Features

Do you really NEED high-end specs for mobile gaming?

Published

April 8, 2022

Apple Gamboa and Andre Ibarle

With mobile gaming on the rise, it isn’t surprising that brands have been creating smartphones targeted for mobile gamers.

We have here the vivo Y21T which is touted by vivo as the budget smartphone built for all your mobile gaming needs. Then, there’s the ROG Phone 5s Pro which ASUS claims as a gadget that will take your mobile gaming experience into the next dimension.

It’s a lopsided match on paper, for sure. But what we’re really trying to find out here is if the you absolutely NEED high-ends specs for mobile gaming. Let’s go!

Apple, will make the case for the vivo Y21T while Andre wields the overpowered ROG Phone 5S Pro.

Design

Let’s first look into how these devices compare with their looks.

Apple: Sleek and easy to hold

Even being a budget smartphone, I find it impressive how vivo was still able to create a premium design for the Y21T.

Its Pearl White variant can really catch your attention. It has a glossy back with light crystal coating that changes its hue when hit by light.

And despite not having an aggressive looking aesthetic that screams gaming, I find its size really convenient. It fits perfectly in my hand and its design looks more versatile for day-to-day use.

Andre: Aesthetic perfect for gamers

Having gaming as its primary focus, the ROG Phone 5s Pro looks and feels the part. Unlike the vivo Y21T, everything about it screams gaming. Punchy red accents, geometric lines, and the flashy ROG Vision display at the back. This design would have any gaming enthusiast drooling.

Measuring 6.80-inches long, it doesn’t just look good, but it feels comfortable to play on. It also sports the Ultrasonic sensors and AirTriggers that a lot of ROG Phones are known for. The aforementioned seriously elevates the gaming experience. You do kind of feel that you are playing on a legit gaming console.

So if you’re into the way it looks and its size, you won’t be disappointed, this will surely catch the eyes of gamer peeps around you.

Display

Moving onto the display department, these are two very different devices. Both are pretty capable in providing us with an enjoyable gaming experience.

Apple: Just the right display

The vivo Y21T has a 6.51-inch, 1600×720 HD+ IPS Display. It may have been a bit disappointing since it still has a 720p resolution despite being launched this year. But in reality, after playing for a while, you’ll get over it. You’ll barely mind the difference once you’re already in the gaming zone.

I still enjoyed playing games such as Genshin Impact and Call of Duty: Mobile as the display still delivers vibrant colors and vivid details. It also still gives you a smooth and delightful visual experience despite its refresh rate being just at 60Hz.

It may not be as bright, but who plays games under direct sunlight anyways?

Andre: Display and responsiveness at its best

On the ROG Phone 5s Pro, we are getting a feature packed 6.78-inch, AMOLED display. With a whopping 144Hz refresh rate, 800 nits of brightness and a peak rating of 1,200 nits, this is one of the most intense displays made for gaming on a smartphone.

As you have guessed, it is a feast for our eyes. Extremely smooth, exhilaratingly vibrant and elegantly beautiful.

It has a chin and forehead though…

Gaming performance

Now onto the heart of this comparison. Let’s talk about the actual gaming performance we can get out of these phones.

Apple: Optimized gaming

One factor that vivo can really boast about the Y21T is its chipset. Equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 with Adreno 610 GPU, legit gamers would be happy seeing that Snapdragon branding. This means a lot of games are optimized to run on this chipset.

And true enough, despite its highly intensive graphics, Genshin Impact was very playable at medium settings.

Getting my game on Call of Duty: Mobile, this even manages to play it at maxed out settings on medium FPS. This means all graphical detail will be displayed just the same as how they would be on all other more expensive smartphones.

It was really great to know that an experience like this was even possible with a smartphone at this price range.

Andre: Beast

ROG Phones are always packed with the finest specs around. The Phone 5s Pro is no different. A Snapdragon 888+ with 18GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage is what’s running this beast. That’s even more RAM than most gaming laptops I’ve reviewed.

As expected, all games we’ve played ran at the highest available settings at the fastest possible speeds. And the experience is no less than amazing. As I’ve mentioned in my review, this is even the first time I have maxed out all graphic settings on Genshin Impact on a smartphone that ran this well.

Software

Another aspect that contributes to the gaming experience in these phones could be found in their software. Both devices come with their own game mode to compliment their gaming capabilities.

Apple: Enhanced experience

The vivo Y21T has its Ultra Gaming Mode which allows gamers to choose modes and adjust the phones performance on specific games. It grants us the ability to monitor our resource usage, battery percentage, game FPS, brightness adjustment and notification settings while in game.

It also has been loaded with vivo’s Multi-Turbo 5.0 which automatically kicks in upon entering a game. This enhances its network connection, processing speed and power-saving performance ensuring that the phone is at its optimal state for playing games.

Also, one notable difference of the Y21T on the ROG Phone 5s Pro is that we have received the latest Android 12 update on the Y21T while the Phone 5s Pro still hasn’t and is still left on Android 11.

Andre: Monitor and tweak everything in this software

On the other hand, the ROG Phone 5s Pro has a more complex console in its Armoury Crate app. Not only can you monitor and choose between preset settings but micromanage your own settings based on what you prefer.

If you feel like adjusting the vibration strength on intense actions or the sensitivity of your movement, you’re free to do so in this console.

It even suggests games for you to try out which is handy for when you’re thinking of what to play next.

Battery

Enjoying your games would not be possible without capable batteries. And both of these phones are equipped with ones that let you get in the game for hours.

Apple: Battery that keeps you going

One thing that’s commendable with the vivo Y21T is its robust 5000 mAh battery. This may already be a standard battery for budget smartphones but it definitely doesn’t disappoint.

It lasts me for a day and a half or up to two days doing my daily tasks. I even managed to squeeze in viewing some Netflix episodes. And when I also sneaked in some game time, I thought my battery percentage would deplete quickly but surprisingly, only two percent was deducted from it.

Andre: Massive capacity that charges incredibly fast

For battery performance, the ROG Phone 5s Pro is rated with a 6,000 mAh battery in two 3,000 mAh configurations. This resulted in one of the fastest charging speeds I’ve experienced in this rated capacity. At its peak 65W charging speed, a ten minute charge took us to 25 percent capacity and only took just under one hour to get a full charge.

Battery life does get us about a day on normal use but does run out more quickly when gaming. Pretty okay results especially if we consider that this is fueling a lot of power hungry specs. But in case it does run out on you, at least it won’t take long to get all juiced up.

Is the vivo Y21T or the ROG Phone 5s Pro your Gaming GadgetMatch?

Bottomline is, the vivo Y21T and the ROG Phone 5s Pro are both amazing and more than capable gaming smartphone. However, the choice will come down to your budget and preferred gaming experience.

If you still want to enjoy casually playing your games, you don’t actually need to spend a ton of cash and could still get by with a budget smartphone. Still optimized for gaming but also versatile enough to serve as daily driver, the vivo Y21T is a great match for budget gamers.

But for big budget gamers, if you’re after the complete all-out gaming experience that can even be further enhanced with all of its other features in case you still have some extra cash, then the ASUS ROG Phone 5s Pro is hands down an outstanding piece of gaming machinery.

The vivo Y21T is priced at PhP 10,000 and is available in Midnight Blue and Pearl White while the ASUS ROG Phone 5s Pro with 18GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB storage is currently available for PhP 59,995 / SG$ 1,799.

Related Topics:featured ROG ROG Phone ROG Phone 5s Pro Vivo vivo Y21T

Tutorials

How to set up Apple Pay on your iPhone

It’s as easy as a single tap.

Published

August 4, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Apple Pay is officially in the Philippines!

Pushing the country forward into a cashless and cardless future, Apple has now brought its contactless payment system to the Philippines. As with other countries, Apply Pay will work seamlessly and easily even for those who have problems with technology.

Now, despite how easy it is, sometimes we need to be pointed in the right direction. Here’s how you can set up Apple Pay on your iPhone:

Everything starts with the Wallet app. First, open your Wallet app. Tap the “+” button on the top and select “Debit or Credit Card.”

Normally, this is where you can input your card details (which you can still do, by the way), but the default method now is to just tap your card on the back of your iPhone. Your phone does the rest. You might need to confirm with your bank, but it’s as easy as a single tap.

Pick which cards to use. Once you have your cards online, you might need to change which one is the default card. Again, it’s easy. Just drag your preferred card to the front.

Afterwards, you can tap to pay in supported stores by priming the Wallet app for use. Tapping to pay is also available for Apple Watch. Meanwhile, online transactions can also work on MacBook.

Secure, all the time. If you’re worried about your security especially with online transactions, Apple keeps your information only between you and the seller. They don’t store your data.

Also, it’s not easy to make a transaction without your consent. You need Face ID, Touch ID, or your password. If you lose your phone, you can easily shut your phone down with the Find My app to prevent malicious parties from making transactions.

Accessories

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P: From a videographer’s perspective

Better tracking, fewer buttons

Published

August 4, 2026

Deric Claveria

DJI’s smartphone gimbals have always chased one goal: delivering cinema-smooth footage without forcing you to carry a heavy rig.

The Osmo Mobile 8P (OM 8P) makes its priorities clear right out of the box. This is not a simple refresh. DJI rebuilt how you control the gimbal, and that decision shapes the entire shooting experience.

Freedom behind the lens

The biggest change is the FrameTap remote, and it’s the kind of upgrade that fixes a problem you didn’t realize was slowing you down until it’s gone.

On the standard OM 8, adjusting your framing meant reaching for your phone every time, which broke the flow of shooting and pulled you out of the moment.

FrameTap puts that control back in your hand. You can reframe shots and manage the gimbal without touching your phone at all, and for anyone shooting solo, that alone changes how usable the whole setup feels. Tracking has taken a real step forward too.

ActiveTrack 8.0, paired with Module 2, held onto its subject even after they stepped out of frame for a moment, then picked them back up without much fuss.

It also lets you sit off-center in the shot instead of forcing you into the middle every time, which gives you more room to compose something that doesn’t look like every other gimbal video.

None of that would matter much if the gimbal itself wasn’t solid, and it still is. The OM 8P holds onto the same foldable design, magnetic phone clamp, and built-in tripod that made the OM 8 easy to live with.

And it remains one of the better compact options for stabilization, tracking, and portability in one package.

The tripod legs are a touch wider this time, and that extra width does make a noticeable difference on uneven ground.

The trade-offs in touch

The trade-off for all that new remote functionality is a control scheme that takes more getting used to. More of the gimbal’s functions now live on the FrameTap touchscreen, the joystick is smaller, and switching between shooting modes takes a few extra taps compared to the OM 8. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s a learning curve you’ll need to budget time for.

DJI also removed the zoom and focus wheel, so if you leaned on that dial for quick adjustments, you’ll feel its absence here. Module 2 no longer lets you plug a DJI wireless mic in directly either.

You’ll need to connect it to your phone instead, which adds a step to a setup that used to be simpler. Phone compatibility is still a limiting factor as well. DJI lists support for phones up to around 300g and 11mm thick, so bigger phones or ones in chunky cases may not clamp in properly.

Finding your ideal workflow

The OM 8P makes the most sense for solo creators who want dependable tracking and the freedom of remote framing without stepping up to a dedicated camera like the DJI Osmo Pocket.

If you’re already shooting on a phone with a solid camera, this fills the gap nicely. It’s a tougher sell if you prefer physical buttons over touchscreen menus, or if your phone runs on the larger and heavier side, since fitting it onto the clamp might be a problem before you even get to shooting.

Price, availability

DJI is offering the OM 8P in three combos, so how much you pay depends on how much of the ecosystem you actually need.

Standard Combo (PhP 7,499): the gimbal itself, with 8th-gen stabilization and the detachable FrameTap remote included.
Advanced Tracking Combo (PhP 9,199): adds the Multifunctional Module 2 for the improved subject tracking we tested.
Creator Combo (PhP 11,099): the full kit, built for creators who want everything DJI bundles in from the start.

Is the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P your GadgetMatch?

The DJI Osmo Mobile 8P asks you to relearn a few habits in exchange for a gimbal that finally lets go of your phone. If hands-free framing and steadier tracking matter more to you than a dedicated zoom dial, this is worth the adjustment.

If you’d rather keep things exactly as they were on the OM 8, that learning curve might be the deciding factor.

Swipe right if you shoot alone often and have been waiting for a gimbal remote that actually works. The FrameTap remote alone justifies the upgrade if reaching for your phone mid-shot has been slowing you down.

Consider this if reliable tracking matters to you, especially if you’ve had a subject wander out of frame and stay lost on older gimbals.

And of course, get this if you already own a capable phone under the weight and thickness limits, and you’d rather invest in a smartphone rig than jump to a dedicated camera like the Osmo Pocket.

Swipe left if you lean on physical dials for zoom and focus, and moving those functions to a touchscreen sounds like a downgrade rather than an upgrade.

This is not for you if you use a DJI wireless mic and want it plugged directly into the module without routing through your phone first. Or, your phone runs heavier or bulkier than DJI’s limits allow, since no amount of enthusiasm fixes a clamp that won’t close.

Features

GadgetSnaps: Westminster Abbey

A thousand years of history, unfolded with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Published

August 4, 2026

MJ Jucutan

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Westminster Abbey isn’t just another stop on the London tourist trail.

It’s the stage for coronations, royal weddings, and burials that span nearly a thousand years, all still playing out under the same vaulted ceilings that have been standing since before most countries had names.

Once you get past the crowds and the audio guides, a quieter version of the abbey starts to show itself: worn stone steps, poets resting a few feet from kings, light that shifts across the nave like it’s in on the performance too.

While losing track of time in Poets’ Corner (yes, me, playing amateur historian for an afternoon), I unfolded the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and decided the abbey deserved more than a quick tourist snap.