Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Gadget Reviews Roundup: June 2020

And we’re done with the first half of 2020. Before we kick-off for the second half, let’s take a look back at the gadgets we reviewed last month. This includes the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, Lenovo Yoga C940, the Vivo V19 series, Xiaomi Redmi Note 9, OnePlus 8, and Huawei Nova 7SE 5G. Check out our Gadget Reviews Roundup for the month of June.

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Lenovo Yoga C940

The Lenovo Yoga C940 is a stylish premium convertible with lots of aces under its deck. For one, it is simply a stunner in terms of design and very compact, which grants mobility to its users. It has enough processing speed to run most productivity apps and digital content software. In terms of entertainment, it delivers impressive visual and audio quality. However, for its price of PHP 99,995, the inclusion of a USB-C adapter for additional ports would have been nice. It’s also good that Lenovo made sure that the USB Type-C ports support DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3, and PD charging.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

The ROG Zephyrus G14 isn’t without fault. The biggest gripe is that it gets too hot to the touch, especially when gaming. You’d need to use an external keyboard if you’re doing anything taxing for extended periods of time. It’s also not the most value gaming laptop out there. ASUS’ Strix line can offer you similar performance at a lower price. But if portability and aesthetic are really important to you, then it’s an excellent choice. You shouldn’t look at the Zephyrus G14 as a gaming laptop, but rather an amazing laptop that can game.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro is available in two options. The 6GB + 64GB is priced at PHP 12,490, while the 6GB + 128GB option is available for PHP 13,990. This phone offers decent cameras and a modest IPS display in a sleek and robust form factor. It’s not far from its predecessor, but we do get a more improved lag-free performance with reliable battery life. Of course, there’s some competition today in this price range, but the Note 9 series definitely hasn’t lost its game. For its price, consider this another bang-for-your-buck smartphone.

Vivo V19 Neo

The Vivo V19 Neo may be under the shadow of the higher V19, but it is good enough to meet the demands of a wide variety of users. You get an impressive Super AMOLED display, a stylish design, a sizable battery, decent performance, and cameras that surely don’t disappoint your social media demands. Although it’s not as good as the V19 when it comes to performance and front camera versatility, for the price gap, the V19 Neo delivers, and we think you’ll still be happy getting it.

Vivo V19

Vivo’s V-series is well-known for its cameras, but as for the V19, it seems like they’re now considering more internal aspects that matter to a lot of users. It may have a year-old Snapdragon 712 chip but it still provides a smooth multitasking experience. The battery life is amazing and of course, the cameras are loaded with useful features. If you’re coming from the V17 Pro, then this is a worthy upgrade considering the new offerings. But if you’re still looking for a new smartphone with reliable performance and outstanding cameras, then you might want to add this to your list.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9

With an attractive physical design, above-average camera quality, and good battery life, the Redmi Note 9 is a promising entry-level device that doesn’t skimp out on performance and build quality. By no means is this a hardware beast, but for what it can offer at a very competitive price point, it’s a pretty good choice for those looking to buy an affordable yet respectable device. The Redmi Note 9 is priced at PHP 7,990 for the 3+64GB variant and PHP 9,990 for the 4+128GB.

OPPO A92

Priced at PHP 15,990, the OPPO A92 sits in the mid-range category. As such, it’s not an easy phone to recommend considering its aging chipset and similar specs with the A9 2020. Additionally, there are other devices from competitors that can deliver better performance for the same price range. That being said, the OPPO A92 is still a reliable daily driver with its large display, premium-looking design, decent cameras, massive battery, and dual stereo speakers that you can’t find in other phones at this price point.

Huawei P40 Pro+

The Huawei P40 Pro is already a powerful device on its own, and for most users, it’s already enough. But Huawei wants to take the experience up a notch higher, and this is where the P40 Pro+ comes in. Aside from the large and immersive 6.58-inch display with 90Hz display, Kirin 990 5G, 5G connectivity, 8GB of RAM, and 4,200mAh battery are not enough, you’ll also get up to 512GB of storage, 40W fast wireless charging, exclusive ceramic finish, and penta rear cameras with impressive zoom capabilities.

ASUS ExpertBook B9450F

The ASUS ExpertBook B9 checks out in everything an on-the-go professional would need. It has a color-accurate screen with slim bezels, powerful processor, large RAM, high-speed storage, a pleasant keyboard with a functional trackpad, security features, and a long battery life. All of that is housed in a slim and lightweight chassis that not only looks good but is tough as well. It’s easy to imagine this machine in the corporate environment in the hands of the executive and managers. The price is hefty though, the model we have here will cost you PHP 169,995. But it should fit right in with anyone who requires the benefits mentioned and have the budget.

OnePlus 8

Despite lacking an IP rating, mind-blowing camera quality, and wireless charging, the OnePlus 8 is still no doubt a solid flagship and is probably enough to satisfy anyone looking for this caliber of a phone without having to shell out upwards of PHP 50k. You’re still getting a lot of premium features like A+ design, a 90Hz AMOLED display, solid performance, great battery life, fast charging, one of the best Android launchers in the market, and even 5G connectivity.

Huawei Nova 7SE 5G

The Huawei Nova 7 SE is a well-rounded device that performs well in all aspects. It has an amazing IPS display, a solid mid-range chipset, capable cameras, respectable battery life, and of course, 5G connectivity. All of its upsides are magnified by its affordable price of just PHP 19,990. If you’re already a fan of Huawei’s EMUI and don’t mind the extra hassle of sideloading a few apps, then the Huawei Nova 7 SE is an easy phone to recommend to people who are looking to get a 5G capable device today.

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