THE world can rest easy, as Samsung today answered that — pardon us — burning question on everyone’s lips. At a news conference, the tech giant confirmed that bad batteries and bad decisions were to blame for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fire incidents that led to its discontinuation just two months after its launch.
These are the top 5 smartphone brands in Q3 2016
CHINESE smartphone vendors still reign over the industry amid a 1.1 percent growth to 363 million shipments in Q3 2016, according to the latest numbers published by market-research firm IDC.
Vivo V5 Plus review: Selfie superstar
IT seems that the battle for best camera phone will be fought in the front, what with all the selfie-centric handsets that keep coming in, often with something new to brag about. Even Samsung, though quietly, has joined the usual suspects — you know, OPPO and Vivo — with the launch of the new Galaxy A5 and A7 (2017) in the Philippines. As we noted in our review, the A7 isn’t marketed as serious competition in the selfie game, but it probably should be.
Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air: What may change this year
IT’S no secret among our circle of friends that we had bugged our contact at Xiaomi just to buy the Mi Notebook Air on the first day it went on sale in China. Long story short, we were able to get one of the few units available at Mi Home in Shenzhen. So these days, we’re using three PCs: Xiaomi’s first-ever laptop and Apple’s MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.
Huawei Mate 9 hands-on: Built to outsmart, outpace, and outlast
ANNOUNCED in November 2016, the Huawei Mate 9 (click for complete specs) is the company’s latest entry to its large-screened flagship series that promises to outsmart, outpace, and outlast the competition with machine learning and gradual software optimization. It also aims to fill the gaping hole left by Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7, which could have been the popular choice among big-phone aficionados had it not been prematurely retired.
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) initial review: Off on a positive note
SAMSUNG announced at CES 2017 in Las Vegas this month refreshed models of the Galaxy A series phones. And as if to confirm that the Philippines is an important market for the Korean electronics giant, the new Galaxy A5 (click for complete specs) and A7 (click for full specs) have made their way to local stores (without much fanfare), where they retail for P19,990 and P23,990, respectively. The more impressive of the duo, the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017), which has a generous screen size and battery capacity, is what we will be taking a closer look at today.
Nokia P1 could be another flagship phone besides the Nokia 8
WE have been flooded with Nokia rumors as MWC 2017 is drawing near. So we are not surprised that another report that’s out to tickle the brand’s fans everywhere has been circulating the past 24 hours. The subject? The Nokia P1, which we wrote about last year.
Here are the top-performing phones of 2016, according to Antutu
ANTUTU closed the year by publishing its latest charts featuring the top-performing Android and iOS devices that have been put through their paces last year using the company’s own Antutu Benchmark app.
Nokia 6 exceeds 1M registrations in China. So, is it coming to PH?
A day before its January 19 flash sale in China, the first Nokia Android smartphone has already surpassed the one-million-registration mark. As of posting time, 1,070,945 people have already registered their interest to buy the Nokia 6 (click for complete specs).
Meizu Pro 6 Plus flagship phone to make its way to PH
WHAT do you get when you combine the Apple iPhone 6s’ body with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7’s internals? This. And if you’ve been waiting for this flagship smartphone, we have good news for you: The Meizu Pro 6 Plus (click for complete specs) is finally coming to the Philippines, based on this post on the manufacturer’s Facebook page.
Vivo V5 Plus with 2 front cameras launching in PH January 21
REMEMBER the smartphone with two front cameras that we wrote about two weeks ago? It’s finally coming to the Philippines! We already got an invite to the launch. In fact, the Vivo V5 Plus is now being teased on the company’s Facebook page, just in time for the local unveiling on January 21.
Hands-on: This red OPPO R9s smartphone is lit
THE countdown to Chinese New Year is on. And just in time for the festivities at the end of the month, OPPO has launched a New Year Anniversary edition of the R9s in red (click for complete specs). Devilishly hot red. It’s an absolute stunner — the company’s best-looking phone to date — and we have the photos to show it.
Alleged Nokia 8 seen at CES 2017 becomes center of controversy
A few days ago, videos by Total Tech set the mobile world on fire when they showed what is supposedly Nokia’s upcoming flagship smartphone, the Nokia 8, in Qualcomm’s booth at CES 2017. After all, many people are still rooting for the brand. And with TK O’Connors — the man behind the YouTube channel — talking about specs that could catapult Nokia to the top of the smartphone charts again, who wouldn’t hope that he was right?
Samsung Galaxy S8 leaks again, may have dual speakers
THERE have been numerous leaks involving Samsung’s next flagship model, some of which seem more credible than others. Like this set of photos published on Weibo — China’s Twitter, if you may — that are said to be a Samsung Galaxy S8 unit in gold.
Buckle up, buying many gadgets and appliances may soon be taxed
THEY are not stopping with the vanity tax. After a controversial Philippine bill proposing to tax beauty and cosmetic products was filed January 11, here comes another plan that may end up being contentious, too.
Nintendo Switch: Your questions answered
NINTENDO just unveiled the Switch in its native Japan. It was met with oohs and aahs and hand claps from spectators, as expected, but it also armed critics with plenty of skepticism over whether it can truly make Nintendo relevant again in this generation.
Apple is PC industry’s biggest loser in 2016
THE latest report of market-research firm IDC did not surprise us; we had already expected the PC industry to shrink in 2016. Based on the data, worldwide shipments of traditional PCs — desktops, notebooks, and workstations combined — fell to 260 million units, down 5.7 percent from 2015. It was the fifth straight year that the industry shrank. And Apple took the biggest hit.
Leaked Nokia 8 flagship to feature Snapdragon 835 and 24MP camera?
AS we previously reported, Nokia is back… sort of. The Nokia 6 by Finnish company HMD Global, which won the rights to stamp the universally celebrated brand on both smart and basic phones, is the first Nokia to run Android. It’s also a midranger with an aggressive price tag (1,699 yuan, roughly $250 or P12,200) and an even more aggressive strategy for the Chinese market, where it will be exclusively available for online purchase.