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<ul><li>The Oppo Band Style is the latest affordable fitness tracker from Oppo, offering a slew of fitness tracking features.</li><li>Apart from that, Oppo’s band also offers SpO2 monitoring – a feature that has gained importance over the last year.</li><li>The Oppo Band Style is priced at ₹2,999 and is available from Amazon India.</li><li>Oppo has also bundled an additional strap that is sleeker and more minimalist than the basic strap.</li><li>To find out how the Oppo Band Style fares in real life, read our detailed review.</li></ul>Oppo Band Style is the latest fitness tracker to be launched in India. Featuring a simple design that blends in easily, this Oppo fitness tracker offers a wide range of features in a compact package. One of those features is the blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring – a feature that has gained importance over the last year. It also supports some other common features like heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, step counter and more. But beyond that, it might be a bit difficult for the Oppo Band Style to compete with other fitness trackers, given the intense competition. And for that purpose, Oppo has one neat trick up its sleeve – the Band Style comes with an extra strap in the box for those who want to switch it up based on the occasion. I have been testing the Oppo Band Style for the last few days and here’s my detailed review. Oppo Band Style price and availability The Oppo Band Style is priced at ₹2,999 and can be purchased on Amazon India. It comes with two straps in the box – the first one being the basic sport version, and the second being the ‘style’ version that is slimmer than the basic version. It comes in two colours – black and vanilla. Oppo Band Style design With fitness trackers, the focus is usually on making them as lightweight as possible while offering a wide range of tracking features. <div type="image" title="Oppo Band Style design" msid="81423401" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Oppo Band Style design&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> That is the case with the Oppo Band Style as well. It comes with a pill-shaped tracker that snaps into a silicone strap that uses snap locks to grip the tracker. It weighs 10 grams without the strap, and can be comfortably worn throughout the day. <div type="image" title="Oppo Band Style" msid="81423425" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Oppo Band Style strap&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Both the silicone straps are sturdy and of good quality, allowing you to wear the band for long hours without any itching or irritation. Oppo Band Style features and performance The Oppo Band Style has a 1.1-inch AMOLED display and comes with five brightness levels that can be set according to the ambient lighting conditions. It gets bright enough to be readable under direct sunlight on most occasions. The display is responsive as well, so navigating the interface is easy. Other features include Bluetooth 5.0 LE (low energy), 100mAh battery and 5ATM water resistance which allows you to wear it while swimming. The 100mAh battery is rated to last for up to 12 days of usage. <div type="image" title="Oppo Band Style" msid="81423416" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;HeyTap Health app.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Pairing the Oppo Band Style is easy, too. It works with devices running Android 6.0 or higher and can be paired with the HeyTap Health app. iOS support is expected to be rolled out starting April, this year. Once the initial setup is done, the Oppo Band Style starts monitoring your heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, activities such as walking and running and calories burnt. While sleeping, it monitors different sleep stages and your blood oxygen saturation levels. It shows the total sleep time, deep sleep time, light sleep time, awake time, interruptions while sleeping and wake-up time. Apart from this, it also offers insights based on your sleeping habits and provides recommendations. In my usage, I found that the Oppo Band Style monitors heart rate and blood oxygen saturation levels accurately. The sleep monitoring was also accurate and offered useful insights. Oppo Band Style battery life The Oppo Band Style is rated to offer 12 days of battery life. The main tracker needs to be detached from the band to charge it. The real-world battery life will vary based on your usage. You get the option to choose heart rate monitoring from every second to 2 minutes and every 6 minutes. Similarly, you can choose to monitor your SpO2 levels at intervals and in real time while sleeping. The battery life will increase or decrease based on these settings. In my experience, the Oppo Band Style lasted for 5 days with the battery level at 20%. I had the band worn for a majority of this period. It’s possible to eke out more battery life by turning off some features, but one week of battery life is good enough. Should you buy the Oppo Band Style? The Oppo Band Style has been reliable and efficient in my experience so far. It is an option worth considering if you want a quality fitness tracker that can also monitor SpO2 levels. If SpO2 monitoring is your primary need, the Oppo Band Style is worth considering. With that said, the user interface needs some polishing. Additionally, if you want really long battery life and don’t need SpO2 monitoring, the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is a good alternative at the same price. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oppo-f19-pro-5g-hands-on-review-sleek-and-fast-but-could-have-been-better/articleshow/81394495.cms">Oppo F19 Pro+ 5G hands-on review – sleek and fast, but could have been better</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/realme-smart-watch-s-pro-review-and-details-of-features/articleshow/80779962.cms">Realme Watch S Pro review – nailing the important features but the basics need more work</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/oppo-watch-review-the-best-wear-os-smartwatch-you-can-buy-right-now/articleshow/78031248.cms">Oppo Watch review – the best Wear OS smartwatch you can buy right now</a>

Oppo Band Style review – getting the basics right with a twist of flair

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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Fat Joe spoke to Business Insider about his work advocating for healthcare price transparency.</li><li>Last week, Fat Joe, Jelly Roll, and Wyclef Jean hosted an event in Washington, DC for the cause.</li></ul>In 2021, hip-hop artist Fat Joe joined the nonprofit organization <a href="https://www.powertothepatients.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Power to the Patients</a> in an ongoing series of efforts to advocate for greater price transparency in the US healthcare system. Fat Joe spoke to Business Insider in a phone interview last week following the latest development in the organization's advocacy work in Washington, DC.After meeting on Capitol Hill last Wednesday with a group of congressional leaders that included Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, Congressman Frank Pallone, and Sen. Mike Braun, Joe hosted an event at Hamilton Live that evening in support of recent healthcare transparency legislation. Around 500 Congress members and government officials attended to watch Joe perform with artists Jelly Roll and Wyclef Jean, according to the artist's rep. In discussing his work "fighting for" the more than one hundred million Americans in medical debt "to get the right laws passed and enforced," Joe cited a <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4397658-americans-favor-health-care-price-transparency-survey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent Marist poll</a> showing 94% of Americans favor legislation that would require hospitals and insurance companies to more readily and accessibly disclose healthcare prices.(A July 2023 <a href="https://www.patientrightsadvocate.org/july-semi-annual-compliance-report-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the nonprofit group Patient Rights Advocate found that, in a survey of 2,000 hospitals, only 36% complied with a 2021 federal Hospital Price Transparency rule. Last month, a bipartisan group of senators introduced <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3548?s=1&amp;r=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a bill</a> to strengthen and expand healthcare price transparency requirements and build on <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5378?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Department+of+Health+and+Human+Services%22%7D&amp;s=1&amp;r=26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> that earlier passed the House.) Last week's event followed several years of joint advocacy work from Joe and Power to the Patients, which was co-founded in 2021 by Cynthia Fisher, Kevin Morra, and Paul Morra. In 2023, the artist and organization collaborated on an April meeting with congressional leaders and a <a href="https://www.powertothepatients.org/release-fat-joe-rick-ross-busta-rhymes-method-man-french-montana-chuck-d-unite-with-power-to-the-patients">September PSA</a> on healthcare price transparency featuring hip-hop figures like Chuck D, Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross, and Method Man, among other efforts.This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.I wanted to start out with a recap of your work on this front. How did you get involved with Power to the Patients?Lemme start by saying I have a good friend who's one of the founders of Power to the Patients, Kevin Morra. He's been my friend for over 20 years. I met him through MTV, and we've kept in touch for 20 years. He came to me and told me how passionate he was and educated me on how many people are hurting in America. If that wasn't enough, he connected me with the founder of Power to the Patients, who's a lady named Cynthia Fisher, who's probably the smartest woman I ever seen in my life.She's breaking down to me these stories of compassion and how she got involved, like a guy who was her employee for 20 years. They was sick, and they couldn't even go to the hospital. They didn't know whether to send their son to college or have to pay for these hospitals. There's a woman that has a rubber band around her wrist that says, "If I get sick, put me in an Uber. Don't put me in an ambulance. Don't call 9-1-1 and put me in an ambulance." 'Cause American people nowadays are fighting just to pay the bills, and they don't want to get hit with no $50,000 ambulance charge.So, this is the problem, and it's breaking the American family. There's over a hundred million Americans that are in debt to the hospitals and the insurance companies. I like to speak and talk for the voiceless, and that's pretty much what I'm doing here.What perspective do you bring to the cause from personal experience, if you don't mind the question?From personal experience?Yeah.Well, I'm not personal. You know, I'm an open book. I'm for everyone. Whether it's music, whether it's advocacy, I'm in service to the people. When I speak, I speak for the people. When I went to Capitol Hill yesterday, do you know who came out before the politicians? All the employees. The janitors, the cooks, the mail room clerks, the secretaries. These are the people I speak to. Although I'm successful and I'm in an affluent position, those are the eyes that look at me and say, "Joe, we know you, and we know you're fighting for us." And that gives me the joy, that gives me the pleasure, to know that my people know that I'm fighting for 'em. After this week's event, with a bill in motion, how are you viewing the prospect of legislative change?Well, we gotta thank the Congress for passing <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5378?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Department+of+Health+and+Human+Services%22%7D&amp;s=1&amp;r=26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a law</a> recently. But we like <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3548?s=1&amp;r=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the language</a> in the Senate a little bit more. Healthcare keeps going up, and the American worker keeps making less. How do you expect them to not be in debt? What I'm tryna do is humanize the situation, and letting all the politicians know that when they first had ambitions to become politicians, they made promises to the people that they'll be there for them. Now, I find a lot of politicians become desensitized, numb. They heard this, they heard that, they heard this, and some of their friends are close with certain things.All I try to do is go up there and put a face to the hundred million voices and say, "Hey, look, man, guys, the hospitals and the insurance companies, they made trillions and trillions and trillions of dollars. The gig is up." These hospitals are causing a big hemorrhage in the families of American people. Now, Joe, what are you talking about? Is this just Black and Latino? Is this the Black and Brown? Of course, we are affected disproportionately. But this is Amish. This is Native American. This is Jewish and Muslim. This is white, Black. This is all Americans. This is bipartisan. This is Republican, this is Democrat. You know, this affects everybody. This ain't about one group of people. This is about we, the people, the American people.When you met with members of Congress this week, what do those conversations look like, and do you feel you're getting through to them?Well, when I came to Washington three years ago, we had one gentleman from Kentucky who met with us. He was the only brave one to meet with us. I get his name wrong all the time. And then I came back the second year, and 40 politicians met with us. Then I came back this year, and 80 politicians met with us. So it's an idea of whose time has come, and the writing's on the wall. They just did <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4397658-americans-favor-health-care-price-transparency-survey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a poll</a>. 94% of American people want transparency in healthcare. And the other six didn't know what the question was. If this isn't something that American people want bipartisan, I mean, you tell me what there is.And I know a lot of our politicians are defeated, beat up. They look like they've been fighting on the right side of things and can't get stuff done because there's a lot of divisiveness out there. But I'm overly optimistic, and I've seen the momentum. I've seen the swing. It went from, "Good luck." I'll never forget the first politician I met with. I seen him, too. He was at the event two days ago, and I seen him. His title was Health. I don't want to tell you who he is, but he's in charge of health in America. And when I told him our idea, he said, "Huh." He breathed in and said, "Good luck."And so now, we threw an event the other day where we had Jelly Roll perform and Wycelf Jean and everybody came out celebrating Power to the Patients and transparency. And he was in there. And I looked at him and I said ... Because, you know, I don't get high, brother. I don't get high, I don't get high. I never had a cigarette in my life. So, uh ... my facial recognition is incredible. So when I seen him, I said, "Man, you remember the first time I met you? And you was like, 'Huh. Good luck.'" And he looked at me. He smirked. I said, "Look at us now, man." He smiled at me. He said, "Job well done, Fat Joe. Job well done."<div type="image" title="Jelly Roll, Fat Joe, and Wyclef Jean at a Power to the Patients event in Washington DC" height="1135" width="1514" msid="106938570" hostid="261"></div>What made Jelly Roll and Wyclef Jean the right folk to link with on this particular event?Well, last year we brought it all hip-hop. We had Rick Ross, we had Busta Rhymes, we had French Montana. We shot <a href="https://www.powertothepatients.org/release-fat-joe-rick-ross-busta-rhymes-method-man-french-montana-chuck-d-unite-with-power-to-the-patients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PSA commercials</a>. We had Chuck D. You know, these are artists, they've been around for 20 plus years, 30 plus years. And their whole entire narrative is they won't sell their soul for no one. You can't buy these guys, right? When they do a PSA, Method Man, and they're on the frontline talking about Power to the Patients, and they talking about, "We want to see the prices," you know, this tore through the hip-hop community. Because these are the guys that, when they say something, they stick by it. And I'm proud that all my guys came last year.And this year, you know, I'm a huge fan of Jelly Roll. I had a brother who dealt with addiction to the point where he went blind from using drugs. And I put him in 30, 40 drug rehabs. I bailed him outta jail 90 times, you know. So when I analyzed <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rapper-turned-country-singer-jelly-roll-whitsitt-chapel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the story of Jelly Roll</a>, it just hit close to home. And even if it's country or it's hip-hop, it's the same old thing. His music is so powerful and impactful. Wyclef Jean? Why not Wyclef Jean? Wyclef Jean is one of the greatest entertainers in hip-hop history. The Fugees. And he gets it. You know, he's a refugee from Haiti. He actually ran for president of Haiti. So he overstands. He gets politics too well.So, to have him on board, I mean, this was a party. Let me tell you something. I was hosting the event the other night, and Jelly Roll, man, he almost made me cry onstage. His music does that to me. I love this guy and his story. And when I went to introduce Wyclef, I told the crowd, "Listen guys, 20 years from now, you're gonna go back and pinch yourself and say, 'Remember 2024, when Jelly Roll and Wyclef came and performed in Washington?'" It was that type of night. It was that type of night.I know the advocacy effort is ongoing. What are your plans and vision on this front moving forward?I'm not a politician, nor do I ever want to be a politician. I'm here fighting for the people trying to get the right laws passed and enforced. On a local level, we need the prices, not the estimates. Now, what does that mean, Joe? Well, if I'm going to have a colonoscopy, I want to look up my three favorite hospitals and see what the prices are. One might have it for $2,000. One might have it for four. One might have it for $17,000. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna pick the two. Right? It's the only thing in the world that you go to and you gotta guess how much you're paying. Premiums going up, prices going up. People getting sicker because they're avoiding going to the hospitals for prevention to begin with, 'cause they scared of the mystery bill.Now, on the government side, we need the data. And that's the main concern. Because if you don't know what they charging you, it's like getting an American Express card bill every month for a hundred thousand, and they just like, "Yeah, yeah, you spent it." And you're like, "But where? Did I buy a fur coat? What did I do?" And, "Nah, nah. That's what you spent." In a nutshell, that's what it is. We want to pass the right law, and we want it enforced. 'Cause Donald Trump passed a transparency law, but it's never enforced. You think about the thousands and thousands of hospitals in America, they got four tickets. Imagine I ate every light in the world driving a car, and caught four tickets. And that's it in a nutshell, my brother.

Fat Joe on teaming up with Jelly Roll and Wyclef Jean to advocate for healthcare price transparency in Washington, DC

<ul><li>The <keyword id="6511646" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="amazon-summer-sale" source="Orion">Amazon Summer sale</keyword> 2022 is now live.</li><li>The sale brings offers across a wide range of products, including <keyword id="1903887" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fitness-bands" source="Orion">fitness bands</keyword>.</li><li>Here are some of the <keyword id="13813276" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="best-deals-on-fitness-bands" source="Orion">best deals on fitness bands</keyword> on <keyword id="18635" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="amazon" source="Orion">Amazon</keyword>.</li></ul>E-commerce giant Amazon is back with its <keyword id="1819506" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="summer-sale" source="Orion">Summer Sale</keyword>, offering discounts across a wide range of products such as smartphones, wearables, laptops, apparel, home appliances and more. Amazon has also announced discounts on fitness bands, making them more affordable. Fitness bands allow you to keep track of your health without burning a hole in your pocket to purchase a smartwatch. In this post, we look at some of the best deals on fitness bands during the Amazon Summer Sale 2022. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Best deals on fitness bands" comment="subhead" text="Best deals on fitness bands">Best deals on fitness bands</cmsannotation> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Xiaomi Mi Band 6" comment="subhead" text="Xiaomi Mi Band 6">Xiaomi Mi Band 6</cmsannotation> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="B091G3FLL7" comment="amazoncard" text="B091G3FLL7">B091G3FLL7</cmsannotation> The Xiaomi Mi Band 6 is currently available for ₹3,499, down from its original price of ₹3,999. It features a 1.56-inch AMOLED touch display that allows you to view details such as the time, footsteps, calories burnt and more. The device features a heart rate sensor and also tracks blood oxygen saturation and sleep levels. It features a 5ATM water resistance certification and offers a two-week battery life. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Huawei Band 6" comment="subhead" text="Huawei Band 6">Huawei Band 6</cmsannotation> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="B0923DSVJJ" comment="amazoncard" text="B0923DSVJJ">B0923DSVJJ</cmsannotation> The Huawei Band 6 is currently available for ₹3,999, down from its original price of ₹4,490. It features a 1.47-inch AMOLED touch display and comes with a heart rate sensor, blood oxygen tracking, sleep tracking and more. It offers 96 exercise modes and comes with two-week battery life. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Redmi Smart Band Pro" comment="subhead" text="Redmi Smart Band Pro">Redmi Smart Band Pro</cmsannotation> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="B09Q92JKNG" comment="amazoncard" text="B09Q92JKNG">B09Q92JKNG</cmsannotation> The Redmi Smart Band Pro is currently available for ₹2,999, down from its original price of ₹3,999. It features a 1.47-inch curved AMOLED touch display and over 110 fitness modes. The band comes with a heart rate sensor, blood oxygen monitoring, sleep tracking, stress level monitoring and more. It is 5ATM water-resistant and offers a two-week battery life on a single charge. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="OnePlus Smart Band" comment="subhead" text="OnePlus Smart Band">OnePlus Smart Band</cmsannotation> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="B07XY9BZPM" comment="amazoncard" text="B07XY9BZPM">B07XY9BZPM</cmsannotation> The OnePlus Smart Band is currently available for ₹1,499, down from its original price of ₹2,499, making it a good option if you are looking for an affordable fitness tracker. It features a 1.1-inch AMOLED touch display and comes with IP68 and 5ATM certification for water and dust resistance. It offers heart rate tracking, blood oxygen monitoring, sleep tracking and more. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="GOQii Vital 4.0" comment="subhead" text="GOQii Vital 4.0">GOQii Vital 4.0</cmsannotation> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="B08YRMYKLH" comment="amazoncard" text="B08YRMYKLH">B08YRMYKLH</cmsannotation> The GOQii Vital 4.0 fitness band is currently available for ₹2,999, down from its original price of ₹4,999. It features an AMOLED touch display and comes with the company’s coaching app. It offers heart rate tracking, blood pressure monitoring, blood oxygen saturation, temperature monitoring and more. It offers 17 exercise modes and comes with IP68 water and dust resistance. DISCLAIMER: The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/best-deals-and-offers-on-smartwatches/articleshow/91308958.cms">Best deals and offers on smartwatches during Amazon Summer sale</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/amazon-summer-sale-here-are-top-deals-on-smartphones-smartwatches-and-truly-wireless-earphones/articleshow/91252922.cms">Amazon Summer Sale – here are top deals on smartphones, smartwatches and truly wireless earphones</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/best-deals-on-apple-iphones-ipad-and-airpods/articleshow/91286844.cms">Amazon Summer Sale 2022: Best deals on Apple iPhone, iPad and AirPods</a>

Amazon Summer Sale 2022: Best deals on fitness bands

Two months with Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 as a daily driver: It's only getting better

<ul><li>The Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G is the latest smartphone from the company, aimed at those who want a slim and camera-centric device.</li><li>It is powered by the Dimensity 1200 chipset and runs on the latest version of Android.</li><li>The Reno 6 Pro 5G is priced at ₹39,990.</li></ul>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/new-smartphone-oppo-reno-6-and-reno-6-pro-5g-price-specification-and-features/articleshow/84406144.cms">Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G launched</a> in India earlier this month and is the latest smartphone from the company. It succeeds the Reno 5 Pro 5G that was launched last year, with a beefed-up chipset and some new camera features – after all, Oppo’s Reno series is known for its camera-centric focus. Oppo’s formula for the Reno series has been a combination of a sleek design, focus on the camera features, and an adequately powerful chipset, at mid-range prices – the Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G is available for purchase at ₹39,990 and it comes in two colour options – Aurora and Stellar Black. Powering the phone is the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset, which is an upgrade from the Dimensity 1000+ chipset used in the previous generation. Oppo has combined this with abundant RAM and fast storage – it has 12GB of memory, which should be more than adequate for almost every user out there, along with 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. In simpler terms, copious amounts of fast memory and storage. Its sub-₹40,000 price puts it comfortably in the mid-range, but things have changed from last year – there’s plenty of competition now in this price segment – from Samsung, Xiaomi to Oppo’s sister company, OnePlus. Being spoiled for choice when it comes to smartphones is usually a good problem to have, but that does make it a little difficult to make the right choice. This review aims to make this a little easier for you. I have been testing the Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G for over two weeks now and here’s my detailed review. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G – simplicity is underrated" comment="subhead" text="Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G – simplicity is underrated">Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G – simplicity is underrated</cmsannotation> Oppo has always had a flair for striking designs – whether it’s something as simple and premium looking as matte black or something as bold as a textured, shimmery pattern. <div type="image" title="Display" msid="84813436" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> But the design is not limited to just the colour. Oppo has adopted this language for the rest of the phone, too. There’s a metal frame running along the sides of the phone, with any bands distracting from the design. A major part of the front of the phone is taken up by the 6.55-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, with Gorilla Glass 5 protection on top. <div type="image" title="Design" msid="84813398" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The back of the phone is mostly bare, except for the Oppo logo on the bottom right and the camera module on the top left. Thanks to the curved back design, the phone feels thinner than it actually is, and rests easily in the palm. And although small phones are very rare, the Reno 6 Pro 5G is easier to hold and use than some of its competing smartphones with similar display sizes. <div type="image" title="side" msid="84813565" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> On the whole, Oppo has done a good job by sticking to the basics and keeping things simple. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Using the Reno 6 Pro 5G in day-to-day life" comment="subhead" text="Using the Reno 6 Pro 5G in day-to-day life">Using the Reno 6 Pro 5G in day-to-day life</cmsannotation> Most of my smartphone usage can be divided into these four parts – messaging, voice calls, multitasking and clicking some photos. Most modern smartphones handle messaging and voice calls very well. As an added bonus, the Reno 6 Pro 5G supports 11 5G bands, which should prove to be useful as and when 5G services are launched in India. But the user experience starts varying a fair bit when it comes to multitasking and camera usage. Despite coming from a phone powered by the flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset to this phone, powered by the Dimensity 1200 chipset, I barely noticed a difference when it comes to multitasking, switching between apps, app launch speeds and the overall performance. <div type="image" title="User interface" msid="84813522" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;ColorOS 11.3 on top of Android 11&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> It is worth pointing out that Oppo has refined the ColorOS interface drastically over the last two years. If you have used a OnePlus smartphone and like its design, you will feel mostly at home with the Reno 6 Pro 5G, or any new Oppo smartphone for that matter. In terms of gaming, I tried Battlegrounds Mobile India and Call of Duty: Mobile. Both the games ran smooth and the phone never got too hot even after extended sessions. After playing Call of Duty: Mobile for 30 minutes, there was a 7% reduction in battery. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Camera performance" comment="subhead" text="Camera performance">Camera performance</cmsannotation> The Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G sports a quad camera setup on the back, with a selfie camera on the front. The back has a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide angle camera, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP monochrome camera. The front has a 32MP camera for selfies and video calling. <div type="image" title="Camera" msid="84813574" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> One of the primary selling points of the camera is the bokeh flare portrait effect – it works in videos by isolating the subject and defocusing the background. It works well in well-lit conditions but tends to struggle a bit in low-light conditions. It’s fun when it works, and can often give you surprising results. <div type="image" title="AI" msid="84813666" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Daylight shot with AI enhancement option enabled&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Coming to still photos, the Reno 6 Pro 5G delivers good results in daylight and well-lit conditions. The colour reproduction is accurate, but the results tend to be slightly oversaturated when the AI scene enhancement option is enabled. <div type="image" title="Daylight" msid="84813298" hostid="261"></div> The overall details in the images were also good in regular and ultrawide angle shots. <div type="image" title="Wide angle" msid="84813342" hostid="261"></div> The phone performs well in low-light conditions, too, but you will need a pair of still hands. Oppo could have solved this by adding optical image stabilisation support. <div type="image" title="Nightmode" msid="84813354" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Low light capture with night mode turned on&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Front camera" comment="subhead" text="Front camera">Front camera</cmsannotation> On the front, the Reno 6 Pro 5G has a 32MP camera for selfies and video calling. The results were surprisingly good even when the camera is directly pointed at the light source. In portrait mode, too, the edges of the subject were well-focused, which is something that many phones struggle with. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Video and mic performance" comment="subhead" text="Video and mic performance">Video and mic performance</cmsannotation> The Reno 6 Pro 5G supports 4K video recording at 30 frames per second, as well as 1080p and 720p recording at up to 60 frames per second. Given that the phone lacks optical image stabilisation, the videos can be a little jittery if you don’t have stable hands. The electronic stabilisation works in 1080p and 720p modes. Overall, the video and audio quality in daylight conditions is decent. The performance dips a bit in low-light conditions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Battery life" comment="subhead" text="Battery life">Battery life</cmsannotation> The Reno 6 Pro 5G is powered by a 4,500mAh battery. The battery may not last an entire day, especially with moderate to extended gaming sessions. However, the 65W fast charger bundled in the box can charge it fully – from 0% to 100% - in 32 minutes. Practically speaking, charging the phone is no longer a concern when phones charge so fast. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Should you buy the Reno 6 Pro 5G?" comment="subhead" text="Should you buy the Reno 6 Pro 5G?">Should you buy the Reno 6 Pro 5G?</cmsannotation> The Reno 6 Pro 5G handled most of the tasks well enough, leaving little to complain about. The only aspect that is worth mentioning here is the lack of optical image stabilisation, which should have been added for a camera-focused smartphone. But overall, the design is sleek, the user interface is clean and the performance is smooth. The cameras work well in most conditions, and the 65W fast charging support is a feature you will appreciate every time you need to charge the phone. At ₹39,990, the Reno 6 Pro 5G is a slim, powerful smartphone that packs in enough punch to make it an option worth considering. Other options in this price segment include the OnePlus 9R, the Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro 5G, and the Samsung Galaxy A72. The OnePlus and Xiaomi smartphones are powered by top-tier Snapdragon chipsets, which should offer a slight edge in terms of performance. If that is your priority, then it’s worth considering these alternatives. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/new-smartphone-oppo-reno-6-and-reno-6-pro-5g-price-specification-and-features/articleshow/84406144.cms">Oppo Reno 6, Reno 6 Pro 5G smartphones with 65W fast charging launched in India – price, specifications and availability details</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-nord-ce-5g-review/articleshow/83508015.cms">OnePlus Nord CE 5G Review: Buy it for the basics</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/moto-g60-mobile-detailed-review-of-camera-design-quality-software-and-price/articleshow/83366540.cms">Moto G60 review – 108MP snapper sounds impressive, but numbers don’t always paint a detailed picture</a>

Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G review – buy it if you want a mid-range smartphone with some interesting camera features

The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Insider Picks</a> team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A58FH9K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=biipgf_010419_best-resistance-bands-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B01A58FH9K&amp;linkId=c89115c0e127f9e493cc6db6f6d76585" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">TheraBand</div></div></div></a><ul class="summary-list"><li>Resistance bands are simple pieces of elastic that create constant tension to stimulate muscle growth and increase the value of your workout.</li><li>Of all the resistance bands out there, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A58FH9K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=biipgf_010419_best-resistance-bands-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B01A58FH9K&amp;linkId=c89115c0e127f9e493cc6db6f6d76585" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TheraBand</a> makes the best ones because they're effective, easy to use, and affordable.</li></ul>If you find it hard to find the motivation to hit the gym, you may want to invest in a home gym solution. Because let's be honest - being forced to actually leave your house to work out can sometimes be a tall order. Luckily, you don't have to spend thousands of dollars outfitting your home with all the latest exercise equipment and weight loss watchamacallits. Really, all you need is your body and a couple resistance bands to make a real difference in your body.I was first introduced to resistance bands in 2014, when I became the most recent convert to the burgeoning barre trend. Although I've since traded the ballet-based workout for other workouts, I've remained a fan of resistance bands, because these simple pieces of elastic create constant tension, they effectively stimulate muscle growth. And to make things even better, they don't add strain onto your joints in the same way, say, a set of dumbbells might. Better yet, resistance bands are super lightweight and portable, so you can take your workout anywhere you go.When picking a great set of resistance bands, you'll want to ask yourself a few questions. First and foremost, what type of workout are you most interested in pursuing? A pilates-based workout will require something different from a HIIT workout, though both can be equally effective in upping your fitness levels.Next, think about what parts of your body you're most interested in working. While some resistance bands are best suited for your lower body, others are great for pullup training, while others still can be used for full-body workouts. Then, consider the level of resistance you're looking for. If you're already quite advanced in your fitness journey, you may be fine with a some seriously tight bands. But if you're just getting started on your resolution, you may be better off with some more elastic bands.Finally, like any purchase, you'll want to keep the price point of your resistance bands in mind. Granted, few of these sets will set you back more than $40 or so, but if you're also looking to slim down your spending habits in the new year, this could be an important point to consider. No matter which of our favorite resistance bands you choose, we're confident you'll get a great workout in.<h2>Here are the best resistance bands you can buy:</h2><ul class="summary-list"><li>Best resistance bands overall: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A58FH9K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=biipgf_010419_best-resistance-bands-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B01A58FH9K&amp;linkId=c89115c0e127f9e493cc6db6f6d76585" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TheraBand</a></li><li>Best resistance bands for a total-body workout: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006NZZH18/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=biipgf_010419_best-resistance-bands-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B006NZZH18&amp;linkId=704fd02c760dbbd58485b5c4e45cbcc9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bodylastics Stackable Tube Resistance Band set</a></li><li>Best resistance bands to travel with: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GVS9EQK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=biipgf_010419_best-resistance-bands-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B01GVS9EQK&amp;linkId=14341c68a64c5bc20df13aa96e97ba08" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Perform Better Mini Resistance Band set</a></li><li>Best versatile resistance bands: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LY5WJZ0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=biipgf_010419_best-resistance-bands-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B01LY5WJZ0&amp;linkId=11e29a89b35d23d4ec70246c48827900" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Serious Steel Resistance Band set</a></li><li>Best resistance band for squats: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076FRJ2D1/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=biipgf_010419_best-resistance-bands-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B076FRJ2D1&amp;linkId=1b0eba4ee3a3ccbed3e1208a6f15aed4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RIMSport Elite Hip Sling Resistance Band</a></li></ul><h3>Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.</h3> <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a> Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

The best resistance bands you can buy

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. <a href="https://www.insider-inc.com/commerce-on-insider-inc/">Learn more.</a><a href="https://track.flexlinkspro.com/a.ashx?foid=1067927.1484388&amp;foc=2&amp;fot=9999&amp;fos=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.triwa.com%2Fus%2Fwatches%2FFus%2Fwatches%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored"></a><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://track.flexlinkspro.com/a.ashx?foid=1067927.1484388&amp;foc=2&amp;fot=9999&amp;fos=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.triwa.com%2Fus%2Fwatches%2FFus%2Fwatches%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">TRIWA watches</a> are designed in Stockholm, Sweden and informed by an elegant simplicity that makes them the perfect complement to business attire, evening wear, or casual clothing alike.</li><li>The company offers several products with global-minded missions, including watch bands made entirely from <a href="https://www.insider.com/triwa-time-for-oceans-recycled-watch-review" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">recycled ocean plastics</a>.</li></ul>What do you really ask of your wristwatch? If you're like me and most other people I know, there are really just two demands you place on the thing, these being to reliably keep time and to look good while doing it. A watch is a single or at least limited-function device that tells you the time and perhaps the date and day of the week while dressing up your outfit with a dash of color, <keyword id="7" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="style">style</keyword>, and interest. If you can find a watch that not only looks good and works well but that also sells for a decent price, then you've pretty much got things covered in the timepiece department.As you might have guessed, based on the fact that I've chosen to cover them, <a href="https://track.flexlinkspro.com/a.ashx?foid=1067927.1484388&amp;foc=2&amp;fot=9999&amp;fos=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.triwa.com%2Fus%2Fwatches%2FFus%2Fwatches%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">TRIWA watches</a> have definitely got you covered when it comes to form and function.Designed in Stockholm, Sweden, these chronometers feature relatively clean, simple faces with stylish bands that are never flashy or overwrought. Their movements are reliable and the prices are no big deal, with their standard catalog models ranging from around $160 to $300 (though a few are in the $650-plus range).Why do I mention the standard catalog models?Because TRIWA also offers a limited selection of watches that are anything but standard in design, though their aesthetics maintain the same crisp Scandinavian styling.For example, TRIWA offers two watches, the Loch Nevil and Slate Nevil, that feature vinyl bands <a href="https://track.flexlinkspro.com/a.ashx?foid=1067927.1484388&amp;foc=2&amp;fot=9999&amp;fos=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.triwa.com%2Fgb%2Fpage%2Frecycled-green-and-blue%2Freen-and-blue%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">made entirely from recycled plastic</a>. While each recycled plastic watch band might remove only a bit of would-be waste from the planet, these watches are intended to raise awareness of global pollution issues and to raise funds to combat them.<a href="https://track.flexlinkspro.com/a.ashx?foid=1067927.1484388&amp;foc=2&amp;fot=9999&amp;fos=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.triwa.com%2Fus%2Fwatches%2FFus%2Fwatches%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored"><div type="image" title="TRIWA watches 2" height="676" width="901" msid="75837314" hostid="261"></div></a>If that's the only civic-minded thing TRIWA did, I'd still be a fan. But what truly drew me to this company was the watch I'm proud to be wearing as I write these very words, the <a href="https://track.flexlinkspro.com/a.ashx?foid=1067927.1484388&amp;foc=2&amp;fot=9999&amp;fos=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.triwa.com%2Fgb%2Fpage%2Ftriwa-x-humanium-metal%2Fumanium-metal%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">TRIWA Humanium Metal wristwatch</a>.Starting this summer, <a href="https://track.flexlinkspro.com/a.ashx?foid=1067927.1484388&amp;foc=2&amp;fot=9999&amp;fos=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.triwa.com%2Fgb%2Fpage%2Ftriwa-x-humanium-metal%2Fumanium-metal%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">TRIWA will be selling a limited run of watches fabricated almost entirely out of metal sourced from recovered and melted down illegal firearms</a>. Experts on global violence estimate that there are more than 500 million illegal guns on the planet right now, so a relatively small run of wristwatches isn't going to account for much of the gun violence problem in physical terms. But the funds raised by sales of TRIWA watches made with Humanium Metal will be dedicated to the cause, and the campaigns supporting the watches will elevate awareness.The fact that these Humanium watches look good and works well is a plus, too. And I'm not complaining about their recycled material wrist straps, either.<h2>The bottom line</h2>Whether you buy a <a href="https://track.flexlinkspro.com/a.ashx?foid=1067927.1484388&amp;foc=2&amp;fot=9999&amp;fos=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.triwa.com%2Fus%2Fwatches%2FFus%2Fwatches%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">TRIWA watch</a> through their Humanium Metal initiative, or if you go with a recycled band, or you stick with one of their standard models, you'll be getting a great watch from a company that supports good causes. And you won't be paying all that much, either, which is good news for you.<h3><a href="https://track.flexlinkspro.com/a.ashx?foid=1067927.1484388&amp;foc=2&amp;fot=9999&amp;fos=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.triwa.com%2Fus%2Fwatches%2FFus%2Fwatches%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Shop humanium metal watches at TRIWA</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/89E90E91-9326-4DF6-B751-93E8BF5D3829?ingress=2&amp;visitId=83770314-aa56-4bff-8d98-a866b25fa3d5&amp;ref_=bl_sl_s_wa_web_20762841011&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=biip_061818_triwa-watches-20&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=04b6e27fe15c27eb2736f320ee76fd36&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">on Amazon</a>.</h3>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/triwa-humanium-watches-review">Insider</a>

This Swedish watchmaker recycles materials from illegal firearms to create stunning watch bands and cases

<ul><li><keyword id="8293954" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="oneplus-watch">OnePlus Watch</keyword> launched alongside the <keyword id="2210217" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="oneplus">OnePlus</keyword> 9 series smartphones at ₹16,999.</li><li>The watch offers tons of smart features alongside fitness and activity tracking.</li><li>Can it be the best Android phone companion? Read our review. </li></ul>OnePlus started as a smartphone brand, that eventually ventured into more categories including audio, TVs and wearables. While phones, audio and TVs have spent a considerable amount of time in the market, the wearables category is yet to set its foot in. To make that happen, OnePlus recently unveiled its first smartwatch -- the OnePlus Watch -- alongside the OnePlus 9 series smartphones. The company made its debut in the wearable segment with an affordable fitness band aimed at the Indian market, but it didn't deliver the smarts we expected. Hence, our hopes were tied to the OnePlus watch, which has already witnessed a crazy amount of anticipation ever since it appeared. <div type="image" title="CM200591" msid="82052988" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;OnePlus Watch&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> OnePlus Watch brings a balance of fashion, fitness, and lifestyle features to find a place among wearables from tech giants like Apple, Samsung and traditional watchmakers Fossil and others who've entered the smartwatch business. Additionally, it also faces competition from budget-focused brands like Amazfit, Realme and Xiaomi. I've been using the OnePlus Watch for the last five days and so far it seems like a great first step from the company, but with some cracks to fill. What are they? Read on to find out. <h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">OnePlus Watch price, availability and variants</h2> The standard OnePlus Watch will be available in Midnight Silver or Midnight Black for ₹16,999 in India, €159 in Europe, $159 in the US, $219 in Canada. Apart from the standard edition, there's a Cobalt Limited Edition. It is made of Cobalt alloy with the front display covered with Sapphire Glass. It sports a Vegan leather strap (for India) and leather straps with a butterfly buckle. The price for the Cobalt Limited Edition is yet to be announced. <h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">Look and feel -- sophisticated but not fresh</h2> <div type="image" title="CM200584" msid="82053004" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;OnePlus Watch&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> OnePlus Watch has a round dial that is said to bring the feel of a traditional watch. The round dial undoubtedly is a go-to choice for those who want a conventional feel, but there's nothing new with the design. It weighs 45 grams without the band and has a 46.4 x 46.4 x 10.9mm without protrusion measured. The dial isn't oversized but it's still big and chunky enough for someone with thin wrists, especially females to dump it right after trying it. However, you won't feel the heft while wearing it generally or even while sleeping. <div type="image" title="CM200594" msid="82061960" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;OnePlus Watch&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> There's nothing as exciting about the OnePlus Watch's design as there was with its first phone or the TV. The stainless steel case on the watch looks and feels premium, but it lacks originality. The dial reminds me of Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 with a little more chunk and the lock mechanism on the band is borrowed from the Apple Watch. What's new is the pattern on the band, and that's it. Maybe I'm asking for too much, but I expected OnePlus to be more creative with the design. <div type="image" title="CM200582" msid="82053023" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;OnePlus Watch&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Like most wearables, you can swap bands to customise the look with a simple click and pull. You can further customise the look with up to 50 watch faces that look great on the 46mm dial with a 1.39-inch AMOLED display. The display has 454 x 454 pixel resolution with 326ppi density, and the on-paper specs translate quite well in real-world usage as well. The screen looks crisp, vivid and the 2.5D curved glass on top enhances the look even better even when the screen is turned off. <div type="image" title="CM200588" msid="82061972" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;OnePlus Watch&amp;lt;span class=&amp;quot;redactor-invisible-space&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> It has 5 ATM certification, which is the standard on all the flagship watches that makes it water-resistant to up to 50 metres in depth for 10 minutes. <h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">How is it to use?</h2> Using the OnePlus Watch is where you realise the finesse and fluidity that you expect from a OnePlus product. Right when I was setting it up, I could feel that touch response and the smoothness in the UI is what we're used to experiencing on OnePlus phones. Setting it up is pretty straightforward, you just have to download the OnePlus Health app and follow the instructions on the screen. I paired it with the OnePlus 9R to get the best of the ecosystem that the company is aiming to build. OnePlus has chosen to go with its own version of an open-source real-time operating system (RTOS) instead of Android's Wear OS. As of now, it's only compatible with Android devices, so iOS users can drop the idea of buying it for their iPhone right away. My favourite part of the OnePlus Watch was its UI. It's clean, easy to navigate and stutter-free, making me used to it within a few hours. Even the Health app has a neat and easy to consume interface. To see if the interface is intuitive enough to push towards fitness and motivate you to get out to exert, I'll have to use it at least for a month. But from what I can sense with my limited usage, I like the Fitbit platform to be more logical if you're more concerned about fitness and not the smart features. <div type="image" title="CM200578" msid="82053051" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;OnePlus Watch UI&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Pressing the top button brings up the menu where you'll find all the features and apps. The button at the bottom opens the workout selection menu on a single press and power option when long-pressed. Other on-screen gestures include swipe left for tiles, swipe up for notification, swipe down for settings, swipe right to go back and more. The point is that all of it works just as it's intended to. Even the Bluetooth calling feature works seamlessly, but note that you can use the speaker only for calls and not listen to songs. Using it as a remote with OnePlus TV is a cool add-on, but it’s not impressive enough to make you buy a OnePlus TV for that. It also gives you 2GB of internal storage to store songs, and listen over Bluetooth headphones or speakers. <div type="image" title="Beats by dre" msid="82053060" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The music app icon&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> If I have to nitpick something shoddy about the interface then it's the icon pack, where everything seems good until you look at the music icon. The icon is a rip off of the 'Beats by Dre' logo but mirrored. It's not a deal-breaker at all, but do you expect this on a OnePlus product? Hell no! I admired OnePlus for its attention to detail and this is just messed up. What's actually a deal-breaker though, is the missing always-on feature that is a must-have on smartwatches and bands. On top, the maximum screen on time you can set is 8 seconds, which seems like a step to save battery but it kills the user experience instead. It also lacks support for third-party apps as of now, and that really cuts off a chunk of 'smart' from the smartwatch. How well do the features work? The OnePlus Watch does everything you would expect on a smartwatch, but it's still unfurnished. It offers extensive activity and health tracking with features like SpO2 monitoring, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking and more. I had put it against the data I collected with Apple Watch Series 6 and Fitbit Charge 4, and metrics like steps, calories were not the same but close enough to be passed. <div type="image" title="CM200585" msid="82053072" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;OnePlus Watch&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Working out using the preset modes works perfectly and the interface is also very neat to use and understand. What I really like is there's a mode for cricket as well, which is a rare case on fitness trackers. I did not get a chance to do a full-fledged workout testing due to the rising Covid cases but we'll try and do a detailed fitness test of the OnePlus Watch with the competition soon. All of that is handled by a 402mAh battery, which is claimed to offer two weeks with restricted use and up to a week of power for the most active users. I have only got to use the watch for 4-5 days and the battery has dropped to 60% with minimal use and no workout. <h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">Is it any good?</h2> The OnePlus Watch misses the opportunity of taking over the spot of the perfect smartwatch for the Android platform. Starting with the bulky design, to the lack of third-party app support and missing always-on feature, it skips some of the most critical checkboxes. It did impress me with the optimisation and the smoothness within the interface, but that alone doesn't give you a solid reason to buy it over its cheaper or expensive alternatives. Even for activity and fitness tracking, some alternatives like Fitbit Versa 3, or the Amazfit GTR 2 can do a better job at offering a more comprehensive fitness-oriented ecosystem with all the necessary features and no major trade-off. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/checkout-review-of-oppo-fitness-band-related-to-design-performance-price-and-battery-life/articleshow/81423414.cms">Oppo Band Style review – getting the basics right with a twist of flair</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/realme-smart-watch-s-pro-review-and-details-of-features/articleshow/80779962.cms">Realme Watch S Pro review – nailing the important features but the basics need more work</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/oppo-watch-review-the-best-wear-os-smartwatch-you-can-buy-right-now/articleshow/78031248.cms">Oppo Watch review – the best Wear OS smartwatch you can buy right now</a>

OnePlus Watch Review: Seems like a rush job to join the race

The<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks"> Insider Picks</a> team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://amzn.to/2HZuUHZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a>Amir Ismael/Business InsiderCan you tell which is which?</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>I wanted a new band for my Apple Watch, but <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fsearchpage.jsp%3Fst%3Dsport%2Bloop%2Bband%26_dyncharset%3DUTF-8%26id%3Dpcat17071%26type%3Dpage%26sc%3DGlobal%26cp%3D1%26nrp%3D%26sp%3D%26qp%3D%26list%3Dn%26af%3Dtrue%26iht%3Dy%26usc%3DAll%2BCategories%26ks%3D960%26keys%3Dkeys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple's Sport Loop</a> costs $49, which was more than I was willing to spend. I searched Amazon for a cheaper alternative and found the <a href="https://amzn.to/2HZuUHZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AmBand for $10</a>.</li><li>The <a href="https://amzn.to/2HZuUHZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AmBand Sport Loop</a> is one-fifth of the price and nearly identical to Apple's. It also comes in many cool colors for personalizing your Apple Watch.</li><li>I was initially hesitant about buying a third-party watch band, but after wearing the<a href="https://amzn.to/2HZuUHZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> AmBand Sport Loop</a>, it's a great alternative. It'd be extremely hard to justify spending more on the Apple-branded version. </li></ul>I've never been the type to need the latest gadgets, but over the last few months, I've made an effort to slowly upgrade or add new tech into my life - and the <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fsearchpage.jsp%3Fst%3Dapple%2Bwatch%2Bseries%2B4%26_dyncharset%3DUTF-8%26id%3Dpcat17071%26type%3Dpage%26sc%3DGlobal%26cp%3D1%26nrp%3D%26sp%3D%26qp%3D%26list%3Dn%26af%3Dtrue%26iht%3Dy%26usc%3DAll%2BCategories%26ks%3D960%26keys%3Dkeys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Watch Series 4</a> was one of my latest additions.Without listing out all the specs and cool features tech nerds swoon over, I'll just say that the beauty of the Apple Watch comes in the endless options for personalization. Just looking at all the variations Apple offers is a testament to that.After reading and watching a bunch of reviews, I ultimately decided to go with the <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fapple-apple-watch-nike-series-4-gps-40mm-space-gray-aluminum-case-with-black-nike-sport-loop-space-gray-aluminum%2F5706616.p%3FskuId%3D5706616" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nike+ version with the Sport Loop band</a> for a few key reasons, one being that it does the exact same things as the normal Apple Watch, but it comes with additional exclusive Nike+ watch faces and a reflective band that you can't buy separately. Since it costs just as much as the normal Apple Watch, I thought that was the best choice. I was ready to buy a bunch of different bands to customize my watch, but after realizing they were $49 each, I ran far away from Apple and went straight to Amazon. There, I found the <a href="https://amzn.to/2HZuUHZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AmBand Sport Loop</a>, a $10 alternative to <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fsearchpage.jsp%3Fst%3Dsport%2Bloop%2Bband%26_dyncharset%3DUTF-8%26id%3Dpcat17071%26type%3Dpage%26sc%3DGlobal%26cp%3D1%26nrp%3D%26sp%3D%26qp%3D%26list%3Dn%26af%3Dtrue%26iht%3Dy%26usc%3DAll%2BCategories%26ks%3D960%26keys%3Dkeys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple's Sport Loop</a>. Like most people, I usually have reservations about buying third-party products from unknown brands, but I figured it'd be really hard to screw up a few inches of nylon and Velcro - so I rolled the dice and ordered one.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://amzn.to/2HZuUHZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a>Amir Ismael/Business Insider</div></div></div><h3>Clearing up concerns about packaging and sizing:</h3>The <a href="https://amzn.to/2HZuUHZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AmBand</a> doesn't come in any fancy packaging - just a simple, resealable plastic sleeve indicating the color and band size. It may concern you at first, but it's worth noting that even though the packaging says 38mm, the band fits 40mm watches perfectly. Both Apple bands and AmBands are designed to be interchangeable, so if you plan to upgrade from an older 38mm watch to the 40mm Series 4 or on older to 42mm watch to the 44mm Series 4, your collection of bands won't be obsolete. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brg-milanese-loop-cheap-apple-watch-band-review-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This $14 alternative to Apple's Milanese Loop Band is great for luxury on a budget</a><h3>The differences:</h3>Upon un-packaging the new band, I carefully inspected it side by side with the Sport Loop band that came with my watch. Aside from the tiny Apple Watch logo, Nike+ logo, and 40mm tag (all of which are completely hidden when worn), and obviously the color, there are no notable differences between the two that make <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fsearchpage.jsp%3Fst%3Dsport%2Bloop%2Bband%26_dyncharset%3DUTF-8%26id%3Dpcat17071%26type%3Dpage%26sc%3DGlobal%26cp%3D1%26nrp%3D%26sp%3D%26qp%3D%26list%3Dn%26af%3Dtrue%26iht%3Dy%26usc%3DAll%2BCategories%26ks%3D960%26keys%3Dkeys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple's band</a> better aesthetically.Much to my surprise, I found one attribute that actually makes the $10 alternative better. The nylon is a bit thicker, which makes it more comfortable on the wrist. However, I found that the <a href="https://amzn.to/2HZuUHZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AmBand</a>'s Velcro tabs are also thicker, which makes the watch a little bit harder to fasten. It's not a major inconvenience (just a few more seconds and a slightly harder pull is required), but the <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fsearchpage.jsp%3Fst%3Dsport%2Bloop%2Bband%26_dyncharset%3DUTF-8%26id%3Dpcat17071%26type%3Dpage%26sc%3DGlobal%26cp%3D1%26nrp%3D%26sp%3D%26qp%3D%26list%3Dn%26af%3Dtrue%26iht%3Dy%26usc%3DAll%2BCategories%26ks%3D960%26keys%3Dkeys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Sport Loop band</a> does take less effort to fasten. My <a href="https://amzn.to/2HZuUHZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AmBand</a> is still in like-new condition, but I suspect it'll become easier once it's broken in. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://amzn.to/2HZuUHZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a>Amir Ismael/Business InsiderApple Nike+ Sport Loop (left, black) AmBand Sport Loop (right, grey): The design is virtually identical.</div></div></div><h3>The Bottom Line:</h3>Unless you're related to Steve Jobs and run the risk of being shunned by others for all eternity for sporting something that's not made by Apple, I firmly believe there's no reason you should spend $49 on a band. Had I purchased the <a href="https://amzn.to/2HZuUHZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AmBand</a> in black, it would be extremely hard to tell the difference between the two, especially once it's installed and on your wrist. Even if you're a diehard Apple fan and have the extra cash to spend, my advice is: don't do it. Or, at the very least, reconsider it. For the same amount you'll spend on one <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fsearchpage.jsp%3Fst%3Dsport%2Bloop%2Bband%26_dyncharset%3DUTF-8%26id%3Dpcat17071%26type%3Dpage%26sc%3DGlobal%26cp%3D1%26nrp%3D%26sp%3D%26qp%3D%26list%3Dn%26af%3Dtrue%26iht%3Dy%26usc%3DAll%2BCategories%26ks%3D960%26keys%3Dkeys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Sport Loop band</a>, you could get seven <a href="https://amzn.to/2HZuUHZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AmBands</a> (two three-pack bundles for $19.99 each and a single band for $9.99).<h3><a href="https://amzn.to/2HZuUHZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AmBand Sport Loop Apple Watch band, available in 24 colors, $9.99 0r 3 for $19.99</a></h3> <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a> Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

This $10 Apple Watch band I got on Amazon is virtually indistinguishable from Apple's $49 version

<ul class="generic-article__summary--ul content--ul"><li class="generic-article__summary--li content--li">Consuming pagpag leads to stunted growth in children, and heightens the risk of acquiring hepatitis A, <keyword id="6375416" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="cholera">cholera</keyword> and typhoid</li><li class="generic-article__summary--li content--li">Despite the government’s incremental success at reducing poverty, eating and selling pagpag is a way of life in slums like <keyword id="8014290" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Payatas">Payatas</keyword></li></ul> Morning traffic rattles through the slum district of Payatas in Quezon City, just north of Metro Manila. It is 9am but over 30 degrees Celsius and climbing. A truck pulls over and workers unload the morning’s collection of rubbish, depositing it behind the corrugated iron gates of Joe’s Junk Shop. Payatas is a sprawling shanty town built on a landfill, and these junk shops are an integral part of the local economy. Inside, it is a hive of activity. The space is piled four metres high in parts with sacks bulging with waste; sweaty, black sausages that split their skin in the heat, detritus spilling out to be sorted and separated. Joe Bolon, the owner, pays 6 pesos (10 US cents) for a kilogram of waste. Deliveries begin arriving before dawn. Once pulled out and stripped of packaging by Bolon’s team of wiry young men in plastic sandals, recyclables get sold for 18 pesos per kilogram. Myrna Salazar is the only woman working there. She is 40 years old, but looks more weathered. She moved to Manila from Samar 30 years ago and has been “collecting” in Payatas for two decades. Her eyes skim the sea of refuse for anything worth salvaging; her hands move almost as fast, deftly avoiding jagged objects concealed beneath the surface. One of the men hacks apart a hollowed-out watermelon shell with a machete, adding to the pile of fruit rinds and gristle that will be bundled as pig feed and sold for 150 pesos (US$3) per sack. Other scraps – <keyword id="62613" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chicken">chicken</keyword> and pork deemed edible – are set aside in a white ice-cream tub to be washed, cooked and sold in the neighbourhood. This is pagpag – “shake off the dirt” in Tagalog. Discarded food still fit for hungry mouths in slums like Payatas. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 1.42857rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.35714rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;">DUMPSTER DINING</h3>After many years of scavenging, Salazar insists she can identify spoiled meat, which she leaves. “If the food is as soft as this, it can’t be eaten,” she says, pinching meat that has gone bad. “But if the pork or chicken is as hard as this, this is the pagpagmeat we collect,” she continues, holding up a chicken breast to demonstrate. “We’re used to eating it. We clean the meat thoroughly to remove the smell and so that it will taste good. We cook it or fry it and later my kids will also eat this.” An employee at Joe’s Junk Shop sorts through the waste for recyclables. Photo: SCMP Pictures Salazar has no concerns about the health risks of eating pagpag. Nor does she see any need to visit the market, five minutes’ drive away, where vendors have stalls filled with goat meat and fresh fruit. “If you have a strong immune system, it’s rare for you to get sick,” she says. “We don’t need to spend money to buy our food in the market. Sometimes we find rice, cooking oil and soy sauce in the garbage, all for free.” Discarded food, known as pagpag, is cleaned and cooked before being served. Photo: SCMP Pictures Salazar has four children and her husband also works at Joe’s Junk Shop, sorting recyclables. The couple can earn 1,000 pesos (US$20) a day – sometimes more, depending on the volume of waste, although there are lean days when they earn less. Payatas takes its name from the phrase payat sa taas (“thin at the top”) because the soil is no good for rice crops. It is a community scarred by generations of hardship and struggle. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 1.42857rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.35714rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/3013513/whats-behind-philippine-obsession-beauty-queens" class="link-text">What’s behind the Philippine obsession with beauty queens? </a></h3>In 2000, a landslide of rubbish in one part of Payatas known as Lupang Pangako – or “Promised Land” – killed 218 people, according to official figures. The real death toll was probably much higher, but the authorities could not verify how many people lived in the area. The Promised Land, where combustible substances within the rubbish would erupt unpredictably into geysers of flame, was shut down with untold hundreds buried below. More recently, Payatas became one of the bloodiest focal points in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown on drugs. Residents recall too many people turning up dead during the height of the purge in 2016-17, casualties of police operations or vigilantes licensed to kill. Myrna Salazar cooks pagpag at Joe’s Junk Shop in Payatas. Photo: SCMP Pictures Bolon, the owner of Joe’s Junk Shop, moved to Payatas from Masbate. The 59-year-old used to work as an industrial painter – cars mostly – but bought the junk shop at his wife’s urging. The rubbish stays for no more than two days, he says, and the local government regularly sends workers to fumigate the site. He lives close by, his employees all live in Payatas, and although he acknowledges the effects of Duterte’s crackdown on the area – previously, taxi drivers would refuse fares there – Bolon grows cautious when pressed for details. “You hear stories of people in the neighbourhood,” he says, trailing off. “Before Duterte became president, there was a lot of crime – burglary, people involved in drugs. Since the war on drugs, that has reduced.” <h3 style="margin-bottom: 1.42857rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.35714rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/3008815/there-are-filipinos-alaska-theyre-called-alaskeros-and-theyve" class="link-text">There are Filipinos in Alaska – they’re called Alaskeros </a></h3>Salazar begins preparing the pagpag. In a small kitchen to one side of the shop, she washes the meat before mixing the adobo seasoning of onion, garlic, peppers and soy sauce. She uses kindling to light a stove and heats a pan with oil before ladling in the meat and adding salt. Next to the kitchen, on the other side of a chicken coop inhabited by a noisy rooster, two signs hang alongside piles of rubbish. The first asks staff to “Clean as you go”. The second is a reminder for would-be thieves: “When you leave, show everything you are carrying.” In Payatas, life may be cheap but nothing is free. An employee at Joe’s Junk Shop sorts through the waste for recyclables. Photo: SCMP Pictures <h3 style="margin-bottom: 1.42857rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.35714rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;">THE SAD REALITY</h3>According to Cristopher Sabal, a senior technical officer at the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), pagpagconsumption is merely one expression of a multifaceted problem. “A lot of our urban poor settlers are living near these dump sites, in informal settlements,” he says. “They are living in the most vulnerable areas, the danger zones. They don’t have access to basic necessities … They are primarily the victims of drug abuse and dependency. They don’t have security in their tenure in their house – [the houses] get demolished and they will be moved somewhere. There is that sense of insecurity in their lives. They don’t have access to livelihoods which would support them … enough to purchase the food requirements for the family. That’s the sad reality.” For all Sabal’s sympathy for the plight of those surviving on pagpag, he does not tolerate claims it can be eaten “safely”, that unsanitary meat can be avoided or a strong immune system suffices. “You cannot see bacteria, you cannot see how dirty the food is, just by looking at it,” he says. “Pagpag is not nutritious … We can definitely say it has an impact in the stunting of growth in children. Aside from that, they would be at risk of acquiring critical diseases like hepatitis A, cholera, typhoid.” A bowl of pagpag. Photo: SCMP Pictures In coordinating poverty-reduction programmes, the NAPC links federal initiatives with implementation at the level of local government – the barangay. “The fight against poverty does not happen in the boardroom but at the grass roots, where people can really feel the government is doing something to lift them out of poverty,” Sabal says. The Philippine government has also cast Duterte’s crackdown on drugs as part of its mission to alleviate poverty by first eradicating drug crime and dependency. Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3017656/rodrigo-dutertes-war-drugs-produces-systematic-abuses" class="link-text">Amnesty International released a report</a> , entitled “They Just Kill”, chronicling the “climate of total impunity” and systematic abuses that have become hallmarks of the campaign.Amnesty’s East Asia director Nicholas Bequelin described the war on drugs as “nothing but a large-scale murdering enterprise for which the poor continue to pay the highest price”. <h2 style="margin-top: 1.14286rem; margin-bottom: 0.428571rem; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.21429rem; font-family: Merriweather, serif; vertical-align: baseline;">People have been doing it for so long, it has been embedded in the subculture of the slums that eating pagpag is OK, Cristopher Sabal, National Anti-Poverty Commission</h2> Sabal, however, insists that “by addressing the problem of drugs, it has a ripple effect in the lives of poor Filipino people”. “It brought back trust in the government at the barangay level. Now they trust that whoever leads them, they are not narco politicians,” he says. “It brought back peace and security – if you go out at night, nothing will happen to you. “The crackdown on drugs did not only result in murders or extrajudicial killings – it also captured a lot of syndicates, big ones and also small street peddlers. We also rehabilitated a lot of poor fathers and mothers who were dependent on drugs.” Sabal cites incremental success: poverty nationwide has fallen, from 27 per cent in 2015 to 21 per cent last year. The <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/philippines" class="link-text">Philippines</a> is committed to the UN goal of eradicating malnutrition in children. There are financial subsidies for families whose children remain in school, and this year Duterte signed the Magna Carta of the Poor, guaranteeing access to basic services for impoverished Filipinos. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 1.42857rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.35714rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/3013510/philippine-cinderella-domestic-helper-miss-universe" class="link-text">A Philippine Cinderella: from domestic helper to Miss Universe </a></h3>The NAPC officer, however, acknowledges the intractability of Philippine food poverty: 2.4 million families still suffered moderate to extreme hunger last year. And pagpag consumption has become so entrenched it cannot be treated as a purely economic phenomenon. “There is a danger in sitting in an ivory tower, looking at the problem, being detached from it,” Sabal says. “Hunger is a reality in the Philippines. “People have been doing it for so long, it has been embedded in the subculture of the slums that eating pagpag is OK. Without the government interceding, the cycle will not be broken.” Children in Payatas. Photo: SCMP Pictures <h3 style="margin-bottom: 1.42857rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.35714rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;">‘LIFE IS HARD HERE’</h3>In the afternoon, Salazar finishes work, wraps her remaining pagpag and carries it to the residential area of Payatas. The houses are an improvised patchwork of timber, cement, cinder block and chipboard, with tarpaulins covering the gaps. The school term has not started, so the narrow pavements echo with children’s high-pitched chatter and the steady thwack of basketballs hitting concrete. The central quadrangle bears the chalk outline of a hopscotch court, where some girls have fashioned a skipping rope by tying together dozens of elastic bands. This is where residents used to stage cockfights on weekends, but not any more – not in the new era of law and order. Salazar makes her rounds. Bags sell for about 30 pesos, each containing an evening meal for four or five people. Susana Abrera, 60, is a regular customer. She buys enough to prepare dinner for her husband, who works gathering sheet metal, as well as Chuchai, 12, and Mariane, 10. The girls are two of Abrera’s 17 grandchildren. She moved to Payatas in 1990 and has been eating pagpag regularly since. Susana Abrera heats pagpag in a wok in her home. Photo: SCMP Pictures “I wash it three times then sauté the pagpag,” she says, heating a wok in the middle of her home. “Then I add more water to cook it well. We are cautious … If pagpag tastes and smells sour it means the meat is already spoiled and we better give it to the pigs and dogs. If we feel sick, we go to the health centre and they can detect our ailment. Mostly, it’s liver disease – that’s why they advise us to cook the food well.” Abrera says she prepares pagpag four days a week. If there is no pagpag, they eat fried fish and vegetables, although vegetables are more expensive as she must buy other ingredients separately. Chuchai (left) and Mariane in Payatas. Photo: SCMP Pictures Chuchai and Mariane light up at the mere mention of Manny Pacquiao – the champion Philippine boxer who inspires nationwide devotion. Both girls attend school, either walking for 30 minutes or catching a motorised tricycle. Their father drives a truck and their mother sells slippers at a shopping centre. Pagpag with chicken is Chuchai’s favourite, but she insists: “I don’t like vegetables – they make me sick.” Mariane is 10 but small enough to pass for seven or eight. She likes school and learning to read and write, but wants to work in <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/south-korea" class="link-text">South Korea</a> as a helper to “send money to my parents”. She has seen South Korea on television and says being “a helper is the easiest job you can find”.When the pagpag is ready, they eat swiftly and silently. Once finished, Chuchai burps proudly, immensely pleased with herself. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 1.42857rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.35714rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2183272/philippines-dutertes-drug-war-finds-new-target-9-year-olds" class="link-text">In Philippines, Duterte’s drug war finds a new target: nine-year-olds </a></h3>Abrera recalls how dangerous the area was before Duterte’s crackdown, and then the “police raids and shooting everywhere”. “We always hid in our homes because of fear of the police presence,” she says. “There were a lot of drug users and sellers before. When they got killed, our area became more peaceful.” Still, she yearns for her grandchildren to improve their circumstances, to leave behind Payatas and its mortal desperation and the meals scavenged from its junk shops. “Life is hard here. I want them to work overseas. We’re getting old and no one can help them when we’re gone,” Abrera says, overcome with the thought, tears rolling down her cheeks as Chuchai and Mariane stare awkwardly at their feet. “I want them to have a good life far from our lives here. I tell them to study hard … and some day not eat pagpag.” ■

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