Features

Huawei, ZTE face ban amid 5G arms race: Weekend Rewind

It’s a security issue

Published

November 17, 2018

Rodneil Quiteles

Here are this week’s top stories on GadgetMatch.

1. Huawei and ZTE facing more potential bans

Huawei and ZTE have had a relatively hard time breaking through the US and it looks like they’ll face similar problems in other countries. While the US has allowed both Chinese companies to operate in their soil, the likes of Australia, Japan, the UK, and Germany aren’t exactly eager to welcome these two.

The cause for concern is China’s newly implemented National Intelligence Law. This law forces Chinese companies and individuals to serve the Chinese government when needed. Other countries fear this could compromise security.

Huawei and ZTE are gearing up towards 5G but with this current development, it looks like they’ll need to look elsewhere to establish their infrastructure.

2. PLDT, Smart activates first 5G towers in PH

Speaking of 5G, the Philippines isn’t one of the countries that’s blocking China. In fact, the government may be too welcoming. Partnering with Huawei and Ericsson, telecommunications company PLDT along with its wireless arm Smart has activated two 5G cell sites in the country.

The first one is located in Makati City where the company’s headquarters is also found. The other is in Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga, a neighboring region of Metro Manila.

3. MediaTek gearing up for 5G

Still on 5G, MediaTek is already hard at work in developing its 5G-capable chip. In a media tour in Taiwan, the company showcased the Helio M70 which does just that.

MediaTek says commercial rollout won’t happen until 2020 but they’re already prepared to showcase the chip at the next MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona, Spain.

Image source: LetsGoDigital

4. Apple patents holed iPhone design

Is Apple killing the notch? That appears to be the case if the latest patent they filed is any indication. LetsGoDigital reported that Apple is planning a holed smartphone.

According to the patent, the front-facing camera could be hidden underneath the screen through that hole. Whether or not this will be the case for the next iPhone remains to be seen. We all just have to wait and see.

5. PlayStation to skip E3 2019

PlayStation won’t be present when annual gaming convention E3 comes around in 2019. This marks the first time in the show’s 24-year history that Sony won’t be present.

In a statement sent to multiple outlets, Sony said, “As the industry evolves, Sony Interactive Entertainment continues to look for inventive opportunities to engage the community. PlayStation fans mean the world to us and we always want to innovate, think differently, and experiment with new ways to delight gamers. As a result, we have decided not to participate in E3 in 2019. We are exploring new and familiar ways to engage our community in 2019 and can’t wait to share our plans with you

It’s all very vague at this point but the company could be all hands on deck for an even more major reveal *cough* PlayStation 5 *cough* and they want the attention all to themselves instead of sharing it with other platforms.

Weekend Rewind is our roundup of top news and features you might have missed for the week. We know the world of technology can be overwhelming and not everyone has the time to get up to speed with everything — and that includes us. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the rewind.

Reviews

vivo X80 Pro Unboxing and Review

vivo’s best smartphone just got even better!

Published

May 19, 2022

GadgetMatch

The vivo X70 Pro+ was launched just several months ago. However, we’re already having a follow-up!

Unlike the X50, X60, and X70 series, the X80 series only consists of two models this time around.

Namely the X80 and X80 Pro — with the latter being vivo’s latest flagship smartphone.

But what makes it different from its predecessor? And what makes the successor a lot more exciting?

Watch our vivo X80 Pro Unboxing and Review now to find out more!

Unboxing

Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro Unboxing and First Impressions

Premium, smart timepiece

Published

May 18, 2022

Apple Gamboa

Huawei has been giving us the best choices for stylish timepieces to help us reach our health and fitness goals. And they’re taking the stage again with their new flagship smartwatch — the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro.

Now let’s take a closer look at this device and check what Huawei has in store for us this time.

Unboxing

The GT 3 Pro comes in this sleek black box with the name of the device in gold. Through the box, we also get to know that it is powered by HarmonyOS.

Lifting the cover, you’re immediately greeted by the GT 3 Pro Titanium Edition looking classy beside a gold Huawei logo.

Pulling the tab on the right, you’ll see a smaller enclosure. Opening it up, you’ll see some paperwork, a USB-C cable and a wireless charging cradle.

Now here’s the GT 3 Pro taken out of the box. Looks premium, doesn’t it?

By examining the watch strap, you can easily tell that it’s made of genuine high-quality leather.

The Huawei branding is not seen on the strap. It’s instead engraved on the buckle.

Also unlike the previous GT 2 Pro that has the usual double crown design, the GT 3 Pro has a watch crown and a button.

The rotating crown serves as its power button and scroll and zoom wheel. Rotating it feels smooth without much resistance. But it does have haptic feedback, mimicking a mechanical feel.

Powering it up, you’re notified to get the Huawei Health app and pair it with your phone.

Once paired, you can tinker with the settings and apply customizations based on your preference and liking.

First impressions

What I immediately liked with the GT 3 Pro is how classy it looks. And despite it being a big smartwatch compared to what I usually use, it feels light on my wrist.

I also can’t help but admire how clean and clear it looks with its 1.43-inch AMOLED display and sapphire glass lens.

Its body, on the other hand, is made of titanium and it has a ceramic back case to complete the premium package.

Using it for a few days, it looks like this timepiece will definitely level up my expectations for smartwatches. But I have yet to fully explore and experience everything about the GT 3 Pro that I’ll share on my hands-on review so don’t forget to also check that out.

Pricing and availability

The Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro retails for PhP 16,999 and is available in Titanium and Ceramic Edition.

Unboxing

Huawei Watch Fit 2 Unboxing and First Impressions

Manage your health, stay entertained and keep track of time

Published

May 18, 2022

Andre Ibarle

Today, we’re taking a look at the new Huawei Watch Fit 2. So, let’s get right to it!

Unboxing

Here we have the box which displays the color of the Watch Fit 2 inside. No tools are required to open this box as we are getting plastic pull tabs to unseal the device.

Opening the box, we are immediately greeted by the watch.But let’s set that aside for now.

Here we have a usb charging cable, some warranty paperwork and the user manual. And that’s about it. Here’s everything you will find inside the box.

First impressions

Moving on to the watch itself, a bigger 1.74-inch full view AMOLED display is what we’re getting. Oh, it’s also being powered by Huawei’s very own Harmony OS.

The body does feel robust with its polymeric fiber material while still keeping a stylish look. The straps are made of soft silicon and are easily interchangeable with their quick release system.

Now, to check out its internal features, we need to first pair it with our phone.

I did have some slight trouble pairing it with mine but an update of the Huawei Health app did fix this issue. So, just be sure to download the latest version to avoid any inconvenience.

Now that we’re paired we can really see how sharp and vibrant the AMOLED screen is And playing with it for a while, I can’t help but notice the buttery smooth user interface.

It’s very easy to change watch faces, switch to different workout modes, and even load your own music in its internal storage.

We can now also playback music independently or listen to the audio fitness coach through its internal speakers.

With all these features, the Huawei Watch Fit 2 has you covered when it comes to functionality you would need in a fitness smartwatch.

Manage your health, stay entertained and keep track of time — the Huawei Watch Fit 2 could just be your GadgetMatch.