News

Lenovo drops a full suite of smart devices

Everything from smartphones to robot vacuums

Published

May 26, 2020

Leez

There’s a bunch of launches after the long dead-silence during the lockdown and Lenovo is joining in by going ham on the new releases. Honestly, it feels like being back in school when every teacher seemed to coyly schedule all their project and exam due dates on the same god-forsaken day. Take it easy, guys. I’d love to have a cozy smart home and a tech upgrade but we all just need to get through this month’s rent first.

That aside, strap up, boys and girls because boy does Lenovo have a line-up for you. They’re coming in with new models for their smartphone line-up and a fresh new range of smart home devices for their summer campaign: The Lenovo Summer Sale.

Lenovo K5 Play and K5 Pro

The Lenovo K5 Play has a 5.7-in IPS LCD screen with a 720 x 1440 resolution. The K5 Play is powered by a Snapdragon 430 Octa-core chipset with up to 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. It features a dual rear camera (13MP F/2.2 and 2MP) and an 8MP F/2.0 front camera.

As for the Lenovo K5 Pro counterpart, its IPS LCD measures 5.99-in with a 1080 x 2160 resolution. The K5 Pro has a Snapdragon 636 Octa-core chipset with up to 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. It also features the same dual-camera set-up in the front and back (16MP and 5MP) with an added front camera flash.

The Lenovo K5 Play retails at PhP 3,990 and the K5 Pro retails at PhP 5,990.

Lenovo S5 Pro

The Lenovo S5 Pro has a 6.2-in IPS LCD screen with a 1080 x 2246 resolution. The S5 Pro is powered by a Snapdragon 636 Octa-core coupled with Adreno 509 graphics card and up to 6GB RAM and up to 128GB internal storage. The S5 Pro has two sets of cameras on both front and back. For the rear camera, it’s decked out with a 20MP F/2.6 and 12MP F/1.8 combo while the front has a 20MP F/2.2 and 8MP dual camera set-up. The S5 Pro has features like a rear-mounted fingerprint reader and an infrared camera face unlock for added security.

The Lenovo S5 Pro has a starting price of PhP 7,495.

For the first time ever in the Philippines, Lenovo is releasing several smart home devices designed to make any place feel more like home. Here are Lenovo’s newly launched Smart Home devices:

Lenovo Smart Tabs

Need a good line-up of smart tabs? Lenovo has a few to choose from: the Lenovo Smart Tab M8, M10 HD, and M10 FHD Plus. The tablets perform tasks through voice commands wherever you decide to set yours up and come with dual front-facing speakers and dual microphones powered by Dolby Atmos. There’s a Lenovo Smart Tab variant that comes with a built-in kickstand for ease of use at the price of PhP 4,990.

The Lenovo Smart Tab M8 has a price tag of PhP 8,490. The Smart Tab M10 HD costs PhP 9,990. And, The Smart Tab M10 FHD Plus costs PhP 13,990.

2-in-1 Laptop/Tablet hybrid

Lenovo is bringing nine new variants of the popular D330 2-in-1 device. The D330 can be used as either tablet or laptop with its slick hybrid design. It is powered by an Intel Pentium Silver N5000 processor and has the recent Windows 10 operating system.

Lenovo Robot Vacuum Cleaner T1, T1 Pro, E1

Robot Vacuum Cleaner T1

Done with doing the housework after weeks in the lockdown? Let these little guys do the sweeping for you. All variants come with an Automatic Dirt Disposal that spontaneously empties dust bins for quick and easy cleaning. They all can also be controlled and customized through both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

The Lenovo Robot Vacuum Cleaner T1 costs PhP 19,995; T1 Pro — PhP 24,995; and E1 — PhP 9,995.

If you think the line-up of new releases is over, you’d be just like me: wrong. Lenovo added new accessories to complement all the other gadgets they have available.

HE08 Neckband Headset, HD100 Wireless Headset, HT 28 TWS Buds

Lenovo’s HE08 Neckband Headset, HD 100 Wireless Headset, and HT28 TWS Buds can playback sound at farther ranges and transmit sound faster with its Bluetooth 5.0 support. Lenovo boasts its battery life with their HT28 TWS Buds lasting six hours of playtime. The buds are also waterproof so you can stay in to avoid catching the virus and sing to dramatic music in the shower.

Lenovo’s HE08 Neckband Headset is priced at PhP 1,495; HD 100 Wireless Headset — PhP 1,995; and HT28 TWS Buds — PhP 2,495.

Lenovo Smartwatch S2

The Smartwatch S2 can track motion speed, heart rate, sleep, and workouts with a customizable Sports Mode. It’s powered by the Nordic 5283 processor and is able to easily withstand day-to-day use with its zinc allow frame, tempered glass display, and 3ATM water resistance.

The Lenovo Smartwatch S2 costs PhP 2,995.

Lenovo 14,000mAh USB-C Laptop Powerbank

Designed with modern professionals in mind, Lenovo developed this powerbank to keep you uninterrupted while on-the-go. This portable powerhouse provides 48Wh battery life mobile workstations and has two integrated USB-A ports and one USB-C port.

The Lenovo 14,000mAh USB-C Laptop Powerbank is priced at PhP 4,995.

All the products listed above are available in Lenovo partner stores nationwide and online through the Lenovo Mobile Flagship Store on Lazada.

News

Apple reportedly gives up on the Vision Pro

But Apple will continue to sell the current model.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

When they unveiled the Vision Pro in 2023, Apple touted the wearable as the next big thing after the iPhone. Now, almost three years removed from the launch, the Vision Pro hasn’t really taken over the coveted spot occupied by the iPhone. Apple, according to a report, is allegedly canning the short-lived wearable.

According to MacRumors, Apple has reportedly given up on making the Vision Pro a thing. The team handling the wearable has supposedly been subsumed by other teams within Apple.

If true, the wearable’s end is unfortunate but not surprising. Despite being out for years, the Vision Pro has sold only a little more than half a million units with numerous returns from customers. Most recently, Apple updated the wearable with the M5 chip, but the move hasn’t revitalized the device’s status in Apple’s lineup.

Most of the complaints about the device stem from its exorbitant price or its cumbersome battery pack. Besides costing a whopping US$ 3,499, the Vision Pro is also difficult to move around with, especially because of its total weight and a battery pack that can get in the way.

To be clear, Apple has not officially discontinued the Vision Pro yet. The company continues to sell the version with the M5 chip. Apple can also restart development in the future.

However, the meantime retirement on future development does coincide with the recent restructuring inside the company. Tim Cook recently decided to step down as CEO with John Ternus as his replacement. Canning the Vision Pro might be Ternus’ first step in redefining Apple according to his plans.

Apps

YouTube makes picture-in-picture mode free for everyone globally

The update is rolling out globally now.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Picture-in-picture (or PiP) mode is a godsend for multitaskers. The feature lets users watch videos in a tiny floating window while doing other tasks. However, the feature isn’t readily available for all users. Or wasn’t, at least. YouTube is now rolling out PiP mode for free globally.

Previously, PiP mode was exclusive to YouTube users who pay for Premium or Premium Lite. It was also exclusive to the United States.

Now, YouTube is making the feature completely free for users all over the globe. It will be available for both iOS and Android versions of the app.

There’s still a catch, though. The free version is available only for “longform, non-music content.” The same goes for Premium Lite subscribers. Music is still an exclusive feature for those who pay for the regular version of Premium. Basically, there is no change for paying users or users in the United States.

Using PiP mode is simple. All you need to do is load up a video you want to watch in the background. Then, just exit the YouTube app and go about your other tasks. The video will be inside a floating, resizable window while you look at other things.

There’s no timeline on when the update will reach your device. However, YouTube has promised that it will roll out globally within the coming months.

Enterprise

OnePlus has reportedly merged with realme

Both brands were previously rumored for restructuring early this year.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

OnePlus has a problem. For a while now, rumors have swirled about the company’s dissolution. For their part, the company has continued to deny the reports, citing business as usual. Likely to their dismay, the reports just keep coming. Today, sources have hinted that OnePlus has merged with realme.

Back in January, it was rumored that OnePlus would be closing up shop this year. Since the company very quickly denied the rumors, the report hardly made waves. However, a suspected merger with realme is more difficult to debunk.

For one, realme is itself in a very interesting position. Also back in January, realme was reportedly moving back into being a sub-brand of OPPO. Coupled together with the OnePlus debacle, all this internal restructuring seems par for the course.

According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, OnePlus and realme have already concluded the merger. The two brands have reportedly united their Chinese and international operations under one roof. Likewise, their marketing will be the same. Pete Lau will still be the main head for this new division.

As with anything of this nature, take this with a grain of salt. OPPO, OnePlus, and realme have not issued any official statements concerning a merger or a shutdown for any brand.