Features

The ASUS Vivobook S16 is a jack of all trades everyone will love

Anything and everything for everyone

Published

June 25, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

It’s difficult to shop for a laptop these days. If you’re unfamiliar with the entire market, there are way too many options that try to sway you towards specific segments you would otherwise ignore. For example, if you’re not careful, you might end up buying an overpriced gaming behemoth or a cheap notebook that can’t meet your needs. Here’s one to consider, though: the new ASUS Vivobook S16 with Snapdragon, a notebook with a little bit of everything for everyone.

Everything’s already inside

As ever, the ASUS Vivobook S16 once again focuses on Copilot. It’s a Copilot+ PC that leverages capable hardware with the burgeoning power of AI today. Inside, it comes with the Snapdragon X octa-core processor, paired with 16GB of RAM and 500GB of storage.

And yes, it comes with a Qualcomm Hexagon NPU capable of up to 45TOPS. It’s a perfect pairing for Copilot. As with all Copilot+ PCs, the Vivobook S16 ships off with Microsoft’s suite of AI-powered software. With the touch of a button, you can access amazing features such as the virtual assistant, Recall to find files with ease, Cocreator to generate inspiring images, Live Captions to never miss a word in a meeting, and Windows Studio Effects to always look your best on camera.

Outside of all the fancy features, the NPU also helps the laptop maximize power on and off the grid. According to a Geekbench 6 ad, the notebook scores 10602 while unplugged and only 10648 when plugged. There’s barely any difference so you can keep your work going even when on the go.

Speaking of on the go, the Vivobook S16 is more than enough for a school- or a workday. It comes with a 70Whr battery. It can reportedly last up to 32 hours on a single charge. Plus, with fast charging, an empty battery can get 60 percent of juice in only 49 minutes.

For security, the notebook has the Windows Hello IR camera which can help you unlock the notebook easily but securely with just your face. Additionally, it is compatible with passkeys, so you don’t need to keep remembering passwords all the time.

For entertainment, the 16-inch screen uses the new 16:10 standard for screen ratios. Though not as widescreen as the previous 16:9 standard, the vertical improvement will still allow for more content to come through the vivid screen. It is also compatible with Dolby Atmos and Snapdragon Sound.

Finally, the new laptop shines in portability. It’s only 1.59cm thin and 1.74kg light. Despite the lithe form, it feels durable with a Matte Gray military-grade finish.

Another one to add to the list

For reference, ASUS has a splendid Vivobook lineup these days. Last year, we reviewed the latest models at the time. Even today, our team still recommends a Copilot+ PC from Vivobook as a worthy option for those who don’t need a notebook that can specialize in just one thing.

The series provides a wide coverage of features you’ll need for an everyday laptop. Sure, you won’t get a beast to play the latest games on or a durable survivor capable of withstanding hard bumps, but it hardly matters. A Vivobook today means an all-around package, a jack of all trades.

The new Vivobook S16 is no different. Plus, it comes with a fairly decent price tag guaranteed to tantalize you into buying one for yourself.

Price, availability

The Vivobook S16 is available now for customers at ASUS Stores nationwide. It retails for PhP 50,995 and comes with an ASUS Backpack, a lifetime Office Home 2024, one year of Microsoft 365 Basic, and ASUS Service Package with the 2 year International Warranty and 1 year Accidental Damage Protection.

Hands-On

OPPO Reno15 F 5G hands-on

More question marks than exclamation points?

Published

March 6, 2026

Manila Connoisseur

The OPPO Reno15 Series 5G made its way to the Philippines last month, and reception has been pretty great so far.

With a powerful camera package, AI, and a slew of upgrades, there’s a lot to love and not much negative to say. But that’s with both the standard and Pro models.

On the other hand, with the Reno15 F 5G — the series’ supposed budget-friendly “lite” variant —there were more question marks than exclamation points.

I attack this piece once more from a consumer standpoint: shelling out PhP 23,000 to PhP 26,000 for a midrange smartphone that feels and performs like it’s a few notches below its segment doesn’t sound too pleasant.

Performance

With a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor, the OPPO Reno15 F performs pretty much like any sub PhP 20,000 mid-ranger. It’s acceptable, but does not punch above its weight as expected.

No major hiccups for light and casual usage. But performance struggles a lot for demanding video games.

It also heats up significantly just 10 minutes into a title like Honkai: Star Rail. This is a stark contrast to the marketed 25℃ and up to 10 hours straight of smooth gameplay.

Although, the experience was still enjoyable with several wins and MVP runs in Call of Duty Mobile. It only means the F variant remains a more camera-centric phone rather than an a hard-hitting all-arounder.

As with other devices, the 7000mAh battery with 80W SUPERVOOC is a strong suit. You’re fueled from dawn ’til dusk, with much to spare. Recharging takes a breeze, too.

Display

The OPPO Reno15 F has a 6.57-inch 120Hz display, with a 92.8% screen-to-body ratio. At least, that allows you to focus on content on the screen.

Content leans more towards the cooler tone, so you’ll have to adjust it manually if you want a warmer or more vivid look.

The 397ppi pixel density is fine to ensure sharper visuals, while the 1400 nits peak brightness is helpful outdoors.

Camera

The device’s 50MP main camera captures decent quality. The color science leans on being natural anew, without being too dull nor washed out. You can pull off smooth portraits too.

I hardly used the phone for stills as I focused on videos, but here are some samples, on the occasions I was able to take the handset with me:

The 50MP front camera is an intriguing add-on, as it is capable of up to 4K video and a wide 100° field of view.

What this does is it essentially removes the need to flip your phone for the popular “0.5” shots. And the quality doesn’t get compromised given the pixel count.

Here are some selfies from different focal lengths:

To its credit, filming with the back camera at 60fps does look and feel smooth, although it can be improved.

Same with the front camera; and the zoom range can be switched from 0.6 to 2x without cutting the recording.

Although, it’s still best to use a selfie stick or small tripod if you’re just after talking head videos.

Speaking of which, here are a few I’ve made with just this device:

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♬ original sound – Manila Connoisseur – Manila Connoisseur

But for travel and on-the-go captures, as OPPO markets for the series in general, even the Reno15 F can cover a lot of background along with your or your groups’ faces.

Make no mistake, there are some useful AI editing features here. In particular, AI Portrait Glow gives your raw capture an effect to make it look it was taken with flash.

I do not recall the device heating up as well when taking many photos or videos, so you can say it’s more optimized for that task rather than gaming.

Connectivity issues

Meanwhile, AI LinkBoost 3.0, as in the case of the OPPO A6 Pro, doesn’t seem to punch above its weight either.

Once, I also played Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and the session opened to a jittery start despite being on Wi-Fi and having a stable connection. I don’t know what triggered this.

Design, feel

We got the Aurora Blue variant which does kind of resemble the northern lights when you tilt the phone a certain way and when light hits its back panel.

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The cursive “Reno” on the large, protruding camera island gives it more style.

However, it’s all just aesthetics. On the downside, the phone is all sorts of slippery.

I couldn’t hold it properly without think of it slipping away from my hands; nor could I put it on my lap with confidence.

So I guess it’s good that it has structural integrity and waterproofing, because you’ll need that.

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The 6.57-inch body does have a good balance between being too compact and too large, like ultras and pro maxes.

It has a squarish body and has already adapted to the premium, aluminum frame look from the sides.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

Sadly, the OPPO Reno15 F 5G is a Swipe Left unlike its bigger, more capable siblings. There are plenty of plus points for the camera package but take that away, and I don’t see much difference between the Reno15 F and something like the A6 Pro.

Granted, the asking price of this phone will drop significantly in a few months. But throw in a little more, and you’ve got a legitimate mid-ranger that’s more on the premium side rather than the cheap end of the spectrum.

Smartphones

Unboxing: HONOR Magic8 Pro Photography Kit

A modular accessory setup

Published

February 28, 2026

GadgetMatch

The new HONOR Magic8 Pro isn’t just getting a camera upgrade — it’s getting an entire system built around long-range photography.

At the center of this unboxing is the HONOR Magic8 Pro Professional Imaging Kit. It’s a modular accessory setup designed to push mobile telephoto shooting further. With the attachable 2.35x Telephoto Extender, protective case, and Shot Imaging Grip, the Magic8 Pro reaches an equivalent 200mm focal length. It can also digitally extend far beyond that. It’s a bold attempt to solve one of smartphone imaging’s hardest problems: clear, stable zoom at night.

The hardware story is just as ambitious. The Magic8 Pro features a 200MP Ultra Night Telephoto camera with a large 1/1.4-inch sensor, wide f/2.6 aperture. It also has an CIPA 6.5-rated stabilization — an industry-leading benchmark for optical image stabilization. HONOR says this new system shifts from passive shake correction to proactive prediction, improving micro-shake detection and keeping distant details sharp even in low light.

Color science also gets an upgrade. The new AiMAGE Color Engine focuses on true-to-life tones, balancing complex lighting scenes like blue hour skylines or neon-lit streets. Expect cleaner highlights, preserved shadow detail, and more consistent skin tones across environments.

But the real story of this kit is experience. The Shot Imaging Grip adds DSLR-style ergonomics, complete with a shutter button, zoom lever, and quick-launch controls. There’s even support for 67mm filters, opening the door to more creative shooting setups.

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