News

The Phantom V Flip 5G might be the midrange clamshell you’re looking for

Meet TECNO’s first-ever flip smartphone

Published

September 22, 2023

MJ Jucutan

Tecno has just launched the Phantom V Flip 5G — the company’s first-ever flip smartphone.

Nominated for the German Design Awards, the Phantom V Flip 5G showcases an exceptional design quality integrating advanced technology and high-end, fashion-forward aesthetics.

Elegance made for your pocket

The Phantom V Flip 5G speaks luxury. With its sophisticated, cosmic-inspired aesthetic and eye-catching cover screen, the foldable certainly captures style-minded individuals.

It’s designed to achieve the perfect pocket-sized form when folded. It comes with a premium lychee-pattern classic leather that makes it uniquely sleek and high-end. It’s available in two colors: Mystic Dawn and Iconic Black.

Moreover, it comes with a new sensory dimension through a fragranced protective case in which case the scent lasts for over a year under normal usage conditions. Available scents include Rose, Sea Shore, and Cologne.

Exceptional screens in and out

The Phantom V Flip 5G comes with a versatile cover screen, through a circular, centrally positioned 1.32-inch AMOLED screen.

With its 352ppi screen, the display can showcase customizable wallpapers, 3D interactive virtual pets, and more. The camera can be easily accessed for easy Swipe Shots, and music playback can be adjusted quickly, too.

The screen features customizable Smart Widgets, as well, including the weather forecast, vitality rings, timer, sound recording, agenda, stopwatch, alarms, and more.

When unfolded, the Phantom V Flip 5G is equipped with a 6.9-inch FHD+ 2640×1080 main screen. It’s surprisingly flat and crease-less, thanks to TECNO’s self-design drop-shaped hinge. Furthermore, it has a 10-120Hz LTPO refresh rate and 360Hz touch sampling for both single and double finger.

For more captures

Not just a stylish accessory, the Phantom V Flip 5G prides itself on a stunning camera system. It has a 64-megapixel RGBW Ultra Sensitive Sensor Main Camera with an f/1.7 aperture and 1.6μm (4in1) pixels. It works in tandem with the 13-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera through TECNO’s dual-camera fusion technology.

Its front camera is equipped with a 32-megapixel dual-flash autofocus camera, apt for taking low-light selfies. It’s complemented by TECNO’s Super Flashlight algorithm to create the ideal lighting with perfect exposure.

Utilizing its form factor, the Phantom V Flip 5G has a FreeCam system that helps capture moments on both front and rear lenses. Users can hover the device to shoot better shots at any angle from 30-150˚ — from detailed rear camera selfies, low-angle shots, time-lapses, group shots, and more.

Reliable experience awaits

The Phantom V Flip 5G runs on MediaTek’s Dimensity 8050 5G chip and is equipped with 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM memory.

It also comes with a 4000mAh Super Battery capable of 45W Flash Charging. Easily reach 50% in just 15 minutes.

Moreover, the Phantom V Flip 5G is TECNO’s first device featuring the new HiOS 13.5. It’s an optimized operating system based on Google’s Android 13, boasting intelligent features that make the most of all the benefits of a flip smartphone.

Price, availability

Currently, the Phantom V Flip 5G retails for RS 49,999 in India. Pricing for other regions is yet to be confirmed.

Editor’s note: This page will be updated once the full pricing and availability details are confirmed.

Entertainment

PH to celebrate 1st ever National Cinema Day; movies start at less than $2

Watch a movie on September 12 for a fraction of the cost

Published

September 10, 2026

GadgetMatch

The Philippines will be celebrating its first ever National Cinema Day on September 12. On this day, movie tickets will go for as low as PhP 100 (US$ 1.60) at regular 2D cinemas.

The campaign aims to make moviegoing more accessible to audiences. This includes families, friends, students, and cinephiles in general.

Such initiative has been a staple in other countries, like the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and more. The same concept applies, with movie tickets going on sale for a lot less.

What’s great about the celebration is that all movies scheduled for exhibition on September 12, whether local or international, shall get the special admission price.

Advanced tickets sales have already begun. Customers can purchase through participating box offices, official websites, mobile apps, and authorized platforms.

Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and remain subject to theater capacity. Prices vary for other viewing formats like Director’s Club or IMAX, for instance.

The campaign is organized by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP), along with industry and government partners.

The initiative is supported by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), and the Metro Manila Film Festival through the MMDA.

Participating cinemas include Ayala Malls Cinemas, SM Cinemas, Robinsons Movieworld, CityMall Cinema, Megaworld Cinemas, and more.

News

iPhone Duo: Price, availability in the Philippines

As listed on the Apple website

Published

September 10, 2026

GadgetMatch

Apple has officially entered the foldable smartphone market with the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone. It uses a passport-style design that opens into a larger display while retaining a more conventional smartphone experience when folded.

Price and availability

The iPhone Duo starts at PhP 159,990 in the Philippines for the 256GB model as listed on the Apple website.

Here’s the full local pricing:

256GB — PhP 159,990
512GB — PhP 175,990
1TB — PhP 207,990
2TB — PhP 254,990

The iPhone Duo comes in Star White and Night Sky.

Actual availability in the Philippines has yet to be officially announced.

A foldable design with two displays

The iPhone Duo has a 5.4-inch outer display when folded and expands to a 7.6-inch main display when opened. Both orientations use the same aspect ratio, allowing iOS to transition between them seamlessly.

The rear chassis uses Ceramic Shield, while the front display gets Ceramic Shield 2. The device is also IP68-rated for dust and water resistance.

Its hinge uses carbon fiber supports and magnets that produce an audible click when the phone is folded.

A20 Pro brings flagship performance

The iPhone Duo is powered by the A20 Pro, the same chip found in the iPhone 18 Pro series. Apple says the chip delivers 35 percent better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro.

It also comes with the new C2 cellular modem, which provides up to 50 percent faster uploads. Like other foldables, the Duo can be used in different configurations, including tent mode and a partially folded book-like position.

48-megapixel camera system

The iPhone Duo gets a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera alongside a 12-megapixel 2x telephoto camera.

For selfies and video calls, it has a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera. The inner display also uses an under-screen camera for a cleaner look.

Battery life goes beyond a day

The iPhone Duo offers up to 31 hours of video playback using the inner display and up to 44 hours using the outer display.

Charging is also quick. Apple says a 20-minute charge can replenish half the battery, while a five-minute charge can provide up to five hours of video playback.

For the complete specifications and first-look details, check out our main iPhone Duo launch coverage.

News

iPhone 18 Pro series: Price, availability in the Philippines

As listed on the Apple website

Published

September 10, 2026

GadgetMatch

Apple’s latest Pro iPhones are now listed on the Philippine Apple website, with local pricing starting at PhP 94,990. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max bring a new A20 Pro chip, a variable-aperture main camera, longer battery life, and a redesigned Dynamic Island. (Apple)

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max price in the Philippines

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at PhP 94,990 for 256GB. The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at PhP 99,990.

Storage	iPhone 18 Pro	iPhone 18 Pro Max
256GB	PhP 94,990	PhP 99,990
512GB	PhP 110,990	PhP 115,990
1TB	PhP 142,990	PhP 147,990
2TB	PhP 189,990	PhP 194,990

Both models come in black, silver, glacier, and burgundy. Apple offers both Pro models with up to 2TB of storage.

A variable-aperture 48-megapixel camera

The iPhone 18 Pro series gets a new 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera with variable aperture. It can open as wide as ƒ/1.48 for low-light photography, while narrowing to ƒ/4 can keep more of a group in focus.

Apple also adds Pro controls that let users manually adjust aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and exposure through a histogram.

A20 Pro brings more performance

Both models run on Apple’s A20 Pro, built on a 2nm process. It has a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU, and a Dual 16-core Neural Engine.

Apple says the GPU is up to 40 percent faster than A19 Pro, while memory bandwidth increases by 50 percent. A redesigned vapor chamber also has three times the surface area of the previous generation, enabling up to 40 percent higher sustained performance.

A smaller Dynamic Island

Apple redesigned the Dynamic Island to make more room for information. It can now display up to three Live Activities at once while retaining Face ID for authentication and unlocking.

Battery life gets a major boost

The iPhone 18 Pro delivers up to 36 hours of video playback, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max reaches up to 45 hours on eSIM-only models.

The Pro can reach 50 percent charge in around 15 minutes, while the Pro Max can get around seven hours of video playback from five minutes of wired charging.

Philippine availability

Apple has confirmed September 18 availability for more than 65 countries and regions, including Singapore. It also says the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will reach another 20 countries and regions starting September 25. However, Apple has not yet specified the Philippines in its published launch-day country list, so a Philippine release date has not been officially confirmed.

The Philippine Apple website does list the iPhone 18 Pro as a new model with local pricing, however.