News

Apple Intelligence is upon us

Supported Apple devices are about to get a boost

Published

October 24, 2024

GadgetMatch

When the iPhone 16 Series was launched, it came with a promise of an elevated neural processing experience called Apple Intelligence. Yes, the initials are exactly what it suggests. Coming in the last week of October are iOS 18.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1. and iPad OS 18.1 which will bring about a smarter experience across the Apple ecosystem.

So, what can you expect from the fruit company’s take on this 2024 trend?

Write smarter

Wish you had a way with words? Well, wish no more. With the new Writing Tools you can write as you normal would and ask Apple Intelligence to make it more interesting and it will. Other than that, you can summarize an entire lecture in seconds, get the short version of a long group thread, and minimize unnecessary distractions with prioritized notifications.

The feature will be available will be available in Apple and 3rd Party Apps that use standard text controls. For the rest, Writing Tools API will be made available so they can incorporate these improvements.

Genmoji and more fun with images

Also showcased during the iPhone 16 Series launches, Genmoji are AI generated emoji that are “truly personal to you.” These can be made directly with your likeness.

If you love bringing things to life visually, you can use the Image Wand on a sketch or illustration and Apple Intelligence will generate the image for you. Apple fans won’t want to hear this, but the function is quite similar to Galaxy AI’s Sketch to Image.

There’s plenty more you can do here through the Image Playground. That’s also exactly what it suggests. If you have played around with any of the AI Image generators available on Copilot, Gemini, ChatGPT, and more, that’s basically what this is conceptually.

You can make images through text prompts, sketches, or even an image from your Photos library. The cool thing that Apple added here is letting you apply these images in different illustrations and animations directly on the Image Playground app.

You can also make a custom memory movie on the Photos app. Enter a description, and Apple Intelligence finds the best photos and videos that match. It then crafts a storyline with unique chapters based on themes it identifies and arranges your photos into a movie with its own narrative arc.

A brand-new Siri

First off, Siri gets a new look. Apple’s virtual assistant now comes with an elegant, glowing light that wraps around the edge of your screen.

With a double tap on the bottom of your iPhone or iPad screen, you can type to Siri from anywhere in the system when you don’t want to speak out loud.

Siri is much improved thanks to Apple Intelligence. Now aware of your personal context, Siri can take action in and across apps, and product knowledge about your devices’ features and settings, Siri will be able to assist you like never before.

What about Privacy?

Yes, it’s the thing that everyone should care about but don’t really want to think too much about. Fret not because Apple has done all the thinking for us.

Apple Intelligence is integrated into the core of your iPhone, iPad, and Mac through on-device processing. With Private Cloud Compute, Apple Intelligence can draw on larger server-based models, running on Apple silicon, to handle more complex requests for you while protecting your privacy.

Other features to come soon after the update next week are:

Siri: Personal Context and In-app Actions
Genmoji creation on macOS
Create a Memory Movie on macOS
Priority Notifications
Additional languages to come in 2025. These include: Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and others.

For those who want to test these features pronto, developer betas of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 are already currently available.

News

nubia to launch new Neo 5 series gaming phones on March 28

Head to SM Megamall for activities, guest appearances, surprises

Published

March 21, 2026

GadgetMatch

nubia Philippines will officially launch the nubia Neo 5 series gaming smartphone on March 28 at their “Enter The NEOVerse: Born To Win” event. It will be held at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall in Metro Manila.

The nubia Neo 5 series’ design and details will be unveiled during the event. It is inspired by the REDMAGIC Gaming Lab, which is behind the REDMAGIC’s high-performance gaming ecosystem.

The nubia Neo 5 series will introduce a bold gaming-centric aesthetic, paired with performance-driven specs.

Customers can expect a sleek, futuristic styling, as well as powerful hardware engineered to elevate everyday mobile gameplay.

Across the lineup, users can expect high refresh rate displays, powerful processors, advanced cooling systems, and the familiar gaming triggers from the previous series.

It does look like nubia is adding AI-powered gaming optimization to give players an extra edge for every competitive match.

All these, of course, minus the flagship price tag.

Enter the NEOverse

At nubia’s launch event, the activity area will be transformed into a gaming-inspired universe.

Guests can explore interactive zones, participate in challenges, and experience the nubia Neo 5 series firsthand. They can also unlock exclusive rewards and prizes.

Moreover, the event will feature appearances from nubia ambassadors Sanya Lopez and ONIC Philippines.

From there, there will be 1v1 gaming sessions with ONIC PH players, as well as a special “Play” segment featuring a yet-to-be-revealed cosplayer.

nubia will also offer event-exclusive deals for early shoppers during the launch. Customers can enjoy up to seven premium freebies per nubia Neo 5 model. This is available for the first 100 customers.

Furthermore, nubia will officially announce its TikTok Super Brand Week, as well as partnerships with Yanlala and Geely.

News

REDMI Note 15 Series named Presenting Partner for Spartan Race Philippines 2026 season

Titan Toughness takes center stage!

Published

March 20, 2026

MJ Jucutan

Being a Spartan athlete for five years has taught me that endurance isn’t just about physical strength; it’s about the mental grit to keep moving when your body begs you to stop.

In this world, “toughness” becomes more than just a marketing buzzword. Now, it’s a requirement for survival. That’s why the partnership between Spartan Race Philippines and the REDMI Note 15 Series feels like a shared philosophy.

Partner for a tough course

Starting March 21, 2026, at Parklinks, Pasig City, the REDMI Note 15 Series officially joins the Spartan circuit.

For someone who has navigated these obstacles for years, I know that technology usually doesn’t belong in the mud. But the “Titan Tough” promise of the REDMI Note 15 is built for this exact routine.

It’s designed to be there for the moments that matter. For capturing the raw, unpolished triumph of the finish line; for surviving the grit of the course so you can focus on the next hurdle; and for finding the device at the heart of the festival area and the winner’s circle, mirroring the resilience of the athletes themselves.

Join the journey

Whether you are a seasoned elite racer or stepping into your first Open heat, this season is about testing your limits.

To help you get to that starting line, you can use the discount code REDMINOTE15 to get 10% OFF on all Spartan Race OCR, Spartan Kids Race, and Hurricane Heat events.

See you at the starting line. AROO!

News

Stylish, student-friendly HONOR X8d launches

Price, pre-order offers

Published

March 19, 2026

Manila Connoisseur

HONOR Philippines has launched its latest mass-market smartphone entry that caters to students and the youthful market in general: the HONOR X8d.

The budget smartphone is priced at PhP 15,999 and is available in Blue, Velvet Black, and Velvet Grey colors.

As part of launch offers, those who pre-order until March 27 can get a free accessory and can also avail of 0% installment plans via credit cards and Home Credit.

Customers can get the device through Lazada, Shopee, and HONOR stores.

REVIEW: The HONOR X8d is serviceable

The HONOR X8d is powered by a Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 2 processor and comes with 8GB of RAM (plus 8GB expansion) and 256GB of storage.

It has a large 7,000mAh battery which supports 45W charging, making it a very long-lasting daily value companion.

The device features a 6.77-inch 120Hz display which has up to 3,000 nits of brightness, making it useful for practical situations.

The handset comes with usual display certifications and protections, including 3840Hz PWM dimming, E-Book mode, SGS drop resistance, and an IP65 rating.

For its cameras, the X8d has a 108MP main camera, plus a 16MP front camera. The main shooter can capture decent quality at 1x, 2x, and 3x zoom ranges.

There are also handy AI editing tools like AI Eraser, AI Cutout, and AI Upscale.

Out of the box, the HONOR X8d runs on MagicOS 10 based on Android 16. It also has staple productivity tools like AI Translate, AI Writing, AI Notes, and AI Recorder, alongside features such as Magic Portal and Circle to Search.