realme was first known as OPPO’s sub-brand that was aimed at the budget-conscious segment.

Although they still have affordable offerings in the lineup, they also gear towards delivering high-performance devices for the mid-class.

After all, they’ve been a separate brand from their former parent company for quite some time and continuously thrive to fight more dominant players in the competition.

realme’s solution to keep their dominance in such a vast market? A new sub-brand that serves the same purpose as what they have been doing during their early years — and that is where TechLife stands on the podium.

Itsy-Bitsy Fancy

Gone are the days of budget tablets that feel icky with their plasticky bodies.

The TechLife Pad has an oh-so-thin 7.4mm metal design specifically made of 90% aluminum and ABS plastic — a thermoplastic that makes it resistant to impact.

TechLife even highlights that the material is “scratch-resistant” so you should free yourself from those unscathed worries.

However, I ain’t JerryRigEverything so I cannot test that claim.

Personally, I like the two-tone design. That dark, stark contrast highlights the two circular camera modules and flash unit at the back. It reminds me of some Pro-level Android tablets released in the recent years.

Lastly, the presence of a 3.5mm audio jack still lives on 🤘🏼

Although I’m not THAT type who uses a gigantic tablet with plugged wired earphones out and about, I don’t judge users who prefer it that way. Additionally, it can also be used to connect your good ol’ external speakers the traditional way.

If you have large hands like I do, you can hold the tablet single-handedly — typing notwithstanding.

Despite being this slim, it still feels grippy rather than being slippery. But someone’s sweaty palms might invalidate my statement.

That said, it’s still better to get a keyboard case with stand for it. Overall, I approve both its look and feel.

Multimedia Madness

You simply cannot take your eyes off of its 10.36-inch display with 2K resolution. That’s 2000 x 1200 to be precise. Furthermore, it has 450 nits of max brightness.

For some, the 60Hz refresh rate and 184ppi pixel density might be dealbreakers. But for what it’s worth, it seems adequate.

At the end of the day, it’s targeted to consumers who aren’t nit-picky when it comes to consuming multimedia as well as e-book/magazine/comic/manga/manhwa-tever you prefer reading.

Most afforda-blets don’t even offer stereo speakers. However, the TechLife Pad begs to differ with its Quad Surround Sound Speaker System.

It’s very loud especially when you hit it at 100%. Lows, mids, and highs offer the right balance, enough for party or bathroom concert sessions.

Meaningless to say, this tablet does NOT have an IP rating — and we don’t really expect one in this category.

With camera filters built-in

While the camera offers nothing special, having one still means a lot for most users. It’s an 8-megapixel shooter to be exact.

Aside from taking snaps, it’s also useful for scanning document and QR codes, capturing whiteboard presentations, notes, and more.

For selfies or video calls via Zoom or Google Meet, there’s a 5-megapixel front camera as well.

Of course, don’t expect anything grand in quality.

Mediocre yet tolerable

The TechLife Pad is equipped with an octa-core Unisoc T606 chipset based on a 12nm process.

Moreover, it runs stock Android 14 right off the bat.

Not only it has a toned-down version of Material You…

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

…there’s also Split Screen support as well as Google Kids Space meant for — you’ve guessed it — children!

It can run the most basic apps — Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, you name ’em!

minus the Math Notes feature 🥲

It even has a built-in Calculator app  👀

Basic games should run, too. For instance, Subway Surfers ran alright — but with occasional hiccups.

That is also the sign that having a smooth-sailing boat ride is far from reality when playing titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile (CoDM) or Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB). More so, the more-demanding Genshin Impact.

Even at the lowest graphic setting, I’ve experienced a lot of stutters that made me miss hitting opponents during my ranked match gameplays in CoDM. *pretends to be shocked*

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Even so, I don’t possess a ~skill issue~ and still aced my game 😘

While it only comes in a lone 4GB + 128GB configuration, expansion exists.

Virtual RAM extends the physical memory double its original capacity (8GB) using the device’s onboard storage. Furthermore, there’s also a microSD slot of up to 1TB for all your small storage woes.

Speaking of, that particular slot also supports SIM with 4G LTE / VoLTE to wash away your slow Wi-Fi worries.

And now that I’ve mentioned, it can connect via the faster 5GHz Wi-Fi bandwidth — something most budget devices fail to do so.

A Matter of Power

The TechLife Pad ships with a 7,000mAh battery. While it may not sound a lot for a full-size tablet like this, it still packs ample juice to get through the day.

In my week of using the device, it lasts right before (or after) the sun sets, especially when you casually use it time-to-time.

But, if you’re like me who casually plays games, binge-watches hours worth of flicks or streams a lot of K-Pop songs, music videos, and live performances, it will obviously deplete more battery level than usual.

Case in point:

After installing CoDM and downloading resources for around two (2) hours, there was already a 20% battery depletion (from 48% down to 28%). Factors include having 50% screen brightness and being connected to Wi-Fi. Mobile data is obviously turned off.

After finishing all the required game elements, I played three game battles for 30 minutes. It went down to as much as 16%.

By then, I decided to make the most out of it and watched two episodes of NMIXX Haewon’s Work-Dol — specifically her being a flight stewardess and a mukbanger assistant. It lasted all throughout that 30-minute marathon — until the TechLife Pad ultimately died down.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

All in all, a mix of intense gameplay and moderate entertainment usage with 50% charge gives you three (3) hours worth of battery life.

Trivial Trade-Offs

1. Lack of Pen/Stylus Support

With that massive display, a pen/stylus support should be expected. But that isn’t the case for the TechLife Pad.

For students or budget-conscious creatives who are looking for an affordable Android tablet, don’t get your hopes up as this tablet does NOT support any type of proprietary pen or generic stylus whatsoever.

2. No Fingerprint Sensor

Despite that shiny power button, it does NOT include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometrics.

Still, its front-facing 5MP front camera can do Face Unlock authentication — though not as secure as using your fingerprint when unlocking.

3. Restrictive resolution

When I watch videos on YouTube, I automatically play them at the highest resolution possible. I then noticed that the TechLife Pad cannot play 4K Ultra HD videos — not even 2K Quad HD!

That’s not all. TechLife Pad has a weird thing going where it limits certain videos to just 720p despite having 1080p or 4K options natively.

What a waste of display size and resolution for something we cannot truly maximize. As someone who has clear eyes, seeing evident pixelation in a large display like this kinda ruins the overall viewing experience.

I’m pointing my fingers none other than to its underpowered processor and its limitations.

4. Slower than ever charging

The TechLife Pad has a USB-C port for both data transfers and charging. After all, brands do this now for the sake of cable universality as well as minimizing e-waste.

Albeit, charging speeds are limited to a measly 10W. My charge test proves that such speed is quite unacceptable for a device this large.

While not a direct comparison, it reminds me of the old ASUS Zenfone Max I used when I was just a student eight years ago.

ASUS Zenfone Max (2016)

During its heyday, 5000mAh battery is still a novelty. That’s also the time when fast charging speeds weren’t that developed yet — solely relying on sluggish charging and requires more than 2 to 3 hours to get it filled to the brim.

However, it’s already 2024. Limiting a 10W charging protocol in this massive device with a large battery is quite daunting.

It’s more questionable how its parent company continues to innovate by introducing blazing-fast charging speeds but didn’t offer a more acceptable 33W standard.

I understand that the realme Pad 2 at launch costs more (PhP 13,999) than the TechLife Pad. But does that also mean fast charging should come at a hefty cost? Especially when the technology itself was headlined by the parent company?

realme Pad 2 (2023)

That PhP 5,000 price gap isn’t just about the faster wired charging standard. Other factors include a better chipset and configuration, quite larger and smoother display. Lastly, a bigger battery.

But I digress. I guess the brand needed to sacrifice stuff just to keep that unwanted price gain.

Out of the Box

If you’ve come this far, here are the package contents you should expect when purchasing a shiny new TechLife Pad.

Is the TechLife Pad your BudgetMatch?

Already hinted a while ago, the TechLife Pad retails for just PhP 8,999 with two color choices: Graphite Blue and Graphite Gray.

Who would have thought that the day will come where a tablet this fancy would cost way below the PhP 10K mark?

If you don’t care about the compromises aforementioned like its underpowered chipset, lack of proper pen support, playback resolution limitations, as well as painfully slow charging speeds, the TechLife Pad is more than enough for your multimedia needs.

That’s considering it has a quad-speaker system, support for reliable 4G/LTE plus speedy 5GHz Wi-Fi connectivity, and even a generous storage expandability via microSD.

It may not have the most advanced knick-knacks when it comes to display, charging protocols, and even tablet functionality, but for what its worth, the TechLife Pad is a tablet worthy to try out.

Exclusive Deals

The TechLife Pad is available in Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop, and other retailers nationwide.

Early buyers should enjoy these online-exclusive deals:

TikTok (June 27 — June 30) or Lazada (June 28 — June 30)

• Discounted price of PhP 8,499
• FREE TechLife Wireless Earbuds (worth PhP 999)

There are also offline offers that await prospective purchasers:

Pre-order Freebies

• Get a FREE TechLife 2-in-1- Cable + TechLife Keyboard for Pad worth PhP 1,448 (until supplies last)
• Also a FREE TechLife Keyboard for Pad worth PhP 1,099 (while supplies last) for purchases made between June 28 to 30, 2024

0% Installment Credit Card (6/12 months) or Home Credit (6/9 months)

• For purchases made between June 27 to July 31, 2024

@gadgetmatch

Huawei MatePad 11.5”S: PaperMatte and NearLink are this iPad killer’s greatest weapons 💪

♬ Superficial Gesture – DJ BAI

Nothing is quite like a perfect tablet. And that’s because nothing in the market today is a perfect tablet.

Well, almost nothing.

Today, we’re taking a look at the new Huawei MatePad 11.5”S PaperMatte Edition.

Before that, how would you define an average tablet experience today? Glare! You always need an anti-glare screen protector. Terrible accessories! It’s always a struggle to find the perfect keyboard or stylus. Uninspired apps! The greatest options are almost always pay-to-use.

What if I tell you that the MatePad 11.5”S solves all of that?

PaperMatte Display

Let’s talk about the PaperMatte Display first. It has 27 layers of nanoscale anti-glare etching and magnetron optical layers. Basically, it looks and feels amazing.

Even under direct sunlight or fluorescent lighting, glare and reflections aren’t a problem. Oh, and another thing: When you apply an anti-glare screen manually, it usually sacrifices image quality. The MatePad does not have this problem. The image quality is still perfect when reading or watching.

It’s also pleasing to the touch and to write on with the M-Pencil. It feels like you’re writing on paper.

Speaking of the M-Pencil, let’s look at the accessories you can get.

Magnetic Keyboard

First up: the Magnetic Keyboard. The MatePad comes with a convenient keyboard that you can magnetically snap on. Because you can separate the case from the keyboard, you can set the tablet up in different layouts. It also connects with NearLink, not Bluetooth. It should work even from afar. And yes, I mean far.

3rd-gen M-Pencil

Now, let’s check out the 3rd-gen M-Pencil. It comes with 10,000 pressure sensing levels. Like an actual pen, the stroke changes depending on how hard you press down. There’s also a replaceable tip that’s more suited to writing. It also connects with NearLink technology. And if you’re not using it, the M-Pencil snaps into place on the tablet’s side.

GoPaint App

But if you are using it, the best way to maximize it is HUAWEI’s own GoPaint app. GoPaint is honestly one of the best sketching and painting apps I’ve ever used. Even if you’re just a beginner, GoPaint is so easy to use.

It comes with more than 100 brush presets, layers, and gestures. Oh, and it comes with tutorials, so you’ll never feel lost. The best part: It’s free, unlike Adobe or Procreate.

Performance tablet

If that’s not enough, you also get all the performance you’ll need from a tablet. Including a Kirin 9000 chipset. And the Pro version of WPS for free. And an 8800mAh battery to keep the tablet, keyboard, and M-Pencil powered for a long time. Whether you’re going back to school or trying to get a leg up on your career the MatePad 11.5”S is such an amazing tablet to have.

Price, pre-order details

The HUAWEI MatePad 11.5″S 8GB + 256GB in Violet and Space Grey is worth PHP 29,999

Pre-order Freebies (from June 28 – July 4):

• HUAWEI Smart Magnetic Keyboard worth PHP 6,999
• HUAWEI M-Pencil worth PHP 5,999
• HUAWEI Bluetooth Mouse worth PHP 1,899
• PC-Level WPS Office worth PHP 4,999

Available on Shopee, Lazada, TikTok, HUAWEI Online Store, and HUAWEI Experience Stores nationwide

Buy Links

• HUAWEI’s official website: https://bit.ly/3xlWQQZ
• HUAWEI Online Store: https://bit.ly/45ud1s1
• Shopee: https://bit.ly/45BGgJp
• Lazada: https://bit.ly/4brdP2p

Just a month after Apple’s announcement, the newest 2024 M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air are now here in the Philippines!

Power Mac Center has got you covered not just with these new power-packed iPads, but also with all the exciting deals and freebies they have in-store for everyone — literally and figuratively.

Thinpossible

Gone are the confusing days of 10.9 and 12.9-incher iPads. ICYMI, the new 2024 M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air now come in two common sizes: a “regular” 11-inch model and a larger 13-inch variant.

Other than having a larger-sized iPad Air for the first time in forever, the new Air is also supercharged by the new M2 chip (coming from the older A14 Bionic from 2020 and M1 chip last 2021).

Meanwhile, the iPad Pro debuts with M4, Apple’s latest Silicon chip offering — and the first device to have it.

Apple has also reorganized the camera layout in the new iPad Pro by moving the front camera from the top to its side. On the back, it has also omitted the ultra-wide lens in favor of a better flash unit and ambient light sensor.

The new iPad Pro also boasts the “most advanced” Ultra Retina XDR display with Tandem OLED tech, bringing the best in visual clarity and superiority.

Moreover, the M4 iPad Pro is the thinnest iPad to date — even thinner than the iPad Air! It’s precisely 5.1mm for the 13-inch model and 5.3mm for its 11-inch counterpart.

Lastly, there’s also the Apple Pencil Pro meant for the full-on pros. With new and upgraded sensors also mean new functions and features not just meant for note-taking, but also when it comes to doing art.

Imagine on iPad

Now that we’re on the topic of art, Power Mac Center’s #ImagineOniPad wants to highlight all the infinite possibilities you can do with your iPad — regardless if it’s for work or play.

First in the masterclass is the illustrator/designer Jethro Olba — the mastermind behind the #ImagineoniPad illustration you see above.

He told everyone how the iPad was involved every step of the way — whether it’s for a grand brand collab or just for his passion-driven projects.

Jethro has also proved how the iPad helped him expand his entire portfolio that made him bag numerous partnerships and collaborations with brands — particularly those on the streetwear side.

And as a visual artist, the iPad’s color-rich display paired with the combination of natural-looking brushes, as well as the existence of tools like Procreate, Adobe Fresco, and Figma, all helped him accomplish stuff that he can’t imagine doing on “just” an iPad.

On the other hand, singer-songwriter slash all-rounder musician Noah Raquel had a different experience approach.

Just like most of us, the pandemic has blocked him to take the path he wanted to pursue. But with the continuous rise of TikTok paired with his innate talent in music, he tried doing what was something unimaginable.

From borrowing his mom’s iPhone to record several types of voice recordings during the late night. Making use of a real bread to re-create a quirkier cover of Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso. All the way to actually using Logic Pro to create a song produced solely by him.

This made the recognition he deserves and even got tapped by PMC for the wonderful talent he’s continually showcasing over these years through several platforms enjoyed by millions and billions of users worldwide — especially in the advent of social media and content creation.

Pricing and Availability

The M4 iPad Pro is available in either Space Black or Silver colorways.

These are its pricing and storage configurations — including the higher-end 1/2TB models in either Standard or Nano-Texture Glass options.

Meanwhile, the M2 iPad Air are available in several color choices like Starlight, Blue, Purple, andSpace Gray.

Fantastic Freebies + Deals

From June 21 to 23, 2024, Power Mac Center is offering limited-time deals and fantastic freebies at the 4th Apple Premium Partner store located in SM Megamall. These include:

• A free PanzerGlass Screen Protector
• Anker SoundCore R50 True Wireless Earphones

If you apply for a UnionBank credit card in-store and get approved the same day, you can use it and get PhP 10,000 off your M4 iPad Pro or M2 iPad Air as long as you have a minimum spending of PhP 50,000 on a 24-month installment basis with 0% interest. This offer is valid only until June 30, 2024.

That’s not all! You can even trade in your old iPad from June 21 until July 31, 2024 through their UpTrade program. This gives you an additional trade-in value of up to PhP 3000. This deal isn’t limited to Power Mac Center Premium Centers as it’s available across all PMC branches and The Loop stores nationwide.

Moreover, one lucky buyer who will purchase either the M4 iPad Pro or the M2 iPad Air between June 21st to June 30th has the chance to score PhP 30,000-worth of PMC GCs (Gift Certificates). This raffle is open not just to physical stores but also through their web stores.

Lastly, buying either of the two new 2024 iPads until August 31, 2024 can earn 1 Infinite members raffle entries to the Miles and Milestones: The 30th Anniversary Raffle — with a brand new BYD ATTO 3 EV (Electric Vehicle) as the grand prize.