Features

National Selfie Day with the OPPO F5 Youth

Published

on

OPPO invited media and fans to somewhere magical for the celebration of their National Selfie Day. I’m not sure how this celebration of taking selfies was born, but knowing what OPPO does best, it’s expected.

I brought the new OPPO F5 Youth, which is the cheaper variant of the main OPPO F5, to the picturesque Enchanted Kingdom and took — you know it — selfies.

If you’re following me on Twitter (@danielmorial), you already got a peak of what I did around the theme park. All the succeeding photos were shot using the OPPO F5 Youth in auto mode unless stated otherwise.

Let’s begin!

We arrived in the park at high noon and the production team was still setting up the stage for the program and mini-concert to be held in the evening. While they were cooking things up, I chose to walk around the park.

EK hasn’t changed much since it opened over a decade ago. Back in elementary, this was a staple destination for my school field trips; it still seems to be since I saw a lot of students in uniform. It was cloudy but the OPPO F5 Youth handled the situation pretty well. Seems like the phone is not just for taking selfies after all.

There was a lot to see inside the park. With so many details in the structures, my walk became an impromptu photo walk. Check out the samples captured by the rear 13-megapixel camera during the day:

To my surprise, the phone managed to impress with its snaps. The pictures are generally pleasing (perhaps the location helped a lot) and have above-average quality for a budget phone. The auto white balance is spot on most of the time, but the shutter speed needs to keep up for a sharper image.

It’s a selfie phone, so here are the selfies

The F5 Youth has a better front camera compared to the rear since it’s a phone made to take selfies. It has a 16-megapixel front camera with an f/2.0 aperture and software enhancement built-in (marketed as AI) to capture great selfies.

The front camera doesn’t have autofocus like on the rear, but it seems like the sweet spot for sharp selfies is at arm’s length. It already has a wide aperture for a natural bokeh or blurry background effect as seen in this sample:

But if you want the creamy bokeh which dual camera phones deliver, there’s a toggle in the camera launcher to enable it. Even without a secondary sensor, the phone was able to take a decent selfie with background blur, although it’s not as clean as we had wanted.

As mentioned, the F5 Youth features AI facial recognition for the purpose of delivering nicer and more natural selfies in beauty mode. We already featured the different levels of the new beauty mode in our hands-on of the regular F5 variant, but the F5 Youth has a slightly downgraded front sensor.

Here are a trio of selfies with our resident artist MJ in various settings:

I definitely prefer the one without beautification. Auto or letting AI decide seem to be just fine when you want to hide your blemishes, but setting it on max made us look like life-size porcelain dolls.

Night photography

When the sun set, lights lit up the park wonderfully. It was a different vibe; better if you ask me. Here’s a sample with beauty mode set to auto:

In this image, AI worked well in making my face smoother and hiding freckles aside from the nose area. Also, I had to keep my hand steady to avoid blur because of the slower shutter speed to allow more light in the sensor. As a result, any moving objects in the background were completely smudged.

Here’s another one with a strong light source hitting my cheeks and beauty mode turned off:

Low-light photography with the rear camera is also not bad since I was able to take decent stills of the thrill rides. Since the shutter speed setting when set to auto takes its time, it’s fun to play with fast-moving objects like the roller coaster and drop tower.

Details are lacking and the digital noise is prevalent in the low-light stills. Manual controls for shuttle speed, ISO, white balance, focus, and exposure value are available under “Expert Mode” in the camera app if you want to get creative.

Time to call it a day, but before that…

Before the National Selfie Day wrapped up, OPPO announced a new F5 handset with more memory and storage dubbed the OPPO F5 6GB. After the announcement, the Parokya Ni Edgar band took the stage and the crowd sang along.

Even without a zoom lens, there’s a 2x zoom toggle in the camera launcher. It’s just digital zoom with a few software tricks to sharpen the image.

That wraps up the National Selfie Day of OPPO. With three F5 variants to choose from now, which will your GadgetMatch be?

SEE ALSO: OPPO F5 hands-on: A nearly borderless selfie phone

[irp posts=”22751″ name=”OPPO F5 hands-on: A nearly borderless selfie phone”]

Features

GadgetSnaps: Huawei Pura 70 Pro in Shenzhen

Fall in love with smartphone photography again

Published

on

In case you’re wondering, it’s pronounced /pyu-ra/. And it’s more than just a name change. All four models of the Pura 70 series come with a set of cameras that will make your jaw drop. Though it’s not the most impressive Ultra, the Huawei Pura 70 Pro is still capable of shooting breathtaking photos all by itself.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Arranged like a hidden Mickey, the Pura 70 Pro’s camera island features a triple threat of cameras, highlighted by a vastly improved telephoto lens when compared to the regular model.

  • 50-megapixel f/1.4-4.0 25mm main
  • 48-megapixel f/2.1 93mm 3.5x optical telephoto
  • 5-megapixel f/2.2 13mm ultrawide

A Huawei-filled stay in China

While there are different brands operating in the region, Shenzhen is a much bigger playground for Huawei. The brand maintains multiple flagship stores and a sprawling campus there.

Our first stop was the first global flagship store for Huawei. The building features a huge central area, a lineup of cars, and, of course, spots to try the brand’s latest innovations.

As you’ve probably read from our first impressions, one of the most iconic demonstrations during the entire trip was of a spinning picture disc of a surfer frozen in time by the Pura 70 Pro’s Snapshot mode.

Mixing it up at MixC

While the previous store was impressive, it didn’t show just how popular Huawei was in China. Luckily, our next stop was in the center of a sprawling shopping center called MixC. This location had lots of cafes and shops nearby.

The branch itself features a 24-hour vending machine, a stage for lessons on how to use Huawei’s products, a smart home demonstration, and a third floor for aftermarket solutions (or even just to chill). Take a peep at how many people are in the store to try out Huawei.

Being in the middle of the city, it was also the perfect spot to try out the smartphone’s impressive zooming capabilities. Zooming into the city’s buildings, the camera captured far-away balconies to virtual perfection.

A little bit of nightlife

Speaking of the city, what would a trip be without some local nightlife? Early in the night is filled with commuters going home, night vendors peddling their wares, and lots of motorcycles.

Though the city sleeps earlier than more bustling metropolises, Shenzhen’s late night still makes for some subdued scenes and gentle nightscapes.

Oh, and how about some astrophotography?

Huawei’s campus or a European wonderland?

The next day, we went to Huawei’s massive headquarters in Shenzhen. Now, to call it “massive” is still an understatement. Supported by its own transit system, the campus features multiple “regions” inspired by architecture from different European countries.

Oh, and in case you missed it, yes, it has its own train. Excuse us; it’s time to head to Hogwarts.

There’s a big lake that boats can pass through. And, if you’re lucky enough, you might be able to spot a few black swans swimming around.

Goodbye, China

Unfortunately, all good trips must come to an end. We’re not saying goodbye until we use the Pura 70 Pro up, up in the air, though.

How impressive can a camera get?

A few years ago, I used the Huawei P20 Pro as my daily driver. Since then, I’ve moved on to the Google Pixel 6, a capable shooter in its own right. However, the Pura 70 Pro just made me fall in love with smartphone photography — nay, photography, in general — all over again.

The camera is just a beast in most shooting conditions. Plus, the AI-based enhancement is the cherry on top. Because the enhancements take a second, you can quickly see a before-and-after comparison. Some adjustments are minute, but they’re all substantial enough to make all the difference. Plus, you can barely notice the manipulation.

Okay, granted: it’s not perfect. There are some shots where the AI enhancement is more blatant. It also favors warmer hues in some conditions. But overall, it’s an amazing camera that I’m having a blast experimenting with.

SEE ALSO: Huawei Pura 70 Pro Unboxing and First Impressions

Continue Reading

Features

DUO more with the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024

Make things easy

Published

on

ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024

We are fans of what ASUS did with their latest dual screen offering — the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024. The Zenbook Duo isn’t exactly new. ASUS has been adding extra screens to their laptops whenever they can — but never quite like this. 

You see, ASUS managed to put a literal second display but still make it compact enough to fit most bags with provision for 14-inch laptops. As cliché as it sounds, the Zenbook DUO 2024 is an engineering marvel.

However, it’s more than just a gimmick. In our review, we noted how the form factor lent to a slight boost in productivity despite us not maximizing the product just yet. With that, let us share with you our favorite things about the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024. 

A unique mode for every scenario

A built-in, sturdy kick-stand unlocks the many possibilities available to the Zenbook DUO 2024. Some of the modes are: Laptop, Dual Screen, Desktop, and Sharing.

Each one lends itself nicely to different work and media consumption scenarios. Don’t feel like showing off? Keep things discreet and save some battery life with laptop mode. 

Need two screens? Switch to either Dual Screen or Desktop mode to take advantage of more screen real estate. 

Presenting something to someone across the table? Sharing mode lays the laptop flat allowing for easier viewing. 

 

The ability to morph to different modes depending on your needs is astounding. The best thing is that it is both functional and can serve as an ice breaker.

TWICE Momo and LE SSERAFIM Chaewon <3

Oh and we’ll never tire of sharing how the Desktop mode is perfect for watching two K-Pop fancams at the same time. 

Screen Xpert for the dual displays

This form factor won’t work without the right software support backing it. To that end, ASUS made Screen Xpert. What it does is essentially let you adjust the layout of the apps according to your needs. 

You can have up to four (4) apps live viewed at the same time. For our part, we usually only divided the screen to two, using one to reference a review guide or press release while writing news articles and/or reviews. 

But if you’re monitoring certain things, this will be pretty helpful having multiple windows laid out right away to get a quick overview of things is a godsend. 

Zenbook DUO 2024

The best thing is that a lot of these functions work intuitively. There’s a single button you can press to easily switch what’s displayed on the two screens. 

If you want more granular control, you can have the Screen Xpert floating bar ready at your disposal. Here you can control the brightness level of each screen individually. You also have the ability to change the orientation of each screen to your liking. 

There are also App Switcher and App Navigator functions to give you a better, more seamless way to layout the apps you use so that it’s most efficient for your needs. 

AI, Copilot, and more 

 

Something we didn’t mention much in the review is how the laptop is built with the AI age in mind. Powered by Intel Core Ultra 7 155-H, this thing is equipped with an NPU chip to aid in on-device AI tasks.

There’s stuff that happens in the background like making sure the AI-related tasks are processed with the NPU while the main CPU handles the rest. In the simplest terms, the Intel Core Ultra 7 is smart enough to delegate a task to the chip that will best execute it. That results in a more optimized overall performance.


Copilot is one of the biggest AI additions to any Windows machine. The possibilities are close to limitless. For our part, we’ve only really played around with Copilot Designer. But there’s so much more that you can do with it. Just remember to always check the results. Every AI output still needs a human touch. 

AI is also present in other functions like noise cancellation and the camera. AI Noise Cancellation makes sure you can hear and be heard no matter what scenario you’re in. It’s perfect for remote workers who do not exactly have control over their immediate surroundings.

Meanwhile, AiSense Camera works not only as a Full HD IR camera. It also automatically detects the lighting levels in your environment and adjusts brightness levels accordingly. You also get functions like auto-framing and background blur. Lastly, there’s the slightly creepy Eye Contact feature that locks your gaze to the camera. It can be a bit disorienting so maybe pick the occasions when you’ll use it. 

GlideX 

Working beyond this dual screen laptop? ASUS also made sure to equip the Zenbook DUO 2024 with software that makes adding even more screens a no-sweat task. 

With GlideX you can easily connect your Zenbook DUO 2024 with smartphones, tablets, or even another PC. Even better, it’ll give you the option to control everything from a single device. 

DUO more 

For a first-of-its-kind device, the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024 is pretty darn polished. That’s thanks largely to the company experimenting with dual screens long before releasing this dual screen machine. 

The Zenbook DUO 2024 literally lets you do more, providing options for flexibility that will help you optimize your workflow so you can finish your tasks more efficiently. This is more than just a gimmick device, it’s actually helpful and that’s because ASUS took the time to fit it with the proper software support. 

More on the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024 here. 


This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and ASUS Philippines.

Continue Reading

Features

GadgetSnaps: Malaysia shot on the Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Beyond charging tech

Published

on

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

The Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G prides itself in its charging technologies. But what about its camera capabilities? Well, here’s a quick round-up of the many photos we took around the time the Note 40 series was launched in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

The NOTE 40 Series features a 108MP main shooter with 3x Lossless Superzoom. It also has OIS for steadier shots when taking videos.

The edits applied to the photos here only some resizing and cropping to make the page easier to load. Take a look at all these sample shots

Infinix Note 40 Pro series launch day

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Kwai Chai Hong/ ‘Little Ghost Lane’

Little Ghost Lane | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Petaling Street (Chinatown)

REXKL | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Tanghulu | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Petaling Street | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

In and around Central Market

Central Market | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery

Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Istana Negara entrance

Istana Negra | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Merdeka Square

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Merdeka Square | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Malaysian Bak Kut Teh and more

Bak Kut Teh | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Petronas Twin Towers at night

Petronas Twin Towers | Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Steady shooter

The Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G isn’t a stellar shooter. But at its price point, it’s pretty darn decent for capturing different scenarios. Take these photos into some editing software and you can certainly elevate their look.

The NOTE 40 Pro+ 5G is priced at PhP 13,999. It may be purchased through Infinix’s Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop platforms, where customers can get up to PhP 2,000 off. Additionally, the first 100 buyers can get an S1 smartwatch or XE23 earphones. Alternatively, customers may opt for the Shopee-exclusive NOTE 40 Pro (4G variant) for PhP 10,999.

Continue Reading

Trending