News

iPhone 13 adds Cinematic Mode, better performance

Design is mostly same as last year

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iPhone 13

The new iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini mostly keeps the look and feel of the iPhone 12. The improvements come in overall performance as well as a video shooting feature that could prove useful for mobile filmmakers.

Getting some the minute details out of the way first, the notch is a tad smaller but that really isn’t a highlight. What your eyes should focus on is the improved Super Retina XDR OLED display. Yes. OLED. Apple says it’s brighter outdoors and is more power efficient.

Speaking of power, the iPhone 12 mini was famously lacking in the long-lasting battery department. Naturally, Apple says that will no longer be the case with the iPhone 13 mini. Along with the OLED display and the brand spanking new A15 chip, the iPhone 13 mini should last up to two and a half hours longer than its predecessor. Same is true for the iPhone 13.

A15 Bionic chip

The A15 Bionic chip is predictably described as being a more badass chip than the A14. It’s the same tune year after year but we never get tired of hearing it do we? (Cue Olivia Rodrigo’s “deja vu”). The A15 Bionic not only affect power efficiency, it’s also directly responsible for the new iPhones’ overall performance.

With it, the new iPhones’ advanced machine learning algorithms kicks into high gear and unlocks what could be the biggest addition this year — Cinematic Mode.

Cinematic Mode

iPhone 13

We imagine this to be the feature that most people will play around with, especially mobile filmmakers. Cinematic Mode records videos of people, pets, and objects with a depth effect. But it doesn’t stop there. It comes with automatic focus changes. This means anyone can capture cinema-style moments, even if they aren’t a professional filmmaker.

For those who require a more creative control, the focus and level of depth can be manipulated after capture in the Photos app and iMovie for iOS. The same will soon be available to iMovie for macOSS and Final Cut Pro.

This makes the iPhone 13 lineup the only devices to be able to edit the depth-of-field or bokeh in video after recording.

What’s even more impressive is that Cinematic Mode is also available on the front-facing TrueDepth camera. An update we’re sure plenty of TikTokers will be happy about.

Elsewhere on the iPhone 13

Everything else on this new model is the par for the course upgrade you’ve come to expect. The graphical performance for gaming is better and the dual-camera system Smart HDR 4 through computational photography.

5G coverage has also been expanded with Apple partnering with over 200 telecommunications companies to make sure the iPhone 13 series deliver the best in next generation mobile connectivity.

What’s new though are the storage options. Apple has finally decided that 64GB just isn’t enough. The starting model now has 128GB. With it are two other storage options — 256GB and 512GB.

Price and availability

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini will be available in pink, blue, midnight, starlight, and (PRODUCT)RED. The iPhone 13 starts at US$ 799/ SG$ 1,299/ PhP 50,990. Meanwhile the iPhone 13 mini starts at US$ 699/ SG$ 1,149 / PhP 44,990.

Pre-order starts at 5AM PDT on September 17. Availability begins on September 24. This covers the following countries: Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Japan, the UK, the US, and 30 other countries.

In Turkey, availability starts on October 1. In Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Thailand and nearly 10 other countries, availability starts on October 8.

India

TECNO’s POVA 8 5G is both futuristic and future-ready

8000mAh battery, Sony LYTIA 600 camera, Alive Matrix display, and more

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TECNO POVA 8 5G
Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Four months after the POVA Curve 2 5G, TECNO adds the POVA 8 5G to their performance-focused arsenal.

Futuristic vibe

TECNO’s POVA 8 5G continues the series’ signature sci-fi-inspired design language. The latest smartphone features sharp geometric elements and a semi-transparent rear panel.

TECNO POVA 8 5G

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

One of its standout features is none other than the new Alive Matrix Display. It’s a customizable light panel on the back that can display up to 49 animations for incoming calls, notifications, charging status, gaming sessions, and more. Prospective users can also personalize the lighting effects to match their style.

Beside that LED display lies the 50MP main rear camera based on Sony’s LYTIA 600 (or LYT-600) sensor. The said sensor offers improved light capture for brighter and more detailed photos. It also supports 2x lossless zoom. Up front, you’ll get a 13MP front-facing shooter.

Sony LYTIA 600

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Powering the device is MediaTek’s Dimensity 7100 SoC. That’s paired together with TECNO’s in-house G1 Signal Enhancement Chip and SE1 Wi-Fi Enhancement Chip — making it a triple chipset smartphone.

TECNO says these chips help improve connectivity in challenging environments such as elevators and basements while boosting Wi-Fi reception.

The phone also features a 144Hz display with TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification and military-grade durability.

Last but definitely not the least, its 8000mAh battery that can last as much as two days. For some measure, TECNO says the phone can last up to 85+ hours of music playback, 29+ hours of YouTube streaming, 26+ hours of WhatsApp, or 14+ hours of playing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB).

Future-ready

Aside from the beastly battery packed inside, TECNO is also bringing several practical AI tools to the POVA 8 5G.

Among them is AI YouTube Summary. This turns lengthy videos into concise notes with key points and timestamps. The device also features AI-powered noise cancellation that helps isolate the speaker’s voice during calls, recordings, and meetings.

8000mAh Battery

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

For photography, AI LightMaster 2.0 can remove unwanted reflections, lens flare, and shadows. The phone also supports uploading Live Photos directly to Instagram as Boomerang.

In select markets, users can even access AI Health features that estimate metrics such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and respiration through facial scanning technology.

TECNO POVA 8 5G

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Further solidifying its future readiness, TECNO promises two major Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates.

The company is also bundling three years of FREE 256GB cloud storage for POVA 8 5G users. Eligible markets can also receive a 3-month Google AI Plus trial which includes 2TB of cloud storage.

Pricing and Availability

The TECNO POVA 8 5G debuts first in India and is available in 16-Bit White, Terminal Green, and Plasma Orange colorways.

Specific pricing and availability in global markets are yet to follow along these four color choices: Arc White, Graphite Black, Echo Green, and Helios Orange.

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Gaming

Nintendo officially announces Ocarina of Time remake

Coming in 2026.

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There are a few titles that an overwheling majority of gamers consider as an absolute must-play for other gamers. One of those titles is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Originally launched for the Nintendo 64, it’s not easy to play the iconic game today. But, later this year, the game is about to get much more accessible. Nintendo has officially announced a remake of Ocarina of Time.

Modern gamers might not realize the effect of the original Ocarina of Time on the RPG genre. Besides adding a third dimension to the then-fledgling Legend of Zelda series, the 1998 game also revolutionized the gaming world by popularizing targeting systems. That, and the refining of the formula in Majora’s Mask, makes Ocarina an essential in gaming history.

During today’s Nintendo Direct, the company capped off the hour-long presentations by announcing a remake of the game. Though the short, short trailer didn’t reveal any gameplay, it did confirm that the remake will retain the original’s more whimsical art style, as opposed to the realism put forth by the Breath of the Wild duology.

It’s not the first re-release for the game, though. In the past, Nintendo released remastered versions of the game for the GameCube and the 3DS. This is, however, the first official remake of the title for a much more modern system.

We didn’t know when the remake will officially launch, but it’s coming out within this year.

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News

Apple has essentially confirmed the launch of the iPhone Fold

Some hidden references were not hidden enough.

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No, Apple did not officially launch the iPhone Fold yet.

However, WWDC 2026 had a few surprises for those attentive enough to go deeper into the event’s announcements. And it all revolves around iOS 27.

Of course, the main event of WWDC 2026 is the first peek into the upcoming mobile operating system. Though we already covered everything that Apple visibly announced, something hidden has essentially confirmed the band’s first foldable phone.

On X, Sam Henri Gold, an engineer, spotted a few crucial references to a foldable form factor. Hidden underneath the recently released iOS 27 beta are mentions of “foldState” and “angleDegrees.” The code also includes references to the number of displays a single device has.

Notably, iOS 26 did not include such mentions. It can’t be purely coincidental. Unless Apple is suddenly shipping iOS 27 out to foldables from other brands (highly unlikely), this is the prelude to an iPhone Fold coming later this year.

Now, rumors of an iPhone Fold have been making the rounds for a while now. But they haven’t been as strong as this year. There’s heavy speculation that the brand’s first foldable phone is coming later this fall.

There’s still a nonzero chance that it makes an appearance during WWDC 2026, but don’t put all your eggs in this basket. Apple traditionally reserves the conference for software developments. Fall is the usual playing ground for Apple’s hardware.

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