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Nubia Red Magic Mars remains as AnTuTu’s fastest Android phone

Faster phones have yet to be tested

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Image credit: Nubia

While we wait for new phones to be announced in the first quarter of 2019, we’ll have to stick to last year’s devices in determining which of them is the fastest — at least based on their benchmark scores on AnTuTu.

ZTE’s Nubia Red Magic Mars ended 2018 with a bang by positioning itself on top of the AnTuTu chart. Since there are no new phones posing a threat to its place, it’s still the fastest Android phone in the market with a score of 320,000.

The January 2019 update of AnTuTu’s ranking is not that different from last month’s. Red Magic Mars’ score is still a leap ahead of Huawei’s Mate 20 which sits in second place with 308,000. It’s followed by the Honor V20 with 306,000.

Image credit: AnTuTu

Placing fourth is Huawei’s humungous Mate 20 X with 304,000, followed by another Honor phone, the Magic 2, at 301,000.

Cutting the consecutive listing of sister companies Huawei and Honor phones is Xiaomi’s Black Shark Helo with a score of 299,000. In seventh place is Huawei (again) with the Mate 20 Pro.

The OnePlus 6T remains in the eighth spot with 296,000. The Vivo NEX S and the ASUS ROG Phone are neck-and-neck at 295,000 giving them the ninth and tenth place, respectively.

Based on this updated ranking, the Snapdragon 845 of the Nubia Red Magic Mars remains ahead of the Kirin 980 found on all of the Huawei and Honor phones on the list. The rest of the phones are also powered by the Snapdragon 845, but they seem to lack optimization to get high numbers.

We’re expecting a few Snapdragon 855-powered phones to come out in the coming weeks which will definitely shake things up.

Via: Weibo

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

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Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for $15 million

Samsung allegedly used her image without her consent.

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Samsung has an unlikely rival. Dua Lipa is suing the South Korean company for using her image without her permission.

In the marketing world, brand endorsers are part and parcel of how products are pushed to the market. Famous celebrities are often asked to advertise a product for their potential star power. That said, a company needs the endorser’s consent first.

According to a new suit (via Variety), pop star Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for using her image to endorse TVs without her consent. The South Korean brand is reportedly using Lipa’s photo on the packaging of its TVs. Lipa alleges that the photo’s usage implies that she endorses the TV, which she does not.

The complaint also alleges that Lipa asked Samsung to take down the image last year. However, Samsung’s reply was, to her, “dismissive and callous.” The brand has then continued to use the image in its packaging.

To prove her point, the suit includes anecdotes of Samsung customers who bought the TV specifically because the packaging has Lipa’s image on it. To pay for damages, Lipa is asking for US$ 15 million from the global brand for copyright infringement.

SEE ALSO: These Samsung TVs and sound devices are perfect for summer

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The Switch 2 is getting more expensive this year

The price increases will start this month.

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Gone are the days when consoles get cheaper as time goes by. These days, especially because of the RAM crisis, gaming consoles are getting more expensive. Joining this worrying trend, the Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a price hike.

Even upon launch, the Switch 2 was already pricier than its original counterpart. Currently, without the incoming price hikes, the console retails for US$ 449.99. It’s a lot but not completely out of reach.

Last week, Nintendo announced a price hike that might push the console to less than attainable levels. Starting May 25, the Switch 2 will cost JPY 59,980 (up from JPY 49,980) in Japan. The original generation is also getting a hike: JPY 47,980 for the Switch OLED, JPY 43,980 for the base Switch, and JPY 29,980 for the Switch Lite.

Abroad, you can expect price hikes on September 1. The Switch 2 will jump to US$ 499.99, CAN 679.99, or EUR 499.99, depending on where you live. These are the only official hikes announced right now, but Nintendo has confirmed that price revisions will be implemented in other regions, too.

As you might expect, the price increases are due to the ongoing RAM crisis. Though the console is an undeniable hit, the Switch 2 can’t hide behind its popularity against the price shortage dealt by unnecessary data centers. At the very least, users worldwide have time to grab the console in its original pricing before the hikes.

SEE ALSO: Switch 2 now lets you play old games in 1080p

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Gaming

Call of Duty drops the PlayStation 4 starting with its next game

Is this the beginning of the end for the PlayStation 4?

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When can we declare that a console is officially dead? Is it as soon as the launch of the next generation? Is it when games no longer come out on the console? Recently, Call of Duty has confirmed that the next game will not be available anymore on the PlayStation 4, which presents an important question: Is the PlayStation 4 officially dead?

Call of Duty is one of the most persistent gaming franchises today. The last entry, Black Ops 7, is still available for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Both consoles were launched over twelve years ago. (If that doesn’t make you old, the current generation was launched almost six years ago.)

As such, the franchise is one of the last stalwarts keeping the past generation alive. This week, Call of Duty, via a post on X, confirmed that the next game will not arrive on the PlayStation 4. Presumably, this also means the Xbox One.

Currently, we don’t have details about the upcoming game yet. But a new entry is confirmed to arrive later this year.

With the departure of the Call of Duty franchise, it’s fair to ask what will become of the old generation moving forward. Over the years, developers have started shying away from the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Since the franchise still maintains a steady fan base today, a lot of PlayStation 4 users might be forced to make an upgrade to play the latest entry.

SEE ALSO: PC Game Pass gets cheaper, but Call of Duty delays are coming

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