Power restoration works still ongoing in Masbate

September 29, 2025 | 8:10 pm

THE Department of Energy (DoE) said on Monday that various agencies, electric cooperatives, and oil industry players have been mobilized to accelerate power restoration in Masbate which was affected by Typhoon Opong (International name: Bualoi).

“Every resource and partner are now on the ground or on the move for Masbate. The full force of the energy sector is united to restore electricity swiftly, protect lifeline facilities, and bring relief to every community affected by the storm,” Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said in a statement.

The DoE said that a team from First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative, Inc. have arrived in the province, with nine more teams coming from the Bicol region to provide support to Masbate Electric Cooperative, Inc. Meanwhile, three to four others will be dispatched to Ticao Island to back up Tablas Island Electric Cooperative, Inc.

According to DoE, nine units of 12-kW single-phase 240 VAC generator sets were put up at the Mobo Substation for immediate deployment to critical facilities.

Fuel supply has likewise been secured, with both Filoil’s depot in Mobo and Shell’s depot in Masbate City fully operational.

Last week, the island province of Masbate was placed under a state of calamity following the impact of Typhoon Opong. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Baguio, UK Embassy to boost transparency in infra projects

September 29, 2025 | 8:09 pm

BAGUIO CITY — The Baguio City government is teaming up with the British Embassy to improve transparency and accountability in local infrastructure projects, especially those related to water security.

According to Aileen R. Refuerzo of the Baguio City Public Information Office, Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said the partnership is part of the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (CoST), which aims to make project data more accessible to the public.

The mayor stressed that “giving people clear information about how public funds are spent helps build trust and ensures projects meet the city’s needs,” Ms. Refuerzo added.

The collaboration accordingly includes mapping and reviewing existing project data, consulting with agencies like the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center and working with local water authorities. A key output will be a transparency roadmap to guide better data management.

Baguio City also plans to upgrade its infrastructure transparency portal to be more interactive and user-friendly.

Training for city staff and the development of new data standards are also part of the plan, according to the Baguio City public information office.

Baguio is also considering getting ISO 37001 certification, an international anti-bribery standard. This would require audits, new systems, and staff training, possibly starting with a limited scope to make the process easier.

Mr. Magalong had said the city hopes to be a model for other local governments, “showing that open data and community involvement can lead to better, more accountable infrastructure development.”— Artemio A. Dumlao

P2.7-M imported cigarettes seized in Basilan

September 29, 2025 | 8:09 pm

COTABATO CITY — A Philippine Navy contingent seized P2.7 million worth of cigarettes from Indonesia in an anti-smuggling operation a few miles off the shores of Hadji Muhtamad town in Basilan on Sunday.

Officials of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) in Camp SK Pendatun in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte told reporters on Monday that the small boat carrying the contraband, M/B Water Blade, was intercepted by a seaborne team from the Western Mindanao Naval Command (WMNC).

The crewmen of the impounded boat were held for procedural questioning, according to officials of the WMNC, whose main headquarters is in Zamboanga City.

It was Rear Admiral Constancio M. Reyes, Jr., commander of the WMNC, who dispatched an offshore patrol group to the territorial waters of Basilan after receiving reports from confidential tipsters and PRO-BAR units about the supposed delivery of the Indonesian-made cigarettes to illegal traders in the island province.

The cigarettes are now in the custody of the WMNC and shall be turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition.

WMNC and PRO-BAR officials were quoted in radio reports on Monday morning as saying that they are thankful to the informants, among them local executives, who informed them about the shipment of the illegal merchandise from somewhere in Sulu to seaside areas in Basilan, enabling them to launch the operation that resulted in its interception.

Mr. Reyes said their off-shore anti-smuggling operations in the territorial seas of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the Zamboanga peninsula are part of the WMNC’s Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Program, being supported by all units of PRO-BAR under the director of the Bangsamoro regional police, Brig. Gen. Jaysen C. De Guzman, and his counterpart in Region 9, Brig. Gen. Eleazar P. Matta. — John Felix M. Unson

Bolts unveil RHJ, JB team-up in the East Asian Super League

September 29, 2025 | 6:57 pm

Brownlee-Jefferson — JUSTIN BROWNLEE (left) and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. — PBA

THERE’S ELECTRICITY in the Meralco camp as the Bolts are set to unveil the dream team-up of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (RHJ) and Justin Brownlee (JB) in the East Asia Super League (EASL).

“I’ve played alongside JB and I played against Rondae and they’re two of the fiercest competitors I know. And to have them come to our program to lead this team and show that competitiveness that have made them successful, that’s really important not just for myself but for the younger guys to see,” Meralco star Chris Newsome said.

Mr. Hollis-Jefferson of TNT and Mr. Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra have been fierce rivals in Asia’s first play-for-pay league, battling in the finals in three of the last six conferences, including two in the previous Season 49 alone.

With the Philippine Cup slated as the PBA’s opening conference beginning on Sunday, both the Tropang 5G and the Gin Kings allowed the three-time Best Import awardees to suit up for the Bolts, the country’s lone bet in the international hoopfest.

“It’s nice we get to all represent the Philippines and we’re all going to be on the same team for once and we’re not competing against each other,” said Mr. Newsome, who is teammates with Mr. Brownlee in Gilas Pilipinas.

“It’s going to be nice to go out there and really just fight alongside those guys and play whatever role I needed to play,” he added.

The irony of Mr. Brownlee donning the Meralco jersey after breaking the Bolts’ heart on his way to three of his PBA championships isn’t lost on the Bolts.

“This is more than Meralco or us,” said Bolts coach Luigi Trillo.

“We’re very happy they allow Justin and Rondae because we have to care more for the fans, too. If you think about it, pound for pound, the Philippines can do well against any Asian country. The problem now is the ballclubs allow four imports so we have to pivot and adjust to that. So we’re very excited to have Messrs. Justin and Rondae, we know they’re winners.”

RHJ and naturalized Filipino JB are expected to report to camp by next week alongside another reinforcement, Puerto Rican national mainstay Ismael Romero, ahead of Meralco’s Oct. 22 opening assignment against Japanese power Ryukyu Golden Kings in Okinawa.

Aside from Ryukyu, Meralco will also tangle with Taoyuan Pauian Pilots of Chinese-Taipei and the Macau Black Bears in a home-and-away setting in Group A.

“We didn’t make it last tournament. We’re one hand away from making the semifinals. But I think EASL right now is very tough. There’s a lot of quality teams there and I hope we can do well.” — Olmin Leyba

Eight PVL teams have acquired imports ahead of Reinforced Conference

September 29, 2025 | 6:56 pm

EIGHT of the 12 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) teams including PVL on Tour and Invitational champion PLDT have acquired their respective imports in preparation for the Reinforced Conference unfurling Oct. 7.

The PLDT High Speed Hitters have acquired 33-year-old Russian Anastasia Bavykina as early as two weeks ago and has been blending well with the team that should be spearheaded by Savi Davison.

“She fits well into the team and should provide stability and experience,” said PLDT manager Bajjie del Rosario of the outside hitter who last suited up for Yenisey Krasnoyarsk back home in Russia.

League powerhouse Creamline was actually the first to tab an import after plucking American spiker Courtney Schwan, who came in a week before Ms. Bavykina joined PLDT.

The 29-year-old Ms. Schwan was from Auburn, Washington and came off a triumphant stint with the Orlando Valkyries in the Major League Volleyball championship in the United States and should play a pivotal role in the Cool Smashers’ quest for an 11^th crown.

For Cignal, it acquired Greek outside hitter Eva Chantava with high hopes of earning a shot at a breakthrough title.

Other reinforcements who already flew in were Cuban Yunieska Batista for Chery Tiggo, Belgian Helene Rousseaux for Farm Fresh, American Anna DeBeer for ZUS Coffee, Spaniard Paola Martinez Vela for Nxled and returnee Jelena Cvijovic of Montenegro for Galeries Tower. — Joey Villar

Phoenix Mercury oust top-seeded Minnesota, advance to WNBA Finals

September 29, 2025 | 6:56 pm

ALYSSA THOMAS had 23 points and 10 assists, Satou Sabally scored 21 points and the host Phoenix Mercury advanced to the WNBA Finals with an 86-81 comeback victory over the game but crippled Minnesota Lynx in Game 4 of their semifinal series on Sunday night.

DeWanna Bonner had 11 of her 13 points and all three of her 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, when the Mercury outscored the Lynx 31-13 to overcome a 68-55 deficit and advance to the finals for the first time since falling to the Chicago Sky in 2021.

“Shout out to my teammates,” said Bonner. “They just kept telling me to shoot the ball, shoot the ball. Be aggressive. Don’t stop. So … yeah, we’re going to the finals, baby.”

The Lynx played without star center Napheesa Collier, who suffered a left ankle injury in the final seconds of the Mercury’s 84-76 victory in Game 3 on Friday and watched the game from the bench in a walking boot.

Minnesota’s Kayla McBride had 14 of her playoff career-high 31 points when the Lynx took the upper hand in the third quarter but could not hold on. Courtney Williams had 20 points and Jessica Shepard had a career playoff-high 14 points while starting for Collier.

The finals are to begin Friday, with the first two games at the site of the higher seed. The fourth-seeded Mercury knocked off the top-seeded Lynx in their best-of-five series. The second-seeded Las Vegas Aces and the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever meet in Game 5 of their series on Tuesday.

“Phoenix played a hell of a game, a hell of a series,” McBride said. “They did what they had to do. It’s tough, but I wouldn’t trade that locker room for anything. I would feel like this a hundred times over to be with the people I’ve been with. That’s why it’s painful. You just want it to keep going.”

The WNBA Finals will be a best-of-seven for the first time in league history. Phoenix last won a championship in 2014.

The Mercury scored 19 of the first 21 points in the fourth period, and the second of Bonner’s two 3-pointers gave them a 72-70 lead with 3:39 remaining.

“It was a struggle for three quarters,” Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said. “I give Minnesota credit. That organization, that team, they have some really good players. What McBride did was super impressive.

McBride and Bonner traded 3-pointers as the Mercury stayed ahead 77-73. McBride’s sixth three made it 77-76 with 1:04 remaining but Bonner followed with two free throws for a 79-76 lead with 42 seconds left.

After a McBride miss, Thomas made a driving layup for an 81-76 lead with 27 seconds left. The Lynx later got within three on Natisha Hiedeman’s 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds remaining before Kahleah Copper closed the scoring with two free throws.

Associate head coach Eric Thibault coached the Lynx while head coach Cheryl Reeve served a one-game suspension for her conduct and comments toward the officials during and after Game 3.

Thomas was two rebounds short of her second playoff triple-double.

The Mercury trailed by 14 in the first quarter, drew even at 38 at halftime and did not lead until Copper’s 3-pointer on their first possession of the second half.

The Lynx put together another spurt including two 3-pointers from McBride for a 55-45 lead midway through the third.

Sabally had 24, 23 and 21 points in the final three games of the series, all Mercury wins. — Reuters

Aliyah Boston, Fever force decisive Game 5 vs Aces

September 29, 2025 | 6:55 pm

ALIYAH BOSTON had 24 points and 14 rebounds, Kelsey Mitchell scored 25 and the short-handed Indiana Fever defeated the Las Vegas Aces 90-83 in Game 4 to tie their best-of-five semifinal series on Sunday in Indianapolis.

Odyssey Sims added 18 for the sixth-seeded Fever, who forced a decisive Game 5 on Tuesday in Las Vegas despite playing the postseason without All-Star Caitlin Clark and three other injured guards.

“We attacked and we played with a sense of urgency,” said Fever coach Stephanie White. “I thought we were the aggressor. And when we’re aggressive and move the ball, good things happen for us.”

A’ja Wilson had 31 points and nine rebounds, Jackie Young added 18 points and nine assists and Chelsea Gray chipped in 12 points and nine assists for the second-seeded Aces.

Indiana held an eight-point halftime lead, but Kierstan Bell’s 3-pointer and NaLyssa Smith’s layup started the third-quarter scoring and pulled Las Vegas within 46-43. Boston made two free throws for Indiana’s first points and she followed with her team’s first field goal of the period as part of a three-point play that produced a 51-46 lead.

Gray answered with a 3-pointer before the Fever opened a 57-50 lead. Wilson scored the Aces’ last 10 points as they closed within one point before the Fever scored the final four to take a 67-62 lead into the fourth quarter.

Young made a 3-pointer to start the fourth before Howard and Sims each made two free throws to give Indiana a six-point lead. Wilson made consecutive baskets to get Las Vegas within 71-69.

Boston sank a layup for the Fever’s first field goal of the quarter after nearly five minutes and Sims added a jumper for a 75-69 lead.

Young converted a three-point play to get within 77-74 with 3:17 to go, but Boston answered with a jumper from the lane and Mitchell added three points to help build an 82-75 lead with 1:01 left.

“(The difference) was us on the defensive end,” said Aces head coach Becky Hammon. “We’re better when we play out of our defense. We didn’t get a lot of stops.”

Game 4 was tied for most of the first half as well. The lead changed hands three times and the score was tied three times before Natasha Howard’s basket gave the Fever the biggest lead of the first quarter at 15-10. Wilson scored four points to help the Aces get within 23-21 at the end of the period.

Young’s short jumper gave Las Vegas a 29-28 lead and started a stretch of eight lead changes. Sims scored five points and Mitchell added four as Indiana took a 46-38 lead into halftime. — Reuters

Giants’ Jaxson Dart wins 1^st start over previously unbeaten Chargers

September 29, 2025 | 6:36 pm

ROOKIE QUARTERBACK (QB) Jaxson Dart ran for a 15-yard touchdown on the opening drive of his first career start and the New York Giants earned a 21-18 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday.

Dart was 13-of-20 passing for 111 yards and another touchdown as the Giants (1-3) won for the first time after turning away from veteran QB Russell Wilson, who started the first three games. Dart added 54 yards rushing, while rookie Cam Skattebo added 79 yards on the ground.

Justin Herbert completed 23 of 41 passes for a season-low 203 yards and two interceptions for the Chargers. His two picks came after he recorded just one over the first three games of the season and led to 11 points. Rookie running back Omarion Hampton ran for 128 yards and scored a touchdown for Los Angeles (3-1).

Both teams lost an important player to injuries during the game. Giants standout receiver Malik Nabers left the game with a knee injury that is reportedly feared to be a torn ACL. Chargers left tackle Joe Alt, who moved from right tackle to replace Rashawn Slater after his season-ending injuries.

EAGLES 31, BUCCANEERS 25
Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia started strong and held on for a tense victory over host Tampa Bay in a clash of unbeaten teams.

Hurts had more touchdown passes (two) than incompletions (15 of 16) in the first half as the Eagles (4-0) built a 24-6 lead. He was shut out in the second half, finishing 15-of-24 passing for 130 yards. Dallas Goedert caught both touchdowns. Saquon Barkley was held to 43 rushing yards but scored a touchdown. — Reuters

Under Trump, US cedes its share of China’s beef market to Australia

September 29, 2025 | 6:34 pm

CANBERRA/CHICAGO — Australian beef has replaced US supply in China since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, funnelling hundreds of millions of dollars that have in previous years gone to the US cattle industry into Australian pockets.

US shipments to China, worth around $120 million a month, collapsed after Beijing in March allowed permits to expire at hundreds of American meat facilities and as Trump unleashed a tit-for-tat tariff war.

Other US farm exports to China, the world’s biggest food importer, have also suffered since Trump retook power. On soybeans alone, US farmers have lost out on shipments worth billions of dollars during the current harvest season.

US beef exports have in general declined in recent years as drought shrank the country’s cattle herd, reducing production and pushing prices to record highs. But the drop in trade with China has been far more sudden and extreme.

The value of US beef sent to China fell to just $8.1 million in July and $9.5 million in August, Chinese trade data showed, compared to $118 million and $125 million in the same months a year earlier.

Australia has mopped up. Its beef shipments to China shot from $140 million a month in the two years to March to $221 million in July and $226 million in August.

In total, over the five months from April through August, US beef exports to China were worth $388 million less than if trade had remained at the average level of the previous two years. Australian shipments were worth $313 million more.

Brazil, China’s largest beef supplier, has also stepped up exports in recent months, but Australia has benefited most because its grain-fed beef is the closest equivalent to US products.

“It’s good for Australia,” said Matt Dalgleish, a meat and livestock analyst at Australian consultants Episode 3. “It’s underpinning really strong prices for cattle.”

Trade negotiations between Beijing and Washington could end the lock-out, said US Meat Export Federation spokesperson Joe Schuele.

“The beef impasse with China has very little to do with beef,” he said. “It’s entangled in other issues between the US and China. If they can make progress on those issues, we see more hope for getting this resolved.”

US beef shipments to China surged in 2020 and 2021 after Trump, in his first term, struck a trade deal with Beijing.

China plays a useful role for US beef processors by paying premium prices for cuts like chuck rolls that are less popular in the United States.

“We still need to export the cuts that do not attract a lot of attention in the domestic market,” Schuele said. “We’re losing out on the upward pressure of the Chinese bids.”

Even with a trade agreement, the US would struggle to take back market share for several years, said Dalgleish.

Australia’s beef production has reached all-time highs, and its meat is far cheaper – so much so that Australia is not only shipping more to China but exporting record quantities to the United States.

“The US isn’t really in a position to be competitive,” said Dalgleish.

Meanwhile, looming over all beef suppliers to China is an investigation by Beijing into imports that could result in curbs on trade to deal with a beef supply glut inside China. The investigation is due to run until November 26. — Reuters

South Korea scrambles to restore digital services after server fire

September 29, 2025 | 6:28 pm

Data Center_stock photo_2_BIT — BW FILE PHOTO

SEOUL — Hundreds of South Korean public services remained offline on Monday after a fire at a data center disrupted government websites and exposed vulnerabilities in the country’s digital infrastructure.

Authorities said 62 government services had been restored out of about 647 systems affected by the fire which broke out during routine maintenance in a server room at the state-run National Information Resources Service in Daejeon on Friday.

President Lee Jae Myung has apologized for the disruption, saying it was surprising the government had no better backup after similar government service outages in 2023.

Organizations affected by the fire include Korea Customs, the National Police Agency and the National Fire Agency, according to the safety ministry. Some government websites like the safety ministry were out of service as of Monday.

Officials have not given a timetable for full restoration of the disrupted services.

“We see services restoring every hour,” Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung told a briefing, citing recovery of Government24, Korea’s main portal for public services, and financial and postal systems run by Korea Post.

South Korea is one of the world’s most wired countries, with many government services from identification to media briefings online.

Experts said the latest outage suggested the government lacked adequate systems for immediate recovery of critical public services despite major tech disruptions in recent years.

In 2022, a fire at a data center hit some of the country’s most-used apps and websites, including Kakao messenger and the company’s online payment services among others.

“Such disruptions should never occur at a national agency, and real-time synchronization and recovery systems need to be implemented as soon as possible,” said Lee Seong-yeob, a professor at Korea University’s Graduate School of Management of Technology.

“The government should have recognized the need for a higher level of contingency planning, but it seems they were complacent.”

President Lee on Sunday ordered “significant improvement” in the security of government systems and asked ministers to propose budgets for emergency systems to prevent similar outages.

BATTERY EXPIRED
Investigators suspect the fire began after a battery produced by LG Energy Solution exploded during maintenance on Friday night, damaging some servers and forcing hundreds to be shut down. LG Energy Solution declined to comment, saying the matter was under investigation.

Mr. Yun said the government would notify the public as major services came back online and warned of increased disruption to daily life while recovery continued.

The batteries, sold and maintained by LG Energy affiliate LG CNS, had been used for more than a decade and their warranty expired last year, according to the safety ministry.

LG CNS advised the government to replace them during a routine checkup in June 2024, although they remained functional, the ministry said. — Reuters

Indonesia restores reporter’s palace access after revocation sparks press freedom concerns

September 29, 2025 | 6:27 pm

JAKARTA — The office of Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto on Monday restored access for a CNN Indonesia journalist, having earlier revoked it after she had asked the leader about a troubled free meal program, sparking concerns about press freedom.

CNN Indonesia Editor-in-Chief Titin Rosmasari met with the Indonesian palace and confirmed the journalist’s access had been restored, CNN Indonesia reported. The palace had apologized for the revocation and said it would not be repeated, it added.

Indonesia’s main press council had on Sunday said the palace should explain its reasoning and restore the reporter’s access, calling for the protection of press freedom.

Ms. Titin told Reuters earlier on Monday the reporter’s credentials were revoked on Saturday night. She also told magazine Tempo that the revocation was related to the reporter’s question about thousands of school children who fell sick after consuming food served in the free meal program.

The reporter asked Mr. Prabowo on Saturday whether he had instructions for the National Nutrition Agency overseeing the program, news footage shows.

Mr. Prabowo said he would summon the agency and said, “this is a huge matter,” adding there were bound to be shortcomings at the beginning of the program and urging caution against politicization.

Tempo reported other journalists at the event were only allowed to ask about Mr. Prabowo’s international trip last week, which included a stop at the United Nations headquarters.

Nearly 6,000 children have fallen sick after consuming food as part of Mr. Prabowo’s multi-billion-dollar free meal program since its January rollout, government data shows, more than 1,000 of whom were impacted last week.

The deputy head of the agency in charge on Friday apologized for the food poisoning cases, saying there was a lack of oversight, and the agency took full responsibility.

Indonesia ranks 127^th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 the World Press Freedom Index by the Reporters Without Borders, having fallen 16 places in one year. — Reuters

Review: realme 15 Pro 5G

September 29, 2025 | 4:02 pm

By Bettina V. Roc, Associate Editor

THE REALME 15 Series 5G smartphones, the newest additions to the brand’s number series lineup, were released earlier this month and promise flagship-level user experience at mid-range pricing.

The realme 15 Pro 5G is the top-of-the-line offering for this series and is priced at P27,999 for the 12GB memory + 256GB storage variant and at P30,999 for the 12GB+512GB model. The brand sent BusinessWorld a unit of the phone for this review.

The smartphone sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor built on a 4-nanometer process, which is paired with an integrated Adreno 722 GPU. This allows the realme 15 Pro 5G to run multiple apps — even at the same time — with ease and support resource-heavy tasks.

Its 12GB of RAM is capable enough, but it is expandable virtually up to 26GB via Dynamic RAM. Storage is another matter, though, as there is no microSD slot, but realme does offer a 512GB variant for users who need more room for their files and at a fairly minimal price difference from the base model.

Paired with the brand’s software optimizations, the chipset delvers smooth and snappy performance and can support the realme 15 Pro 5G’s many artificial intelligence (AI) features, including for imaging and gaming. The phone’s cooling system also helps manage its temperature while in use.

A standout feature of the realme 15 Pro 5G is its 7,000mAh battery, which also has support for 80W SUPERVOOC wired fast charging. The phone’s 80W charger, which can deliver a full charge in just a tad over an hour, is also included in the box, although the one that came with the review unit is the two-pole round-pin kind — not a deal-breaker by any means, but it could be an issue for those on the go, as a separate adapter would add bulk to what is arguably an already large charging brick.

That said, one might not need to bring the charger around, anyway. With typical usage that includes some video streaming, mobile data use, heavy social media browsing, relatively light gaming, and tinkering around with its cameras, the phone’s battery has more than enough juice for a full day.

Speaking of cameras, the realme 15 Pro 5G features a triple 50-megapixel (MP) AI camera system that can record videos of up to 4K 60fps across all lenses.

The main 50MP rear camera has a Sony IMX896 sensor and has optical image stabilization support. The rear module also features an ultra-wide angle lens, letting users capture moments with a wider field of view. The lack of a telephoto lens is a bit of a letdown, but the quality of images and videos delivered by the rear cameras are great. The colors are vibrant but still natural and not over-saturated, and details are sharp, especially in good lighting conditions. Shooting in more challenging environments puts the phone’s image processing to the test, but it still does pretty well, capturing photos with good dynamic range.

For those confused, the third ring in the rear camera module is not a lens — it’s actually a feature called the Pulse Light, a customizable LED light that can be used for notifications.

Meanwhile, the phone’s 50MP selfie lens has support for dual-view video recording. Its ability to record high resolution video is a plus for those into content creation.

Along with built-in filters and functions in the camera interface, the realme 15 Pro 5G also packs a ton of AI camera features, which make for a fun mobile photography experience. For shooting, these include AI Party Mode, AI Landscape+, and AI MagicGlow 2.0, among others. For editing, notable features are AI Edit Genie and AI Smart Remover 2.0.

The realme 15 Pro 5G comes in a slim design despite having a high-capacity battery. It’s also lightweight at just 187 grams, making it easy to hold, especially when taking photos or videos using just one hand. The review unit came in the Velvet Green color that features a matte leather finish at the back, which looks and feels nice, although it has the tendency to attract dust. Those who prefer the usual glossy back finish can opt for the Flowing Silver model. Like other realme phones, this ships with a phone case, and this one in particular has a frosted matte finish.

It has a 6.8-inch 4D Curve+ AMOLED display made of Corning Gorilla Glass 7i with 1.5K resolution and peak brightness of 6,500 nits for clarity even under direct sunlight. Colors and details are sharp, and the display’s screen-to-body ratio of 94% provides valuable viewing real estate, with the phone’s dual stereo speakers adding to the immersive experience. The display also has a refresh rate of up to 144Hz, although most apps only reach up to 120Hz for now.

The phone also has IP66, IP68, and IP69 dust and water resistance ratings, protecting it against the elements.

All in all, the realme 15 Pro 5G offers powerful performance in a stylish design, and is a solid option for those looking for an all-rounder smartphone at a competitive price point.