News

The new Snapdragon 730 adds AI tech to midrange phones

Also introduces a gaming-centric variant

Published

on

Throughout the past few years, Qualcomm has introduced a substantial amount of differentiation to its lineup. Now, the Snapdragon is a thriving lineup for premium, midrange, and budget markets.

Without stopping for breath, Qualcomm has expanded the family once again. The chipmaker has announced new entries into the Snapdragon 7 and 6 series — the Snapdragon 730, 730G, and 665 platforms. This time, the latest additions are focusing on artificial intelligence and improved gaming performance.

First up, the Snapdragon 730 introduces flagship-level AI technology to a new market. The chipset packs Qualcomm’s fourth-generation multi-core AI Engine and the Hexagon 688 processor. Both components have added AI functionalities previously exclusive to the Snapdragon 8 series.

The chipset’s Spectra 350 increases power efficiency for its devices’ cameras. With the lower power needed, Snapdragon 730 devices can support triple-camera systems shooting ultra-wide, portrait, and telephoto shots. Meanwhile, the Kryo 470 and Adreno 618 offer up to 35 percent better performance and with up to 20 percent less power consumption.

Secondly, the Snapdragon 730G takes the previous Snapdragon 730 to a whole new level. The gaming variant features an enhanced Adreno 618, offering up to 15 percent faster performance than its other variant. The chipset also reduces screen stutter by up to 90 percent. Further, Qualcomm’s in-house gaming studio will work with developers to optimize games for the platform.

Finally, the Snapdragon 665 carries the third-generation AI Engine and the Hexagon 686 DSP. The components deliver up to twice the performance of its predecessors. Likewise, the Spectra 165 can support triple rear camera systems. The Adreno 610 and Kryo 260 churn out great performance between eight cores.

Outside of the device ecosystem, Qualcomm has also developed the new Cloud AI 100, an improved solution for back-end AI enterprises.

SEE ALSO: Snapdragon 855’s official AnTuTu benchmark score beats the competition

News

Smart showcases cloud gaming platform in partnership with Blacknut

Play over 1,000 titles straight on your smartphones

Published

on

Philippines mobile service provider Smart showcased the country’s first cloud gaming platform in partnership with Blacknut at the recent Philippine GameDev Expo (PGDX) 2026.

As the event’s main presenter, Smart highlighted its collaboration with the cloud gaming subscription service. Together with its value-packed Power All offers, the network provider is highlighting what the future of gaming can look like.

Smart and TNT subscribers can conveniently access Blacknut Cloud Gaming through a dedicated site. Here, they can play more than 1,000 premium console and PC-quality games on their smartphones.

That’s without the need for expensive gaming hardware or lengthy downloads. Weekly subscriptions start at just PhP 145 and can be conveniently charged to prepaid load following a simple OTP verification process.

To make the experience better, Smart also has Power All offers, which provide generous open-access data for today’s digital lifestyles. There’s a package for cloud and mobile gaming, streaming, content sharing, and productivity.

Continue Reading

Gaming

Ghost of Yotei gets a story expansion in October

The Complete Edition comes with the expansion and a roguelike mode.

Published

on

Ghost of Yotei is a classic RPG experience set in the same universe as its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima. In my opinion, Atsu’s journey of revenge feels a lot more fun than Jin’s battle to save his homeland. If you’re in the same boat, Ghost of Yotei is coming back on October 1 with brand-new content.

Without delving too much into spoiler territory, Ghost of Yotei has a conclusive ending. Rather than shoehorning a forced epilogue, Echoes of Sekigahara, the title of the upcoming story expansion, explores Atsu’s past.

As with Tsushima’s expansion, Echoes of Sekigahara features a new map with new enemies, weapons, and collectibles. It will be set in two different time periods.

Besides the story expansion, the upcoming update also has a new mode called Most Wanted, which Sucker Punch Production describes as their “spin on a roguelike.” The mode explores Atsu’s experience as a headhunter, feeding her with bounties and earnable perks.

The two new content expansions will come with in the upcoming Ghost of Yotei Complete Edition. The new edition, coming on October 1, will also come with the co-op Legends mode. It also has a few perks and customization options. The edition will sell for US$ 70.

If you already have the base edition, you can grab an upgrade for only US$ 15. If you don’t want to pay for the upgrade, the game is still getting a few minor tweaks.

SEE ALSO: Ghost of Yotei review: A tale sharpened by vengeance

Continue Reading

News

HONOR isn’t taking the Robot Phone global — yet

The hardware is ready. The AI isn’t.

Published

on

The HONOR Robot Phone may have officially launched, but don’t expect this version to immediately make its way to global markets.

HONOR told media in Shenzhen that it currently has no plans to bring the current Robot Phone outside China. The main hurdle isn’t the hardware. It’s the phone’s AI experience, which is currently optimized for the Chinese market.

HONOR believes a future generation of the Robot Phone would be better positioned for a true global rollout once its AI experience is ready for markets outside China.

That doesn’t mean HONOR is abandoning the idea. Quite the opposite.

More than a phone with a moving camera

The Robot Phone is HONOR’s attempt to introduce a new idea to the smartphone market. It combines a smartphone with a 4DoF mechanical gimbal, allowing its camera to physically move. 

Its AI features take that concept further. YOYO Robot Mode can use voice commands, gestures, and AI tracking to control the camera. It can also automatically pan and tilt to keep a person in frame during vlogs, livestreams, and video calls. 

The phone also brings selected elements of ARRI Image Science and professional cinema workflows to its camera system. Its 200MP gimbal main camera supports 10-bit ARRI LogC3 recording, while ARRI Wide Gamut 3 and ARRI Looks give creators more control over their footage. 

But HONOR isn’t treating the Robot Phone primarily as a volume-driving product.

The company says its bigger goal is to introduce a new concept to the smartphone market and see what kind of effect it can have.

That makes the Robot Phone an interesting experiment for HONOR. The hardware is already here. The company now wants to learn what happens when a smartphone can physically move, respond to its surroundings, and use AI to help operate itself.

For now, though, China is where that experiment begins.

Continue Reading

Trending