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Apple upgrades iPad Air with new M1 chip

Still the king of tablets

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iPad Air M1

Apple flexes its dominance in the tablets space by introducing the new and improved iPad Air. It’s now powered by the M1 chip for a massive leap in performance.

Also coming to this upgraded iPad Air are the new Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage, a USB-C port with up to 2x faster transfer speeds, and blazing-fast 5G on cellular models. Makes you wonder why Apple still refuses to go from lightning to USB-C on iPhones. Moving on though…

M(1)assive performance leap

iPad Air M1

Apple is bringing their tried and tested M1 chip to the iPad air. What does this mean for those eyeing this tablet? Up to 60 percent faster performance and up to 2x faster graphics performance compared to the previous iPad Air.

We’re sure that still feels a little too abstract. So, some of the things it’ll now let you do are edit multiple streams of 4K video, play graphics-intensive games (we can hear PC gamers LOL-ing), redesign a room in 3D, and deliver more realistic augmented reality (AR). Nice, right? It doesn’t stop there.

Centerstage

iPad Air M1

Video calling has been extra essential over the past two years of the pandemic. To address this, Apple introduced Centerstage. It automatically pans to keep users in view as they move around. When others join in, the camera detects them too, and smoothly zooms out to include them in the conversation. This feature is present on the iPad Air and its 12MP front-facing camera.

The 12MP Wide camera on the back of iPad Air lets users capture sharp photos and 4K video, scan documents, and enjoy amazing AR experiences. It’s an end-to-end solution for photo and video capture, editing, and sharing.

5G and advanced connectivity

The iPad Air will come in 5G models. With 5G, iPad Air can reach peak speeds of up to 3.5Gbps in ideal conditions. With eSIM and Wi-Fi 6 support, you get flexible ways of getting connected.

The USB-C port is now up to 2x faster than the previous generation, with data transfers up to 10Gbps, so importing large photos and videos is even quicker. The port connects iPad Air to a vast ecosystem of USB-C accessories, including cameras, external storage, and displays with up to 6K resolution.

Retina display and accessories

iPad Air M1

Any tablet won’t be enjoyable without a good display. That’s why Apple put a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display on the iPad Air. Expect an immersive visual experience, with 3.8 million pixels and advanced technologies, including 500 nits of brightness, full lamination, a P3 wide color gamut, True Tone, and an anti-reflective screen coating.

The tablet is mightier with a pen. Or in this case, an Apple Pencil (2nd generation). It turns iPad Air into a digital journal and sketchbook users can take anywhere. It’s also compatible with the Magic Keyboard.

Price and availability

The new iPad Air is available to order beginning Friday, March 11, from apple.com/store, apple.com/sg/store and in the Apple Store app in 29 countries and regions, including the US, with availability beginning Friday, March 18.

In Singapore, the Wi-Fi models of iPad Air are available with a starting price of SG$ 879 and Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at SG$ 1,099. In the Philippines, a non-cellular model with a 64GB storage starts at ₱35,990 and ₱44,990 for the 256GB variant. The maxed out 5G + Wi-Fi model sells for ₱53,990.

Meanwhile in the US, the Wi-Fi models start at US$ 599 and the Cellular models start at US$ 749.

The new iPad Air, in 64GB and 256GB configurations, comes in space grey, starlight, pink, purple, and blue finishes.

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vivo X300 series coming to the Philippines

Price, details, more to be unveiled on November 26

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vivo X300 Series

The highly-anticipated vivo X300 series is officially coming to the Philippines next week. The smartphones will launch on November 26 via a vivo Philippines Facebook live event starting at 6 in the evening.

There will be three available colorways for the Philippine market: Phantom Black, Dune Brown, and Halo Pink. Memory and storage configurations are yet to be announced.

vivo’s latest flagships were announced globally less than a month ago. They are composed of the vivo X300 and vivo X300 Pro models, which both boast of 200MP ZEISS camera systems.

The Pro debuts a 200MP ZEISS APO Telephoto Camera with an upgraded Ultra-Sensing Sensor HPB.

Meanwhile, the 50MP ZEISS Gimbal-Grade Main Camera boasts of a large 1/1.28″ sensor and industry-leading CIPA 5.5-rated stabilization.

These enable the main camera to deliver more stable, faster, and clearer shots while greatly improving the overall imaging performance.

On the other hand, the X300 features a 200MP ZEISS Main Camera, along with a ZEISS APO Telephoto Camera with a LYT-602 sensor.

Leading performance, efficiency, and endurance

Aside from impressive camera systems, the vivo X300 handsets also feature improvements across OS, performance, and design.

They run on the new OriginOS, which is supported by ultra-core computing, memory fusion, and dual-rendering engines.

Inside, the X300 phones are powered by a Dimensity 9500 chipset jointly defined by vivo and MediaTek.

Built on the 3nm process, the platform delivers exceptional power and remarkable energy efficiency. It features a fully-upgraded 12-core G1-Ultra GPU and ultra-efficient NPU.

In front are 8T LTPO displays (6.31-inch for the X300 and 6.78-inch for the X300 Pro) with up to 2000 nits global peak brightness.

Lastly, the phones have long-lasting batteries (X300 Pro: 6510mAh; X300: 6040mAh) both supporting 90W FlashCharge and wireless charging.

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Android now supports AirDrop!

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For years, there was an insurmountable wall between Apple and Android. One ecosystem’s features were constantly unavailable on another’s. However, times are changing. Previously, Apple started supporting RCS messaging, bridging the messaging between the two platforms. Now, Android is getting support for an even major iOS-only feature: AirDrop.

In a world where file sizes keep getting bigger, efficient file sharing services, such as AirDrop, are invaluable. AirDrop allows iOS users within proximity to share files seamlessly with one another. Technically, Android has its own version called Quick Share. However, the feature did not work with AirDrop, creating another rift between the two platforms.

Today, Android has dropped a surprise feature. Quick Share is now compatible with AirDrop. For now, the feature will start with the Pixel 10 series. But Google hopes to roll it out for other devices in the future.

To enable interoperability between the two platforms, the receiver, regardless of Android or iOS, must set their visibility to “everyone for 10 minutes,” meaning including those outside of their contact list. For those who are conscious about security, Android says that the feature will use the Rust programming language to ensure that security remains a priority.

Unlike the vocal spate for RCS messaging, there hasn’t been a comparatively huge clamor for AirDrop on Android. Everyone just seems to take it as granted. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s not a welcome feature. Despite being a complete surprise, it’s a huge boon for Android users with a lot of friends on iOS.

SEE ALSO: Android 16 is here!

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realme C85 with 7000mAh battery, 5G connectivity officially launches

Starts at PhP 10,989 in the Philippines

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The realme C85 5G is now available in the Philippines, marking the biggest leap yet in realme’s C series lineup.

Building on the features of previous releases, the realme C85 is the first to feature a 7000mAh battery plus 5G connectivity, pushing the brand’s budget smartphone line to new heights.

Customers can get the device for as low as PhP 10,989 via realme’s official TikTok Shop, from its SRP of PhP 14,999.

As a launch offer, a free TechLife Power Bank (10000mAh) is also included while supplies last when customers buy via official stores nationwide.

Built for heavy use, realme C85 features triple IP66, IP68, and IP69K water and dust resistance rating, as well as military-grade durability.

It can resist damage from several types of liquids — including household cleaning solutions — and handle accidental drops.

At its heart is a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor for ample performance. The large battery capacity enables all-day use, while 45W SUPERVOOC charging lets users replenish the device’s power up to 50% in just 42 minutes.

In front is a 6.8-inch display with 144Hz refresh rate. The panel also supports 1,200 nits of peak brightness for visibility even outdoors. AI Outdoor Mode also automatically boosts screen brightness and optimizes network performance.

Not to be outdone in the camera department, the C85 has a 50MP AI camera plus handy features like AI Ultra Clarity and AI Edit Genie.

Alongside the 5G model, a 4G variant is also available.

realme Buds Clip also launched

Aside from the C85, realme also launched the new realme Buds Clip, a new open-ear, ear-clip style Bluetooth wearable.

It has 11mm dual-magnet large-amplitude speakers and supports AI Dual-Mic ENC. There are likewise audio enhancements, including NextBass Algorithm, Sound-Leap Directional Tech, and 3D Spatial Audio.

Users can enjoy up to 36 hours of battery life with the charging case. The earphones also provide 45ms low latency, dual-device connection, and even AI real-time translation, among other helpful features.

The realme Buds Clip is priced at PhP 4,999.

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