News

Google Pixel 7 series puts premium on photo, video

Pro version challenges other flagships

Published

October 6, 2022

GadgetMatch

We’ve seen what they look like and now they have officially been launched. The Google Pixel 7 series. featuring the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, is ready to take on other flagships.

‘Most refined design’

Google says the Pixel 7 series has the “most refined design” of any Pixel phone to date. It has a smooth glass back with an aluminium frame. And of course, there’s the signature Camera Bar. The Pixel 7 Pro has a polished aluminium finish while the Pixel 7 is in matte. They are also made with recycled materials.

Both phones have an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. And the displays are scratch resistant with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.

Google Tensor G2, enhanced photo and video

Powering the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro is the Google Tensor G2 chip. It’s custom-built for Pixel and was made to take advantage of Google’s advanced machine learning and speech recognition.

Naturally, it also makes the phones run faster and smoother. It’s also responsible for the Pixel’s vaunted photography capabilities. But Google says it’s now extending to video too. It enables features like next-gen Super Res Zoom, twice faster Night Sight processing, Face Unblur, and Cinematic Blur.

The Pixel wants to remain king in low-light imaging. Its large main sensor lets more light in. Combined with computational photography, the Night Sight feature is promising to be better than ever. The Pixel 7 series can now also shoot 4K60fps videos.

Secure with more features

Equipped on both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro is the Titan M2 security chip. Together with the Tensor G2 chip, it helps the Pixel be built with multiple layers of security. You also get the usual Face and Fingerprint unlocks. It’s also designed for prolonged use as Google promises up to five years of security updates.

Additional features include At a Glance which immediately displays the right information at the right time. Google cites the baggage claim at the airport as an example. But there’s also other appointments and meetings listed on your calendar. There’s also Assistant Voice typing that lets you type with your voice. It now supports Spanish, French, and Italian.

The Pixel 7 series also has the Adaptive Battery Feature. It learns your usage patterns and optimizes the phone to make sure it lasts for about 24 hours. It also supports 30W charging, promising a 50% charge in about 30 minutes.

Price and availability

In the US, the Pixel 7 starts at only US$ 599. And it’s available in Snow, Obsidian, andLemongrass. Meanwhile, the Pixel 7 Pro starts at US$ 899. And it’s available in Snow, Obsidian, and Hazel.

In Singapore, the Pixel 7 series is now available for pre-order and will arrive on store shelves on October 13.

The Pixel 7 with 128GB storage retails for SG$ 999 and is available in Snow, Lemongrass, and Obsidian. Meanwhile, the 256GB version is priced at SG$ 1,129 and comes in Obsidian.

The Pixel 7 Pro 128GB is priced at SG$ 1,299 and comes in Snow, Hazel, and Obsidian. The 256GB version is available only in Obsidian and retails for SG$ 1,449.

News

Xiaomi 18 Pro series is launching globally, Xiaomi confirms

Xiaomi’s phone with two screens is finally going global.

Published

September 25, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

As you can probably read from our reviews, we were impressed with the Xiaomi 17 series. Like previous years, the Chinese brand knows how to make impressive flagships. Unfortunately, despite our raving, the world didn’t get the complete flagship experience because the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max were exclusive for Chinese users. This year, however, the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Pro Max will finally grace the entire world with their presence.

Recently, Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 18 Pro duo. Normally, the launch of the Pro series doesn’t make waves outside of China because of the exclusive release. However, soon after the series’ debut, Xiaomi CMO Xu Fei officially confirmed that the duo will make a global debut sometime this year.

Now, the launch of the two smartphones should catch your eye. While the regular Xiaomi 18 series belongs to the more traditional form factors for smartphones, the two Pro models feature a smaller 2.7-inch (or a 2.9-inch) LTPO AMOLED rear screen, adding that extra bit of spice even if the phone is facing downwards. Other than that, the series comes with up to a Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. It also features a trio of rear cameras including a 200-megapixel main sensor, a 200-megapixel periscope lens, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide sensor. In front, it has a 50-megapixel selfie shooter. Finally, the series goes up to an 8500mAh battery.

To be clear, there is a chance that the global version won’t match these specs. Regardless, it’s surely an impressive phone when it does launch elsewhere.

Apps

Google Photos can now censor your kid’s face better

The new Redact feature can censor sensitive information.

Published

September 25, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Censoring photos is heavy work. Either you stick on random emojis or draw an indiscriminate splotch of doodles to cover sensitive information. It’s an imperfect art but an essential one to protect privacy. Today, Google Photos is getting a Redact feature which can censor sensitive bits with pixelated blocks.

An addition to the Markup tool, Redact acts like a nifty pen that can hide information that you don’t want seen. Unlike a ghastly emoji or a splotch, the censored bar mixes better with the surrounding elements. In the example that Google used, a censored license plate blends well with the car it’s attached to, making the photo look more cohesive. Besides license plates, it’s the perfect tool for covering other information like phone numbers, addresses, and the faces of your loved ones.

Google Photos is also rolling out Moods, a set of filters that give photos a nostalgic look, including a 2000s night digicam vibe that’s popular today. There are also 15 new Remix templates to add more creation options.

Both the Redact and the Moods features will roll out to Android users starting today. The new Remix templates, however, will be limited to some countries on both Android and iOS.

News

Power Mac Center SM Aura is now an Apple Premium Partner store

With a new protection plan dubbed as “1Protect” for your precious new iPhones

Published

September 23, 2026

Vincenz

Photos and graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Power Mac Center has upgraded its SM Aura branch into an Apple Premium Partner (APP) store. The “APP” designation is the highest tier for reseller stores worldwide.

Originally opened in 2014, the redesigned store now houses its retail space, training center, and a service center in one.

The new space also puts more emphasis on learning. Free group demos will be held every Friday to Sunday. These will cover topics such as iPad creativity, or camera features, personalization, and Continuity for the latest iPhone series.

To celebrate the opening, customers can also score discounts on select Apple devices and accessories until September 27, 2026.

Deals include up to:

₱PhP 36,000 off MacBook Pros
PhP 19,500 off iPads
PhP 3000 off Apple Watches; and
PhP 11,000 off iPhone models

There are also service discounts until September 25. Plus, new iPhones purchases here are also covered with 1Protect device protection.

ICYMI, it’s a partnership between PMC and Bolttech. It’s basically a new way to protect your precious new iPhones.

Your regular one-year warranty does not cover accidental drops and water damage. Purchasing this new device protection plan (good for one year) gives you an unlimited dose of that.

Parts are guaranteed original and is an official part of AppleCare Services.

This protection program also covers one-time unwarranted exchanges (or change of mind returns) from micro scratches to color options. It will even replace your iPhone (of the same model and configuration) if it was stolen once.