News

Huawei and Vivo are fastest-growing smartphone brands in the Philippines

While Samsung and Apple take a hit

Published

September 8, 2018

Marvin Velasco

Certain smartphone brands are doing incredibly well in the Philippines this year — at the expense of competing manufacturers, of course.

Counterpoint Research released its latest market share data for the Philippines, specifically for the second quarter of 2018. Smartphone shipments saw a growth of nine percent compared to the same period last year, and it’s thanks mostly to the surge of Chinese brands.

Tarun Pathak, Associate Director of Counterpoint, said, “The Philippines smartphone market increased primarily due to the aggressive approach by Chinese OEMs as well as seasonality factors.”

The numbers definitely speak for themselves:

Samsung still has the top spot with one-fifth of the smartphone market thanks to strong sales from its Galaxy J series, which contribute to over 68 percent of Samsung’s total shipments. Cherry Mobile, which is the only Philippine-based brand in the top five, is maintaining its second place quite well with a market share of 17 percent.

However, Vivo, OPPO, and Huawei are quickly gaining ground with a combined 42 percent. While OPPO experienced a one percent increase in market share, it’s Huawei and Vivo that truly shined during this quarter. They increased their market share by nine and eight percent, respectively, solidifying their spots in the top five.

This is the first time Huawei has appeared on this list rather than with the “others,” which consists of a mix of international and local brands. Apple, in particular, took a big dive with a two percent market share after its five percent showing from the same period last year. MyPhone and Cloudfone also experienced sinking sales.

Research Analyst Hanish Bhatia mentions that “The sub-US$ 200 price band captured nearly 75 percent of the smartphone market during Q2 2018. This is the sweet spot for the market and key focus of leading brands. Local players such as Cherry Mobile and MyPhone are now solely targeting the sub-US$ 99 price segment, primarily due to the aggressive approach of Chinese OEMs in the mid-tier price segments.”

Another statistic worth noting is the number of feature phones still being shipped in the Philippines. They account for 24 percent of all handset sales, meaning one out of every four phones isn’t an Android or iOS device.

Gaming

2026’s The Game Awards will stream live on Disney+

Published

November 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Annually, The Game Awards have become a sort of second Christmas for gamers. Besides a celebration of the past year in the world of videogames, the event hosts trailers for games of the upcoming year and beyond. Though it’s already free on several platforms, viewers can now tune in to Disney+ to watch this year’s Game Awards.

Hosted as always by Geoff Keighley, 2026’s The Game Awards will happen on December 10 at 7:30pm ET. Most of the event will award the best titles of various categories for the year. Several publishers and developers also use the event to announce their upcoming titles. It’s for these reasons that a lot of gamers catch the event every year.

This year, The Game Awards is streaming live on Disney+. This is in addition to its usual platforms including Twitch and YouTube. The Disney+ stream will be available in the United States and select territories internationally.

For now, gamers can also vote on their picks for various categories via the event’s website.

On the other hand, Disney+ has been pushing live events more adamantly. In the Philippines, for example, the platform is the home for live NBA coverage. Though it’s not as strong as Netflix’s gaming push with its assortment of free games, Disney+’s addition of the annual awards show is a worthy go for gamers.

Enterprise

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang resigns after scandals

Published

November 12, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

NVIDIA’s week is finally and mercifully coming to an end. After being implicated in two extramarital affairs, now-former NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has resigned from his position.

It’s been a terrible week for Huang’s personal life. Last weekend, a bombshell report revealed that Huang engaged in an affair with Alice Huang, who is reportedly involved with Chinese intelligence. Quickly realizing the heaviness of the allegations, the CEO admitted quickly to the affair.

However, barely 24 hours ago, another report revealed that Huang had a second extramarital affair. Though he was clear of any more espionage allegations, his romantic affair of choice was another executive within the company. NVIDIA’s board of directors quickly debated whether Huang should be fired for his actions.

Now, Huang has voluntarily resigned from his position. The former CEO leaves behind his spot at the head of the table since cofounding NVIDIA in 1993.

In his stead, the board of directors have named incumbent CFO Colette Kress as the company’s interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent replacement. Despite her interim role, Kress will continue her duties as CFO.

Additionally, the board has named Harvey C. Jones, a member of board since its founding, as its first chair of the board.

Though the company will leave most of the controversy behind with Huang’s departure, its next chapter is about to begin. Will its new direction maintain the company’s tenuous balance between AI and gaming, or tip the scales towards one segment?

News

St. Peter reunited people with their deceased loved ones through tech

The new “If Heaven Could Write” campaign generates letters from the imagined perspectives of loved ones.

Published

November 11, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Grieving can take many forms. Sometimes, it manifests through a desire to hear a loved one again. We look at their old clothing, a gust of wind, or a butterfly, and imagine them talking to us one more time. This year, St. Peter, through the power of technology, gave 11,000 people that chance through its new “If Heaven Could Write” campaign.

During St. Peter Deathcare Week, which ran from October 27 through November 2, the deathcare provider started the “If Heaven Could Write” campaign, an interactive digital experience that offered participants a chance to reunite with their deceased loved ones. It was available in 37 St. Peter Chapels and 76 cemeteries nationwide.

Upon scanning a QR code which took them to a portal, participants answered questions about their loved ones. Then, the portal generates a personal letter from the imagined perspective of the participant’s loved one, giving them one more chance to converse.

Of course, an imagined letter can’t replace someone who passed away. Still, the experience affords us a way to grieve and process the loss. No, the letter isn’t really from your loved one, but you can imagine what they would have said while reading through it. And sometimes, that’s all we need.

Though St. Peter Deathcare Week has already come and gone for the year, those interested can still participate in the campaign through its link.