News
ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M1 to launch in the Philippines
After making a surprise appearance in Russia, the ZenFone Max Plus M1 is making its way to the Philippines.
This 5.7-inch ASUS smartphone has been a bit of a mystery since first being revealed as the Pegasus 4S in China last November. It’s the company’s first near-borderless handset with an 18:9 1080p display, which has become increasingly popular among midrange phones since premium models started the trend, but its rollout has been erratic.
While no pricing or availability has been announced yet for the Philippines or most countries for that matter, it’ll certainly be in the lower-midrange category with its specifications.
We’re referring to the MediaTek MT6750T chipset (found inside many entry-level devices), 4GB of memory, 32GB of expandable storage, and a somewhat hefty 4130mAh battery.
What puts it above the rest are the dual rear cameras, consisting of a 16-megapixel sensor and 8-megapixel wide-angle shooter. The front has a much simpler 8-megapixel selfie camera.
The only real setback is the outdated Android 7.0 Nougat operating system. Besides that, it’s pretty much a taller ZenFone 4 Max with the fingerprint sensor at the back and a smaller battery capacity.
We’ll have to wait a little longer to find out its price and official launch date for the Philippines, but it’ll likely cost below PhP 12,000 (less than US$ 240), which is similar to the Malasyian launch price of MYR 899.
SEE ALSO: ASUS ZenFone 4 Android Oreo update to arrive in December 2017
[irp posts=”25711″ name=”ASUS ZenFone 4 Android Oreo update to arrive in December 2017″]
Gaming
Horizon Hunters Gathering is an upcoming co-op roguelite spinoff
If you liked Nightreign, you might like this.
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
News
Report: HONOR tops global smartphone shipment growth in 2025
HONOR also improves overall market share
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.
Gaming
Valve is delaying the launch of the Steam Machine
But it’s still scheduled for the first half of 2026.
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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