Features

6 posh smartphones in shades of purple

Powerful smartphones painted in a powerful color

Published

January 21, 2022

MJ Jucutan

Purple smartphones aren’t entirely new, but they’ve certainly stood out from 2021 until the present. What used to be the color of the rich, the powerful, and the high status is now dressed in smartphones to depict an air of elegance, mystique, and a little bit of fun.

Instead of using the bold, vibrant shade of purple, smartphone makers painted their products with a lighthearted and warm color — mostly in shades of lavender.

While these smartphones are looking hot and blazingly attracting so much attention across the Internet and the market, there are plenty of reasons to still wear them even if you hate being part of the trend.

Pay attention to the Purple-colored smartphones

Recently, the Spring/Summer 2022 Fashion Week listed Green and Purple as the perfect colors to wear for the season. These colors are easy on the eyes, especially the lighter and muted tones. They will surely match any outfit, particularly if you’re donning pastel dresses and accessories.

Furthermore, most smartphones coated in unique shades of purple are powerful. Like, literally. These devices are considered flagships in different categories. Even if their successors arrive, it’s a guarantee that you can trust these devices will last with you for over two years and beyond.

Lo and behold! It’s time to pick your poison, err, I mean, Purple.

Samsung Galaxy S21

2021’s earliest flagship came in a stunning Phantom Violet. Lush, playful, yet elegant. The Galaxy S21 might be a year old already, but it’s still one of the best flagship smartphones that you can buy today. In fact, it was the first smartphone we gave a GadgetMatch Seal of Approval — which means you can trust that this smartphone will be with you as long as it can.

iPhone 12

We were surprised when Apple brought out the Purple iPhone 12. Fans are hinting at a new iPhone yet Apple unleashed a new colorway instead. Nevertheless, we revel in how the Purple iPhone added delight during Spring, blooming together with nature, seemingly giving us hope despite the uncertain future.

Moreover, iPhones are guaranteed continuous software updates so you can rest easy knowing that your smartphone won’t give up on you five years later.

Samsung Galaxy A72

Samsung’s headliner for the midrange A-series might be the Galaxy A52, but most people are sleeping on the Galaxy A72, especially in its Awesome Violet colorway.

It continues the solid promise of its predecessor, packing flagship features and essentials at an affordable package that everyday consumers surely enjoy.

OPPO Find N

The OPPO Find N captured our eyes and hearts with its playful colorway and unique foldable experience. It’s compact, durable, tough, and performs well like any other flagship smartphone.

There’s nothing quite like it for now, and it’s definitely a phone you should consider if you’re hopping on the foldable trend. If you can get your hands on it, that is.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

Though our eyes are fixated on the Cream Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, it’s irresistible to look at if it’s coated in Lavender. The color is bold, vibrant, and eye-catching. The pièce de résistance for anyone who wants to capture attention. A fine accessory for a personality meant to stand out.

And more importantly, it’s just as good as any flagship smartphone out there. It still has the same flagship Samsung experience you’d normally expect, and it certainly delivers — with continuous updates for the next three years or so.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

Oops, Samsung did it again. The successor to its Fan Edition phones recently made its advent, and we found ourselves falling in love with the experience of using the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G. It’s great all around, and we’re comfortable calling it one of the best smartphones for most users for now.

It’s an absolute joy to use, and a worthy buy even with new, more advanced phones on the horizon. And more importantly, it’s a sight to behold. That Lavender surely knows how to work its way around different outfits and colors. You won’t regret parading this color.

Accessories

The GameSir G8 Galileo is great for PS Remote Play

While we wait for the PlayStation Portal

Published

November 30, 2023

Rodneil Quiteles

We happen to be in a region where the PlayStation Portal has yet to be released. Good thing, PS Remote Play is available and GameSir has a controller you can hook up to your smartphone that’s readily compatible. Enter the GameSir G8 Galileo.

You might not see it right away, but the biggest difference with the G8 Galileo compared to other smartphone controllers (even the ones GameSir made themselves) is it’s actually full size.

Watch our unboxing.

@gadgetmatch

Unboxing the Gamesir G8 Galileo. Best smartphone controllers right now? #gaming #mobilegaming #remoteplay #RemotePlay #remoteplayps5 #mobilecontroller #controller #controllers

♬ original sound – GadgetMatch – GadgetMatch

Most smartphone controllers prioritize portability. Thus, they’re more compact. That means smaller face buttons, smaller thumbsticks, and generally smaller overall profile.

Usable, sure. But not exactly ideal for people with chubby hands like yours truly.

BackBone One | GameSir G8 Galileo

This is also one of the primary reasons why, despite owning a Backbone One, I’ve rarely used it for its intended purpose. And the reason why the PlayStation Portal is appealing to me.

The GameSir G8 Galileo changes all of that because of its size. It’s also not just larger. Its ergonomics are great too. Your hands will sit nicely on the nice, curved handles for a more comfortable, more enjoyable handheld gaming session.

PS Remote Play

Another big area of convenience is you don’t necessarily have to have the GameSir app to make it work. Simply download the PS Remote Play app, register, and fire it up.

To make sure it’s on PS Remote Play compatible mode, just press the Share and Options buttons simultaneously. Those are the tiny buttons on the left and right hand side of the controllers right above the left thumb stick and the face buttons.

Upon pressing simultaneously, make sure the color on the GameSir logo on the lower right part of the controller is white. That’s how you know it’s on PS Remote Play mode.

Currently green so you have to press the buttons for Remote Play.

Once done, just easily plug-in your smartphone with a USB-C port on GameSir’s signature flexible USB-C plug and off you go.

Actual play time

Here’s a quick Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gameplay using the GameSir G8 Galileo along with the HONOR Magic5 Pro with Remote Play:

Playing #SpiderMan2PS5 via Remote Play using an HONOR Magic5 Pro and the new @mygamesir G8 Galileo. pic.twitter.com/q6eDBYAq1E

— rodneil (@rodneilquiteles) November 30, 2023

This under a minute clip, naturally, isn’t representative of the entire Remote Play experience. Anyone who has tried it before knows that with extended play time, you’ll likely experience a few hiccups here and there. That’s just the nature of the beast.

That said, this whole set-up has been generally great. Other than Spider-Man 2, I’ve managed to play a handful of quick NBA 2K24 games like this. I still racked up a handful of wins despite suffering from occasional latency trouble.

The feel of the controller is fantastic and is easily the most enjoyable out of every other smartphone controller that I’ve tried before. And I’ve tried a few other than the Backbone One. There’s the GameSir X3, GameSir X2 Pro-Xbox, and the Razer Kishi V2.

Compatible games, mapping

Depending on the platform you’re on, the GameSir G8 Galileo will work on multiple other games. If you’re an iPhone 15 Series user, Remote Play, select Apple Arcade games, and even the AAA games set to release for that iPhone will work with this controller.

For Android users, it’s the usual handful of controller supported games that will work with this. For everything else, you’ll have to resort to mapping — a task for those with patience.

If you need more tutorials on how to get it working, just follow GameSir on Facebook or YouTube. They constantly post tutorials.

You can buy the GameSir G8 Galileo here: https://bit.ly/gsg8galileo

Use G8Creator on the Coupon Code for 10% off.

Buyer's Guide

The Best TV Buyer’s Guide 2023: Black Friday Deals

Which TV is right for you?

Published

November 28, 2023

GadgetMatch

With plenty of different sizes, models and tech to choose from, do you go QLED or OLED? 4K or 8K? 55, 65, 75, 85, or 98K? Which TV is right for you? This Holiday Season we’ve partnered with Samsung to help you find your dream TV.

This Buyer’s Guide will feature three TVs from Samsung: two from their Neo QLED series, the Neo QLED 4K QN90C and Neo QLED 8K QN900C, and another from their OLED line, the OLED S95C.

If you’re in the market for a new TV, you can get up to $2500 off on Samsung’s Black Friday deals: Samsung Neo QLED 8K, Samsung Neo QLED 4K, Samsung OLED 4K.

Cameras

GoPro HERO12 Black: Making heroic shots with the new HERO

Small but not terrible

Published

November 24, 2023

Vincenz

The HERO of action cameras is back! And no doubt, the GoPro HERO 12 Black is one of the hottest action cameras around.

Not only does it provide great video output, it’s also packed with features and improvements that make it stand out from the crowd.

Packed Inside and Out

If you’re already planning to purchase the new GoPro HERO 12 Black, here’s what you should expect with its thicc packaging.

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If you’re here for the nitty-gritty new features of the brand’s latest action cam, you can see all the specifics in this article.

Keep on reading for the actual hands-on experience..

Reels-Ready

With the continuous rise of Reels and/or TikToks, having to shoot vertically is the way to go.

This is where the new Vertical Framing feature comes handy as it can shoot vertical videos for you without actually turning the device — as opposed to other action cameras including its older counterparts.

Make It Even Wider

The GoPro HERO 12 Black, just like any other action camera, comes with a default lens that it’s enough to shoot wide enough footage.

But with the optional Max Lens Mod 2.0, it makes shots even wider.

You can choose between three lens views: the default Wide (16-34mm), Max SuperView (middle ground), and the Max HyperView (the extremest view).

Just remember, you can only apply these when shooting in the default horizontal orientation.

If you’re shooting for Reels or TikTok and want this super wide look, you can stick with the default FoV (Field of View) of Vertical Mode. Otherwise, you can shoot in Horizontal Mode and just rotate it during post-process (or via GoPro’s Quik app available in both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store).

Also, don’t forget to enable it in its drop-down quick settings menu. This way you can fully-maximize its full-blown super-wide angle view whenever, wherever.

Memento Making

I enjoyed using the combination of the new lens and vertical shooting of this wonder cam during the duration of my travel. And with just one press of the top button, it instantly starts recording.

Several swipes also enables it to shoot photos or record timelapses.

Terrific Thailand.mov

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Cute Capy Cafe.mp4

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Short Singapore Stop.mkv

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What’s Poppin’ in this Pop Up.hevc

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Compact Camera Companion

The GoPro HERO 12 Black is fantastic for recording and keeping travel mementos. But other than that, it’s also be good for documenting your everyday life.

The thing I love about the GoPro HERO 12 Black is that it features a built-in mount that can be flapped out within seconds.

My former action camera relies on its case before it can actually be mounted.

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Despite the continuous advancements of smartphone cameras and their video-making improvements and capabilities, the ultra-wide lenses aren’t the best performers when you’re trying to shoot videos. This is true even if you rock the latest flagship Android smartphone or even the maxed out iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The GoPro continues to exist to fulfill that vital role in shooting. Its compact form, ease of access, easy usability, and rugged-readiness are more points to consider on owning a GoPro HERO12 Black. It’s better than actually pawning your phones just to shoot UWA (ultra-wide angle) footages in the harshest conditions.

Pricing and Availability

The GoPro HERO12 Black is being sold for PhP 24,990 (US$ 399.99 / EUR 449.99 / GBP 399.99 / SG$ 580). Meanwhile, the HERO12 Black Creator Edition retails for PhP 36,990 (US$ 599.99 / EUR 679.99 / GBP 599.99 / SG$ 890).

The Max Lens Mod 2.0 is a separate purchase for PhP 7,490 (US$ 99.99). A special bundle is available for other regions. Visit GoPro.com for specific pricing and other bundle offers in your respective regions.