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Chinese phone brands are (unsurprisingly) taking over Asia

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In the latest well duh news of the week, Chinese brands Huawei, OPPO, Xiaomi, and Vivo are doing incredibly well in the two most important markets of Asia.

The metrics come from independent analyst company Canalys, which recently released smartphone shipment numbers for both China and India for the second quarter of 2017.

Let’s start with India:

Samsung still has a sizeable lead with minor growth compared to the second quarter of 2016. The bigger story, though, is the incredible growth of Xiaomi, Vivo, and OPPO during the same time span.

The three Chinese juggernauts are crushing the competition with their low- to mid-range offerings and expanding portfolios. Xiaomi, in particular, quadrupled its shipments compared to the same period last year.

Lenovo is simply hanging around, but is still making a big enough dent to take on Samsung’s 25 percent market share. It wouldn’t be surprising to see one of these brands overtake Sammy by next year, unless the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 is able to hold down the fort.

As for China, the stats Canalys provided paint a slightly different picture. Here are the shipment rankings for Q2 2017:

  1. Huawei — 23 million
  2. OPPO — 21 million
  3. Vivo — 16 million
  4. Xiaomi — 15 million

While not reflected on the list, the biggest story here is Xiaomi overtaking Apple to take the fourth spot in China. This was made possible by a 60 percent growth for Xiaomi year-over-year.

Do note, however, that shipment numbers don’t reflect profit. So, although the stats here look great, the reality is only Apple is making large profits from all the sales, with Samsung and Huawei far behind.

It’s gotten so bad, Huawei recently claimed to have given up on entry-level smartphones because of the small margins.

SEE ALSO: Huawei is ‘giving up’ on cheap phones

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nubia to launch new Neo 5 series gaming phones on March 28

Head to SM Megamall for activities, guest appearances, surprises

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nubia Philippines will officially launch the nubia Neo 5 series gaming smartphone on March 28 at their “Enter The NEOVerse: Born To Win” event. It will be held at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall in Metro Manila.

The nubia Neo 5 series’ design and details will be unveiled during the event. It is inspired by the REDMAGIC Gaming Lab, which is behind the REDMAGIC’s high-performance gaming ecosystem.

The nubia Neo 5 series will introduce a bold gaming-centric aesthetic, paired with performance-driven specs.

Customers can expect a sleek, futuristic styling, as well as powerful hardware engineered to elevate everyday mobile gameplay.

Across the lineup, users can expect high refresh rate displays, powerful processors, advanced cooling systems, and the familiar gaming triggers from the previous series.

It does look like nubia is adding AI-powered gaming optimization to give players an extra edge for every competitive match.

All these, of course, minus the flagship price tag.

Enter the NEOverse

At nubia’s launch event, the activity area will be transformed into a gaming-inspired universe.

Guests can explore interactive zones, participate in challenges, and experience the nubia Neo 5 series firsthand. They can also unlock exclusive rewards and prizes.

Moreover, the event will feature appearances from nubia ambassadors Sanya Lopez and ONIC Philippines.

From there, there will be 1v1 gaming sessions with ONIC PH players, as well as a special “Play” segment featuring a yet-to-be-revealed cosplayer.

nubia will also offer event-exclusive deals for early shoppers during the launch. Customers can enjoy up to seven premium freebies per nubia Neo 5 model. This is available for the first 100 customers.

Furthermore, nubia will officially announce its TikTok Super Brand Week, as well as partnerships with Yanlala and Geely.

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REDMI Note 15 Series named Presenting Partner for Spartan Race Philippines 2026 season

Titan Toughness takes center stage!

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Being a Spartan athlete for five years has taught me that endurance isn’t just about physical strength; it’s about the mental grit to keep moving when your body begs you to stop.

In this world, “toughness” becomes more than just a marketing buzzword. Now, it’s a requirement for survival. That’s why the partnership between Spartan Race Philippines and the REDMI Note 15 Series feels like a shared philosophy.

Partner for a tough course

Starting March 21, 2026, at Parklinks, Pasig City, the REDMI Note 15 Series officially joins the Spartan circuit.

For someone who has navigated these obstacles for years, I know that technology usually doesn’t belong in the mud. But the “Titan Tough” promise of the REDMI Note 15 is built for this exact routine.

It’s designed to be there for the moments that matter. For capturing the raw, unpolished triumph of the finish line; for surviving the grit of the course so you can focus on the next hurdle; and for finding the device at the heart of the festival area and the winner’s circle, mirroring the resilience of the athletes themselves.

Join the journey

Whether you are a seasoned elite racer or stepping into your first Open heat, this season is about testing your limits.

To help you get to that starting line, you can use the discount code REDMINOTE15 to get 10% OFF on all Spartan Race OCR, Spartan Kids Race, and Hurricane Heat events.

See you at the starting line. AROO!

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Stylish, student-friendly HONOR X8d launches

Price, pre-order offers

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HONOR Philippines has launched its latest mass-market smartphone entry that caters to students and the youthful market in general: the HONOR X8d.

The budget smartphone is priced at PhP 15,999 and is available in Blue, Velvet Black, and Velvet Grey colors.

As part of launch offers, those who pre-order until March 27 can get a free accessory and can also avail of 0% installment plans via credit cards and Home Credit.

Customers can get the device through Lazada, Shopee, and HONOR stores.

REVIEW: The HONOR X8d is serviceable

The HONOR X8d is powered by a Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 2 processor and comes with 8GB of RAM (plus 8GB expansion) and 256GB of storage.

It has a large 7,000mAh battery which supports 45W charging, making it a very long-lasting daily value companion.

The device features a 6.77-inch 120Hz display which has up to 3,000 nits of brightness, making it useful for practical situations.

The handset comes with usual display certifications and protections, including 3840Hz PWM dimming, E-Book mode, SGS drop resistance, and an IP65 rating.

For its cameras, the X8d has a 108MP main camera, plus a 16MP front camera. The main shooter can capture decent quality at 1x, 2x, and 3x zoom ranges.

There are also handy AI editing tools like AI Eraser, AI Cutout, and AI Upscale.

Out of the box, the HONOR X8d runs on MagicOS 10 based on Android 16. It also has staple productivity tools like AI Translate, AI Writing, AI Notes, and AI Recorder, alongside features such as Magic Portal and Circle to Search.

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