Laptops

realme Book review: Done right the first time around

Published

October 15, 2021

Apple Gamboa

The pandemic has brought about major changes on how we depend on our gadgets. We stay glued to our smartphones for hours to stay connected. Most of us also continue with our work from home setup, causing the demand for laptops to continue to rise and opening the market to new players.

realme tries to steal the scene as they make their laptop debut with the realme Book, aimed at competing at the midrange level where many brands have already made their mark.

Let’s check out if the realme Book can be a great contender in the laptop arena.

Familiar yet better

Having a first look at the realme Book, the similarity of its design is undeniable with the MacBook though I don’t really think it’s a bad thing. Its sleek and stylish minimalist design actually makes me feel like I’m using a premium laptop.

Compared to its smartphones that have those flashy labels, realme veered away from that with their first laptop as they kept the label subtle and you can barely see the “Dare to Leap” mark on one of its rubber feet.

Its 14-inch sleek aluminum alloy body with matte finish really feels solid and has little or no flex on its slim chassis.

If you’re someone who likes to work in different corners of your home or at al fresco shops, the realme book can easily fit in your bag with its 14.9mm width and 1.38kg weight. When working on a flat surface, the rubber feet on the back actually help the laptop stay stable.

In terms of port options, you get one USB-A port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and two Type-C ports, one being a Thunderbolt 4 for the core i5 variant.

The USB port was a bit too tight that it required me to exert effort to pull out my USB device. Also, this laptop lacks an SD card slot and HDMI port. It doesn’t bother me that much but it may be a deal-breaker for other users.

Top-Notch Display

One thing that the realme Book can really boast about is its display. As full HD display is common in laptops from its competition, the realme Book takes it up a notch with its 2K Ultra-HD screen with 2160 x 1440 pixel resolution delivering stellar image quality with sharp detail.

The realme Book also packs in 100 percent sRGB wide color gamut that enables true-to-life visuals and a peak brightness of 400 nits which maintains high quality image even under direct sunlight.

What also sets it apart from other laptops is its 3:2 aspect ratio, giving you more vertical room compared to most laptops that are either 16:10 or 16:9. This feature is an advantage when it comes to your productivity especially if you usually work on documents, spreadsheets or social media content for work.

However, this becomes a disadvantage when you’re watching videos since you’ll have wider black bars at the top and bottom of the screen due to movies and series being usually formatted with 16:9 ratio.

Another impressive feature of this laptop is that realme was able to fit its web camera on its narrow bezels, unlike Huawei that had to sacrifice a good camera angle with their Matebook’s hidden camera placed on its keyboard.

Comfortable for work

Speaking of the keyboard, typing on the realme Book is satisfying thanks to its 1.3mm key travel and the sound of its clicks is just right for my preference.

The keyboard also comes with a 3-mode backlit option which you can activate and adjust by pressing the F7 key. This is convenient especially when you have to work or use the laptop for a while during the night. It is also interesting since this is a feature that you barely get to experience on laptops at this price.

Compared to other laptops, the trackpad on the realme Book is pretty huge but doesn’t get in the way of typing. It is also very responsive to the touch and works precisely with all gestures and clicks.

And similar to the Huawei Matebook devices, it also has a fingerprint-sensor embedded power button to boot it up which is actually a handy feature to have in a laptop.

Power Performance

As for breezing through tasks, the realme Book is highly capable to give you the best experience being powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core processor. Paired with this is the Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, 8GB DDR4 memory and 512GB PCIe SSD storage.

Aside from writing and creating social media content, I sometimes do photo and basic video editing for my side hustles. With the power combo under this laptop’s hood, it didn’t come as a surprise that the realme Book actually handled my tasks smoothly.

Even with games such as Valorant, I was able to play it at 2K resolution at high settings and it didn’t feel laggy at all. Of course, if you’d want a faster frame rate, you can always lower down your settings to improve your gaming experience.

I also noticed that while playing games, the laptop didn’t feel heated up at all. I checked via HWMOnitor and its temperature was just hovering a little over 60 degrees. This is actually cool for its slim body. I guess we can attribute this to its efficient cooling system with dual 8mm heat pipes and high speed, high airflow fans.

Quick juice up

When working, I usually take short breaks in between major tasks to refresh my mind. So it’s actually enough for me that the realme Book’s 54 Wh battery can support up to 9 hours of work and leisure, keeping me powered and connected.

And once the battery already ran out, the 65W fast charger got me to a 50 percent charge in just 30 minutes so I was able to conveniently continue with whatever I’m doing.

It’s also a plus that the charger of the realme Book is small and just slightly heavier than a smartphone charger so it’s an easy carry in the bag. It also has the same USB-C cable used to charge our smartphones so you won’t have to carry another charger for your smartphone when traveling.

Immersive speakers

For a laptop this slim, I was quite surprised that the sound coming from its down-firing Harman speakers is considerably loud and well defined.

When I tried listening to my playlists, I did notice that while it did not have as much bass as I would have preferred, it does sound fuller compared to others. When it comes to binging series and playing games, the speakers did a great job of simulating space that sounds pleasant and immersive. I guess I can say, it does sound better than many of the laptops I’ve tried.

Is the realme Book your GadgetMatch?

As a new player in the laptop market, the realme Book makes a pretty great attempt at laptops and definitely challenges competing and more established brands.

Sure this laptop may not be perfect but realme has brought their expertise in creating attractive smartphones to this laptop that definitely looks premium for its price. Also with its 2K Ultra-HD display, sleek and sturdy aluminum build, premium design, powerful performance and immersive audio, this laptop is definitely a solid deal for its price.

The realme Book is available in Real Grey and Real Blue colors and retails at PhP 37,990 for the i3 variant and PhP 47,990 for the i5 variant.

Laptops

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra wins you over

The laptop sneaks up on you

Published

July 3, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

This is coming from someone who has done countless unboxings and has touched a wide variety of devices — the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra was… alright.

My first impression was that it certainly didn’t wow me as much as I expected it to after having read the brief, nor even after attending the tech seminar where ASUS laid out its vision for the laptop.

That’s probably the strangest thing about the ExpertBook Ultra. Because after having spent more time with it, the laptop grew on me.

Put cheekily, the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra wasn’t the laptop that made my head turn. Instead, it was the laptop that kept showing up consistently. Before I realized it, it’s become the one I wanted to keep coming back to.

And I think that’s the best way to describe my experience with ASUS’ flagship business notebook.

The laptop sneaks up on you.

Built to be carried

I got the laptop right after Computex 2026 coverage. That meant my days were closer to how they normally are. That also meant I had to be more intentional about going out and bringing it with me as I tackled my day-to-day duties.

I normally carried it using my trusted EDC — the Alpaka Bravo Tote — and I have to say it definitely felt lighter than my usual laptop, which is the MacBook Pro M4.

The Apple laptop I regularly carry is, I have to admit, chunkier than I would prefer. So having the ExpertBook Ultra for about a week or so literally felt like some load was taken off my shoulders.

Did I ever forget it was there? I wouldn’t go that far.

But if you’re asking me which one I’d rather carry based on build and weight alone, I would, with no hesitation, reach for the ExpertBook Ultra.

That says a lot considering how attached I am to my usual setup.

ASUS likes talking about how light the ExpertBook Ultra is. Normally, that’s the sort of marketing line I acknowledge and quickly move past.

This time, I actually felt it.

The Nano Ceramic effect

One of the first things ASUS will tell you about the ExpertBook Ultra is its Nano Ceramic finish. I’ll admit, it felt like one of those things that sounds good on a slide presentation.

It’s one of those things that look gimmicky at first but actually feels incredible once you come across it on a daily basis.

It’s still early, so you can consider this very much part of the honeymoon phase with the laptop. Even so, the Nano Ceramic finish continues to inspire a bit of awe every time I pick it up.

I do feel like a little weirdo caressing the laptop ever so gently before I begin the day’s work wherever I may be. But that’s just a testament to how good it feels to touch.

And yes, it does reinforce the feeling that, “Hey, I’m working on a pretty fancy piece of machinery.”

It’s easy to underrate the effects of that feeling, but it’s those little intangible things that can sometimes help unlock perspectives and possibilities.

That’s not something you’ll find on a spec sheet. But it’s absolutely part of the experience.

A display that’s difficult to stop staring at

It also helps if STAYC Isa is on screen.

The display is magnificent.

As Captain America would say, “I can look at this all day.” Not the exact phrase, but you’re smart. You get it.

The OLED and matte coating is just a killer combo. Kind of like the Chaewon and Yeji “That’s a No No” challenge collab. Pardon the months-old K-pop reference. I’ve been so busy I haven’t really kept up with what’s new.

Anyway, the combination just comes at you unapologetically and you have no recourse but to bask in it. Maintaining the deep blacks and crisp colors is such a gift to your eyes.

I often sit right next to big windows when I’m out in cafés and the light did nothing to dull the effect of the display.

Two love, two love. I’m falling.

It was so good I often found myself fully diving into STAYC’s 2 LOVE music video in between writing this very review and coordinating with my team.

The matte coating deserves special mention here.

OLED panels already look fantastic. Pairing one with a matte finish that helps cut reflections without sacrificing the strengths of OLED makes for one of my favorite laptop displays in recent memory.

Typing just clicked

This is one of my favorite keyboard experiences. Things just clicked right from the start. No awkward feeling-out phase whatsoever.

I was touch typing like I was Doctor Strange trying to look into over 14 million possible outcomes and still landing on the right key every single time.

The keys feel closer to chiclet-style keyboards than anything else. Even so, the spacing is perfect and the travel satisfying.

Then there’s the haptic touchpad.

I typically don’t like using mice, especially when I’m out and about. With most Windows laptops I’ve used in the past, that eventually becomes a necessity.

That wasn’t the case with the ExpertBook Ultra. It’s easily one of the best-feeling touchpads I’ve used in recent memory.

My standard for touchpads has always been MacBooks. While the software is also doing some heavy lifting in that particular setup, the ExpertBook’s own comes pretty close.

That’s not praise I hand out lightly.

Performance that feels like overkill

Performance is one area where I cannot claim I fully pushed the capabilities of the ExpertBook Ultra.

Most of my tasks are browser-based. Plenty of tabs open, sure, but I don’t think I ever came close to really testing the capabilities of this business notebook. I imagine that would be the case for most of ASUS’ target audience.

Upon seeing the specs, I already knew this was going to be a bit of an overkill for my own use case. My time with it only proved that assessment.

The most I did with it was jump between browser tabs and chat apps, letting ChatGPT help me process unresolved feelings and questionable timing while I dealt with coordinating shoots, writing scripts and reviews, and dealing with external forces that leave me feeling drained.

Never once did the laptop feel slow. Never once did I find myself waiting.

What noise?

Speaking of things I didn’t notice, let’s talk about fan noise.

Again, since I didn’t really push this thing to its absolute limits, the fan never really kicked into high gear at any point during my time with it.

The same goes for thermals.

No task I did ever raised the temperature to uncomfortable levels. The laptop simply went about its business. Which, come to think of it, is probably the most business-laptop thing I can say about it.

Battery life that simply works

I was very impressed with its overall efficiency.

When I go out to work, I typically don’t stay out longer than five to six hours. Most of the time that’s five to six hours of really focused work—with some K-pop loving in between.

Being generally risk-averse, I still always brought my usual charger with me. Not once during my time with the device did I feel the need to plug in while working outside.

I would typically end my café work days somewhere between 30 to 40 percent and only juice the thing up once I got home while it was closed and not in use.

That’s exactly the kind of battery experience I want from a business laptop.

The AI question

The thing I struggle with when it comes to AI features on this machine is that a lot of them are Windows-based and that’s just not the AI I find reliable.

Right now, many of these features are nice-to-have.

I’m sure one of ASUS’ target users will likely find a use case for them.

As for me personally, this is one area I’d have to dig deeper into to actually find ways to integrate them into my workflow and general usage.

And honestly, that’s okay. The AI features weren’t the reason I kept reaching for the laptop.

Who is this actually for?

That’s a loaded question. Really, it’s built for anyone who can afford it.

With a starting price of PhP 129,995, this device comfortably sits in aspirational territory.

What I know for sure is that this is a machine for someone who’s already built some momentum in their chosen field and would like to level up.

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra gives you a machine that can handle your business now and inspire you to dream bigger about your future.

Is the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra your GadgetMatch?

The thing I kept coming back to with the ExpertBook Ultra is that there is no one thing that made me turn to it.

Instead, it’s the combination of everything that it brings to the table. The premium-feeling build, lightweight design, wonderful display, excellent keyboard and touchpad. efficient performance, and the thoughtful extras. Together, they make it a laptop that’s easy to recommend to anyone who’s ready for it.

But what does ready for it actually mean?

It means it’s for people who have leveled up quite a bit in their grind and want a machine that matches their current status and future aspirations.

That’s what the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra represents. A modern classic that’s ready for now and whatever comes next.

That’s why it didn’t wow me. But it certainly won me over.

Laptops

ASUS launches the ExpertBook Ultra

Flagship AI business laptop

Published

July 2, 2026

GadgetMatch

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra is now available in the Philippines. It is ASUS’ latest AI-powered business laptop for professionals who want a lightweight machine without sacrificing performance.

Positioned as the flagship of the ASUS ExpertBook lineup, it combines a sub-1kg chassis with Intel Core Ultra processors, enterprise-grade security, and AI features. ASUS is targeting executives, business users, and creators with the new laptop.

Built for portability and performance

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra weighs as little as 0.99kg. It measures just 10.9mm thick. The laptop uses an aerospace-grade magnesium-aluminum chassis with ASUS Nano Ceramic Technology. ASUS says the finish delivers five times greater scratch resistance than the industry standard.

Despite its slim profile, the laptop packs a 70Wh battery. ASUS rates it for up to 26 hours of battery life.

Power comes from Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors. The lineup is topped by the Intel Core Ultra X9-388H. Buyers can configure the laptop with up to 64GB of LPDDR5X memory running at 9600 MT/s and up to a 2TB PCIe Gen 5 SSD.

ASUS also highlights its ExpertCool Pro thermal system. It allows the processor to sustain up to 50W of CPU performance while keeping fan noise low.

Tandem OLED display and premium hardware

The ExpertBook Ultra features a 14-inch 3K Tandem OLED touchscreen. It offers a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1,400 nits of HDR brightness. Corning Gorilla Glass Matte helps reduce reflections while preserving image quality.

Other hardware highlights include:

1.5mm travel spill-resistant keyboard
Edge-to-edge haptic touchpad
Six-speaker Dolby Atmos audio system
Dual Thunderbolt 4 ports
Two USB-A ports
HDMI 2.1
3.5mm audio jack

AI and enterprise security

As a Copilot+ PC, the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra includes AI-powered tools through the MyExpert suite. These include AI ExpertMeet and a local Knowledge Hub.

The laptop also focuses on enterprise security. Features include dual biometric authentication, a physical webcam shutter, self-healing BIOS, TPM 2.0, Microsoft Pluton, and compliance with the NIST SP 800-193 firmware security standard.

Price and availability

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra is now available through ASUS authorized stores and select retailers nationwide.

Pricing starts at PhP 129,995. Higher-end configurations go up to PhP 215,995.

ASUS is also offering an Early Bird Bundle until July 31, 2026. Eligible purchases include an ASUS 100W GaN charger and PhP 10,000 worth of SSI gift vouchers.

Laptops

Apple raises the prices of iPad and MacBook lineups

Price hikes start at $100.

Published

June 26, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Hey, remember when Apple launched the MacBook Neo, and it had the most attractive price for an Apple-branded laptop? Those were good times. Unfortunately, it was too good to be true. Responding to the ongoing RAM crisis, Apple has now increased the prices of its hardware, starting with the MacBook and the iPad lineups (via Reuters).

The “highlight” here is the price of the MacBook Neo. To be fair, the affordable MacBook is still the cheapest one of the lot, but that’s not saying much. From a starting price of US$ 599, the Neo now costs US$ 699.

Now, we’d love to say that a US$ 100 price hike is the most you can expect across the board. But that’s not true at all. Most will bring up the price by a few hundreds and up to a whopping US$ 1,300. Here’s a list of devices you’re going to see changes for:

Model	Original price	New price
MacBook Neo	$599	$699
MacBook Air (13-inch)	$1,099	$1,299
MacBook Air (15-inch)	$1,299	$1,499
MacBook Pro (M5)	$1,699	$1,999
MacBook Pro (M5 Pro)	$2,199	$2,499
MacBook Pro (M5 Max)	$3,599	$4,099
iMac	$1,299	$1,499
Mac Studio (M4 Max)	$1,999	$2,499
Mac Studio (M3 Ultra)	$3,999	$5,299
iPad	$349	$449
iPad mini	$499	$599
iPad Air (11-inch)	$599	$749
iPad Air (13-inch)	$749	$949
iPad Pro (11-inch)	$999	$1,199
iPad Pro (13-inch)	$1,299	$1,499
Vision Pro	$3,499	$3,699

The current price hikes do not include the iPhone lineup. It might only be a matter of time, though. Recently, Tim Cook confirmed that Apple can no longer shoulder the expenses of the RAM crisis by themselves, essentially signaling a huge wave of price hikes. The brand will likely continue the increases heading into the iPhone launches in September.