OPPO has just announced that the Find X8 and the Find X8 Pro that was just recently unveiled will be available globally. These new smartphones from OPPO comes with a new Hasselblad Master Camera system and a lot of Pro features inside.
The OPPO Find X8 Series is expected to come with a Dimensity 9400 chipset inside from MediaTek and it will come with a 50MP LYT-700 main sensor for the base variant along with a 50MP ultra-wide camera and 50MP periscope camera.
While the Pro version is expected to come with a 50MP LYT-808 camera along with 50MP IMX858 periscope camera and a camera button dedicated for taking photos. The OPPO Find X8, X8 Pro and ColorOS 15 are expected to come out in the global markets soon.
The HONOR Magic7 Series is set to debut on October 30, 2024. It will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and the Magic7 Series will feature more AI enhancements and also more features
HONOR gave a sneak peek into its vision for the future, unveiling the Magic7 Series’ star feature: Autopilot AI. This AI-first approach brings with it the industry’s first on-device AI Agent for an open ecosystem, allowing the phone to handle tasks independently, from ordering your coffee the way you like it to managing unwanted subscriptions. The AI Agent learns from user habits, providing tailored and seamless assistance across various tasks like travel planning, file transfers, and calendar management.
The HONOR Magic7 Series will also introduce real-time AI graphics rendering powered by NPU computing. This promises enhanced image quality and reduced device temperatures. Gamers can expect to enjoy smoother gameplay with optimized graphics, thanks to the AI’s ability to offload some of the GPU’s workload.
HONOR’s collaboration with Qualcomm goes beyond just AI. With MagicRing technology, the Magic7 Series will be a key player in creating a seamless multi-device experience. Users can expect smooth, secure interactions between HONOR devices, whether it’s using the MagicPad 2 for creative tasks or syncing up with the HONOR MagicBook for productivity. MagicRing aims to empower a range of devices, apps, and services, making cross-device usage intuitive and efficient.
The HONOR Magic7 Series prepares for its official unveiling in China on October 30, 2024, Filipino fans can stay tuned to HONOR Philippines’ social media platforms for updates and announcements.
realme Philippines has officially introduced the much-anticipated realme 13 Series 5G, solidifying its presence in the gaming industry. Consisting of the realme 13+ 5G and realme 13 5G, these new smartphones are engineered to offer unbeatable performance, particularly for gamers.
realme 13 Series 5G: Tailored for Gamers and Everyday Hustlers
Both the realme 13+ 5G and realme 13 5G are perfect for young professionals, students, and gamers who need a phone that can keep up with their fast-paced lifestyle.
Jane Yan, Vice President for Marketing at realme Philippines, emphasized the versatility of the new phones, stating, “This series is ideal for students and young professionals who want to excel in gaming and beyond. Both smartphones are engineered to keep you at the top of your game without breaking a sweat.”
realme 13 Series 5G Key Offerings
Under the hood, the realme 13+ 5G has MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy chipset, providing fast, efficient performance. It comes equipped with 80W SUPERVOOC Charge, ensuring users can get back to full battery in no time. Additionally, the phone includes realme’s GT Mode and a Vapor Chamber Cooling System to keep the device cool during extended gaming sessions. The realme 13+ 5G (12GB+256GB) is available in Victory Gold and Dark Purple at a price of Php19,999.
The realme 13 5G, priced at Php16,999, also boasts impressive specs like GT Mode and a Stainless Steel Vapor Chamber Cooling System for optimal heat management. It comes with a 120Hz FHD+ Eye Comfort Display, perfect for smooth gaming, and a massive 26GB+256GB storage capacity. Available in Speed Green and Dark Purple, this model is a great choice for budget-conscious gamers.
realme 13 Series 5G Special Launch Offers and Promos
realme Philippines is offering exclusive first-selling deals for a limited time. From October 25 to November 3, buyers can get a free realme Buds T110 (worth Php1,399) with every purchase of any phone from the series.
There’s also a chance to join the Spin The Wheel activity, where participants can win exciting prizes at selected realme physical stores. These include realme TechLife Robot Vacuum, realme Pad X (6GB+128GB Wi-Fi), DIZO Power Bank 10000mAh, or a TechLife 20W Charger with Type-C Cable.
Meanwhile, if you prefer shopping online, realme fans can also score these phones on realme’s official Shopee and TikTok stores. Until October 27, the realme 13+ 5G is available on Shopee with a Php3,000 discount. The realme 13 5G is also available on TikTok with Php1,400 off.
So, are you getting one?
Let us know what you think in the comment section!
If you’re on the lookout for a midrange phone that can handle decent gaming sessions, the realme 13+ might just be your next pick. With its Dimensity 7300 Energy processor, 12GB of RAM (plus up to 14GB of virtual RAM extension), and a generous 256GB of internal storage, the realme 13+ packs serious heat under the hood for a midrange device.
But specs are one thing, let’s see how it really performs when you fire up some of the top mobile games.
Benchmark Results
Before jumping into the actual gaming experience, we ran some benchmarks to see what kind of power we’re dealing with here:
Geekbench 6 CPU Benchmark (Single-Core Score): 1048
Geekbench 6 CPU Benchmark (Multi-Core Score): 2970
3DMark Sling Shot: 6660
3DMark Sling Shot Extreme – OpenGL ES 3.1: 5166
3DMark Wild Life: 3181
PCMark Work 3.0 Performance: 13639
Now that we’ve got the numbers, let’s see how they translate into real-world gaming.
Asphalt Legends Unite
If you love high-octane, fast-paced games like Asphalt 9, the realme 13+ doesn’t disappoint. Right out of the gate, it ran smoothly, and we didn’t notice any lag. After 10 minutes of gameplay, the phone’s temperature started at a cool 30°C and gradually went up to 33°C, which is nothing to worry about for this kind of game. The graphics were sharp, and gameplay was consistent at around 30 FPS.
Meanwhile, when we kicked on GT Mode (which basically turns the phone into beast mode for gaming), the temp climbed up a bit faster, hitting 35°C after just 5 minutes. Even then, the phone stayed responsive, and there was no feeling of it getting too hot to handle. FPS stayed steady at 59-61, so no major drops there.
Call of Duty: Warzone
You know how demanding this game can be, right? We followed the game’s advised settings with the FPS Target set to STANDARD, and the FPS hovered around 29 to 30, which honestly felt a bit lacking. During our gameplay, it didn’t manage to hit that sweet spot of 60 FPS that you’d typically want in a shooter. For casual matches and some battle royale action, it’s playable, but if you’re a competitive gamer, you might feel the need for something a bit faster.
However, when we switched the FPS Target to UNCAPPED, we saw a big improvement, with the FPS climbing up to 59 FPS. Gameplay was noticeably smoother, and aiming felt more responsive. The trade-off? The phone’s temperature shot up quicker too. In less than 5 minutes, it jumped from 30°C to 33°C, not a dealbreaker, but something to keep in mind if you’re planning on longer sessions.
Honor of Kings
Honor of Kings was where the realme 13+ really performed well. Running in GT Mode, the phone kept its cool, sitting at 35°C after a 10-minute match. The best part? We were getting an average of 90 FPS the entire time, and the game felt incredibly smooth. During our test game play, it peaked at 94 FPS. If you’re into MOBAs, you know how important that touch response is and the realme 13+ had no issues pulling off precise moves. The AMOLED display also popped with vibrant colors, making the experience even more immersive.
Is It Worth It for the Everyday Gamer?
Overall, the realme 13+ is a good choice if you’re into mobile gaming but don’t want to drop flagship-level cash. It holds up well in games like Honor of Kings and Asphalt, keeping things cool and smooth. While it doesn’t quite hit the high frame rates you’d want for something like Call of Duty: Warzone, it’s still more than capable for most casual and competitive gamers.
For us, it’s a phone that strikes a great balance. It’s got enough power under the hood to deliver smooth gameplay, and GT Mode is a killer feature when you need that extra push. If you’re after a reliable midrange phone for gaming, the realme 13+ definitely deserves a spot on your shortlist.
The realme 13+ is launching in the Philippines on October 24, so stay tuned for updates and our full review!
HONOR Philippines has just dropped a hint of their upcoming smartphone to come out in the Philippines soon. The company has posted a hint just fresh off the launch of the HONOR Pad X8a and the HONOR X6b. This brand new smartphone that is coming soon will be water-resistant
HONOR Philippines has been on a roll this year, with notable releases including the HONOR 200 Series, alongside the recently launched HONOR Pad X8a and HONOR X6b, have been generating buzz for their innovative features, affordability, and durability.
We can expect the new HONOR device with water-resistant very soon.
Qualcomm has just announced their biggest change to the Snapdragon to date and it’s the Snapdragon 8 Elite Chipset. This chip is different from the others as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Chipset will be using an Oryon CPU inside which is an 8-core CPU with 2x prime and support for 5300MHz LPDDR5x RAM.
This new CPU is the same one that is being use on the Snapdragon X Elite chips which are being used by ARM PCs. This new chip from Qualcomm promises a 45% boost in CPU performance and also a 44% improved performance vs. the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. While on the graphics side, the new Adreno GPU inside it will be bringing in 40% improve performance. This will also be the first chip to bring Unreal Engine 5.3 and Nanite virtualized geometry system. The new Snapd
ragon 8 Elite is also bringing in the brand new Snapdragon X80 5G modem along with support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and support for Ultrawideband.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite will be coming to different Android smartphones including from ASUS, HONOR, iQOO, OnePlus, OPPO, realme, Redmagic, Samsung, vivo, Xiaomi and more.
According to a recent Bloomberg report, ARM is set to terminate its chip design license with Qualcomm. This move from ARM could impact Qualcomm’s ability to produce certain semiconductor products.
Arm Holdings is responsible for designing semiconductor architectures, provides the essential blueprints for chips used in a wide range of devices. While Qualcomm is one of the biggest producers of mobile processors and system-on-chips. These chips relies heavily on Arm’s designs including to create its Snapdragon processors
The cancellation of Qualcomm’s design license could disrupt its supply chain however, with the usage of the new Oryon Chip which are using a different architecture made by the founders of Nuvia which was bought out by Qualcomm, Qualcomm processors won’t have a problem in the future.
As of now, neither Qualcomm nor Arm Holdings have provided detailed comments on the news.
Samsung has finally announced the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition at South Korea. It’s the newest foldable smartphone from the company and it comes with a thinner design, a better hardware inside and also a larger display.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition got a beefier specifications inside as this one now comes with an up to 16GB of RAM which is up from the 12GB RAM of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition also comes with a base of 512GB storage.
Other than that, it also features a 236g of weight at only 10.6mm thickness. The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition is thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Special Edition comes with a striped back patter at the back with a metal and glass materials for its body.
The camera has also been upgraded to 200MP coming from 50MP of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Special Edition has a way larger 8-inch display with a 20:18 aspect ratio when unfolded while there’s a 6.5-inch display with a 21:9 aspect ratio on the cover display of the smartphone.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition also supports Wi-Fi 7 despite using the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy and for the battery, it still comes with a 4400mAh battery inside. Unfortunately, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition doesn’t support S-Pen input anymore.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition Price and Availability
Unfortunately, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition will only be available at South Korea starting this October 25 with a price tag of 2,789,000 Won or CA$ 2,797~ (Php 116,581~). No word yet regarding availability outside South Korea.
vivo has officially launched the V40 Lite in the Philippines. The vivo V40 Lite features a 5000mAh battery backed by a 50-month warranty, and it starts at just Php 13,999.
The V40 Lite comes with a 5000mAh battery and there’s 80W fast-charging technology can juice up the battery to 80% in just 30 minutes and achieve a full charge in as little as 43 minutes.
The V40 Lite is designed to withstand dust and moisture with its IP64 rating. There’s a 50MP rear camera as well along with the 32MP front-facing camera. The vivo V40 Lite starts at Php13,999.
From October 19 to October 31, 2024, customers who pre-order the V40 Lite will receive a special 4-year battery warranty. This means if the battery capacity drops below 80% within four years of purchase, vivo will replace it free of charge at any authorized service center. To activate this warranty, users need to access the “vivo store” app, navigate to the “Support” tab, select “E-Warranty Card,” and press “Activate Now.” The VIP Card must be presented when redeeming this benefit.
The iPhone 16 has been out for a while and it was an incremental update but it focused more on creators as the new iPhone 16 and 16 Pro smartphones now come with a more powerful camera and they all feature a camera control. Some people find it “gimmicky” but some find it useful. But how does the smartphone perform overall? Well, let me share with you what I think about the smartphone in our review.
Same design, still premium
The iPhone 16 Pro Max utilizes a Grade 5 Titanium design. The Titanium material was introduced last year to the iPhones and in my experience with the 15 Pro Max, I was very happy with it as it was solid and it does feel great. Similar to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the Grade 5 Titanium was solid to the hands and I do love the feel of it. It’s definitely both light and manage to survive some bumps without showing any dents on the frame of the 16 Pro Max.
As for the back, it’s still the same design with a glass back design but unlike the previous generation, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a little bit taller so your old phone cases for iPhone 15 Pro Max wouldn’t fit on this smartphone. Indeed, the iPhone 16 Pro is larger and taller, yet it doesn’t seem that way when you hold it.
There’s the action button on the smartphone on top of the volume rocker and the power button is still ergonomically placed on the other side but the new button that was added in here is the camera control. I do find the camera control button a little bit hard to reach by my index finger when taking a photo in landscape mode but it’s a nice addition to the smartphone.
There’s the USB-C as well which was introduced last generation and it’s actually a big deal for me as I can finally record my videos on Blackmagic Camera app and save it directly to my external SSD.
Camera control a ”gimmick”?
The camera control of the smartphone is a convenient way to open the camera app of the smartphone. It does offer a control for navigating thru different camera functions on the camera app or you can use it for zoom control but overall, I find it finicky. It’s not perfect and sometimes, I would use the touchscreen instead as I find it a little bit hard to reach with my index finger and navigating thru it was just finicky.
But right now, I wouldn’t call it a gimmick as we still haven’t fully utilized the full features of the camera control. We still don’t have the two-stage shutter which I think will be the best feature of this. My favorite app, Blackmagic Camera, also doesn’t utilize the button but if it comes to third party apps and to the main camera app, I would find the AF/AE lock useful with the camera control button.
Largest iPhone Display
The iPhone 16 Pro Max got a bigger display at 6.9-inch and it’s currently the biggest display on an iPhone. Is it bulky? No. Is it taller? Yes. Is it bad? No. the taller display of the smartphone and its thinner bezels does really help having a better-looking display on the front and the taller and bigger display does help in having more content when playing games.
As for the quality, the colors are great and the brightness was awesome even if I was using the smartphone in direct sunlight. Even when the always-on display, the display of the smartphone doesn’t look like it’s off because of the quality that we’re getting on the display.
There’s the 120Hz Promotion display as always, it gives us a smoother display on navigation and also on gaming. As long as the apps and games that you are using support it.
Longer battery life!
The iPhone 16 Pro Max also features a larger battery inside and it’s currently the largest battery on an iPhone. The bigger battery gives me a longer battery life even compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. I was getting a longer screen time with the iPhone 16 Pro Max and sometimes I don’t even charge my iPhone 16 Pro Max until the morning of the next day.
Satellite messaging
There’s this unique and awesome feature as well on the iPhone 16 Pro Max which started when the iPhone 14 was released. There’s messages via satellite so you can receive and send messages wherever you are as long as there’s a satellite in your area. You can test it out with a demo with iOS 18.
This is really helpful for emergency services as you can send a message despite the lack of cellular signal. However, this is only available in selected territories.
AAA Gaming FTW
Every year Apple is introducing a brand new chip for their iPhones and with the A18 Pro, they’ve upgraded their performance even more especially for gaming. Apple promises 15% GPU and also 20% faster CPU while for ray tracing, it promises 2x faster performance. Well, those are just numbers but how about in real life?
Well, I was able to play games like Assassins Creed: Mirage demo and games like Resident Evil 4. Yes, they’re great and games like Genshin Impact runs at 120fps at max settings and the difference of the gaming performance between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and 16 Pro Max isn’t really noticeable for me.
But with the A18 Pro, you’ll have a peace of mind when it comes to future-proofing on both gaming and also with Apple Intelligence. Honestly? ALL of the games that I’ve tried on the iPhone 15 Pro Max still runs perfectly and that’s the same case with the iPhone 16 Pro Max as both the A17 Pro and A18 Pro are still powerful. There might not be a lot of games that supports ray tracing but it’s nice to see that we have 2x better ray-tracing performance on this smartphone.
A better camera
One of the underrated upgrades that was done in here was the camera. There’s a better 48MP ultrawide camera on the smartphone this time which means that we’re getting better ultrawide shots on this smartphone. Oh, and the macro on the ultrawide is a lot better as well. The camera control does help in quick launching the camera app anytime but unfortunately, all of the features isn’t just here yet.
iPhone 16 Pro Max in Desert Titanium and iPhone 15 Pro Max in Natural Titanium
Now, as for the camera, I have noticed that it shoots faster and the autofocus was bit better compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Unfortunately, we still have here a 5x optical zoom and it’s still not a “concert phone” like the Galaxy S24 Ultra but nonetheless, I still find the camera of the iPhone 16 Pro Max great all around.
Here are some sample photos that I took using the rear cameras of the iPhone 16 Pro Max:
While here are some selfies that I took using the smartphone:
The biggest update that was done to the camera is video — which is why I bought this smartphone. It can finally record at 4K at 120fps video which makes better slo-mo videos even at cinematic mode. The iPhone 16 Pro Max also has a lower ISO range when shooting using the Blackmagic camera app and I do find it more flexible especially with my limited lighting.
Another cool feature to love in here is Audio Mix which will give you the ability to transform the audio of your video that you just shot on the camera app to in-frame which basically just captures the audio in the frame, studio which will give you a podcast-like quality of audio and cinematic that gives a cinematic style of audio. While this feature might seem cool, the Audio Mix is limited only to videos that was shot using the camera app of the smartphone.
My favorite new feature on the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the ability to control the undertone and mood of the colors by just swiping on a style control. This gives me a quick way to adjust the styles that I like on the smartphone even on B&W mode. This gives photos more personality and also give a better mood to the environment or object that you’re shooting.
Here are some photo samples of photos with different undertones. Obviously, it gives more personality and creativity to your photos.
Verdict
Despite the minor upgrades on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, this is still a great smartphone. As of this posting, unfortunately, the best features of the smartphone aren’t here yet. There’s no Apple Intelligence and the camera control features aren’t fully featured yet.
Indeed, the smartphone in question offers a long battery life, an exceptional camera with a focus on video quality, a large display, and a sturdy build. Apple has maintained what already works well. The iPhones remain excellent, and this excellence persists with the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
However, if you currently own an iPhone 15 Pro Max, the 16 Pro Max may not represent a significant upgrade, as it is more of an incremental improvement. On the other hand, if you’re upgrading from an older iPhone model, you’ll likely find the new features of the iPhone 16 Pro Max to be a substantial enhancement.
