Features

GadgetMatch’s most popular reviews of 2017

Published

December 27, 2017

Marvin Velasco

With a bigger team, GadgetMatch was able to produce tons of reviews in 2017. This made us curious: Which reviews got our readers’ attention the most?

We’ve compiled the top ten reviews in terms of total page views since the start of this year. There are some interesting entries that surprised even us. Take a look:

10. Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

Samsung’s pair of early-2017 flagships had a consistent flow of page views throughout the year, and for good reason. Even when the Galaxy Note 8 came out, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ continued to lure in potential buyers with their incredible performance and Infinity Display.

9. Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

The Galaxy A5 (2917) was one of the very first midrange smartphones to come out this year, and what a handset it has been. It made waterproofing and balanced specs on a midranger a thing, plus we enjoyed its class-leading AMOLED display.

8. Huawei Nova 2i

We were so impressed by the Nova 2i’s list of features that we expected a higher price tag than what it actually has. With a total of four cameras and a highly capable chipset, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better deal at this price point.

READ MORE: Huawei Nova 2i review

7. Vivo Y53

Vivo’s Y53 was such a popular handset among readers because of its affordable price. In order to keep it low, the fingerprint scanner was omitted, but everything else — from the Snapdragon processor to the decent cameras — remained intact.

READ MORE: Vivo Y53 review

6. Honor 6X

The Honor 6X will be remembered as the first truly bang-for-buck smartphone of 2017. It goes by different names — Huawei GR5 2017 or Mate 9 Lite, depending on the region — but the solid package is the same wherever you buy it.

5. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X

Few budget-friendly phones have received as much acclaim as the Redmi Note 4X across the globe. You simply can’t go wrong with a sub-US$ 200 phone equipped with a midrange Snapdragon processor and Xiaomi’s well-optimized MIUI skin.

4. Huawei GR3 2017

This is now the third Huawei phone on this list, and it rightfully deserves its spot. We were getting requests to review this handset through all our channels, and once we did, we realized how great of a deal it is at this price segment.

READ MORE: Huawei GR3 2017 review

3. ASUS ZenFone 4 Max

Here’s yet another affordable smartphone that both critics and consumers loved. The ZenFone 4 Max is easily ASUS’ most value-packed device this year, thanks to its massive battery, handy dual cameras, and efficient Snapdragon processor.

2. Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

No one can deny the immense popularity of Samsung’s Galaxy J series. With consistently strong marketing as a handset for everyone and all the features you need, the Galaxy J7 Pro is not just this year’s most popular Samsung device, but also 2017’s most-read smartphone review on our website.

1. Globe Prepaid Home WiFi

With internet speeds as slow as they are in the Philippines, it’s only natural for Filipinos to constantly find alternatives in all forms and sizes. Globe introduced the Prepaid Home WiFi in early 2017, and with its immense popularity came droves of readers who wanted to learn more about the package through our website — ultimately making this gadget our most-read review of the year.

[irp posts=”9513" name=”Globe Prepaid Home WiFi review”]

Related Topics:ASUS Globe Honor Huawei Samsung Vivo Xiaomi

Hands-On

Xiaomi Mi 9 Hands-On: 2019 Flagship Killer?

BEAST!

Published

February 20, 2019

Chay Lazaro

Top of the line specs, amazing cameras, and high-speed wireless charging. MWC hasn’t even officially started yet, so it might be premature to say this, but has Xiaomi just unveiled the 2019 flagship killer?

We recently got to spend time with Xiaomi’s latest flagship and this is our hands-on video.

Hands-On

Samsung Galaxy M20 hands-on: Give the users what they want

Awakening of the sleeping giant

Published

February 18, 2019

Shivam Vahia

Samsung has been the smartphone market leader for half a decade now, and its flagship phones continue to be an inspiration for everyone. However, while the brand is dominating in developed markets, it has taken a massive beating in the developing ones.

Thanks to players like Xiaomi, the South Korean brand has consistently lost market share in countries like India. Samsung slowly prepared itself to change strategy by the end of last year and intends to go hard in 2019. It announced the new Galaxy M-series lineup of phones in the budget segment and the M10 and M20 are the first ones to roll off the shelf.

The M20 has been launched in India for INR 10,990 (US$ 154) and comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. The option with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage costs INR 12,990 (US$ 182). The phone goes up against the Redmi 6 Pro, Realme U1, and even the Mi A2.

To start with, Samsung has opted to go with a basic design, consisting of a plastic body that is curved at the edges and is pretty glossy. The phone is extremely comfortable to hold, and the build quality is top-notch. Even the buttons are very tactile and bezels are smaller.

On the front is a 6.3-inch TFT display with a Full HD resolution and small water-drop style notch on the top. This is the first Samsung phone to feature a notch, and the display quality is surprisingly good. The color production is vivid and satisfying, while the viewing angles are perfect. It is easily visible even under direct sunlight.

For authentication, a fingerprint scanner is located on the rear and it is fast enough. You also have the option of face unlock and it works quickly in well-lit conditions. It has dual-SIM support and there’s a separate slot for microSD card, as well.

Powering the phone is an octa-core Exynos 7904 processor, which is considered to be on par with the Snapdragon 636. It is a very power-efficient processor with more emphasis on the cameras. Day-to-day tasks are handled smoothly and games like PUBG are playable with low graphics.

It has a dual-camera setup on the rear, consisting of a 13-megapixel primary shooter and a 5-megapixel wide-angle sensor. The pictures clicked during daytime are decently saturated but lack sharpness. Even focus tends to get slow in low-light conditions. The wide-angle lens works best in bright surroundings only and is a very handy tool. For selfies, it has an 8-megapixel shooter with built-in beauty enhancements.

It ships with Samsung Experience 9.5 out of the box and is actually well optimized. There is barely any lag and the UI offers a plethora of customizations and features. The company announced that the Android Pie update will be landing soon. Lastly, it has a massive 5000mAh battery that’ll get you through two days of usage.

Xiaomi has been successful because it offers users a balanced product that suits everyone’s needs. With the M20, Samsung goes down the same road. While the recently announced A-series phones were for photography enthusiasts, the M20 is good enough for everything.

The M20 is no disruptor, but an indication that Samsung is gearing up. And as a generation-one product, it’s performing fairly well.

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Cameras

Fujifilm Instax SQ20 hands-on: How good is it?

Trying out the new Motion Mode on doggies!

Published

February 14, 2019

Isa Rodriguez

Fujifilm’s sequel to their first ever digital/analog hybrid is here and it’s looking better than ever. The Instax SQ20 is one classy-looking instant camera but what can it do? With a set of built-in filters and new features like the Motion Mode, it looks like a promising device.

I finally try it out, with help from some doggies, on our hands-on video.

The SQ20 retails for US$ 199 in the US, PhP 12,999 in the Philippines, and SG$ 299 in Singapore.

In case you’re having trouble viewing, watch HERE.