The nubia V80 Max arrived in the Philippines with a noticeable price jump: PhP 6,499, up from the V70 Max’s PhP 4,799.

For it’s intended market — the budget-conscious users who are trying to make ends meet daily — those extra pesos matter a ton.

That’s why I’ve been torn on giving it a pass or no. I still am until now.

The V80 Max does tout durability upgrades and AI add-ons. The refreshed design also looks a bit more premium, ditching the circular camera island.

But all these improvements feel incremental or marginal. In the end, budget users need their phone to work as they try to survive each day too. From the get-go, using this device somewhat felt… non-enjoyable.

Performance: A bit unsteady

The nubia V80 Max is powered by a Unisoc T7250 processor with up to 1.8GHz clock speed. It can handle typing, messaging, and other light tasks.

However, just tapping on apps, loading them, and switching between them generally looked sluggish.

There’s also been slowdowns that weren’t experienced too much with the V70 Max, which my nephew even entrusted for PUBG.

I type quite fast, and to its credit, the nubia V80 Max has kept up. At least you can use this for endless chatting with friends and keeping loved ones updated.

But everywhere else, patience is required. Even just simulating a delivery rider’s routine and having navigation turned on was already pushed the phone past its comfort zone.

For gaming, I’ve played both Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Need for Speed No Limits on the handset.

They are playable, although the overall experience may not be enjoyable due to sporadic connectivity issues and bare-minimum graphics.

Display: Bright but basic

In front, the nubia V80 Max has a large 6.9-inch IPS display that is similar to the V70 Max’s panel.

A notable improvement is 780 nits peak brightness. That’s a welcome upgrade for outdoor visibility.

However, the resolution maxes out at 720p for YouTube videos and other scenarios. That and a low pixel density make the display most specially underwhelming even for just photos of food.

They look a lot unappetizing and just makes you scroll down instead.

The thick bezels and black bars also lessen the audiovisual experience. Speaking of audio, the sound quality is just par for its segment. It’s not totally flat but far from a premium soundscape too.

Battery: Long-lasting, enough for light work

With a 6,000mAh battery like its predecessor, the nubia V80 Max can deliver a full day of light use. Besides, there’s not much “demanding” tasks you can do on it smoothly.

For basic communication all day, plus browsing and light gaming in between, you’ll surely have enough power left.

The only downside is that it takes about two hours to fully replenish back to full. That’s unlike other budget phones with 33W to 45W charging at the very least.

A nice surprise is Bypass Charging to power gaming and extended use.

Durability, water and dust resistance: For assurance

As nubia has previously mentioned, the V80 Max is practically the brand’s own entry to the “rugged budget phone” meta.

On paper, it has an IP64 rating and up to a 1.8-meter drop resistance. It’s always good to have these as extra insurance for parents handing phones to kids or workers in tough environments.

At the same time, it plays a part in the higher asking price. A cheap case and a lanyard should do the same without a price bump.

Cameras: Decent, with caveats

Lighting will always be your friend with a camera system like the V80 Max’s. The device comes with a 50MP main camera for decent detail and a 16MP counterpart in front.

It works, but your patience will definitely be tested. The results are fair to a point that the camera can be used for beyond documentation.

There was even one time I zoomed to 3X (in daylight) and the detail still looks amenable.

But forget quick captures. It takes time for the capture button to process your press. The camera demands stillness even after the snap.

To be fair, the colors are also decent — not washed out and totally dull. But in some cases, the color accuracy is off, especially for food and other red-hued subjects.

For good shots, just give them some post-processing, and they’re usable for social media.

One the other hand, low-light and night shots from both front and back shooters are predictably grainy and noisy.Selfies are also lighting-dependent for quality.

The camera UI could also use some upgrades. My palm also sometimes accidentally taps the right-hand side of the screen when holding the phone.

Design

As mentioned, nubia has ditched the familiar Android top-middle-of-the-back camera island in favor of this setup:

The three shooters protrude and are lined up vertically. You’ve definitely seen this arrangement from other Android brands, most notably Samsung’s previous offerings.

But it’s a new touch for nubia, while the power button being in red reflects their signature flair.

There are five colors, and mine was in Aurellia Gold which looks more of a light yellowish cream. The backside is smooth although the side frames provide enough friction for a good grip.

I’m pleased that the device didn’t come with bloatware out of the box.

Also, there are AI features here that are somewhat actually useful. The AI Scam Alert is worth utilizing so you can avoid getting disturbed.

Is this your BudgetMatch?

It’s an easy Swipe Left for me. Plain and simple, the phone is usable but unenjoyable.

There are some commendable aspects but the performance lags, the display underwhelms, and the price hike doesn’t feel justified.

Throw in a few more bucks, and you’ve got some better-balanced options and budget gaming phones. There’s also better camera systems and displays on other budget handsets.

I would say it’s still for consideration for those who really just need a communication tool. Students, entry-level workers, stay-at-home adults, and more.

But in the end, the upgrades do not outweigh the compromises. By now, even the most affordable phones should offer more than just survive drops. They must be able to at least keep up with users’ lives.

Planning a wedding, even a small and intimate one, has a way of sharpening your sense of priorities. Right as my fiancé and I were making decisions for our city hall wedding here in New York City, Apple announced Creator Studio.

Creator Studio is a subscription service that gets you access to eight creative pro and productivity apps for US$12.99 a month, or US$2.99 if you’re a student or educator. The design app included in the subscription, Pixelmator Pro, is also available as a standalone purchase for US$49.99. Adobe Photoshop, my design software of choice for over two decades costs me US$22.99 a month.

Seeing those numbers next to each other made me pause. It’s not that I was unhappy with Photoshop. I was just suddenly made aware how expensive it is. I’d been paying more for a single tool than I could for an entire creative ecosystem.

Creative Studio’s lower price point, along with the free trial, made me consider switching to Pixelmator Pro altogether. That’s something I never thought I would do. Photoshop was how I got into graphic design. It was my first love, and up until recently, I truly thought it would be my ride or die.

Getting to know Pixelmator Pro

If you’re not familiar, Apple’s Pixelmator Pro is a graphic design and image editing app that’s similar to Adobe Photoshop. In practice, it covers a huge amount of the same ground but with a very different philosophy around usability and design.

I tried Pixelmator Pro, mostly as a challenge because we were doing a YouTube video on Apple Creator Studio. Personally, I was lowkey excited to try something new.

The first time I loaded the app, I recreated our YouTube thumbnail template — all within 10 minutes — and I haven’t looked back since.

Familiar enough to feel effortless

One of the biggest reasons my transition to Pixelmator Pro was so easy is muscle memory. Many shortcuts behave the same way: cmd+T for transform, cmd+R to show rulers, cmd+J to duplicate layers, just to name a few.

Having used Photoshop since high school, it felt familiar and intuitive — the complete opposite of how it felt to try and switch to Adobe Illustrator many years ago.

Photoshop is how I got into graphic design. It was my first love, and up until recently, I truly thought it would be my ride or die.

Later, I learned that you can import PSD (Photoshop) files directly to Pixelmator Pro. Apparently I didn’t even need to recreate the GadgetMatch assets. It does a good job of converting and preserving layers.

Photoshop now feels archaic

After using Pixelmator Pro for a few days, going back to Photoshop felt jarring. The sharp edges of the UI felt cold and rigid. Everything was layered with popups, panels, and tiny interruptions.

Pixelmator Pro, in comparison feels warm, smooth and frictionless. Its user interface is very Apple-like — rounded edges, softer icons and buttons. The Creator Studio version also gets the new Liquid Design touch, with transparent menus and elements that feel dynamic.

I especially love the little things. Color adjustments live in one simple panel instead of being scattered across different windows. There’s an eyedropper tool beside every color picker with a magnifier built-in.

When you hover over tools, it shows you the shortcut (e.g. “R” for Repair). There are also subtle animations, like when you use the Color Fill tool to change your canvas color.

The differences in user experience are stark. Photoshop’s animations either don’t exist or are too abrupt for one to notice.

Smart tools without the noise

Photoshop has one clear advantage over Pixelmator Pro: Generative AI. It’s great and powerful especially when you need to save time.

I personally used it a couple of times before to save time on cloning, erasing, or expanding elements. Am I going to miss it with this switch? Something tells me I won’t.

Pixelmator Pro’s clone and repair tools, though seemingly so simple, work like a charm. And for how I usually manipulate images, those two are more than enough.

From digital to physical

If Pixelmator Pro was going to replace Photoshop in my workflow, wedding prep was the perfect time to give it a real world test — and it more than held its own. Its ease of use gave me permission to think outside the box, because I knew I had a reliable tool that can help me make it happen.

Since my fiancé is half-Iranian, I designed a logo combining our names, inspired by Kufic calligraphy, and I did it entirely in Pixelmator Pro. I developed that same logo further and designed a save the date, with color, also inspired by Kufic calligraphy. I went through a few iterations to come up with the final designs, which were made easier by the Shape tool and grid overlays.

My fiancé then took the logo I designed in Pixelmator Pro, converted it to 3D on Revit, and printed it into stamps in different sizes. One way we’re using it is to deboss the handmade pottery he’s making as one of our party favors.

There are a few more wedding pieces I’m designing on Pixelmator Pro in the coming weeks: our final invitation, and the custom stationery for the dinner that follows the ceremony.

Through this whole process, Pixelmator Pro never felt like it got in the way, or that it was limited. On the contrary, it feels like that enabler friend who says yes to every idea I have, and can actually help make them real.

Powerful, but approachable

The best way I can describe what using Pixelmator Pro is like is this: it’s a mix of Photoshop’s professional tools, Canva’s free library of assets, and Apple’s UI sensibility.

Shortly after Apple announced Creator Studio, Adobe rolled out significant Creative Cloud discounts. Are they threatened? They better be.

That makes it great for beginners, small business owners, and casual creators. Like Canva, it comes with some beautiful templates to help someone with zero experience come up with something good.

But unlike Canva, it still feels like a serious design tool. I can do so much of what I need using Pixelmator Pro but with UI that’s so much more approachable compared to Photoshop.

I remember meeting Canva’s founders before launch and not fully understanding their mission to make graphic design accessible to everyone. Now I do.

It was never about replacing Adobe products and pro designers. What Canva did was fill a huge void we didn’t know existed. They democratized something that used to be reserved only for the privileged few.

Pixelmator Pro’s lower barrier to entry has potential to make a significant impact. My hope is it opens doors for people who were previously shut out of the graphic design world, and that it becomes something they can grow with, just as I did with Photoshop.

Adobe is still the industry standard

Switching to Pixelmator Pro wasn’t about rejecting Adobe, in the same way that Canva’s success did not kill Photoshop.

It’s worth noting that Adobe products are still the standard in the industry. A lot of companies rely on them, and most schools teach them. In a traditional design or agency environment, Photoshop and Illustrator are still the default language.

Even on Apple’s own Design Resources site for developers, the official design templates are built for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, not Pixelmator Pro. That says a lot about how embedded Adobe is in professional workflows.

Competition makes the space better

Apple Creator Studio, and tools like Pixelmator Pro, challenge Adobe’s near-monopoly in a really healthy way.

It’s not lost on me that trading Photoshop with Apple software actually keeps me locked into one ecosystem. But having more pro creatives try Pixelmator Pro can put pressure on the industry. A strong alternative that’s more cost effective can force titans and dinosaurs to evolve in a way the likes of Corel was never able to do.

Ideally, that means better products and fairer pricing for everyone. Shortly after Apple announced Creator Studio, Adobe rolled out significant Creative Cloud discounts. Are they threatened? They better be.

Access matters, and at the end of the day, with a healthy competition in the market, it’s consumers that win. Canva is a great example of this. It made design tools accessible to those who aren’t professionals. It didn’t make everyone a great designer, just as a novice who tries Final Cut Pro today won’t become a pro video editor tomorrow. Design is still a craft you develop over time with practice.

Is Pixelmator Pro my GadgetMatch?

Photoshop still has its place. But for my everyday work, and occasional personal projects, Pixelmator Pro can do  everything that I need to accomplish, at a fraction of the cost.

It feels faster, lighter, and more alive. Honestly learning my way around new software has been so enjoyable — so much so that I feel a renewed sense of eagerness to try other design software like Blender and Figma.

Pixelmator Pro never felt like it got in the way, or that it was limited. On the contrary, it feels like that enabler friend who says yes to every idea I have, and can actually help make them real.

Wedding planning and Apple Creator Studio didn’t just make me switch to a new software. They also made me question how much I’ve been missing out on. How much of what I do is simply due to inertia?

Ending my longest relationship doesn’t mean it failed. I’m grateful for what Photoshop taught me. It helped shape the creative professional that I am today.

But alas, this is one area where my practicality wins over loyalty. Relationships — with people or with tools — only work when both parties keep showing up. There’s no room for complacency, despite the history.

Walking away from something that taught me so much feels bittersweet, but Pixelmator Pro fits the way I work now, and I hope it grows with me as I turn the next page.

Watch our review of Apple Creator Studio

There are two ways I ended up playing Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on the Switch 2: handheld, and docked. And in many ways, that split mirrors what this release is really about—flexibility, familiarity, and a little bit of re-learning.

Relearning muscle memory

Let’s get the small friction point out of the way first. Button prompts. Even after all this time, my brain still defaults to PlayStation glyphs. Triangle means something very specific to me in Final Fantasy VII Remake, and retraining that muscle memory on a Nintendo layout took a bit longer than expected. That’s not the game’s fault—it’s just the reality of revisiting something you’ve deeply internalized on another platform. And honestly, it’s something I’ll just have to get used to as more of these previously PlayStation-first titles land elsewhere.

Once that adjustment period passed, the bigger surprise came quickly—especially in handheld.

Midgar in the palm of your hand

Without even stacking it up against the PS4 or PS5 versions, the Switch 2 version already looks impressive on its own. In fact, it looks really good. There’s a moment of quiet disbelief when you realize you’re holding Midgar in your hands, running locally, and still retaining that sense of scale and atmosphere the remake is known for.

I’ve played Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on devices like the ROG Ally and Legion Go, and the feeling here is similar. Not in raw power comparisons, but in that same sense of admiration—Square Enix managing to package something this dense, cinematic, and emotionally loaded into a handheld experience without it feeling compromised at first glance. That same awe of seeing this classic reimagined is still intact, even on a smaller screen.

Living with 30fps

Performance-wise, the most noticeable limitation is the 30fps cap. It’s there, and anyone coming from a 60fps playthrough will notice it immediately. That said, it never felt like a dealbreaker to me.

Command inputs still land cleanly, combat remains responsive, and nothing about the experience felt sluggish. If you’re sensitive to frame rate shifts, this might take some adjustment. But in motion, and especially in handheld, it rarely pulls focus away from the game itself.

Streamlined progression, real relief

One feature that quietly made a big difference for me is the new Streamlined Progression option. Being able to start with maxed-out stats, unlimited resources, and reduced friction is a genuine quality-of-life win—especially for players who’ve already finished the game once and don’t necessarily want to grind their way through Midgar again.

It turns Intergrade into a smoother re-experience, letting you focus on the story beats and combat flow rather than progression systems you already know by heart.

The storage reality check

The less glamorous reality check comes with storage. At roughly 90GB, this is a heavy install, particularly if—like me—you lean heavily toward digital purchases. I had to delete three games just to make room.

If you have the option to go physical on Switch 2, that might be the more practical route, especially as more large-scale ports make their way onto the platform.

A familiar journey, made portable

Contextually, this release matters beyond just another port. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade arriving on Switch 2 is part of Square Enix’s broader push to bring the entire remake trilogy to more platforms, with the final entry already in development.

It also reinforces Intergrade as the most accessible entry point into the series—bundling the main campaign with the Yuffie-led EPISODE INTERmission, and now offering features that lower the barrier for newcomers while respecting returning players’ time.

At US$39.99, it lands at a price that feels fair. Whether you’re completely new to Final Fantasy VII Remake or just want a portable version of a game you already love, this is an easy recommendation—storage caveats aside.

Overall, this is an impressive Switch 2 port. Not perfect, not trying to outmuscle the PS5 version, but confident in what it is. Seeing Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade run this well, this comfortably, on a handheld still feels a little surreal—and that alone makes it worth playing again.

If you’re looking for deeper technical breakdowns and direct comparisons with the PS4 and PS5 versions, Digital Foundry continues to do excellent work on that front. But as a lived-in experience, this one already earns its place on the Switch 2.