Features

Vibe Check: OPPO Find N

We take turns using the Find N

Published

December 17, 2021

GadgetMatch

The GadgetMatch team got to spend an entire day with the OPPO Find N. Naturally, we have opinions we want to share whether you like them or not – but seeing as you’re here reading, it probably means you’re curious. So, let’s get to it.

Thoughts on the OPPO Find N’s size?

Rodneil: Love, love, love the size. It really does feel like an actual phone when folded versus the comically tall screen on The Galaxy Z Fold when folded. Spread it open and it’ll feel like you are holding a proper, landscape mini tablet.

Size-wise, the OPPO Find N appears like it’ll be welcoming to more people. Those with smaller hands will appreciate the overall footprint, while those with bigger hands should have little trouble getting used to the form factor.

MJ: It’s adorbs! I could probably write the same things I said about the Galaxy Z Flip3, Samsung’s clamshell foldable. But the OPPO Find N has its unique allure that you can only understand when you get your hands on the compact foldable. That je ne sais quoi is what makes me admire this stunner.

If anything, the Find N felt like the Galaxy Z Fold3 in a compact body, meshed with an experience close to the Galaxy Z Flip3.

Vincenz: At first glance, I honestly thought it looked weird(ly cute) because it’s wider and shorter than the competition. But when I actually saw and held it up close, I immediately loved it.

For someone who has big hands, I love how it fits right in my palms. Even holding it one-handed feels better than the Galaxy Fold and Z Fold series — which I’ve managed to try for a decent amount of time.

Is it just a Samsung Galaxy Fold copycat?

Rodneil: I get this sentiment, and really just from the photos alone, it does look like it’s just a smaller Galaxy Fold. But there’s more to it. Other than the size, the aspect ratios are different lending to a really different viber overall despite the really similar look.

That said, it is using Samsung tech for the screens. The crease, though, is less visible, and despite the similarities, it really feels like its own thing, all things considered. I mean, most phones look-alike anyway. Let’s not split hairs about how they fold now.

MJ: While I thank Samsung for paving the way for foldables, it’s lame to call the Find N just a copycat. It’s an alternative to those who’d love to get their hands on a foldable experience such as the Galaxy Z Fold3, but gets intimidated by its size.

Sure, there’s a Galaxy Z Flip3 for those who prefer it compact and light, but it’s a clamshell. The fold-out form factor is what people are after, and I’m glad OPPO did something that my tiny hands would appreciate. Unless, of course, Samsung decides to crush it in the coming months with a miniature Fold.

Vincenz: Just because it’s a foldable smartphone with a folding screen, it doesn’t mean it’s a total copycat of the Galaxy Fold nor the newer Galaxy Z Fold3 at all. Although I’m giving that crown to the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold because it’s almost as tall and wide as the aforementioned foldable.

Design-wise, the OPPO Find N shines on its own. While I don’t like flashy colors on a smartphone, I really love how elegant and sophisticated the purple colorway is. Going with the white one would be more of my pick even if my personal color choice and wardrobe is full of black.

Does it feel durable?

Rodneil: I don’t know if it’s just the heft, but it certainly lends to a sturdy feeling. At 275g, it’s slightly heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 3 (271g). But you feel the weight a bit more perhaps because of the more compact body.

Holding it for a while, it certainly doesn’t feel like it’ll break easily. The front screen is also covered with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus so it should stay intact even if you drop it on the pavement or your face.

MJ: Kind of. The phone’s quite hefty, especially when folded shut. But it’s bearable and at the same time, makes you feel secure enough that its body would survive a drop.

Its body is made of glass, though, so you need to be cautious about your grip so it doesn’t fall out of your hands. Although, I’m really curious if it’d survive a certain fall. I’m tempted to throw it away, if only OPPO would give me a unit that can be used for that reason.

Vincenz: If there’s one thing that closely resembles the Find N to the Galaxy Z Fold3, it’s definitely the thickness and overall heft. Don’t get me wrong as it’s not a bad thing. It actually feels sturdy and “premium”.

I also like the inner display of the Find N better because OPPO has managed to make the creases less visible. In my case, I haven’t felt the crease at all basically because it wasn’t there.

I may be ahead of my words because time will tell whether or not OPPO’s foldable display technology is durable enough.

Are the photos good?

Rodneil: They’re mid at best. They’re not horrible but they also won’t blow anyone away. I first looked at the photos on the phone itself and then saw them on a computer later on and thought they were fine.

I was hoping they would be close to the level of the OPPO Find X3 Pro, but that isn’t the case. Hell, these might not even be Reno level. That said, this is an easily correctable thing via software update.

MJ: It’s a bit of a let down when you scan the photos that the Find N produced, especially when you’ve tried OPPO’s finest — in the form of the Find X3 Pro. Frankly, the Find N’s photos aren’t on par with the best the company has to offer.

But for a foldable that an average user might enjoy? I’d appreciate it. Especially when it comes to selfies!!! (I’m looking at you, Galaxy Z Fold3!)

Vincenz: It’s not my cup of tea. Whether AI is turned on or off, OPPO hasn’t truly optimized their camera software algorithm. Still, they’re pretty decent when you take photos with ample amount of light. The zoom lens is an exception — it keeps getting blurry in moving subjects.

Selfies matter less to me because I don’t take heaps of them. But I like that they decided to place a camera inside. OPPO having a punch-hole camera inside is the better move. Why?

All-display mini-rant incoming

Huawei’s Mate X2 removed it just for the sake of “all-display” monicker. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Under-Display Camera implementation isn’t fully-developed yet but it’s still a good and innovative tech this 2021. I understand that it’s not the best type of front camera but the purpose of UDC is for the user to be able to use the Z Fold3 in video calls. It’s clearly not made for selfies, that’s why the cover front camera exists.

Should OPPO market it outside of China?

Rodneil: Personally, I would really love to see OPPO take a leap of faith and launch the Find N in several markets. I got so many inquiries from friends and acquaintances about getting Samsung’s foldables this year. So, there’s a natural curiosity and interest there.

The main barrier will still be how people perceive OPPO as a brand overall. It’s been years, and they’ve released phones that say otherwise, but the brand continues to be tagged as something for the lower range market. They’re gonna have to double-time on branding and marketing, but I really think they have a legit foldable contender on their hands.

General public not ready?

MJ: Though I was enchanted in the brief encounter with the OPPO Find N, I think it’s still in its early stages. The general populace hasn’t fully embraced, let alone adopted, the concept of foldable phones. And developers are still trying to optimize various apps to suit different aspect ratios. We’ll get there, somehow.

But if OPPO’s pressing on to market the Find N, they’d get away with selling a limited number to gauge the interest of the people.

Vincenz: I live in the Philippines and there are Filipinos who can afford such premium-priced smartphones. Samsung has dominated the tech market though, especially because they have an established user community in this country. Moreover, the elite owners have already tested the “durability” of their products (especially foldables) over time. That factor might affect OPPO’s decision whether or not to market the Find N outside China.

That said, if you’ll ask me and have the purchasing power to buy one, I’d definitely pick this one over the Galaxy Z Fold3. It’s mainly due to its cheaper (converted) price tag that’s closer to the Galaxy Z Flip3 and iPhone 13 Pro’s base pricing. This also means the price of foldables will go down sooner or later because consumers, especially techies, love to try something new. And folding smartphones are one of those devices.

Features

DUO more with the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024

Make things easy

Published

April 25, 2024

GadgetMatch

We are fans of what ASUS did with their latest dual screen offering — the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024. The Zenbook Duo isn’t exactly new. ASUS has been adding extra screens to their laptops whenever they can — but never quite like this.

You see, ASUS managed to put a literal second display but still make it compact enough to fit most bags with provision for 14-inch laptops. As cliché as it sounds, the Zenbook DUO 2024 is an engineering marvel.

However, it’s more than just a gimmick. In our review, we noted how the form factor lent to a slight boost in productivity despite us not maximizing the product just yet. With that, let us share with you our favorite things about the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024.

A unique mode for every scenario

A built-in, sturdy kick-stand unlocks the many possibilities available to the Zenbook DUO 2024. Some of the modes are: Laptop, Dual Screen, Desktop, and Sharing.

Each one lends itself nicely to different work and media consumption scenarios. Don’t feel like showing off? Keep things discreet and save some battery life with laptop mode.

Need two screens? Switch to either Dual Screen or Desktop mode to take advantage of more screen real estate.

Presenting something to someone across the table? Sharing mode lays the laptop flat allowing for easier viewing.

The ability to morph to different modes depending on your needs is astounding. The best thing is that it is both functional and can serve as an ice breaker.

TWICE Momo and LE SSERAFIM Chaewon <3

Oh and we’ll never tire of sharing how the Desktop mode is perfect for watching two K-Pop fancams at the same time.

Screen Xpert for the dual displays

This form factor won’t work without the right software support backing it. To that end, ASUS made Screen Xpert. What it does is essentially let you adjust the layout of the apps according to your needs.

You can have up to four (4) apps live viewed at the same time. For our part, we usually only divided the screen to two, using one to reference a review guide or press release while writing news articles and/or reviews.

But if you’re monitoring certain things, this will be pretty helpful having multiple windows laid out right away to get a quick overview of things is a godsend.

The best thing is that a lot of these functions work intuitively. There’s a single button you can press to easily switch what’s displayed on the two screens.

If you want more granular control, you can have the Screen Xpert floating bar ready at your disposal. Here you can control the brightness level of each screen individually. You also have the ability to change the orientation of each screen to your liking.

There are also App Switcher and App Navigator functions to give you a better, more seamless way to layout the apps you use so that it’s most efficient for your needs.

AI, Copilot, and more

Something we didn’t mention much in the review is how the laptop is built with the AI age in mind. Powered by Intel Core Ultra 7 155-H, this thing is equipped with an NPU chip to aid in on-device AI tasks.

There’s stuff that happens in the background like making sure the AI-related tasks are processed with the NPU while the main CPU handles the rest. In the simplest terms, the Intel Core Ultra 7 is smart enough to delegate a task to the chip that will best execute it. That results in a more optimized overall performance.

Copilot is one of the biggest AI additions to any Windows machine. The possibilities are close to limitless. For our part, we’ve only really played around with Copilot Designer. But there’s so much more that you can do with it. Just remember to always check the results. Every AI output still needs a human touch.

AI is also present in other functions like noise cancellation and the camera. AI Noise Cancellation makes sure you can hear and be heard no matter what scenario you’re in. It’s perfect for remote workers who do not exactly have control over their immediate surroundings.

Meanwhile, AiSense Camera works not only as a Full HD IR camera. It also automatically detects the lighting levels in your environment and adjusts brightness levels accordingly. You also get functions like auto-framing and background blur. Lastly, there’s the slightly creepy Eye Contact feature that locks your gaze to the camera. It can be a bit disorienting so maybe pick the occasions when you’ll use it.

GlideX

Working beyond this dual screen laptop? ASUS also made sure to equip the Zenbook DUO 2024 with software that makes adding even more screens a no-sweat task.

With GlideX you can easily connect your Zenbook DUO 2024 with smartphones, tablets, or even another PC. Even better, it’ll give you the option to control everything from a single device.

DUO more

For a first-of-its-kind device, the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024 is pretty darn polished. That’s thanks largely to the company experimenting with dual screens long before releasing this dual screen machine.

The Zenbook DUO 2024 literally lets you do more, providing options for flexibility that will help you optimize your workflow so you can finish your tasks more efficiently. This is more than just a gimmick device, it’s actually helpful and that’s because ASUS took the time to fit it with the proper software support.

More on the ASUS Zenbook DUO 2024 here.

This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and ASUS Philippines.

Features

GadgetSnaps: Malaysia shot on the Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G

Beyond charging tech

Published

April 24, 2024

GadgetMatch

The Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G prides itself in its charging technologies. But what about its camera capabilities? Well, here’s a quick round-up of the many photos we took around the time the Note 40 series was launched in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

The NOTE 40 Series features a 108MP main shooter with 3x Lossless Superzoom. It also has OIS for steadier shots when taking videos.

The edits applied to the photos here only some resizing and cropping to make the page easier to load. Take a look at all these sample shots

Infinix Note 40 Pro series launch day

Kwai Chai Hong/ ‘Little Ghost Lane’

Petaling Street (Chinatown)

In and around Central Market

Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery

Istana Negara entrance

Merdeka Square

Malaysian Bak Kut Teh and more

Petronas Twin Towers at night

Steady shooter

The Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G isn’t a stellar shooter. But at its price point, it’s pretty darn decent for capturing different scenarios. Take these photos into some editing software and you can certainly elevate their look.

The NOTE 40 Pro+ 5G is priced at PhP 13,999. It may be purchased through Infinix’s Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop platforms, where customers can get up to PhP 2,000 off. Additionally, the first 100 buyers can get an S1 smartwatch or XE23 earphones. Alternatively, customers may opt for the Shopee-exclusive NOTE 40 Pro (4G variant) for PhP 10,999.

Features

LOQ and LOAD: The Lenovo LOQ 2024 is for gaming and more

Your entry to PC Gaming

Published

April 23, 2024

GadgetMatch

Get your game on with the Lenovo LOQ 2024. This capable laptop is your entry point to PC Gaming and a lot more.

It comes an absolutely affordable price point: PhP 48,995.

You get capable hardware and the hood to support gaming and more. The Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I runs on the 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor and Intel Arc Graphics.

Those are key to bringing unreal graphics to this segment. Supporting latest tech like DirectX 12 Ultimate, players are able to enjoy high frame rates on the Lenovo LOQ.

Creating content? It comes with AI Advantage to help boost performance. Engines and accelerators boost the media processing workloads especially for creatives. It also works with Intel’s X Super Machine Learning, Leading to images that are as close to reality.

The laptop supports a configuration of up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD Storage.

As for its display, the device has a large 15.6-inch, Full HD panel that is more than enough for gaming, video editing, content consumption, and whatever else you do on a laptop. This display has 144Hz refresh rate, 300 nits brightness, and anti-glare.

Videos come out clear, crisp, and realistic. Audio is punchy and as loud as it gets. Windows Sonic elevates it more when you use headphones. And it just takes a few minutes to render HD videos on editing software.

As it runs on Windows 11, if you are going to use it for work, you can take advantage of various features. The Lenovo Vantage Widget is there for constant reminders, Copilot will help you organize your tasks, and Microsoft Edge is there for casual browsing.

There is an assortment of ports at the back for easy connectivity. And as this is meant for gaming, we put it to the test. Racing that looks better with high frame rate? Check. Shooting titles that require heavy work? Not a problem. You can play all your favorites and not worry about performance.

Best of all, it takes less than an our to juice up this laptop all the way to 100%.

So, whether you’re looking to get started with PC Gaming, or an upgrade for work and entertainment needs, the Lenovo LOQ has you covered.

This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and Lenovo Philippines.