News

ASUS Zenfone 8 Series now official

Featuring the Zenfone 8 and Zenfone 8 Flip

Published

May 13, 2021

Rodneil Quiteles

ASUS is diversifying the Zenfone line by giving people two distinct options in the Zenfone 8 series — the base Zenfone 8 and the Zenfone 8 Flip.

Both phones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. Right off the bat, you’re promised flagship performance, 5G connectivity, some reliable gaming performance, and all that jazz.

However, the most impressive thing about these two devices may be in how targeted they are. ASUS is sticking to their thing by insisting on a Flip camera module, but they’re also offering something else for a segment that they feel is underserved with the base Zenfone 8.

Zenfone 8

The goal for the Zenfone 8 is clear — offer a compact flagship smartphone. While there are compact phones out there, it’s really only the iPhone 12 mini that can be considered flagship-level. But that phone suffered from a dismal battery life as many reviewers have pointed out.

To remedy this, ASUS put a 4,000mAh battery on the Zenfone 8. But how compact is it?

The Samsung AMOLED display on the phone measures at 5.9 inches. Only a few decimals larger than the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini. Also, a far cry from the at least 6.4 inches we see on most flagships today.

That display also supports HDR10+, has a 120Hz refresh rate, a 240Hz touch sampling rate, and is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 6. Neat. It has a tiny hole that houses the 12MP front-facing camera.

Speaking of cameras, no crazy flip-module here. Likely to maximize the space on the relatively tiny body. But ASUS didn’t skimp on the specs as the main camera uses the 64MP Sony IMX686 sensor here paired with an 8MP telephoto lens.

It is available in multiple configurations: 6GB + 128GB, 8GB +128GB, 8GB + 256GB, and 16GB + 256GB but there’s no way to expand the internal storage.

Watch our Zenfone 8 review

Zenfone 8 Flip

As the name suggests, this is the more party-friendly Zenfone. It features the Flip-up camera module first seen on the ZenFone 6. It has a similar set of cameras as the Zenfone 8, but are positioned alongside each other — that’s 64MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, and 8MP telephoto.

The Flip can sustain up to 300,000 flips which may not sound a lot but ASUS insists that it is. It also doesn’t just go all the way flipped up or down. You can control the angle at which the camera flips.

The display is also Samsung AMOLED but this one lands on the big screen category coming in at 6.67 inches. Instead of 120Hz though, this has a 90Hz refresh rate with a 200Hz touch sampling rate.

By virtue of having a larger body, it also has a larger battery capacity at 5,000mAh. This one comes in only one configuration — 8GB +256GB with support for up to 2TB of storage expansion via MicroSD.

Both Zenfones share the same video shooting capabilties. These are 8K and 4K video recording, Motion Tracking video, Time Lapse, Slow Mo, and more.

Here’s a quick look at the specs side by side.

	Zenfone 8	Zenfone Flip 8
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Display	5.9” Samsung AMOLED, 120Hz	6.67” Samsung AMOLED, 90Hz
OS	Android 11, Zen UI 8	Android 11, Zen UI 8
Configuration	6GB + 128GB 8GB +128GB 8GB + 256GB 16GB + 256GB *No storage expansion	8GB +256GB *Up to 2TB storage expansion via MicroSD
Battery	4,000mAh	5,000mAh
Cameras	64MP Sony IMX686 12MP Ultra-wide 12MP front-facing	64MP Sony IMX686 12MP Ultra-wide 8MP telephoto *Flip camera module

Pricing and availability details to follow.

Gaming

Xbox saves Kojima’s PHYSINT after PlayStation drops support

PlayStation says the separation was mutual, but Kojima hints otherwise.

Published

September 11, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Things aren’t going well in the PlayStation camp. After two months of frankly questionable decisions, the company adds another to the pile by dropping support for Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT.

For a while now, Kojima and PlayStation were in a very productive relationship with the Death Stranding duology, a critically acclaimed collection of titles for the platform. When things looked like they were going well, Kojima announced PHYSINT, an espionage-themed game which reminded fans way too much of Metal Gear Solid.

If you were investing in a PlayStation 5 to play Kojima’s latest thriller, you might want to move your chips elsewhere now. PlayStation has just dropped support for the espionage game, meaning PHYSINT will no longer be a first-party title for the platform.

Though PlayStation claims that the decision came after “careful consideration,” Kojima himself has said that the move was “unexpected,” going against PlayStation’s assurance of a mutual separation.

Very quickly, Xbox has announced that their platform will support PHYSINT instead. It’s a big get for the competing brand because Xbox Game Studios is already supporting OD, Kojima’s other upcoming horror project starring Sophia Lillis.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say more. As is tradition, Kojima will not explain much more about his upcoming titles. In fact, OD’s trailer barely says anything. One thing’s for sure, though: we’re all in for quite a ride.

Entertainment

PH to celebrate 1st ever National Cinema Day; movies start at less than $2

Watch a movie on September 12 for a fraction of the cost

Published

September 10, 2026

GadgetMatch

The Philippines will be celebrating its first ever National Cinema Day on September 12. On this day, movie tickets will go for as low as PhP 100 (US$ 1.60) at regular 2D cinemas.

The campaign aims to make moviegoing more accessible to audiences. This includes families, friends, students, and cinephiles in general.

Such initiative has been a staple in other countries, like the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and more. The same concept applies, with movie tickets going on sale for a lot less.

What’s great about the celebration is that all movies scheduled for exhibition on September 12, whether local or international, shall get the special admission price.

Advanced tickets sales have already begun. Customers can purchase through participating box offices, official websites, mobile apps, and authorized platforms.

Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and remain subject to theater capacity. Prices vary for other viewing formats like Director’s Club or IMAX, for instance.

The campaign is organized by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP), along with industry and government partners.

The initiative is supported by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), and the Metro Manila Film Festival through the MMDA.

Participating cinemas include Ayala Malls Cinemas, SM Cinemas, Robinsons Movieworld, CityMall Cinema, Megaworld Cinemas, and more.

News

iPhone Duo: Price, availability in the Philippines

As listed on the Apple website

Published

September 10, 2026

GadgetMatch

Apple has officially entered the foldable smartphone market with the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone. It uses a passport-style design that opens into a larger display while retaining a more conventional smartphone experience when folded.

Price and availability

The iPhone Duo starts at PhP 159,990 in the Philippines for the 256GB model as listed on the Apple website.

Here’s the full local pricing:

256GB — PhP 159,990
512GB — PhP 175,990
1TB — PhP 207,990
2TB — PhP 254,990

The iPhone Duo comes in Star White and Night Sky.

Actual availability in the Philippines has yet to be officially announced.

A foldable design with two displays

The iPhone Duo has a 5.4-inch outer display when folded and expands to a 7.6-inch main display when opened. Both orientations use the same aspect ratio, allowing iOS to transition between them seamlessly.

The rear chassis uses Ceramic Shield, while the front display gets Ceramic Shield 2. The device is also IP68-rated for dust and water resistance.

Its hinge uses carbon fiber supports and magnets that produce an audible click when the phone is folded.

A20 Pro brings flagship performance

The iPhone Duo is powered by the A20 Pro, the same chip found in the iPhone 18 Pro series. Apple says the chip delivers 35 percent better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro.

It also comes with the new C2 cellular modem, which provides up to 50 percent faster uploads. Like other foldables, the Duo can be used in different configurations, including tent mode and a partially folded book-like position.

48-megapixel camera system

The iPhone Duo gets a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera alongside a 12-megapixel 2x telephoto camera.

For selfies and video calls, it has a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera. The inner display also uses an under-screen camera for a cleaner look.

Battery life goes beyond a day

The iPhone Duo offers up to 31 hours of video playback using the inner display and up to 44 hours using the outer display.

Charging is also quick. Apple says a 20-minute charge can replenish half the battery, while a five-minute charge can provide up to five hours of video playback.

For the complete specifications and first-look details, check out our main iPhone Duo launch coverage.