Features
Vivo, Meizu say no to holes: Weekend Rewind
Look Ma, no holes!

1. Vivo APEX 2019 is holeless
Almost every phone manufacturer is trying to get rid of the notch. Most common solution so far: a hole. But Vivo decided to go in a completely different direction.
The Vivo APEX 2019 concept phone showcased in China gets rid of all these ports and holes. Yes, all of them. It’s a solid slab that you charge through magnetic connectors like those found in older versions of the MacBook Pro.
The result is a beautiful device with no physical buttons and what Vivo calls a “truly FullView” display, along with other features like “Body SoundCasting Technology” and a nearly all-display fingerprint scanner.
2. Meizu Zero also says goodbye to holes
It’s worth noting that Meizu first unveiled a holeless phone with their Meizu Zero. It eradicated almost all of a smartphone’s traditional input and output interfaces. Other than the rear and front-facing cameras, the Meizu Zero does not have any physical buttons, slots, or sensors.
Will other, more major phone makers follow suit?
3. Xiaomi shows off foldable phone
Another trend we’ll likely see more of in 2019 is foldable phones. Xiaomi showed that they are deep into making one after President and Co-founder Bin Lin shared a video of him tinkering with what you’d think at first was a simple tablet, until of course he proceeded to bend the edges of the device.
Samsung showed off their own foldable phone prototype called Flex in 2018 but Xiaomi’s definitely looks like it’s closer to being market-ready. Now that’s flexing.
4. LG: “Goodbye Touch”
While everyone else is busy getting rid of notches and holes, LG is out here teasing a farewell to “touch.”
The 13-second video titled “Goodbye Touch” shows a hand waving over a piece of paper and touching it only to swipe it up towards the end. It’s followed by a save-the-date announcement for the aforementioned tech convention in Barcelona, Spain.
LG has been in an uphill climb in recent years in the mobile industry. Here’s to hoping they release something exciting at MWC.
5. Huawei stays aggressive in 5G arena
Huawei is putting the pedal to the metal on their 5G technology efforts. To strengthen their position in the world of 5G technology, the Chinese company launched the Balong 5000, a multi-mode 5G modem.
The company says the new modem can achieve sub-6GHz download speeds of up to 4.6Gbps and up to 6.5Gbps over the mmWave spectrum. They boast that the Balong 5000 will be the first modem to support both standalone and non-standalone 5G networks.
Weekend Rewind is our roundup of top news and features you might have missed for the week. We know the world of technology can be overwhelming and not everyone has the time to get up to speed with everything — and that includes us. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the rewind.

CES 2021
GadgetMatch Awards: Best of CES 2021
Flying cars, rolling phones, and Ice Cream right at home

CES has always been the place for dreaming about the future of tech and this year, despite the annual convention being held virtually instead of in Las Vegas like usual, is no different.
We saw plenty of exciting innovations ranging from stuff that we can purchase soon, something for the new normal, and an effin flying car. Yes. If that doesn’t get your gears running we don’t know what will.
So here are our favorites from the tech show.
Best Gaming Laptop: ROG Flow X13
Gaming laptops have been getting slimmer and slimmer over the years but this one — it’s a gaming laptop the size of an Ultrabook. ASUS managed to pack gaming power — AMD Ryzen 9/Cezanne-HS mobile processor, RTX 3080 — in a 15mm thin and 1.35kg body.
To heighten the gaming experience further, you can pair it with the ROG XG Mobile GPU that gives the Flow X13 the power of a full-sized gaming rig. That’s bonkers.
Best Auto Concept: GM flying Cadillac Taxi
The idea of flying cars has long intrigued the human race. You need not look far than the prevalence of such a vehicle in sci-fi pop culture to see how much we long for it.
General Motors’ flying Cadillac taxi concept is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle, eliminating the need for any runway. It’ll run on a 90kWh battery with 56mph top speed. New flying regulations will have to come but we can’t wait for this to take to the skies.
Best New Smartphone Form Factor: LG Rollable
Smartphones are going through a period of change. What once was just a rectangular piece of slab has seen itself fold, flip, and now… roll.
We’ve seen LG showcase a rollable concept before but the LG Rollable could be the closest thing that might actually… roll out to the market. Details are scarce for now but expect plenty of news and rumors to build up as it gets closer to launch.
Best Laptop: ASUS ZenBook Duo
The ZenBook Duo, first showcased at Computex 2019, sort of took a gap year in 2020. What we saw instead was a gaming version with the Zephyrus Duo. It makes a comeback now more refined and with internals fit for the new year.
The new ASUS ZenBook Duo is a refinement of this new laptop form factor in every way imaginable — one that, theoretically, should be much more useful than its predecessor.
Best Chromebook: Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2
The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 has all the bells and whistles of the first generation but it now comes with a QLED panel. Yep, Samsung’s TV display tech has made its way to a notebook. This could just be the beginning.
Best Audio Wearable: Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

Buds, Plus, Live, and now Pro — not exactly the progression that makes the most sense name-wise but Samsung may now finally have the TWS that can go toe-to-toe against the AirPods Pro and Freebuds Pro.
The Galaxy Buds Pro promises intelligent ANC that adjusts according to your environment and a playtime that’s par for the course for the other buds it’s going up against.
Best Wearable: MaskFone
Ever since the pandemic hit, face masks have come in all shapes, sizes and features — the MaskFone is no exception.
The MaskFone has a mic in the facepiece and two earbuds hanging on wires by the earloops. The mask is made of a water-resistant, breathable, and washable material and includes a pocket for PM2.5 filters. As far as tech goes, this one’s pretty in your face.
Best Kitchen Appliance: ColdSnap
What’s better than getting sweet, icy treats on a dreary day? It’s making those sweet, icy treats at your own home with ColdSnap.
It works like coffee pod machines but instead of coffee, it serves ice cream and other frozen treats from recyclable aluminium pods. Now, you can Ice Cream and chill at your leisure.
Best Smart TV: Samsung NEO QLED
Samsung’s QLED was already pretty good but turning things up to eleven is their Neo QLED. With this new display tech, Samsung promises improved picture quality — dark areas are darker, bright areas brighter, and so on. Of course, we’ll have to see it for ourselves but it already sounds promising.
Best Wellness Device: Lora DiCarlo Drift, Tilt, Sway
If you can get past snickering like a tween, you’ll realize this offers many… benefits. Inspired by human warmth, the new model mimics the heat we experience from our partners’ bodies. Lora DiCarlo used a nylon-based thermally conductive polymer and its WarmSense Technology, simulating body temperature.
I’m sure we can all use some warmth in these cold nights.
Best Cleaning Device: Samsung JetBot 90 AI+
Keeping your place squeaky clean doesn’t get any smarter than this. The JetBot 90 AI+ is a vacuum cleaner that uses object recognition technology to identify and classify objects to decide the best cleaning path. LiDAR and 3D sensors allow JetBot 90 AI+ to avoid cables and small objects, while still cleaning hard-to-reach corners in your home.
Best Camera/Drone: Airpeak
Professional videographers who’s weapon of choice are Sony Alphas are probably dying to have their hands on Airpeak. It’s a drone that can be equipped with Sony’s professional grade, mirrorless cameras. This opens up new possibilities in terms of aerial footage.
Best Monitor: Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved WUHD
It appears we’re facing a future that’ll have us sitting in front of monitors for longer than we realize. That’s why having one that’s easy on the eyes could be extra beneficial. The ComfortView Plus on the Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved WUHD monitor can help with that. Not to mention, it is color accurate and should aid you nicely in your work-from-home setup.
Accessories
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Review: Better than AirPods Pro?
Finally, real Active Noise Cancellation out of the box

Samsung has unveiled the newest Galaxy Buds Pro alongside the announcement of the latest Galaxy S21 series.
Other than the new design, better sound quality, and surround sound setup, there’s now a real and intelligent Active Noise Cancellation.
But do these earbuds live up to its ‘Pro’ branding? Watch our Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review by clicking the video link right here.

Samsung started 2021 early with their newest Galaxy S21 series.
Unlike last year where the S20 models were announced last February, these new S21 units were unveiled as early as January 2021. Although we’ve covered most of the leaks and rumors about Samsung’s latest flagship trio, we still need to confirm them.
Head over to our latest hands-on video to find out more.
-
News1 week ago
Samsung Galaxy S21 Series: Price and availability in the Philippines
-
Hands-On1 week ago
Samsung Galaxy S21 Series Hands-on
-
Hands-On1 week ago
ASUS ZenBook Duo (2021) Unboxing and Hands-on: Double The Fun!
-
Automotive2 weeks ago
Apple and Hyundai are partnering for an electric car in 2024
-
Gaming1 week ago
CD Projekt Red publicly apologizes for Cyberpunk 2077
-
Gaming1 week ago
We’re getting a Star Wars game from Ubisoft
-
Accessories1 week ago
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Review: Better than AirPods Pro?
-
Automotive1 week ago
General Motors unveils a flying Cadillac taxi concept