News

Pixel Fold now official

Google’s first foldable

Published

May 11, 2023

Rodneil Quiteles

It’s been leaked incessantly and was officially confirmed to be true roughly a week before it’s grand reveal. Now, the Pixel Fold, Google’s first foldable smartphone, is finally truly official.

It’s form-factor more closely resembles OPPO’s Find N series — wider and shorter versus the taller, narrower form of the Samsung Galaxy Fold. Folded, you get a 5.8-inch display — just about the size of “mini” phones by today’s standards. Unfolded, you get a 7.6-inch display for a more tablet-like real estate.

Both outer and inner displays have a 120Hz screen refresh rate and have HDR support. Its peak brightness goes as high up as 1,450 nits.

Its hinge allows a full 180-degree range of motion. Friend of GadgetMatch Mr. Mobile says on his Hands-On video that it has “enough friction to pose the phone at any posture.” Google claims their custom-built hinge was designed to be both thin and durable.

The foldable has an IPX8 rating. Yes to water resistance, but nothing for dust.

Everything you expect from a Pixel

Perhaps the most important thing about the Pixel Fold is Google’s implementation of Android. Now that they have their own foldable, there’s reason to hope that more apps will be supported for this form factor.

When folded, the Pixel Fold functions just like any other Pixel phone. Everything from messages, browsing, video viewing, and what not will be a familiar experience.

Unfolded, it unlocks many more features. For instance, if you’re watching a video, it will continuously play from the small display to the larger inner display. The feature is aptly called Continuity. You can also prop it up like a laptop and playback will show up on the bottom-half while the video plays up top. Google says they’re working on adding more playback features in this mode. But this isn’t really new as this is also present the Galaxy Fold as well as other foldables.

On their blog, Google says that when fully open, the Pixel Fold functions much like a tablet. They add that “your favorite apps are optimized to take full advantage of the larger screen.” But as most reviewers will tell you, Android on larger form-factors is still far from being a fully-optimized experience. Granted, Google did say some 50 of their apps will adapt to the foldable naturally.

Some additions include a Taskbar that lets users easily switch between apps. From here, users can also drag compatible apps and go into split-screen. They actually made a true multi-tasking feature by adding the ability to drag and drop files from one app to another where it applies. The Taskbar is also dynamic. Swipe up from the black bar when you need it. When you’re done, it’ll disappear.

Coming soon with Android 14

Google also showcased a translation feature that can be extremely helpful when you’re travelling. Called the Dual Screen interpreter mode, it lets the Pixel Fold display live translations simultaneously on both the inner and outer screens. Hopefully, it works well enough to punch through language barriers.

Best camera on a foldable?

That’s the promise, at least. Pixel phones are known for taking great photos. Google promised to deliver the same with the Pixel Fold. Powered by the G2 Tensor chip, the Pixel Fold should have all the AI goodness that Google applies when Pixels take a photo.

Also home to the Pixel Fold are many of the Pixel’s notable features. These include but are not limited to Super Res Zoom with 5x optical zoom, Real Tone, Night Sight, and more. You also have access to software tools like Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur via Google Photos.

Speaking of cameras, here they are by the numbers:

Main camera array:

48MP with 1/2″ sensor, f/1.7 aperture
10MP ultrawide with 1/3″ sensor, f/2.2 aperture
10.8MP 5x optical zoom telephoto with 1/3.1″ sensor, f/3.05 aperture

Outer screen:

9.5MP fixed focus, f/2.2

Inner screen:

8MP fixed focus, f/2.0

Price and availability

The Pixel Fold comes in two colors: Porcelain and Obsidian. According to their listing, it will be available initially in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. It starts at US$ 1,799 for the 256GB variant while the 512GB one will cost US$ 1,919.

Gaming

Xbox saves Kojima’s PHYSINT after PlayStation drops support

PlayStation says the separation was mutual, but Kojima hints otherwise.

Published

September 11, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Things aren’t going well in the PlayStation camp. After two months of frankly questionable decisions, the company adds another to the pile by dropping support for Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT.

For a while now, Kojima and PlayStation were in a very productive relationship with the Death Stranding duology, a critically acclaimed collection of titles for the platform. When things looked like they were going well, Kojima announced PHYSINT, an espionage-themed game which reminded fans way too much of Metal Gear Solid.

If you were investing in a PlayStation 5 to play Kojima’s latest thriller, you might want to move your chips elsewhere now. PlayStation has just dropped support for the espionage game, meaning PHYSINT will no longer be a first-party title for the platform.

Though PlayStation claims that the decision came after “careful consideration,” Kojima himself has said that the move was “unexpected,” going against PlayStation’s assurance of a mutual separation.

Very quickly, Xbox has announced that their platform will support PHYSINT instead. It’s a big get for the competing brand because Xbox Game Studios is already supporting OD, Kojima’s other upcoming horror project starring Sophia Lillis.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say more. As is tradition, Kojima will not explain much more about his upcoming titles. In fact, OD’s trailer barely says anything. One thing’s for sure, though: we’re all in for quite a ride.

Entertainment

PH to celebrate 1st ever National Cinema Day; movies start at less than $2

Watch a movie on September 12 for a fraction of the cost

Published

September 10, 2026

GadgetMatch

The Philippines will be celebrating its first ever National Cinema Day on September 12. On this day, movie tickets will go for as low as PhP 100 (US$ 1.60) at regular 2D cinemas.

The campaign aims to make moviegoing more accessible to audiences. This includes families, friends, students, and cinephiles in general.

Such initiative has been a staple in other countries, like the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and more. The same concept applies, with movie tickets going on sale for a lot less.

What’s great about the celebration is that all movies scheduled for exhibition on September 12, whether local or international, shall get the special admission price.

Advanced tickets sales have already begun. Customers can purchase through participating box offices, official websites, mobile apps, and authorized platforms.

Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and remain subject to theater capacity. Prices vary for other viewing formats like Director’s Club or IMAX, for instance.

The campaign is organized by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP), along with industry and government partners.

The initiative is supported by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), and the Metro Manila Film Festival through the MMDA.

Participating cinemas include Ayala Malls Cinemas, SM Cinemas, Robinsons Movieworld, CityMall Cinema, Megaworld Cinemas, and more.

News

iPhone Duo: Price, availability in the Philippines

As listed on the Apple website

Published

September 10, 2026

GadgetMatch

Apple has officially entered the foldable smartphone market with the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone. It uses a passport-style design that opens into a larger display while retaining a more conventional smartphone experience when folded.

Price and availability

The iPhone Duo starts at PhP 159,990 in the Philippines for the 256GB model as listed on the Apple website.

Here’s the full local pricing:

256GB — PhP 159,990
512GB — PhP 175,990
1TB — PhP 207,990
2TB — PhP 254,990

The iPhone Duo comes in Star White and Night Sky.

Actual availability in the Philippines has yet to be officially announced.

A foldable design with two displays

The iPhone Duo has a 5.4-inch outer display when folded and expands to a 7.6-inch main display when opened. Both orientations use the same aspect ratio, allowing iOS to transition between them seamlessly.

The rear chassis uses Ceramic Shield, while the front display gets Ceramic Shield 2. The device is also IP68-rated for dust and water resistance.

Its hinge uses carbon fiber supports and magnets that produce an audible click when the phone is folded.

A20 Pro brings flagship performance

The iPhone Duo is powered by the A20 Pro, the same chip found in the iPhone 18 Pro series. Apple says the chip delivers 35 percent better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro.

It also comes with the new C2 cellular modem, which provides up to 50 percent faster uploads. Like other foldables, the Duo can be used in different configurations, including tent mode and a partially folded book-like position.

48-megapixel camera system

The iPhone Duo gets a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera alongside a 12-megapixel 2x telephoto camera.

For selfies and video calls, it has a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera. The inner display also uses an under-screen camera for a cleaner look.

Battery life goes beyond a day

The iPhone Duo offers up to 31 hours of video playback using the inner display and up to 44 hours using the outer display.

Charging is also quick. Apple says a 20-minute charge can replenish half the battery, while a five-minute charge can provide up to five hours of video playback.

For the complete specifications and first-look details, check out our main iPhone Duo launch coverage.