The HONOR Pad 9 is finally in the Philippines. Launched globally last month at MWC Barcelona, HONOR’s latest tablet offering is available for just PhP 15,999.

The tablet may be purchased through HONOR Experience and partner stores, Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok. For an additional PhP 2,000, customers may also opt for the bundle that includes a HONOR Smart Keyboard.

Feast for the eyes (and ears)

For a complete rundown of what the HONOR Pad 9 can offer, you can read the product’s official review here: The HONOR Pad 9 is a feast for the eyes

Right off the bat, the tablet’s expansive 12.1-inch 2K FullView screen is as impressive as it gets.

The immersive display supports a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution, 1.07 billions, and an adjustable 120Hz refresh rate. It delivers true-to-life colors and great detail. It also comes with various eye care certifications, including TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light.

Complementing the experience are eight speakers that provide clear and crisp, 360-degree audio, thanks to HONOR’s Histen sound tuning technology.

All in all, these audiovisual hardware and software features elevate the experience for users. Whether you love binge watching and wanting surround sound, or needing to view content as accurate as it is seen with the naked eye, or simply needs a reliable extra touchscreen that’s large enough to perform tasks, the tablet merits serious consideration.

Smooth user experience

Inside, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 platform powers the HONOR Pad 9. This allows the device’s GPU and CPU to perform 35% and 40% better, respectively, than the previous generation.

The tablet runs on the latest MagicOS 7.2 based on Android 13. Furthermore, it has 8GB+8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a large 8,300mAh battery for all-day use. When needing a recharge, the tablet supports 35W HONOR SuperCharge.

For those considering the tablet for work and productivity, the Pad 9 supports intelligent features like HONOR Connect, HONOR Notes, and multi-screen collaboration.

It seems like vivo isn’t giving up on its foldable dreams after all.

Announced a little bit early this year, vivo has surprisingly launched two new foldables in one go with the X Fold3 series in China — and actually the first smartphone maker to reveal two new book-style foldables in a single product launch.

The lightest of them all

While not the slimmest foldable out there (as the crown still goes to the HONOR Magic V2), vivo still managed to make the X Fold3 less chunky compared to its predecessor. It’s now just 10.2mm thin when folded (X Fold2 was 12.7mm). Meanwhile, the X Fold3 Pro is 1mm thicker at 11.2mm.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Even so, it managed to shed a lot of weight from 279 grams down to a shocking 219 grams! It even surpassed HONOR Magic V2’s record of 231 grams. The X Fold3 Pro is just several grams shy, weighing at 236 grams.

X-tremely durable

Thanks to the new carbon fiber hinge mechanism and Armor Feather Architecture, it not only promises ultra lightness but also utmost durability.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The new X Fold3 series both earned certifications from TÜV Rheinland — tested to last up to 500,000 times of folding and unfolding — as well as the SGS Gold Standard with a five-star Certification 2 in Fall Resistance and Certification 3 in Glass Fall Resistance.

Its folding display features the UTG Super Tough Glass that promises less visible crease. Special crystals were also implanted onto the display to make it appealing. An impact resistant film was also applied to effectively protect its fragile inner screen.

Flipping the X Fold3 series reveal its armor back cover made from heat-pressed UPE fiber composite with a glass-like texture but a stronger impact resistance than glass itself.

If you’re worried about occasional water splashing, sudden pour of rain droplets, or accidental coffee spills, only the vivo X Fold3 Pro has an IPX8 rating to save you from such fuss.

X-tra mileage

It’s very much expected that smartphone slash tablet hybrids should rock top-of-the-line hardware no matter what it takes — and vivo hasn’t slept on this year’s release either.

The vivo X Fold3 Pro packs the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset coupled with a lone 16GB RAM in either a 512GB or 1TB of storage. On the other hand, its non-Pro variant has X Fold2’s Snapdragon 8 Gen2 instead — but that doesn’t mean it’s a total slouch since the chipset can still perform well even in 2024.

Moreover, you get either options for its onboard memory: 12GB or 16GB. Plus, a smaller 256GB storage (together with the already mentioned 512GB and 1TB). Don’t fret, there’s no significant disparity in performance as both models feature LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage standard.

In terms of battery, the vivo X Fold3 Pro has the upper hand at 5700mAh while the vanilla variant has a slightly smaller 5500mAh. That’s still a big upgrade considering the X Fold2 only has a 4800mAh battery in it.

Charging is also quite different: The X Fold3 Pro supports up to 100W wired FlashCharge (downgraded from last year’s 120W) while 50W wireless FlashCharge stays the same. On the contrary, the base X Fold3 charges up to only 80W wired FlashCharge and lacks support for wireless charging.

ImprovementX

When it comes to screen sizes, nothing has changed: 6.53-inch exterior and 8.03 inches when unfolded. But the display tech has been further improved.

From the X Fold2’s LTPO4 AMOLED, the new X Fold3 models are equipped with E7 LTPO 8T AMOLED displays inside and out — 412ppi and 457ppi pixel density respectively. Peak brightness reaches up to 4500 nits.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Furthemore, both displays have 1.07 Billion Colors and DCI-P3 wide color gamut, plus extensive support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision content.

Now let’s talk about the very familiar yet confusing triple camera setup of both models.

X Fold3 vs X Fold3 Pro — Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

If you’ll look closely, the X Fold3 Pro is the only one that has an evident periscope telephoto lens found at the upper left part beside the ZEISS logo.

Concurrently, the ZEISS logo on the X Fold3 was switched to the bottom right corner, easily differentiating the two models when put or held side-by-side. This also means lenses on both foldables are coated with the signature ZEISS T* coating.

Still confused? Here are the specific camera hardware differences for you to judge.

With the included chipset, the foldables support up to 8K video recording using its rear camera setup.

Software-wise, it runs on OriginOS 4 based on Android 14 with several OS features like Unfair Scheduling 2.0 for better multitasking management and algorithm, as well as Memory Fusion 4.0 that extends memory up to 32GB.

There’s also the AON Privacy Protection and Private Call features for one’s security and peace of mind.

Pricing and Availability

The vivo X Fold3 and its Pro sibling are available in two color choices: Light Feather White and Thin-Winged Black.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Here are the duo’s respective pricing per configuration:

vivo X Fold3

• 12+256GB = CNY 6999 (US$ 970 / EUR 895 / GBP 768 / SG$ 1305 / PhP 54,570 / INR 80,949)
• 16+256GB = CNY 7499 (US$ 1040 / EUR 960 / GBP 823 / SG$ 1399 / PhP 58,469 / INR 86,732)
• 16+512GB = CNY 7999 (US$ 1109 / EUR 1024 / GBP 877 / SG$ 1492 / PhP 62,367 / INR 92,515)
• 16+1TB = CNY 8999 (US$ 1248 / EUR 1152 / GBP 987 / SG$ 1678 / PhP 70,164 / INR 104,080)

vivo X Fold3 Pro

• 16+512GB = CNY 9999 (US$ 1387 / EUR 1280 / GBP 1097 / SG$ 1865 / PhP 77,960 / INR 115,646)
• 16+1TB = CNY 10,999 (US$ 1525 / EUR 1408 / GBP 1206 / SG$ 2051 / PhP 85,758 / INR 127,212)

The vivo X Fold3 series is currently available for pre-orders in China. And much like previous vivo X Fold-ables, there is no global market availability mentioned.

TCL has introduced its latest lineup of TCL 50 smartphones and NXTPAPER tablets at MWC 2024.

This includes five new TCL 50 series smartphones to be available in the US market, including three 5G-capable variants. TCL has also revealed two new NXTPAPER tablets with expansive 14-inch screens.

TCL 50 series

Headlining the new TCL 50 series smartphones is the TCL 50 XL 5G. This offering features a large 6.8-inch FHD+ 120Hz display. It is paired with dual speakers powered by DTS sound, as well as a 50MP triple camera setup.

On the other hand, the TCL 50 XE 5G showcases a 6.6-inch HD+ 90Hz display for equally smooth visuals. It has a similar 50MP triple camera system, a 5,010mAh battery, and 4GB+4GB RAM.

The TCL 50 SE lies on the higher end of the spectrum, giving users a great choice for entertainment consumption.

The TCL 50 SE has a 6.8-inch FHD+ screen and DTS 3D boom sound dual speakers. The phone also boasts of 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, enough for content and gaming.

The TCL 50 LE and TCL 50 5G wrap up the latest TCL 50 series models. They both have 6.6-inch 90Hz displays and up to 8GB of RAM.

TCL NXTPAPER tablets

TCL has likewise expanded its NXTPAPER series. The latest third generation products incorporate NXTPAPER 3.0 technology and more eye comfort features such as low blue light.

Bannering the list is the TCL NXTPAPER 14 Pro. Optimized for human eyes, it is the first tablet with the latest NXTPAPER technology.

The NXTPAPER 14 Pro has an expansive 14-inch 2.8K display which integrates CPL technology and DC dimming. Meant for productivity, it runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 8020 processor. The tablet also houses a 12,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging, and supports 12GB of RAM and 256GB internal storage.

Along with the Pro variant is the standard TCL NXTPAPER 14. It has a 14.3-inch 2.4K display, a slightly smaller 8GB base RAM, and a 10,000mAh battery.

For users wanting smaller displays, the TCL TAB 10 NXTPAPER 5G is a fitting choice. It is the first tablet with 5G connectivity from TCL, which will soon be available in the United States. This model has a 10.4-inch 2K display, ideal for both work and entertainment.

Price, availability

The TCL 50 series will be available in various regions starting Q2 2024 and may potentially hit more markets.

• TCL 50 5G: € 149.99 (EMEA, Q2 2024)
• TCL 50 SE: € 149.99 (EMEA, Q2 2024)
• TCL 50 XL 5G: US$ 169 (North America, Q2 2024)
• TCL 50 XL NXTPAPER 5G: US$ 229 (North America, Q3 2024)
• TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G: US$ 199 (North America, Q3 2024)
• TCL 50 XE 5G: US$ 149 (North America, Q3 2024)
• TCL 50 LE: Arriving later in 2024 with pricing details to follow

The TCL NXTPAPER 14 Pro is priced at US$ 549 and is initially available in the Asia Pacific.

The NXTPAPER 14 is priced at US$ 400, while the TAB 10 NXTPAPER 5G will be offered in North America starting Q2 2024 for US$ 250.