RJ Villanueva, Author at Gadget Pilipinas

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Xiaomi Mi 9 renders hit the web

By RJ Villanueva January 19, 2019

The first unofficial renders of the Xiaomi Mi 9 are making their rounds on the web and looks like they have hit the key points of rumors so far. The main feature of the Mi 9 is the triple rear camera setup with a 48MP main module. 18MP and 8MP sensors complete the rear camera setup, according to reports. The screen, on the other hand, is expected to have a 6.4” OLED display with a teardrop notch (most likely not as small as shown in the render). The Mi 9 is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 855 chipset and better fast charging. According to reports, there could be another device joining the Xiaomi Mi 9, the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE. The SE is predicted to have a 6.0” screen and use the Snapdragon 710 successor, the Snapdragon 7150 (or 750?) chipset. It is expected that the Mi 9 will…

Gadgets

Google to buy Fossil’s smartwatch tech

By RJ Villanueva January 19, 2019

Fossil announced plans to sell its smartwatch IP to Google for USD 40 million. The deal is supposedly for a smartwatch technology currently under development and involves the transfer of a number of Fossil employees to Google. “Wearables, built for wellness, simplicity, personalization, and helpfulness, have the opportunity to improve lives by bringing users the information and insights they need quickly, at a glance,” Wear OS VP Stacey Burr said in a statement. “The addition of Fossil Group’s technology and team to Google demonstrates our commitment to the wearables industry by enabling a diverse portfolio of smartwatches and supporting the ever-evolving needs of the vitality-seeking, on-the-go consumer.” Wearables, in general, have struggled recently. This includes Google’s wearable operating system, Wear OS. The smartwatch space continues to be dominated by Apple. Its top competitors, Fitbit and Samsung have opted to go different routes, supporting the Pebble-based Fitbit OS and Tizen, respectively.…

ASUS

ASUS ROG launches RTX-powered laptops at CES 2019

By RJ Villanueva January 18, 2019

ASUS Republic of Gamers officially unveiled their latest lineup of gaming laptops at CES 2019. This includes ROG Mothership, ROG Zephyrus S GX701, ROG Zephyrus S GX531, ROG Strix Scar II, and the ROG Strix Hero II. All of which are powered by the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX series. The GZ700 desktop replacement emphasizes performance over portability with a traditional clamshell in the ROG G703. It is joined by the ultra-slim ROG Zephyrus S GX531 that goes beyond gaming. While the ROX Strix Scar II and Hero II reprise their roles in the esports arena with portable form factors. The ROG Zephyrus S GX531 is an ultra-slim laptop with high-end gaming components. The slender exterior measures nearly at 15mm thin with a 15.6” display with narrow bezels to squeeze into a smaller footprint. It is powered by the latest Intel Core i7-8750H processor and has a refresh rate of 144Hz.…

Accessories

ASUS ROG introduces PNK LTD Peripherals at CES 2019

By RJ Villanueva January 17, 2019

ASUS Republic of Gamers announced at CES 2019 their new PNK LTD line of colored gaming peripherals. The line is composed of the ROG Strix Flare keyboard, ROG Gladius II Origin mouse, ROG Strix Fusion 300 headset, and ROG Sheath desk mat in a warm pink and soft grey combination. The ROG Strix Flare PNK LTD is predominantly pink. Among the grey parts include the easy-to-reach media controls on the left are in grey and the detachable palm rest. The customizable acrylic insert still comes with the ROG logo though it comes with blank inserts for DIY designs. It still has the per-key RGB lighting and comes with a range of switch types. The PNK LTD edition has the choice of Cherry MX Red, Brown, or Blue switches. The ROG Gladius II Origin PNK LTD, like the Flare, is predominantly pink. It does retain the Mayan-inspired etchings on the…

CES

CES 2019 focuses on transformative technologies

By RJ Villanueva January 17, 2019

The Consumer Electronic Show 2019 (CES 2019) unveiled the latest technologies that will redefine industries and improve lives. Dubbed the largest tech expo, the Consumer Technology Association-produced event kicked off with exclusive media events and a pre-show keynote from LG Electronics. According to CTA, it featured 4,500 exhibiting companies, including 1,200+ startups, with more than 20,000 products launched from the show floor. LG Electronics kicked off the first keynote of 2019, led by LG Electronics president and CTO, Dr. I.P Park, with ambitions to create a world of connected through the ThinQ Ai platform. The ThinQ AI platform, according to Dr. Park, will drive the future of the company as it sets its sights on self-driving vehicles, the smart home, smart cities, and robotics through the help of partnerships and strategic alliances with companies and technologies such as webOS and Luxoft, to name. The keynote featured the first robot keynoter…

Gadgets

Samsung Galaxy M series to launch in India

By RJ Villanueva January 15, 2019

Samsung is set to launch the Galaxy M series in India on January 28. The mid-tier line from Samsung will reportedly compete with the cheaper China smartphone brands. Based on the photos, it looks like the Galaxy M-phones will feature a teardrop notch which they call the Infinity V. They’ll also sport an ultra-wide angle camera, a large battery, and fast charging technology. To top it off, they will have a USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Only three devices have been detailed according to rumors. The Galaxy M30 and Galaxy M20 will both have dual cameras on the back and a massive 5,000mAh battery. The Galaxy M30 is the bigger of the two devices at a reported 6.3”, while the Galaxy M20 will have a 6.13” display (1080p+) and an Exynos 7885 chipset. The Galaxy M10 is the smallest of the three with a 6” display and a…

Gadgets

OPPO to introduce 10x optical zoom camera

By RJ Villanueva January 15, 2019

OPPO is set to introduce 10x optical zoom technology on January 16, 2019 in Beijing, China according to a supposedly leak. Prior to this, the company unveiled the world’s first dual camera with 5x optical zoom at MWC 2017. It was a 5P lens followed by a 90-degree angular prism that directs the light to a vertically positioned camera sensor. On the other end is the OIS unit for it to work even when the zoom is maxed out. The invite that was supposedly leaked, despite being in Chinese, shows the number 10 stretched out. They have yet to feature the 5x zoom camera on a smartphone so the 10x may likely be on a prototype device. Source

Accessories

Lexar announces a 1TB SDXC card!

By RJ Villanueva January 14, 2019

Lexar has just announced their 1TB SDXC UHS-I card ahead of pioneer and competitor, SanDisk. While not exactly the fastest, it still packs a read speed of up to 95MB/s, which still makes it a good option for those who shoot 4K, high-speed 1080p or RAW videos. The 1TB Lexar Professional 633x UHS-I card has an MSRP of USD499.99 (around PhP26,000) and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. Source via

Gadgets

Xiaomi to hold a 3-day sale in Lazada

By RJ Villanueva January 14, 2019

Xiaomi Philippines opens their year with a 3-day sale on Lazada from Janunary 15 to 17, 2019. Throughout the period, selected phones will be marked with up to 30% discount. While Xiaomi wasn’t very specific as to which models will go on sale, their posts on their Facebook Page suggest that the Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite are on the list. As a refresher, the Mi A2 is powered by the Snapdragon 660 chipset, and boasts a 5.99” FHD+ 18:9 display, 12MP + 20MP dual rear cameras, a 20MP front camera, 4GB/64GB and 6GB/128GB RAM and storage configurations, and a 3000mAh battery. The Mi A2 Lite is a toned down variant with a Snapdragon 625 chipset, a 5.84” FHD+ 18:9 display, 12MP + 5MP rear cameras, a 5MP front camera, 3GB/32GB and 4GB/64GB configurations, and lastly powered by a 4000mAh battery. You can catch the sale at the Official…

Apple

iPhone 11 rumored to have a triple camera setup

By RJ Villanueva January 13, 2019

Despite the latest generation of iPhones being out in the market for a couple of months, the rumors and supposed intel on the iPhone 11 have already begun. In fact, an alleged render of the upcoming iPhone 11 has surfaced, and shows what seems to be a triple camera system, with an overall layout that has resemblance to Huawei’s Mate 20 series devices. It’s still uncertain if both the larger and regular iPhone 11 will have the triple cameras, or perhaps, as from past releases, only be available on the larger iPhone 11 Max will have it. It is also reported that the successor of the iPhone XR will have dual shooters. The iPhone XR successor will also reportedly retain the Liquid Retina screen with Apple moving to an OLED-only lineup in 2020. The camera upgrade for this year’s iPhone makes a lot of sense following the incremental upgrades of…

Gadgets

Realme 3 rumored to launch this quarter

By RJ Villanueva January 12, 2019

Realme, following a strong launch last year, is set to launch the Realme 3 within the first three months of 2019 according to the latest rumors. A 48MP cameraphone is also reportedly in the works for the brand, joining their growing roster of smartphones. This could take on the Redmi Note 7, which was released in China recently. Whether the 48MP shooter will be a part of the Realme 3 series is still uncertain. The Realme A1 is also reported to come out early this year and it is set to be a middle-ground between the Realme C1 and Realme U1. Source

Gadgets

Samsung Galaxy S10 launch date announced

By RJ Villanueva January 12, 2019

Samsung officially announced that they will unveil the Samsung Galaxy S10, the 10th anniversary Galaxy phone, on February 20, 2019. According to reports, the Galaxy S10 will be launched at its Galaxy Unpacked in San Francisco, California in the United States days before the Mobile World Congress 2019. While not much else is revealed, the photo posted shows curved edges of two phones and the number 10 that is split between the two edges. https://twitter.com/SamsungMobile/status/1083377937728950272 Rumors and leaks have also gone around regarding the phone. One of which says that we should see three units – a flat-screened Galaxy S10 Lite (or Galaxy S10 E), a curved screen Galaxy S10, and a range-topping Galaxy S10 Plus. Sources: 1, 2

News

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 introduced in China

By RJ Villanueva January 12, 2019

Xiaomi officially unveiled their latest mid-range smartphone, the Redmi Note 7 in China, and it packs quite an impressive spec sheet for an unbelievably low price. The 6.3-inch Redmi Note 7 sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset and touts an impressive 48 MP Camera that uses a Samsung ISOCELL Bright GM1 sensor. Despite it having an older Snapdragon 660 chipset, the CPU is clocked at up to 2.2GHz. The phone features a waterdrop notch design with a Gorilla Glass screen in 2340×1080 Full HD+ with an 84% screen-to-body ratio. The main camera is its biggest selling point and is better used for outputting 12 MP images with large 1.6 μm pixels and real-time HDR. It has a secondary 5 MP shooter for AI purposes and Portrait Mode. While the front camera is a 13 MP shooter. Powering the device is a massive 4000mAh battery. It supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.…

CES

DJI debuts Smart Controller with built-in display at CES 2019

By RJ Villanueva January 10, 2019

DJI unveiled a new remote controller for its drones at CES 2019. The DJI Smart Controller features a display screen which allows pilots to fly the newest drones without using a smartphone or tablet. The Smart Controller has a 5.5” screen built into the controller itself with an ultra-bright display with a 1000 cd/m2 output. It allows easier use of drones without the need to connect to a mobile device and can be even used in direct sunlight. It can be paired with the Mavic 2 Zoom and Mavic 2 Pro, DJI’s latest drones. The Smart Controller has an HDMI port, microSD card slot, a USB type-C port, and a USB-A port to output video, charge the controller, and more. It has 2.5 hours of battery and ability to operate from as cold as -20 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius. “CES features the newest and smartest tech innovations from…

CES

MSI unveils its RTX-Powered gaming laptops at CES 2019!

By RJ Villanueva January 9, 2019

At CES 2019 in Las Vegas, MSI unleashed its new lineup of gaming laptops with the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics. Powered by the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics cards, the 2019 MSI gaming laptop lineup offers a significant boost in terms of graphics performance, and allows for more life-like in-game lighting with detailed reflections, shadows, and shaders. GS75 Stealth and GS65 Stealth One of the laptops that took center stage was the GS75 Stealth. It stood out with its sandblasted metallic black finish with elegant gold trim. The GS75 Stealth continues the legacy of the ultra-thin and ultra-thin gaming laptop descendants. It houses the latest GeForce RTX 2080 graphics in a small 2.2kg, 18.95mm body. It also has an immersive 17.3” 144Hz IPS-level display.The GS65 Stealth, on the other hand, is the 15.6” counterpart weighing less than 2kg and featuring the latest GPU and CPU. Model GS75 Stealth GS65 Stealth Processor…

CES

MSI unveils the PS63 Modern at CES 2019

By RJ Villanueva January 8, 2019

MSI, in collaboration with Discovery Channel, has just unveiled at CES 2019 in Las Vegas the PS63 Modern, the latest in the Prestige Series. The PS63 has a 15.6-inch IPS-level display and crafted in a thin bezel chassis. It has a featherweight design weighing in at 1.65 kg and slim at 15.9 mm. The latest in the Prestige series also has up to 16 hours of battery life and Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, offering day-long productivity and the ability to charge phones unrestrainedly. Under the hood, the PS63 is powered by up to the latest 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics. It also has the MSI exclusive Cooler Boost 3 that reduces operating temperature. It has a glass textured touchpad that offers responsive and accurate input and also supports multi-finger gestures. The touchpad also has a fingerprint sensor for added security. “When cutting-edge technology…