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Beautiful, right? I’m going to call this the Legion Anything Goes. Officially, this is the 2024 Lenovo Legion 7i And it’s about as thin as you can go for a 16-inch machine with as much gaming chops as it has.

Powered by Intel Core i9 coupled with Legion’s approach to cooling – this offers one of the best ways to play AAA games today, wherever you may be. 

Oh and yes, this one has a neural engine, making it an AI-powered Gaming PC. 

Large and lean, smooth and clean 

But before anything else, let’s take time to appreciate how immaculate it looks in Glacier White. Lenovo said the body is anodized aluminum, which you really won’t be able to tell just by looking and feeling. But they promise it to be pretty darn durable. And in our brief time with it so far, it seems to be pretty deterrent to dust and smudges. 

Despite being relatively thin for a gaming machine, the Legion 7i can still be a lot to carry. 

The body alone weighs at 2.24kg or 4.94 lbs, and that’s still not counting the slimmer-than-before but still substantially-sized 230W power adapter. And while you can charge the machine via 140W USB-C, you’re going to want to lug the 230W one around if you want to game on the go. 

Ports are pretty generous. 

On the left side you have a USB-A and a couple of USB-C ports. One of which is thunderbolt 4 which has display out, power delivery, and data transfer capabilities. Lastly, there’s also a 3.5mm audio jack. 

Over on the right side you’ll find aUBS-A and USB-C port. There’s an E-Shutter Button for the 1080p webcam, and very welcome SD Card Reader. 

On the rear are the power port and an HDM1 2.1 port. 

Keys to the game 

The keys have a decent travel to them. It’s hard to communicate the feel because we’re coming from different kinds of keypad. I would describe it as generally clickity. Nothing too fancy and gets the job done. But the whole keyboard is full size – numpad and all. 

If you’re used to working on other laptops with mostly a 75% layout, there’s going to be a bit of an adjustment. I found myself positioning more to the left to align more with the general keyboard layout. You’ll likely find yourself doing the same because even the trackpad is skewed more to the left.  

While we’re on the subject of the keyboard, you can actually replace the keys. Lenovo made their own so you can customize them to your liking. 

Lenovo had us try this during an event in Bangkok earlier this year and it was incredibly satisfying. 

PC Gaming as a console gamer

Lenovo Legion 7i

So, what’s it like to actually play on the thing? Extremely satisfying. As primarily a console gamer, there are some quality-of-life things that I miss. 

But the whole console vs PC gaming debate is messy and we’re not about to do that here. I digress. 

Here are the specs I’m working with: 

  • Intel® Core™ 14th Gen i9-14900HX
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 4070 Laptop GPU
  • 8GB GDDR6 (130W) 2175MHz Boost Clock
  • 32GB (2 x 16GB)
  • 5600MHz DDR5
  •  1TB M.2 2280 PCIe SSD (Gen 4)
  • Battery
  • 4-cell 99.99Whr Battery

Most of my PC Gaming has been relegated to classic or non-graphically demanding titles. That’s because those are the only ones my old machine can handle.

Gaming on the Legion 7i feels like a sudden shot in the arm. With it, I can play AAA titles without any compromises.

I quickly fired up Horizon: Forbidden West — one of the most visually stunning games today — and it looks as good as ever. It also ran at no lower than 60fps in both exploration and combat.

I also tried other relatively recent AAA games just to see how it runs. Titles like Far Cry 6 and Death Stranding ran without hiccups whatsoever. Everything I played ran incredibly smoothly. 

So, what about the older games which are the primary reason I dabbled in PC gaming in the first place? Well, they played great as expected.

  • Marvel vs Capcom: Fighting Collection
  • Kingdom Hearts 1.5
  • Final Fantasy XII

A sight for sore eyes

Lenovo Legion 7i

Oh, and the display is absolutely chef’s kiss. 

  • 16″ 3.2K (3200 x 2000) IPS; 16:10 (165Hz /
  • 3ms Response Time w/ OverDrive / 100%
  • DCI-P3 / 430 nits/ X-Rite Color Management /
  • Dolby Vision® / NVIDIA® G-SYNC® /
  • Advanced Optimus/ TÜV Rheinland®
  • Low Blue Light

You’ve already seen how all these specs play a part in gaming. And that 16” 3.2K display really does feel bigger than it actually is. It’s great for split screen work tasks and catching up on the activities of your K-Pop idol wife and girlfriends (Delusional)

I like them big is how I typically describe how I like my gaming displays to be. And this one on the Legion 7i absolutely pushes things size-wise for something that you can relatively easily take from one location to another. 

Naturally, that huge a display means an also large overall footprint for the device. It’s pretty large that it fits in only one of the bags I own — it’s a weekender one at that. 

You’re going to need a big package to carry this around. And since you’ll likely have some space anyway. Might as well bring an extension cord. Trust me. You’ll need it.

Lenovo Vantage and AI Engine+

Lenovo Legion 7i

The thing I enjoyed the most is that I didn’t have to tweak anything at all. I just installed the games from their respective platforms and played away. As someone who doesn’t really have much time to fine tune settings, having the Legion AI Engine+ is a big boon for people like myself. 

I only need to open the Legion Vantage app, select Balance Mode, and tick box next to Legion AI Engine+ 

What it does is detect exactly what type of game you’re playing and calibrate the settings of the CPU and GPU to make sure you get the smoothest gaming experience possible. 

This is how AI should work. Less tweaking. More playing. 

But in moments when you want to keep yourself from pondering why your situationships never panned out, you can still tweak, maximize, overclock, and do all the PC things PC gamers seem to enjoy doing. 

The choice is ultimately yours. 

Work, work, work 

If the Legion 7i is the machine you have your eye on, chances are you’re going to use it for more than just gaming. And since we already know it can play, you already know it can definitely work. 

If your job entails just the usual: Email, some office apps, browser things and what not, then you’re pretty much covered. For us, since we dabble into a lot of photo and video editing, we need a little bit more oomph to get the job done. Thankfully, the Legion 7i is all the oomph we need. 

We can’t really speak for other professions, so our advice is to check the specs requirements for your intended tasks. That said, this thing is already pretty darn beefy. It’ll probably take some major workloads to push this to its limits. 

Legion Anything Goes 

Everything mentioned so far is why I fondly think of the Legion 7i, priced at PhP 149,995/ US$ 1,999, as the ‘Legion Anything Goes’. Generally, gaming laptops as beefed up as this one is a heck of a mobile machine. 

Light and heavy work: Check.

Light and heavy play: Even bigger check. 

Whatever you set out to do, the Legion 7i will empower you to take on quite literally all of them. It’s size is definitely something you might have to adjust to depending on whatever device you were using previously. 

But know that what you’re getting is such a complete package for work, chill, and play. 

So really, with the Lenovo Legion 7i… anything goes.

Reviews

vivo X300 Pro review: Going the X-tra Mile

300+ Hours Later with vivo’s latest and greatest X-flagship

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vivo X300 Pro

In a surprising turn of events, vivo has already made the X300 Pro globally available as short as three weeks after the exclusive Mainland launch.

It was first introduced to European regions. Next in line were Asian markets such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and definitely, the Philippines.

vivo X300 Pro

Without any frills, here’s my X-tensive review of the latest and greatest flagship from vivo — 300+ hours after I started using it.

For context: we unboxed the unit exactly October 31st. But it was only during the first day of my Vietnam trip (November 10) that I was able to fully utilize and maximize the X300 Pro. Counting those days (or hours), I’ve been using vivo’s latest X-phone for around 386 hours as I’m writing this piece.

X-cellent Cameras

Without beating around the bush, we all know the main reason why we’re eyeing the X300 Pro, and it’s none other than its intricate camera setup.

vivo X300 Pro
vivo X200 Pro
Wide
50MP f/1.57
1/1.28” Sony LYT-828
50MP f/1.57
1/1.28” Sony LYT-818
Ultra-Wide
50MP f/2.0
119º FoV (Field of View)
Samsung ISOCELL JN1
50MP f/2.0
119º FoV (Field of View)
Samsung ISOCELL JN1
Telephoto
200MP f/2.67 ZEISS APO
3.7x optical zoom (85mm)
1/1.4” Samsung ISOCELL HPB
200MP f/2.67 ZEISS APO
3.7x optical zoom (85mm)
1/1.4” Samsung ISOCELL HP9
Selfie
50MP f/2.0
1/2.76” Samsung ISOCELL JN1 
32MP f/2.0

Specs-wise, there hasn’t been a massive difference — just newer sensors equipped.

But, as I always say in my write-ups, hardware is just one factor. Actual photo output is what truly makes or breaks the performance of the phone’s cameras.

vivo X300 Pro

To somewhat entice you, here are some of my postcards from my very recent Vietnam trip — obviously shot on the vivo X300 Pro.

(Brace yourself, there’s a lot to come!)

Just like hopping along three cities in Vietnam, I used the three lenses of the X300 Pro more extensively due to their overall flexibility — more than what I did with my mirrorless camera and the recently-bought 35mm prime lens attached to it.

vivo ZEISS APO 3.5x Periscope Telephoto Zoom

And by that, it’s the phone’s capability to switch seamlessly between several focal length options with little to no degradation.

That also meant consistent colors regardless if you use the main 1x mode, UWA (ultra-wide angle), its optical 3.5x zoom, or even beyond 5x lossless zoom.

X-ceptional Collab

The superiority of vivo X300 Pro’s cameras doesn’t revolve only around its hardware. Over the years, vivo has strengthened its ties with ZEISS even further. Starting it all with the X60 all the way to X300 series, the brand’s exceptional collab is stronger than ever.

vivo ZEISS

The default ZEISS color profile captures photos that look natural without being too flat. I’ve been using this in subjects that offers the best balance in shadows and saturation.

That said, vivo providing two more profiles just means they want the user to be as creative and as free as possible.

When it comes to food, switching to Vivid is deemed the best option. This profile gives the best pop of colors in the scene.

Architecture and interior should not be exempted when using this punchy profile.

It also made these golden hour shots more favorable than just sticking with the default ZEISS calibration.

📍 Lotte Mall West Lake (Hồ Tây)

📍 Lotte Hanoi Sky

But, for the entirety of my trip, I relied heavily on Textured as I love how my shots look more soulful in this profile with ample amount of shadows and toned-down highlights.

📍 Hạ Long Bay

📍 Sun World Fansipan Legend

📍 SaPa Center

📍 Moana SaPa

📍 Ban Mong Alpine Coaster

📍 Hanoi Train Street

📍 Phố cổ Hà Nội + Hoàn Kiếm

📍 Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn

📍 Vietnam Airlines / VN206

Furthermore, it gives that much-needed depth when taking pics of indoor and outdoor pets.

Switching to Portrait Mode, ZEISS Style Portrait remains with faster shooting times plus more precise subject to background segmentation.

Mind you, it’s not limited to human subjects as I used it all throughout my time with these cute capys in Saigon.

📍 Kapi Cafe

Speaking of, it’s worth mentioning that the user now has the ability to pick between vivo’s three color profiles when shooting in Portrait Mode. It’s something you cannot do in previous vivo phones. Not even vivo’s latest V60 midranger has this.

Also, the rear flash unit can now be toggled in this mode — just without that Aura Light madness. It makes more sense when taking night-time portraits with high facial illumination.

vivo ZEISS Style Portraits

There’s also an additional ZEISS “Mirotar” lens. This only appears though when aiming to shoot tele-macro subjects as it’s not included in vivo’s default Portrait Mode lenses under ZEISS Style Portrait.

X-traordinary Camera X-tras

The vivo X300 Pro is very rich in camera feats. It doesn’t just end with the default Photo Mode.

vivo Humanistic Street Snap Camera

Humanistic Street Snap Camera Mode still remains — which isn’t very different from the X200 Pro. Thankfully, vivo added two more film presets: Positive Film and Clear Blue.

 

The X300 Pro already has a fast shutter speed in the default Photo Mode. But in times where you’re really on the move and you cannot stay still, Snapshot Mode is here to save the day.

With my commute in Vietnam heavily relying on riding motorbikes, this mode became my go-to for capturing fast-moving subjects.

Trying to take very-detailed horizon shots? The 50MP and 200MP Hi-Res toggles exist. They were beneficial when I tried taking horizon shots of Hanoi, Saigon, and even SaPa.

* For the sake of this write-up, I’ve retained the resolution but compressed the overall quality for faster loading times

When it comes to video shooting, the vivo X300 Pro is undoubtedly dynamic. And it’s more than just that 10-bit Log feature.

The X200 Pro was only limited to 4K/60fps when shooting in Dolby Vision. Now, vivo’s X300 Pro steps it up a notch as it maxes out at 120fps — perfect for those slo-mo clips in crispier UHD quality.

vivo Dolby Vision 4K 120fps

If you’re the concert-goer type of fan, the X300 Pro is more than capable enough to produce those social media-ready snaps.

Stage Mode got improved as well with additional support for 4K/60fps resolution — Dolby Vision toggle not forgotten.

The X200 Pro never had any configurable options and only had a limiting 1080p / Full HD option.

I’ve fully used this camera mode when I went to BLACKPINK’s DEADLINE Tour in Bulacan.

The LBA (Lower Box A) Premium section I was seated isn’t the closest to the stage. Still, the X300 Pro had me capture shots and clips that still looked closer than what I’ve seen IRL.

Talk about concerts. It’s good to mention that both the base and Pro X300s have their dedicated Professional Imaging Grip Kit. This was something previously exclusive to the vivo X200 Ultra.

vivo X300

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Sadly, despite anticipating for it, we were not given this special camera kit. I cannot vouch for something I haven’t tried at all.

The new Selfie X-pert?

The vivo X300 Pro not only takes great-looking mirrorfies, the improved selfie shooter provides ample amount of light and detail that the X200 Pro simply lacked.

Not only that selfie camera boasts a megapixel count more than 1.5x than its predecessor, FoV and color reproduction also seem more natural and less whitewashed.

That’s something I have experienced using the X200 Pro — and more of a reason why I refused taking selfies with it.

Speaking of color, the aforementioned color profiles as well as the bundled ZEISS Style Portrait lens bokeh are also applicable when shooting with the front camera.

X-quisite Design

If it ain’t broke, there’s no point of fixing it. However, vivo still tried refining the X200 Pro’s successor even further.

vivo X300 Pro

Gone are the slightly curved edges and the micro quad-curved display. This time, they have completely flattened everything out on the X300 Pro — camera bump, notwithstanding.

vivo X300 Pro

This form factor clearly reminds me of the base iPhones, premium midrange Androids, even the newest line of its sister brand, the OPPO Find X9 series.

In return, the X300 Pro is thinner at 7.99mm (versus 8.5mm of the X200 Pro). Though heft reduction isn’t significant as it weighs just 2 grams less (226 grams over 228 grams).

vivo X300 Pro

Comfort-wise, those flat edges felt sharp when held one-handedly. Although after several days of usage, I eventually got the hang of it.

I just miss the grippier hold of its predecessor. Also, the subtle curves I felt when swiping and navigating through the edges of its screen.

Good thing, the absence of a curved display means not having to buy any flimsy screen protectors that lack that curved edge coverage.

More so, “specialized” tempered glass that need UV glue (and light) in order for that undersonic fingerprint sensor to work properly.

vivo X300 Pro versus vivo X200 Pro

Personally, I love the new look of X300 Pro’s monstrous camera bump.

How they trimmed down the camera rim in favor of a larger flat surface looks more sleek. Also, the new striped texture of the bump closely resembles a camera lens grip.

vivo X300 Pro versus vivo X200 Pro

Then again, the dust magnet issue I’ve experienced before is still present in this new X-teration.

vivo X300 Pro

Only time will tell though how durable it is. So far, I’ve only managed it to drop it twice on a hard floor. So far, no unwanted dents and scathes found.

Speaking of, the X300 Pro still features that dual IP68 + IP69 water and dust resistance rating — a staple of Android flagships moving forward.

X-cellent Powerhouse

While the display curves are gone, vivo’s already superior display tech stays. It has an unchanged 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED panel. I just assume the bigger screen size is reserved for the Ultra variant.

Display accuracy and calibration, as well as support for HDR content, are top-notch as one would expect. Whether the visuals are vibrant, bright, or just dark, the X300 Pro doesn’t go overboard and accurately shows the most natural output possible.

For that ultimate audiovisual pleasure, its stereo speakers are loud and full with that powerful bass to rock your banging solo concert sessions.

Found beneath this superior slab is none other than MediaTek’s latest and greatest Dimensity 9500 SoC based on a 3nm process.

The last iteration was already great to begin with. Let alone, this all-new Dimensity chip headlined by the X300 series.

Day-to-day tasks are buttery smooth with no room for lag. Switching (and even split-screen multitasking) through multiple apps is a breeze.

Playing games wasn’t an exception to the experience.

For instance, my all-time fave racing game, Racing Master, was able to run for two hours without throttling. That’s considering I set it in the most extreme graphics setting possible.

HoYoverse’s Zenless Zone Zero is able to run as well. But, due to the heavier nature of the game, except some overheating in the long run.

X-citing new OS

If you’ve read my X200 Pro review, I’ve boldly stated how Funtouch OS isn’t “fun” at all.

After several years of forcing to bear with that aging Android skin, vivo has finally decided to bring the latest flavor of OriginOS to global units.

Funtouch OS 15 was already fast as it is. OriginOS 6 made that even snappier with added fluidity.

The AI Tools are still there. From transcribing, call assist, all the way to gallery’s AI Erase, reflection removal, even AI UHD upscaling, they’re all there.

For me though, the best changes can be seen in its overhauled UI.

Heck, vivo even brought iPhone-like features — just with better customizations.

From the more customizable lock screen, resizable folder sizes, to the (finally) separate Notifications and Control Center.

For one, there’s the Origin Island that acts like Apple’s Dynamic Island. But, dragging texts, photos, or even files to the island itself gives you a range of apps for it to be shared.

The other one is the additional button on the X300 Pro’s left side. Unlike iOS’s limiting Action Button assignments, it’s more customizable here.

vivo X300 Pro

On my end, I’ve set the double-tap to quickly launch the camera in Snapshot mode for fast-firing shootouts. Holding the button fires up the flashlight behind. Unfortunately though, single-tapping the button doesn’t do anything.

Overall, OriginOS 6 seems and feels like a proper and polished experience.

X-panded Horizons

Another feature where I felt that I needed to have in global vivo phones is none other than the Office Kit.

As a long-time MacBook Pro user ever since my university days back in 2016, this feature is a gift from the gods.

Not only I can wirelessly transfer photos and videos, I can also receive notifications and even access Notes stored in my X300 Pro. Even when you take a freshly-captured photo, it will simply prompt you so you can easily share it.

Although you can remotely control your MacBook through the screen of the X300 Pro, that screen size simply won’t make the cut. This feature works best with a foldable or a tablet.

But hey, it’s still useful if you’re out and about and your higher-ups needed that document stored on your MacBook.

Given that nothing beats the cross-platform compatibility between iOS and macOS, it’s still a huge leap forward to be able to connect the vivo X300 Pro to an Apple device.

Lastly, OriginOS also has a new Private Space feature. It serves as a separate space from your main screen with apps and accounts that are totally unrelated to the one you’re mainly using.

This enables users to keep confidential files and information from prying eyes. I just hope users will use this feature into good use 👀.

More than enough even when you X-haust it

On paper, the battery of the vivo X300 Pro gets a battery boost from 6000mAh to 6500mAh.

While it doesn’t beat the hell out of the 7500mAh capacity of the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, an increase is still an increase.

Using it moderately or ever so lightly, the vivo X300 Pro can last a full day (or even two) with staggering hours of standby time and plenty left in the tank.

Admittedly, I’ve used the cameras more than I expected during my two-week Vietnam getaway.

From shooting plethora of photos and barrage of vertical clips for Instagram Stories and possible use for Reels, the X300 Pro hogs that battery juice a lot.

I’ve even experienced some overheating in the long run. But, not to the point where the camera will shut off, as I was able to still shoot and record without ever halting.

vivo 90W FlashCharge High-Speed

That said, 90W FlashCharge is here to save the day. This time though, vivo has added a “FlashCharge High Speed” mode when using its bundled charger.

FlashCharge High Speed FlashCharge Regular
START TIME (From 0%) 12:14PM 1:59PM
3 minutes 3% 1%
5 minutes 6%  3%
10 minutes 15% 10%
15 minutes 23% 18%
20 minutes 29% 24%
30 minutes 50% 38%
40 minutes 66% 51%
45 minutes 75% 57%
50 minutes 82% 63%
1 hour 96% 71%
1 hour 10 minutes 85%
1 hour 15 minutes 99%
END TIME 1:17PM
1 hour 3 minutes
3:15PM
1 hour 16 minutes

Using non-vivo chargers and cables that are USB-C PD and/or PPS compliant will still top-up the phone fast — just with regular FlashCharge speeds.

While I haven’t tested wireless charging (which is my least favorite mode of charging), it’s worthy to point out that it was improved to 40W (from the conventional 30W).

Although the vivo X300 Pro has faster speeds than Qi2 or Qi2.2, it still doesn’t implement built-in magnets like the HMD Skyline or Pixel 10 series with Pixelsnap.

Don’t get me wrong. Support for magnetic wireless charging plus MagSafe accessories will still be possible. Only if you buy third-party cases with magnets on it.

Is the vivo X300 Pro your GadgetMatch?

It seems like 2025 has already reached the pinnacle of smartphones: superior camera system, gargantuan battery capacities with long-lasting endurance, faster than ever performance, displays and speakers that truly satisfy one’s audiovisual cravings.

vivo X300 Pro

The vivo X300 Pro is a great embodiment of that. Not only you get the best in class cameras, the smartphone itself is just a refined version of a smartphone that was already superior to begin with.

And if you’d ask me, the asking price of EUR 1099 / MYR 4699 / PhP 77,999 is more than justified — unlike how some brands aggressively slap overpriced tags on their barely flagship offerings 🙄

vivo X300 Pro

I just hope they consider bringing in a larger 1TB configuration (or maybe even 2TB) in the next lineup — especially for storage-hungry multimedia creatives like me who’s expected to shoot a lot of stills and clips in the foreseeable future.

All sentiments aside and without an ounce of doubt, the vivo X300 Pro is both a Swipe Right and a Super Swipe.

And, just like its older sibling, it also rightfully deserves the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.

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Entertainment

I finally saw BLACKPINK perform live for the first time

A first-hand concert experience of a BLINK after almost a decade of stanning them

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Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

I have been yearning to see and hear BLACKPINK perform live since 2016.

My long-time university friends (even acquaintances) can prove how hyped I was during the barrage of BLACKPINK’s first set of debut teasers. That excitement went through the roof the very moment BOOMBAYAH and WHISTLE / 휘파람 (Hwiparam) music videos got out on YouTube.

Honestly, it’s a huge core memory that still lingers to me.

Who’s Next: Pink Punk?! 🩷🤘🏼

Did you know? BLACKPINK was originally planned as a 9-member girl group dubbed “Pink Punk.”

Not until other trainees left and fate decided to let them be another 4-member girl group of YG Entertainment just after the agency’s first hit girl group, 2NE1.

Backtracking my tweets from my aging K-Pop stan account, I was actually waiting for the group’s highly-anticipated arrival as early as March 2015.

* As a refresher, BLACKPINK made their official debut with ‘Square One’ EP last August 8, 2016 — more than a year after I made that tweet.

Again, my inner girl group geekiness speaks out. Other notable trainees include:

The remaining two are now soloists who still have a passion for music:

Near, Far, Wherever You Are 🎶

Despite being a hardcore BLINK since 2016, I only got quite a handful of BLACKPINK-related mementos with me.

For one, there’s the Samsung Galaxy A80 BLACKPINK Edition unboxing we did back in 2019 (which I personally shot and edited).

Last January 2020, two months ahead the lockdown, I was the few chosen ones invited to attend the Korean giant’s ‘Awesome Galaxy’ event in Jakarta, Indonesia.

As unfortunate as it seems, they never performed any songs and only held a mini fan gathering that time. That’s still my closest encounter with the hit 3rd gen K-girl group.

Pandemic halted the world, but it never stopped me from dedicating my very first vivo V-series phone review write-up in relation to BLACKPINK’s first full album promotion during that time.

Five years in, finally, here we are! The much-awaited concert of BLACKPINK is honestly one of the things I least expected to ever see in 2025.

D-DAY = DEADLINE-Day 💅

Longing sentiments aside, THE day has finally arrived.

I came to see BLACKPINK’s ‘DEADLINE’ Day 1 Stop at Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

After that dreamy golden hour, the arena’s pink stairs illuminated to showcase the group’s official color. A perfect complement to everyone’s black and pink fits.

No one asked but, I’m the type of person who often goes cashless — or someone who relies heavily on card payments and just keeps a handful of hard cash in my bag’s pockets.

Luckily, the existence of Maya cards (both the Maya Black Credit Card and the glitzy Pink Glitter Edition one) truly helped me replenish and fill-up that pre-concert void.

These cards have been helpful along my cashless purchases.

From hydrating myself with water (and iced coffee) after roaming around the arena, all the way to filling my appetite with pizza right before entering my designated concert section and seat, it’s been a hassle-free experience.

As easy as tapping your card towards the payment terminal, you’re off the hook and free to go whenever, wherever.

There was even a dedicated Visa booth that gave away freebies (such as a portable fan and power bank) just by showing the Maya card/s that you own.

Going beyond the arena’s doors, you’d be greeted by a lot of BLINKs holding their old and new versions of BLACKPINK lightsticks.

During this time, it was still not sinking in to me. I just sat on my assigned seat just so I can fully immerse myself in this massive concert crowd.

BLACK to the PINK 🖤🩷

After waiting for 15 more minutes, the lights and VCR finally went off while BLINKs screamed as loud as they can.

The set was started by the pre-pandemic hit Kill This Love followed by their second to the latest single Pink Venom (which was released three years ago, BTW).

I’m not saying that having a fewer-than-usual discography as a 9-year-old girl group is a good thing.

However, BLACKPINK’s ‘DEADLINE’ Tour still made me hear and relive their recent BLACK tracks like and Shut Down alongside classics such as How You Like That together with뚜두뚜두 (DDU-DU DDU-DU),

Even BOOMBAYAH was never forgotten — or the banger that made me stan them since the very beginning.

The group’s “Pink Side” was even shown through Lovesick Girls, Forever Young, 불장난 (Playing With Fire), 휘파람 (WHISTLE), even 마지막처럼 (As If It’s Your Last).

Their latest group release, JUMP, was also included in the setlist.

This is the part where everyone actually had the chance to stand up and jump high in the air — myself included in the narrative.

Un poco loco over solo 🤯

ICYMI, BLACKPINK already left YG Entertainment (their OG agency) and went all-out solo with their respective agencies.

That’s Jennie with ODD ATELIER, Lisa with LLOUD, Jisoo with BLISSOO, and lastly, Rosé with THEBLACKLABEL — which was founded by YG’s former producer, TEDDY, who released all hit songs for one of the biggest girl group acts of K-Pop.

Fortunately, despite separating ways, this DEADLINE tour made it possible to perform all of the members’ latest solo releases.

After researching for a bit, I’ve found out that the setlist was NOT fixed / definite in every stop.

DEADLINE’s Act 2 (at least in the first day) was introduced by Jisoo with Hugs & Kisses followed by Earthquake.

It was then followed by Lisa with When I’m With You and Rockstar.

After another OT4 group act, Jennie started Act 4 with the wonder hit Like Jennie mashed alongside ExtraL plus Starlight.

Finally, Rosé (or Rosie) ended the solo act with an acoustic performance of number one girl alongside a band performance of toxic till the end. Of course, APT. was never excluded in this set list as everyone chanted “아파트” (a-pa-teu) so hard and danced like crazy.

En route to the core ➡️

Just when everyone thought it already ended, my gut feeling told me a K-Pop concert wouldn’t be complete without an encore. I was right all along.

Once again, BLACKPINK shooketh the venue with another JUMP performance. This time, they’ve changed to another set of stage outfits — which looked more comfy and lax for all members.

After some fan service and cute fan interactions, they performed Really. My inner self gasped as it’s actually one of my favorite BLACKPINK b-sides ever.

As unfortunate as it gets, they had to end it with See U Later. Maybe that’s a sign that they will come back again — or maybe never?

From Concert Dreams to Reality ✨

I’m an aging veteran K-Pop stan for more than 16 years now.

Admittedly, no matter how dedicated I am when it comes to streaming a lot of groups’ music and performances on several platforms, I’ve never been the concert-goer type of fan.

I’m THAT “broke” type of fan during my elementary, high school, and even university days who relies heavily on granted scholarships. Thus, not having that severe FOMO that most K-Pop fans truly dire and desire.

Still, seeing BLACKPINK for the first time ever since I stanned them last August 2016 has always been a long-time dream.

Not only I get to see and hear Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo, and Rosé perform live, I’ve finally crossed out one thing out of my bucket list after nine long years of being a BLINK.

What a way to truly end my year in advance (and belatedly celebrate my birthday more than a month ago 😅).

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An afternoon of bowling with the HUAWEI nova 14 Pro

Motion, color, and clean shots

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HUAWEI nova 14 Pro


Some moments slip away before we’re ready.
The blink. The blur. The half-smile lost to motion.

The HUAWEI nova 14 Pro wants to fix all that because it calls itself the King of AI Selfie. So we brought it along for an afternoon out to see if it could actually keep up.

Bowling isn’t the easiest place for a selfie. The lights shift. People move fast. And I never stay still. But the 50MP Front AI Portrait Dual Camera doesn’t flinch.

With Ultra Speed Snapshot on the front camera, it freezes movement better than most phones I’ve used. Mid-shot. Mid-laugh. Even mid-blink. It just catches the moment.

There’s also the 0.8 to 5x selfie zoom — still the only one of its kind. It lets me frame selfies the way I want: wider when friends jump in, tighter when it’s just me.

And if someone blinks, it’s fine. AI Best Expression lets you fix one person’s look without retaking everything. Pick their best eyes, best smile, best moment.

You also get three beauty styles: Natural, Delicate, and Stylish. I kept it light, but each one still looks closer to real skin instead of an overly filtered version of yourself.

My favorite AI tool might be AI Remove. Shoot first, fix later. The phone cleans up distractions — stray people, signs, objects — and leaves behind the photo you meant to take.

And when my hands were full at the café after, AI Gesture Control helped me browse without touching the screen. Simple gestures. Quick page flips.

On the rear, the nova 14 Pro steps up with its Ultra Chroma Camera. HUAWEI says it uses 1.5 million spectral channels to get color right. And honestly, the tones feel closer to what I saw in person.

Motion is where the rear camera surprised me. Dual Shutter technology blends long and short exposures in one shot. Action stays sharp without making the whole frame darker.

And because the aperture goes from F1.4 to F4.0, you can change depth of field depending on the moment. Creamy background for portraits. More detail when you need it.

The nova line has always been about reliability, and this one holds up. You get a 5500mAh battery and 100W SuperCharge Turbo. Fast top-ups. Easy all-day life.

Up front, there’s the 6.78-inch Flawless Quad-Curved Display. Smooth edges. Easy on the eyes. A polished look that still feels practical.

The nova 14 Pro sticks to the series’ youthful identity. Lightweight. Friendly curves. And the new Star Orbit Ring gives it that recognizable nova look — clean and symmetrical.

It also supports Wi-Fi 7, optional NearLink for device tracking, and has a five-star drop-resistance certification. Plus IP65 dust and water resistance.

The HUAWEI nova 14 Pro feels like what the nova line has always been: a feature-packed mid-ranger built for young adults who want a phone that simply keeps up. AI tools that fix your shots. Cameras that freeze moments. Battery that lasts.

If you want a selfie-focused phone that can keep up with days like this, this is the nova you’re looking for.

HUAWEI nova 14 Series — The King of AI Selfie

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