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There might be an Essential Phone successor with better cameras

Fixing the original’s biggest flaw

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If there’s one thing everyone can agree on with the Essential Phone, it’s that its cameras were never a serious threat to the competition.

Despite having a great design in a pair laid flatly on the back and a relatively small notch for the shooter in front, their performance was simply so-so. And it was a shame since the Essential Phone’s sturdy titanium and ceramic construction with the near-borderless display was one of the most prominent of 2017. Adding better cameras would have brought Essential to the top of the smartphone standings.

Acknowledging all these is the first step; creating a worthy successor is the next — and that’s what Essential is planning to do, according to a report by Business Insider.

Even though last year’s Essential Phone — model name PH-1 (as in PH-one) — didn’t experience great sales, the startup seems committed to releasing a follow-up. “We can say, we heard you and we’re going to do it better on the second-gen for sure,” said Linda Jiang, Essential’s head of industrial design.

When exactly that’ll happen is still up in the air. The original Essential Phone was launched 10 months ago, so there are still a couple of months before an annual refresh is expected.

In addition, Jiang said: “In general, one thing that we got hit hard with was the quality of our camera, and we’re really looking forward to improving that with our next-gen, making sure that we’re listening to our customers and their pain points. We’re going to make it better for you.”

Jiang also assures customers who bought modular accessories that they’ll work on the Essential Phone’s successor.

Essential recently updated the original model to Android 8.1 Oreo, making it one of the first non-Pixel handsets to receive the new software. There were also several new colors offered lately, as well as major price drops from the initial US$ 700 asking price.

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This Nokia phone can also be a powerbank

The Nokia 300 Charge has a 3700mAh battery that can charge other devices.

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Did you know that the original Nokia 3310 had only up to 1000mAh of battery life per charge? And yet, a single charge is enough to last ages. That’s because a “dumb” phone doesn’t really need a lot of juice to work. But what if you stick a larger battery onto a dumb phone. Well, you can get a phone that can double as a powerbank, and that’s just what the new Nokia 300 Charge is.

Despite the abundance of smarter options today, dumb phones, especially those from Nokia, can still find a home in the hands of those who don’t want to feel connected 24/7. Now, there’s another use for a dumb phone: a savior for your main phone.

The Nokia 300 Charge has a sizable 3700mAh battery. Powering the phone, the battery can supposedly last up to 40 hours on standby. However, it can also double as a powerbank for your other devices, which is a basic 10W reverse wired charging with an included 4-in-1 cable.

Technically, a 3700mAh powerbank is sorely inadequate for today’s devices that often go beyond 5000mAh already. Still, if you’re in a tight situation, the Nokia 300 Charge might be a lifesaver.

In addition to saving your devices from an empty battery, the phone can also save you from darkness with a built-in LED flashlight.

Inside, you’ll get a basic Unisoc SC6531E chipset with 4GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. For that added flavor of nostalgia, the Nokia 300 Charge comes with a retro QVGA camera.

HMD has not announced when the phone will come out or its price, but you can expect it to be cheaper than most phones today.

SEE ALSO: Not even Nokia phones are safe from AI features

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Stage Tour is resurrecting your Rock Band childhood

You can rock the guitar, the drums, or vocals to your favorite songs.

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A new Witcher 3 DLC, a new Final Fantasy VII, Mega Man, Rayman, and Crazy Taxi. What year is it again? With games as nostalgic as these coming out, there’s one game that can complete the circle: Rock Band. Now, resurrecting an era of rhythm games, Stage Tour will have you playing the guitar, the drums, or vocals in a star-studded game with a lot of iconic tracks.

For those who played through the classic Guitar Hero or Rock Band, Stage Tour needs no introduction. However, if you’re new to the scene, the game simply puts you into the shoes of a rock band. You can wield a guitar, a set of drums, or a microphone. And yes, the game comes with a customized controller for each instrument.

As for the soundtrack, you can rock and jam to a lot of the catchiest songs from yesteryear to today including titles from BABYMETAL, Paramore, Slipknot, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Black Eyed Peas, Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, Metallica, Walk the Moon, and Olivia Rodrigo.

Stage Tour launches on December 10 for all major platforms like PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch 2. You can also grab their official accessories through their site, but they do cost a pretty penny.

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HoYoverse’s Nodusfall looks like nothing they’ve ever made before

But it looks so similar to Elden Ring or Dark Souls.

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There’s a certain aesthetic you’ll always expect whenever you see HoYoverse mentioned. Touting long-standing hits like Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero, the publisher’s games often have bright and appealing aesthetics, bolstered by highly attractive characters to get you into the gacha groove. However, for the first time, HoYoverse is trying something completely different: Nodusfall, an action RPG that looks and feels like Elden Ring.

Revealed at today’s gamescom, Nodusfall teases a deeply fantastical setting focusing on Weavers taking on ferocious monsters and divine entities. Players will be able to take on these challenges with, based on the trailer, four players. Each player can wield an assortment of weapons including a greatsword, a regular sword, a bow, and magic. The trailer also teases spells that can transform the player into a divine being themselves.

As for the enemies, they have a strangely striking resemblance to other games you might have played before. One is a grizzled warrior who beheads a giant lion, something that’s shockingly identical to Hoarah Loux in Elden Ring. Another rides a dragon, similar to the Nameless King from Dark Souls 3.

Comparisons aside, Nodusfall is an impressive transformation for HoYoverse. Since forever, the publisher thrived on anime aesthetics, highlighted these days by the godly trilogy of Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero.

HoYoverse hasn’t revealed the release date of Nodusfall just yet, but we’re excited to see it in action.

SEE ALSO: HoYoverse’s first life sim, Petit Planet, opens Stardrift Test sign-ups

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