Features

Zenfone flips, OnePlus pops: Weekend Rewind

Two challengers enter the flagship group

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Here are the top stories on GadgetMatch this week.

1. ASUS Zenfone 6 may actually be defying the ordinary

Out of the two major phone launches that happened this week, ASUS might have had people buzzing a little bit more due to the lack of leaks weeks before its launch and its camera module that is flipping interesting.

The Zenfone 6 is equipped with only two cameras on a module that flips so it essentially also functions as the selfie camera. Pretty neat. ASUS insists you only need two because anything more than that will just make the phone unnecessarily expensive.

Specs-wise, the Zenfone 6 is packing a Snapdragon 855 chip paired with up to 8GB of memory and up to 256GB of storage. The ZenUI 6 also looks more stock Android versus the bloat-filled mess we usually get from ASUS. The phone is truly promising and we’re excited to review it.

2. The OnePlus 7 Pro is a lean, mean computing machine

There was nothing surprising about the OnePlus 7 Pro but that didn’t stop believers of the company to gush about this new flagship.

The OnePlus 7 Pro wants to squarely take on the Galaxy S10s and the P30 Pros of the world. It looks the part and the computing power is what we’ve come to expect from OnePlus. The Snapdragon 855 chip is in there along with up to 12GB of RAM.

Something new for OnePlus though is getting some star (or Stark?) power along with their flagship. They have employed the services of Iron Man himself Robert Downey Jr. to endorse the product. Some people think it’s a questionable move but with RDJ’s reach, perhaps this might get OnePlus in the radar of more people.

3. Realme X: flagship phone, budget price

After announcing the Realme 3 Pro, it didn’t take long for the company to unveil its first “flagship” phone. The Realme X is the company’s most powerful phone to date, but it’s not as expensive as the competition.

It’s powered by a Snapdragon 710 processor with up to 8GB of memory and up to 128GB of internal storage. A large 3765mAh keeps the lights on, plus it supports VOOC 3.0 fast charging.

How much, you ask? The Realme X will go on sale for CNY 1,499 (US$ 220) for the 4GB+64GB variant, CNY 1,599 (US$ 235) for 6GB+64GB, and CNY 1,799 (US$ 260) for the top-most model with a 8GB+128GB configuration.

4. Mint and lavender iPhones, anyone?

If reports from Apple-dedicated Japanese blog Mac Otakara are true, then Apple might be venturing out even further from their Space Gray and Rose Gold days.

The report indicates the sequel to the iPhone XR — perhaps Apple’s best value-for-money iPhone to date — will also come in two new colors: Mint and Lavender. That’s it. That’s the news. If you love these new colors, this writer is truly happy for you.

5. The Osmo Action is DJI’s GoPro

GoPro has a new challenger. DJI has been very active in the pocket camera department following up the Osmo Pocket with the Osmo Action.

It has most of what you expect from an action camera like image stabilization, 4K 60fps video, and the like. It’s also equipped with dual screens: one at the back for controlling the device and another in the front because DJI cares about how you frame yourself in the shot.

The Osmo Action is priced at US$ 349, which is about the same price as the GoPro Hero 7 Black today.


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.

Features

DUO more with the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024

Make things easy

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ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024

We are fans of what ASUS did with their latest dual screen offering — the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024. The Zenbook Duo isn’t exactly new. ASUS has been adding extra screens to their laptops whenever they can — but never quite like this. 

You see, ASUS managed to put a literal second display but still make it compact enough to fit most bags with provision for 14-inch laptops. As cliché as it sounds, the Zenbook DUO 2024 is an engineering marvel.

However, it’s more than just a gimmick. In our review, we noted how the form factor lent to a slight boost in productivity despite us not maximizing the product just yet. With that, let us share with you our favorite things about the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024. 

A unique mode for every scenario

A built-in, sturdy kick-stand unlocks the many possibilities available to the Zenbook DUO 2024. Some of the modes are: Laptop, Dual Screen, Desktop, and Sharing.

Each one lends itself nicely to different work and media consumption scenarios. Don’t feel like showing off? Keep things discreet and save some battery life with laptop mode. 

Need two screens? Switch to either Dual Screen or Desktop mode to take advantage of more screen real estate. 

Presenting something to someone across the table? Sharing mode lays the laptop flat allowing for easier viewing. 

 

The ability to morph to different modes depending on your needs is astounding. The best thing is that it is both functional and can serve as an ice breaker.

TWICE Momo and LE SSERAFIM Chaewon <3

Oh and we’ll never tire of sharing how the Desktop mode is perfect for watching two K-Pop fancams at the same time. 

Screen Xpert for the dual displays

This form factor won’t work without the right software support backing it. To that end, ASUS made Screen Xpert. What it does is essentially let you adjust the layout of the apps according to your needs. 

You can have up to four (4) apps live viewed at the same time. For our part, we usually only divided the screen to two, using one to reference a review guide or press release while writing news articles and/or reviews. 

But if you’re monitoring certain things, this will be pretty helpful having multiple windows laid out right away to get a quick overview of things is a godsend. 

Zenbook DUO 2024

The best thing is that a lot of these functions work intuitively. There’s a single button you can press to easily switch what’s displayed on the two screens. 

If you want more granular control, you can have the Screen Xpert floating bar ready at your disposal. Here you can control the brightness level of each screen individually. You also have the ability to change the orientation of each screen to your liking. 

There are also App Switcher and App Navigator functions to give you a better, more seamless way to layout the apps you use so that it’s most efficient for your needs. 

AI, Copilot, and more 

 

Something we didn’t mention much in the review is how the laptop is built with the AI age in mind. Powered by Intel Core Ultra 7 155-H, this thing is equipped with an NPU chip to aid in on-device AI tasks.

There’s stuff that happens in the background like making sure the AI-related tasks are processed with the NPU while the main CPU handles the rest. In the simplest terms, the Intel Core Ultra 7 is smart enough to delegate a task to the chip that will best execute it. That results in a more optimized overall performance.


Copilot is one of the biggest AI additions to any Windows machine. The possibilities are close to limitless. For our part, we’ve only really played around with Copilot Designer. But there’s so much more that you can do with it. Just remember to always check the results. Every AI output still needs a human touch. 

AI is also present in other functions like noise cancellation and the camera. AI Noise Cancellation makes sure you can hear and be heard no matter what scenario you’re in. It’s perfect for remote workers who do not exactly have control over their immediate surroundings.

Meanwhile, AiSense Camera works not only as a Full HD IR camera. It also automatically detects the lighting levels in your environment and adjusts brightness levels accordingly. You also get functions like auto-framing and background blur. Lastly, there’s the slightly creepy Eye Contact feature that locks your gaze to the camera. It can be a bit disorienting so maybe pick the occasions when you’ll use it. 

GlideX 

Working beyond this dual screen laptop? ASUS also made sure to equip the Zenbook DUO 2024 with software that makes adding even more screens a no-sweat task. 

With GlideX you can easily connect your Zenbook DUO 2024 with smartphones, tablets, or even another PC. Even better, it’ll give you the option to control everything from a single device. 

DUO more 

For a first-of-its-kind device, the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024 is pretty darn polished. That’s thanks largely to the company experimenting with dual screens long before releasing this dual screen machine. 

The Zenbook DUO 2024 literally lets you do more, providing options for flexibility that will help you optimize your workflow so you can finish your tasks more efficiently. This is more than just a gimmick device, it’s actually helpful and that’s because ASUS took the time to fit it with the proper software support. 

More on the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024 here. 


This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and ASUS Philippines.

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Features

GadgetSnaps: Malaysia shot on the Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Beyond charging tech

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Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

The Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G prides itself in its charging technologies. But what about its camera capabilities? Well, here’s a quick round-up of the many photos we took around the time the Note 40 series was launched in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

The NOTE 40 Series features a 108MP main shooter with 3x Lossless Superzoom. It also has OIS for steadier shots when taking videos.

The edits applied to the photos here only some resizing and cropping to make the page easier to load. Take a look at all these sample shots

Infinix Note 40 Pro series launch day

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Kwai Chai Hong/ ‘Little Ghost Lane’

Little Ghost Lane | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Petaling Street (Chinatown)

REXKL | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Tanghulu | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Petaling Street | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

In and around Central Market

Central Market | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery

Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Istana Negara entrance

Istana Negra | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Merdeka Square

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Merdeka Square | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Malaysian Bak Kut Teh and more

Bak Kut Teh | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Petronas Twin Towers at night

Petronas Twin Towers | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Steady shooter

The Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G isn’t a stellar shooter. But at its price point, it’s pretty darn decent for capturing different scenarios. Take these photos into some editing software and you can certainly elevate their look.

The NOTE 40 Pro+ 5G is priced at PhP 13,999. It may be purchased through Infinix’s Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop platforms, where customers can get up to PhP 2,000 off. Additionally, the first 100 buyers can get an S1 smartwatch or XE23 earphones. Alternatively, customers may opt for the Shopee-exclusive NOTE 40 Pro (4G variant) for PhP 10,999.

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Features

LOQ and LOAD: The Lenovo LOQ 2024 is for gaming and more

Your entry to PC Gaming

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Lenovo LOQ

Get your game on with the Lenovo LOQ 2024. This capable laptop is your entry point to PC Gaming and a lot more.

It comes an absolutely affordable price point: PhP 48,995.

You get capable hardware and the hood to support gaming and more. The Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I runs on the 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor and Intel Arc Graphics.

Those are key to bringing unreal graphics to this segment. Supporting latest tech like DirectX 12 Ultimate, players are able to enjoy high frame rates on the Lenovo LOQ.

Creating content? It comes with AI Advantage to help boost performance. Engines and accelerators boost the media processing workloads especially for creatives. It also works with Intel’s X Super Machine Learning, Leading to images that are as close to reality.

The laptop supports a configuration of up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD Storage.

As for its display, the device has a large 15.6-inch, Full HD panel that is more than enough for gaming, video editing, content consumption, and whatever else you do on a laptop. This display has 144Hz refresh rate, 300 nits brightness, and anti-glare.

Videos come out clear, crisp, and realistic. Audio is punchy and as loud as it gets. Windows Sonic elevates it more when you use headphones. And it just takes a few minutes to render HD videos on editing software.

As it runs on Windows 11, if you are going to use it for work, you can take advantage of various features. The Lenovo Vantage Widget is there for constant reminders, Copilot will help you organize your tasks, and Microsoft Edge is there for casual browsing.

There is an assortment of ports at the back for easy connectivity. And as this is meant for gaming, we put it to the test. Racing that looks better with high frame rate? Check. Shooting titles that require heavy work? Not a problem. You can play all your favorites and not worry about performance.

Best of all, it takes less than an our to juice up this laptop all the way to 100%.

So, whether you’re looking to get started with PC Gaming, or an upgrade for work and entertainment needs, the Lenovo LOQ has you covered.


This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and Lenovo Philippines.

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