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.

Xiaomi Philippines brought the Redmi Note 15 Series to Masungi GeoReserve to see how it holds up when the terrain is uneven.

Through the REDMI Titan Quest, we were brought into limestone paths and forest trails where dust settles fast and footing rarely stays predictable.

The day started with uneven ground beneath my feet and a phone that stayed out of my pocket. At Masungi GeoReserve, there was no reason to baby anything.

I spent the morning hiking and climbing, stopping only when something felt worth capturing using the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G.

Wide frames captured the scale of Masungi’s rock formations and open viewpoints.

Closer shots focused on textures, stone, and other details along the path. The 200-megapixel AI-powered camera system made it easy to move between 1x and 4x focal ranges as the light shifted throughout the day.

Power also never became a concern. With a 6,500mAh battery and 100W HyperCharge technology, the REDMI Note 15 Pro+ 5G kept up through hours of being outdoors.

Really ‘Titan Tough’

Durability showed itself early. Dirt clung to the device, and there were small knocks along the way that felt normal for a trail like this. Nothing cracked, of course.

A Titan Tough Durability Station later reinforced what the hike already proved; that dust and water resistance, and drop protection matter most in activities like this.

Designed for days like this, the REDMI Titan Structure, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and fiberglass back panels create a phone that feels ready for impact.

The Pro+ variant I’ve been carrying also supports drop resistance of up to 2.5 meters, which feels reassuring.

The Titan Quest builds on earlier REDMI Titan Lab durability tests, where toughness was measured under controlled conditions. On the trail, those results felt tangible.

Availability

The REDMI Note 15 Series is available through Xiaomi’s official stores on Shopee and Lazada. Select models come with bundled accessories, gift sets, and digital perks such as three months of Spotify Premium and a three-month 100 GB cloud storage plan.

The series includes Xiaomi Philippines’ No. 1 protection package, covering a four-year battery warranty, two-year liquid damage and exterior protection, and a two-year standard warranty.

Apple’s current foldable strategy is just one guy going “wouldn’t it be nice if we had a foldable phone” and everyone else nodding along. For years, Apple has constantly teased the development of its own entry into the market but failing to produce anything other than rumors. Now, while we’re still missing the mythical foldable, the company is reportedly considering a second foldable already: a clamshell iPhone.

Currently, all the previous rumors pointed to a traditional book-style foldable phone from Apple. The forecast says that the device might finally launch this year, but they do say that every year. In the meantime, according to Bloomberg, a clamshell version is already “under consideration.”

It hardly needs reminding that “under consideration” doesn’t mean anything other than “it might happen.” In contrast, the traditional foldable is probably in a “we’re just making sure everything is perfect” phase.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is likely evaluating whether there is enough demand for the first foldable. If, as the company predicts, it takes off, the company will want to capitalize on the hype immediately.

There’s a lot of expectations riding on Apple’s mythical foldable. Sometimes, it even feels like the unreleased phone has reached a point where it can’t possibly meet everyone’s standards. But, at the very least, we hope it does launch this year.

SEE ALSO: An analyst has revealed the iPhone Fold’s price, and it’s insane