Philippines

The realme C11 works well for distance learning

We consulted a teacher, then put the phone to the test

Published

July 23, 2020

When realme reached out to ask if we wanted to review the realme C11, it came with a promise to donate the units. It’s a good cause and one that we gladly wanted to be indirectly part of.

The smartphones will be turned over to a non-government organization to support the youth in the planned distance learning setup in the upcoming school year. While I personally support the call for an academic freeze, we want to be able to help in any way we can in suggesting devices for these endeavors.

To start, I needed to check on a few things first. One is the minimum spec requirements for distance learning smartphones — one specified by the Philippines’ Education department. Second, I spoke with a teacher to get an idea about how distance learning will be executed. Here’s what I found.

Bare minimum specs

Below is a table showing the minimum requirements for a smartphone to be effectively used for distance learning next to the specs of the realme C11.

Distance Learning, Smartphone Minimum Tech Specs		realme C11
Processor	Octa-core 2 GHz	Mediatek Helio G35 (Octa-core 2.3 Ghz)
Memory	2GB	2GB
Display	6”, IPS LCD	6.5”
Storage	32GB	32GB
Network	GSM / HSPA / LTE Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth	GSM / HSPA/ LTE / 4G Wi-Fi Bluetooth 5
Ports	Micro USB or Type C, 3.5mm Audio Jack	Micro USB port, 3.5mm Audio Jack
OS	Android 8.1	Android 10, realme UI

Next, I sent a teacher some questions about how this smartphone will be used by the student in a distance learning setup. Answers have been edited for brevity.

What will students need to access for distance learning?

It depends on the platform the school will use. These can be Google Classroom, Edmodo, Zoom, etc. But certainly, the most accessed sites will be Google and Wikipedia.

Facebook and Messenger may also be used for communication and publishing of some projects. However, this is also dependent on the teacher handling the class.

What are the must have apps?

YouTube, Google Apps (Docs, Sheets, Slides) or any office app, Dictionary, A notepad app, Web browser, and Email.

How long will they need to be on the phone?

Our planned schedule will start at around 9AM and will end at around 2PM. That’s five 45-minute classes with 15 minutes of break in between. There’s also a 30-minute lunch break at 11:45AM. It may vary from day-to-day but that’s the general plan.

This also does not yet include consultation time. For us, we’ll do 15 minutes at the start and at the end of the day to help make-up for the interaction that will be lost due to the nature of an online class.

Any final notes?

It’s certainly possible to have online classes despite the student only having a smartphone. Given of course that the smartphone can access everything mentioned previously.

Usually for lectures, the students will only really have to listen to the lectures on video. The teacher can opt to pre-record the classes and make it available for on-demand viewing so the students can access it even after class hours. The rest of the activities will be handled offline and be disseminated via communication apps.

How does the realme C11 handle the activities mentioned?

So now, we go back to the realme C11. On paper, it certainly meets the baseline requirements. But does it fare in practice?

Let’s first go to the apps. Some of the apps the teacher mentioned come pre-installed on the C11. YouTube, a notepad app (Google Keep), Email (GMail), as well as a browser (Chrome).

The rest — like the GSuite apps like Docs, Sheets, and Slides — you’ll have to download from the Playstore.

The processor, memory, and storage combination should be able to handle those apps with no problem. In fact, I experienced very little difference running these same apps on phones that are nearly thrice its price.

Google apps typically work well especially on devices that aren’t spec-monsters. This was also one of my tips on maximizing budget phones — Google is your best friend.

Facebook and chat apps

The Facebook app was also pre-installed on the phone. However, unlike the Google apps, you can actually feel the phone struggling to run it.

This is where another tip comes in — use the Lite version of apps. I quickly uninstalled the standard Facebook app and replaced it with Facebook Lite and also downloaded Messenger Lite.

These apps consume less bandwidth and puts less pressure on your chip and memory but are still able to do the basic stuff you need from said apps.

The same apples for other apps. If there’s a lite version, it’s prudent to get those for phones at this level.

Battery endurance

This was a slightly trickier test to do. At first, I figured I’d look for some 45-minute videos on YouTube but the search alone would take time. Instead, I opted to time the YouTube usage.

I was religious with it though. The first two 45-minute sessions of running videos on loop, I was able to do 15-minute breaks in between. After that, I got busy with other work and just let the phone be on loop until I wrapped up my work day.

The results were astonishing. I had some K-Pop playlist that kept running for close to six hours. The phone didn’t quit on me at all. And it still had some juice to spare.

Naturally, usage will vary from person to person. But, it’s safe to say the phone can more than last the demands of daily online classes.

Good build quality

While we’re on the topic of endurance, I’d also like to note the build quality of the realme C11. It feels sturdy and is just overall nice to handle.

It doesn’t have the fancy IP ratings and what not so you should still take extra care in handling it. But if the C11 is an indication of how 2020 budget phones are built, then that’s a good thing.

They don’t feel cheaper than phones twice their price and appear like they can handle a beating.

Not entirely relevant to the topic but worth mentioning

Of course, a kid can’t be all just about studying. Just like any normal, developing human being, a student needs to engage in other activities to stimulate her/his brain.

Thankfully, a smartphone grants access to several things as well — particularly, games. I tried playing Call of Duty Mobile because it’s still really the only mobile game I enjoy. While I still managed to get some kills, the entire experience isn’t exactly pleasant.

I switched over to Mobile Legends and the phone ran it much more smoothly than CoD. So when picking games to play, try to steer clear of those that lean towards fast action and require intense graphics.

The realme C11 also has two rear-cameras. A 13MP main camera and a 2MP main sensor. They’re… okay.

If a student needs to take a few snaps of notes it can handle it.

The text is in Hangul, but I trust you get the point.

Should the student take interest in photography, she/he will quickly realize the inherent wonders of natural lighting.

That’s Mitsui and Akagi from Slam Dunk

The phone struggles in dimly lit areas, but takes okay photos under natural light.

View from my window

Is the realme C11 a distance learning GadgetMatch?

As far as distance learning goes, the realme C11 does have the chops to assist a student in the learning process.

Of course, there are other key factors. These include school and/or teacher’s distance learning program, access to a reliable Internet, and an environment that encourages learning. But those are other concerns altogether.

As a tool to help a student move along, the realme C11 delivers without a hitch. It will be available in Mint Green and Pepper Gray and will retail for PhP 4,990 (around US$100). A fair price for what you’re getting.

It will be initially launched exclusively on Shopee starting 6PM on July 23. Fans can get up to 8 percent off using Shopee’s voucher code GADGETZONE8. The voucher is valid from July 23 to August 8. It will then be available nationwide starting July 24, 2020 at realme stores, kiosks, partner dealers nationwide and Home Credit.

As mentioned earlier, realme is donating a number of realme C11 units to a non-government organization (Young Focus Organization) to be distributed to children before the start of the school year on August 24.

Young Focus’ vision is to improve the mental, physical and social well-being of young people in poor communities by means of education, health care and personal support.

This is realme’s contribution to Young Focus’ “Quality Education for All” campaign. Some of the prominent partners of Young Focus are Binibining Pilipinas and Miss Universe, through Ms. Universe 2018 Catriona Gray.

Related Topics:distance learning Online Learning Realme realme C11

Entertainment

Smart brings 25 K-Pop acts closer to the Philippines with KCON:TACT 4U

+1 J-Pop group to complete the lineup

Published

June 16, 2021

Vincenz

OT12 LOONA comeback let's go!

Some people behind the GadgetMatch team (including me) are total fans of K-Pop. With this in mind, we’re here to give you the best news for any K-Pop fan out there!

Smart Communications Inc. is bringing back the most-awaited K-Event of the year. Lo and behold, the KCON:TACT 4U virtual festival that will be held from June 19 (Saturday) to June 27 (Sunday). All you have to do is to access gigafest.smart every 8PM (Philippine time) to access the online concert. For the best streaming experience, just register to Double GIGA Video on the GigaLife App.

There aren’t just one, two, not even just ten K-Pop acts. There are a total of 25 K-Pop acts ranging from female and male groups, plus one J-Pop boy group to make it a whole lot fun, sizzling, and entertaining. Here are all the acts you should watch out! (in no particular order).

Female Groups

LOONA

LOONA is gearing up for their latest comeback with the album ‘[&]‘. Orbits shouldn’t feel too excited about “Paint The Town” as the song wouldn’t be released within the whole duration of the virtual festival. Instead, expect them to perform their latest hits ‘“Why Not” and ‘“Star” (or “Voice”, its Korean track counterpart).

fromis_9

You’ll go head over heels with fromis_9‘s visuals and vocals — especially with their latest summer bop “WE GO”. This is one of (if not) the best 2021 summer releases out there.

OH MY GIRL

Another summer hit pop track in the list is OH MY GIRL’s “Dun Dun Dance” that will surely make you dance all day and all night long with its catchy tune and soothing vocals of each member.

EVERGLOW

EVERGLOW is also one of the latest girl groups to release a fresh new track last month. While it’s not as refreshing as other tracks, “FIRST” will totally make your heads and ears flip because of how powerful it is.

ITZY

Speaking of powerful, ITZY’s “M.A.F.I.A. In the morning” is one of the most streamed K-Pop tracks around. With thousands of MIDZYs in the Philippines, expect them to populate the viewer count once the virtual festival starts.

Weeekly

Weeekly is currently one of the most popular new generation of female idols. With the ever increasing attention among the girls and their 2021 hit track “After School” plus the release of their latest collaborative track “7 Days Tension”, these cute yet refreshing bops would definitely make a lot of fans sing along and giggle with their cuteness!

Weki Meki

Weki Meki is one of the most underrated girl groups out there that you should definitely check out. “COOL” may not be their latest track this 2021 but it’s totally catchy alongside their other releases such as “OOPSY” and “DAZZLE DAZZLE”.

Male Groups

SEVENTEEN

Just like LOONA, SEVENTEEN is one among the K-Pop acts in the lineup that’s also gearing up for their comeback. While “Ready To Love” isn’t confirmed to be in the performance list, “HOME;RUN” should definitely be performed by these 13 amazing boys.

Stray Kids (SKZ)

Stray Kids (also known as “SKZ”) are TWICE and ITZY’s brothers! Not to confuse you with the K-Drama, but they recently won the survival show Kingdom. Expect them to perform hit tracks such as “Back Door” and more.

THE BOYZ (TBZ)

Another group in the list that participated in the survival show Kingdom was THE BOYZ (or TBZ). Recently, their song “The Stealer” is gaining rounds online — and that song should definitely be performed in this virtual festival.

SF9

Dubbed as FNC Entertainment’s “First Boy Dance Group”, SF9 will surely make a lot of FANTASYs swoon. Even non-fans would surely drool over them.

iKON

After so many years of dispute between Mnet and YG Entertainment, iKON is ready to amaze iKONICs with their amazing performances. They’re also one among the competitors in Kingdom. And yes, they’re BLACKPINK’s older brother group — and Lisa performed with them during their “Classy Savage” sing and dance craze. “Love Scenario” in 2021, anyone?

BTOB

Another Kingdom competitor is none other than BTOB. Known for their angelic voices, they surely threw a punch in the survival show — even if they’re the oldest competing group out of the bunch. After years of hiatus, they’re finally back on track. Coincidence or not, they’re sub-unit BTOB 4U will make your eyes bawl with “Show Your Love”.

PENTAGON

BTOB’s younger group, PENTAGON is also set to perform in this year’s KCON:TACT. Other than their latest track “DO or NOT”, they’re also popular for their hit song “Shine”.

CNBLUE

If you’re one among the veteran K-Pop fans like I am, you’d know that CNBLUE is one among the classic boy bands out there. Known for their great vocals and musical instrument skills, you’d be delighted to see them again after years of hiatus. Who knows, they might perform their classic hits this 2021?

HIGHLIGHT

Other than CNBLUE, HIGHLIGHT is also one of the classic K-Pop groups in this list. TL:DR, they originally came from Cube Entertainment (yes, the sole agency of BTOB and PENTAGON) under the name BEAST. If it rings any bell, they’re that boy group who made a lot of fans cheer and roar for years. Their latest track surely proves it’s “Not The End” of their journey together.

ASTRO

From the same company as Weki Meki and other prominent actors in South Korea, ASTRO surely knows how to act hot and cool while singing and dancing in their latest track “One”. And for all Cha Eunwoo supremacists out there, you should know by now that he belongs to this group.

ONEUS

If you weren’t aware, this group comes from the same label as MAMAMOO and their latest group PURPLE KISS. While both weren’t included in this year’s KCON:TACT lineup, ONEUS will make viewers dance such to a groovy and psychedelic track.

ONF

ONF (pronounced as On and Off) is OH MY GIRL’s younger brother group! Not sure if “Dun Dun Dance” and “Ugly Dance” were both coincidental with their “dance” naming scheme, but this crazy awesome Cyberpunk-ish concept has continued from their last release “Beautiful Beautiful”.

Golden Child

Home of INFINITE, Lovelyz, ROCKET PUNCH, and DRIPPIN, Golden Child is one of the underrated groups that need to be recognized for their talent. While completely going with their concept, they still try other concepts that surely suit their group image — and “Breathe” is one of those tracks that deserve more recognition.

A.C.E

This 4-year-old group is also set to step their foot on KCON:TACT 4U. Among other acts in the list, A.C.E is also preparing for their upcoming comeback with the title track “Higher”. But don’t expect too much and just enjoy their latest released track, “Down” for now.

P1Harmony

The third group from FNC Entertainment in this list alongside CNBLUE and SF9 is none other than P1Harmony. Their ultra-catchy hip-popping track “Scared” makes them look and sound distinct from their brother groups.

VERIVERY

“Get Away” is just three months old, but Filipino VERRERs would actually want to hear this charismatic and sexy track live — even if it means of just watching it virtually this pandemic.

TO1

‘TO1’ was rebranded from ‘TOO’ and their latest comeback song surely proves how powerful they are as a group. TL:DR, they were also formed in a survival show called ‘To Be World Klass”.

BONUS: GHOST9

A group composed of popular members from the survival shows “MIXNINE” and “PRODUCE X 101”, GHOST9’s set to have a “cinematic live” segment instead of a live performance during this year’s festival. It might be their latest track “Up All Night” that will surely make you up all night.

Soloist

Ha Sung Woon

Haneuls would definitely stay online to watch Ha Sungwoon’s latest track ‘Sneakers’ especially with its refreshing summer song. If you’re still unaware, he’s one of the original members of WANNA ONE, a project group formed from the PRODUCE survival show series.

The only J-Pop act in the roster

JO1

They’re the only J-Pop act in the lineup. Also, they’re the only active group from the PRODUCE series franchise.

Not to be confused with the group ‘TO1’, JO1 hopes to be one of the most sought after J-Pop acts with amazing vocals and visuals on the line. Watching and listening to “Born To Be Wild” further proves that.

Here’s the full schedule lineup if you want to catch your faves!

Deals

The Lenovo summer sale promo has everything

There’s a freebie for every purchase of a Lenovo device

Published

June 14, 2021

Kenrick Buduan

Along with the launch of the latest Lenovo laptops come its latest summer sale promo. From June 4 to 31, you can get discounts and freebies worth up to PhP 70,540 on purchase of a participating Lenovo device.

That’s right. For every purchase of a Lenovo device, you get a discount and a bundled freebie which include accessories, apparel, bags, software, and more. But it doesn’t stop there. Lenovo is also giving away additional freebies and discounts for the product that will be featured weekly on its social media.

Without ado, here are the complete list of devices where you can get freebies and discounts:

Laptops

Yoga 6
Yoga 7
Yoga 9
Yoga C640
Yoga C740
Yoga C940
Yoga Duet 7
Yoga S740
Yoga S940
Yoga Slim 7i
Yoga Slim 7i Carbon
Yoga Slim 7i Pro
Yoga Slim 9
IdeaPad Flex 5
IdeaPad Slim 3/3i
IdeaPad Slim 5/5i
IdeaPad Slim 5i Pro

Tablets

And as for tablets, you can also get special freebies worth up to PhP 14,874 when you purchase the following:

Tab M8 (2 GB / 32 GB)
Smart Tab M8 (2 GB / 32 GB)
Tab M10 (2 GB / 16 GB)
Tab M10+ HD (2 GB / 32 GB)
Tab M10+ HD (4 GB / 64 GB)
Smart M10+ (2 GB / 32 GB)
Smart M10+ (4 GB / 64 GB)
Tab P11 Pro

For more information on Lenovo’s summer sale promo, just visit their website to check out the promo mechanics and register for the freebies of your chosen Lenovo device.

News

Nokia G10, C20, and C10 now available in the Philippines

All priced well below PhP 10,000!

Published

June 14, 2021

Kenrick Buduan

Just recently, Nokia launched its latest X, G, C smartphone lineup. Some smartphones in this new lineup — Nokia G10, C20, and C10 — are now available in the Philippines, launching with a wallet-friendly price and a respectable specs to boot.

Three days worth of battery life with Nokia G10

Longevity is the name of the game with the Nokia G10. It features a 5,050mAh battery for up to three days on a single charge. The almost-same figure of three years of security updates applies to Nokia’s affordable powerhouse too. Plus, users are guaranteed two years of software updates so they can keep their phones for longer.

As for the rest of the specs, it comes with a decent triple-camera setup in a 13MP + depth + macro lens arrangement. It has an 8MP camera at the front for clear selfies. It’s also worth mentioning the large 6.5-inch HD display, which gives more room for content and images. Finally, the MediaTek G25 processor keeps it running through the paces.

Affordable yet built-to last with Nokia C20 and C10

Then, there’s the two entry-level additions: the Nokia C20 and C10. Both of them are virtually identical save for a few differentiators in the spec sheet. Both also features a big 6.5-inch HD+ display for a much immersive viewing experience. There’s also a unique LED flash upfront in both devices to help the 5MP selfie camera in low light. Finally, they also have a day’s worth of battery life, Android 11 Go edition out of the box, and a textured finish for easy grip.

The only differences on their spec sheets? The C20 has a different processor than the C10, but both of these processors are made by Unisoc.

Price and availability

All of Nokia’s latest smartphones are well within the reach of a PhP 10,000 budget. The Nokia G10 retails for only PhP 6,990 and is available in a lone 4GB + 64GB configuration. The two color choices for the G10 include Night and Dusk.

Meanwhile, the Nokia C20 retails at PhP 4,690 and is available at lone 2GB + 32GB configuration. For the colors, there are two: Sand and Dark Blue.

The Nokia C10 retails at PhP 3,990 with a 2GB + 16GB configuration. Buyers can grab this affordable smartphone with either the Light Purple or Grey color variant.

All three also comes with a free clear case, a headset, and a screen protector out of the box. These phones can be had on Shopee, or any of authorized Nokia retailers and distributors here in the Philippines.