News

The Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 is now the second thinnest fold

Just right after the recently-released HONOR Magic V3

Published

on

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Xiaomi now steals the spotlight from both Samsung and HONOR (with the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Magic V3) by introducing the fourth iteration of their book-style foldable, the MIX Fold 4.

Surprisingly, the Chinese brand did NOT skip the “4” naming scheme unlike other Chinese brands do.

ICYMI: 4 has always been associated with the word “death” in the Chinese culture — much like “13” and its bad omen in the Western culture.

Thinner than ever

The Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 undergoes the biggest change in the company’s foldable portfolio so far.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

From last year’s 10.96mm, Xiaomi has managed to make their fold even thinner at just 9.47mm — making it the world’s second thinnest book-style foldable just after the recently-released HONOR Magic V3 at 9.2mm.

It’s then followed by HONOR (again) with the Magic Vs3 (9.8mm) and Magic V2 (9.9mm). Other brands are simply over the 10mm mark — much like its predecessor and the “fresh” offering from Samsung.

It’s all thanks to MIX Fold 4’s All-Carbon Architecture where the hinge floating plate, display backing plate, and middle plate battery compartment are all precision-molded from a carbon-fiber material dubbed as “T800H”.

Xiaomi also took a different approach in terms of hardware design. The MIX Fold 4’s three-layer, five-surface motherboard design plus high-precision soldering significantly improves circuit stability and reliability.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Its hinge is also upgraded to an ultra-strong 1800MPa steel that can withstand up to 500,000 folds and has SGS reliable folding certification altogether. Additionally, its mid-frame uses aluminum alloy.

The durability talk doesn’t stop there. Both of its displays are protected by Xiaomi’s Shield Glass for the outer screen and the flexible UTG (Ultra Thin Glass) inside.

Its back is made of composite fiber — woven with S2 premium glass fiber on a base of aramid and ceramic fiber. This makes the MIX Fold 4 pleasant to hold and resistant to abrasion and water.

Speaking of resistance to water, the MIX Fold 4 finally has an IPX8 rating to make it durable even in rain or when using with wet hands.

MIX (Un)Folded

When you unfold the MIX Fold 4, it shows the 7.98-inch E7 LTPO foldable display with an adaptive 1~120Hz refresh rate. This inner screen also uses the Pol-less Plus tech which enhances brightness and color reproduction but with reduced power consumption.

Folding it reveals the 6.56-inch C8+ panel with 120Hz refresh rate. Both screens support DCI-P3 wide color gamut, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

As expected, the Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 runs the latest and greatest SoC from Qualcomm — Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with Adreno 750 graphics.

It comes in either 256/512GB or 1TB UFS 4.0 storage options. That’s coupled with either 12/16GB of speedy LPDDR5X memory.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

As for battery, it’s equipped with an unusual 5100mAh stacked-cell battery that fills in the extra spaces in the fold. This is also based on a new-gen Silicon-Carbon (Si/C) tech.

Its 67W HyperCharge and 50W wireless charging standards both remain unchanged just like 2023’s MIX Fold 3.

If you’re worried about heat, the MIX Fold 4 boasts a large 11,912 m2 of cooling system with advanced VC (vapor chamber) tech and 3D cooling system to quickly dissipate heat and prevent heat buildup even in the most extreme tasks.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The MIX Fold 4 runs Xiaomi’s HyperOS based on Android 14. With its foldable form factor, AI features such as Live Translate can be helpful when traveling.

And talking about travel, the latest MIX fold now supports two-way satellite connectivity. It also has the Surge T1 signal enhancement chips as well as support for an even faster (and future-proof) 5G-A data connectivity and Wi-Fi 7.

Full-Fledged Cameras on a Fold

On paper, the MIX Fold 4 is the only 2024 foldable so far that possesses a quad-camera setup.

The headliner has got to be its new 50MP f/1 .7 main (wide) camera based on the Light Fusion 800 sensor. This sensor also has a first of its kind “Dual Native ISO Fusion Max” tech that gives a more accurate color reproduction and better detail retention in high-contrast scenarios.

There’s also a 12MP f/2.2 UWA (ultra-wide angle) lens with a 120-degree FoV (Field of View).

The other two lenses are the 50MP f/2.0 floating telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom — mostly ideal for portraits and macro shots. Finally, there’s the additional 10MP f/2.9 periscope telephoto shooter with a farther 5x optical zoom (115mm equivalent).

As expected, Leica partnership remains for this device — much like how it was introduced in the MIX Fold 2 two years ago. Other than usual Leica color calibration and software addition, its cameras use Leica Summilux optics much like the Xiaomi 14 series.

Lastly, there’s the identical 16MP f/2.2 selfie cameras in and out.

Pricing and Availability

Xiaomi’s MIX Fold 4 comes in four color choices: white, black, blue, and a special Composite Fiber Edition.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

It comes in three options — same pricing and configuration as the HONOR Magic V3.

  • 12+256GB = CNY 8999 (US$ 1237 / EUR 1143 / GBP 966 / SG$ 1669 / PhP 72,115 / INR 103,287)
  • 16+512GB = CNY 9999 (US$ 1374 / EUR 1270 / GBP 1073 / SG$ 1854 / PhP 80,129 / INR 114,765)
  • 16+1TB = CNY 10,999 (US$ 1512 / EUR 1396 / GBP 1180 / SG$ 2040 / PhP 88,142 / INR 126,243)

Global availability was not announced. We still have to wait if Xiaomi will sell the MIX Fold 4 outside their home turf.

News

Mastercard brings Apple Pay to customers in the Philippines

Easy and secure way to pay across Apple ecosystem

Published

on

Mastercard has officially brought Apple Pay to its cardholders in the Philippines. This gives iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac users an easy, secure, and private way to pay in-store, in-app, and online.

To pay in-store, customers simply double-click the side button, authenticate, and hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a payment terminal to make a contactless payment.

Apple Pay is easy to set up. On iPhone, simply open the Wallet app and tap the ‘+’ and follow the steps to add a Mastercard credit or debit card.

Once a customer adds a card to iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac, they can start using Apple Pay on that device right away.

Every Apple Pay purchase is secure because it is authenticated with Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode, as well as a one-time unique dynamic security code.

Apple Pay is accepted in grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, and many more places that accept contactless payments.

Customers can also use Apple Pay on iPhone, iPad, and Mac to make faster and more convenient purchases in apps or on the web without having to create accounts or repeatedly type in contact information, card details, or shipping and billing information.

Of course, customers will continue to receive all of the rewards and benefits offered by Mastercard.

Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay. When customers use a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers.

Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted, and securely stored in the Secure Element, an industry-standard, certified chip designed to store the payment information safely on the device.

Continue Reading

News

Visa brings Apple Pay to its customers in the Philippines

An easier and more secure way to pay with iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac

Published

on

Visa (NYSE: V), a global leader in digital payments, announced today that Visa debit and credit cardholders in the Philippines can now add their eligible cards to Apple Pay on their iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac. Apple Pay is an easy, secure and private way to pay in-store, in-app and online.

This announcement accelerates the digitalization of payments all while expanding payment options for Filipinos traveling abroad and visitors traveling to the Philippines. Across the Asia Pacific region, 97% of travelers1 say that they will bring credit, debit, or prepaid cards on their trips, while only 17% intend to bring foreign currency. Among travelers, 38% said they prefer cards because of robust security and fraud protection features, while 20% cite wide acceptance. Apple Pay seamlessly delivers on these exact needs by making everyday transactions easy, secure, and private.

Visa Confidential

To pay in-store, customers simply double-click the side button, authenticate, and hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a payment terminal to make a contactless payment. Every Apple Pay purchase is secure because it is authenticated with Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode, as well as a one-time unique dynamic security code. Apple Pay is accepted in grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, and many more places that accept contactless payments.

Customers can also use Apple Pay on iPhone, iPad, and Mac to make faster and more convenient purchases in apps or on the web without having to create accounts or repeatedly type in contact information, card details, or shipping and billing information.

“Apple Pay represents the next evolution of payments in the Philippines, combining ease of use, simplicity, and security in every transaction, helping amplify the payment experience for Visa cardholders in the Philippines. With Apple Pay, Filipinos and tourists alike now have seamless and secure ways to pay across shops, restaurants, travel destinations, and public transport, supporting the nation’s vision to become a cash-lite economy,” said Jeffrey Navarro, Country Manager for Visa Philippines.

Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay. When customers use a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored in the Secure Element, an industry-standard, certified chip designed to store the payment information safely on the device.

Apple Pay is easy to set up. On iPhone, simply open the Wallet app, tap the ‘+’, and follow the steps to add a Visa card. Once a customer adds a card to iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac, they can start using Apple Pay on that device right away. Customers will continue to receive all of the rewards and benefits offered by their Visa cards.

For more information on Apple Pay, visit: https://www.apple.com/ph/apple-pay/

Continue Reading

Accessories

Sony WH-1000XM6 gets a new Olive Gray colorway option

The new color launches today.

Published

on

Last year, the Sony WH-1000XM6 quickly became our favorite pair of noise-cancelling headphones. The audio quality pairs remarkably well with its ANC capabilities. Now, a year into the accessory’s life cycle, new colors are still coming out. Today, the acclaimed WH-1000XM6 is getting an Olive Gray variant.

A few months ago, Sony expanded the WH-1000XM6’s colorway options with a Sandstone version, launching alongside the Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION. At the time, the new color added a splash of life to an already blossoming lineup.

Now, much like the rest of the lineup, the new Olive Gray version is a subdued mashup between olive green and gray. Though it stands out on its own, the color is still cool enough to mix well with the contours of the user’s head.

Other than that, the new version is still identical to the inner workings of the original device. The Sony WH-1000XM6 comes with a new HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3, providing 12 microphones for effective noise cancellation. In terms of audio quality, the headphones support High-Resolution Audio and High-Resolution Audio Wireless, thanks to LDAC support.

Also, the accessory sits comfortable on the head with a high rigidity carbon fiber composite material dome, cushioned well with synthetic leather.

As always, the Olive Gray version, launching today, will sell for US$ 459.99.

In Singapore, the Sony WH-1000XM6 in Olive Gray is available starting today through Sony Stores, the Sony Store Online, and authorized dealers for S$649, matching the pricing of the existing color options.

SEE ALSO: Sony WH-1000XM6: Master of sound quality and noise cancellation

Continue Reading

Trending