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Vibe Check: realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola Edition

Refreshing special edition smartphone!

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When realme announced its partnership with Coca-Cola® for a special edition smartphone, it was quite amusing but not surprising.

As a brand, realme has always showcased youthful energy, promoting fun and spontaneity through its campaigns and experiences. Coca-Cola®shares the same virtue of fun — celebrating friendship and happiness through a carbonated drink.

When we got our hands on the realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola® edition, we were ecstatic at the sight of a possible special edition smartphone done right.

Unboxing

Opening the box, there’s a Coca-Cola® bottle outline that you can peel to get the papers you’ll need…

…or you can just open it from the top side.

Inside, you can find cool, branded DIY stickers.

There are also a limited number card and a custom-made SIM ejector tool resembling a bottle cap.

Underneath, you can find the smartphone’s essentials.

There’s the 33W SuperVOOC adapter…

…and a USB-C to USB-A cable.

It comes with a transparent case so you can see the Coca-Cola® design clearly.

P.S. You can plaster the jelly case with the DIY stickers included in the box.

In true Coca-Cola® fashion

Everything from the box up to the smartphone, the Coca-Cola® branding stood out as a refreshing take on special edition smartphones. The collaboration is somewhat reminiscent of partnerships between tech brands and high fashion.

For most people, the design can be a bit tacky. But I know all too well that there are people who are true Coca-Cola® fans, willing to parade their special edition smartphone. (My best friend is one!)

Moreover, the units got sold out upon launching on realme’s official channels. For that to happen, I knew right away they did something right.

Coca-Cola® inside and out

Most special edition smartphones don’t care about the user interface and experience after plastering their designs on the phone’s back panel and the box.

The realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola® Edition is a different breed. Its lock screen comes with a dynamic soda fizz bubble effect, and the skin for realme UI follows a retro red and black palette, sticking to the Coca-Cola® branding.

It also comes with exclusive 80s cola filters, and to make it even more refreshing, the camera shutter mimics the popping sound of a freshly-opened bottle of Coke® when taking photos.

Furthermore, you can customize the ringtone and notification sounds using nostalgic Coca-Cola® jingles.

Just like the realme 10 Pro 5G

It isn’t just bells and whistles for this smartphone. After all, it’s still the realme 10 Pro 5G housing a Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, a 5000mAh battery, and 256GB of internal storage.

If you haven’t read our review (which I suggest you should), take the time to peruse it and see why this smartphone is an ultra-reliable phone with numerous enhancements.

READ: realme 10 Pro 5G review: Putting ‘boundless’ in mid-range phones

But if you don’t have the luxury of time… in a nutshell, the realme 10 Pro 5G is a worthy midrange pickup. It’s got a display worth looking at, next-level specs that let you play and multitask, magical cameras for a smartphone with an affordable price point, and a smooth AF performance.

Price and availability

The realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola® Edition retails for PhP 18,499 via Shopee.

On the other hand, the realme 10 Pro 5G (8GB+256GB) retails for PhP 16,999. Meanwhile, the realme 10 Pro+ 5G starts at PhP 19,999 for the 8GB+128GB variant and PhP 24,999 for the 12GB+256GB variant.

The smartphones are available in stores and in realme’s official online channels.

First Look

First Look: Apple iPhone Duo

The foldable we’ve been waiting for!

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Apple’s first ever foldable is finally here! Say hello to the iPhone Duo.

In this video, THE Michael Josh shares his first impressions.

Those include the design, display, cameras, performance, and what it’s actually like to use Apple’s latest iPhone.

Is the iPhone Duo the future of the iPhone or just an interesting experiment?

We take a closer look and share everything that stood out during our hands-on experience.

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Match Pulse: Boya Notra Neo

AI note-taking made more accessible

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I sometimes admittedly fall into the trap of having some good ideas in my head but never actually writing them down.

And specially in this era where you can easily be distracted by the pace of life, the external stimuli, and pretty much just stressful moments, it pays to have a companion to help you become organized.

Otherwise, those thoughts I mentioned about would just fly above my head.

That’s where the Boya Notra Neo comes in. It’s a pretty straightforward portable AI recorder. As its slogan suggests, it’s for meetings, calls, and ideas.

It’s Boya’s more accessible, more affordable answer to the earlier Boya Notra.

Everyday AI note-taking made accessible

The Neo is incredibly lightweight and something you can sneak into your pocket easily.

I’ve been only able to use it a couple of times in casual settings, when ideas start to flow naturally in the middle of conversations.

Honestly, it’s great to have a companion device for such scenarios.

Although by default, your initial thought when such ideas arise is “Write that down”, sometimes, we are either pre-occupied or distracted by what’s in front of us.

The Boya Notra Neo makes sure we don’t miss note-taking. One tap and it will automatically record audio.

This convenience translates to school group meetings and projects to even more professional settings.

Then, there are journalists like me who occasionally have to interview resource persons and attend press conferences, so this recorder comes in handy.

There are three recording modes to suit real-time needs: Ambient, Phone Call, and Bluetooth.

 

Post-handling of audio recordings are likewise a breeze. Through the Boya OS app, you can connect the device via Bluetooth to sync previous recordings.

If you’re not initially connected to the internet, the device will still be able to record a considerable length with its built-in 8GB memory.

Then, you can just sync the recordings to your device. You can then transcribe the recording on the app with its easy-to-understand interface.

You can even choose from over 140 languages, the style of the transcription from 60 professional templates, and the AI model to help you with generating the text.

Beyond that, you can generate a summary or a mind map to quickly review what has been discussed, be it a meeting, a quick call, or a brainstorming session. You can likewise do an AI search across the recording to find more important notes or quotes and their timestamps.

Boya Notra Neo now available for pre-orders

The Boya Notra Neo is now available for pre-orders, ahead of its September 4 launch at IFA 2026.

Pre-ordering now entitles customers to a discount, so they can get the recorder for just US$ 69.99 (SRP: US$ 79.99).

Customers can purchase here.

What’s good about the Notra Neo is its ample free recording minutes per month, as it is meant for everyday casual recording to begin with.

This allowance resets every month, so you can start using the device for free.

Subscriptions, on the other hand, are available for those needing more minutes and access to other features.

And oh, there are four colors to choose from to match your smartphone and fashion sense.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 vs Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: What’s different?

A quick side-by-side.

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Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold8i

Samsung surprised everyone by introducing not one, but two book-style foldables this year. Alongside the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, the company also unveiled the all-new Galaxy Z Fold8, offering users two distinct takes on the foldable experience.

We’ve only spent a short time with both devices, so this isn’t a full comparison. Think of this as a quick side-by-side look at what immediately stood out during our first hands-on.

In the hand

The biggest difference becomes apparent before you even unfold either device.

Folded shut, the Galaxy Z Fold8 immediately feels more natural in the hand. It’s easier to grip, feels better balanced, and slips into a pocket more comfortably. If you’ve been waiting for a foldable that behaves more like a conventional smartphone when closed, the Fold8 leaves a strong first impression.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, on the other hand, feels more familiar. It carries forward the traditional book-style Fold experience with a larger footprint that longtime Fold users will instantly recognize.

When it’s time to work

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold8 | Galaxy Notes app

Once unfolded, the gap narrows considerably.

Both devices offer enough room to comfortably write, edit documents, answer emails, or multitask without feeling cramped. During our hands-on, neither device felt noticeably better for productivity.

The same goes for typing. Both provide enough keyboard space to comfortably write articles, answer emails, or even draft letters you’ll never send.

At least from our limited time with both devices, there’s no clear winner here.

Watching videos

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold8 | LE SSERAFIM Boompala

Media consumption is where the Galaxy Z Fold8 stands out.

Its wider display makes videos feel more at home, with fewer black bars when watching content like YouTube. It’s a subtle difference, but one that’s immediately noticeable once both devices are unfolded side by side.

The Ultra still offers a larger display overall, but its proportions remain closer to what we’ve come to expect from traditional book-style foldables.

The hinge

Samsung’s two foldables also differ slightly in how they open and close.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra’s hinge feels firmer and more deliberate. It comfortably holds its position across multiple angles, making Flex Mode feel a little more reassuring.

The Galaxy Z Fold8, meanwhile, feels smoother throughout the motion. Once it reaches a certain point while opening or closing, it naturally continues the movement on its own instead of holding intermediate angles as firmly as the Ultra.

Neither approach is inherently better. They simply offer a different feel in everyday use.

First impressions

After a brief hands-on, it’s clear that Samsung isn’t positioning these devices as direct replacements for one another.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra continues to refine the company’s established Fold formula. The Galaxy Z Fold8, meanwhile, explores a different direction—one that prioritizes a more familiar in-hand feel while keeping the productivity benefits that make foldables unique.

It’s still too early to draw conclusions about cameras, battery life, or long-term performance. Those answers will have to wait until we’ve spent more time with both devices.

For now, these are the differences that stood out most after our first look.

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