By the time you are reading this, there will only be 27 days left before Christmas.
How are your holiday plans coming along?
As they say, the world turns and whatever challenges come its way, some traditions never change. Still, ‘tis the season to be wary. With the vaccine still half a year away at least (that’s if we’re lucky), you certainly don’t want to be caught in large crowds and risk losing your tastebuds.
But no matter how much things change, some will always remain the same—like our yearly gift guide that will help you choose the best gadgets and accessories to give your significant others.
Just when you thought you had your dream phone already in your cart, waiting for that 12.12 promo, here comes POCO (again) to make you think twice and I don’t know if that’s naughty or nice.
After the wildly successful POCO X3 NFC which caused chaos in the mid-range category, here comes the POCO M3 which embodies the brand’s philosophy of “everything you need, nothing you don’t.”
The POCO M3 marks the debut of the M-series, the brand’s foray into the entry-level market ushering in a new era as an independent brand. Since the POCO F1 debuted in 2018, the brand has entered more than 35 markets within three years and sold over 6 million POCO phones globally.
The new product line builds on POCO’s success of competing with top-of-the line flagships with its F-series, as well as the impact of its X series in the mid-range category, opening the brand up to a new set of global tech lovers.
A quick rundown of the spec sheet shows that the POCO M3 has a 48MP triple camera setup, 6,000 mAh battery, an FHD+ display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chipset, making it a great all-rounder for young entertainment-on-the-move enthusiasts.
The triple camera setup is headlined by 48MP shooter and supported by a 2MP macro camera and 2MP depth sensor. On the front you get an 8MP selfie camera. Letting you explore your creativity, the POCO M3’s Movie Frame gives photos a cinematic flavor, while Time-Lapse leverages various speed values to capture different scenes. Night Mode enhances photos taken in dark environments by boosting the color contrast, while Color Focus can make specific tones pop so you can standout.
Equipped with the largest battery capacity in its class, the 6,000mAh high charge cycle battery is said to last from 1.5 days of heavy use to 5 days under light usage. This specially-designed battery is also built to withstand high temperatures and nearly 2.5 years of usage without notable degradation, ensuring a long-lasting experience. In addition, the device comes with a 22.5W in-box charger and supports reverse wired charging.
The POCO M3 brings FHD+ displays to entry-level devices sporting a 2340 x 1080 resolution on its a 6.53” FHD+ Dot Drop display along with an impressive 1,500:1 contrast ratio and 19.5:9 aspect ratio for a dazzling edge-to-edge viewing experience. Its Corning Gorilla Glass 3 front screen offers some protection against drops and scratches, while its anti-fingerprint textured back cover provides a secure grip and superior lightweight feel. POCO M3 is easy on the eyes not just superficially—as it is TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light-certified, meaning users can watch hours of content with minimal eye strain. And to make your viewing experience even better, it has a dual speaker system with dust blaster that provides superior sound with powerful bass for an immersive indoor entertainment experience.
For security, the POCO M3 is equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which again is something you only see in higher-priced smartphones.
POCO is all about power and the M3 delivers with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor, paired with Qualcomm Adreno 610 GPU and 4GB of RAM. The 11nm processor delivers higher performance, less heat production and lower power consumption. With its UFS storage promising higher performance, speed and multitasking, you will edge out the competition when it comes to opening apps and games quicker than your opponent.
Gamers will appreciate the MIUI Game Booster that allows you to track CPU and GPU usage in real time, while the voice changer brings a little spice to your gaming experience. It also gives you the option of casting your screen onto an external monitor.
The POCO M3 comes in Cool Blue, Power Black and the eye-catching POCO Yellow, and as a Christmas treat to consumers, variants will be available on November 27 and 28 at early bird prices of P5,990 (4GB+64GB) and P6,990 (4GB+128GB), a P1,000 price drop from their recommended retail prices.
Meanwhile, two of my favorite purchases during this pandemic are from a brand called Momax. I’ve reviewed a few of their audio devices before so I was quite confident when I decided to get their UV Box and UV Light.
The Momax UV Sanitizing Box uses UV (ultraviolet) light technology to kill up to 99.9 percent of bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, candida albicans) and germs.
What makes it different from those other UV boxes is that it also functions as a wireless charger. It can wirelessly charge your iPhone quickly and safely at 7.5W output, or your Android phone at 10W with its built-in Qi Wireless Charging. It even has a built-in aroma diffuser—just add a drop of liquid fragrance while sanitizing and your phone will not only be clean but smell good as well.
It supports 2 modes of UV cleaning. According to laboratory test results, it can kill 99.9 percent of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli within 18 minutes (Fast) and kill 99.9 percent Candida albicans within 30 minutes (standard). You can also use it to sanitize masks, earbuds and watches as well as long as it can fit inside.
The other device that I bring with me whenever I go out is the Momax UV-Pen UV-C LED Sanitize. This portable sanitizer and handheld germicidal sanitizing stick kills 99.9 percent of bacteria and germs on most surfaces. It utilizes UV-C light to eliminate the threat of bacteria, viruses, mold spores, and allergy-inducing micro-organisms found on countless items and surfaces we interact with daily.
This product has also been laboratory-tested to kill bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans, as the UV disinfection light destroys the molecular structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) or RNA (ribonucleic acid). All you have to do is hover the UV light about 3 to 5cm away from the device you want to sanitize for 10 to 30 seconds. A single charge can last you for about four hours, but you can fully charge it again in just 40minutes. As UV light can be dangerous, this Momax UV-Pen has a safety feature and automatically shuts off the UV-C LED when it is facing upwards preventing it from directly hitting your eyes. The Momax UV Box and UV pen are available from Digital Walker and HomeOffice.ph.
Since the pandemic broke out, you’ve probably seen a lot of celebrities wearing a small device around their necks. These are called wearable air purifiers and they release negative ions, called anions, that “clean” the air around you from airborne pollutants like bacteria, viruses, pollen, smoke, molds and dust mites.
IonAir by Dr. Zen is one of the latest portable necklace air purifiers and negative ion generators. It works by releasing millions of these electrically negative charged molecules into its surrounding area, binding with the pollutants and virus in the air. The ions then transfer the negative charge to the pollutants, making everything negatively charged. The negative ions then act as a reverse magnet or a shield, to repel the anions that are now bonded with the pollutants, effectively pushing them out of your breathing zone.
Negative ion purification technology can effectively dispel airborne particles including smoke and PM2.5, so you’re less likely to sneeze, cough, or have throat irritation. It also claims to be able to reduces stress, increase immunity, lowers blood pressure, improve breathing and regulate sleep patterns and mood.