News

OPPO A53, A12 launch in the Philippines

A pair of budget A-series phones

Published

on

After hitting India and Singapore, the OPPO A53 has finally made its way to the Philippines.

The OPPO A53 features a 6.5-inch HD+ Neo Display with 90Hz screen refresh rate and up to 120Hz touch sampling rate. Up front situated inside a punch hole is the 16MP front-facing camera. It has all the AI Beautification features we’ve come to expect from OPPO smartphones.

On the rear is a triple camera setup. There’s 13MP main camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and another 2MP camera for macro photography. Again, it’s peppered with the usual AI and camera features found on OPPO units.

Powering the device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 SoC with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It’s expandable up to 256GB via a MicoSD. The MicroSD card slot sits right next to the dual-sim card slots. It has a 5000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charge.

OPPO A12

Launching alongside the OPPO A53 is the OPPO A12. It’s a 6.22-inch phone powered by Mediatek MT6765 Helio P35 and comes in two configurations: 3GB+32GB and 4GB+64GB. It has a 5MP selfie shooter and a 13MP main camera with a 2MP depth sensor. It also has a 4260mAH battery.

Pricing and availability

The OPPO A53 retails for PhP 8,990 and is now available nationwide. You can grab the device via Home Credit on 6-month and 9-month installment plans.

The OPPO A12 is available on both Globe Telecom and Smart

For Globe it’s under Globe Postpaid Plan599with a PhP500 cash out, plus freebies: a Rock Space Y1 Earphones and a PhP300 worth Sodexo gift voucher. Promo runs until supplies last and only via Globe Online Shop.

While for Smart, you can purchase the handset at a discounted price of PhP4,990 that comes with a free LTE Smart sim card. The promo with Smart runs from November 7 until January 31, 2021.

 

News

Apple reportedly gives up on the Vision Pro

But Apple will continue to sell the current model.

Published

on

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.

SEE ALSO: Apple Vision Pro gets M5 chip upgrade

Continue Reading

Apps

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

The update is rolling out globally now.

Published

on

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.

SEE ALSO: YouTube remains top PH video platform; advertisers urged to continue investing

Continue Reading

Enterprise

OnePlus has reportedly merged with realme

Both brands were previously rumored for restructuring early this year.

Published

on

OnePlus 13

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.

SEE ALSO: realme is reportedly going back to being an OPPO sub-brand

Continue Reading

Trending