We’ve only just started seeing the Infinix NOTE 60 Pro, and I have to be honest — this one didn’t walk into the room quietly.

Sometimes you go on a first date and immediately think, “You remind me of someone.” That’s the NOTE 60 Pro for me.

So in this edition of Match Pulse, here’s what stood out so far — the good, the questionable, and the things I’m still figuring out.

First Look

Let’s address the elephant in the room.

The back design pulls heavily from the iPhone playbook. The camera layout, the proportions — even the default lock screen aesthetic feels familiar. And not in a subtle way.

To be fair, Infinix isn’t alone here. A lot of Chinese smartphone brands borrow from Apple’s design language. But there’s always a fine line between inspiration and imitation. When it leans too close to the latter, it can feel a little tacky.

To its credit, Infinix tries to differentiate the NOTE 60 Pro with its Active Matrix Display. It’s an interactive LED strip embedded across the camera module that lights up for notifications, shows the time, and even runs small animations and pixel pets.

It’s cute and playful.

Right now, though, it feels more like a gimmick than a defining feature. I haven’t spent enough time with it to know whether it becomes genuinely useful or something you admire once, then forget about.

In hand, the phone feels… fine.

Not bad. Not exceptional. Just firmly midrange. The metal frame and contoured edges help, but the overall feel doesn’t quite cross into premium territory. It’s comfortable, inoffensive, and familiar — which is both its strength and its limitation.

There are also more buttons than usual. An extra button sits on the right side, echoing what we’ve seen from Apple and even devices like the HONOR Magic8 Pro. On the left, another button triggers Infinix’s AI assistant, Folax, with a long press.

It’s a lot of physical shortcuts. Whether that translates to convenience or clutter will depend entirely on how much you lean into them.

First Date

This is the first Infinix phone powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 5G, and that’s a notable shift for the brand.

In use, the phone feels quick and stable. Apps launch without hesitation, multitasking is smooth, and the system holds up well even when you start doing more than one thing at a time. CPU and GPU improvements are clearly there, and the phone is tuned to support up to 120FPS gaming in titles like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

Brigida on the Infinix NOTE 60 Pro’s screen.

The 144Hz 1.5K display is one of its strongest traits. It’s bright, fluid, and genuinely enjoyable for content consumption. Brigida showed up on screen in one of our shots, and the clarity immediately stood out — sharp details, lively colors, no distractions. It’s an easy panel to appreciate.

Paired with JBL-tuned stereo speakers, the NOTE 60 Pro makes a solid case for itself as a media-first phone. If you watch a lot, scroll a lot, or play a lot, this is where it shines most confidently.

The cameras are less compelling.

The 50MP main camera tends to lean bright. Images come out clean but a little flat, often brighter than my personal taste would prefer. It’s perfectly usable, but it doesn’t feel particularly expressive or memorable.

Battery life, at least on paper, looks promising. A large capacity battery paired with aggressive wired charging and even wireless charging suggests endurance won’t be an issue. But that’s something that needs time to really validate.

First Impressions

So, is there a spark?

I’m still undecided.

The Infinix Note 60 Pro feels ambitious. It wants to offer high refresh rates, gaming-ready performance, flashy design elements, and features you don’t always expect in this segment — all at once.

That ambition is admirable. But right now, it also feels like a phone still searching for its clearest identity.

Is it about performance?
Is it about visual flair?
Is it about borrowing familiar design cues and remixing them with playful extras?

Maybe it’s a bit of everything.

At the moment, the Note 60 Pro feels like a first date that tries very hard to impress. There’s a lot to like, a few things to question, and just enough intrigue to warrant a second look.

We’ll need more time to see where this goes.

Infinix NOTE 60 Pro specs

Believe me or not, I only had one encounter with an OPPO Reno phone, and it was the Reno10 Pro from 2021. However, my time it was very short.

Almost five years in, I was finally given the chance to hold the Chinese brand’s latest and greatest Reno.

Without beating around the bush, here’s my first time with the OPPO Reno15 Pro.

First Look

The moment I unsealed its sturdy packaging, the OPPO Reno15 Pro greeted me in this shining, shimmering blue backing.

Dubbed as the “Aurora Blue” colorway, it instantly reminded me that I’m still not over that Aurora Borealis scene in the latest hit K-Drama “Can This Love Be Translated?” starred by Kim Seonho and Go Younjung.

I said it before and I’ll say it again, flashy finishes are the least of my options when choosing for a new phone. Still, this finish wins over the less impressive Dusk Brown shade.

Just like that dazzling northern lights, the Reno15 Pro shows off its aurora accents depending on how the sun hits it.

In the faintest of light, that aurora simply vanishes. Even so, the OPPO Reno15 Pro still shines through with its specks of glitter.

That’s more evident when you bring the OPPO Reno15 Pro indoors — be that your cool room (literally) or a warmly-lit café.

Its camera cutout may not be the most unique out there, but it’s uniformed enough to look clean. After all, a phone’s camera arrangement isn’t what defines the overall performance of its cameras.

First Date

Although 8.13mm isn’t “thin” in today’s standards, holding and keeping the OPPO Reno15 Pro for prolonged periods never felt a sore. Its aerospace-grade aluminum frame may just be one among many factors.

One after another, that 6.32-inch AMOLED 120Hz display is a huge complement to the hands. It fits my huge palms, more so, pockets of all sorts. This sweet screen size is also a breath of fresh air in a vast world of large slabs.

When hit by that harsh sunlight, it’s more than bright– up to 3600 nits of peak HDR brightness if I must insist. And, no matter what kind of content I consume, it’s truly crisp, clear, and even color-accurate.

Being powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 8450 SoC alongside OPPO’s ColorOS 16 is what made me stuck longer. It honestly felt like I’m in a smooth ride without any road traffic.

The OPPO Reno15 Pro has a great harmony between its software snappiness and fluidity. Animations flow without feeling rushed — much like enjoying date nights without being pressured to catch the last bus trip back home.

Speaking of staying out late for a date, the Reno15 Pro lasted me more than enough. And, despite its petite form, it managed to fit in a 6200mAh battery inside.

The screen size to battery ratio is just a perfect match. Not only it fits in most (if not all) hands and pockets, it also meant being able to squeeze in more battery to make the most out of your day, night, and even midnight.

If juice gets squeezed out, its 80W SuperVOOC charging will truly save the day!

That doesn’t even end there. With triple IP ratings (IP66, IP68, IP69), you’re more than assured that it’s durable enough in occasional (and accidental) phone drops.

First Impressions

The OPPO Reno15 Pro, despite being categorized as a midrange device, already feels like a solid vanilla flagship.

Much like any other first dates, its overall appearance is just on the surface level. What made me invested more to know the Reno15 Pro further are none other than its intrinsic qualities.

That includes that screen size (or form factor) on the sweet spot plus oh-so-fluid ColorOS. Moreover, its powerful core paired with a humongous battery that will truly last you long.

While I may not have included any photo sample in this early look, I can already assure you that it has one of the greatest camera performers for its class. And actually, it is for another story 😉.

My first time with an OPPO Reno smartphone not only made me impressed. This phone also enticed me to consider switching to the OPPO system when another review opportunity arises.

THE Michael Josh just got back from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas — the annual tech event that attracts all the biggest tech brands.

One of which is none other than ASUS, Taiwan’s biggest computing giant. They have launched the first wave of Windows laptops for 2026. There’s a full lineup — models for everyday folks, creators, and gamers.

However, we are focusing on these Zenbooks favorites the show: the updated 2026 Zenbook DUO and Zenbook A14, as well as a bigger Zenbook A16 model.

Eager to know more about them? Here’s our Spotlight on the three power-packed ASUS Zenbooks at CES 2026.