News

iPhone 13 adds Cinematic Mode, better performance

Design is mostly same as last year

Published

September 15, 2021

Rodneil Quiteles

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

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.

News

FIFA World Cup: Lenovo’s Referee View received positively by fans

Unique first-person perspective brings action closer to viewers

Published

July 13, 2026

GadgetMatch

Lenovo has revealed that technological advancements at the FIFA World Cup 2026 has made viewers “feel closer” to the action than ever before.

Surveying fans across Australia, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Lenovo bared that 87% say technology is improving the viewing experience.

Close-to-action camera perspectives have also help 84% of surveyed viewers, making them feel they’re right on the pitch.

Of course, Lenovo AI has introduced Referee View throughout the World Cup. This AI-powered technology gives viewers a first-person POV of the match from a referee’s perspective.

Lenovo Referee View has been featured on an average of three times per match across the tournament in over 220 countries and territories worldwide, according to preliminary FIFA data.

Through a lightweight camera mounted on the match official, the technology gives a first-person POV of the match.

And while raw footage is fast-moving and sometimes unstable, Lenovo’s AI-powered video analytics platform automatically transforms the clips into smooth, broadcast-quality video in real-time.

Other findings from Lenovo’s research include:

76% of viewers have seen or heard about Referee View
91% say the close-to-action Referee View POV is appealing
88% say smooth and stable footage is an important part of viewing sports footage
98% say clear picture quality has been important when watching the FIFA World Cup 2026
91% are interested in seeing more technology that creates immersive or close-to-action sports experiences

Apps

Netflix suddenly resurrects 30-day free trials

It’s available only in some countries.

Published

July 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Over the weekend, a report emerged about Disney+ allegedly considering a new tier offered to users for absolutely free. Apparently, Disney isn’t the only one. Netflix is now resurrecting its free trial program in select countries.

Back in the day, it was easy to get into Netflix. With a 30-day free trial, you can watch the shows you’ve always wanted to catch. If you liked what you saw, you can pay the monthly fee to access the entire library without constraints. Eventually, the platform got rid of this system to favor a cheaper ad-supported tier.

Perhaps not seeing the benefits of ad-supported tiers, Netflix has suddenly resurrected its free trial program. Spotted online (via Android Authority), some countries, including Brazil and India, are experimenting with the program again. New users can get 30 days of free Netflix access.

Because only regular users are spotting this (rather than an official announcement), we don’t have a list of where the free trials are available.

Still, it’s an interesting move. Cable isn’t a thing anymore so “cutting the cable” isn’t a popular phrase anymore, but people are definitely cancelling subscriptions over rising prices. Some even rely on short clips from YouTube to catch up with their shows. Having a free trial opens up more possibilities for users, but it remains to be seen whether it’s enough for users to return to Netflix.

Apps

Disney+ might get a free tier

What would you like to see in a free Disney+ tier?

Published

July 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

In a world disappointingly obsessed with increasing prices beyond our means, Disney+ has miraculously remembered the phrase, “free sample.” According to a report, the streaming platform is considering making a free subscription tier.

As of late, it’s been difficult to maintain a healthy collection of streaming services. When you have to pay the equivalent of a full-course meal every month for just a single platform, you start to evaluate which ones really matter.

Perhaps feeling the sting of users leaving the platform over pricing, Disney+ is reportedly experimenting with a tier that comes at no cost to users (via Business Insider). According to two sources, adding such a tier might help the platform reach customers more.

Now, it’s still a mystery how this tier might work. Disney+ already offers an ad-supported tier, so it’s unlikely to be another one like that.

One possibility is a heavily curated feed of content either designed specifically for free users or limited exactly to give users a free sample. For the latter, think of the limited content you get on a plane. Sure, you might get the first three episodes of The Mandalorian, but you’ll have to fork over cash if you want to see the rest of the story.

And for the former, you can imagine short-form content available for free. Going back to Star Wars, you might see a short anthology series like Star Wars: Visions.

Either way, it’s an interesting concept. If the tier does offer full content, it’s a great way to get into franchises you were thinking of trying without the need to spend for a taste.