First Look

Vibe Check: realme 9 4G

Our eyes are ablaze in awe with this Sunburst Gold colorway!

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realme, the Philippines’ number one smartphone brand for 2021, has continued to deliver innovative technology to the midrange segment.

Its latest offering is the realme 9 (4G), yet another option joining the realme 9 lineup. We’ve got plenty of time to play around with this new smartphone, and our eyes are ablaze in awe with this Sunburst Gold colorway.

Golden like daylight

Hit me like the ray of sun, burning through my darkest night. (Beyoncé, is that you?)

Kidding aside, I like how the realme 9 (4G), especially in its Sunburst Gold and Stargaze White variants, came up with a Ripple Holographic design encompassing its rear body. They look like sand dunes, akin to waves of shining, shimmering gold found by Aladdin.

The design is subtle that when you use a clear case, you’ll think there’s nothing extra about this smartphone. But when you let the light shine on it, it glistens and exudes a beautiful pattern.

Midrange smartphones usually forsake their design language to focus on battery and performance — something that budget-conscious consumers prefer.

But realme is bringing back the charm of its previous smartphones from a few years ago: so beautifully designed you’ll forget they offer these devices at a cut-rate price.

I still fondly remember caressing the realme 5 back in 2019 which, frankly, is the best style that captures realme’s brand and positioning.

It wasn’t experimental; it was something that helped people remember who they are. Its successors played around with new designs, instead of polishing what was already working.

Beautifully designed

Going back to its rear, the realme 9 (4G) has an aesthetically-pleasing camera island, housing its 108MP ProLight Camera powered by a Samsung HM6 sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera with a 120-degree lens, and a 2-megapixel macro camera.

It has a 16-megapixel selfie camera housed in a punch-hole cutout.

The brand’s logo is seamlessly etched in the lower-left corner.

The bottom side sports the most important stuff: speaker grilles, microphone input, a USB-C port, and a headphone jack. Yey!

Power under that gorgeous hood

Upfront, the realme 9 (4G) sports a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. We appreciate how realme puts a high refresh rate for people who simply want to game because they’re the ones who benefit the most from the feature.

With a Snapdragon 680 chipset and an Adreno 610 GPU, you can play heavy-duty games like Genshin Impact, Call of Duty, and Asphalt 9. It’s the same processor housed in most gaming-oriented budget smartphones for under US$ 300.

But let’s be real: this smartphone is perfect for multitasking and casual, everyday use. Its performance is seamless across different apps, thanks to its 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage, which you can expand up to 256GB via a microSD card. More importantly, it offers a Dynamic RAM Expansion (DRE) of up to 5GB if you need extra memory.

It also comes with long-lasting battery life due to its humongous 5000mAh battery. If there’s one thing that stayed consistent in realme’s midrange lineup, it’s the battery that stays with you throughout the day. When you pair it with a 33W Dart Charge, you can get the juice back up in an hour and a quarter.

The new realme UI 3.0 based on Android 12

Watch to your heart’s content

As mentioned before, the realme 9 (4G) uses a Super AMOLED display. Visuals are definitely bright, vivid, and vibrant. It’s easy to watch even under broad daylight since the display delivers up to 1000 nits of brightness.

I remember using realme’s smartphones before and I have to step on a shade while I was in Boracay, simply because their previous devices deliver lower nits.

This time around, the realme 9 (4G) allowed me to watch my comfort shows to my heart’s content. Yes, I kept replaying Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Netflix whenever I’m sad or when I just need something familiar when everything around me is changing.

The realme 9 (4G) has a featherweight, slim body so it doesn’t put a strain on your hands when watching on a smartphone. That’s something to consider when you’re the type of person who keeps watching content while on the go.

Price and availability

The realme 9 (4G) retails for PhP 14,999 with a 6GB/128GB configuration. It’s available in all realme stores nationwide.

Vibe Check!

At a glance, the realme 9 (4G) has an inviting demeanor that makes you want to hold it. The experience is similar to most gaming-oriented budget smartphones, and you’ll have a good time using it for quite a while. But that’s where it ends.

When you factor in the overall experience with the realme 9 (4G), it doesn’t match with its competitors — offering better specifications and experience at the same price range. Some, even lower.

In a short amount of time, the realme 9 (4G) passed our vibe check. It’s worth checking out if you’re badly in need of a smartphone right away for your everyday needs.

But in the long run, being a 4G smartphone doesn’t serve any purpose if you live in a developing city — especially with 5G expanding its rollout and 6G is on the horizon, unveiling in a few years from now.

First Look

First Look: Apple iPhone Duo

The foldable we’ve been waiting for!

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Apple’s first ever foldable is finally here! Say hello to the iPhone Duo.

In this video, THE Michael Josh shares his first impressions.

Those include the design, display, cameras, performance, and what it’s actually like to use Apple’s latest iPhone.

Is the iPhone Duo the future of the iPhone or just an interesting experiment?

We take a closer look and share everything that stood out during our hands-on experience.

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First Look

Match Pulse: Boya Notra Neo

AI note-taking made more accessible

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I sometimes admittedly fall into the trap of having some good ideas in my head but never actually writing them down.

And specially in this era where you can easily be distracted by the pace of life, the external stimuli, and pretty much just stressful moments, it pays to have a companion to help you become organized.

Otherwise, those thoughts I mentioned about would just fly above my head.

That’s where the Boya Notra Neo comes in. It’s a pretty straightforward portable AI recorder. As its slogan suggests, it’s for meetings, calls, and ideas.

It’s Boya’s more accessible, more affordable answer to the earlier Boya Notra.

Everyday AI note-taking made accessible

The Neo is incredibly lightweight and something you can sneak into your pocket easily.

I’ve been only able to use it a couple of times in casual settings, when ideas start to flow naturally in the middle of conversations.

Honestly, it’s great to have a companion device for such scenarios.

Although by default, your initial thought when such ideas arise is “Write that down”, sometimes, we are either pre-occupied or distracted by what’s in front of us.

The Boya Notra Neo makes sure we don’t miss note-taking. One tap and it will automatically record audio.

This convenience translates to school group meetings and projects to even more professional settings.

Then, there are journalists like me who occasionally have to interview resource persons and attend press conferences, so this recorder comes in handy.

There are three recording modes to suit real-time needs: Ambient, Phone Call, and Bluetooth.

 

Post-handling of audio recordings are likewise a breeze. Through the Boya OS app, you can connect the device via Bluetooth to sync previous recordings.

If you’re not initially connected to the internet, the device will still be able to record a considerable length with its built-in 8GB memory.

Then, you can just sync the recordings to your device. You can then transcribe the recording on the app with its easy-to-understand interface.

You can even choose from over 140 languages, the style of the transcription from 60 professional templates, and the AI model to help you with generating the text.

Beyond that, you can generate a summary or a mind map to quickly review what has been discussed, be it a meeting, a quick call, or a brainstorming session. You can likewise do an AI search across the recording to find more important notes or quotes and their timestamps.

Boya Notra Neo now available for pre-orders

The Boya Notra Neo is now available for pre-orders, ahead of its September 4 launch at IFA 2026.

Pre-ordering now entitles customers to a discount, so they can get the recorder for just US$ 69.99 (SRP: US$ 79.99).

Customers can purchase here.

What’s good about the Notra Neo is its ample free recording minutes per month, as it is meant for everyday casual recording to begin with.

This allowance resets every month, so you can start using the device for free.

Subscriptions, on the other hand, are available for those needing more minutes and access to other features.

And oh, there are four colors to choose from to match your smartphone and fashion sense.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 vs Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: What’s different?

A quick side-by-side.

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Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold8i

Samsung surprised everyone by introducing not one, but two book-style foldables this year. Alongside the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, the company also unveiled the all-new Galaxy Z Fold8, offering users two distinct takes on the foldable experience.

We’ve only spent a short time with both devices, so this isn’t a full comparison. Think of this as a quick side-by-side look at what immediately stood out during our first hands-on.

In the hand

The biggest difference becomes apparent before you even unfold either device.

Folded shut, the Galaxy Z Fold8 immediately feels more natural in the hand. It’s easier to grip, feels better balanced, and slips into a pocket more comfortably. If you’ve been waiting for a foldable that behaves more like a conventional smartphone when closed, the Fold8 leaves a strong first impression.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, on the other hand, feels more familiar. It carries forward the traditional book-style Fold experience with a larger footprint that longtime Fold users will instantly recognize.

When it’s time to work

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold8 | Galaxy Notes app

Once unfolded, the gap narrows considerably.

Both devices offer enough room to comfortably write, edit documents, answer emails, or multitask without feeling cramped. During our hands-on, neither device felt noticeably better for productivity.

The same goes for typing. Both provide enough keyboard space to comfortably write articles, answer emails, or even draft letters you’ll never send.

At least from our limited time with both devices, there’s no clear winner here.

Watching videos

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold8 | LE SSERAFIM Boompala

Media consumption is where the Galaxy Z Fold8 stands out.

Its wider display makes videos feel more at home, with fewer black bars when watching content like YouTube. It’s a subtle difference, but one that’s immediately noticeable once both devices are unfolded side by side.

The Ultra still offers a larger display overall, but its proportions remain closer to what we’ve come to expect from traditional book-style foldables.

The hinge

Samsung’s two foldables also differ slightly in how they open and close.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra’s hinge feels firmer and more deliberate. It comfortably holds its position across multiple angles, making Flex Mode feel a little more reassuring.

The Galaxy Z Fold8, meanwhile, feels smoother throughout the motion. Once it reaches a certain point while opening or closing, it naturally continues the movement on its own instead of holding intermediate angles as firmly as the Ultra.

Neither approach is inherently better. They simply offer a different feel in everyday use.

First impressions

After a brief hands-on, it’s clear that Samsung isn’t positioning these devices as direct replacements for one another.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra continues to refine the company’s established Fold formula. The Galaxy Z Fold8, meanwhile, explores a different direction—one that prioritizes a more familiar in-hand feel while keeping the productivity benefits that make foldables unique.

It’s still too early to draw conclusions about cameras, battery life, or long-term performance. Those answers will have to wait until we’ve spent more time with both devices.

For now, these are the differences that stood out most after our first look.

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