News

iPhone 12 Pro series: The photographer’s iPhone

The “Pro” applies to the cameras more than any other feature

Published

October 14, 2020

Vincenz

The iPhone 12 Pro line is meant for photographers and videographers in mind. Although it’s packed with the same internals and display tech, what makes them different from the latter are the set of cameras — including a regular (wide) lens, an ultra-wide lens, a new telephoto zoom lens that’s capable of 5x optical zoom, and even a LiDAR Scanner just like on the 2020 iPad Pro.

The iPhone 12 Pro’s display size is similar to the iPhone 12 but the iPhone 12 Pro Max is Apple’s biggest iPhone (yet). From last year’s 6.5-inch, they bumped it up to a whopping 6.7-inch which still features the crisp and stunning Super Retina XDR display.

The new iPhone 12 Pro lineup comes in four colorways: graphite, silver, gold, and a new Pacific Blue variant — which ditches the Midnight Green option from last year.

For everything else, here are the changes. These are all also pretty much what you’ll find on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini.

Flat-edge design

Just like in the leaks, the flat edges from the iPhone 4s and 5s has made a comeback. They all feature a redefined flat-edge design sandwiched by two glass materials, including a tougher ‘Ceramic Shield’ glass that Apple claims as the “toughest glass in any smartphone”.

To make them distinct to each other, the iPhone 12 and 12 mini come in aluminum frame while both the iPhone 12 Pro lineup have stainless steel frame for that extra shiny and premium look. This “new” design feel is similar to the recent generations of the fullscreen iPad Pro — if you’ve ever held one.

Super Retina XDR Display

While the same ol’ notch is still there, they all now feature a crisp and vibrant Super Retina XDR display technology. This is a big improvement to the basic iPhone 12 and 12 mini lineup. They completely ditched the lackluster Liquid Retina display found on the older iPhone XR and iPhone 11 models. The flat-edge design definitely made the bezels look thinner this time.

A14 Bionic Chip

All iPhone models are equipped with the latest A14 Bionic chipset — which already made its debut last month on the new iPad Air. The new chipset promises 40% better CPU performance and 30% in GPU than the A12 found in the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max series. Other than that, this chip also helps bring out the best of their camera hardware by improving the software side through computational photography.

5G Support

Apple finally brings new 5G modems in these new iPhones. With 5G’s slow but steady availability across several states and nations, the new iPhones are all future-ready in the coming years ahead. In the United States, Verizon’s 5G UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) helps these new iPhones achieve up to 4Gbps of peak download speeds.

Improved Camera Sensors and Low-Light Performance

Shooting in Night Mode isn’t limited to the Wide lens anymore. The new and improved camera Ultra-wide and front camera sensors will let you shoot with Apple’s Night Sight as well. Other than that, there’s also a new video mode called ‘Night Mode Timelapse’ which basically brings better low-light when shooting timelapse videos.

MagSafe

Not to confuse with Apple’s old MagSafe port from their old MacBooks, this new MagSafe technology is equipped in the new iPhones which improves the wireless charging capabilities in the with the use of magnets made from 100% recycled rare earth elements. Apple’s in-house cases also have built-in magnets which makes wireless charging faster and secured in-place.

IP68 Rating

Not totally a new feature, but it’s worth pointing out that all models come with IP68 certification — a must-have feature for all the clumsy individuals out there. It promises water resistance of up to 6 meters in 30 minutes and is protected from coffee and soda spills

Pricing and Availability

The iPhone 12 Pro (6.1″ display) and iPhone 12 Max (6.7″ display) will come in blue, green, black, white, and (PRODUCT)RED. Pricing are as follows:

iPhone 12 Pro — US$ 999 / sG$ 1649
iPhone 12 Pro Max — US$ 1099/ SG$ 1799

Availability:

Customers in Australia, China, Germany, Japan, the UK, the US, and more than 30 other countries and regions will be able to pre-order iPhone 12 Pro beginning at 5AM PDT on Friday, October 16, with availability beginning Friday, October 23.
Pre-order for iPhone 12 Pro Max will begin at 5AM PST on Friday, November 6, with availability beginning Friday, November 13.
iPhone 12 Pro will be available in India, South Korea, and more than a dozen other countries beginning Friday, October 30.

Here’s the entire lineup’s pricing:

Apps

Finally! Grab users may now pay directly using GCash

Much-awaited partnership

Published

January 27, 2023

GadgetMatch

Grab Philippines and GCash have finally struck a partnership deal that will make payments on the superapp even easier and more convenient.

Starting February, users will be able to add GCash as a direct payment method on the Grab app, making cashless transactions on food and grocery deliveries, car transport, and other services cashless.

Prior to the collaboration, GCash users could only send money from their account to their GrabPay wallet, and vice-versa, causing a bit of hassle switching in between apps on one’s phone screen.

The partnership also means there will be no more transaction fees unlike before when Grab users have to cash in using their credit or debit cards or linked bank accounts.

Grab customers may also avail of GCash exclusive deals, and even get treats when they pay using the e-wallet.

News

Samsung offers $100 for Galaxy S23 preorders

Or the upcoming Galaxy Book

Published

January 27, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

The Galaxy S23 series is coming. Samsung has officially scheduled the first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year for early February, heralding the coming of the Galaxy S23 series. While the flagship series will certainly wow a lot of users, buying one might crumple bank accounts so soon after the holidays. Luckily, Samsung is holding an early reservation promo ahead of the Galaxy Unpacked event.

If you reserve either the new Galaxy S23 or the new Galaxy Book now, Samsung is giving away US$ 50 worth of Samsung Credit. Additionally, users can reserve both devices and get US$ 100 worth of credit for use on any eligible products in the store.

Simply by signing up with your email address, you can use this link to save up to US$ 100 when you shop with Samsung.

The promo ends next Wednesday, February 1, by 11:59pm EST.

News

Apple halts development of in-house chip

Broadcom is still in

Published

January 27, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Apple is currently on a quest to reduce its reliance on third-party components for its devices. For the most part, the company is successful in doing so. Apple Silicon is already an important part of the brand’s identity — with work on more in-house components ongoing. Now, Apple is reportedly pausing development on one of its upcoming chips.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will delay the development of its in-house connectivity chip. In the meantime, the brand will keep relying on Broadcom for the same components, going into the iPhone 15 series.

To be clear, the paused component only deals with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Apple is still developing its in-house modem for 5G connectivity — according to outside reports, at least. While the Broadcom deal will still continue, Qualcomm might still get the axe after Apple develops its replacement chip.

Given the positive response to Apple Silicon, building more in-house components might ultimately work well for the brand. If anything, the company can rest easier by controlling how one of its components is produced.

Besides Apple, other brands are also developing their in-house chipsets to rival component makers like Qualcomm. Google, for instance, is doing relatively well with the Tensor lineup. Additionally, though the upcoming series will rely on Qualcomm, Samsung is currently working to bring the Exynos lineup to match current standards.