Features

Fast Forward: A new iPhone is coming, ASUS is gearing up for a gaming phone

Still looking for the ‘perfect’ phone? More are coming this June!

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Curious about what to expect in the tech world? Here’s a quick roundup of upcoming events and launches happening next month!

1. WWDC 2018: iPhone SE 2, iOS 12, MacOS 10.14, and more

Apple’s annual developer’s conference will kick off the month starting on June 4. Happening in California, the 29th Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will be a grand showcase of Apple’s new software products, and the company is expected to unveil the next versions of iOS, MacOS, WatchOS, and tvOS.

Rumors have been suggesting that we might also see a new lower-cost MacBook Air (or something similar) and iPad Pro models with Face ID. The much-awaited iPhone SE 2 will probably be unveiled and could be the highlight of the conference. These are just rumors though, but we’d like to see a cheaper iPhone.

2. Computex 2018: ASUS will unveil ROG gaming phone

Right after WWDC in the US, Computex 2018 will commence in Taiwan. The annual computer show will take place in Taipei once again and the GadgetMatch team will be on the showroom floor to bring you everything there is to see. One of the expected announcements is the long-rumored ROG gaming smartphone from ASUS. It’ll be much like the Razer Phone with flagship specs and a fluid display, but rumors are also pointing out to an RGB-enabled body to match other ROG devices.

Acer will also be present at Computex and they’ll be showcasing their new laptops and desktop computers first seen in New York. Chip makers like Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm are expected to lay out their plans for new processors while graphics-maker NVIDIA might unveil new mobile GPUs and VR components. Other PC manufacturers like MSI, Gigabyte, and Samsung are listed to be exhibitors in the convention, as well.

3. BlackBerry, Motorola, OPPO, and Vivo will announce new phones!

New Android smartphones get released almost every week. June will be no different and we’re expecting at least four from major manufacturers.

Let’s start with Motorola and their Moto Z3 Play. The Z3 Play is part of the third-generation Moto Z phones (we’re expecting other variants, too) that are compatible with Moto Mods. It could also be the last model to support existing Moto Mods. Then there’s BlackBerry (which is still alive and kicking) with the KEY2 launch happening in New York.

Chinese phone brands go global once again as OPPO and Vivo plan to unveil new smartphones for the international market. Vivo is already teasing their presence in the FIFA World Cup alongside the launch of the retail version of the Vivo APEX concept phone. OPPO, on the other hand, is rumored to enter Europe for a new smartphone launch. Not many details are known, but we’re suspecting that their 5x optical zoom concept phone will finally be available to the public or maybe something new.


Fast Forward is our roundup of upcoming news, launches, and events. It’s a monthly feature to give our readers a heads-up on what is happening in the tech realm. It’s sometimes difficult to keep track of the calendar, so we do it for you.

Hands-On

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Series Hands-on

And everything announced during Apple’s September 2026 Event

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The latest Apple event isn’t just about the shiny new Apple Duo. There’s a lot to talk about!

In this video, we break down everything Apple has announced during their September 2026 keynote.

First, there’s the updated iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. That’s alongside their design and color changes, battery and performance improvements. Even that massive camera upgrade.

There’s even the ANC-infused AirPods 5 alongside the newer Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. Plus, the latest software updates coming to both these wearables.

So, are these worth the upgrade?

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Explainers

Spotlight: Hisense UR8 + RGB MiniLED Explained

The Biggest TV Upgrade in Years?

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TV technology is changing in a way you can’t see. And it starts with how color itself is made.

Hisense’s new RGB MiniLED technology could change the way we see TVs.

Here’s our spotlight on their latest Hisense UR8 offering.

Check out the Hisense UR8 TV: https://bit.ly/4cxo6xl

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Features

How did new CEO John Ternus do for his first Apple event?

Is a new golden age coming for Apple?

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For a brief moment, I thought Tim Cook was refusing to step down as Apple’s CEO.

Apple’s “Surprise and shine” event, which heralded the coming of the foldable iPhone Duo, started bombastically with a montage of cinematic moments spanning different genres. The main point was: “what’s the best way to start an opening scene?”

After what felt like an age, the all-too-familiar voice of Tim Cook came on, perhaps for the very last time. But rather than overstaying his exit as the former CEO, he describes that the perfect opener should be classic, as a car that is, quite symbolically, riding off into the sunset. He then explains that he’s not the main character anymore.

Last shot of Tim Cook at the Surprise and Shine event

“That’s your guy,” he said, before pointing to John Ternus, who steps into frame without an introduction or even a name card. It’s hard to image that this guy is the new face of Apple.

It’s the perfect end to Tim Cook’s tenure and as perfect a start for John Ternus’s.

Moving from an age of crisis to a golden age

After a decade and a half of being the face of the brand, Tim Cook stepped down from his tenure as CEO. He leaves the company in a much better state than when he took over. Thanks to him, the iPhone is now a household item. It’s a ubiquitous phone that draws millions of fans every time a new one comes out every year.

But his tenure didn’t start on a bed of roses. When he took over in 2011, it was in response to Steve Jobs’s failing health, who passed away soon after. He inherited a company constantly threatened by competitors trying to eat into Apple’s slice of the pie.

Indeed, Cook’s tenure was peppered with crises. He had to navigate Trump’s first reign, destructive as it was towards relationships in China. He had to figure out survival during the tempestuous pandemic years. Finally, he had to carefully build a strategy for the dawn of AI.

Cook is, first and foremost, a businessman. While the Jobs era was typified by innovation after innovation, Cook built upwards, turning Apple into a trillion-dollar company. Although we didn’t see a lot of new exciting segments introduced, the company built on what it was already good at, delivering a premium and refined experience.

John Ternus comes at an opportune time. Though the brand will always have a healthy share of diehard fans, Apple must now find the next big thing and rediscover the spice of years past.

A time for AI?

After his nonchalant introduction, Ternus immediately goes on the offensive and describes his vision for Apple Intelligence. Rather than dwell on NPUs, TOPS, and other metrics that a regular user can’t make heads or tails of, he described Apple Intelligence and Siri AI as a personal assistant. Usage versus performance, in other words.

If you’re an AI enthusiast, the renewed push towards Apple Intelligence should give you hope that the iPhone won’t just be a receptacle for other AI software. Rather, it’s building its own. Wherever the AI industry is going, Apple looks like it can keep up.

Now, if you don’t like AI at all, that’s fine, too. Ternus isn’t there just for the AI.

Unlike Jobs or Cook, Ternus comes from a strictly engineering background. In today’s world, hardware complements AI. The software must use NPUs after all. But, when the AI bubble finally pops, Ternus isn’t out of a job. In fact, if his track record is any indication, it’s just getting started.

Or a time for new hardware?

This year is absolutely monumental for Apple. Earlier this year, the company launched the MacBook Neo, its first budget-friendly notebook built for everyone. If you were looking to get into the MacBook lifestyle, now is the perfect time to buy in. A lot of users felt a subtle changing of the guard.

From there, you can feel Ternus’s influence already seeping in. And if it wasn’t obvious back then, it’s more than apparent now.

iPhone Duo

In his first ever “One More Thing,” Ternus started his tenure strong with the introduction of the iPhone Duo. Almost twelve hours since the phone’s announcement, I’ve never seen a more visceral reaction to the launch of a new iPhone.

Whereas most of their annual releases reveled in more incremental improvements that primarily tickled already dedicated fan, the iPhone Duo is something new. Everyone’s talking about it. It’s gotten so crazy that even Samsung, often more nonchalant with its prodding, openly attacked the foldable after teasing the brand to go foldable last year.

Though it’s technically not a new segment, the iPhone Duo is patching up the mistakes of past foldables. Rather than just pasting two screens together, Apple’s take feels like a unified whole, emphasized by an interface that seamlessly changes from folded to unfolded.

Where Tim Cook failed to illicit more than a modest ripple with the Vision Pro, Ternus flew to new heights with the iPhone Duo’s announcement. And the phone isn’t even out yet.

Now, there’s still a chance that the Duo won’t be a hit with sales, especially because of the price. But this is still a strong opener for Ternus.

Who is the main character?

“That’s your guy,” Tim Cook pointed.

I don’t think he was pointing in the right direction. Though the camera cut to Ternus himself, his first outing clearly states that the main character is no longer whoever is handling the reins. His decision to skip an official introduction feels intentional. The main character, after all, is the hardware itself: the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone Duo.

The entire event started with a bold declaration that everything was shot with an iPhone. It ended, in fact, with the same declaration. Channeling their inner Marshall McLuhan, Ternus’s Apple wants you to believe in the iPhone again.

Even as someone who doesn’t use Apple products mainly, I’m stoked to see what the new era will bring to the table. This is an exciting time for Apple. We might be in the first year of a new golden age.

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