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HTC U11+ comes with translucent body and much larger battery

As good as the U11 is, it wouldn’t seem right for that bezel-heavy smartphone to be HTC’s flagship for the year. That’s why the U11+ makes a lot of sense.
Conforming to the increasingly popular 18:9 display standard, the 6-inch U11+ is much taller than the previous flagship, and manages to fit a significantly larger 3930mAh battery inside to push the hungrier 2880 x 1440-pixel resolution.
As for the rear design, HTC is offering a translucent black option for the glass panel. While not clear in the renders shown here, it gives you a more intimate look into the innards of the handset. You’ll also notice the relocated fingerprint reader on the back now that the bottom bezel can’t contain it anymore.
The Snapdragon 835 processor with flagship-level memory and storage configurations (4GB to 6GB RAM and 4GB to 128GB expandable storage, depending on your region) make a return.
On paper, the once class-leading 12-megapixel main camera seems to be unchanged, but we’ll have to wait for DxOMark and our own review to see the difference. The front contains an 8-megapixel selfie shooter up top.
It goes without saying that Edge Sense is back. This will once again allow you to squeeze the phone to activate a function or launch an app of your choice — unlike the Pixel 2 pair, which can only bring up Google Assistant.
Everything else is mostly the same experience you’d get from the smaller U11, including the loud BoomSound speakers and IP68-rated water and dust resistance. The bonus, however, is having Android 8.0 Oreo straight out of the box.
We’ll update this space as we learn more about the pricing and availability per region. As of the moment, we’ve been informed that this model won’t be available in North America.
SEE ALSO: 24 hours in Beijing with the HTC U11
[irp posts=”21239″ name=”24 hours in Beijing with the HTC U11″]
Featured image credit: MobileGeeks


The vivo V29 5G will officially launch on Monday, September 25 at 7PM in the Philippines. You should check out the vivo V29 5G Grand Launch. You can watch it on this Facebook event page.
We already know that the vivo V29 5G comes with Aura Light 2.0. An improved version of its lighting system first showcased on the vivo V27 5G. Aura Light 2.0 will automatically adjust its color temperature to harmonize with the surroundings.
We also know that it comes on two stunning colors: Milky Way and Starry Purple.
Elsewhere on the phone, you’ll find a 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED FHD display. It has up to a 120Hz refresh rate and a pixel density of 452ppi.
The screen is HDR10+ certified and is also 100% DCI-P3, offering users breath-taking details and colors for an astonishing visual experience.
vivo has also worked on the phone’s eye protection features for both its hardware and software. The phone has reduced blue light and screen flickering to ensure safe usage.
If you want to learn the rest of the specs along with other surprises, you should definitely check out the vivo V29 5G Grand Launch.
Price and availability
The vivo V29 5G comes in two storage options. Pricing are as follows: 12GB+256GB is PhP 24,999 while 12GB+512GB is 26,999. It’s available in vivo’s official stores, Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop.
This article is a sponsored press release by vivo Philippines.

It’s happening. While debates continue to rage on about what role Artificial Intelligence or AI should play with its rapid advancement in recent years, a Philippine Television Network jumped the gun and decided to introduce AI sportscasters.
GMA Network, widely considered the second largest broadcasting network in the Philippines, proudly introduced on Saturday, September 23 are MAIA and MARCO — two AI-generated sportscasters. They will be reporting on NCAA Season 99, a collegiate sports association in the country, as well as other local and international sports news. They are expected to appear across the network’s broadcasting and social media platforms.
In their own introduction article, GMA Network said the two were generated by artificial intelligence using Image Generation, Text-to-Speech AI Voice Synthesis/Generation, and Deep Learning Face Animation Technology.
Unfavorable reactions
The Facebook post concerning this news was met with unfavorable reactions in the comments section.
Facebook user Aple Balagtas Bangaysiso commented: “As a communication student, it is very sad. A job of a real person replaced by AI. This is very alarming for media industry. The kind of innovation we never wished.”
Sh1n Boo also left a comment lamenting that “this gives a lot of wrong signals,” and added “I’m a big fan of AI tools but sadly this is very out of touch.”
Another commenter named Paul Emmanuel had this to say:
“There is no urgent need for AI sportscasters nor any caster there are. Why would we need these things when we have lots of skilled people that can do it better than them. I disagree with this.”
Many of the comments on the particular Facebook post shared the same sentiments
Conversations on AI, ChatGPT, and more
Discussions about AI surges when ChatGPT hit a scene. It’s an AI tool that can analyze billions of words and the relationship between them. It uses GPT-3.5, a specific language model created by OpenAI.
It’s been used to generate many things with many different sectors being alarmed of how it will be used. The education sector was one of the first to react, fearing that students will rely more on the tool instead of traditional research and writing methods.
SEE ALSO: ChatGPT Explained
Taking over jobs
Globally, there are many discussions happening in conferences, podcasts, and even informal settings about how AI can take away jobs. The ongoing writer strike has also touched on this matter.
Disney+ has already come under fire recently for admitting that the opening credits for the show Secret Invasion was made with AI. Meanwhile, YouTube channel Corridor Digital, known for their breakdowns, reactions and recreations of CGI effects, came under fire for producing an AI-generated “anime”. On TikTok, there are also several posts of AI-generated song covers of global and K-Pop artists.
Despite all these, Senior Vice President and Head of Integrated News, Regional TV, and Synergy Oliver Victor B. Amoroso notes that their AI sportscaster initiative ” promote[s] inclusivity in our reporting.”

Google is back to its old tricks. After the relatively successful #BestPhonesForever campaign, the company has launched a new dig against Apple. This time, the campaign sends another attack at Apple’s refusal to adopt the RCS protocol.
As most Apple users know, one way to tell a fellow iPhone user from an Android user is the green bubble. Android users pop up as green bubbles on iMessage, instead of the standard blue. Whether inadvertently or on purpose, Apple turned iMessage into an exclusive club that can easily tell those who aren’t part of the club.
In the new #GetTheMessage campaign, Google parodies an Apple launch by releasing an Apple-like trailer for an “iPager.” Meant to be a stand-in for the iPhone, the parody device uses the same messaging technology as Apple’s flagship, resulting in “broken group chats,” “zero encryption,” and “pixelated videos.” All of these lead to a call for Apple to adopt RCS as a standard.
The lack of RCS on Apple is more than just a green bubble. As Google parodies, the difference in standards leads to reduced security and a lack of features. Apple, unfortunately, is remarkably against the adoption. Tim Cook notoriously told an inquiring reporter to just get an iPhone.
SEE ALSO: Pixel and iPhone are friends in a new series of ads
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