Monday, November 2, 2020

Gadget Reviews Roundup: October 2020

November is finally here, which means the holidays are almost here. We still have more reviews coming up, but before we get into those, let’s take a look back at the gadgets we reviewed last month. We have the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G, Lenovo Legion Phone Duel, and ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15. Check out our Gadget Reviews Roundup for October 2020.

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Sabbat Vooplay TWS

The Sabbat Vooplay is available in a plethora of color options in Lazada and Shoppee and is priced at PHP 2,790. If you’re looking for earphones that sit in between style and function, have good soundstage, and are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, then these truly wireless earphones might be the one for you.

Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G

For PHP 24,990 (8GB + 256GB), the Mi 10T Pro 5G is definitely a steal. You’re already getting a 144Hz refresh rate display, a powerful processor, impressive photo and video quality with tons of features, and great battery life. Plus, it’s 5G-ready. So if you want to own your first affordable flagship 5G device, the Mi 10T Pro 5G is the best choice.

Acer Swift 3 (AMD Ryzen 7 4700U)

With the Acer Swift 3’s slim and lightweight build, good performance for its class, a nice set of I/Os, and decent battery life, this can be considered a great device for school or professional use and entertainment as well. You might not be able to play a lot of AAA games on it in high frame rates, but it has enough power to take on your daily tasks. Acer is yet to announce the local SRP of this model, but we’ll let you know once we have the information.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15

We mostly see gaming laptops as a machine designed for what they are, for games, while productivity and multitasking come second. With the ROG Zephyrus Duo, we now have something that can satisfy not just the gamers but serious creators who need the versatility provided by a secondary screen. Even if they’re away from their external monitor planted on their desktops, they can still have some of those multitasking capabilities.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G

As a smartphone slash tablet that costs PHP 109,990, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is no gimmick. It aims to be a productivity workhorse, and I guess you can say that it’s also growing to be a status symbol. With Samsung listening to their consumers’ feedback, the Z Fold2 really had excellent upgrades, and I’m not just talking about the 5G connectivity or the improved hinge. Undeniably, it’s a cool, futuristic, and vogue device.

realme 7i

The realme 7i is coming out strong with a PHP 11,990 price tag, considering that it has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. We’ve been using this device for about two weeks now, and so far, we like it. From having a smooth 90hz refresh rate, a 5,000mAh battery that can last the whole day without charging, plus an 18W fast charging capabilities, and a decent set of cameras with 64MP sensors, the realme 7i is indeed a reliable device.

Samsung Galaxy M51

For PHP 19,990, the Samsung Galaxy M51 is not the flashiest smartphone in the market today. However, it still offers a lot that you might really consider, especially if you’re focused on buying a Samsung smartphone. You get a massive 7,000mAh battery, and then there’s the Snapdragon 730G chipset, the Super AMOLED Plus display, and a good set of cameras. It’s a well-rounded device, and it makes it the perfect phone for people who use a phone rather than flaunt it.

Huawei MatePad T10

The Huawei MatePad T10 has an enticing price of PHP 6,999. With almost half the bigger sibling’s price, the T 10s, the trimmed down aspects seem to be very reasonable. But if you are going to buy this entry-level tablet, be sure to manage your expectations. Of course, don’t expect Google Mobile Services and LTE connectivity; plus, the performance isn’t buttery smooth with the limited RAM. Nonetheless, do expect a long battery life and expandable storage for up to 512GB.

Lenovo Legion Phone Duel

Gaming phones are no longer new, and there are several options available for smartphones in this category. However, the Legion Phone Duel impresses us with its gaming-centric features to satisfy a serious gamer’s basic needs. There’s landscape orientation of the front camera, which streamers will love, and the fast dual Type-C charging that will save gamers time. Do we need to mention the most powerful Qualcomm chip to date, large RAM, fast storage, 5G connectivity, and 144Hz AMOLED display? The Legion Phone Duel is simply a beast.

Huawei MateBook 14

The Huawei MateBook 14 is a recommendable notebook for work, thanks to its hi-res and color-accurate display, capable CPU, large RAM, fast storage, and good battery life. At PHP 54,999, it’s less expensive than some ultrabooks with similar specs. We would have preferred a larger storage capacity, but that would probably push the price higher. It’s not a gaming laptop, though, but a great workhorse with features that will be utilized best by Huawei smartphone or tablet users.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 (14IIL05)

Given its hardware, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 (14IIL05) has a desktop computing performance. Although it compensates with a fingerprint scanner, it has everything that a working professional needs. Ideal for those who are always on the go, Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 is one of the daily workhorses that can work and play. It performs faster, provides better connectivity and battery life, and has enough ports for presentations and peripherals.

Huawei MatePad T 10s

The Huawei MatePad T 10s is available for PHP 12,999. And honestly, we think it’s a pretty good deal. It’s not the best out there, but you get what you pay for, and maybe even more with the ample storage and high-quality audio. Then again, there’s the no Google services issue, and that’s probably where most of your decision making goes. If you’re up for the slight hassle of sideloading apps or relying on browser versions, then yes, go for it! But if you’re not, and you highly use Google apps most of the time, then you might want to look elsewhere.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i with the configuration mentioned above is priced at PHP 59,995. It’s more affordable than most gaming laptops and some Ultrabooks that don’t have a GPU for running graphics-intensive tasks. The inclusion of a gaming mouse is also a nice touch. However, despite its gaming prowess, I don’t see it as a “gaming laptop”, which I reserve for the Legion line.

vivo Y20i

To be fair, the vivo Y20i is one decent device. It has an immersive display, a pretty good set of cameras, and a large battery. However, for PHP 7,490, we think that it’s a little overpriced for its specs– to think that it still sports a micro-USB port. At this price point, you can cop the realme 6i and the Redmi Note 9, which comes with better specs.

Lenovo Smart Tab M8 HD

Given the specs, it’s not something you’d want to have as a productivity device. It’s more like for students looking for a tool where they can stream learning content at home or for anyone who wants to browse the internet or social media accounts casually. The PHP 8,490 (bundled with the smart charging station) seems enticing as well. However, if you don’t need an 8-inch screen, we suggest getting a smartphone instead.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+

For all the features that come with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+, it is an easy pick for anyone who is looking to do productive tasks without having to bring bulky gadgets like laptops. It’s portable, well-equipped, and has the current best features that an Android tablet can offer. The only thing that would stop you from getting this device is its price at PHP 63,990. If you ask me personally, that is a price that I am willing to pay. After all, you get what you pay for with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+.

Lenovo Smart Tab M10 FHD Plus

The Lenovo Smart Tab M10 FHD Plus offers a nice display, premium build, decent performance, good speakers, LTE connectivity, a smart charging dock, and long battery life. At PHP 13,990 (4GB + 64GB), it can be a bit pricey for some but still competitive considering the price jump you’ll have to take if you want a beefier tablet. It would have been nicer, though, if it came with a pen and an upgrade to Android 10. Still, given its functionality and features, we can recommend this tablet for students looking for an online learning device.

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