News
ASUS ZenFone 5, 5Z, and 5Q officially launch in the Philippines
Pricing and availability here!
ASUS first announced their newest line of AI-powered smartphones at MWC in Barcelona, and now, they’re coming to Philippine shores. All three variants, the ZenFone 5, ZenFone 5Z, and ZenFone 5Q (or depending on what region you’re in, the ZenFone 5 Lite or ZenFone 5 Selfie) will be on sale.
The ZenFone 5 sports a 6.2-inch notched display with a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 636 processor with AI built in and runs on Android 8.0 Oreo with ZenUI 5.0 out of the box. It has a dual-cam setup on the rear with a 12-megapixel primary shooter and a secondary wide-angle shooter. These cameras are, of course, powered by AI. There’s also an 8-megapixel selfie shooter up front.
The more premium ZenFone 5Z, on the other hand, is powered by the latest Snapdragon 845 processor which makes it a more capable device. All other specifications, including design, remain the same. They come in two colors: Midnight Blue and Meteor Silver.
Finally, the ZenFone 5Q is a quad-camera handset powered by a Snapdragon 630 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. This device, though, isn’t notched. ASUS claims that this device is “the world’s first globally announced true quad-camera system” as it makes use of all four cameras independently, unlike other smartphones which only utilize secondary shooters for the bokeh effect.
Up front, it’s equipped with a 20-megapixel selfie shooter and a secondary wide-angle camera. On the back, it sports a 16-megapixel camera, also with a secondary wide-angle lens. The 5Q also runs on ZenUI 5.0 and Android Oreo out of the box. Color options include: Moonlight White, Midnight Black, and Rouge Red.
The ZenFone 5 is priced at PhP 19,995 while the more premium ZenFone 5Z will retail for PhP 29,995. The ZenFone 5Q will cost PhP 16,995. The ZenFone 5 and 5Q are in stores starting today and the ZenFone 5Z will be available come July.
The ZenFone Max M1, which is powered by an amazing 4000mAh battery, also launched in the country alongside the ZenFone 5 line. It will retail for PhP 8,995.
News
More iPhone switchers this year than Android switchers, report says
Only the Google Pixel might be exempt from a global Android dip.
With the prices of chips skyrocketing this year, the commonly held rule of thumb is to hold on to your devices for as long as possible. Of course, the dip in demand will also translate to a dip in supply. According to new reports, users this year might favor switching to an iPhone over an Android phone.
As early as late last year, smartphone makers have already warned consumers that the prices of new devices might go up to anticipate the rising prices of RAM. For now, the prices are still manageable, but forecasts don’t look too kindly on the future.
According to a Morgan Stanley report via Investing.com, the shipments of Android phones might drop by as much as 15 percent this year, compared to the last. This encompasses all brands using the platform.
However, there is one notable holdout: the Google Pixel. According to the same report, the lineup will still enjoy some modicum of growth heading into their release schedule this year.
More notably, though, Apple might be the biggest winner this year. Though iPhone shipments might still drop by 2 percent, it’s nothing compared to the former’s 15 percent drop. When comparing the two, that should translate to a growth in Apple’s share of the pie this year. In other words, more people might switch to Apple, compared to people switching to any phone running on Android.
Now, to be fair, these are all just predictions. Anything can still happen, but it looks like Apple might be heading to a stellar performance later this year.
SEE ALSO: Hands-on: NEW iPhone 17e, iPad Air, MacBooks, Studio Displays
Entertainment
Marvel’s Wonder Man greenlit for a rare second season
The first season holds a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe back? After years of floundering through Phases Four and Five, Marvel Studios is poised to get its mojo back from a flurry of much-awaited Phase Six projects this year, including the second season of Daredevil: Born Again, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Avengers: Doomsday. And it all started this year with the critically acclaimed Wonder Man. Now, after the success of that series, a second season is officially in the works.
When its first trailer came out, Wonder Man did not look like anything that Marvel Studios has worked on before. For one, it was incredibly grounded, perhaps overshadowed only by Daredevil: Born Again. Second, it was about the reboot of a fictional superhero movie, itself called Wonder Man.
Actor Simon Williams (played by Yahya Abdul Mateen II) wants to energize his career by performing in the upcoming Wonder Man revival from acclaimed director Von Kovak (Zlatko Burić). Helping the former is the returning Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), who you might remember as the fake Mandarin from Iron Man 3.
Despite how different it looks compared to previous Marvel Studios projects, the series is one of the most acclaimed, currently holding a 91 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Because of this, Wonder Man has received the green light for a second season, via Variety.
A second season is relatively rare for Marvel Studios with its history of one-and-done series. There are some exceptions, though. Loki, for example, ended its run with a second season. Daredevil: Born Again will air its second season very soon (with a third one potentially in the works already).
SEE ALSO: Marvel’s Wolverine gets a release date
Apple changed the script by launching the iPhone 17e earlier this month. Now, after leaving history for a bit, the company is ready to go back to its originally scheduled programming. WWDC 2026 is now officially confirmed from June 8 through 12.
The Worldwide Developers Conference is an annual event to give the stage to Apple’s software developments. If you’re more familiar with Google’s scheduling, this is the equivalent of the annual Google I/O.
Today, Apple announced that the annual WWDC 2026 will take place from June 8 to 12. As always, it’s expected that Apple’s upcoming slate of major software updates will debut at the event. This includes iOS 27, macOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27.
However, besides the expected platforms, Apple has also confirmed that the event will present the company’s latest in “AI advancements”.
For Apple fans, those announcement should come with some excitement. Compared to its competitors, the company has notoriously been left trailing in the AI department. Upgrades to Apple Intelligence and a Siri revamp has been in the pipeline for quite a while now.
If you’re interested in the new developments, WWDC 2026 will, like every year, broadcast its major keynote presentation and a plethora of other showcases for free on Apple’s website and on YouTube.
SEE ALSO: Apple unveils the iPhone 17e
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