Laptops
ASUSPRO B9440UA Review: Business-minded laptop
Don’t let its confusing — and we mean confusing — name turn you off. The ASUSPRO B9440UA means serious business.
As part of ASUS’ more professional segment, this rugged-looking laptop comes with Military-grade durability and a magnesium alloy construction which the company claims is the lightest in its class.
Coupled with stylishly slim bezels around the 14-inch display and a well thought-out hinge design, we’re looking at a recipe for success. So, the question is: Could this be your GadgetMatch?
Let’s start with a full view of the laptop
Look at how thin the bezels are!
Its hinge lifts the laptop up when the lid is opened
Sadly, there are only two USB-C ports
This is how far the lid can open up
The keyboard has a nice, tough feel to it with good spacing in between
Heat stays away from your lap with these well-placed vents
Both stereo speakers can be found underneath
Placement for the fingerprint sensor is great; not so much for the power button
Trackpad lacks precision and often caused missed clicks
Does it perform well?
Behind the rugged exterior is a smoother user experience than you’d expect. With an Intel Core i7-7600U processor, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of SSD storage, you shouldn’t hope for anything less.
Minus the lag I experienced while using the inaccurate trackpad, I was never bothered by poor performance or slowdowns when running Chrome and Photoshop at the same time. Adding more applications like Spotify and file transferring didn’t affect the fluidity, either.
Considering its integrated graphics chip, I didn’t bother playing games, but it can surely handle light games and mainstream titles at lowered settings on its native Full HD 1080p resolution.
I also appreciate how cool the unit runs and the way it shoots hot air upwards, away from my face or lap. Combined with the ergonomic keyboard, I barely felt tired after long sessions with this laptop.
Can it last a whole day?
This comes down to each person’s unique usage patterns, but my experience wasn’t so great.
Even with brightness set to 50 percent and charging the notebook to full before leaving the house, I couldn’t get the battery to last more than five hours of continuous usage.
Blame it on the power-hungry Core i7 processor or the slimmed down battery capacity, but the fact remains you can still get a lot of work done during the time this machine is on.
There’s something missing…
If you’ve noticed something lacking, you have sharp eyes. If not, know this: There’s no front-facing camera on this thing.
At first, I figured this was a compromise that needed to be made to cater to business-minded individuals, but then I realized that these people need webcams for conference video calls, as well. Now that’s a strange omission!
And while it isn’t a total exclusion, having only two USB-C ports hurts the productivity of this notebook. ASUS bundles a dongle that provides an extra full-sized USB port and HDMI, but that still doesn’t give you a card reader or DisplayPort.
But don’t worry, there’s a 3.5mm audio port on the left for your headphones.
Is this your GadgetMatch?
On one hand, the B9440UA excels at its specialties, which are the solid build quality and buttery smooth performance; on the other hand, excluding the webcam and limiting the number of ports are potential turnoffs.
For the starting price of US$ 1,000, I would’ve liked to see a touchscreen built in, as well. With the laptop laid down flat on the table, presenting with touch gestures would be a lot more seamless — and give you an alternative to the finicky trackpad.
When it comes down to it, the B9440UA is all business. Pay the premium, and you get a machine built to last. Our particular high-end variant retails for PhP 89,995 in the Philippines.
SEE ALSO: ASUS ROG Zephyrus Review: So thin, so powerful
[irp posts=”16053″ name=”ASUS ROG Zephyrus Review: So thin, so powerful”]
TECNO is making its MEGABOOK lineup a little more flexible.
At IFA ShowStoppers 2026, the uprising tech brand unveils the MEGABOOK T15 360 with two more laptops and three phones tagging along.
One laptop, four modes
The MEGABOOK T15 360 series is the brand’s first laptop lineup with a 360-degree hinge and touchscreen display.
By that, it’s more than just a conventional laptop. It can also be a tablet or a portable display via Tent mode or Stand mode. This added feat makes everything more versatile as TECNO’s existing laptops are only limited to the clamshell form factor.
Both models feature a 15.6-inch screen with the standard 16:9 aspect ratio. As alluded earlier, it’s a touchscreen laptop consisting of 10-point multitouch points. There’s also optional MPP 2.0 active pen support if you want to write or draw directly on the display.
So what’s the difference?
Well, the regular T15 360 gets a Full HD 60Hz panel with 320 nits brightness.
Meanwhile, the Pro version takes it up a notch with a faster 120Hz refresh rate, sharper 2.5K display resolution, full 100% sRGB coverage, and higher 350 nits brightness.
Both laptops come in an all-metal chassis made using CNC machining. The convertible design doesn’t come at the expense of a more conventional laptop build.
Performance uncompromised
TECNO isn’t treating the T15 360 as a lightweight convertible that has to compromise on performance.
You can get up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, paired with an LPDDR5X RAM. The storage is based from PCIe M.2 2280 SSD — with select models having a secondary M.2 slot for utmost expansion.
There’s also a 70Wh battery plus support for a speedy 65W PD GaN charger. Connectivity includes up to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4, alongside seven built-in ports.
Practical stuff were neither forgotten. There’s a backlit keyboard with a dedicated number pad, a fingerprint reader underneath its power button, dual speakers with DTS Ultra, a webcam, and dual digital microphones.
TECNO’s OneLeap feature also rounds things out by letting the MEGABOOK work with other TECNO’s smartphones, tablets, and other PCs for cross-device collaboration.
Two more MEGABOOKs
TECNO also brought two other MEGABOOKs to IFA.
The MEGABOOK K15S WCL is the more straightforward option. It uses Intel’s newer Wildcat Lake platform with a 16:10 display, a 70Wh battery, and 65W GaN charging — all in a premium, all-metal body.
Then there’s the MEGABOOK T17 Ultra. Ultra by its name, it goes big with a massive 17.3-inch 16:9 display. It can be configured with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and LPDDR5X memory. It also features a massive 99.99Wh battery and speedy 100W GaN PD fast charging.
Wait! There’s even more…
Beyond laptops, TECNO reveals the true form of its Next-Gen Bezelless Concept Phone at IFA 2026.
As announced more than a month ago, this concept uses a redesigned display architecture, internal stacking, structural engineering, and screen packaging to eliminate the physical black border around the display, resulting in what TECNO calls a true 0mm display border.
Beside a phone prototype, there are two consumer-ready products as well.
The POVA 8 Pro 5G Tonino Lamborghini Limited Edition combines the POVA series’ performance-focused approach with Tonino Lamborghini’s design language.
It uses a MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultimate 5G chipset alongside TECNO’s custom-made P1 Graphic Chip and a 5K IceShield vapor chamber cooling system. Specific details will be announced on September 4, 2026.
Meanwhile, the CAMON Slim 5G focuses on a thinner form factor, measuring just 6.39mm thick.
TECNO says it combines the CAMON line’s imaging features with AI capabilities and artistic colorways. More specifications will be revealed on September 7.
Pricing and Availability
The MEGABOOK T15 360 Series is expected to arrive in Europe by Q4 2026.
Depending on the configuration choice, the MEGABOOK T15 360 will start between EUR 899 ~ EUR 999. The MEGABOOK T15 360 Pro will cost as much as EUR 1099.
No pricing info were announced for the other MEGABOOKs and two phones as of writing.
Laptops
Acer expands mobile productivity lineup with Swift Blade 14, Air 16
Portable laptops built for work, play, creativity
Acer has expanded its thin-and-light portfolio with the launch of the Acer Swift Blade 14 laptop.
At just 799 grams, the portable laptop is built for mobile productivity. It is powered by up to an Intel Core 7 processor 350.
This capable processor is paired with 12GB of DDR5 memory and up to 1TB of storage for portable performance for work, play, and creativity.
In front is up to a 3K OLED display with up to 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. The display has a 90% screen-to-body ratio, 4.3mm slim bezels, and a 16:10 aspect ratio.
For connectivity, the Acer Swift Blade 14 has three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C ports. It is also equipped with a 50 Wh battery and an FHD user-facing camera.
In addition, the sleek 16-inch Acer Swift Air 16 laptop has also been announced. Built for work and play, this notebook is powered by up to an Intel Core 7 processor 350 with up to 40 TOPS.
It also has a dedicated NPU, up to 16GB of DDR5 memory and up to 512GB of upgradeable storage.
This variant has an all-aluminum chassis, up to a 3K OLED display, an IPS touchscreen option, and quad-speaker audio. It also comes with a backlit keyboard, and a larger 70Wh battery capable of fast-charging.
General availability
Both the Swift Blade 14 and Swift Air 16 will be available in EMEA in December 2026. The latter will also be available in North America in Q1 2027.
Phones flip and fold. Now webcams do too.
Foldable screens have found their way into phones, tablets, and laptops in recent years. Now, OBSBOT is taking that idea in a considerably smaller direction: the webcam.
The OBSBOT Meet Flip is the company’s first foldable 4K webcam packing:
- 1/2-inch stacked CMOS sensor
- intelligent audio
- a collection of AI-powered meeting tools
All of these inside a body weighing just 37.7 grams.
A fold that does something, not just a gimmick
The OBSBOT Meet Flip isn’t foldable just to make it easier to throw into a bag.
Closing the webcam physically blocks the lens and puts the device into sleep mode. Open it when you want to be seen, flip it shut when you don’t.
A physical privacy cover isn’t novel in itself. What’s clever here is how it’s part of the folding design.
As someone with a love-hate relationship with data privacy, I almost always keep some physical barrier over my laptop webcam. And if I can avoid having a webcam there entirely, even better.
Serious camera hardware in a pocket-sized webcam
Despite its size, OBSBOT hasn’t treated the Meet Flip like a basic laptop-camera replacement.
Inside is a 1/2-inch Exmor RS stacked CMOS sensor with Quad Bayer technology, capable of recording 4K UHD at 30 fps or 1080p at 60 fps. It also packs an f/1.8 aperture, HDR, PDAF autofocus, ISO 100–6400, and up to 4x digital zoom.
At its core is a 1/2-inch Exmor RS stacked CMOS sensor with Quad Bayer technology.
It can record:
- 4K UHD at 30fps
- 1080p at 60fps
You also get:
- f/1.8 aperture
- HDR
- PDAF autofocus
- ISO 100–6400
- up to 4x digital zoom
On paper, that gives the Meet Flip a better shot at handling the situations built-in laptop webcams often struggle with: dim rooms, harsh backlighting, changing lighting conditions, or simply moving around in front of the camera.
HDR helps keep faces visible against bright backgrounds, while PDAF autofocus continuously adjusts focus as you move closer to or farther from the lens.
The wider f/1.8 aperture should also help in less-than-ideal lighting.
The point is that once the Meet Flip is set up, you shouldn’t have to spend much time thinking about the camera itself.
It listens differently depending on the room setup
The Meet Flip also uses an intelligent dual-microphone system combining omnidirectional and directional microphones.
Instead of relying on one pickup pattern for every situation, it offers four audio modes for different setups:
Directional Mode focuses on sound coming from the front, making it the obvious choice for solo calls.
Dual-Directional Mode listens to both the front and rear of the webcam, which could be useful for interviews or conversations between two people sitting across from each other.
Smart Omni Mode is designed for group meetings, picking up voices from around the room.
And Pure Audio Mode provides unprocessed left and right stereo channels for users who would rather handle the audio themselves in post-production.
Auto Gain and AI Noise Reduction also work across the first three modes, helping clean up audio without requiring much manual adjustment.
It gives the Meet Flip more flexibility than a typical webcam microphone, especially if you regularly switch between solo calls, interviews, and group meetings.
AI that doesn’t intrude
AI has become an almost obligatory addition to new hardware in 2026, but several of the Meet Flip’s features put it to work on real-world meeting annoyances.
AI Auto Framing keeps you in frame, with options for:
- Group
- Single Close-up
- Upper Body
- Full Body
Gesture controls can also toggle Auto Framing or adjust the zoom without reaching for a keyboard or mouse.
More interesting is AI Magic Notes.
Through OBSBOT Center, it provides real-time transcription and can automatically generate meeting summaries with key points, decisions, and action items. It works across Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams.
Although AI Magic Notes is offered as a subscription service, every Meet Flip includes 120 complimentary minutes to get started.
MORE with OBSBOT Center & OBSBOT Live
There are plenty of other software features as well. OBSBOT Center includes:
- Background Blur and Background Replacement
- Real-Time Beauty Mode
- Picture-in-Picture overlays
- Smart Eye Tracking
- Teleprompter support
- Detailed image adjustments
The Meet Flip isn’t limited to laptops or desktops either. Through OBSBOT Live, it can connect directly to smartphones and tablets over USB-C for mobile streaming and content creation.
Flip it open. Fold it away.
None of those features reinvent the webcam on their own.
Taken together, though, they make the Meet Flip a more thoughtful take on a piece of hardware whose basic design and features have barely changed.
The flip may grab your attention first, but it’s how OBSBOT uses that design alongside its camera, audio, and software features that makes the Meet Flip interesting.
The OBSBOT Meet Flip is now available at US$ 119 and is currently available through OBSBOT’s official store, Amazon US, and select retailers.
&
@gadgetmatchPhones flip. Now webcams do too. 👀 Meet the OBSBOT Meet Flip, a tiny foldable 4K webcam with a lot packed inside. ✨
If you buy one, here’s what you’ll get out of the box!
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