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    3 reasons why your smartphone needs security protection now

    When you get a new phone, it’s automatic to look for a protective case to keep it unbreakable despite potential falls. But how about installing smartphone security beyond antivirus to protect all the data you will store in it?

    Kaspersky today shares three important reasons why mobile devices also require software protection.

    Your money is, probably, on your mobile phone

    Southeast Asia was named the fastest-growing mobile wallet market after the pandemic triggered a boom in the local adoption of online banking and e-wallet usage.

    Payments via mobile devices continue its steady growth with 86 live mobile money services in SEA as of last year, and more unicorns are predicted to rise and piggybank on the trend.

    Kaspersky’s own research on Digital Payments revealed that Android smartphones are the most used device for online financial transactions in the region.

    On a per country view, the majority use Android-powered phones. More than four in five (82%) of the digital payment adopters in Indonesia and in the Philippines use their Android devices for mobile transactions, while it’s 76% in Malaysia, 73% in Thailand, 67% in Vietnam, and 54% in Singapore.

    In 2022, Kaspersky blocked a total of 1,083 mobile banking Trojans which almost infected its users in SEA as well as 207,506 mobile malware incidents.

    “Compared to threats like phishing and ransomware, mobile banking Trojan detections are still relatively low in volume, mostly because the basic hygiene of putting security solutions on mobile devices is still a work in progress in Southeast Asia. Our money, bank accounts, mobile e-wallets, and even our investments are literally in our smartphones now – may it be an Android or an iOS device. It’s time to protect them with a robust security solution against financially motivated cybercriminals,” says Adrian Hia, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky.

    You access your workmail with your smartphone

    Mobile devices are a known business risk.

    Beyond mobile banking, mobile phones have been known to be used for accessing company mail and assets.

    The danger with BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) lies in the fact that 96% of smartphones that can connect and access corporate networks are non-work issued, meaning, they are intended for personal use.

    Kaspersky’s researchers, through the years, have seen cases of Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) that enter a company’s systems through an infected mobile device.

    Mobile malware APTs like Pegasus and Chrysor are spywares deployed through Android or iOS exploits installed on victims’ smartphones. Kaspersky, in 2022, has also detected 10,543 mobile ransomware Trojan installers globally.

    “The lack of security solutions on personal mobile devices can impact a company’s overall IT security posture. We acknowledge the convenience of BYOD, but enterprises should also play their part in encouraging their employees to install protection on their smartphones that have the freedom to connect on critical enterprise networks,” reminds Hia.

    Your mobile device carries all your social apps

    A survey revealed one in four internet users in Asia Pacific (APAC) has fallen victim to identity fraud. But the most interesting part is that users could not care less. Many remain unconcerned about securing their identity against thefts and online fraud.

    Most fraud happens on social media, mostly accessed through mobile devices.

    Another study done by Kaspersky also showed nearly one in four (38%) of social media users say they know someone personally who has experienced a data compromise while using social media. For those aged 18-34, this figure rises to more than half (52%). Seven percent of users worldwide say they have been victims of fraud via social media.

    Kaspersky’s phishing report for 2022 also revealed that the global cybersecurity company’s mobile solution blocked 360,185 attempts to click on phishing links from messengers last year. Of these, 82.71% came from WhatsApp, 14.12% from Telegram and another 3.17% from Viber.

    “Our mobile devices are treasure troves of the social media and messaging apps that we use. In each of them, we have conversations, photos, and private information that we want to keep away from the wrong hands. The other side of the coin is that cybercriminals are also lurking on these platforms, waiting for prey to fall into their traps. A safety net is necessary if we want to enjoy the powers of our mobile phones and to secure our digital reputation and identity,” adds Hia.

    GCash partnership with law enforcement agencies to curb crime yields results

    GCash lauds the successful operations of the Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) against cybercriminals.

    The DOJ, NBI, and PNP-ACG conducted a series of raids and arrests of alleged cybercriminals in the past months. They have successfully arrested suspected perpetrators of various crimes like love scams and task scams, as well as seized SIM Cards purportedly used for dubious purposes.

    The authorities are working on the arrest of the suspects linked to the illegal operations — a big win in the shared fight against scammers, fraudsters, and other cybercriminals.

    “GCash is supportive of the operations of the DOJ, NBI, and PNP-ACG in going after perpetrators. We are an active partner of our law enforcement agencies as we exchange technical knowledge and expertise on the latest cybersecurity measures” said Atty. Maria Corazon PMR Alvarez-Adriano, chief legal officer of GCash.

    In addition to its partnership with law enforcement agencies, GCash is driving the passage of a bill that, among others, will criminalize the buying and selling of so-called mule accounts which are used by criminals to hide their identities when transferring illicit money.

    The leading e-wallet continues to invest in best-in-class security technologies and innovations. GCash recently reached 100% rollout for its industry-first security feature, DoubleSafe, to ensure that the person accessing an account is the same as the one who registered in GCash by using face ID technology. 

    “With the DoubleSafe Face ID feature, even if the users inadvertently give out their MPIN or OTP, their account cannot be accessed from a new device without scanning the owner’s face,” said Miguel Geronilla, GCash’s chief information security officer.

    GCash remains steadfast in educating its customers and the general public on how they can better protect themselves from scammers. Through educational materials under the #GSafeTayo campaign, GCash encourages users to be wary of Phishing sites and links that spoof official portals of financial institutions and online shopping websites. 

    Customers are also advised to transact only through GCash’s official channels and remember that it will NEVER send personal messages to address concerns or ask for users’ MPIN, OTP, or other personal information.

    Report scams and other suspicious activities in the official Help Center inside the app or at help.gcash.com

    Gaming on the vivo Y36: is it all it’s cracked up to be?

    The new vivo Y36 promises a smooth and seamless experience for all its users—including casual gamers—at a wallet-friendly price. True enough, in a recent review we did, the vivo Y36 was able to handle some of today’s most popular games without much hiccup. Here are some of the reasons why the vivo Y36 not only looks great but plays great too.

    The Snapdragon 680 is a well-balanced processor

    Beating at the heart of the vivo Y36 is a 6nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor with an Adreno 610 GPU. While it is not the newest nor most powerful chipset out there, it is still very efficient and has 8GB of RAM to help it along. It has no problem running popular games such as Mobile Legends, Call of Duty Mobile, and Pokemon Unite at smooth and steady frame rates without the need for the user to sacrifice too much in terms of graphics. Even big team clashes did not slow down the vivo Y36 too much. More heavily-demanding games such as NBA 2K and Asphalt 9 are also decently playable as long as graphics settings are turned down.

    Sure, casual gamers will have a little less eye candy to look at. But considering that the tradeoff is that it does not get too hot and it has a longer battery life, we would say that it is worth it as it ultimately means a more comfortable gaming experience for hours on end—this the vivo Y36 capably delivers.

    The display has a 240Hz touch sample rate for lightning-fast inputs

    MOBAs and shooters require quick inputs from the player. Otherwise, what would have been a fun and competitive match just becomes a steamroll with you on the receiving end. But what use are quick reflexes if the phone will not register your touches in the first place?

    The vivo Y36’s huge 6.64-inch Full HD IPS display not only outputs good looking, high resolution visuals, but it also comes with a 240Hz touch sampling rate to make it more responsive to each of your presses. You can mash buttons and be confident that your inputs are being picked up virtually in real time. The effect is quite subtle but critical when the difference between going back to the game lobby and winner winner chicken dinner is only a few milliseconds. Trust us when we say that you will have a hard time going back to gaming on something with a lower touch sampling rate after you experience what 240Hz is like.

    Moreover, the vivo Y36 also comes with a 90Hz refresh rate to make the gaming experience even smoother and more precise.

    It comes with a 44W fast charger

    One of the worst things that can happen when you are on a ranked winning streak and are completely in the zone is getting your gaming session interrupted by hours-long charging. The lost momentum is often so hard to regain that the next time you are in-game, you might be hopping on board the downrank train.

    The vivo Y36 comes with a 44W fast charging power brick and USB Type C cable out of the box to help you avoid these situations. In our testing, the vivo Y36 was able to charge its sizable 5000mAh battery from completely empty to almost half in just 30 minutes. It can also easily last over a day without needing to be plugged into the wall. If you top off its charge every time you take a quick bio, nap, or coffee break from your gaming sessions, then you will almost never see the vivo Y36 run dry. Its battery life is so long that you might end up falling asleep long before the vivo Y36 does.

    There is a dedicated gaming optimizer for the OS

    While the Snapdragon 680 is already an efficient processor, vivo also made sure to keep the Y36’s software very gaming friendly through its Multi-Turbo 5.5 system optimizer. As the name implies, Multi-Turbo 5.5 boosts the phone’s performance by prioritizing system elements—such as data usage, processing power, and RAM allocation—in favor of your current game for the smoothest experience possible. It also turns off pesky notifications and floating windows so you can play uninterrupted.

    As an added bonus, vivo also has the frame-rate priority setting for select games. This instructs the phone to render particularly graphic-intensive games at a lower resolution to ensure more stable frame rates.

    The above points plus an attractive price tag of just PHP 12,999, make the vivo Y36 a hard-to-beat phone for young, casual gamers. It is available for purchase in Glitter Aqua and Meteor Black colorways through vivo Concept stores and kiosks, phone retailers, and the official vivo website, Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok online platforms.

    Enhancing commuter convenience: Mocasa, beep™ team up for effortless payment solutions

    Mocasa, the Philippines’ first virtual credit wallet, and AF Payments Inc. (AFPI), an automated fare collection service provider, recently announced their partnership aimed at improving the everyday travel experience for millions of Filipino commuters. Through this collaboration, users can now easily and securely reload their beep™ cards using Mocasa.

    The collaboration comes at an opportune moment with the Philippine government, spearheaded by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), pushing for cashless payment transactions, particularly in the transportation sector.’

    Mocasa Chief Executive Officer Robin Wong and AFPI President and CEO Jonathan Juan Moreno

    To reload a beep™ card, users simply need to download the Mocasa mobile app and apply for a Pay Later account and activate their virtual Mastercard. Once approved, they can choose either to top-up or use their virtual Mastercard to reload.

    For the top-up loading option, users simply need to go to the “Buy Load” section, select “BEEP” and choose their desired denomination. Users have to enter their beep™ account number and pay with Mocasa credit.

    Users can also reload using the virtual credit card (VCC) option. They just have to tap the beep™ logo in Mocasa’s home page, which will redirect them to beep™ app. Once rerouted, a pop-up window will show users instructions on how to reload using their VCC by tapping the “MPay” logo and keying in their card details checkout section. This integration streamlines the payment process, and users can be assured that their personal and financial information remain protected at all times.

    In addition, Mocasa and AF Payments Inc. will develop loyalty programs that reward frequent Mocasa-beep™ users with exclusive perks and incentives. Both companies also promise to continuously enhance their systems and processes to meet the ever-evolving needs of commuters.

    “We are honored and excited to partner with AF Payments Inc. to further ease the way people travel and pay for transportation services,” said Robin Wong, chief executive officer of Mocasa. “By leveraging our virtual credit technology and AFPI’s extensive network, we aim to redefine the commuting experience, making it more seamless and enjoyable for passengers.”

    Jonathan Juan Moreno, president and chief executive officer of AF Payments Inc., expressed equal enthusiasm, “This partnership represents a significant milestone in our mission to provide Filipino commuters with the most advanced and user-friendly payment options. Together with Mocasa, we are excited to introduce an innovative payment method that simplifies and enhances the travel experience.”

    Both companies are committed to an efficient and timely integration process, with the first phase of the partnership’s offerings expected to roll out to commuters within the quarter.

    beep™ cards can be purchased and used at Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2), Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) stations, select Point-to-Point (P2P) Bus Stations, and retail partners. They are also available on AFPI’s official e-commerce platforms — Lazada, Shopee, and FB Marketplace.

    Users are also encouraged to download the beep™ mobile app and register their card for convenient reloading, to check their balance, monitor transactions, and earn rewards points.

    Mocasa is a financial technology company duly licensed and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and an accredited accessing entity of Credit Information Corporation (CIC). To learn more about the latest updates from Mocasa, visit www.mocasa.com or its Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok accounts. Customers are encouraged to download the app in Google Play or App Store to know more about its services and latest promos.

    917Ventures launches MemoApp to accelerate business digitalization with automated documents, affordable e-signatures

    MemoApp is a fully automated, all-in-one management tool designed for teams and businesses of all sizes. It streamlines workflow processes by providing an efficient platform for creating, approving, signing, and tracking memos.

    Recent years have seen rapid changes in the way people work, with remote and hybrid work arrangements widely adopted around the world. This has also reshaped the way documents are handled, with many processes going digital. 

    As a high-performing and agile company, Globe was quick to innovate, adopting a tool called MemoApp at the height of the pandemic for paperless approvals within and across departments. The user-friendly online tool has made internal reviews and clearances more efficient, becoming part of Globe’s ways of working even as employees are now back in the office. 

    Now, Globe’s corporate venture builder 917Ventures is bringing this digital tool beyond the company in response to the growing business demand for efficient digital document handling. 

    “MemoApp is truly a game-changer in the industry. Through its affordable document management solution, we are able to help businesses create, track, and sign documents easily in a secure online platform. It’s incredibly convenient, cost-efficient, and time-saving.  No more hassles in missing documents and having piles of paperwork. With MemoApp, users can track and approve with one click,” said Carla Bianca Yap-Sy Su, 917Ventures entrepreneur-in-residence. 

    MemoApp’s latest feature is an electronic signature that revolutionizes the way businesses take care of paperwork. This feature allows enterprises to digitally sign and collect documents, simplifying the approval process and making document tracking faster. With a user-friendly interface and enhanced security measures, it ensures that e-signatures are as effective as traditional pen-on-paper signatures.

    The platform is also an affordable alternative to other e-signature solutions. Subscription starts at only PHP499, significantly more affordable, and provides more value for its users than other document management tools. 

    MemoApp offers not just competitive pricing, but also a commitment to quality and user experience.

    Not only does MemoApp allow users to access memos anytime, anywhere on any device, but it also secures every document with encryption, visible only to designated individuals in a workflow. It eliminates the need to switch between multiple applications, saving time and enhancing efficiency.

    MemoApp’s launch signifies a significant step towards digital transformation, particularly for Filipino businesses. By simplifying the document process and improving workflows, it is poised to empower more Filipino businesses to boost their productivity and save time and money.

    Led by Yap-Sy Su and venture builder Myles Salud, MemoApp was already successfully tested and adopted by the Globe Group, including Globe, KonsultaMD, GCash, Rush Technologies, BRAVE CONNECTIVE, INQUIRO, m360, and KROMA Entertainment.

    Individuals and businesses looking to try the MemoApp can sign up at https://memoapp.ph/  to book a demo and avail of a free trial. 

    Celebrating National Language Month: Expand your vocabulary with these interesting Filipino words

    Here’s something not everyone knows — although August is the National Language Month, outside of the main regional tongues you commonly hear, the Philippines is actually home to over 180 native languages and dialects. 

    The country has a whole host of different languages because each native people manifest their culture and history through words. And so, there are words we always use, but in every language there are words we don’t always hear—and oftentimes, those that are uncommon end up being the most beautiful and poetic to the ear. 

    There are no better keepers of our languages than Filipino teachers, who regularly champion the magic of our country’s diverse languages. To celebrate August, the national Buwan ng Wika (month of language), below are their favorite Filipino words that you don’t always hear, along with their respective meanings and English translations.

    Uswag

    (Cebuano/Bisaya) To develop or improve.

    Tyron Casumpang, a Humanities and Social Science strand coordinator at the Far Eastern University High School, gave “Uswag” as his first favorite word from the Cebuano/Bisaya language, one of the main tongues spoken in the Visayas. Its English meaning “develop” has no direct translation in Filipino—“pagpapaunlad” (progress) or “pagpapalago” (growing an enterprise) would be the nearest. 

    Alimuom

    (Tagalog) Petrichor, a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather. 

    For Tagalog, the main regional base of the national Filipino language, Casumpang provided “alimuom” as his second favorite Filipino word. This poetic term has a direct translation in English, the scientific word “petrichor” or in simpler terms, “vapor.”

    Bulaos

    (Bulakenyo) A narrow path or walkway leading to another place. 

    Dr. Marvin Reyes, part of the Department of Language and Literature faculty at San Beda University, described “bulaos” as a Bulakenyo word for a trail or small alley. Bulakenyo is actually a dialect of Tagalog and Filipino spoken in the Central Luzon province. According to Google Translate, it can also mean “roar” in main Filipino. 

    Pagbuburo

    (Tagalog) Process of fermentation.

    Nancy Mari Milate of the O.B. Montessori Center shared the Tagalog term “pagbuburo.” The process incorporates sugar or salt with water into the food and the absence of oxygen starts the chemical reaction. Filipinos will recognize the root word “buro,” which also refers to a local dish made by fermenting fish in red yeast rice.

    Urong

    (Tagalog) To wash the dishes.

    Rodolfo Andres, another teacher from the O.B. Montessori Center, explained “urong” as washing the dishes, glassware, and utensils used in every meal, a second, largely unknown definition that greatly differs from the word’s common usage to mean a retreat. This definition is now only spoken by elder generations of Tagalog speakers to remind the children to clean up after eating.

    These five words are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a whole trove of uncommon words among the different Filipino languages. For any other word you’re not familiar with, Google Translate can help—it’s pretty inclusive in how it covers not only Filipino, but also other languages in the country in Cebuano and Ilocano, and possibly more to come.

    Bridge the gap between languages and learn unfamiliar words by checking out Google Translate here.

    HONOR 90 5G reviewed

    The problem with midrange phones is, most of the time, manufacturers have to sacrifice something—whether that be build quality, performance, imaging, battery life, RAM, storage space, or display—in order to take the price tag down. The HONOR 90 5G on paper seems to buck this trend, bringing with it a whole slew of design and hardware choices that make it hard to ignore. Is the HONOR 90 5G everything it’s hyped up to be? Let’s find out.

    Design: 5/5

    I found our HONOR 90 5G review unit in a Midnight Black finish to be quite a premium looker despite its minimalist aesthetics. The glossy back is protected by a glass-like material. If you prefer handling your phone bare, you will have to quickly wipe it every now and then to keep it looking fresh. Otherwise, HONOR included a transparent jelly case out of the box.

    Still at the back, there’s a silver “HONOR” marking along the bottom left edge while the imaging modules sit stacked by the upper left. From the top, these are the depth sensor, the main camera, the wide camera, and the flash. A silver “AI Matrix” branding text sits by the bottom of the shooters. What I particularly like about the Midnight Black colorway is that the camera bumps and some obligatory regulatory texts by the bottom right edge disappear into the phone, making it look sleek and clean. In other colorways—Diamond Silver, Peacock Blue, Emerald Green—these are more prominent.

    Flip the phone over, and you’ll be greeted by the almost edge-to-edge 6.7-inch 2664×1200 px AMOLED display with Always-On capability, 120Hz refresh rate, TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free Certification, 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness, in-display fingerprint scanner, and punch hole front camera. The screen is curved along the edges making the screen appear to float.

    The volume rockers and power button sit along the right edge. The top edge has a microphone pinhole on the right. The bottom edge has the SIM tray for up to two nano SIMs, USB-C port, another microphone pinhole, and the speaker grille. The left edge is bare. 

    Overall, the HONOR 90 5G looks premium and feels great in the hand with its solid build.

    Hardware: 4.5/5

    Running the HONOR 90 5G is an octa-core 5G-enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition processor, which clocks up to a higher 2.52 GHz versus the typical 2.4 GHz of non-Accelerated chipset variants. Released to the market in Q2 of 2022, this 4nm chip was designed for premium mid-range devices and is marketed as being 20 percent faster in graphics rendering than the previous generation Snapdragon 778. It is paired with an Adreno 644 GPU and very plentiful 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. Seeing as the phone does not take microSD cards, the hefty storage option is more than welcome.

    As mentioned previously, the screen of the HONOR 90 5G has a 120Hz refresh rate which should result in silky smooth scrolling performance. Color quality should also be great with its support for 1.07-billion colors, 100% DCI-P3 color space, and HDR10+ Certification.

    While these already make for a great display, the cherry on top is the industry-leading 3,840Hz PWM screen dimming technology that earned it TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free Certification. What are the advantages of this flicker-free display, you ask? It means your eyes won’t be too fatigued when you’re glued to the screen for hours on end. This is especially important if your screen is at low brightness levels. Watch our video here and see the difference between our comparison phones—the lesser the black bars, the less strain is on your eyes.

    In addition to the performance and display, HONOR is also banking on the HONOR 90 5G’s shooters for its marketing, and for good reason. The star of the show imaging-wise is the 200MP f/1.9 main camera. The megapixels mean nothing without a decent image sensor and luckily, the HONOR 90 5G offers a sizeable 1/1.4-inch sensor to let in plenty of light. Sure, it’s not the biggest sensor out there but at this price point, it’s hard to find something bigger. Better still, it’s supported by a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide and macro camera and 2MP f/2.4 depth camera to cover various use-case scenarios, from landscape to portrait mobile photography.

    Lastly, the phone ships with a 66W fast charging brick out of the box which is claimed to be able to top up 20% of its sizeable 5000mAh battery pack in just five minutes. The phone is also capable of reverse charging your other devices on the go.

    While everything seems great with the HONOR 90 5G, I did miss having a headphone jack which is my only gripe hardware-wise.

    User Experience: 5/5

    The HONOR 90 5G’s marketing heavily emphasized the display and its imaging performance, so we’ll start with these two.

    The display is as good in real life as it is on paper. The large screen makes it a joy to binge-watch online videos, with colors coming out nicely crisp, bright, and vibrant even outdoors. The 120Hz refresh rate and powerful processor made the phone feel very responsive to touch inputs and scrolling around was silky smooth. In terms of the flicker-free display, I did notice that my eyes felt less strained when I doom-scrolled until the wee hours of the morning with the HONOR 90 5G versus my personal phone, although I don’t know if it’s just a placebo. Still, screen flicker will take its toll on our vision over time, and it’s nice to know that HONOR is taking steps to reduce long-term damage to our eyes.

    The large sensor is able to let in enough light even in dimly lit environments.

    The camera likewise performs as advertised. Thanks to the 1/1.4-inch sensor and f/1.9 aperture, the HONOR 90 5G is able to produce admirable photos across a wide variety of lighting scenarios. Outdoor and well-lit environments expectedly resulted in great-looking photos with bright and punchy colors. Autofocus speed was decent, and dynamic range was reasonably wide. In dimmer environments, the quality drops off a little and noise starts to creep in, but images are still more than good enough for curated Instagram feeds. The wide-angle camera also performs quite decently but is visibly grainy in low light and without the dynamic range of its bigger brother. Still, its macro outputs are quite good. 

    Due to the July rains, I wasn’t able to take too much videos, but what I can say is that captured footage also looks great and can go up to 4K resolution at 30fps. Video mode has a built-in noise reducer which works surprisingly well at eliminating ambient noise when vlogging. 

    The 200MP Hi-Res image is able to crop in further versus the normal image.

    For the camera app, there is a bit of shutter lag between shots. While it’s not annoying, I find it interesting because it doesn’t seem to over-process photos if at all. Colors come out naturally which is great for those who prefer color-editing their photos manually. The camera also contains shortcuts to some noteworthy options, especially a digital 2x zoom and a Hi-Res mode. The latter takes full advantage of the 200MP camera and opens up very flexible cropping options for shots in exchange for file sizes that can be multiple times larger than normal. Good thing storage is at 512GB, eh?

    Moving onto gaming and everyday use. The HONOR 90 5G is very snappy, which is to be expected with the processor. It scored 11,889 in the PCMark Work 3.0 Performance test and 3,083 in the 3DMark Wild Life test. Playing Call of Duty Mobile, NBA 2K, Mobile Legends, and Asphalt 9 all at the highest graphics preset yielded steady frame rates of 60fps. The phone also doesn’t heat up too uncomfortably, whether when gaming or video recording. I used it as a dash cam on a two-hour drive and it was just a tiny bit warm to the touch. On the topic of being comfortable in-hand, the curved edges make the phone easier to grip and it didn’t hurt the flesh between my thumb and index even during long periods of gaming and scrolling.

    Finally, let’s talk about the battery. The HONOR 90 5G can easily last a whole day of heavy use as it clocked in at 10 hours 56 minutes in the PCMark Work 3.0 Battery Life test, which runs the phone non-stop from 100% to 20% juice. Charging in my experience wasn’t as quick as advertised but was still fast, taking 15 minutes to charge 30% of the battery and just under an hour to completely charge it to 100%. If you need to squeeze every last bit of battery out of the phone, you can manually lower the screen resolution and refresh rate down to 1998 x 900 px and 60Hz, respectively.

    Value: 4.5/5

    The particular variant of the HONOR 90 5G we reviewed retails at PHP 24,990. Arguments can be made that you can get a faster phone at a lower price which is true. However, it’s hard to find a phone which does so well across the board—build quality, performance, imaging, battery life, RAM, storage space, and display—like the HONOR 90 5G. It’s something that I would highly recommend if you want a premium experience at only an upper mid-range price tag.

    Pre-order HONOR 90 5G from August 16-25, 2023, for only PHP24,990 and Get a FREE JBL Flip 6 worth PHP7,499 until supplies last! Link below:

    Shopee – https://bit.ly/3KCb8QR
    Lazada – https://bit.ly/3YBDpN5
    TikTok Shop – bit.ly/HONOR905G-TikTok

    Specifications:

    • Display: 6.7-inch 2664×1200 px Quad-Curved AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free Certification 
    • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen1 Accelerated Edition 5G 
    • OS: MagicOS 7.1 (Android 13)
    • RAM: 12GB
    • Storage: 512GB
    • Camera: 200MP f/1.9 with a 1/1.4-inch sensor (main rear); 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide and macro camera (secondary rear); 2MP f/2.4 depth camera (rear); 50MP f/2.4 (front)
    • Connectivity: 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C, dual nano-SIM
    • Battery: 5000mAh, 66W HONOR SuperCharge
    • Others: In-display Fingerprint Scanner, 5W Reverse Charging
    • Dimensions: 161.9 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm
    • Weight: 183g

    What’s Hot:

    • IG-worthy camera outputs perfect for content creators
    • Flicker-free display for eye health
    • Great gaming and battery performance

    What’s Not:

    • No 3.5mm headphone jack
    • No microSD expansion

    Bottomline:

    The HONOR 90 5G delivers a great premium experience at a mid-range price tag.

    Reviewed by Chris Noel Hidalgo • Photos and video by Chris Noel Hidalgo
    Also published in GADGETS MAGAZINE August 2023 Issue

    Pay like a local: Mastercard offers seamless payments for international travelers in China

    With the resumption of travel, international business, and major sports events in China, Mastercard announced that its cardholders can link their cards to WeChat Pay, or as it’s locally called, Weixin Pay, a mobile payment service within the Weixin app, as a new payments option that further improves the digital payment experience of international travelers when visiting the country.

    Expanding on a partnership established in 2019 to offer enhanced digital payment solutions to both consumers and merchants, the latest development gives Mastercard full access to Weixin Pay’s merchant network in China and provides another safe and convenient way for international travelers to pay like a local when traveling around the Chinese Mainland.

    The extended merchant network includes categories such as dining, transportation, shopping, accommodation, and more. International travelers with Mastercard cards can now utilize multiple payment methods through Weixin app, such as scanning QR codes, presenting payment codes, Mini Programs, and in-app payments, enriching their payment experience online and offline.

    For merchants, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the Weixin Pay-Mastercard tie-up gives them more opportunities to transact with international travelers who now have access to one of the most widely accepted payment methods in China, allowing them to get around easily, without hassle. According to the latest Mastercard data insights, consumer spending has shown resilience with a continued focus on experiences and travel. During the 2nd Quarter of 2023, cross-border travel was robust, reaching 154% of 2019 levels, up 6% from the previous quarter. Moreover, China’s improvement in inbound cross-border travel reached approximately 50% of the levels seen in 2019. As China anticipates major international sporting events, such as the Asian Games, the country embraces the prospect of welcoming more international travelers.

    Shop smart and study smart with Lenovo’s back-to-school deals!

    Lenovo back-to-school deals offer an impressive range of portable and efficient devices that are ideal for students who want to boost their productivity.

    Students will soon be breaking open their books as classes come back in session. From making group presentations to writing up essays, Lenovo’s lineup of devices is ready to supercharge students’ productivity so they stay ahead in class. 

    From August 1 to September 30, 2023, buyers get to enjoy up to PHP11,990 worth of exciting freebies with the purchase of select IdeaPad, Yoga, and Legion devices.

    Upon checkout for any participating device, they can choose between a Herschel Stowaway Jacket, perfect for the rainy season, or a Lenovo 530 Wireless Mouse that can be used with their new laptop

    Explore a variety of devices from the Lenovo IdeaPad, Lenovo Yoga, and Lenovo Legion line-ups, that offer an excellent balance of work and entertainment. These devices come equipped with top-notch tools that make completing schoolwork a breeze and provide the same power for great entertainment and play. 

    Lenovo back-to-school

    Get back-to-school ready with Lenovo now and head on to promotions.lenovo.com for the complete list of participating products. For more information, follow Lenovo Philippines on Facebook.

    Globe shares 6 tips to make the best of your mobile data

    Over the years, mobile data has truly become essential in the daily lives of Filipinos. Many rely on their phone’s mobile data connection for work, education, livelihood, and entertainment. In this era of countless apps and data-heavy activities, understanding your data consumption can empower you to save and maximize your usage.

    Mobile leader Globe shares tips on how you can conserve your data so you can make the most of your browsing experience!

    1. Choose the best data promo

    Globe has the best data promos for your needs, regardless of your budget. If you are budget-conscious and want to make the best of your data for streaming, learning, earning and other activities, try Go50 with 5GB data for all sites and unlimited all-net texts for PHP50, valid for 3 days. If you’re willing to splurge a bit more, go for Super Xclusive Go+99 with up to 10GB for all sites, 8GB for your choice of apps, and unlimited all-net texts for P99, valid for up to 8 days. Both promos are available on the GlobeOne app.

    2. Check how you use your mobile data

    Data usage is largely behavioral. If you are a heavy streamer, whether it be videos, music, or games, your data consumption will inevitably be higher than a recreational or casual user. Make sure you keep yourself in check when browsing. 

    3. Be conscious of usage while video-streaming 

    High-resolution videos in applications may lead to more data consumed. The higher the quality of the video, the more data it would likely require. Make sure to adjust the video quality in apps like Facebook, YouTube, Netflix, Tiktok, and Zoom to conserve data. To get a sulit deal for streaming sites, you can register to Go+99 with GoWATCH to get 8GB for all sites, plus 8GB for video apps, and unlimited all-net texts, valid for 7 days.

    4. Control app updates

    Automatic app updates and other app activities may consume a significant amount of data. Turn on your phone’s Low Data Mode (Android) or Data Saver (iOS) to stop automatic app updates and other activities from using your mobile data.

    5. Know your data limit

    Keep in mind that it’s possible to exhaust all your data before the end of your promo period, depending on usage. Some customers might think that their data, such as 5GB under Go50 on GlobeOne, will last for 3 days, and are surprised when it gets fully consumed before the validity ends. You may keep track of your data usage using the GlobeOne app.

    6. Know where to get help 

    If you have concerns about data, you may access the GlobeOne app and go to the Help section. GlobeOne is your digital life companion!

    “Putting our customers first, we recognize the importance of every megabyte of data and more so, the value of the money they spend on it. We believe every byte matters! Actively listening to their browsing experiences forms a vital part of our service improvement. We hope that this information serves as a valuable tool for our customers, enabling them to make the most out of their data without any worries,” said Aileen Burgos, head of customer experience.

    Stay connected, stay informed, and enjoy your browsing experience with Globe and TM! Visit https://www.globe.com.ph/ to know more.

    Codashop teams up with Maya to boost savings for gamers

    Coda, the world’s largest provider of cross-border content monetization solutions, has tied up with Maya, the undisputed #1 Bank App in the Philippines, to boost savings for gamers when they top up on Codashop.

    Through this initiative, gamers will be able to earn up to 10% interest rate p.a. on their Maya Savings by simply using Maya as their payment method when making purchases on Codashop.

    “Coda’s collaboration with Maya is rooted in our deep commitment to communities across the Philippines. Coda advocates for a safer, smarter, and more responsible gaming ecosystem, and this includes spending and saving wisely. We’re proud to promote a culture of savings across Coda’s communities together with Maya, and we hope our customers will take full advantage of the savings that await them!” said Heidi – Mendita Garayblas, country director of Coda Payments in the Philippines. 

    “Using Maya for Codashop purchases not only offers ease and accessibility but also boosts the user’s Maya Savings. Together, we’re redefining the way our customers play and spend, empowering Filipinos with a world of possibilities,” added Justin Dayrit, Maya’s head of Consumer Solutions and Marketing.

    Whatever game you play, Codashop has you covered. And it only takes a few seconds to complete a purchase. First, go to www.codashop.com. Then, select the game you want to buy credits for (Mobile Legends, Genshin Impact, Clash of Clans, League of Legends, VALORANT, etc.). Next, input the necessary details like gamer ID, server, etc., and choose the amount to top up. Then select Maya as the payment method. Lastly, input an email address for your receipt and click on Buy Now.

    You will then be redirected to Maya’s payment portal. Follow the directions on screen and you should get your in-game credits instantly after payment. After you pay with Maya, you will get an update about the progress. Keep using Maya to pay for your Codashop purchases and everyday transactions, and you’ll achieve the 10% p.a. boost.

    The promo runs until August 31, 2023. The base interest of 3.5% p.a. applies to the max deposit balance of PHP5 million. Boosted interest resets monthly and applies to a max deposit balance of PHP100,000. Spend PHP250 to get 5% interest rate p.a. Transact another PHP1,000 to get boosted to 6 interest p.a.. Accumulate PHP25,000 in spending to get 8% interest p.a. And spend PHP35,000 to achieve the 10% interest p.a. Per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-167053, Series of 2023.

    Learn more about Maya Savings 10% p.a. offer here https://www.mayabank.ph/10percentboost/. Deposits are insured by PDIC up to PHP500,000 per depositor. Maya is regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Watch out for more exciting promos from Codashop and Maya!

    Cebuana Lhuillier strengthens partnership with beep

    The Philippines’ leading and largest micro financial services provider, Cebuana Lhuillier, strengthened its partnership with beep™ card, a widely used reloadable smart card operated by AF Payments Inc. 

    Instead of queuing in long lines at MRT or LRT reloading counter stations, Filipinos can now reload their beep™ cards with an amount of up to PHP10,000 by just filling out a form at more than 3,000 Cebuana Lhuillier branches nationwide.

    Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier expressed his excitement about this partnership. “With our wide network of branches all over the country, this strategic partnership will enable Filipinos to have easier and more accessible ways to reload their beep™ cards,” he said.“We always believe that by partnering with companies like AF Payments, Inc., we expand our services not just to pursue our mission of financial inclusion for all our kababayans, but also to provide support to our partners.” 

    “This partnership with beep is a testament to our company’s commitment to bring our Money Transfer business to the next level. Going beyond the usual remittance business, this new setup will bring convenience to our commuters and improve their commuting experience,” Cebuana Lhuillier first vice president and money transfer group head Erlinda Sumañga added.

    “We are happy to enter a fruitful and promising partnership with Cebuana Lhuillier, a renowned and trusted brand for money transfer services. This momentous collaboration reflects the shared commitment of both our companies to empower Filipinos with seamless cashless payment solutions and enhanced access to digital technology.  Together, we are committed to driving positive change in the way people commute and transact in the Philippines. By making loading more accessible and convenient, we aim to enhance the lines of millions of commuters and contribute to the nation’s digital transformation,” says JJ Moreno, CEO of AF Payments.

    “AF Payments is driven by a vision to provide commuters with an experience that is seamless, pleasant, and productive. This partnership with Cebuana is a significant step towards achieving that goal. By offering loading services at Cebuana’s extensive network of 3,000 branches nationwide, our commuters all over the Philippines will now enjoy the ease and convenience of topping up their beep cards,” adds Sharon Fong, chief commercial officer of AF Payments. 

    HP ProBook 440 G9 reviewed

    Business-centric laptops are not among the top choices when shopping for a laptop. But I would argue that it should be. After all, they offer some of the best security at a level not found on most mainstream laptops—case in point, the HP ProBook 440 G9, HP’s affordable business-centric laptop.

    Design: 4/5 

    The HP ProBook 440 G9 is a sleek and elegant laptop with a silver aluminum body.

    It has a 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display that does not claim a fast refresh rate nor specialized color gamut calibration. Is this a bad thing? Honestly, I don’t believe so. For the target audience of the ProBook series, having faster frame rates and all the color gamut are just good-to-have features but not necessary. My only issue with the display is that I felt it needed a bit of vibrancy since it was a bit too dull for my taste. 

    The port selection is outstanding on the HP ProBook 440 G9. On the left, you’ll find a Kensington Lock, a full RJ45 Ethernet port, and a USB 3.2 Type-A port. On the right are two more USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a USB 3.2 (Gen 2) Type-C Port, the audio jack, a full HDMI (2.1) port, and the power port. There is also another slot for the optional sim card tray.

    Where the HP ProBook 440 G9 really shines is its portability. The laptop is just 1.38kg. For comparison, one of the lightest mainstream options, the Apple MacBook Air is just .08kg lighter. For thickness, the HP ProBook comes in at 19.9mm thin, not the thinnest but still quite portable. 

    Hardware: 4/5 

    At the heart of the HP ProBook 440 G9 is either an Intel Core i5–1235U or an Intel Core i7-1255U. Both variants are also paired with either an Intel UHD Graphics or Intel Iris Xe graphics. Our review unit was the Core i7-1255U variant mated to Intel UHD graphics, with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of NVMe SSD as storage.

    Benchmarks indicate that the HP ProBook 440 G9 is a fairly good device. The core i7-processor earned 1557 points for single-core performance at Cinebench R23 and 5157 points for multi-core. It scored 2043 for single-core performance in Geekbench 6 and 6147 for multi-core. Finally, it earned 4797 in PCMark 10 with 8943 for essentials. The integrated Intel UHD graphic is not meant for gaming, but still earned a decent 1179 total points in 3Dmark Time Spy, and 10359 for Night Raid. Overall I would say these metrics are more than sufficient for everyday office work.

    The Intel Core i7-1255U is also power efficient processor, allowing the 52Wh battery to last for around 6 hours in my use case. 

    What really makes a business-centric laptop like the HP ProBook stand out from regular laptops is its slew of safety and security features. The laptop’s hardware security features include a TPM 2.0 security chip, HP DriveLock, fingerprint reader, and the camera privacy shutter.

    HP also included loads of software security features in the included HP Wolf Security. These include malware blocking, safety browsing, and others.

    User Experience: 4/5

    The HP ProBook 440 G9 was loaned to us for use as an event streaming laptop. I was initially confused at the choice, as I was expecting a beefier device like a gaming laptop. Perhaps there was a miscommunication about our requirements? I was, therefore, very pleasantly surprised at how the HP ProBook handled streaming a whole week-long event.

    Beyond streaming, the HP ProBook 440 G9 is a small and light laptop. As mentioned previously, it is a very portable 14-inch laptop weighing just 1.38kg and 19.9mm thin. The included 45Whr charger is also light and portable, which is great when you need it to keep juiced up. 

    The HP Wolf Security is also pretty aggressive, which I liked. Whenever I downloaded software online, a pop up would ask if I really wanted to install the downloaded files. I’m not sure if HP has pre-programmed some apps to be recognized, as I was able to initially install Chrome without any pop-ups, but Steam was flagged for some reason. That said, its better to have that double-checking software than unsuspectingly installing malware on your device. 

    Since the HP ProBook 440 G9 is a business laptop, don’t expect it to be the greatest for media consumption. As I previously said, I wanted the display to be a bit more vibrant. I also found that the speakers, even though they were front facing, were not as loud as expected. It’s good enough for small rooms or contained listening in your office booth, but that’s about it. Even so, the sound was nice without any signs of harshness even at the max level.

    Value: 4/5

    The HP ProBook 440 G9 starts at PHP63,000 for the Intel Core i5-1235U variant and PHP71,500 for our Intel Core i7-1255U model. This laptop is not meant for everyone. If you’re looking for a powerful editing device, take a look at HP’s Victus-series. 

    The HP ProBook 440 G9 is a laptop made for those who want peace of mind when it comes to safety and security. For individuals who want to protect their business and themselves. It’s made for the office worker who’s on the go and still makes security the number one priority.

    Specifications:

    • Screen Size: 14” diagonal FHD display
    • Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-1235U Processor (up to 4.4 GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, 12 MB L3 cache, 10 cores, 12 threads)
    • OS: Windows 10 Pro (available through downgrade rights from Windows 11 Pro)
    • Camera: 720p HD privacy camera
    • Battery: HP Long Life 3-cell, 42 Wh Li-ion
    • Ports: 3 SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate (1 charging, 1 power); 1 SuperSpeed USB Type-C® 10Gbps signaling rate (USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort™ 2.1); 1 headphone/microphone combo; 1 AC power; 1 RJ-45; 1 HDMI 2.1b
    • Memory and Storage: 8GB memory; 512GB SSD storage
    • Dimensions: 32.19 x 21.39 x 1.99cm
    • Weight: Starting at 1.38 kg

    What’s Hot:

    • HP Wolf Security
    • Great battery life

    What’s Not:

    • Display can be better
    • Audio is so-so

    Bottomline: 

    The HP ProBook 440 G9 is an excellent business laptop offering top security without breaking the bank.

    Reviewed by Gabriel Pe
    Also published in GADGETS MAGAZINE August 2023 Issue

    ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED reviewed

    I’ve reviewed three of ASUS’ new Vivobooks in the last year. I recommended every single one of them. The specs, performance, and pricing of the Vivobooks were just too good to miss out on, plus their portability and battery life made them a perfect daily driver. So how does it perform in the long run? Fortunately, our graphics artist has been using one for more than a month now so we thought what better way to see what the Asus Vivobook Pro 15 OLED can do in the long run?

    Design: 4/5 

    Our artist’s unit comes in the cool silver color. For reference, our review unit came in the Quiet Blue color scheme which was more black than blue. The Cool Silver, on the other hand, is more akin to a matted metallic color. 

    As a refresher, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED has a 15.6-inch OLED display with a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. It also has a faster 120Hz refresh rate, which is excellent for those who want to game on the side. On top of the display is the FHD webcam with the physical cover/shutter for extra security.

    Port selection consists of two USB-A ports and the laptop’s LED notification lights on the left; and on the right are the DC power, a USB Type-C with Power Delivery support, a microSD card reader, another -A port, a 3.5mm audio port, and the full-size HDMI port.

    This laptop weighs around 1.8kg with an 18.2mm thickness.

    Hardware: 4.5/5

    Since the laptop is used as a main graphics machine, this is the AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX model with an NVIDIA RTX 3050. For storage, the laptop has 512GB of PCIe Gen 3 SSD. For memory, it also has 16GB of DDR4.

    The ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED could handle everything thrown at it. The laptop handled Photoshop, Indesign, and Illustrator all running simultaneously with no hiccups at all. Gaming-wise, the laptop can handle most AAA games out right now, including Sims 4, which it handled flawlessly.

    For battery, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED has a 63WHr battery, which can last for around 6 hours of use; on heavier use, this fell to around 4 hours. 

    User Experience: 4.5/5

    I already said my piece about the ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED in an earlier review. It’s a great all-around device. I already mentioned how the OLED display makes this a great laptop for Netflix and Disney+ binge-watching. 

    After a month, it still is a great laptop for media consumption. During my initial time with it, I was not able to push it in terms of power and performance (except during benchmarks), but now I am happy to report that we were able to. 

    The ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED is a great device for graphic-intensive work. The OLED display is accurate. It is Pantone validated and 100% in the DCI-P3 color gamut. Additionally, the bigger 15.6-inch display makes it a joy to work and edit on. 

    What impressed me was the update on the cooling. The laptop did get noticeably warm but only during instances when multiple apps were running in the background. It also got a bit warm during instances when it was used simultaneously as it was charging. But overall it wasn’t too warm to the point of concern. 

    Finally, in terms of portability, it needed some getting used to. Coming from a 14-incher, the 1.8kg weight is a bit heftier. That said, if you’re not going to be running around with it every day, it’s a manageable weight. In fact, the laptop is loads lighter than a gaming laptop while offering better battery performance.

    Value: 4/5

    As the top-spec’ed variant, this unit will set you back PHP71,995. For that price, you’d still be hard-pressed to find a similarly spec’ed laptop that offers the same performance as the Vivobook. That said, I would reiterate a statement in the earlier review. The price of the Vivobook Pro 14 OLED is close to the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED, though surprisingly, the similarly spec’ed Vivobook Pro 14 OLED is currently a bit more expensive coming in at PHP74,995. Ultimately it will be your choice whether you want a bigger display or a more portable device.

    Specifications:

    • Display: 15″ 2.8K 120hz 16:9 600nits OLED display, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, certified DisplayHDR 600 True Black, PANTONE® Validated, and TÜV Rheinland
    • Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 9 5000HX Mobile Processor
    • Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX™ 3050
    • Memory: 16GB DDR4
    • Internal Storage: 512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 SSD
    • OS: Windows 11 Home
    • Ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support display/power delivery, 2x USB 2.0 Type-A, HMDI, 3.5mm audio port
    • Battery: 70Wh lithium-polymer battery. 120W Power adapter
    • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6(802.11ax) (Dual band) 2*2 + Bluetooth 5.1
    • Dimensions: 359.8 x 234.3 x 18.9mm
    • Weight: 1.8kg

    What’s hot:

    • Powerful 
    • Great OLED display
    • Great thermals
    • Decent battery

    What’s Not: 

    • Speakers are not the loudest

    Bottomline

    The ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED remains a great choice for an all-around laptop.

    Reviewed by Gabriel Pe

    Xiaomi Pad 6 reviewed

    After two whole years, Xiaomi has finally updated its tablet lineup. Originally launched in China back in April, the Xiaomi Pad 6 has officially arrived in the Philippines. The Xiaomi Pad 6 is the successor to the Xiaomi Pad 5, a great tablet considering its price and performance. The question now: Is the Xiaomi Pad 6 a worthy successor?

    Design: 4/5

    When I reviewed the Xiaomi Pad 5, I said that it feels premium. The Xiaomi Pad 6 continues that trend with its Aluminum alloy body. Our review unit came in the Mist Blue color, which leans towards a metallic shade thanks to the all-metal body. The Xiaomi Pad 6 also takes design cues from the Xiaomi 13-series smartphone — just look at that camera bump.

    The Xiaomi Pad 6 has an 11-inch WQHD+ (2880 x 1800) IPS LCD display. The display also has a maximum 144Hz refresh rate which you can take full advantage of when gaming. Where the display shines, though, is its output support for Dolby Vision as well as 99% DCI-P3 coverage.

    Xiaomi Pad 6

    The whole tablet is portable, coming in at 490g light and 6.51mm thin. It’s slightly smaller and lighter compared to the Xiaomi Pad 5, though the difference is hardly noticeable.

    When oriented to landscape mode, you will find the volume rocker on top as well as the mic holes. There’s also the well-blended-in magnet to hold and charge the Xiaomi Smart Pen stylus. On the sides are the quad speakers. The USB-C charging port is located on the right side. Finally, a massive change is the removal of the pins to connect the Xiaomi keyboard cover. The pins have been transferred to the back; as well as the 13-megapixel camera main camera. The front camera has also been moved, this time centered in landscape orientation, unlike the previous model that had it centered in portrait mode.

    Hardware: 4/5

    One thing that I noticed about the Xiaomi Pad 6 is its use of an older processor. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor. Our unit had 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There’s also a memory extender feature that transforms extra storage space into RAM for the time being. Out of the box it was set to 3GB by default, but you can still bump that to 5GB, lower it to 2GB, or turn it off outright.

    In terms of benchmarks, it earned 760035pts on Antutu V10; 765 single core and 2579 multi-core in GeekBench 6; 11789 for PCMark; and finally the Adreno graphics earned 2884 on 3Dmark Wild Life. Basically, the older Snapdragon 870 is not the fastest processor available, but it still has some kick for handling most tasks, even gaming.

    Speaking of gaming, I tried Genshin Impact, and it handled it quite well, and was able to run on the highest setting at 60fps without any massive hiccups. There were still some sudden frame drops during heavy battling, but these did not last very long.

    It has an 8840mAh battery, which lasted around two days of moderate use. I just typically used it for opening emails, a bit of browsing, and maybe a few minutes of games here and there. When it ran out, a 33W charger can juice up the device in just over an hour and a half.  

    In the camera department, the Xiaomi Pad 6 has a 13-megapixel main shooter at the back and an 8-megapixel selfie camera. Photos from the main camera came out great. The selfie camera is also decent; since the update of its location, taking conference calls is better as you’re now facing center and looking directly into the other speaker’s eyes.

    Here are some sample shots from the rear camera:

    Xiaomi also loaned us the second-generation Xiaomi Smart Pen stylus as well as the Xiaomi Pad 6 keyboard case and a Xiaomi Pad 6 cover case.

    As someone who’s been using the Xiaomi Pad 5 with the Xiaomi Pen and keyboard cover, I can say that there are some slight improvements in the newer versions. The stylus is a bit slimmer and easier to hold than the older one, while the keyboard now feels a bit more solid with better typing feel.

    User Experience: 4/5

    During my time with the Xiaomi Pad 6, I found that it resembles my Xiaomi Pad 5, albeit with minor changes. These are the stylus, the camera placement, and the new keyboard case, and maybe even the bigger RAM to some extent.

    As I mentioned during my first impressions article, I bought a Xiaomi Pad 5 and have been using it since it came out back in October 2022 (when the pre-orders arrived). I mainly use it for my post-grad studies using it for my readings and note-taking. Honestly, I found that it can rival the Apple iPad for most use-case scenarios.

    In terms of media consumption, the Xiaomi Pad 6 is great. Like my Xiaomi Pad 5, it’s a joy to bring by the bedside for binge-watching some Netflix or Disney+ before going to bed. Although not an AMOLED display, it is still vibrant. The audio experience is great, too — thanks to the quad speakers and Dolby Atmos support.

    A massive upgrade on the Xiaomi Pad 6 over its predecessor is the USB-C port update. The Xiaomi Pad 5 only had USB 2.0 ports, while the Xiaomi Pad 6 now has USB-C 3.2. This means you can connect a dongle and have a display output, handy for school or work presentations.

    For the included accessories, the Xiaomi Smart Pen (2nd Gen) feels great to use compared to the original. The slimmer body makes it a bit easier to hold than the first one. It still has 4096 pressure sensitivity points, but somehow it’s much more responsive than the first gen. The only weird part is that the Xiaomi Pad 6 only recognizes the newer generation and not the older pen, but the Xiaomi Pad 5 recognized the 2nd gen Xiaomi Smart Pen.

    The new Xiaomi Keyboard case is also better than the previous generation. One issue I found in the older generation is that the tablet would something fail to recognize the keyboard, and you would need to reattach it to work. Here there’s no such issue since the pins are always connected at the back.

    The only thing I think that’s preventing the Xiaomi Pad 6 from being a laptop replacement is the lack of a dedicated PC mode. The Xiaomi Pad 5 was able to run a PC Mode when it came out but was subsequently patched out (it was a third-party port). I was hoping that with the Xiaomi Pad 6, Xiaomi would have finally brought that back, but alas, no official PC mode yet.  

    Now, is the Xiaomi Pad 6 worth the upgrade from the Xiaomi Pad 5? Honestly, no. Both perform similarly, so if, like me you own earlier version, I would hold out for a bit longer.

    Value: 4.5/5

    The Xiaomi Pad 6 retails for PHP20,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant and PHP21,999 for the 8GB + 256GB variant. It’s a bit more expensive at launch than its predecessor, as the Xiaomi Pad 5 came out at PHP19,990 for its highest spec’ed 6GB + 256GB variant. Take note that the accessories (Xiaomi Smart Pen and Xiaomi Keyboard case) are sold separately. The Xiaomi Smart Pen sets you back PHP3,999 and the Xiaomi Pad 6 keyboard costs PHP3,499.

    That said, if your looking for a tablet right now, the Xiaomi Pad 6 is still a definite recommendation, especially if you catch the early bird pricing from August 11 to 20 that lowers the price to PHP17,999 for the 128GB variant and PHP19,999 for the 256GB version. The Xiaomi Smart Pen and Xiaomi Pad 6 keyboard also have early bird prices of PHP2,799.30 and PHP 2,449.30, respectively.  For anyone looking for an all-around Android tablet, look no further than the Xiaomi Pad 6.

    The Xiaomi Pad 6 and its accessories are available in Xiaomi’s official Lazada, Shopee, and Tiktok stores. It’s also available in official Xiaomi stores and resellers starting August 11.

    What’s hot:

    • Great value
    • Great display and sounds

    What’s not:

    • Missed opportunity with the lack of dedicated PC Mode.

    Specs:

    • Display: 11-inch WQHD+ (2880 x 1800) IPS LCD display with 30Hz-144Hz refresh rate,  99% DCI-P3 coverage, supports Dolby Vision® and TÜV Rheinland certified Low Blue Light
    • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
    • Operating System: MIUI Pad 14
    • Memory & Storage: 8GB + 128GB (up to 256GB)
    • Connectivity: USB 3.2 Gen 1, BLUETOOTH 5.2, Wi-Fi 6
    • Audio: Doly Atmos quad speakers, 2 microphones with dual-mic noise cancellation
    • Camera: 13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
    • Dimensions (LxWxD): 254 x 165.2 x 6.5 mm 
    • Weight: 490g
    • Battery: 8840mAh (typ) battery with 33W fast charging

    Bottomline:

    • A solid choice for someone looking for a tablet.