News

Xiaomi’s new Redmi Note 4 sets another budget benchmark

Published

August 25, 2016

Marvin Velasco

Within less than a year of releasing the Redmi Note 3 and considering it a resounding success, Xiaomi decided to go ahead and launch the successor, the Redmi Note 4, in China. As you’d expect, the short time gap didn’t allow a lot of revolutionary features to be developed in time for the new model, but the minor changes seem to be worth the effort.

Not to be confused with the Redmi Note 4G from 2014, the new Redmi Note 4 continues Xiaomi’s philosophy of cramming as many features as possible in a cost-effective assembly. And like the Redmi Note 3, the smartphone we have now pushes what’s possible in an entry-level product by offering a metal unibody and fingerprint scanner, two features exclusive to midrange and high-end flagships just over a year ago. Similarities between the Redmi Note 3 and Note 4 extend to the 5.5-inch LCD screen with a Full HD 1080p resolution.

Of course, what really matter in a successor are the upgrades. The Redmi Note 4 is naturally expected to be a lot faster thanks to a MediaTek Helio X20 processor on the inside and Xiaomi’s latest Android interface, MIUI 8, handling the software. It’s unlikely we’ll see Android 7.0 Nougat on this handset for now, but the beauty of MIUI is in its update frequency that’s independent of Android’s slow rollouts.

The rest of the specs are incremental upgrades: We now have a slightly larger 4,100mAh battery, a 64GB storage option (the previous high was 32GB), the choice of expanding the internal storage using a microSD card in place of a second SIM card, and a marginally better 13-megapixel main camera.

The quick release might sound a little desperate after news broke out about Xiaomi dropping in market share ranks both globally and in its homeland of China last quarter, but the manufacturer insists that they’re still in the game, having also released a one-of-a-kind budget phone with a dual-camera setup, the company’s largest smartphone to date, and its first highly affordable MacBook clone.

Xiaomi is now in a good position to undercut the competition like it has before, especially now that the likes of ASUS and Samsung are focusing on the midrange segment. But this is assuming the Redmi Note 4 has a global launch. As of writing, the handset will only be available in China, and it’ll begin tomorrow, August 26. The 16GB storage variant will retail for CNY 899 (approximately $135), while the more generous 64GB version will cost CNY 1,199 (around $180). You’ll have the colors gold, gray, and silver to choose from.

[irp posts=”9920″ name=”Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime Review”]

Related Topics:MIUI 8 Xiaomi Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

Apps

Canva teams up with SB19 to turn A’TIN’s passion into creativity

Campaign lets fans access assets, editable templates, more

Published

August 8, 2026

GadgetMatch

Canva Philippines has joined forces with SB19 and Sony Music Entertainment to launch the “Kaya sa Canva” campaign.

This first-of-its-kind initiative is aimed at transforming the popular Filipino boy band’s fanbase into creators by giving them access to official design assets, exclusive templates, and powerful creative tools.

That’s of course as fans have a way of creating artwork, banners, and more outputs to honor their idols.

As such, the partnership enables the A’TIN (SB19’s fanbase) to access the Canva-exclusive SB19’s Creative Hub.

This dedicated space lets fans access assets, including SB19-inspired sticker packs, custom typography, and editable templates inspired by the group.

Fans around the world will initially have access to templates for photo-booth strips, wallpapers, posters, and videos.

The campaign will then expand with Canva-exclusive assets celebrating the group’s New Era, as well as their latest single, “Lawless”.

Meanwhile, the original song “KAYA” is accompanied with an upbeat music video, doubling as a love letter to A’TIN and a masterclass in Canva’s tools.

Every visual and animation is fan-inspired, a celebration of the creativity, passion, and dedication that’s defined in the community from day one.

News

The iPhone 18 might sell out for an unexpected reason

The ongoing shortage might play a part in the phone selling out earlier than expected.

Published

August 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

An iPhone selling out is not news. Because of how popular the phones are, it’s within the realm of probability that Apple runs out of stock at some point. According to a new report, this year won’t be any different… but it’s for an entirely different reason.

First reported by analyst Tim Culpan, Apple is reportedly struggling to meet its demand for semiconductors for the iPhone 18 and the foldable iPhone. The ongoing memory shortage is cutting off Apple’s ability to deliver the required supply of smartphones in a timely fashion. The report even claims that TSMC, which helps produce the iPhone, is sitting on a shipment of processors, worth US$ 1 billion, that don’t have memory chips.

Now, Apple is still confident that it can weather the launch. However, if the shortage persists, the iPhone 18 generation will likely sell out much more quickly than expected.

It’s an interesting time for Apple to experience such a shortage. It’s been heavily rumored that the company will launch its very first foldable phone next month, creating a new market for the brand. Apple definitely wants this attempt to succeed after the tepid response to its last new product, the Vision Pro.

News

These “smart” glasses just sold out in under a week

DuckDuckGo touts that these glasses have zero AI, zero cameras, and an infinite battery life.

Published

August 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Smart glasses are in a weird place right now. While a chunk of the population views them as cool and innovative, another significant chunk sees them as a privacy nightmare. If you’re in the latter group but want to see what life is like on the former, DuckDuckGo has a new product: a pair of anti-surveillance glasses with no camera or AI, otherwise known as just normal sunglasses.

If it’s not obvious, yes, it’s a troll product. DuckDuckGo is a search engine famously known for pushing privacy as a priority, opposing Google’s penchant for advertising and AI. Now, the search engine is taking on the smart glasses market.

Partnering with Knockaround, DuckDuckGo released the Paso Robles, a pair of sunglasses touted as having zero cameras, an always-offline mode, and a battery life of infinity.

It’s a statement piece. The rims have a logo mark, similar to the Meta’s glasses. The packaging also states that the glasses are “designed to block the sun, not send data to the cloud.”

Now, if you want a pair, they cost only US$ 35, as opposed to Meta’s US$ 299 price tag, but they are already sold out.

Which says quite a bit about today’s sentiment against AI and for privacy. Of course, to be fair, DuckDuckGo’s supply is certainly less than Meta’s stock for their smart glasses. It does, however, prove that the sentiment is there.

As of now, the world is slowly realizing that unimpeded smart glasses aren’t such a good idea, leading to people concerned about their privacy. In fact, some states have already started banning the technology in certain public spaces.