Laptops

Xiaomi’s ‘MacBook killer’ now has a 4G variant

Published

December 23, 2016

Monch Lopez

Xiaomi, contrary to what you’ve been hearing lately, isn’t just a smartphone company. (Company executives are keen to point out that they’re a software or internet company.)

It’s built all sorts of stuff, from accessories to TVs to rice cookers and bags. Recently, it debuted a cool electric scooter that eagerly folds with the touch of a button.

Today, Xiaomi went the boring route and unveiled a MacBook Pro killer with LTE connectivity similar to a smartphone. Dubbed the Mi Notebook Air 4G, the Windows 10 laptop boasts great specs, and is capable of speeds of up to 150Mbps over a mobile data network. This is Xiaomi’s second foray into the PC industry, following the unveiling of the Mi Notebook Air, which launched in July this year.

[irp posts=”8339″ name=”Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime review”]

To sweeten the deal, Xiaomi said users would receive 4GB of free data per month for 12 months from China Mobile, which has been tapped as its carrier partner. The state-owned operator boasts the most users in the world with about 835 million subscribers as of May 2016.

The Mi Notebook Air 4G retains the same full-metal design of the previous model (again, in silver or gold). Like the original, it also comes in two sizes: there’s a 12.5-inch variant powered by an Intel Core M3 processor and 4GB of RAM, the same processing package you’d find on many entry-level ultrabooks; the bigger 13.3-incher gets bumped up to a sixth-generation Core i7 CPU, alongside an Nvidia GeForce 940MX graphics chip and 8GB of RAM for improved gaming performance.

Storage options go as high as 256GB for the 13.3-inch model, while the resolution maxes out at 1080p on all screens. Connectivity options include up to two USB 3.0 ports, a Type-C port, an HDMI port, and a standard headphone jack. Battery life is rated between 9.5 and 11.5 hours, depending on the screen size. Both laptops run Windows 10 (presumably of the Single Language variety).

Besides the free monthly data, there’s really no upside to upgrading to either notebook if you already own the previous Notebook Air. Worse still, the inclusion of the data plan appears to have bloated the price considerably. Earlier this year, the smaller Mi Notebook Air sold for 3,499 yuan, or around $500, at launch. By contrast, the new Mi Notebook Air 4G starts at 4,699 yuan (about $680), whereas the bigger version is priced at 6,999 yuan ($1,000).

[irp posts=”4119″ name=”Xiaomi Mi Max unboxing and hands-on review”]

Related Topics:Mi Notebook Air 4G Xiaomi

Laptops

ROG launches 2026 Strix gaming laptop series

The pinnacle of gaming experiences

Published

June 16, 2026

GadgetMatch

The 2026 ROG Strix gaming laptops have officially arrived. They are available in the latest Strix G16 and G18 variants, as well as the Strix SCAR 18.

The latest gaming notebooks represent the pinnacle of gaming experiences, combining upgraded ROG Nebula Display technologies, refinements to ROG Intelligent Cooling, expanded high-speed connectivity, and a tool-less, upgrade-friendly chassis.

The 2026 ROG Strix G series raises the bar for mainstream gaming laptops. Both 16-inch and 18-inch models come with 2.5K Nebula Displays, now upgraded with ultra-fast 300Hz refresh rate.

Both models are capable of ultra-high framerates for the latest AAA games, thanks to the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 290HX and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080.

Their chassis can accommodate up to 32GB DDR5 memory and up to 1TB SSD storage.

The performance is complemented by advanced ROG Intelligent Cooling, featuring end-to-end vapor chambers, Tri-Fan technology, and Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal.

The ROG Strix G series ranges from PhP 159,995 to PhP 319,995.

On the other hand, the 2026 ROG Strix SCAR continues ASUS ROG’s pursuit of uncompromised gaming performance.

The Strix SCAR 18 comes with the first 18-inch 4K 240Hz Mini LED laptop panel, with over 2,000 dimming zones. ROG Nebula ELMB provides up to 16x greater motion clarity. The panel also features 1,600 nits peak brightness, 100% DCI-P3, and AGLR technology.

This laptop similarly comes with Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 290HX Plus, and up to GeForce RTX 5090 graphics. The graphics side is also enhanced by DLSS 4, Multi-Frame Generation, and GPU-accelerated technologies specially for the latest AAA titles.

New on the 2026 release is up to a 320W total system power. It also has a 20% thicker vapor chamber, as well as Upgraded Liquid Crystal Polymer fans to increase total airflow by 91%.

The ROG Strix SCAR 18 costs PhP 439,995.

Computers

Rewind: WWDC 2026

The Siri Update We’ve Been Waiting For?!

Published

June 10, 2026

GadgetMatch and Michael Josh Villanueva

At WWDC 2026, Apple unveiled Siri AI, a smarter version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, with personal context, onscreen awareness, deeper app integration, and a brand-new experience across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.

Apple also announced new Apple Intelligence features, Google Gemini-powered foundation models, smarter photo editing tools, improved parental controls, faster performance across iPhone and iPad, and the next version of macOS: Golden Gate.

In this WWDC 2026 Rewind, Michael Josh breaks down the biggest announcements, what actually matters. And, whether Apple finally delivered on the promises it made last year.

Computex 2026

Here’s all the RTX Spark notebooks announced at COMPUTEX 2026

We got notebooks from ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, and MSI.

Published

June 5, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

There’s been much ado about the NVIDIA RTX Spark. By now, you’ve probably heard a lot about the upcoming reinvention of PCs. But, as a regular consumer, it’s hard to visualize just how this revolution looks like. Thankfully, in NVIDIA’s demo suites, a few manufacturers got to showcase their take on an RTX Spark notebook. And all of them are coming out in the fall.

ASUS ProArt P14 and P16

ASUS ProArt P16

ASUS ProArt P14

Dell XPS 16 Creator Edition

HP OmniBook X 14 and Ultra 16

HP OmniBook X 14

HP OmniBook Ultra 16

Lenovo Yoga Pro 9n

Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra

MSI Prestige N16 Flip AI+

Unfortunately, none of these brands could share comprehensive details about their laptops beyond a promise for raw power. All of these models aren’t the final version yet.

However, just from what we can tell, these notebooks do feel different from the standard fare of laptops today. For one, they are deceptively heavier. Though all of the OEMs promise a much thinner profile, they’re either packing a lot of tech inside or are using denser materials for their chassis. But again, these are engineering units, so who knows how heavy these things will actually be?

Secondly, based on NVIDIA’s demos, they can do a lot of heavy lifting. NVIDIA says that these superchips are meant for developers and creators, but gamers will also find joy in their performance. DLSS 4.5, in particular, feels like a true revolution in terms of graphics.

Thankfully, fall isn’t too far away. If you can wait, the next evolution of PCs is just around the corner.