My life as an athlete with a love for adventure often throws me into days that move faster than I can track.

One moment I am at the gym before sunrise, convincing myself that today I will stretch properly. Next, I am sprinting through airports or packing for a weekend race that I definitely did not plan for (but signed up for anyway because that is who I am).

When the DJI Osmo Action 6 entered my life, it felt like finding a piece of gear that immediately understood the mess I willingly put myself through.

I have always wanted a camera that could move with me (and survive me), preferably without making me feel guilty every time I jump off something or run through something.

I wanted a camera that did not need pampering. Something that would not make me pause my life so I could “protect the gear.”

Then suddenly, there it was. I had an entire month with the Osmo Action 6, and it almost felt like the universe handed me something that finally matched my pace. It followed me through unexpected moments that felt too good not to capture.

Made for those who ~really~ move

The first thing I noticed was how easy it was to hold the Osmo Action 6. It felt secure even when my hands were wet or drenched in sweat from training, as if it wasn’t bothered at all that I was already exhausted at 7 a.m.

Most of its controls are placed so intuitively that it felt like the camera was gently guiding me, saying, “Don’t overthink it. Just press this. Go live your life.”

The user interface was so straightforward that even people who have never touched an action camera would know what to do.

The screen reacts quickly and the settings are easy to reach. Its layout feels like it was made for people who move first and think later.

It removes every excuse to miss a moment because you were too busy trying to understand how the device works.

 

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Out of the box, the Osmo Action 6 gives you everything you need: a 1.5m extension rod, three Extreme Battery Plus units inside a multifunctional battery case, two locking screws, a curved adhesive base, a USB-C 3.1 cable, and two Dual-Direction Quick Release Adapter Mounts.

Depending on your lifestyle, accessories like the floating handle, the dual direction mini extension rod (which doubles as a tripod), the 360-degree wrist strap, and the hanging neck mount all serve one purpose: keep you hands-free so you can focus on living your story.

Inside a race course

During the Spartan Race’s Asia-Pacific Championship in Alviera, Porac, Pampanga, I joined the open category simply because I wanted to film my moments inside the course.

I could never join the Age Group Championship wearing a red band only to slow down for content. My competitive self would revolt.

I have always raced in the front pack with elite athletes and seasoned racers. Content creation is a blessing until you’re in a race and your pride says absolutely not.

 

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So my friend (also an elite athlete) and I became last-minute racers thanks to Mang Inasal Philippines. We joined the Sprint Category, which covers 5 kilometers with 20 obstacles (plus three extra because championship vibes).

Armed with only the Osmo Action 6 on a dual direction mini extension rod, I climbed walls and nets, carried sandbags, passed through hanging obstacles, and ran under an open trail where the sun genuinely felt personal.

Alviera is hot. We call it Hellviera for a reason. Yet the camera kept going despite direct sunlight and constant movements.

I dialed the resolution down to 2.7K because long 4K recording will always test thermal limits. Even then, it stayed reliable.

Like a scene straight out of an adventure documentary

The stabilization was genuinely magical. The frame stayed clean and level even when my hands were doing a million different things, like swinging my arms, gripping nets, adjusting grip, and bracing for impact.

Whether you choose RockSteady or HorizonSteady, your running sequences will look cinematic and documentary-level.

When we climbed or jumped, the shots had that adventure-film energy. There were no jitter or weird warping. No “Sorry, can you do that again?” moments.

We did not need retakes, and we did not need to check footage mid-race. The Osmo Action 6 kept up with the pace of an endurance athlete.

The built-in microphones even picked up our voices clearly. Pair it with DJI’s wireless mic and you get clean commentary that feels like the behind-the-scenes of your own sports film.

 

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Calm moment underwater

One of the most meaningful moments came when I lent the Osmo Action 6 to GadgetMatch’s Account Manager and Resident Host, Noela Amparo-Oro, for her birthday.

She wanted to celebrate by freediving, which honestly feels like the most poetic thing you can do for yourself. So I handed her the camera and said, “Go live your birthday moment. Capture it.”

Action cameras deserve to see actual action, not city sidewalks pretending to be adventures.

Noela had fun descending into the clear blue water. The footage she brought back made my heart stop for a moment. It was surreal. Like she had slipped into another world and returned with proof that it existed.

 

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I have seen plenty of underwater clips from action cameras that turned murky or desaturated, requiring heavy color adjustments. The Osmo Action 6 did not do that. Underwater, it preserved colors beautifully.

The details of her movements; the subtle shimmer of light across her skin; and the calm flow of bubbles. Everything was captured with clarity that felt emotional.

The Osmo Action 6 handled depth and shifting light with ease. Watching the clips felt like I had been there beside her, suspended underwater.

Even Noela could not believe the footage. And the fact that the camera does not need an underwater case up to 20 meters makes the experience feel even more freeing.

A picture quality to love

The Osmo Action 6 uses a large 1/1.1-inch square CMOS sensor that lets in more light, allowing underwater clips to remain balanced and detailed even in low-light environments.

With 10-bit color support, gradients in the water and sky looked vivid. The variable aperture paired with the sensor gives you the flexibility to shoot under harsh sunlight or underwater without losing depth or mood.

Exposure transitions also felt natural, and the highlights stayed controlled while the shadows held detail. The Osmo Action 6 preserved the emotional tone of each scene without flattening the story.

As James Rusameekae from Physical: Asia said, it is simply “Wow!”

Is the DJI Osmo Action 6 your GadgetMatch?

The DJI Osmo Action 6 excelled in every environment I threw it into. Water, low light, heat, fast movement, and unpredictable conditions? It handled everything with ease.

I collected footage filled with emotion and energy, and everything remained steady and sharp.

The clips felt complete even before editing, like they were already telling a story. (I uploaded some of them straight to my Instagram Story!)

If you live an active life and thrive outdoors, the Osmo Action 6 will meet your needs. You will appreciate how quick it is to use, and you will love the size, durability, and picture quality.

It feels like the kind of gadget you bond with, which makes it a Swipe Right!

Anyone who wants a companion for adventures will find comfort in the Osmo Action 6. For me, it is a Super Swipe.

With the experience I had, and the ease it brings to my life whenever I am out and about, PhP 24,390 for the Standard Combo feels like an investment in moments that matter.

The DJI Osmo Action 6 deserves the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.

If you do not live an active lifestyle, the Osmo Pocket Series or Osmo Nano might suit you better since it is built for city travelers. But if you want to look adventurous — and you have the budget — who am I to stop you?

The DJI Osmo Action 6 retails for PhP 29,990 for the Adventure Combo, giving you all the accessories you may or may not need.

I spent roughly a week with the realme C85 5G, and the best way I can describe it is simple: it’s a phone that does what it needs to do, lasts longer than you expect, and takes whatever life throws at it — sometimes literally. 

It sits in that growing corner of the entry-level segment where toughness, battery life, and reliability matter more than performance or camera tricks. And in that context, the C85 makes sense.

Most days with the phone were typical for me: chatting, browsing, catching up on an episode of Would You Marry Me on Disney+, and spiraling down YouTube, including ITZY’s “Tunnel Vision” music video as a casual MIDZY. It handled all of this in a way I’d call serviceable — a word I kept coming back to throughout the week.

A phone that doesn’t make you worry about battery

The star of the show is clearly the 7,000mAh battery. This thing does not die. It’s no secret that I tend to charge my phones when they hit 50% or below — a habit formed from generally being anxious. But the C85 never pressured me like that. It routinely lasted beyond a full day, often needing a charge only the following morning. 

This changes how you use your phone. I didn’t think twice about watching videos outdoors, navigating while commuting, or keeping multiple apps open. And when I did need to recharge, 45W SUPERVOOC did the job reasonably fast for a device in this category.

Built for everyday accidents — and random cats

realme markets the C85 as rugged, and in fairness, it lives up to that image. It has IP66, IP68, and IP69K ratings plus military-grade drop resistance, which is more than you usually get for this price.

I didn’t drop it from a motorcycle, but I did subject it to two tests that matter in real-world Filipino life: water and cats.

For water, I placed it under running water in the shower area of our condo pool for about a minute. Wiped it dry, and it kept working. No drama. Rainwater Smart Touch isn’t magic, but it helped keep the screen usable once it was clean and dry again.

For cats — well, that one was unplanned. While taking outdoor photos of the phone, a friendly stray with mismatched eyes followed me around. At one point, she stepped on the phone and even kicked it around with zero consequences. 

No scratches, no dents, no mad cat. If anything, it reassured me that this really is meant to survive little everyday mishaps without needing a case.

Bright, smooth screen… with caveats

The C85’s 6.8-inch 144Hz display sounds wild on paper. In practice, here’s the reality: it’s not as smooth as those numbers suggest. Coming from flagship phones (my ‘daily drivers’), the drop-off is noticeable. But if you’re upgrading from a Note 50, Note 60, or even last year’s C75, the bump will feel more substantial.

The real win is the 1,200-nit peak brightness, which made the screen usable even under the kind of brutal Manila sunlight that usually washes everything out. During a midday walk, I had no trouble reading chats and navigating menus.

Performance is… you guessed it: serviceable

The MediaTek Dimensity 6300 does enough for daily life. Not fast, not sluggish — just comfortably in the middle. Social apps, messaging, light gaming, navigation, and video streaming all ran fine, though I did experience occasional stutters.

A recurring issue was YouTube occasionally refusing to open when I was on mobile data. I’m not sure if that’s a network, software, or chipset quirk, but it happened enough times to mention.

realme UI 6.0 on Android 15 felt familiar and didn’t cause problems. Apps like Messenger, Chrome, YouTube, Disney+, and notes apps stayed open together without drama — something the 8GB RAM (expandable to 24GB with virtual RAM) certainly helped.

Cameras: Good enough for socials, but not exciting

The 50MP Sony IMX852 main camera is okay. Not disappointing, not impressive — just something you can work with. In daylight, photos look decent, detailed enough, and perfectly usable for social media. You can capture your food, your commute, and whatever landmark you stumble upon without issues.

Low light? That’s where the limitations show. It’s not awful, but it’s clearly entry-level. And while realme packs a long list of AI features — glare removal, unblur, smart remover 2.0 — I didn’t really use them.

The 8MP selfie camera is fine for video calls and casual posts. Again, nothing to write home about, but functional.

If cameras are a priority, you’ll want to look elsewhere. But if you just need “good enough,” the C85 is exactly that.

A quick note on speakers and extras

The 400% UltraBoom speaker is loud but never annoyingly so. Audio quality is flatter than what you get from flagships, but absolutely acceptable for its class.

As for the customizable Pulse Light, I’ll be honest: I forgot it existed after the first day.

You do get small modern touches like Air Gestures, Google Circle to Search, Mini Capsule notifications, and AI call and network optimizers, but nothing I’d consider deal-breaking or deal-making.

Is the realme C85 5G your BudgetMatch?

The realme C85 5G sits in that familiar budget territory where expectations are simple: stay smooth, last long, and don’t get in the way. It mostly does that. 

The cameras won’t blow you away, but they’re good enough for social posts. The performance holds up for everyday use. The battery is the real workhorse. Nothing fancy — just dependable.

The price also shifts the equation. At its full PhP 14,999 SRP, the C85 5G sits in that “think twice” territory. But at PhP 10,989 on realme’s official TikTok Shop, it becomes a much easier Swipe Right — the kind of deal where you stop nitpicking and start asking, “Okay, what am I really losing at this price?”

So, is the realme C85 5G your BudgetMatch?

If you’ve been eyeing that ultra-thin phone everyone’s been raving about but don’t quite have the budget for it, this might be your lucky day. nubia has recently launched the nubia Air in the Philippines.

It’s a new phone that boasts only 5.9mm of thinness and weighs just 172 grams, all while keeping things firmly in the affordable category.

So, brace yourself because this might just be the kind of “Air” that won’t make your pockets feel light.

But before anything else, let’s breeze though some of its specs:

• Ultra-slim and lightweight build — just 5.9mm thin and 172g
• 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i
• IP69K dust and water resistance
• 50MP autofocus main camera + 2MP auxiliary lens
• 20MP front-facing camera
• 5,000mAh battery with 350W fast charging support
• Unisoc T8300 octa-core processor (6nm)
• 8GB RAM, expandable up to 20GB with virtual RAM expansion
• 256GB internal storage
• Android 15 out of the box

Design & build quality: Slim, premium, and surprisingly polished

The nubia Air is one of those phones that immediately makes an impression the moment you pick it up. At just 5.9mm thin, it feels incredibly sleek—almost unreal—and yet it still manages to deliver a reassuringly premium in-hand feel.

I’m not usually the type who gravitates toward ultra-thin phones but holding this one honestly made me reconsider. It’s lightweight, easy to handle, and far more refined than what its just over PhP 10,000 price tag would suggest.

It comes in two colors: Titanium Black and Titanium Desert. My Titanium Black unit looks clean and understated, though it’s worth noting that both the frame and the matte back can pick up fingerprints and smudges more easily than expected. The included case solves that quickly, but it’s something users should keep in mind.

Despite clearly taking inspiration from a more famous “Air” device, nubia adds its own touches. The red-accented power button and the subtle red branding on the camera plateau give the phone a bit of personality without overdoing it. Small details, but they help the nubia Air establish an identity of its own.

A display that punches above its price

Front and center, the nubia Air packs a 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED display, topped with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i for added scratch resistance. And honestly? It looks far better than what you’d expect from a phone sitting at this price tier.

Brightness isn’t an issue either. With auto mode pushing it up to around 4,500 nits, I never struggled to read anything outdoors — even under Manila’s unforgiving midday sun. The 120Hz refresh rate keeps things smooth, whether you’re scrolling through socials, swiping menus, or gaming lightly on the side.

The borders are slim enough to make everything feel more open and immersive. Viewing angles hold up well too, maintaining clarity even when you’re not looking straight at the screen.

Overall, the nubia Air’s display puts in the work. It looks modern, feels fluid, and definitely won’t give away that you’re using a budget phone.

Cameras: Decent, usable, but not the star

The nubia Air is equipped with a 50MP main camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and an additional auxiliary sensor. Photos turn out good and very usable, but this is where the phone’s budget roots show the most.

Images are generally clear, but sharpness varies, saturation can sometimes go overboard, and HDR isn’t the most reliable. The AI mode doesn’t add much either. Surprisingly, night shots are still okay, just not impressive.

There’s also a 78mm digital zoom preset, but as expected, the quality dips noticeably the moment you switch to it.

Up front, you get a 20MP selfie camera. It’s decent and social-media-ready, but the processing isn’t the best. HDR struggles here too, and while beauty filters exist, they don’t fully mask that “affordable phone” look.

Here are some samples taken with the nubia Air.

Performance & battery: Smooth for daily use, casual for gaming

If you’re sticking to light gaming, music streaming, and social media, the nubia Air will easily get you through a full day with some battery to spare. The 5,000mAh battery paired with 30W fast charging means you can quickly top up when you’re in a rush—it’s not the fastest, but it’s convenient.

This is my first time using a phone with a Unisoc T8300 processor, and it delivers a smooth experience. Scrolling through apps and social media feels effortless, especially with the 120Hz display; the interface really does feel like it’s breezing through.

Gaming, however, is a different story. Even at lower graphics settings, frame drops are noticeable, including in lighter games like Roblox. This is expected at this price point, and casual gamers won’t find it game-breaking. Multitasking is solid thanks to 8GB of RAM, expandable up to 20GB with virtual RAM, keeping day-to-day use fluid and responsive.

Other features & AI

The nubia Air runs Android 15 out of the box with a UI that’s clean and direct, keeping things simple without heavy skinning. It comes with a reliable in-display fingerprint sensor and a Live Island feature, where the punch-hole camera interacts with the software for notifications and alerts.

AI enhancements are present, especially for imaging, and it also supports Gemini AI. While it’s not groundbreaking compared to flagship devices, it’s a nice touch for a phone in this price range.

Is the nubia Air your GadgetMatch?

The nubia Air is a no-brainer Swipe Right. It gives you a phone that looks and feels premium without making your wallet cry. The 5.9mm thin body and light 172g weight make it feel like holding air, yet it’s surprisingly solid. Casual users will enjoy smooth performance, the display is bright and immersive, and the battery easily lasts a full day.

What makes this deal even sweeter? While the SRP is PhP 12,999, ongoing promos on platforms like Shopee mean you can grab it for even less. For a sleek, lightweight phone that’s easy to recommend to parents, teens, or anyone wanting a stylish daily driver without overspending, this one’s hard to beat.