News

Mate 9 Pro is Huawei’s true flagship

Published

on

Huawei Mate 9 Pro

If you’re thinking about ordering Huawei’s recently launched Mate 9, you might want to hold on to your wallet now that an even better Mate 9 Pro has been announced.

With a smaller 5.5-inch display size and front-mounted fingerprint scanner, the newer Pro model is distinctly different from the 5.9-inch Mate 9 that launched in Munich, Germany earlier this month.

Huawei Mate 9 Pro

Huawei Mate 9 Pro in three different colors

Another major difference is the Mate 9 Pro’s Quad HD AMOLED panel, making it sharper and more vibrant than its larger sibling. It’s also curved on both sides, so watching videos will feel more immersive, at the expense of accidental screen touches if you aren’t careful.

Everything else is virtually the same: The in-house Kirin 960 processor, Leica-infused twin cameras, and fast-charging 4000mAh battery are all still there.

It’s basically a more pocketable version of the original Mate 9 with a stronger resemblance to Samsung’s similarly sized Galaxy S7 Edge.

Huawei Mate 9 Pro comparison

Comparing the Mate 9 Pro to the iPhone 7 Plus

The only eyesore is the price. The Mate 9 Pro costs significantly more than the plain Mate 9, retailing at CNY 4,699 ($685) for the 4GB memory with 64GB storage variant and CNY 5,299 ($772) for the 6GB memory with 128GB storage option.

As you can tell by the Chinese pricing, the Mate 9 Pro is only available in Huawei’s home market at the moment. Interested parties outside of China can look forward to the grander Porsche Design model, which shares the same specs as the Mate 9 Pro, but has an even crazier EUR 1395 price tag — that’s close to $1,500!

The German automobile branding exists purely for bragging rights, though. The Mate 9 Porsche Design will ship in limited quantities, and only has a classier look to its credit.

It’s clear Huawei wants to be taken seriously as a premium brand by bringing in help from established names. It’ll certainly help gain greater international recognition, but the China-based manufacturer really should rethink its pricing and distribution plans if it plans to dominate market shares, as well.

Huawei Mate 9 Pro

Leica is still around to assist Huawei’s dual-camera setup

Source: GizmoChina

[irp posts=”7423″ name=”Huawei Mate 9 has two rear cameras, gets better the more you use it”]

News

Budget smartphone realme C100 Series launches

Long battery life, ruggedness, more

Published

on

The realme C100 Series, the brand’s latest rugged essential smartphone in the budget segment, has officially launched in the Philippines.

The series introduces up to an 8,000mAh Titan Battery on the realme C100 model, as well as IP69 Pro certification.

This means the handset has IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K dust and water resistance ratings to handle high-pressure water exposure and submersion for up to six meters and 30 minutes.

The C100 also supports 45W SUPERVOOC charging for quick battery top-ups. It even has a 10W reverse charging support to power other small devices.

On the other hand, the realme C100i comes with a 7,000mAh Titan Battery to likewise power all-day use. This model supports a steady 15W charging and 6W reverse charging. It is also rated IP64 for dust and water resistance.

In addition, both models support Rain Touch Mode, making the 6.8-inch 120Hz display optimized for touches even when it is wet. This panel also comes with ArmorShell Glass protection.

Powering the C100 is the MediaTek Helio G92 Max processor while the C100i has as Unisoc T7250 processor. The devices run on realme UI 7.0 (Android 16).

Price, availability

In the Philippines, the realme C100 Series comes in various storage configurations:

  • C100i (4GB+64GB): PhP 6,313 (SRP: PhP 8,999)
  • C100i (4GB+128GB): PhP 7,379 (SRP: PhP 11,999)
  • C100i (4GB+256GB): PhP 8,199 (SRP: PhP 13,999)
  • C100 (4GB+256GB): PhP 11,195 (SRP: PhP 16,999)
  • C100 (8GB+256GB): PhP 14,000 (SRP: PhP 19,999)

Limited-time launch offers are available through Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok from June 18 to June 30.

The phones are also available at realme concept stores, kiosks, and partner retailers nationwide. Potential freebies include a TechLife Smart band, extended warranty and screen damage protection, privilege card, or additional cash discount.

Continue Reading

News

Did Tim Cook just confirm that iPhone prices are going up?

Once again, it might be because of the RAM crisis.

Published

on

If there’s one thing you can count on in the smartphone world, it’s the high price of an iPhone. Unfortunately, with the ongoing RAM shortages, things might get worse. Apple’s Tim Cook has essentially confirmed that the brand is about to raise its prices.

Via an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Cook said, “Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable.” As with other companies, the outgoing CEO is talking about the RAM crisis. With a lot of chips going to AI, consumer-ready silicon is getting scarcer and scarcer. Thankfully, some brands are shielding its users from the increases, but it’s reaching levels that aren’t sustainable for business.

“We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable,” he said.

Cook did not explain how much prices will go up or when. However, with the iPhone 18 series (and a potential iPhone Fold) just on the horizon, it seems nigh.

Apple isn’t the first brand to react to the shortages (nor will it be the last). Now, regardless of whether or not Apple has the capabilities to tank the crisis, the biggest culprit is still AI. Companies today are more than willing to use AI as a scapegoat, real or otherwise, for shady cost-cutting or profit-enhancing practices.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 17 is the best-selling phone of 2026 so far

Continue Reading

News

Apple might launch an iPhone Air 2 next year

This is despite the iPhone Air’s reportedly low demand.

Published

on

Is this the most varied that an iPhone lineup has ever been? With an iPhone Fold supposedly coming out later this year, the current lineup includes a base model, two Pro models, an ultra-thin Air model, and the affordable 17e. There’s now an iPhone for everyone. According to a new report, next year won’t be any different. Apple is reportedly launching the iPhone Air 2 early next year.

Among all the current models in the lineup, the iPhone Air does seem like the oddest of the bunch. Whereas the other models already have established niches, the Air is positioned simply as a thinner iPhone, riding on the short-lived ultra-thin phone trend. In fact, recent reports suggest that the Air isn’t as popular as its contemporaries.

Apparently, Apple doesn’t see it that way. According to Bloomberg, the brand is still surging forward with an iPhone Air 2. The upcoming version might even add a second camera and an improved processor.

Despite reports that it isn’t that popular, Apple might still believe in the model’s future. At this point, they should; Apple has always had a problem with the base model’s partner. Years of flip-flopping around what it should be, Apple wants to stay a little bit longer on the Air.

SEE ALSO: Apple has essentially confirmed the launch of the iPhone Fold

Continue Reading

Trending