Laptops

Acer Spin 5 Review: Long-lasting and full-powered

Published

October 18, 2017

Daniel Morial

360-degree notebooks are everywhere. While some may not like them, they prove to be more versatile than your typical laptop. Acer’s Spin 5 is the latest to join the group. Can its full-bending hinge make you consider having one?

Let’s begin with the notebook’s physique. There is a lot to talk about the sleek metal body of the Spin 5 starting with how…

The Spin 5 looks like a typical laptop when in this position

The touchscreen is a 13.3-inch 1080p IPS LCD surrounded by thick bezels

It has a spacious keyboard with backlight…

Key travel is good and the layout will grow on you after a while

… and its responsive trackpad has a built-in fingerprint reader

Both the fingerprint reader and trackpad are responsive, but the click travel is quite deep

The left side houses the important ports on the Spin 5…

There’s the charging port, HDMI, USB-C, and two USB 3.0

… while the left has a few more ports along with a couple of buttons

Here we have the LED indicators, volume rocker, audio port, SD card reader, USB 2.0, power key, and lock hole

One of the best features of the Spin 5 are its speakers!

It fires sound directly up and gets pretty loud!

The 360-degree hinge is quite special, allowing the Spin 5 to have multiple positions

The hinge is solid and has enough resistance

You can position it like this when watching a video…

I enjoyed watching Star Trek: Discovery on this

Or like this when trying to present something at a meeting

Also works as a large digital display on a table

It can turn into a tablet anytime, too!

It comes with a stylus for jotting down notes and doing some sketches

An ideal laptop for media consumption

It’s a given that a regular laptop is fitting for productivity. We’re already accustomed to its layout, design, and overall experience. The Spin 5 doesn’t hold back in that sense thanks to its nice backlit keyboard and surprisingly responsive plastic trackpad. I do have some concerns about how difficult it is to execute a click on the trackpad, though. It takes effort to do a simple selection because of the deep click travel.

Since this isn’t your ordinary notebook, the 360-degree hinge makes the Spin 5 ideal for watching videos and general web surfing while in tablet mode. The speakers are also great, because no matter how I place the device on the table, the audio is always (or at least seems to be) directed at me. This makes everything sound clearer and louder. I’d gladly use the Spin 5 for binge watching.

Great performance for everyday use and more

While I enjoy the Spin 5 mainly for catching up on my TV shows, it’s got some oomph under the hood. The model we have for review has the latest Intel Core i5-8520U processor paired with Intel Graphics 620, 8GB of memory, and a fast 256GB SSD. Everything, of course, is run by Windows 10.

The configuration puts this notebook in the middle of the crop, having the right balance to run productivity apps like Office with no problems and letting you be efficient in Photoshop without hiccups. The Spin 5 offers everything I need to get me through my usual workload, with some casual gaming on the side.

By casual, I mean titles from the Windows Store like Asphalt Extreme and my boring yet fun (for me) American Truck Simulator. As expected, the former ran the smoothest (and more immersive than playing it on mobile phones), while the latter is best set to medium settings. It also won’t have any trouble loading DOTA 2 or League of Legends, just in case you’re planning on installing and playing them on the Spin 5.

It can last long without a charger around

I started my day with the Spin 5 fully charged to 100 percent and hoped that it would be enough for the day ahead, because I had to work remotely in a place that’s not quite generous with wall sockets. With the brightness set to 50 percent and Wi-Fi connected to the network, I was productive for four straight hours. I used the Microsoft Edge browser during this period, since Chrome consumes a lot of power. I was able to spend another three hours with the remaining juice watching Netflix at home before it asked me for the charger.

A total of seven hours of actual usage is impressive for a laptop with these specs. Other laptops that last this long are the fan-less Ultrabooks, which are more expensive and under-powered.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

The model we have is priced at PhP 59,990, which can already provide you with a more powerful gaming laptop. But that means you’d have to carry a bulky machine, which doesn’t even last as long on the road. The Spin 5 is more suited for those who want the right balance between work and play. I was surprised by how long it was able to last on a full charge.

For business use, the available ports on the Spin 5 are overwhelming, which also means I don’t have to buy dongles that would cost me extra. As for play, I just can’t get enough of the speakers. They’re not perfect, but they sound good and make movie watching lots of fun.

[irp posts=”19257″ name=”Acer updates laptop lineup with Switch 7, Swift 5, Spin 5″]

Laptops

Apple raises the prices of iPad and MacBook lineups

Price hikes start at $100.

Published

June 26, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Hey, remember when Apple launched the MacBook Neo, and it had the most attractive price for an Apple-branded laptop? Those were good times. Unfortunately, it was too good to be true. Responding to the ongoing RAM crisis, Apple has now increased the prices of its hardware, starting with the MacBook and the iPad lineups (via Reuters).

The “highlight” here is the price of the MacBook Neo. To be fair, the affordable MacBook is still the cheapest one of the lot, but that’s not saying much. From a starting price of US$ 599, the Neo now costs US$ 699.

Now, we’d love to say that a US$ 100 price hike is the most you can expect across the board. But that’s not true at all. Most will bring up the price by a few hundreds and up to a whopping US$ 1,300. Here’s a list of devices you’re going to see changes for:

Model	Original price	New price
MacBook Neo	$599	$699
MacBook Air (13-inch)	$1,099	$1,299
MacBook Air (15-inch)	$1,299	$1,499
MacBook Pro (M5)	$1,699	$1,999
MacBook Pro (M5 Pro)	$2,199	$2,499
MacBook Pro (M5 Max)	$3,599	$4,099
iMac	$1,299	$1,499
Mac Studio (M4 Max)	$1,999	$2,499
Mac Studio (M3 Ultra)	$3,999	$5,299
iPad	$349	$449
iPad mini	$499	$599
iPad Air (11-inch)	$599	$749
iPad Air (13-inch)	$749	$949
iPad Pro (11-inch)	$999	$1,199
iPad Pro (13-inch)	$1,299	$1,499
Vision Pro	$3,499	$3,699

The current price hikes do not include the iPhone lineup. It might only be a matter of time, though. Recently, Tim Cook confirmed that Apple can no longer shoulder the expenses of the RAM crisis by themselves, essentially signaling a huge wave of price hikes. The brand will likely continue the increases heading into the iPhone launches in September.

Gaming

ASUS brings 2026 ROG Zephyrus Duo, G16, and G14 to the Philippines

New Zephyrus laptops arrive

Published

June 24, 2026

GadgetMatch

ASUS Republic of Gamers has announced the Philippine availability and pricing of its 2026 ROG Zephyrus lineup.

Headlining the range is the new ROG Zephyrus Duo, joined by refreshed versions of the Zephyrus G16 and Zephyrus G14. The latest models feature Intel Core Ultra processors, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series Laptop GPUs, upgraded cooling systems, and ROG Nebula HDR OLED displays.

The lineup is available through authorized retailers starting June 24, 2026.

ROG Zephyrus Duo introduces dual-screen gaming

The 2026 ROG Zephyrus Duo (GX651AX) is billed as the world’s first 16-inch dual-screen gaming laptop.

It features two 16-inch 16:10 touch displays with 120Hz refresh rates. Together, they provide up to 32 inches of combined screen space for multitasking, content creation, streaming, and gaming.

The primary display is a 3K ROG Nebula HDR OLED panel with up to 1,100 nits peak brightness, Dolby Vision HDR support, and 100 percent DCI-P3 color coverage.

A new 320-degree kickstand hinge enables multiple usage modes, including Laptop Mode, Dual-Screen Mode, Book Mode, Tent Mode, and Sharing Mode. ASUS ScreenXpert software manages display layouts and transitions between modes.

Powering the device are an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, 64GB LPDDR5X memory, and 2TB SSD storage.

ROG Zephyrus Duo price in the Philippines

ROG Zephyrus Duo GX651AX-SR071WSM (RTX 5090, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — PhP 559,995

The laptop comes bundled with an ASUS Pen 3.0, ROG Universal Backpack, ROG Gladius III Gaming Mouse, and ASUS warranty package.

ROG Zephyrus G16 gets RTX 5090 option

The refreshed ROG Zephyrus G16 (GU606) retains its slim aluminum chassis, measuring 1.49cm thick and weighing 1.85kg.

Configurations include up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU with up to 160W TGP. ASUS says the laptop supports NVIDIA DLSS 4 and Multi-Frame Generation technologies.

The 16-inch display uses a 2.5K ROG Nebula HDR OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate, VESA DisplayHDR True Black certification, and NVIDIA G-SYNC support.

Battery life is rated at up to 22 hours of video playback, while ROG Intelligent Cooling combines Tri-Fan Technology, liquid metal, and expanded ventilation for sustained performance.

ROG Zephyrus G16 prices in the Philippines

ROG Zephyrus G16 GU606AR-TB061WSM (RTX 5070 Ti, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — PhP 289,995
ROG Zephyrus G16 GU606AX-TB084WSM (RTX 5090, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — PhP 429,995

Both variants include an ROG Exclusive Sleeve and ROG Strix Impact Gaming Mouse.

ROG Zephyrus G14 focuses on portability

The ROG Zephyrus G14 (GU405) continues to target gamers who want a more compact machine.

It measures 1.59cm thin and weighs 1.5kg. Despite its size, ASUS equips the laptop with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU with up to 130W TGP.

The device sports a 14-inch 3K ROG Nebula HDR OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, NVIDIA G-SYNC support, and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1000 certification.

ASUS also redesigned the thermal system with thicker heat pipes, additional copper fins, and improved ventilation to boost cooling performance.

ROG Zephyrus G14 prices in the Philippines

ROG Zephyrus G14 GU405AP-SY057WSM (RTX 5070, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — PhP 224,995
ROG Zephyrus G14 GU405AW-SY069WSM (RTX 5080, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — PhP 324,995

Each model ships with an ROG Exclusive Sleeve and ROG Strix Impact Gaming Mouse.

Warranty and launch promos

All 2026 ROG Zephyrus laptops sold locally come with ASUS’ No. 1 Quality & Service Program. This includes a three-year international and local warranty, one-year accidental damage protection, and Premium Care support.

Buyers also receive a gaming mouse, three months of PC Game Pass, an Office 2024 lifetime license, one year of Microsoft 365 Basic with 100GB cloud storage, and up to 700GB of ASUS Cloud Storage.

Meanwhile, the new ROG Slash Collection 4.0 accessories, including the Slash Backpack 4.0 and Slash Sling Bag 4.0, will arrive in select ROG stores starting July 2026.

Laptops

ROG launches 2026 Strix gaming laptop series

The pinnacle of gaming experiences

Published

June 16, 2026

GadgetMatch

The 2026 ROG Strix gaming laptops have officially arrived. They are available in the latest Strix G16 and G18 variants, as well as the Strix SCAR 18.

The latest gaming notebooks represent the pinnacle of gaming experiences, combining upgraded ROG Nebula Display technologies, refinements to ROG Intelligent Cooling, expanded high-speed connectivity, and a tool-less, upgrade-friendly chassis.

The 2026 ROG Strix G series raises the bar for mainstream gaming laptops. Both 16-inch and 18-inch models come with 2.5K Nebula Displays, now upgraded with ultra-fast 300Hz refresh rate.

Both models are capable of ultra-high framerates for the latest AAA games, thanks to the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 290HX and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080.

Their chassis can accommodate up to 32GB DDR5 memory and up to 1TB SSD storage.

The performance is complemented by advanced ROG Intelligent Cooling, featuring end-to-end vapor chambers, Tri-Fan technology, and Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal.

The ROG Strix G series ranges from PhP 159,995 to PhP 319,995.

On the other hand, the 2026 ROG Strix SCAR continues ASUS ROG’s pursuit of uncompromised gaming performance.

The Strix SCAR 18 comes with the first 18-inch 4K 240Hz Mini LED laptop panel, with over 2,000 dimming zones. ROG Nebula ELMB provides up to 16x greater motion clarity. The panel also features 1,600 nits peak brightness, 100% DCI-P3, and AGLR technology.

This laptop similarly comes with Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 290HX Plus, and up to GeForce RTX 5090 graphics. The graphics side is also enhanced by DLSS 4, Multi-Frame Generation, and GPU-accelerated technologies specially for the latest AAA titles.

New on the 2026 release is up to a 320W total system power. It also has a 20% thicker vapor chamber, as well as Upgraded Liquid Crystal Polymer fans to increase total airflow by 91%.

The ROG Strix SCAR 18 costs PhP 439,995.