News

Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G gets the highest score on DXOMark

Impressive camera performance all around

Published

February 10, 2020

Kenrick Buduan

DXOMark awarded Huawei’s Mate 30 Pro with the highest score yet on its smartphone database. The Mate 30 Pro 5G gets the highest ever so far at 123 points, while its 4G variant gets a respectable 121 points. As a result, the 5G variant leads the pack in DXOMark’s database, while the 4G variant nets the 3rd spot.

For both stills and video recording, DXOMark found the Mate 30 Pro 5G the best in the flagship class. The device posted strong performance across the board for its photo capture and video recording capabilities.

The best photos in the class

DXOMark awarded its highest score yet for photos on a smartphone to Mate 30 Pro 5G. The device received a high score of 134 points, while its 4G variant gets a still-respectable 132 points.

Huawei’s latest flagship packs a quad-camera in a 40MP primary + 40MP ultra-wide secondary + 8MP telephoto camera setup, with the fourth as a time-of-flight sensor for bokeh and 3D sensing.

Its 4G variant also gets the same setup, but DXOMark gave it a lower score due to differences in software processing. Overall, the Mate 30 Pro 5G improves upon the 4G variant with better performance for zoom, bokeh, and nighttime stills shoot. On the flip side, however, the 5G variant performed slightly worse with its ultra-wide camera.

The slightly worse performance of the ultra-wide camera is due to a lesser field of view, which is a result of the new anti-distortion algorithm. According to DXOMark, the ultra-wide camera in the Mate 30 Pro 5G is one of the least wide they tested on a smartphone.

On a positive note, the ultra-wide camera heaped praise for good image quality in most situations. The same goes for its zoom camera, which was improved from its non-5G improvement. Bokeh performance is more or less the same for both variants, but the 5G variant improved on it with a slightly better dynamic range.

The same scenario goes for the nighttime shots. The Mate 30 Pro 5G touts better exposure and details in the background for shots taken with flash. Overall, photos taken at night has more details and lesser noise compared to the regular 4G variant.

Both variants received good points for preserving details and managing noise. They also received points for a good exposure, wide dynamic range, and accurate color reproduction in most scenarios.

Paired with excellent videography capabilities

Huawei also ensured that the Mate 30 Pro’s videography capabilities are the best among its class. Both variants heaped praised for excellent color reproduction and stabilization in videos taken with this device. As such, the Mate 30 Pro 4G and 5G receive a score of 100 and 102, respectively.

While both variants are good enough, DXOMark found some notable improvements again for the 5G variant. Video recording on this device results in more captured details, better noise management, and superior subject tracking. It also brings an improved dynamic range to the table.

A flagship to beat

Excellent camera performance is not the sole strong suit for the Mate 30 Pro. The Kirin 990 processor on this device enables flagship performance and 5G connectivity. It also comes with an immersive 6.3″ OLED screen with curved sides that act as its sophisticated side controls. And best of all, its storage is expandable with Huawei’s nano memory card. Truly, the Mate 30 Pro is the epitome of a flagship smartphone today.

See also: Huawei Mate 30 Pro Review

News

Xiaomi is making it easier for customers in the PH to shop

Xiaomi launches Mi.com online store

Published

May 16, 2026

GadgetMatch

Xiaomi has officially launched its Mi.com online store in the Philippines. This standalone website offers a more direct and centralized shopping experience, as Xiaomi has shifted away from third-party marketplaces.

The dedicated platform serves as a one-stop destination for the entire Xiaomi ecosystem. This includes the brand’s smartphones, smart home devices, and even the POCO lineup.

For instance, there’s the REDMI Note 15 Pro 5G, Xiaomi Smart Band 10, and Xiaomi Sound Party, among others.

The move marks a significant transition for Xiaomi’s consumers in the market. The brand mentioned wanting to deliver a smarter, more rewarding digital shopping experience tailored for Filipino consumers.

Moreover, customers do not have to worry about the presence of discount vouchers or a reward system, as the Mi.com website has these integrated. That way, customers will still find a great value for direct purchases.

Here’s a quick rundown of Xiaomi’s exclusive offers to celebrate the announcement of a standalone site:

Launch-Exclusive Vouchers: 10% off coupons on selected inventory, tiered discounts based on total purchase value
Daily Flash Sales: Two high-traffic windows are scheduled daily from 10:00 AM to 12:00 NN and 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Enhanced Loyalty Rewards: new Xiaomi Account sign-ups receive 50 Mi Points (1 Mi Point = PhP 1); during launch window, all purchases earn double points, which can be redeemed for future cashbacks

Apps

Netflix expands its cheaper ad-supported tier to Southeast Asia

This also includes more countries in Europe and South America.

Published

May 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

If you don’t care about seeing a deluge of ads on your platforms, you’re an incredibly rare breed these days. That same skill will come in handy for those nicely priced subscription tiers that comes with ads. Netflix, for one, has one of those tiers, and it’s now coming out in more countries.

As is prevalent in other platforms today, an ad-supported subscription tier lowers the price you have to pay every month. The catch, however, is that there will be an occasional sprinkling of ads here and there.

Netflix offers this service, which allows subscribers to get the service for cheap at the expense of their time. Currently, it is limited to only a few major markets in the world. However, the platform is expanding the tier’s reach to more countries in Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia.

Starting in 2027, Netflix’s ad-supported tier will expand to 15 countries: Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand.

Netflix says that the ad-supported tier is a popular option for subscribers. Currently, the tier has around 250 million subscribers worldwide. Since some of the new countries have a more budget-conscious attitude when it comes to purchasing services, this number will likely go up after the expansion in 2027.

Apps

Google might limit free storage to only 5GB

The change will affect new users.

Published

May 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Google One is a monthly subscription that gives you at least 200GB of cloud storage for your files and photos. For most people, a Google One subscription starts when Google inevitably tells them that their free storage space is running out and will soon stop backing up files. Starting today, new users might get that warning sooner rather than later as Google tests a lower limit to free storage.

Historically, Google offers users 15GB of free storage as a start. However, especially these days, 15GB can run out rapidly, prompting a Google One upgrade. Still, despite how “little” it is, Google’s free storage is generous compared to its contemporaries.

Now, Google is reportedly going to be more at par with the rest. As spotted on Reddit (via 9to5Google), new users will receive only 5GB of free storage. Based on Wayback Machine, the company changed its policy sometime between February to March.

Notably, 15GB is still available as an option, but users have to link their phone numbers to their accounts first.

According to Google, the policy change is meant to encourage users to upgrade their security. However, critics will point out that it just enables the company to collect more data about their users. Of note, the platform is already pushy about linking phone numbers before the change, but this adds another layer to entice people.

Also, Google confirms that the new policy is only a regional test for now. They have not announced when (or if) the change comes out for real.