News

ASUS ZenFone 3 Max 5.5 gets official price

Published

November 11, 2016

Marvin Velasco

About that 5.5-inch ASUS ZenFone 3 Max that got us all excited last month: It now has an official price, which was revealed during the phone’s recent launch in India.

That and the release date were the only pieces of information missing, so there’s no more guessing this time around. Although there’s no mention of availability beyond India, we do know the 5.5-inch ZenFone 3 Max variant will cost INR 17,999, which is close to $270.

[irp posts=”6741″ name=”5 reasons to get excited about the 5.5-inch ASUS ZenFone 3 Max”]

This version fits right in between the ZenFone 3 Laser and original ZenFone 3

While it may seem a little expensive, you have to consider its feature set first. As mentioned in our previous article, this smartphone is a mashup of the smaller 5.2-inch ZenFone 3 Max and 5.5-inch ZenFone 3 Laser, mixing the battery of the former with the camera capabilities of the latter.

This naturally places the larger Max above the two lower-end handsets, but still below the original ZenFone 3. For comparison, the 5.2-inch Max costs PhP 8,995 ($183), the Laser is PhP 11,995 ($244), and the plain 5.2-inch ZenFone 3 retails for PhP 16,995 ($346). The 5.5-inch Max would cost around PhP 13,250 ($270) if it lands in the Philippines.

So, what do you get out of it? A Full HD display, Qualcomm’s lower-end Snapdragon 430 processor, 32GB of native storage (expandable via microSD), and 3GB of RAM, but the amount of memory might increase or decrease depending on where you purchase the handset.

You have four colors to choose from

The bigger story lies in the battery capacity and cameras: a generous 4100mAh capacity for the former, and a pair of 16- and 8-megapixel cameras for the back and front, respectively. The primary shooter is assisted by both laser and phase detection autofocus.

Does the pricing announcement taper our fondness for the 5.5-inch ZenFone 3 Max? Not really. It just happens to be the most expensive ZenFone Max to date, and it’s priced as much as last year’s powerful ZenFone 2; hence, we can’t get that false sense of “empowering luxury” out of our heads.

We still hope more countries will receive the larger ZenFone 3 Max. It would help broaden the number of quality choices at this price point; the OPPO F1s, Vivo V3 Max, Moto G4 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime are all waiting.

[irp posts=”3915″ name=”ASUS ZenFone 3 PH prices are expensive compared to a year ago”]

Source: GSMArena

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.