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Report claims Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has more users than LG V20 and OnePlus 3T combined

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The Galaxy Note 7 has crashed and burned like no other, and Samsung has been calling for its return for months, even coming out with incentive schemes to get people to turn in their phone immediately.

Samsung, most recently, has gone as far as to push out mandatory software updates that will disable the handset for good or render it useless by gimping its hardware. Well and good, right? Well, it turns out, quite a number of people don’t care for any of those measures, as the Galaxy Note 7 remains one of the most used flagship handsets even today, with more active users than the LG V20, the OnePlus 3T, and the U.S.-exclusive HTC Bolt combined.

[irp posts=”8734″ name=”Samsung will cripple remaining Note 7 phones in PH on December 15″]

That’s according to California-based mobile research firm Apteligent, which offers analytics-based market insights to service providers and app developers. Its clientèle includes Netflix, Pokemon Go, Snapchat, and many others.

But back to the topic at hand. In its latest findings, Apteligent claims the Note 7 has higher global usage statistics than that of LG’s latest and most capable handset yet, though Google’s Pixel phones, the Sony Xperia XZ, and the Moto Z all enjoy higher usage numbers among premium phones released in the same timeframe.

Usage stats from Apteligent

To be fair to the OnePlus 3T and HTC Bolt, these phones have only been on shelves since November. But still, for a recalled and ultimately scrapped device, that is admittedly impressive — or frustrating, depending on who you’re talking to.

We can imagine that both Samsung and LG are frustrated by these statistics, for different reasons. For Samsung, it means more effort is needed to claim and reclaim the remaining Note 7s. As for LG, well, the writing is on the wall. The Korean OEM has a steep hill to climb next year.

No graph is provided for illustrating the usage stats of flagships launched earlier in the year, and the iPhone 7 is a no-show as well. That said, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7 would rank higher than any of the devices mentioned here.

[irp posts=”8433″ name=”Best smartphones of 2016″]

Source: Apteligent via Droid Life

Gaming

Horizon Hunters Gathering is an upcoming co-op roguelite spinoff

If you liked Nightreign, you might like this.

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Like Valve, the PlayStation’s tentpole franchises are allergic to the number 3. The Last of Us, the ongoing God of War arc, Spider-Man, and Horizon all don’t have a third game yet. These franchises, however, have all gotten rumors of spinoffs. Now, Horizon is getting more than just a rumor; an official co-op spinoff is happening. Say hello to Horizon Hunters Gathering!

Today, Guerilla unveiled Horizon Hunters Gathering, an official co-op roguelite set in the Horizon universe. The game will feature multiple players working to take down difficult enemies, bosses, and dungeons.

The title shares similarities with Elden Ring Nightreign. For one, players can choose between six characters with different roles. The main mode, called Machine Incursion, takes players to a wide map with powerups and roaming monsters. The map then has a shrinking ring that… well, you know what a shrinking ring does.

Horizon Hunters Gathering also has a different game mode called Cauldron Descent. Compared to the Nightreign type of gameplay, Cauldron Descent is a more traditional roguelite mode. Players enter a dangerous dungeon and choose alternate paths that vary in challenges.

Both game modes will be available through an upcoming closed playtest through the PlayStation Beta Program.

Because this is from Guerilla themselves, this is an official game. But it’s far from the only spinoff for the universe. Previously, NCSoft, a South Korean gaming studio, announced Horizon Steel Frontiers, an MMO set in the Horizon universe. Like Horizon Hunters Gathering, Steel Frontiers has an unknown launch date.

SEE ALSO: Horizon Steel Frontiers is an MMO set in the Horizon universe

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Report: HONOR tops global smartphone shipment growth in 2025

HONOR also improves overall market share

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HONOR topped last year’s global smartphone shipment growth, according to an Omdia report. The manufacturer achieved an 11% year-over-year growth, which ranked first among the world’s top 10 smartphone vendors.

Furthermore, as per data from IDC, in the first three quarters of 2025, HONOR also led all top brands in overseas shipment growth across these premium segments:

  • Smartphones priced above US$ 300 (premium and upper-mid-tier)
  • Tablets in the US$ 300 to US$ 600 price band (upper-mid)

Such growth enabled HONOR to improve their overall market share to 6% in 2025. They’ve already edged Lenovo (5%), HUAWEI (4%), and realme (3%) after a strong calendar year.

Unarguably contributing to their performance are the releases of the flagships HONOR Magic V5 and HONOR Magic7 Pro, as well as mid-rangers like the HONOR 400 series and a handful of HONOR X series devices.

Meanwhile, Transsion, which holds the Infinix, TECNO, and itel brands, have an 8% market share combined, which is the same as OPPO and vivo. Xiaomi is at 13%, while giant players Apple and Samsung both have a 19% market share each.

Building on their growth, HONOR is set to unveil groundbreaking products at MWC 2026 in Barcelona this March.

These include the HONOR Robot Phone and the brand’s latest flagship foldable, the HONOR Magic V6. The impending releases accelerate the momentum of HONOR’s Alpha Plan.

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Gaming

Valve is delaying the launch of the Steam Machine

But it’s still scheduled for the first half of 2026.

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Overshadowed only by the Nintendo Switch 2, the upcoming Steam Machine was one of the most exciting gaming devices announced last year. Unfortunately, especially if you were waiting intently for the console’s launch, Valve is delaying the device by an undisclosed amount of time.

Initially, Valve anticipated a launch for the Steam Machine sometime in the first half of 2026. However, as the calendar rolls on into the second month of the year, the company has yet to announce either a price or a launch date for the console. Valve says that both should be out by now.

In a recent update, the company confirms that ongoing chip shortages have forced a reevaluation of the Steam Machine’s price and shipping date. This also goes for the Steam Controller and the Steam Frame. Valve is going back to the drawing board to figure out what is feasible for the console market.

On the bright side, Valve is still aiming to launch all three devices in the first half of the year. It’s just a matter of determining when that is.

The Steam Machine is just the latest in a growing line of devices affected by the chip shortage. Today, chipmakers are funneling their supplies to the supposed demand for AI servers. Naturally, more infrastructure means less chips reserved for regular consumers.

Also recently, NVIDIA was rumored to skip this year for a new GPU launch because of the AI “boom”. It’s the first time that this has happened in thirty years.

SEE ALSO: Valve announces its own console called the Steam Machine

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