News
HTC continues to struggle with major sales decline in June
The former powerhouse can’t catch a break
HTC has one of those stories in the tech realm where you just wonder: What happened?
It’s been a rough past couple of years, and the bad news keeping pouring in. The latest comes from a report about HTC experiencing a year-on-year sales decline of 68 percent last month.
In hard numbers, the Taiwanese company made NT$ 2.23 billion (US$ 73 million) in total sales in June 2018 compared to NT$ 6.9 billion (US$ 226 million) for June 2017.
According to Reuters, this is HTC’s worst drop in over two years. In addition, their stock has plummeted by nearly 30 percent this year alone.
While the brand’s smartphone quality hasn’t slumped in recent years — they’ve been quite good, in fact — they simply couldn’t keep up with the higher-end features of premium rivals and the competitive pricing of emerging Chinese brands.
This development must be what led to HTC laying off 1,500 workers from its global team by this September, which is nearly a quarter of their total workforce. This move was made to “realign resources across the whole organization,” according to company executives.
Less than a year ago, HTC also lost 2,000 employees to Google’s acquisition. They transferred to the search giant’s hardware division, leaving HTC with a much smaller team to launch products such as the U12+.
News
This rumored iPhone 18 color will make you switch phones
The rumored Dark Cherry color looks so premium.
(Cosmic) orange is the new black. With the iPhone 17 series, Apple introduced the color as the next fashion statement for the ubiquitous phone. If you see an orange phone today, chances are that it’s an all-new iPhone 17 Pro Max. This year, the series might get another new statement color: Dark Cherry.
Though the usual suspects of colors will always be there, Apple often leaves a bit of room for more experimental options for those who want to stand out with their new phone. As you can probably tell from the ongoing deluge of orange, the strategy is working well for Apple.
According to Macworld, Apple is working on a Dark Cherry option for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
Red isn’t a color foreign to the iPhone. In the past, several generations included a limited red colorway option. If the reports are true, red might be a standard option, rather than a limited edition.
But, of course, Dark Cherry is different from the red that we’re used to. Instead of the bright red, the new option will be more similar to the color of wine.
Besides Dark Cherry, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will also have Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver as options. Though Light Blue also looks great, the wine-like color looks like a personal highlight for me. I didn’t know I wanted a wine-colored iPhone until I saw the renders for this.
SEE ALSO: iPhone 18 may have lower specs and a delayed launch, rumor says
It’s time to kindly shove off, flat design. After over a decade of Google’s Material Design, Android is finally showing signs of ditching flat, monotonous colors. In a series of logo redesigns, Google is reportedly trying out gradients as its latest reinvention.
As spotted by 9to5Google, Google is moving forward with incorporating gradients into its designs. Previously, the company started changing the icons of a few first-party apps including Photos and Maps. Now, it seems that the new design philosophy will reach the rest of Google’s suite.
In the obtained designs, the rest of Google’s plethora of apps will no longer look static. The splash of gradient adds the feeling of layering without losing the company’s roots in flat design. Docs and Sheets, for example, look like a light shining on pieces of paper.
It’s unknown when Google plans to incorporate the new philosophy. However, with Google I/O coming fast, it’s fair to bet that an update might come out around that time, especially since that event’s logo already has gradients.
Google’s evolution is not without its precedent. Besides the company’s small trial previously, Apple’s iOS has also made inroads into more three-dimensional designs with the new Liquid Glass. However, unlike Apple, Google’s newest design is a far cry from the former’s return to Windows Vista aesthetics.
Personally, I don’t mind the transition to 3D, as long as it’s done well. Though still visually pleasing, flat design has started overstaying its welcome. It’s time to try something new.
OPPO has also introduced the OPPO Find X9s in the Philippines, offering a more accessible premium experience for everyday users.
The device is priced at PHP 69,999.
Pre-order and availability
Pre-orders begin April 24 at select OPPO Brand Stores. Early buyers will receive a Portable Power Gift Box.
The Find X9s officially goes on sale on May 15, available through:
- OPPO Online Store
- Select OPPO Brand Stores
Online store purchases include the Portable Power Gift Box and Enco X3s earbuds, while Shopee offers the gift box bundle.
Key highlights
The OPPO Find X9s features a 50MP Hasselblad co-developed triple camera system with 4K recording across all lenses. It also packs a 7025mAh battery, slim 7.99mm design, and durability ratings up to IP69, making it a balanced daily driver.
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