Huawei P30 Pro Review: The ultimate camera smartphone

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May 23, 2019

Huawei P30 Pro Review: The ultimate camera smartphone

Last year, we definitely loved the Huawei P20 Pro due to its amazing camera that has changed the game in the mobile photography and recently the company has unveiled the Huawei P30 Pro and yes, it’s another game-changing smartphone because of its camera technology. Yep, the Huawei P30 Pro offers even more at night mode and zooming like no other. Interested? Check out our review of the smartphone below.

Huawei P30 Pro Review: Design and hardware

The Huawei P30 Pro is a big upgrade when it comes to design. This time we’re getting an all-glass body with metal sides on the smartphone which means that the smartphone is even more premium than the previous generation. Yes, it’s bigger than the P20 Pro and it’s heavier but the smartphone is easier to hold in one hand due to the curves at the back of the smartphone.

The one that we got is the breathing crystal color and the color is even more attracting than the first time I saw the twilight color of the P20 Pro last year. The camera bump on the smartphone is very noticeable too but it doesn’t make the smartphone’s look ugly. Actually, I even liked the look of this one as this one has a cleaner look on the front and at the back.

The smartphone doesn’t have a headphone jack just like before. There’s only USB-C port below along with the speaker grill of then smartphone unfortunately, there’s no dongle included in the box and the earphones that come with it has USB-C port so you have to rely on Bluetooth or you have to buy a dongle so you can use your earphones with 3.5mm audio.

Unlike the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, this one doesn’t have the same sensors which mean that we only have a tiny dewdrop notch on this smartphone but don’t worry, the face unlock of the smartphone is still fast as ever but of course, don’t expect too much it from the dark. But in case you’re not a fan of face unlock, there’s the in-display fingerprint scanner which is fast and really reliable.

Huawei P30 Pro Review: Curved display

One of the new features that we can see on the Huawei P30 Pro over the previous generation is the display. We now have a larger curved display on this one and yes, it’s a lot better than the Huawei P20 Pro but it’s not better than the Mate 20 Pro as the latter features a better and sharper resolution. This one? still at Full HD+.

The colors are great too although it’s not the best one that I’ve seen and the OLED display really helps in producing better colors on the smartphone. We also have a dewdrop display on the P30 Pro too that’s why the notch of the smartphone doesn’t block too much of the content on the display which is a good thing. Using the smartphone outside won’t be a problem too as the display is readable and you can still clearly see the colors and the display of the smartphone.

Huawei P30 Pro Review: Battery life

The Huawei P30 Pro features a 4200mAh battery inside and since we’re getting a Kirin processor here, Huawei has managed to optimize the performance and the battery life of the smartphone. In my usage, which is by the way really heavy, I was able to use the smartphone for a full day of use from 8AM-8PM without asking for a power bank or charger. Take note, I’ve been using the smartphone with the mobile data on most of the time and I can still get around 20% at night.

In our PC Mark battery test, the Huawei P30 Pro managed to get a score of 13 hours and 21 minutes which is really great and the best one that we’ve seen on a flagship smartphone. Not just that, the Huawei P30 Pro also comes with a Huawei Fast Charging tech rated at 40W and my god, it was really fast. You could actually fully charge the smartphone in just an hour.

Huawei P30 Pro Review: OS & Performance

The Huawei P30 Pro is using EMUI 9.1 based Android 9 Pie inside. Yes, using the smartphone was flawless as everything felt really good when I was using the smartphone. Everything was accessible and almost everything is easy to find. You can also customize it with themes and of course, optimize it.

The Kirin 980 processor inside the Huawei P30 Pro which is the same processor that we can found on the Huawei Mate 20 Pro that we’ve reviewed before. The smartphone also packs an 8GB RAM and yes, the smartphone is really powerful as we got deserving scores on benchmarking applications and also on popular games.

Geekbench
- Single-core – 3321
- Multi-core – 9984
3DMark
- Sling Shot Extreme OpenGL – 4130
- Sling Shot Extreme Vulkan – 4831
Antutu – 307968

In Antutu, we got a score of 307968 which is quite near to the score that we got on the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. Actually, the scores that we got on different benchmarking applications aren’t the highest scores that we can get on a smartphone right now but using the Huawei P30 Pro was really a great experience. Navigating was smooth and opening applications and games were really good on this one. If you want to know how the Huawei P30 Pro performs, check out our benchmark on Gamebench using the Huawei P30 Pro.

Yep, the smartphone is a pretty good gaming smartphone.

You can check out the GameBench Benchmarking app at (https://www.gamebench.net)

You can also download the app at the Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gamebench.metricscollector)

Huawei P30 Pro Review: Camera

The Huawei P30 Pro smashes the smartphone camera scene again as the company has introduced the world’s first quadruple Leica lens on the smartphone. It is no ordinary lens as the Huawei P30 Pro has managed to bring in up to 50x zoom on the smartphone. Yep, even the smartphone’s camera can see what I can’t see because it’s too far. To give you an idea about the phone, the Huawei P30 Pro offers amazing night mode and lowlight shots, a really good AI camera, and unmatched zooming.

As expected, the AI of the Huawei P30 Pro is really great, the smartphone can easily recognize the right objects that it is shooting and in portrait mode, the bokeh has been improved and the smartphone can recognize even the strand of a hair to give you a better bokeh shot. Shooting with this one on auto will give you a lot of processing on the photo but man, most of the shots were sharp, good, but sometimes, it’s oversaturated.

The selfie camera of the Huawei P30 Pro has also been upgraded compared to the previous generation. I can now get better selfies with sharper images and more natural beautification on the smartphone. However, I can still say that the Huawei P30 Pro isn’t the best smartphone when it comes to a selfie but don’t get me wrong because this one is still great. Check out the shots that I took using the smartphone:

Huawei P30 Pro Review: Verdict

The Huawei P30 Pro is a great smartphone in all aspects. When it comes to the camera, it’s top-notch and the best one. When it comes to design, I really love it as it is premium and more solid. The performance? It’s really great too as the Kirin 980 processor runs really well with AI and gaming. The battery is long-lasting too. Basically, the Huawei P30 Pro got everything that you need on a smartphone.

The caveats? Well, there’s no headphone jack and the display is just Full HD+ and yeah, that’s it but if you don’t care about those mentioned caveats then better get the Huawei P30 Pro especially if you love taking photos with your smartphone. Man, that 50x zooming capability of this smartphone is just unreal.

ARM suspends business with Huawei

Gadgets

Jam Ancheta

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May 23, 2019

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If you thought that Google and Qualcomm suspending business ties with Huawei is already a big problem, well, the Chinese company just got a steeper problem ahead as ARM has also cut ties with Huawei to comply with the regulations set forth by the US government.

Despite being based in the UK, the company has ceased all active contracts with Huawei because of “US origin tech” in ARM’s designs.

Why is ARM important? well, ARM supplies the design foundation for mobile chipsets and without this, Huawei couldn’t develop its own chips — like the Kirin processors.

But again, Huawei smartphones with Kirin processors will definitely work in the future however, future Kirin processors will definitely still be in the lineup as long as it uses an ARMv8 CPU architecture as the Chinese company has a permanent license for the said design. Not just that, Huawei has also stockpiled Intel chips and other chips in advance of the trade ban. So yeah, it will take some time before Huawei can feel the heat of the regulations.

Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro now official

Gadgets

Jam Ancheta

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May 22, 2019

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In the midst of Huawei having problems with the US government, Honor has launched two new smartphones — Honor 20 and the Honor 20 Pro. Both smartphones will run with Kirin 980 chipset and the Pro version packs a quad-camera setup that promises up to 30x zoom.

Honor 20

The Honor 20 doesn’t have a quad-camera setup but it does have a 48MP Sony sensor with a 16MP ultra wide-angle lens and 2MP macro lens. There’s a 6.26-inch display with Full HD+ resolution. The fingerprint reader? it’s located at the side of the smartphone.

Inside the smartphone is a Kirin 980 chipset with 6GB RAM and 128GB Internal storage. Unlike the Huawei P30, the Honor 20 features a punch hole display.

The smartphone packs a 3750mAh battery and support for the 22.5W SuperCharge

Honor 20 Pro

The Honor 20 Pro packs a quad-camera however, it’s a little bit different from the one on the Huawei P30 Pro as this one features a telephoto lens instead of the periscope lens. but this one packs a 48MP main camera with f/1.4 aperture, 8MP telephoto camera, 16MP super wide-angle camera, and a 2MP macro lens and also laser autofocus.

The Honor 20 Pro also features a hole punch display and then there’s 6.26-inch display too with an in-display fingerprint scanner. The smartphone also supports 4000mAh battery with support for the 22.5W SuperCharge.

The Honor 20 Pro is priced at €600 (Php35,092) while the Honor 20 is priced at €500 (Php23,408)

Huawei P30 Pro Gaming Test (PUBG Mobile, NBA 2k19, & Talion)

Gadgets

Jam Ancheta

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May 21, 2019

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Huawei P30 Pro Gaming Test (PUBG Mobile, NBA 2k19, & Talion)

Huawei P30 Pro packs a Kirin 980 chipset along with 8GB RAM which is the company’s best offering for their smartphone in the market right now and when it comes to gaming, the Kirin 980 doesn’t disappoint as a lot of games are optimized on this processor. Wanna see how this one performs on the Huawei P30 Pro? Check out our gaming test of the smartphone below.

In NBA we set the graphics settings at ultra high and we only experienced frame drops to 44fps during transitions which doesn’t affect the experience of the game and unlike other smartphones in the midrange segment, the Huawei P30 Pro manage to have a decent and constant 60fps in the game.

Playing PUBG Mobile on the Huawei P30 Pro is a breeze too. We’ve proven that on the Huawei P20 Pro before and the Huawei P30 Pro doesn’t fail to impress us. We’ve managed to set it at HDR graphics with ultra framerates and our overall experience with the game is smooth. Hopefully, PUBG Mobile can set the FPS cap even higher in their future updates.

Now this is where it gets a little bit challenging for the Huawei P30 Pro. The Kirin 980 processor might be powerful but Talion is a graphics-hungry game and the game proved us that Unity can run on mobile devices and it will be beautiful.

As you can see in the graph, the Huawei P30 Pro managed to get a fluctuating fps due to the intense and really heavy graphics and animations on the game. Nonetheless, the Huawei P30 Pro managed to get a minimum of 26fps which is still playable despite setting it at superior settings. Still excellent for me.

Huawei P30 Pro Specs

6.47-inch OLED Huawei Dewdrop Display
Kirin 980 Octa-Core Processor
8GB RAM
128GB Internal Storage expandable
Triple Rear Camera Lens:
- 40MP f1.6 Super Sensing Camera
- 16MP f2.2 ultra wide-angle lens
- 8MP f3.4 telephoto camera
- TOF Camera
32MP f2.0 Front camera
Dual SIM
WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
In-display fingerprint Scanner
IP68 water and dust resistance
Face Unlock
4200mAh battery
40W Huawei SuperCharge with 15W Huawei Wireless Quick Charge
Android 9 Pie with EMUI 9

Huawei responds to Android Ban

Gadgets

Jam Ancheta

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May 21, 2019

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President Trump has recently signed an executive order that restricts Huawei from using Google services in their future Android devices. Actually, Huawei has suspended many of its business deals with different companies including Broadcom, Intel, Qualcomm and more. But a few hours ago, Huawei has finally responded to the order

“Huawei has made substantial contributions to the development and growth of Android around the world. As one of Android’s key global partners, we have worked closely with their open-source platform to develop an ecosystem that has benefitted both users and the industry.

Huawei will continue to provide security updates and after-sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products, covering those that have been sold and that are still in stock globally.

We will continue to build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem, in order to provide the best experience for all users globally.”

It’s really comforting to know that Huawei will still be providing security updates and after-sales services to Huawei and Honor devices but I hope that we could get to know more about their next steps in the future. I really wish that they would not stay away from Android.

Fast Facts: Google, Intel, and Qualcomm ban on Huawei

Gadgets

Jam Ancheta

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May 20, 2019

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Fast Facts: Google, Intel, and Qualcomm ban on Huawei

Looks like the Huawei ban is bigger than we thought. This morning, news has broken out that Google is suspending the Google services to Huawei smartphones and we thought that it’s the worst already for Huawei. Well, we’re wrong because Intel and Qualcomm have also joined the ban initiated by US President Donald J. Trump.

If you’re worried about your current Huawei device, well, you don’t really have to sell it because it will not stop working. Here are some fast facts regarding the companies banning Huawei.

Your Huawei smartphone will still work and it will still have Google services (Play Store, Gmail, etc.)
Qualcomm-powered smartphones will still work
Intel-powered Huawei Matebook will still work
Future updates on Huawei devices remains in question
Huawei will now only rely on Android Open Source Project which means that Android updates will be slowed down
Intel is providing chips for the Matebooks and they have frozen their supply deals with Huawei until further notice
Kirin processors aren’t affected but the future of Qualcomm processors on Huawei smartphones is in question.
Huawei has been developing an alternative OS to Android and Windows for a while now.

The fight of Huawei against the US government is getting really nasty and this will surely affect the future lineup of Huawei smartphones and other devices. Now, I hope the company and the US government can do something about this.

The story is still developing

Source: Reuters, Verge (1), (2)

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review

Jam Ancheta

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May 19, 2019

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The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 is definitely a good smartphone as it has respectable specifications for its price and also a vanilla Android which is fast and we all loved. Well, if you can’t afford that one then you better go for the affordable version, the ASUS Zenfone Max M2. Check out our review of the smartphone below.

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Design and hardware

The ASUS Zenfone Max M2 is different from the pro brother as this one packs a metal body design which is way different to the glossy plastic design of the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 which looks way more beautiful but hey, the Max M2 does feel more solid because of the metal body design.

Inside the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 is a large 5000mAh battery and surprisingly, the body of the smartphone wasn’t heavy and the ergonomics of the smartphone just felt right and yeah, it’s even slimmer than the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 despite being the “pro” brother.

At the back of the smartphone is where you can find the fingerprint scanner but unfortunately, there’s no face unlock on this smartphone which is a disappointment as a lot of smartphones in its price range now have this feature.

On the right side of the smartphone is where you can find the power button and also the volume rocker of the smartphone while on the other side is the card tray in where you can house two sim cards and also a microSD card while the 3.5mm audio port is located at the top and the micro USB port is located below the smartphone.

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Display

The ASUS Zenfone Max M2 has a 6.3-inch display which is an ideal size for most mid-range smartphones these days and then there’s the wide notch at the top. Unfortunately, the display of the smartphone is only at 720p which is a dealbreaker for some people but don’t worry about its colors as this one will be just fine and it’s good enough to be used outdoors so yeah, no problem with this one except if you’re not a fan of the display of the smartphone.

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Battery life

The main feature of the Zenfone Max series is its battery and this one comes with a 5000mAh battery and in our PC Mark Battery test, we got a score of 10 hours and 6 minutes which is what we can expect from this smartphone as ASUS smartphones with 5000mAh battery tend to have a shorter battery life compared to other smartphones with the same capacity.

But hey, in real life usage, the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 can last really long and I didn’t have any problems with this one in normal usage as the smartphone can last a day of use which is a good thing.

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Software

One of the best things about the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 is its software, there’s the stock Android experience on this smartphone as the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 doesn’t feature ZenUI, unlike other smartphones. No ZenUI, no problem. The smartphone runs on Android 8.1 and I love every bit of it as this one is fast and navigating on the smartphone won’t be a problem at all.

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Performance

The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 and Max Pro M2 didn’t disappoint when it comes to performance but how about the Zenfone Max M2? Well, it was actually fine. The ASUS Zenfone Max M2 is powered by Snapdragon 632 processor which is a fair midrange processor.

In our gaming test, the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 along with the 3GB RAM did just its job as expected. It’s not the most powerful in its price range but it’s definitely capable of running apps and some games at toned-down specs. Check out the scores that we got on the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 in some benchmarking applications.

In gaming, the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 was able to play some recent games including NBA 2k19. We set the game at medium settings and we were able to play the game but if you want to make it smoother, you can set it at lower settings.

PUBG Mobile – Smooth Graphics – High Framerate

You can check out the GameBench Benchmarking app at (https://www.gamebench.net)

You can also download the app at the Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gamebench.metricscollector)

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Camera

The ASUS Zenfone Max M2 features a 13-megapixel+2-megapixel rear camera. The camera is not perfect but it does well for its price. Some of the shots that I got were a little bit overexposed but some of the shots were surprisingly fine. Most of the shots are actually better than I expected. Oh, and yes, we do have a portrait mode on this smartphone. Check out our sample shots using the smartphone:

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Verdict

There are a lot of smartphone below the Php10,000 mark right now in the market and this one is a solid contender if you’re looking for a smartphone with decent battery life but it was not as long as I expected. The camera is surprisingly decent too and the software is just something that I really love on this smartphone as it brings a smooth and stock Android experience. However, there are a lot of smartphones that are more powerful in its price range.

if you’re planning to play some games on this smartphone, be sure that you’re just playing games that aren’t really demanding as the ASUS Zenfone Max M2’s Snapdragon 632 processor isn’t as powerful as the Snapdragon 660 of its bigger brother, the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2. But hey, this one is affordable and you should consider that one

The ASUS Zenfone Max M2 is priced at Php8,995.

Xiaomi ranks 426th at Forbes Global 2000 list

Gadgets

Paula Katrina Dizon

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May 19, 2019

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Xiaomi ranks 426th at Forbes Global 2000 list

Xiaomi Corporation or Xiaomi, a Chinese-tech company known for its smartphones and smart hardware connected by an Internet of Things (IoT) platform at its core, made it to Forbes’ Global 2000 list this 2019, which was released last May 15. Forbes Global ranks the largest publicly-listed companies in terms of market value, sales, profits, and assets.

Thanks to the group’s “triathlon” business model, Xiaomi enjoyed a strong 2018 despite the strong competition in the market from its domestic and international competitors. This 2019, Xiaomi officially launched the “smartphone + AIoT” dual-core strategy, which they believe will provide more opportunities for AIoT that will help Xiaomi reach its full potential

Out of all the countries represented on the list, Xiaomi is one of the 154 technology companies that made it to the record, with only 20 Chinese company on it.

Capturing photos that light up the night featuring Vivo V15’s AI Triple Camera

Gadgets

Paula Katrina Dizon

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May 19, 2019

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Capturing photos that light up the night featuring Vivo V15’s AI Triple Camera

Our smartphones are our go-to device for documenting everyday moments. The desire to post amazing photos in all available platforms caused the intensive demand for professional camera features to be embedded on a smartphone. Besides, who would like to carry a heavy photography device around while enjoying the holidays?

The emergence of multi-camera setups increased offering different capabilities which cater consumers who are no longer looking at the camera resolution of a smartphone. Of course, the fact that a smartphone that features different capabilities compared to the hi-res ones enables the user to create unique shots.

The latest Vivo V15 Pro, an AI-powered Triple Camera is packed with everything a consumer needs to document everyday moments in life and bring them to life. It features a 48 Million Quad Pixel Sensor, an 8MP AI Super Wide-Angle Camera, and a 5MP dept camera.

Light up your night with powerful main camera

The Vivo V15 Pro’s main camera comes with a huge aperture and a 48 million quad pixel sensor to take night shots that easily light up all the details. The “four-in-one pixel” technology combines four adjacent pixels into a single 1.6μm large pixel, delivering high-quality 12MP photos.

Its AI Super Night Mode boosts night photography performance as it instantly captures multiple photos at different exposures and combines them to improve brightness and clarity.

Left: With AI Super Night Scene, Right: Without Super Night Scene

See more with V15 Pro’s AI Super Wide-Angle Camera

The AI Super Wide-Angle Camera can capture views up tp 120 degrees. Imagine taking a shot of iconic sights in a snap without the need to worry of not getting every single detail of the scene. In a just a tick, it enables the AI Super Wide-Angle feature to expand its camera vision, capturing more details in a single shot.

Left: With AI Super-Wide Angle, Right: Without AI Super-Wide Angle

Make photos pop with realistic Bokeh effect

The 5MP Depth Camera partnered with AI settings can help create a realistic bokeh effect using a series of algorithm that identifies the background. The AI algorithm will blur the background to make the subject pop – perfect to boast in all social media platforms.

Flawless portraits and selfies in a snap

One of the most commonly taken shots are portraits. But we all know that it is not always that we find the best angle unless of course, you are a professional model. Good news though, using the Vivo V15 Pro, it takes care of that with a series of intricate AI features that can always help consumers to look their best. The Vivo V15 Pro examines the current position of its subject, then guides the user to effortlessly produce perfectly-portrait shot.

The AI Body Shaping feature even allows the user to adjust their body shapes according to their likings, such as creating a slimmer waistline, enhancing bustline or longer legs.

Left: With AI Body Shaping, Right: Without AI Body Shaping

Struggling with the ideal lighting for a selfie? V15 Pro’s AI features can transform the 2D image into a 3D model, allowing more natural editing to face shape and lighting. The AI Face Beauty and AI Face Shaping functions can smoothen skin and tweak facial features, while AI Selfie Lighting adds the most appealing lighting effects to create a flawless selfie on the go.

The Vivo V15 packs all the AI features and capabilities you will probably need to capture an album of perfect photos. Now, users can truly rely on a smartphone and leave their heavy photography device at home.

Mi Authorized Store Robinsons Place Manila Now Open

Gadgets

Jam Ancheta

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May 18, 2019

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Mi Authorized Store Robinsons Place Manila Now Open

A new Mi Authorized store has opened in the Philippines and it’s located at Robinsons Place Manila. We reported about this a weeks ago as we’ve seen the logo of Xiaomi when it was still under construction and now, you can check out the store and buy some Xiaomi stuff.

The Mi Authorized store in Robinsons Place Manila is located at the 3rd floor of the mall which can be easily seen from the main entrance of the mall. So what can we expect from this store? Well, it’s not the biggest Xiaomi store to date but this one offers different smartphones and some Xiaomi items that we surely love.

The store caters different products from Xiaomi smartphone up to lifestyle products such as bags, Mi TV, home deviecs, and Mi Scooter. The new pricelist of Xiaomi has also unveiled some of their upcoming products like the foldable baby stroller, notebook sleeve, tool box, Mi Casserole, Mi Blender. But the star of the show is the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE that comes in 6GB/64GB and 6GB/128GB for Php15,990 and Php17,990 respectively.

If you want to know more about the products, you may visit the store at Robinsons Place Manila and you can actually check out their price list.