News

POCO F4, X4 GT now official in the Philippines

Two new midrange smartphone options

Published

June 23, 2022

GadgetMatch

POCO is making two more mid-rangers available in the Philippines with the release of the new POCO F4 and POCO X4 GT.

Both smartphones are equipped with powerful processors and do not differ much in terms of specs and features.

Both are poised to deliver a strong and smooth performance in gaming and entertainment. But still being budget-friendly. Here’s a quick overview of the two phone’s details.

POCO F4: Extremely powerful

The POCO F4 is powered by a Snapdragon 870 chipset with a 7nm processor capable of 5G support and up to a 3.2GHz processing speed.

It is the thinnest model to date in the POCO lineup, boasting a 6.67-inch E4 AMOLED 120Hz display with up to a 360Hz touch sampling rate.

When it comes to its rear triple-camera setup, the POCO F4 has a 64MP main camera, along with an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro camera.

For the first time, an optical image stabilization (OIS) feature has been added to the main shooter. It obviously comes with a lot of shooting and filming features and can record videos up to a 4K resolution.

The phone has a 4,500mAh battery with 67W turbo charging, taking only 38 minutes to charge up to 100 percent. On a full charge, the POCO F4 is said to offer up to 10 hours of gaming. You also get 21 hours of video playback, and 119 hours of music playback.

POCO X4 GT: High-performance for gaming, entertainment

On the other hand, the POCO X4 GT is equipped with a Dimensity 8100 chipset with an advanced TSMC 5nm processor for fast performance that barely overheats.

What’s unique about the POCO X4 GT is it is POCO’s first LCD True Display smartphone. It also has a unique 20.5:9 LCD display ratio.

Its triple-camera setup is similar to the POCO F4’s, having a 64MP main camera as well that can double as 4K camera too. In front is a 16MP selfie camera. The phone comes pre-installed with 19 vlog templates for those who are into vlogging.

The phone has a longer battery life than the F4, thanks to its 5,080mAh battery that also supports 67W turbo charging. It can charge in full in just 46 minutes.

Pricing, availability, offers

The POCO F4 is available in three colors: Night Black, Moonlight Silver, and Nebula Green. It has two variants: 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB.

These will be available via Lazada at PhP 20,990 and PhP 22,990, respectively.

Meanwhile, the POCO X4 GT also comes in three colors: Silver, Black, and Blue. There will be an 8GB + 128GB and an 8GB + 256GB variant.

These will be available via Shopee at PhP 18,990 and PhP 19,990, respectively.

As an introductory offer, POCO is slashing up to PhP 4,000 off for an early bird price. They will also offer a one-time free screen repair service within the first six months after purchase.

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.