Living in a tropical country means heat is woven into my routine. I walk a few steps and instantly break into a sweat because my body thinks it’s funny. Being out of shape doesn’t help, but until I fix that, handheld fans are my lifeline.

They’ve become essential in the Philippines, and I still can’t believe it took this long for them to evolve into actual daily-use gadgets. The Aecooly Aero Ultra stood out because it didn’t look like the typical fan you see everywhere. The half-pipe frame, the pop of orange, and the odd tube-like shape felt like gear from a game instead of a humid-day survival tool.

Design that turns heads

What surprised me first was how unique it looked. The r-style air tube design has this odd charm that sparks curiosity. Every time I pulled it out, people asked about it, held it, and tried to figure out how the air travels through that curved body.

The 170-gram weight feels almost nonexistent in hand or in a bag. I wouldn’t put it in a pocket since it sticks out awkwardly, but carrying it around never felt like a burden. The PC and AeroGrade aluminum blend also feels solid and durable, not cheap or hollow.

And that orange finish fits me perfectly. Sometimes a little color can make a hot day feel lighter, and this one does the job.

Performance that actually matches the design

On Standard speeds 1 to 4, the Ultra gives you a soft, steady breeze. Even at the highest standard setting, it still feels mellow, like a nudge of airflow rather than a blast.

Switch to the Turbo modes and it transforms. The power jump is real, strong enough that I’ve used it to dry my hair when I needed to rush out the door. The 11 m/s airflow hits a sweet balance where it cools you quickly but doesn’t overwhelm you whether you’re outdoors, walking through a mall, or sitting in a café.

Even at its top 15,000 RPM, the airflow still feels smooth. The honeycomb vents keep the direction tight without making the wind feel aggressive. Noise-wise, it’s noticeable in quiet rooms but blends into the background in noisier spaces.

The LED display is perfect for someone like me who panics when devices drop below fifty percent. Knowing the exact battery level shapes how I use it throughout the day. The seven speed levels make it easy to adapt in different environments, from blasting full Turbo at a concert to staying quiet in calmer settings.

Switching modes is intuitive, and the “r” form factor helps direct the airflow with minimal wrist movement. It’s comfortable, functional, and easy to pick up without overthinking how to hold it.

Battery Life, everyday use, and why I prefer the Ultra

Aecooly claims seventeen hours of battery life, but I never drained it to zero because I always top up before going out. Still, I never once felt like I had to conserve power. It usually refills after an hour-long podcast, and that alone makes it reliable for daily cycles.

The LED percentage indicator is another quality-of-life win. It helped me ration usage during events, long commutes, and casual walking days. I didn’t test the base Aero or Aero Pro, but looking at the numbers, I still tell people to get the Ultra if they can afford it. The stronger Turbo levels and larger battery make it feel like the complete package.

In real use, I bring it everywhere. I cool down after small activity bursts, I use it while walking, I’ve brought it to concerts, events, and even used it to dry my wavy hair. It never felt awkward to use in public.

My only complaint is not knowing how to attach the included wrist strap. I also wish it had a lanyard option so I could hang it around my chest and angle it upward hands-free.

Is the Aecooly Aero Ultra your GadgetMatch?

Still, the Aecooly Aero Ultra feels premium, dependable, and built for the kind of heat I deal with daily. Definitely a Swipe Up. 

If you need consistent cooling on the go, this is an easy recommendation. It has become a part of my everyday carry, and I don’t see myself leaving the house without it anytime soon.

After months of living out of a suitcase, I found myself home again. You’d think staying in one place would feel easier, but I realized how restless I’d become.

I’ve built a life around movement. I like feeling in control. Maybe that’s why when I started setting up my workspace again, the Razer Basilisk Mobile immediately felt like the right fit.

It’s called “mobile,” but it found its purpose in my quietude.

Small things that carry weight

The Razer Basilisk Mobile isn’t intimidating like most gaming gear. It doesn’t scream for attention with flashing lights or aggressive angles.

It’s compact enough to sit quietly beside my laptop, yet sturdy in the hand, like it knows what it’s capable of.

Razer took its fan-favorite ergonomic design and scaled it down for people who need comfort without clutter.

It fits perfectly under my palm during long writing sessions and when I’m deep in photo edits. It’s light enough to move effortlessly.

And because it’s wireless, my desk finally looks clean and ready for whatever kind of workday I’m about to have.

A mouse that adapts to how you think

The Basilisk Mobile has 10 customizable controls, which, on paper, sound like overkill for a writer and creative director.

But after a week of using it, I started wondering how I ever worked without them.

Razer designed these buttons for gamers who need split-second reactions. I use them for something more… domestic.

Copy-paste shortcuts, switching tabs, launching Photoshop, or even triggering my AI note app with a single click.

It’s called the AI Prompt Master, but in my world, it’s a creativity launcher.

It feels like this mouse understands the kind of multitasking life I lead. That I can go from reviewing layouts to color-grading photos and videos, and somehow still keep my hand relaxed and my workflow seamless.

Maybe, that’s what I love most about it? It’s built for play, but it excels at work.

Endurance I can count on

I’ve always believed endurance is a love language. Maybe because I’ve built my own around it.

I’ve raced through obstacle courses and weathered deadlines, but I still managed to show up again to work the next day.

That’s probably why I respect gadgets that stay the course. The Razer Basilisk Mobile runs up to 105 hours on HyperSpeed Wireless and 180 hours on Bluetooth.

For context, that’s weeks of work without charging and when it does need a quick top-up, 10 minutes gives you 7 hours of power.

Precision that feels personal

There’s a state of flow when every click and scroll just feels right. The Basilisk Mobile understands that beat certainly.

Its 18K DPI optical sensor keeps everything precise, whether I’m fine-tuning an image in Lightroom or browsing through hundreds of thumbnails. It moves exactly how I want it to.

The Razer HyperScroll wheel might be my favorite part. You can switch between two modes: Tactile for that satisfying, notched scroll that makes you feel in control, and Free-spin for when you want to breeze through pages or scripts in seconds.

It’s smooth and accurate. You don’t always notice it, but it’s what makes everything else work.

The kind of comfort that grows on you

Some gadgets take time to get used to. Others feel right from the start. The Basilisk Mobile belongs to the latter.

Its buttons have a crisp, responsive feel, thanks to Razer’s Gen-3 Optical Switches, rated for 90 million clicks.

That’s overkill, sure, but it means I’ll probably grow old with this mouse before it ever gives up.

The 100% PTFE feet glide effortlessly across my mousepad, making even small movements soundless.

It’s a small thing, but it adds to the peace of my workspace

Is the Razer Basilisk Mobile your GadgetMatch?

The longer I used it, the more I realized something. The Razer Basilisk Mobile might be built for gamers, but it found its home with people like me: those who live in the overlap of focus and fatigue.

It’s the kind of device that doesn’t care where you use it. You can edit a highlight reel or write a story. This mouse will be right there with you when you want to feel productive again at your own desk.

Swipe right if you have the bucks to spare for a performance mouse that really works and makes your day-to-day easier.

Swipe left if you want your device to match a specific home office palette or prefer something simpler and more affordable. After all, the Razer Basilisk Mobile retails for PhP 5,995.

 

@gadgetmatchOn-the-go mouse best paired with the Razer Joro!♬ original sound – GadgetMatch

When I first unboxed it, I thought it would be the mouse I’d take with me when I travel. Turns out, it’s the one that made me stay productive while staying at home.

It taught me that performance isn’t always about speed or reaction time. Sometimes, it’s about stability. It’s about clicking through your day and creating something that feels like you.

And if that’s not gaming energy, I don’t know what is.

After a month of use, the realme 15 Pro 5G’s final grade hinged on one question: Is it worth the asking price?

realme decided to axe the “Pro Plus” variant from its numbered series starting with the realme 15 lineup. The simpler batch is composed of the base, the Pro, and a 15T in between.

The move meant realme nudged the “Pro” variant into pseudo-premium territory. Although, marketing focused on its 7,000mAh battery for all-day battery, as well as its capable cameras.

After a month of use, I think the latest numbered series is a letdown compared to the ones that came before them (and impressed, at that).

Camera performance: Stills

In spite of what it buoys as a triple 50MP branding, the glaring missing piece with the realme 15 Pro is the telephoto camera.

The 50MP main camera can only support up to 2X optical zoom without a dedicated telephoto lens.

Meanwhile, the 50MP ultra-wide shooter does improve the quality of 0.6X captures, and in some captures, they’re noticeable.

But the difference wouldn’t matter too much when viewed on small screens. Where I can leverage this advantage is for filming. More on that in a few.

I would have loved for realme to have kept the long-distance shooters. Anything beyond 2X, although aided by AI and further processing to retain detail, looks inferior in quality.

The telephoto camera is something I’ve appreciated beginning from the realme 12 series to the 14 series. The optical quality of dedicated cameras from rivals are far better, and on some shots, you want that “crop factor” too.

Results wise, yes, you will still get sharp, clear, and color-accurate captures from the 15 Pro at 1X and 2X zooms.

Here are some samples:

There are two preset shooting modes: Vibrant, which amply brightens the light parts, and Crisp, which kind of underexposes the result at a glance.

But details under Crisp are actually retained even in the dark parts, and this allows for more flexibility in editing like just shooting up the shadows or lowering the contrast a bit.

In a nutshell, when the lighting conditions are already sufficient, opt for Crisp as Vibrant tend to overexpose light parts too.

A few side-by-side photos:

One of the noticeable issues are the lack of depth on non-Portrait captures. It has something to do with the inconsistencies in contrast and HDR on some shots where there are blown-up parts or darkened ones.

Portrait Mode still excelled by emphasizing subjects with smooth segmentation. This goes for all subjects, from food to people to inanimate objects.

Instead of an AI Snapshot Mode, we also got just the more common Street Mode, also known as DIS on other realme devices.

From a triple flash setup from the 14 Pro Plus, realme went with a dual flash arrangement. One emits warm light while the other, white.

On the positive side, the 50MP front camera offers a good mix of naturalness and social media-ready quality for stills.

Night and low-light processing could be better.

Camera performance: Filming

When it comes to filming, the realme 15 Pro does offer a lot more shooting versatility compared to its predecessors.

The 50MP ultrawide camera can shoot up to 4K videos at 60fps. Ditto with the selfie camera. Color science is pleasing, though low-light performance lags, as in the case of stills.

I love the stabilization on both rear cameras. It allows for steadier content, especially on “parallax” shots for social media videos.

However, you still cannot zoom in when you start the video from 0.6X zoom, unlike other legitimate flagships.

The ultrawide angle can be leveraged for establishing shots or to show a wider view for audiences in tight spaces. For me, zooming in to around 1.5X for a crop factor also enabled me to highlight subjects more.

Here are a couple of vlogs I made using the phone:

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I would recommend the phone for creators who prioritize video versatility over mobile photography. But creators don’t buy phones in a vacuum; the rest of the package matters.

General performance

Performance-wise, the realme 15 Pro does have a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor. It’s capable, but not competitive at this price.

The value-performance triangle feels stretched, and it’s a poor trade-off for performance-focused consumers.

Also, the phone supports Wi-Fi 6 but that is underutilized since the processor isn’t as powerful as other PhP 30,000 handsets.

For instance, the HONOR 400 Pro can render and upload videos on social media way faster, along with better GPU performance.

Moreover, the 15 Pro’s 5G connectivity is also challenged in difficult areas, compared to, say, OPPO devices with its AI LinkBoost. It takes some to switch back to 5G or 4G networks.

As I am about to transition to its display, it’s also worth noting that there have been occasional video latency when filming.

I wasn’t able to see what I was filming in real-time as smoothly as I would have wanted to. It was just jittery. But when I review them afterwards, they turn out just alright.

Editing reels on my preferred mobile app also experienced some hurdles during video playback.

Fortunately, I didn’t experience the same for gaming, although I haven’t exhausted it too much for challenging titles.

I only had Call of Duty Mobile and Racing Master and both games went smoothly even with high graphics settings. Jaggies weren’t persistent throughout sessions.

Display issues

Another constant issue with the 15 Pro throughout my time with it was the display.

Although we weren’t able to document it, there have been several instances where the display just blacked out or had green static screen issues.

There were also moments of dark vignettes appearing. I had to press the power button to turn the display off for a second first before unlocking it again to revert back to normal.

Furthermore, there have been instances that the display was unresponsive to touches or had ghost touches.

I experienced this a few times with tapping the shutter for capturing photos. I had to go with the volume buttons instead.

Typing on the keyboard just led to misspelled words too. I don’t know what triggers all of these, but there have been way too many unsmooth experiences.

To be fair, I did ask some colleagues on whether they’ve had the same issues and they said no. Let’s just assume we’re all telling the truth.

The 6.8-inch 144Hz panel itself does deliver crystal-clear visuals as in the case of viewing videos at full HD or checking photos. There are several presets if you want the display to look more vivid or natural too.

With a 6,500-nit peak brightness, there’s no problem looking at what’s on it too when outdoors or against the window light in some cases.

But as I’ve mentioned endlessly, I am not a fan of curved displays. Side swipes misfire, which is pretty common. And you don’t get the full picture on vertical content either.

All-day battery

Perhaps, the 7000mAh battery is the realme 15 Pro’s champion feature. It’s the one area where marketing and reality aligns.

The phone easily provides ample power for 10 to 12 hours of use outside. That’s with Power Saving Mode and mobile data on.

“All-day battery life” in the context of smartphone usage will always be subjective. But I wouldn’t say I was challenged to drain it.

On lighter days, the phone was more of a mobile hotspot and I only had to glance on the display every now and then. Naturally, I still had about 40 to 50% left.

Usage included browsing, communication, photos and videos, editing reels, uploading them, and more in between.

Charging takes just about an hour to refuel back to 80%, which is quite impressive given this has a larger battery capacity.

Design

Truly marking the start of a new chapter, realme decided to likewise ditch the circular, timepiece-inspired camera islands and instead went with a squarish module on the upper left, containing the two huge cameras on top of each other.

Next to these are the dual flashes and a small ring light similar to what vivo calls Aura Light. Yet, the realme counterpart only activates for notifications and gaming instead of for photography.

The unit I have been reviewing came in Velvet Green which is the more leathery variant. The Flowing Silver counterpart, meanwhile, feels like a continuation of the shiny pearl white back on previous numbered series offerings.

On paper, they have virtually the same display size, thickness, and weight as the 14 Pro, but it’s evidently thinner and lighter than the 14 Pro+.

And I personally felt this when wielding the phone on a daily basis. The side frames look thinner too, and adds a subtle wedge to improve grip and ergonomics.

If anything, the backside doesn’t feel slippery at all for this variant and you can absolutely just one-hand it at times without fear of accidental drops.

Lastly, the 15 Pro retains IP68 and IP69 water and dust resistance for extra protection.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

Sad to say, the realme 15 Pro 5G is a Swipe Left. It’s not a bad smartphone — but not a compelling one either.

The handset lacks that definitive punch for a mid-ranger in late 2025. There’s a disconnect between price and value proposition for the package it delivers.

Even with discounts on ecommerce platforms that will lower the asking price to about PhP 27,000, the unbalanced feature trade-offs still don’t feel justified.

You are paying premium for a mid-ranger. And you can get devices about PhP 5,000 less (or beyond).

From steady performance to acceptable cameras, to AI features and long battery life, the realme 15 Pro doesn’t stand out in a crowded market. That’s the real problem.

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realme 15 Pro 5G specs

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, 4nm process, Octa-Core, up to 2.8 GHz
• OS: Android 15 with realme UI 6.0
• Memory: 12GB base RAM, up to 12GB expansion
• Internal storage: Up to 512GB
• Display: 6.8-inch 1.5K 144Hz AMOLED display with 10-bit color, HDR10+, 6,500 nits peak brightness
• Battery: 7000mAh silicon-carbon
• Charging: 80W wired
• Cameras: 50MP main (Sony IMX896 with OIS), 50MP ultra-wide angle, 50MP selfie
• IP68 and IP69