future development does coincide with the recent restructuring inside the company. Tim Cook recently decided to step down as CEO with John Ternus as his replacement. Canning the Vision Pro might be Ternus’ first step in redefining Apple according to his plans.

Apps

YouTube makes picture-in-picture mode free for everyone globally

The update is rolling out globally now.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Picture-in-picture (or PiP) mode is a godsend for multitaskers. The feature lets users watch videos in a tiny floating window while doing other tasks. However, the feature isn’t readily available for all users. Or wasn’t, at least. YouTube is now rolling out PiP mode for free globally.

Previously, PiP mode was exclusive to YouTube users who pay for Premium or Premium Lite. It was also exclusive to the United States.

Now, YouTube is making the feature completely free for users all over the globe. It will be available for both iOS and Android versions of the app.

There’s still a catch, though. The free version is available only for “longform, non-music content.” The same goes for Premium Lite subscribers. Music is still an exclusive feature for those who pay for the regular version of Premium. Basically, there is no change for paying users or users in the United States.

Using PiP mode is simple. All you need to do is load up a video you want to watch in the background. Then, just exit the YouTube app and go about your other tasks. The video will be inside a floating, resizable window while you look at other things.

There’s no timeline on when the update will reach your device. However, YouTube has promised that it will roll out globally within the coming months.

Enterprise

OnePlus has reportedly merged with realme

Both brands were previously rumored for restructuring early this year.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

OnePlus has a problem. For a while now, rumors have swirled about the company’s dissolution. For their part, the company has continued to deny the reports, citing business as usual. Likely to their dismay, the reports just keep coming. Today, sources have hinted that OnePlus has merged with realme.

Back in January, it was rumored that OnePlus would be closing up shop this year. Since the company very quickly denied the rumors, the report hardly made waves. However, a suspected merger with realme is more difficult to debunk.

For one, realme is itself in a very interesting position. Also back in January, realme was reportedly moving back into being a sub-brand of OPPO. Coupled together with the OnePlus debacle, all this internal restructuring seems par for the course.

According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, OnePlus and realme have already concluded the merger. The two brands have reportedly united their Chinese and international operations under one roof. Likewise, their marketing will be the same. Pete Lau will still be the main head for this new division.

As with anything of this nature, take this with a grain of salt. OPPO, OnePlus, and realme have not issued any official statements concerning a merger or a shutdown for any brand.