Cool for the summer: Budget phones that won’t make you sweat bullets

an all-rounder smartphone.

The realme C55 comes with a 64MP flagship-grade camera, a MediaTek Helio chipset, and a 5000mAh battery. The phone runs on the latest version of Realme UI based on Android 13 and comes in two variants: the 6GB+128GB priced at P8,999 and an 8GB+256GB for P9,999. It initially launched with two colors: Sunshower and Rainy Night but recently added a TikTok exclusive Rainforest color.

testament as to why the brand continues to be the No. 1 smartphone company in the country for two years.

REDMI 12C: BIGGER SCREEN AND STORAGE browsing various web sites without having to squint or zoom in to read the text.

NOW if you are a Xiaomi fan, or looking for an even more affordable phone that wouldn’t cut into your summer budget, you might want to consider the Redmi 12C instead.

To help you capture those summer memories, the Redmi 12C is equipped with 50MP f/1.8 main camera and a 5MP f/2.2 front camera. The main camera can capture decent photos with good colors and contrast.

WHEN the iPhone 14 Pro launched, one of its most hyped features was its Dynamic Island, which many hoped would put the oft-reviled notch to rest—well at least for the Pro models.

Six months later, the Dynamic Island turned out to be much like the emperor’s new bling, and felt more gimmicky than useful. It’s still a neat concept, but like all first versions of anything, I guess we’ll have to wait for the iPhone 15 to see if it would become more useful.

Still, it was a pretty fancy idea that was too good to pass on, and it was just a matter of time before we got an Android version of the “Island.”

Well, meet the realme C55, an entry-level device that introduces its own take on the concept and calls it the “Mini Capsule.” This nifty software feature is supposed to show three main functions: Charging and Battery Status, Data Usage, and Step Tracking.

So far, however, it can only display the charging and battery status with the other two coming via OTA update along with an Always-On function.

But more than just being the first to have this iPhone flagship feature, there are a lot of other things to like about the realme C55. It’s actually a good choice for those thinking of a gift for younger students or a Mother’s Day surprise for those who prefer a no-frills smartphone, or for budget hunters on the lookout for

APPLE POSTS QUARTERLY REVENUE DECLINE; IPHONE SALES SOLID

APPLE once again posted an, until now, rare revenue decline in its latest fiscal quarter, but said its overall business improved from the December quarter and sales of its iPhones were solid.

The results reported on Thursday were better than Wall Street’s muted expectations and Apple’s stock rose in after-hours trading.

The latest numbers come after the Cupertino, California, company in February posted its first quarterly revenue drop in nearly four years after pandemic-driven restrictions on its China factories curtailed sales of the latest iPhone during the holiday season.

Apple said it earned $24.16 billion, or $1.52 per share, in the three-month period that ended April 1. That was down slightly from $25.01 billion, also $1.52 per share, a year earlier. Revenue fell 3 percent to $94.84 billion from $97.28 billion. Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of $1.43 per share on revenue of $92.91 billion, according to a poll by FactSet.

For the current, fiscal third quarter, Apple said it expects revenue performance to be “similar” to the second quarter. Analysts are forecasting $84.5 billion, which is well below what Apple is suggesting.

Apple said iPhone sales brought in $51.33 billion in revenue in the first quarter. Analysts expected a more modest $48.66 billion. Revenue in its key services division was $20.91 billion, slightly above Wall Street’s estimates of $20.66 billion.

CEO Tim Cook said in a conference call that Apple is seeing “ongoing challenges” related to the broader economic environment but the company continues to “manage for the long term.”

Unlike many of its tech industry peers, Apple hasn’t signaled any intention to resort to mass layoffs. Industry giants such as Google parent Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook parent Meta Platforms have announced plans to jettison tens of thousands of employees in recent months as they adjust to revenue slowdowns or downturns caused by people’s lessening dependence on the digital realm as pandemic restrictions have eased. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said Apple delivered a “LeBron-like March,” referring to the basketball star LeBron James. “The iPhone beat was front and center,” Ives said, adding that it’s a clear indication that the company is continuing to gain market share in China.

The company said its board also approved a $90 billion share buyback program and raised its regular quarterly dividend by 4 percent to 24 cents a share.

Apple’s shares climbed about 2 percent in after-hours trading. AP

Dubbed #TheStylishChampion, the realme C55 doesn’t look like your usual entry-level phone. I have the Sunshower variant and it looks great, actually better-looking than some of its pricier rivals. The brand draws inspiration from nature for this design as 50,000 light particles from a vertical microscope lens look like lines of rain and colors splitting like a rainbow. The back panel reflects different colors when under sunlight while the texture is kept on the matte side which leads to no smudges or fingerprints.

The smartphone has an ultra slim profile measuring 165.65mm x 75.98mm and just 7.89mm thick. It weighs just 189 grams with a squared off boxier design and rounded corners for easy grip, making it very comfortable to use.

For the display, the realme C55 has a 6.72-inch FHD+ resolution screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. This is the largest display on a C-Series phone and an improvement from its predecessors HD+ screens. It offers a screen-to-body ratio of 91.4 percent for added immersive viewing, and turning on that 90Hz Refresh Rate makes visuals noticeably sharper, smoother and easier on the eyes. The 680 nits maximum brightness also gives a decent output and makes it fairly useful even outdoors.

Moving on to the cameras, the realme C55 has a dual camera setup that includes a 64MP main shooter and a 2MP depth sensor. What’s interesting is that this 64MP sensor is said to be the same one used on the flagship realme GT Master Edition released in 2021. The photos captured by the realme C55 are excellent and I think one of the best for its price point. I sometimes forgot that I was actually using an entrylevel smartphone as it can even go head-to-head with realme’s number series phones. In well-lit situations, it captures great detail with superb dynamic range, and even shots taken at 2x digital zoom appeared sharp and crisp. I found this useful for taking product shots or photos of my toys when I need to zoom in on the details.

I prefer photos that “pop” and have been a fan of realme’s more “intense” color profile. I usually keep ChromaBoost on even though it takes a bit longer to process the shot. For day-to-day social media use, you’ll be quite satisfied with the shots taken by the realme C55 and it performs quite well even when indoors or in low-light conditions. It’s obviously still not at par with flagship cameras, but the AI does a good job of hiding the loss of details and noise by injecting more color.

Also worth mentioning is that realme included several camera features from its number series including Street Mode 3.0 and ProLight Imaging Technology to allow users to experiment more with the realme C55’s cameras. For selfies, the 8MP takes nice solo and group selfies with good edge detection that separates you from the background. The C55 can shoot videos up to a resolution of up to 1080p or FHD at frame rates of 30fps and 60fps, for both front and back, but the quality isn’t really something you can rave about. It has no stabilization so its best used mounted on a tripod as shooting while walking results in a very jittery, almost dizzying output.

Running everything for the realme C55 is a Mediatek Helio G88, a 12nm chipset that features an octa-core processor and Mali-G52 MC2 GPU. Our review unit has 8GB RAM plus 256GB of internal storage but with Dynamic RAM expansion you can further boost it to 8GB additional RAM, and add up to 1TB storage via microSD.

It’s a good enough midrange processor that’s been used by a lot of other brands and just right considering its price. I never encountered any lags or slowdown in everyday tasks, nor did it crash or hang even if there were a lot of open apps. realme has always done a fine job of optimizing its devices, and the realme C55 can handle casual games without any problems. As for the battery the device easily lasted through a day of use, and the 5000mAh battery can also be quickly topped up via 33W charging.

It’s exciting to see what realme does when it updates the “mini capsule” but even without the feature, the realme C55 is an overall solid device and a

The Redmi sub-brand caters to almost every incremental price point and offers the Redmi 12C in several budget-baiting options starting at P5,499 for a 3GB+32GB; P6,499 for the 4GB+64GB; and P7,499 for the 4GB+128GB variant. There is also a 6GB+128GB priced at P8,999 if you are getting it online.

So, what do you get for such prices? Starting off with the design, Redmi 12C has a unibody build, with flat edge and a curved back polycarbonate body with a diagonal striped design. This stylish striped and ribbed design makes the device more recognizable and slip-resistant while improving its overall aesthetics and grip feel. It comes in three colorways: Ocean Blue, Mint Green, Lavander Purple and Graphite Gray.

Also on its back is the square module that houses its rear camera and fingerprint sensor. The phone is relatively lightweight at 192 grams, and measures 168.76 x 76.41 x 8.77mm.

For those who want a big screen phone, its 6.71” HD+ display offers more screen real estate with thin enough side bezels and a water drop notch that houses the front camera.

This large screen is definitely one of its standout features and the 1650 x 720 resolution with a 20.6:9 aspect ratio is immersive enough for binge-watching your favorite series, YouTube videos, for infinite scrolling those reels and TikTok videos or even just

If you are going to shoot mainly outdoors, then the Redmi 12C can take nice photos for you to save and share. Indoors and in low light, the camera struggles quite a bit as you’d expect, so you might want to use extra lighting. The 5MP selfie camera is also decent enough for selfies but again be sure to have ample lighting for best results.

Powered by MediaTek Helio G85 processor, the Redmi 12C delivers reliable performance and smooth experience in gaming, imaging, or everyday use. With up to 6+5GB extended RAM, the Redmi 12C offers quick and responsive feedback when opening and switching between apps. The MIUI 13 interface gives you plenty of customization options, and apps open fast enough and even playing casual games wouldn’t be a problem. Just make sure you limit the number of open apps to avoid slowdown or sluggishness. For those concerned about security, both the Face Unlock and fingerprint scanners are fast and reliable. Keeping things going, the large 5,000mAh battery of Redmi 12C easily provides enough power to last a full day of calling, gaming and video playback. With a starting price of just P5,499, it’s easy to recommend the Redmi12C to those who need to adhere to a strict budget. It covers pretty much everything you need in a basic phone—large clear screen, decent camera, stable performance, plus all-day battery and with expandable storage of up to 1TB via micro SD. This phone will likely store more memories and outlast all your summer flings. ■

Thai military rules out putsch after polls as campaigning ends

THAILAND’S army chief said there was “zero chance” of the Southeast Asian nation returning to a military rule in the event of post-election turmoil as politicians were set to make a final push to woo voters ahead of the election on Sunday.

Narongpan Jittkaewtae, whose term as head of the Royal Thai Army ends in five months, guaranteed that there will be no coup under his watch and that the military will remain neutral.

“I can’t confirm whether the nation will be stable going forward. This is something that every party must work together for,” said Narongpan. “But what I can confirm for sure is that there’s no chance, or zero chance” of a repeat of what happened in the past, he said when asked if there would be another putsch.

Narongpan’s comments may ease concerns about the military stepping in once again in the event of a clear win for pro-democratic opposition parties campaigning on a platform of cash handouts as well as radical reform proposals that include ending conscription to reduce the influence of the generals in Thai politics.

Opposition parties, including Pheu Thai and Move Forward, have also pledged to rewrite the Constitution if they dominate the 500-member House of Representatives to curb the role of the military-appointed Senate. Pheu Thai, linked to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has also promised to introduce an anti-coup bill.

Thailand has had a troubled relationship with democracy. Elected and military governments take turns running the country, with occasional deadly clashes and protests. The country saw 12 successful military coups since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932, the last one led by incumbent Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha against Thaksin’s sister Yingluck Shinawatra’s government in 2014.

On Friday, prime minister front-runners Paetongtarn Shinawatra of Pheu Thai, Prayuth, Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat and others will address supporters at rallies on the final day of campaigning.

T hailand’s election—which pits the military-led ruling coalition against the liberal opposition—has more than 6,600 candidates vying for 500 parliament seats. The elected members of the House of Representatives will decide alongside 250 senators handpicked during Prayuth’s military government who the next prime minister will be from more than 60 politicians in the fray.

Pheu Thai and its allies must win at least 376 seats in the lower house to counter the likely move of senators, with tenures until 2024, to keep the old guards in place and block the opposition’s candidates for premier.

Bloomberg News

LONDON—The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday that the global outbreak of mpox, which initially baffled experts when the smallpoxrelated disease spread to more than 100 countries last year, is no longer an international emergency, after a dramatic drop in cases in recent months.

Last July, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared mpox, also known as monkeypox, to be an “extraordinary” situation that qualified as a global crisis. In doing so, he overruled WHO’s expert committee, which didn’t recommend the emergency designation.

Tedros said the novel way mpox was infecting people, via sexual contact in many countries that had never before identified cases, raised numerous concerns that warranted more attention; nearly all cases were in men who were gay, bisexual or had sex with other men. It was the biggest-ever outbreak of mpox.

He said at a media briefing on Thursday that his expert committee had concluded that the recent dramatic decline in cases, with about 90 percent fewer cases in the last three months, was no longer an acute concern.

“We now see steady progress in controlling the outbreak based on the lessons of HIV and working closely with the most affected communities,” Tedros said. “I’m pleased to declare that the mpox is no longer a global health emergency.” He added that the feared backlash against the communities most affected by the outbreak “has largely not materialized.”

The announcement Thursday comes after WHO downgraded Covid-19 last week, when it said the worst part of the pandemic was over and that the coronavirus should be managed like other respiratory diseases.

Mpox has been established in parts of central and west Africa for decades, where people are mainly infected by animals like wild rodents. But the disease wasn’t known to spark big outbreaks beyond the continent or to spread easily among people until last May, when dozens of epidemics emerged in Europe, North America and elsewhere.

Mpox most often causes symptoms including a rash, fever, headache, muscle pain and swollen lymph nodes. The skin lesions can last up to a month and the disease is spread via close physical contact with an infected patient or their clothing or bedsheets. Most people don’t need medical treatment to recover.

Scientists ultimately concluded that the unprecedented outbreak was tied to sex among gay and bisexual men at raves in Spain and Belgium, marking a significant departure from the mpox’s typical pattern of spread in Africa, where outbreaks haven’t spilled across borders.

Shortly after Tedros classified monkeypox as a global emergency last year, the epidemics in Europe and North America declined, and there were no signs of widespread transmission beyond men who were gay, bisexual or had sex with other men.

European health authorities said that 98 percent of mpox patients are men and of those, 96 percent are men who have sex with men.

Mpox vaccines in rich countries were quickly rolled out and reports of severe illness were relatively rare. Cases have since slowed to a trickle in Europe and North America.

To date, WHO says there have been more than 87,000 cases and 140 deaths worldwide. Still, in the last week, WHO said cases spiked by 64 percent compared to the previous week, with most cases in the Americas and the Western Pacific.

The US has reported the biggest outbreak, with more than 30,000 cases. This week, the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control said that it was investigating a recent surge in cases around the country, including Chicago. Scientists have previously warned mpox could become entrenched as a new sexually transmitted disease, as authorities said its spread could continue indefinitely in certain populations. AP

PAALAM PETECIO

Paalam, Petecio lead 7 others in boxing finals

By Josef Ramos

PHNOM PENH—Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio lead seven other boxers fighting for gold medals this weekend at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.

I n the nine boxers’ fists partially lie the country’s chances of squeezing into a finish better than its current sixth position in the medal standings dominated by Vietnam, host Cambodia and Thailand.

Paalam and Petecio are staking their reputations as silver medalists in the Tokyo Olympics.

For Paalam, he’s fighting as a bantamweight and not in flyweight where he finished second in Tokyo. Petecio, on the other hand, is looking for a fightback from his bronze finish last year in Hanoi.

I prepared myself wisely, physically and mentally,” Paalam, of Cagayan de Oro City, told BusinessMirror . “So far, I’m ready.”

Paalam fights Aldoms Siguru and Petecio takes on Ratna Sari Devi, both from Indonesia, on Sunday.

Two-time SEA Games champion Rogen Ladon and Tokyo Olympian Irish Magno, climb the ring Saturday at the Chroy Changvar Center Hall G.

L adon, who won gold medals in the 2019 Philippine and 2022 Vietnam Games, starts the country’s bid for a golden rush at 4 p.m. when he fights Tharanat Saengphet of Thailand in men’s flyweight.

M agno is up against familiar foe Jutamas Jitpong of Thailand in women’s lightweight, having prevailed in the 2019 final back home. But the Thai beat her during the round-of-16 in Tokyo.

A lso fighting Saturday are Ian Clark Bautista, who is also hoping to become a three-time SEA Games medalist, and Riza Pasuit, who battles Vietnamese Thi Linh Ha in the women’s lightweight finals.

I really have to give my all tomorrow [Saturday] to bring home the gold,” said Bautista, 28, of Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, who is up against Indonesian Asri Udin in men’s featherweight.

A lso fighting Sunday are Paul Julyfer Bascon, Filipino-British John Marvin and Petecio’s younger brother, Norlan.

B ascon takes on Rujakran

Juntrong of Thailand in men’s light welterweight while Norlan, 21, takes on another Thai, Bunjong Sinsiri, in men’s lightweight.

M arvin, the 2017 SEA Games gold medalist, faces Weerapon Jongjoho of Thailand in men’s light heavyweight finals.

O f the 12 Pinoy boxers here, only light flyweight Mark Lester Durens and welterweight James Palicte will return home without a medal.

M arkus Cezar

Tongco, who lost to Manh Cuong Nguyen of Vietnam in the men’s heavyweight semifinals, bagged a bronze medal.

W ith nine finalists, the boxing team looks very capable of surpassing the country’s three-gold, one-silver and five-bronze medal finish last year in Vietnam.