Features

More pop-up camera phones are coming: Weekend Rewind

From an unexpected brand too!

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Here are the top stories on GadgetMatch this week.

1. Energizer goes from batteries to smartphones

Energizer, yes the battery brand with the bunny as a mascot, is stepping out of its comfort zone. Reports indicate that the brand will release an entire set of smartphones at MWC 2019 in Barcelona.

Two of the phones will reportedly have dual pop-up cameras. The most premium is the Energizer Ultimate U620S Pop with its 6.2-inch Full HD+ display and MediaTek Helio P70 chipset. It comes with 6GB of memory and 128GB of expandable storage.

This isn’t Energizer’s first attempt at making phones. The first ones though have rugged designs headlined by large batteries.

 

Image credit: 91mobiles

2. Vivo V15 Pro spotted

Speaking of pop-up cameras, it was actually Vivo which did it first with the NEX. Vivo, as it always has, is now bringing that feature to the midrange segment.

There are already reports that the Vivo V15 Pro will launch in India mid-February. A leaked promo poster just gave us our best look at this upcoming phone.

The pop-up camera is only part of the bigger picture though. It appears the main shooter is a triple-camera setup. Whatever it turns out to be, we’re definitely excited to get our hands on it.

3. FaceTime bug is a major privacy issue

It looks like not everything stays in your iPhone after all. Weeks after making that bold statement at CES 2019, Apple is faced with yet another security mishap.

9to5Mac reports that the bug lets users call anyone with FaceTime and immediately hear their microphone before they even accept or reject the call. Yikes.

Apple has since said it has identified the bug and will roll out a software update in the next few days to address the issue. Quite frankly though, it should have never been an issue to begin with.

4. Apple working on gaming service

In other, less controversial Apple news, the company is taking a bite at gaming.

A report suggests that Apple executives are working on a gaming subscription service in the near future. They dubbed it a “Netflix for games” type of service, which allows people to access a list of games for a fee.

There aren’t a lot of details to go by, but it will be interesting to see what Apple does with this service.

5. Samsung acquires company behind OPPO’s camera tech

Apple’s biggest rival from the east isn’t resting on its laurels. Samsung is reportedly set to acquire Corephotonics for at least US$ 150 million. The company, which is based in Israel, is the one behind the 5x lossless zoom periscope camera solution of OPPO.

Cameras on Samsung phones are already pretty good. This latest acquisition could definitely make them even better. However, we’ll likely have to wait until at least the second half of the year before we see anything tangible from this acquisition.


Weekend Rewind is our roundup of top news and features you might have missed for the week. We know the world of technology can be overwhelming and not everyone has the time to get up to speed with everything — and that includes us. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the rewind.

Entertainment

I took the vivo V60 to Han So Hee’s fanmeet

Fan energy, camera tested

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vivo V60 Han So Hee
Photos shot on the vivo V60

It’s not every day you get to see Han So Hee in person. On September 13, I found myself at her Manila fan meeting. This was my first time at a fan meet, and the energy was noticeably different from the K-Pop girl group concerts I frequent—softer, more intimate, but just as filled with devotion.

Han So Hee was visibly tired, but that almost made the night more moving. You could see her push through with genuine effort to show appreciation for her fans. At one point, she even stepped off the stage to take a selfie with a fan who had shared a deeply personal story. I wasn’t fast enough to capture it, but the moment spoke volumes.

This isn’t the aforementioned moment. Close enough, though.

The fanmeet

The program had playful bits too. A highlight was when she was asked to copy poses from fan art. It was a treat both for the fans and for my camera—visually sharp, fun to shoot, and perfectly suited for social feeds.

Somewhere in between, she also revealed a small but telling personal preference: she’s a binge-watcher. She wants to know how a story ends, so she’d rather power through a series than wait week after week.

So Hee thinking about her answer during the quiz session where we learned she’s a binge-watcher.

And then there was the hi-touch session. I wasn’t sure how I’d react until it was my turn. I walked up, scrunched my nose at her, and she did the same back. 

It wasn’t a hi-five, it was a firmware upgrade for my soul.

We weren’t allowed to take photos or videos during hi-touch so this is So Hee with a cute pouty face instead.

The funny thing is, before the event, a friend had asked me which of her dramas they should watch. Without hesitation, I rattled off a list—My Name and Soundtrack #1 topping my recommendations. That’s when I realized I wasn’t just there to test a device. Somewhere along the way, I’d actually become a fan.

vivo V60

Still, I did bring along the vivo V60. Seated further from the stage, it became the perfect challenge for the phone’s telephoto camera and Stage Mode. I was a bit disappointed to learn that Stage Mode only worked for photos this time around. I’d had such a good time using it for fancams on the vivo X200 Pro that it felt like a step back.

Even so, the V60 held up. Shots within a reasonable range looked clean, and those where I didn’t push the zoom too hard were the best. Once you go beyond 10x, things get dicey.

At that point, it’s less ‘zoom’ and more ‘interpretive art,’ but Han So Hee’s face card refused to fold.

But that’s also the charm—having a camera that helps you capture fleeting moments, even from a distance, made me appreciate the fan meeting differently.

That night wasn’t really about testing tech. It was about being present for a star who, despite the fatigue, showed up wholeheartedly. The V60 was just my lens into it all—a reminder that sometimes the best shots are the ones that let you relive how it felt to be there.

Here are a few more photos from the fanmeet.

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Gaming

Unboxing: Ghost of Yotei Collector’s Edition

The Collector’s Edition captures that spirit in every piece

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Ghost of Yotei Collector's Edition

 

@gadgetmatch Unboxing the Ghost of Yōtei Collector’s Edition. #MatchPlay @PlayStation @Sucker Punch productions ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch


Ghost of Yotei isn’t just a game you play, it’s a story you carry with you. The Collector’s Edition captures that spirit in every piece.

Front and center is a full-scale replica of Atsu’s Ghost mask — cast in resin, sized to match Jin’s mask from Ghost of Tsushima, and ready for display on its own stand. Place them side by side and you’ve got a legacy in the making.

You also get Atsu’s sash, stitched with the names of the Yotei Six. It stretches a full 71 inches and feels right at home draped across your wall or pulled into a cosplay.

Then there’s the replica Tsuba from Atsu’s katana — the twin wolves forged by her father, now forged for your shelf.

The set goes beyond display pieces, too. Inside the box you’ll find a pouch of coins with rules for Zeni Hajiki, letting you play the same game of skill Atsu does in her journey. There’s a papercraft ginkgo tree with a wolf at its base, and a set of four art cards that capture the game’s heart in frameable snapshots.

And of course, all of this comes with the Digital Deluxe content and a digital copy of the game itself.

The Ghost of Yotei Collector’s Edition will retail for $249.99 | €249.99 | 31,980 JPY. For Southeast Asia, pricing is SGD 318.90 / MYR 969 / IDR 3,349,000 / THB 7,449 / PHP 11,490 / VND 5,799,000.

This isn’t just a bundle of items — it’s a tangible extension of the story, crafted for fans who want to keep Yotei alive long after the credits roll.


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Accessories

Unboxing the latest Apple Watch × Hermès

A Decade of Luxury on Your Wrist!

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It’s been 10 years since Apple and Hermès first teamed up to bring French luxury craftsmanship to the Apple Watch.

From iconic leather straps to exclusive watch faces, this partnership has transformed how we see wearable tech.

If you’ve ever wondered what makes the Apple Watch Hermès experience so special — or if the 10th Anniversary Edition is worth it — you won’t want to miss this.

Here’s our 10-year special of the solidified partnership between Apple x Hermès alongside the latest series of the premium Apple Watch.

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