News

Huawei Mate X2 now official, features a no gap, perfect fold

New standard of the foldable form factor?

Published

February 22, 2021

Rodneil Quiteles

Despite its struggles everywhere else in the world, Huawei continuous to get strong support in its home country China. This is why it’s no surprise that the company has again launched a premium device there. This time it’s their latest foldable — the Huawei Mate X2.

No compromise displays

Like with any foldable, a bulk of the presentation centered around what they did with the hinge as well as the device and the displays’ dimensions.

When folded it looks like just any regular smartphone. The OLED display measures 6.45-inches with a 21:9 aspect ratio. That’s something new for Huawei but if you’re familiar with Sony Xperia smartphones, they’ve been rocking that aspect ratio for a while now to mimic the widescreen we see in movie theaters. The display also has a 240Hz refresh rate.

There’s also a punch hole on the upper left area of the display for the front-facing camera which shares the ultra wide angle view of other mate series selfie shooters.

Unfold it and you’ll be greeted by an 8.01-inch Ultra High resolution display with a 180Hz screen refresh rate. The screen aspect ratio is 8:7.1 with Huawei claiming that it’s exactly like having two regular smartphone displays side-by-side. Unlike its competitors, the larger unfolded display has no cutouts for cameras. You’re getting all of that display clean and free of distractions.

No gaps

The crowning glory of the device is of course the Multi-Dimensional Hinge design. With it, Huawei was able to achieve the “perfect fold” — one that has no gaps.

Huawei did two things to make this possible. First is the water drop-shaped cavity supported by a dual spiral structure for stowing the display when the Mate X2 is folded. Second is the interesting decision to taper the device when its unfolded. This means the right side is thicker than the left side with the thinnest side measuring just 4.4mm.

Camera module

The uneven sides isn’t just for achieving the no gap fold. The thicker area houses the Ultra Vision Quad Camera. It’s headlined by the 50MP Super Sensing Wide Camera — the same one found on the Mate 40 Pro. It also has a 20MP telephoto camera that’s able to get up to 10X optical zoom, 20X hybrid zoom, and 100X digital zoom. Then there’s a 16MP ultra wide camera for landscape shooting, and an 8MP SuperZoom lens for macro shots.

Kirin inside

It’s a flagship product so naturally it comes with a flagship chip. Powering the Huawei Mate X2 is the Kirin 9000 5G — again the same one found on the high performing Mate 40 Pro. The same chip also supports 5G connectivity. You’re also getting a 4500mAh battery with support for 55W Huawei SuperCharge.

The chip also powers the device for several of its multi-tasking features like Smart Multi-Window, Floating Window, App Multiplier, and many others. The presentation didn’t explicitly say this but it is still likely running EMUI 11 on top of Android 10. However, it was shown that it will move to Harmony OS by April 2021.

Pricing and availability

The Huawei Mate X2 comes in four colors: White, Black, Crystal Blue, and Crystal Pink. It will be available only in China for now starting February 25. Pricing are as follows:

256GB – CNY 17,999 (around US$ 2,784)
512GB – CNY 18,999(around US$ 2,940)

It also comes with a nifty cover that has a magnetic kickstand which costs CNY 299 (around US$ 47) .

Related Topics:Huawei Huawei Mate X2 Mate X2

News

realme 12 5G Philippine price, availability

realme’s 3rd offering under the 12 series

Published

April 25, 2024

GadgetMatch

The realme 12 5G is now official in the Philippines. Months after launching the the 12+ and 12 Pro+ models under its latest number series line, realme is back with the release of the series’ base model. The realme 12 5G is priced at PhP 14,999 and is available through realme’s ecommerce platforms and offline stores.

As part of its launch, realme is offering customers exclusive deals starting April 25th:

Lazada Flagship (May 5 to 10)

Free realme Buds T100
Free TechLife Hair Dryer

Shopee Official Store (May 5 to 10)

Free TechLife Power Bank 2 20,000mAh
Free TechLife 4.5L See-Through Air Fryer

TikTok Shop (April 25, 7:30 PM to 30)

Free realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker
Free TechLife Cooling Fan

James Afante TikTok Shop (April 25, 7:30 PM)

Freebie package 1: TechLife Cooling Fan and Free TechLife 4.5L See-Through Air Fryer
Freebie package 2: realme Buds T100 and Free TechLife 4.5L See-Through Air Fryer
Freebie package 3: TechLife Portable Steam Iron, TechLife Electric Kettle, and TechLife Portable Electric Pot

ALSO READ: realme 12+ 5G review: One month later

For offline purchases, customers also stand a chance to win freebies worth up to PhP 24,999 with the Mystery Box promo. Furthermore, they may join the Lucky 12 Challenge for additional freebies when they purchase the realme 12 5G from any of the 100 selected concept stores, kiosks, and exclusive stores.

realme 12 5G

The realme 12 5G is just as capable as its 12+ and Pro+ counterparts. The model boasts of a 108MP 3X zoom portrait camera, taking off from the series’ Portrait Master positioning.

The phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ 5G chipset, has 8GB of base RAM with 8GB RAM expansion, and a 5,000mAh battery with 45W SUPERVOOC Charge. In front is a 6.72-inch FHD+ 120Hz Sunlight Display that has a maximum brightness of 950nits. There is also an 8MP AI selfie camera.

Lastly, the handset also has a similar watch face design at the back. It is available in Twilight Purple and Woodland Green.

ALSO READ: realme 12 Pro+ 5G review: A midrange marvel

News

ZTE nubia Neo 2 5G now in the Philippines: Pricing, details

ZTE’s budget gaming phone gets an upgrade

Published

April 25, 2024

GadgetMatch

ZTE has announced the availability of the nubia Neo 2 5G in the Philippines. The successor to the nubia Neo budget gaming smartphone, the second iteration is armed with an upgraded gaming control experience for Filipino gamers to enjoy.

The nubia Neo 2 5G retains the distinct Bionic Mecha with “Hero Eye” design from its predecessor. It is available in Storm Gray, Sunfire Yellow, and Frost Silver for PhP 9,999.

The phone is powered by a Unisoc T820 processor (6nm). It supports even more Dynamic RAM at 12GB to complement its 8GB base RAM, and also offers 5G dual-card intelligent switching. Additionally, the nubia Neo 2 5G carries an even larger 6,000mAh battery, which supports 33W fast charging.

ALSO READ: ZTE nubia Neo 5G: Decent for gaming

In front, the device sports a 6.72-inch FHD+ display with a 2,400 x 1,800 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate for seamless viewing and scrolling. At the back is a 50MP main camera.

Upgraded Game Space

The nubia Neo 2 5G features Game Space 2.0, an assistance tool that is reminiscent of a professional gaming layout. Here, users may tinker with game optimization functions, including Game Performance Enhancement. This adjusts the device’s CPU and GPU resources to help it manage power and battery usage.

The phone also supports ByPass Charging for uninterrupted gaming. Users may activate this charging feature while the charging cable is connected to the device. When under ByPass Charging, the phone gets powered up but without the battery charging so it can reduce heat.

Upgraded experience

Furthermore, one of the highlights of the nubia Neo 2 5G is its gaming shoulder triggers. This gives users more freedom and control while navigating and playing. Users may also customize the shoulder buttons based on their personal preferences.

Meanwhile, the phone’s Dual Stereo Speakers with DTS:X Ultra provide impressive sound quality. This is further enhanced with four built-in sound effects.

News

Apple announces new special event for iPads

Scheduled for May 7

Published

April 24, 2024

Luigi Leonardo

The next Apple event is coming! Two weeks ahead of the big launch, the iPad maker has announced an upcoming event dedicated to the tablet.

As always, Apple has added a tagline to tease what’s coming for the brand. This time, it’s “Let loose.”

Now, you won’t get a lot of clues from something so vague. Thankfully, the graphic is much more telling. It features a hand clearly grasping an Apple Pencil. For sure, the event will focus on new iPads.

The special event will start on May 7, 10AM ET. Interested viewers can watch the event live.

There’s no confirmation what models are getting new faces for the event. However, rumors are swirling that we’re getting a new iPad Pro. We can likely expect a new Apple Pencil too, especially since the stylus is a main focus for the invite.

New iPhones are likely out, though. Apple usually holds the event for those later in the year. That leaves the Macs and the Vision Pro in the less-likely-but-still-possible realm.

That said, if you’re looking for new tablets, it’s time to wait a bit.