News

Sony confirms Philippine launch for Xperia X, Xperia XA, and Xperia XA Ultra

Published

May 24, 2016

Monch Lopez

We may not have heard much from Sony’s latest Xperia lineup from this archipelago, but that doesn’t mean the company has decided to give the Philippine audience the same cold shoulder it has given to fans in the United States. After announcing the Xperia X, Xperia XA, and Xperia XA Ultra earlier this year, Sony has revealed to GadgetMatch that it plans to launch the said phones in the Philippines on June 14, three weeks from today. No word yet on the possibility of the Snapdragon 820-based Xperia X Performance seeing a local release. Sorry, Android power users.

For the uninitiated, the Xperia X series is Sony’s midrange play, aimed at consumers who’d rather not spend $600 or $700 on the latest technology but are willing to spend more money for more features. If anything, the Xperia X signals a shift in focus away from the more affluent user base Sony has been catering to for the longest time. And that’s important to note, because the midrange is shaping up to be the most important battleground for smartphone makers, and it’s where many of them are expected to get their volume from.

Sony Xperia X

Among the trio, the Xperia X is the most beefed-out device, carrying a Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor with 3GB of RAM and up to 64GB of storage, with room for more via a microSD expansion slot. It’s also the only model with a fingerprint reader, which is unfortunate, considering phones retailing for as low as $200 have the security feature built into their hardware. Other specs include a 5-inch, full-resolution display, a 23-megapixel rear camera, a 2,620mAh fixed battery, and Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

The Xperia XA and XA Ultra share a similar system-on-a-chip in the MediaTek Helio P10, but vary in just about every other spec. The Xperia XA Ultra, as you may have gathered, offers more RAM (3GB compared to the XA’s 2GB) and more in the way of screen real estate and resolution (6 inches and 1080p as opposed to 5 inches and 720p on the XA).

Sony Xperia XA

In any case, you’ll be missing out on waterproofing — a signature feature of some Xperia models — regardless of which model you settle for; of the Xperia X bunch, only the X Performance (which, again, likely won’t go on sale in the Philippines) is not afraid to get wet.

The Xperia X and Xperia XA cost £500 (roughly P34,000) and £240 (P16,500) in Europe, respectively. The Xperia XA Ultra hasn’t been priced yet, but expect it to fetch a much higher price than the latter.

[irp posts=”11148″ name=”Sony Xperia XZ Premium Hands-On”]

Related Topics:Sony Xperia X Xperia XA Xperia XA Ultra

News

Apple reportedly gives up on the Vision Pro

But Apple will continue to sell the current model.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

When they unveiled the Vision Pro in 2023, Apple touted the wearable as the next big thing after the iPhone. Now, almost three years removed from the launch, the Vision Pro hasn’t really taken over the coveted spot occupied by the iPhone. Apple, according to a report, is allegedly canning the short-lived wearable.

According to MacRumors, Apple has reportedly given up on making the Vision Pro a thing. The team handling the wearable has supposedly been subsumed by other teams within Apple.

If true, the wearable’s end is unfortunate but not surprising. Despite being out for years, the Vision Pro has sold only a little more than half a million units with numerous returns from customers. Most recently, Apple updated the wearable with the M5 chip, but the move hasn’t revitalized the device’s status in Apple’s lineup.

Most of the complaints about the device stem from its exorbitant price or its cumbersome battery pack. Besides costing a whopping US$ 3,499, the Vision Pro is also difficult to move around with, especially because of its total weight and a battery pack that can get in the way.

To be clear, Apple has not officially discontinued the Vision Pro yet. The company continues to sell the version with the M5 chip. Apple can also restart development in the future.

However, the meantime retirement on future development does coincide with the recent restructuring inside the company. Tim Cook recently decided to step down as CEO with John Ternus as his replacement. Canning the Vision Pro might be Ternus’ first step in redefining Apple according to his plans.

Apps

YouTube makes picture-in-picture mode free for everyone globally

The update is rolling out globally now.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Picture-in-picture (or PiP) mode is a godsend for multitaskers. The feature lets users watch videos in a tiny floating window while doing other tasks. However, the feature isn’t readily available for all users. Or wasn’t, at least. YouTube is now rolling out PiP mode for free globally.

Previously, PiP mode was exclusive to YouTube users who pay for Premium or Premium Lite. It was also exclusive to the United States.

Now, YouTube is making the feature completely free for users all over the globe. It will be available for both iOS and Android versions of the app.

There’s still a catch, though. The free version is available only for “longform, non-music content.” The same goes for Premium Lite subscribers. Music is still an exclusive feature for those who pay for the regular version of Premium. Basically, there is no change for paying users or users in the United States.

Using PiP mode is simple. All you need to do is load up a video you want to watch in the background. Then, just exit the YouTube app and go about your other tasks. The video will be inside a floating, resizable window while you look at other things.

There’s no timeline on when the update will reach your device. However, YouTube has promised that it will roll out globally within the coming months.

Enterprise

OnePlus has reportedly merged with realme

Both brands were previously rumored for restructuring early this year.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

OnePlus has a problem. For a while now, rumors have swirled about the company’s dissolution. For their part, the company has continued to deny the reports, citing business as usual. Likely to their dismay, the reports just keep coming. Today, sources have hinted that OnePlus has merged with realme.

Back in January, it was rumored that OnePlus would be closing up shop this year. Since the company very quickly denied the rumors, the report hardly made waves. However, a suspected merger with realme is more difficult to debunk.

For one, realme is itself in a very interesting position. Also back in January, realme was reportedly moving back into being a sub-brand of OPPO. Coupled together with the OnePlus debacle, all this internal restructuring seems par for the course.

According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, OnePlus and realme have already concluded the merger. The two brands have reportedly united their Chinese and international operations under one roof. Likewise, their marketing will be the same. Pete Lau will still be the main head for this new division.

As with anything of this nature, take this with a grain of salt. OPPO, OnePlus, and realme have not issued any official statements concerning a merger or a shutdown for any brand.