For this week of Tech Unboxed, it is a heavy focus on regulating online gambling in the Philippines, along with the unveiling of the Nothing Phone (3) with the most polarizing phone design to date.
Here are the Tech Unboxed stories you need to know for the Week of June 29 to July 5:
The crackdown on online gambling begins. We are vocal with our stance against online gambling, and we’re glad that the government is addressing that. The BSP confirmed that they are working on a circular on heavily regulating online gambling apps, while senators and congressmen have filed bills to even ban online gambling in the Philippines. We wish for a proper regulation for online gambling–we’re particularly bothered at how it is so accessible even to the youth with their phones.
We have mixed thoughts on the Nothing Phone (3). Nothing has finally made the Phone (3), and outside of its steep price tag globally, what got everyone talking is its very polarizing design: aside from being asymmetrical, it seems that Nothing is pushing boundaries with the Phone (3)’s design elements that include a circular Glyph Matrix display on the top corner, a capacitive button in the back panel, and an unusual placement for the periscope camera–which impresses on paper with a 50-megapixel sensor and a 3x optical zoom. If you’re not a fan of the Phone (3), the Phone (2) has a Php 10,000 discount at Digital Walker until supplies last.
Finally, a compact phone coming to PH. vivo listened to our pleas for a compact phone, as it confirmed that the X200 FE is coming to the Philippines on July 18. We like its compact form factor that consists of a 6.31-inch display, an 8mm thick profile, and a eight of only 186 grams, along with a premium aluminum build that includes an IP68/69 rating. We heard that it packs an impressive specs sheet that includes a periscope camera and a huge 6500mAh battery, and we hope vivo Philippines gives a compelling price to the X200 FE.
A MacBook with an iPhone chip? The idea might sound crazy, but given how poweful is the A18 Pro chip powering the iPhone 16 Pro series, stuffing it into a MacBook makes sense–especially if Apple wants to release a proper entry-level MacBook (without an Air or Pro branding) that’s priced at under $1000 to entice consumers and to give competition to Snapdragon X powered laptops like the 2025 VivoBook S16. After all, it has been 6 years since the 12-inch MacBook, so we welcome this unusual move by Apple.
The cheapest phone for 2025? Looking to buy a brand new phone in 2025 for under Php 3,000? You have until tomorrow (July 7) to snag the 3GB/64GB version of the Infinix Smart 10 at their TikTok shop. It’s really hard to complain on a phone that’s priced that low: You get a 6.67-inch 120hz HD+ IPS display with 700nits of peak brightness and a punch-hole for a 8-megapixel selfie camera, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a Unisoc T7250 processor, and a 5000mAh battery with 15w charging. If you ask us, that’s not bad at all.
