News

realme 7 series launches in the Philippines

Another pair of noteworthy midrangers

Published

September 30, 2020

GadgetMatch

Well, that was fast. After launching the realme 7 series in India, the brand is now bringing its latest devices to other markets. Now, realme is bringing the realme 7 and realme 7 Pro to the Philippines.

The launch of the realme 7 series towards the end of September puts it almost within six months of launching the popular realme 6 series into the country. By all aspects, the realme 7 seriesis a marginal improvement over the realme 6 series. However, this upcoming smartphone is a likely contender for the best value midranger again, thanks to its specs and competitive pricing.

realme 7 Pro

Upfront, the 90Hz refresh rate has been retained on the 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G is now powering the device. Also new for the realme 7 Pro is faster wired charging thanks to 65W SuperDart charge that can charge the smartphone from 0 to 100% percent in just 34 minutes.

The quad cameras also got some upgrades. The newer and bigger IMX682 64MP imaging sensor replaces the one on the realme 6 Pro. The rest of the setup practically remains the same. However, the quad-camera setup now resides on a refined camera bump design that looks in line with other midrangers released recently.

The secondary ultra-wide selfie camera is gone now. In place, realme bumped the primary selfie camera to 32MP, which is double the resolution of the realme 6 Pro.

realme is also touting the 7 Pro as the first smartphone in the world to receive a TÜV Rheinland Smartphone Reliability Verification. We don’t exactly know what this certification does to a smartphone, but the brand is touting a much reliable device for everyday use.

realme 7

The realme 7 has a 6.5-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Powering the phone is a MediaTek Helio G95 processor with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.

It includes the same camera setup that’s found on the elder sibling. However, it gets a bigger 5000mAh battery with 30W fast charging. realme claims it can fully charge the phone within 65 minutes. For authentication, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner is provided.

Pricing and availability

The realme 7 series will be available nationwide starting September 30. Pricing and special offers are as follows:

realme 7 pro (8GB+128GB) — PhP 17,990
realme 7 (8GB+128GB) — PhP 14,990

Purchase the realme 7 Pro in stores nationwide from September 30 to October 4, 2020 to get an automatic umbrella and a realme Band worth PhP 2,390.

Home Credit

Starting September 30
realme 7 8+128 and realme 7 Pro 8+128 are available via 0% interest installment plans of 6 and 9 months.
Special Offer: First 10 purchasers of the realme 7 Pro will be getting free realme Buds Q worth PhP 1,490, while the first 10 purchasers of a realme 7 will get free Buds Classic worth PhP 590.

E-Commerce Partner: Lazada

September 30, 1PM
First 200 purchasers of realme 7 Pro via the dedicated product page will get free realme Buds Q worth Php1,490
realme 7 is PhP 500 off on September 30
realme Buds Q is PhP 500 off on September 30

Credit Card Installment

6 and 12 mos 0% interest via all major credit cards in participating stores nationwide

BUY THE REALME 7 PRO HERE
BUY THE REALME 7 HERE

Apps

Twitter is working on a way to hide the blue checkmark

May or may not launch

Published

March 25, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

A year ago, Twitter’s blue checkmark was a coveted piece of online identity making. Now, the once-prestigious marker has grown into somewhat of a meme. The blue checkmark doesn’t mean the same as it did a year ago. Now, Twitter is reportedly developing a way to hide the checkmark from your profile.

Last year, Twitter announced a much easier way to get a blue checkmark for themselves. Soon after Elon Musk purchased the platform, Twitter Blue offered the badge with the monthly subscription price. Users who earned the old checkmark without paying for the subscription had their badges converted into yellow legacy checkmarks.

With the change, the value of a blue checkmark changed drastically. It become associated with a joke mocking users who paid for Twitter, an otherwise free-to-use platform.

#Twitter keeps working on the ability to control everything related to account verification and identity by adding the option to show or hide your blue checkmark on your profile 👀 pic.twitter.com/6uTjBON21N

— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) March 21, 2023

Now, as spotted by notable app engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, Twitter is developing a way to hide the blue checkmark altogether. Currently, the development is still just a leak. It remains possible that the app will not launch the feature after all.

That said, after several months reinventing verification, the platform is still struggling for the perfect way to blend the old with the new. Right around the same time the leak popped up, they also officially announced that it will retire legacy checkmarks starting April 1.

Apps

PayPal slowly rolls out passkey support for Android

Coming to the app soon

Published

March 25, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Big Tech has been pushing for an end to the password. However, the password-less future is taking a while to get off the ground. Only a few platforms can support passkeys. A big name is lending its hand to the technology, though. PayPal has announced that it is working on implementing passkeys for Android users.

Starting today, the digital payment platform is slowly rolling out support for the new security measure. With a passkey, users will no longer need a password or two-factor authentication. Instead, PayPal will install a passkey onto your device. That passkey will be exclusive to your devices. If PayPal recognizes the device you’re trying to log in from, then the platform will allow you in.

It’s not a grand rollout yet, though. PayPal will introduce the feature for mobile browsers first, rather than the app outright. Android users will need Chrome to access the feature. App integration will come in the future. In the meantime, Android users will start getting the feature from now throughout the year.

Passkeys are moving slowly across the tech space. Some time ago, Apple, Google, and Microsoft mutually pledged to help usher in the future of passkeys as a more secure alternative to passwords. Today, only a few platforms can support the technology. In a time when cybersecurity is quickly becoming a priority for everyone, the arrival of passkeys can’t come sooner.

Gaming

LEGO 2K Drive to arrive on May 19

Build, explore, race

Published

March 24, 2023

GadgetMatch

2K and the LEGO Group has announced May 19 as the official worldwide release date of LEGO 2K Drive for multiple consoles.

The driving adventure game is developed by Visual Concept. It is the first title to be released as part of a multi-title partnership between 2K and the LEGO Group. They seek to evolve the LEGO experience in exciting new ways.

The game will feature a combination of open-world driving and competitive racing. Players can explore the vast world of Bricklandia, build any vehicle LEGO-style, drive anywhere, and become a racing legend.

The Sky Cup Trophy is the game’s coveted prize. Players will have to compete against a series of rivals across a broad range of tracks while taking advantage of unique power-ups that can guide them throughout a race.

LEGO 2K Drive also offers unique customization, with over 1,000 LEGO pieces available when building a vehicle. Color designs, stickers, flairs, and more are likewise customizable.

Players may also collaborate with others in a two-person split-screen mode or multiplayer mode.

There will be three editions for the upcoming game:

Standard Edition – US$ 59.99 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch; US$ 69.99 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S (both physical and digital)

Awesome Edition – US$ 99.99; includes new vehicle, flair, in-game LEGO minifigure, Year 1 Drive Pass (covers four individual post-launch seasons of Drive pass content)