A titan tough photo walk through Manila's heritage streets
Published Feb 3, 2026 12:02 pm
Intramuros, especially, has a way of becoming familiar to the point of invisibility, stone walls you’ve memorized, streets you’ve crossed a hundred times, stories you already think you know.
So when I joined the Redmi Note Series heritage tour through Intramuros, I didn’t expect nostalgia to sneak up on me. I definitely didn’t expect to see the city the way I did.
The tour was designed to introduce Xiaomi’s newest midrange release, the Redmi Note 15 Pro+, but instead of the usual controlled demos or lab-style tests, it came with a simple premise: take the phone where life actually happens. Weather included. Chaos welcome.
Manila, after all, is never neutral.
That day, the sky couldn’t quite decide what it wanted to do. It was drizzling while the sun was up, humidity was present, and the cobblestones of Intramuros glistened just enough to make you watch your step. It felt like a fair test—not the dramatic kind where phones are dunked in water or dropped for spectacle, but the everyday kind: rain splashes, damp hands, sudden movement, moments you don’t choreograph.
As someone who’s been writing for the Manila Bulletin for years—an office that quite literally sits within Intramuros—the walk stirred something familiar. The same streets I’ve rushed through on deadline days suddenly slowed me down. I found myself lifting the phone not to “test” it, but to remember. Old walls. Passing kalesas. The soft chaos of tourists and locals crossing paths.
For a midrange phone, it captured what most people actually need: clarity without intimidation. Something you can pull out of your pocket and trust to keep up.
Later, the journey shifted from history to terrain.
The experience extended beyond Intramuros into what Xiaomi called the Titan Quest, a trail challenge through Masungi. If Intramuros tested memory, Masungi tested movement. Dust, sand, sweat, sudden drops in footing—this was where phones usually get tucked away, protected, or left behind.
REDMI Titan Quest Masungi Georeserve
But the idea here wasn’t abuse. It was adaptability.
The Redmi Note 15 Pro+ was carried through uneven paths, exposed to dirt and moisture, and handled with less caution than we’re taught to give our gadgets.
Titan Tough. REDMI Titan Quest Masungi Georeserve
Battery life mattered here—not as a number on paper, but as reassurance. The kind that lets you keep your phone out without worrying if it’ll last the day.
I didn’t baby it. I didn’t have to.
There were minor slips, quick grabs, moments where the phone brushed against rock or earth. Nothing dramatic, nothing destructive—just real movement. The kind that mirrors how people hike, travel, commute, and live. And through it all, the phone stayed responsive, present, unfussy.
REDMI Titan Quest Intramuros
No one was talking megapixels or benchmarks on the trail. We were talking about views, footing, and stories. The phone became a companion rather than a subject—there to document, not dominate. Videos weren’t cinema-level crisp, but they didn’t need to be. They were workable, steady, human. The kind of footage normal people actually post, save, and look back on.
And maybe that’s what made this tour different.
No one was talking megapixels or benchmarks on the trail. We were talking about views, footing, and stories. The phone became a companion rather than a subject—there to document, not dominate. Videos weren’t cinema-level crisp, but they didn’t need to be. They were workable, steady, human. The kind of footage normal people actually post, save, and look back on.
And maybe that’s what made this tour different.
It wasn’t about proving that a phone could survive boiling water or extreme drops. It was about seeing if it could survive life—humidity, rain, dust, long days, changing environments, and the quiet expectation that it just works when you need it to.
By the end of the day, walking back through Manila with tired legs and a full camera roll, I realised something simple: this wasn’t a tech review disguised as a trip. It was a journey that reminded me why I started writing about places in the first place.
Fresh eyes don’t always come from new destinations. Sometimes they come from familiar streets, a drizzling sky, and a device that stays out of the way long enough for you to notice what’s always been there.
Adding to its value, the series features Xiaomi’s No. 1 protection package in the Philippines, which includes a 4‑year battery warranty, 2‑year liquid-damage and exterior protection, and a 2‑year standard warranty, giving users enhanced peace of mind and long-term protection alongside the device’s Titan Tough durability.
You can read more here.