Judging by their irreverent advertising as of late, Nothing wants to upstage Apple during the scheduled launch of the iPhone 17e. Specifically, the brand is launching the Nothing Phone (4a) a day after Apple’s event. Now, it looks like the wait got too long, even for the company itself. Ahead of the launch, Nothing has just revealed our first official look at the upcoming phone.

There is a lot riding on this phone. Earlier this year, Carl Pei confirmed that the brand will not launch the Phone (4) series this year. Instead, Nothing’s flagship spot for 2026 (or, at least, closest to it) will be reserved for the Phone (4a).

Like the previous years of the (a) series, the Phone (4a) is a notch below the flagship series but can still stand on its own. For one, it’s expected to launch with the latest Snapdragon 7 series chipset.

However, for the released photo, we got a look at the device’s rear. Like the Phone (3a), the Phone (4a) will have a center-aligned camera island.

There is a bit more going on with the phone, though. The photo teases the new Glyph Bars, the latest iteration of Nothing’s iconic lighting system. There’s also the red square usually prevalent in the flagship series.

As for aesthetic, the Phone (4a) looks simpler than its predecessors. We’re still getting the faux machinery designs, but there’s less lines and angles. It looks the closest to the flagship series than any of its predecessors.

Thankfully, the wait for the reveal isn’t long. Nothing is scheduled to launch the series on March 5.

SEE ALSO: Nothing confirms Phone (4a) launch by trolling Apple

As GadgetMatch’s Creative Producer for 7+ years, I’ve had my fair share of review phones with me.

However, as I stated in my recent Reno15 Pro First Look, this is only my second time handling OPPO’s midranger.

Being the team’s full-fledged ~camera guy~, it’s the best time to shoot with this smartphone. Now, here’s my Camera Review of the all-new OPPO Reno15 Pro.

Hocus Focus

First in focus is none other than the Reno15 Pro’s main (1x) shooter. On paper, this has the biggest gap between the vanilla and Pro variants of the Reno15 series.

	OPPO Reno15 Pro	OPPO Reno15
Wide	200MP f/1.8 1/1.56” Samsung ISOCELL HP5 sensor	50MP f/1.8 1/1.95” Sony LYT-600 sensor
Ultra-Wide	50MP f/2.0 116º FoV GalaxyCore GC50F6	8MP f/2.2 116º FoV OmniVision OV08D
Telephoto	50MP f/2.8 1/2.75” Samsung ISOCELL JN5 sensor	50MP f/2.8 1/2.75” Samsung ISOCELL JN5 sensor
Selfie	50MP f/2.0 1/2.75” Samsung ISOCELL JN5 sensor	50MP f/2.0 1/2.75” Samsung ISOCELL JN5 sensor

That 200MP main camera not only has a larger megapixel count, but it also has a bigger sensor size, compared to what the base Reno15 has.

Right off the bat, the Reno15 Pro already serves with its superior image quality.

 

While color output is and will always be preferential, I prefer how the Reno15 Pro doesn’t produce photos that are looking too flat — with the fair share of balance in highlights, shadows, and contrast.

HDR scenes weren’t forgotten as well. There’s a good mix of everything in between despite capturing them against that harsh sunlight behind.

And before I forget, I just want to commend how fast the shutter response time is. Personally, I don’t use burst shooting and only relies on how fast my finger reflexes are when taking photos as fast as possible.

Good thing, the OPPO Reno15 Pro managed to capture this breezing train with ease.

The ability to switch between 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm is also a great feature flexibility especially for users who want to frame their shots properly.

BONUS #1: It also captured my first snow fall experience in Osaka ❄️

Wider than wide

Usually, ultra-wide cameras are something that’s left behind among midrange phones. The case isn’t the same for the Reno15 Pro.

Although I cannot provide any comparison sample, that 50MP sensor obviously has the upper-hand versus the 8MP shooter found on the base Reno15.

Shots taken in the UWA (Ultra-Wide Angle) mode look crisp and clear, no questions asked.

It even managed to snap that flying bird above like a fictional time freeze phenomenon.

That 118-degree FoV squeezes in more details in the frame that cannot be captured by the regular 1x wide camera — unless you physically back off meters away from the subject.

In certain scenarios where cropping in is required, that larger megapixel count means it has gathered more image data — especially in restricting environments.

The Zoom Boom

If you’re coming from last year’s Reno, that 3.5x zoom shooter still remains.

Albeit, from a periscope module, it was returned to a telephoto one (like what’s equipped in the Reno13 Pro). I’m quite unsure how massive or measly that change brings to the table.

And even if that 200MP can bring 2x zoom shots through in-sensor cropping, having a dedicated telephoto lens means clearer shots from afar.

And it’s not just limited to 3.5x telephoto zoom per se (85mm). The OPPO Reno15 Pro can even take as far as 7x with optical-quality zoom (or lossless / hybrid, whatever the best term is). That’s an equivalent of 170mm in camera lens’ focal length.

Good thing or not, it’s the same exact sensor found on the base Reno15 as well.

What matters the most is that I love how this zoom shooter performs.

It even performs snappy when shooting moving subjects — like this deer and tux cat.

I am a firm believer of not taking food shots using the regular 1x view. Thankfully, the excellence of its 2x and 3.5x zoom modes made me capture these mouthwatering photos with enough segmentation.

Also, my new obsession? Turning on the flash when capturing meals indoors for that ✨ 2000s digicam vibes 📸

Low-light that looks right

As I always say, shots taken with no presence of natural and artificial light is what makes or breaks a smartphone’s camera performance.

However, the OPPO Reno15 Pro dared. It was able to capture this Mt. Fuji scene at Tokyo Skytree even when the sun has already set.

With no surprise how it performs during the day, these evening photos provide more than satisfactory quality.

And just to be clear, I never actually switched to Night Mode.

Regardless of the focal length you desire, the OPPO Reno15 Pro delivered well.

OPPO AI instantly detects the scene and kicks in that much-needed algorithm when capturing shots in the low-light. For instance, this part was so dark I didn’t even notice there’s a couple captured in the frame.

Indoor shots weren’t left out as well. Look at how clean these look despite capturing them while being in a ride full of twists and turns.

Speaking of, these two samples were also taken while the parade floats were in constant motion.

I didn’t fully intend to take as much low-light shots with the OPPO Reno15 Pro. Still, it would be a huge miss not to include these extras.

BONUS #2: I accidentally took this with the flash enabled so it didn’t truly capture the split-second moment of that fireworks. However, IMHO, it still looked postworthy.

Pro-trait Expert

Having a telephoto shooter isn’t just for capturing subjects from afar, it also means better portraits through fixed focal lengths à la prime lenses for professional cameras.

While portrait mode works in both 1x or 2x modes, that 3.5x (or 85mm equivalent) gives the best possible output.

Not only is the Depth of Field (DoF) based on the phone’s distance away from the person, but it also provides a more natural bokeh — even if that means faking the aperture from f/16 to as shallow as f/1.4.

And this expertise isn’t just found on the rear cameras. With the front camera sharing the same sensor as the telephoto camera, quality is more than justified.

Same sensor found on the telephoto unit with a wider aperture clearly means the Depth of Field (DoF) is as natural as it can get.

Selfies are for one, groufies are for another. The Reno15 Pro easily captures human subjects without frills.

Taking low-light groufies in this device weren’t a struggle at all.

BONUS #3: Gen-Z selfie with the rear UWA camera!

#NoFilter shots aren’t bragging rights

What draws the fine line between the Find and Reno line are their camera partnerships (or lack thereof).

While the Find still rocks that Hasselblad partnership since the Find X5 Pro, the Reno class relies on OPPO’s own imaging algorithms.

It’s honestly not the best. However, if you want your photos to look less “generic”, these filters truly give soul to your shots.

All in all, there are 18 filters you can choose from:

Film-Simulated	Classic	Black and White
Neon (800T Film)	Vivid	B&W
Cold Flash (CCD)	Shine	Mono
Warm Flash (CCD)	Natural
Fresh (Film CC)	Food
Vintage (Film NC)	Cool
Clear (Film NH)	Warm
	Vibrant
	Faded

Personally, my frequently used filter is Neon (or 800T Film).

Although it really depends on the subject you’re trying to capture, it performed well during my Japan trip. Either it’s the place, the camera, or both. You be the judge.

Love it or h(AI)te it

Given the unstoppable price hike in memory and other tech components, 2026 seems like a progressive year for AI.

Love it or hate it, AI Tools are getting more advanced — and the OPPO Reno15 Pro isn’t far from the race.

The precise AI Eraser is already given. However, there’s more than just that.

In times when the environment doesn’t fully expose each and everyone’s faces, the AI Portrait Glow feature comes in very handy.

With the right balance, it illuminates faces as if we each had our own fill light. Just be wary if your face gets tweaked and does not look the same way as it is.

Speaking of groufies, the AI Perfect Shot is the perfect companion in fixing those good shots ruined by your friend’s unprepared faces.

For bad photographers, AI Recompose reframes your bad-angled shots based on OPPO’s AI power.

More on the Reno15 Pro’s AI Editor list includes Enhance Clarity to 4K, Reflections Remover, and Unblur.

Pop-out collage is also there to make your Instagram Stories (or Facebook Stories) look more quirky.

Video Versatility

It wouldn’t be a complete camera review without testing out how the Reno15 Pro performs when shooting clips.

At first, I was really skeptical on its performance. But, after having a dead powerbank and flagship phone in my bag, my only recourse was to shoot with the Reno15 Pro during that festive electrical night parade in Tokyo Disneyland.

I’ve also used it to record the “Sky Full of Colors” ending fireworks show as the ending piece of our visit.

While it was cancelled last-minute during our Tokyo DisneySea journey, we were still lucky enough to see it from Disneyland a day after.

If the low-light performance was already commendable to begin with, how much more when it’s daytime?

For a phone in this segment, I was not expecting anything grand. Gladly, it delivered more than what I have imagined.

Zoom cruising, while not perfect, still provided a smoother transition between 1x to 3.5x (compared to phones in this league). Surprisingly, 4K/60fps with HDR is possible so I used it just like in the flagship phones I own.

That goes hand in hand with the Reno15 Pro’s tiny but mighty 6.32-inch AMOLED ProXDR display as it can actually display HDR content without any brute force.

Other Goodies

OPPO Reno15 Pro is more than just your typical midrange smartphone. Diving more into its camera app, there are several features I was not able to explore yet can still be very useful in times of need.

The usual ones are the Panorama, Time-lapse, and Slo-mo. For some fun, there are the Dual-View Video and Sticker modes. Need to scan documents? Document and Text Scanner both exist.

Professional-grade shooting? There’s the Pro mode for stills and Movie mode for, you guessed it, video recording.

Scene-strict modes? Night Mode and Underwater Mode both save the day and the night. After all, the Reno15 Pro is IP66/IP68/IP69-certified.

And, even in low-light shots, OPPO Reno15 Pro’s AI capabilities already does the job for you — even without switching to Night Mode that’s hidden in that vault anyway.

Is the OPPO Reno15 Pro your GadgetMatch?

With a staggering pricing of PhP 49,999, the OPPO Reno15 Pro isn’t a totally easy recommendation for users who want capable cameras in a phone for less.

However, looking at what the OPPO Reno15 Pro offers, it’s imaging prowess is more than justifiable. It’s more than just a “Portrait Expert.”

Now onto my bold excerpt:

Why is this even considered a “Reno”?

While it’s clearly still under OPPO’s midrange line, the Reno15 Pro already feels like a flagship. Honestly, it could have just been named as the “Find X9 mini” not just for its sheer size, but for all the flagship-grade qualities it possesses.

While I’m talking about its fast 4nm Dimensity 8450 SoC, 12GB memory, 6200mAh battery capacity, alongside the oh-so-fluid ColorOS 16, its superior cameras are for another — just without the Hasselblad branding and novelties on it.

(Re)volutionary and in(no)vative

While OPPO was vague with how they actually named “Reno” as their midrange line, I have thought of my own meaning: (Re)volutionary + in(no)vative.

If my memory serves me right, the first series of OPPO Reno that came out last 2019 had an unusual pop-up camera mechanism alongside that 10x hybrid zoom capability. Those two unique features embody what the Reno line is — or so I thought.

While I may not have experienced each and every Reno model ever released, my colleagues’ pieces are proof that the line isn’t totally consistent with what they wanted to deliver.

My memory with the Reno10 Pro back in 2023 is still vivid though. It felt like a midranger slapped with a mix of cameras that performed just right — much like any other mid phone in its prime. However, I cannot say the same for the Reno15 Pro. It was surprisingly delighting and more than satisfying.

Almost three years after, OPPO set the record straight. They finally delivered a midranger that doesn’t feel mid with its excellency in smartphone-tography. That’s minus the intimidating flagship price tag of its “Find” lineup.

READ: Match Pulse: OPPO Reno15 Pro

HUAWEI has officially launched its latest flagship foldable offering, the HUAWEI Mate X7, in the Philippines.

The powerful device was introduced alongside the HUAWEI MatePad 11.5 S 2026 tablet and HUAWEI FreeClip 2 earbuds.

The Mate X7 is dubbed as the “King of Foldables”, with top-tier photography features. It has a 50MP Ultra Lighting HDR main camera with 17.5 EV dynamic range.

This is complemented by a 50MP camera that serves as both a telephoto and macro shooter.

Unfolded, the Mate X7 has a large 8-inch display, with features like Live Multitask. Users can also explore Google apps on the X7.

The foldable also comes with 360-degree protection, as well as IP58 dust and water resistance.

MatePad 11.5 S 2026: PC-like efficiency

Meanwhile, the MatePad 11.5 S 2026 offers 4-in-1 productivity for modern users. It has WPS Office 3.0, which supports advanced math functions and inserting documents or links.

The bundle includes the HUAWEI M-Pencil Pro, Smart Magnetic Keyboard, and HUAWEI Bluetooth Mouse, all powered by NearLink Tehnology.

The slate’s panel features 2.8K resolution and 144Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth and comfortable viewing. HUAWEI’s Notes and GoPaint apps have also been upgraded.

Inside is an 8,800mAh battery for extended usage. This battery has support or 40W SuperCharge.

FreeClip 2: Immersive listening

Completing the flagship triumvirate is the HUAWEI FreeClip 2, which comes with a unique Airy C-Bridge design.

The lightweight, open-ear wearable serves as both a reliable audio device and fashionable piece. It is powered by an NPU AI Processor and Dual-Diaphragm Driver for better bass performance and a fuller, more dynamic audio.

Meanwhile, its 3-mic noise cancellation system keeps calls crystal-clear on both ends. The FreeClip 2 also comes with IP57 protection and can last up to 38 hours with its charging case.

Price, availability

The three devices are now available for preorder online via HUAWEI, Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok, as well as HUAWEI Experience Stores.

HUAWEI Mate X7: PhP 119,999

Comes with preorder freebies worth up to Ph 45,998:

• HUAWEI WATCH GT 5
• Trade-in tokens worth PhP 12,000
• 1-Time Accidental Damage Screen Protection
• Up to PhP 10,000 off with select banks until February 26

HUAWEI MatePad 11.5 S 2026: PhP 29,999 (from PhP 31,999 until March 22)

• Up to PhP 2,000 Early Bird vouchers
• Free HUAWEI Smart Magnetic Keyboard
• WPS Office
• HUAWEI M-Pencil
• Bluetooth Mouse

HUAWEI FreeClip 2: PhP 9,999

• Up to PhP 1,000 Early Bird vouchers