News

HTC’s upcoming U11 might make brand relevant again

Published

May 16, 2017

Marvin Velasco

There isn’t going to be an HTC 11 as a follow-up to last year’s flagship HTC 10. Instead, the HTC U11, which is like a smaller and more advanced U Ultra, will be the brand’s torchbearer in 2017, and it’s shaping up to be an innovative one at that if the latest leak turns out to be real.

Actually, the leaked hands-on video seems very real. It shows off every angle of the device and even confirms some of the specifications we were expecting, such as the Snapdragon 835 processor and 6GB of memory. This would make the handset as powerful as the higher-end Samsung Galaxy S8+ that’s gradually launching across Asia.

More importantly, however, is the demonstration of a feature HTC already teased. By squeezing the edges of the phone, you could execute additional commands at any point. In the video, the user was shown snapping a photo while the camera app was on.

How intuitive this will turn out to be is still up in the air. Fortunately, another demo showed how you could calibrate the pressure needed to activate the squeeze, which would favor those with more feeble hands.

And for those wondering, there’ll be a bunch of shiny colors available, including blue, light blue, red, black, and plain white. Sadly, like the U Ultra, there doesn’t seem to be a 3.5mm audio jack on board.

The official launch is already tomorrow, so we won’t have to wait long to find out the remaining pieces of information, specifically about pricing and regional availability. If we’re lucky, we may see it while in Taiwan later this month.

[irp posts=”11392″ name=”HTC’s ‘unexpected surprise’ is surprisingly disappointing”]

Gaming

Marvel’s Blade, the videogame, might be cancelled

Microsoft might shut down the studio developing the game.

Published

July 1, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Is there a Marvel franchise more doomed than Blade? On the big screen, Mahershala Ali’s much-awaited depiction has fizzled into obscurity. Now, the videogame might follow suit.

If you haven’t heard (or have forgotten) about Marvel’s Blade, then that’s not on you. Arkane Studios, the developers behind the adaptation, haven’t said a word about the game in years. Today, according to The Verge, Microsoft might shutter Arkane Studios, inevitably leading to a cancellation of Marvel’s Blade.

The source also indicates the game itself was plagued by delays (which we know) and is already above its budget (which we don’t know). Even if Arkane Studios continues its operations, there’s already a substantial chance that the game won’t be made anyway.

Arkane Studios won’t be the only one, according to the report. Microsoft is also considering Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs for the chopping block.

Blade won’t be the only loss in an Arkane Studios shuttering. The studio is also responsible for the critically acclaimed Dishonored series and the more recent Deathloop.

However, in the Marvel end of things, fans can still scratch their superhero videogame itch later this year. In September, Insomniac Games, the same studio behind the wildly popular Marvel’s Spider-Man series, is set to launch Marvel’s Wolverine, a promising take on the iconic mutant.

News

Samsung teases what’s next for Galaxy foldables

Foldable future teased

Published

July 1, 2026

GadgetMatch

File Photo: Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7

Samsung has begun building anticipation for its next generation of Galaxy foldables with a series of teaser videos set to premiere on its official global social media channels.

Rather than showing the devices themselves, the teaser campaign transforms familiar everyday objects into visual hints. Pizza slices, chocolate bars, and other items appear in proportions that longtime Galaxy fans may recognize, subtly pointing toward the company’s foldable lineup.

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A post shared by Samsung Mobile (@samsungmobile)

According to Samsung, the campaign reflects its ongoing vision for foldables—one shaped by years of engineering innovation and consumer insights. The company says its goal is to make foldable devices feel more useful, natural, and intuitive in everyday life.

The teaser also suggests Samsung is looking beyond simply launching another device. Instead, it hints at expanding the Galaxy foldable portfolio with more choices and new ways for users to experience the Galaxy ecosystem.

Samsung has yet to reveal additional details, but the latest teasers mark the beginning of its next foldable campaign ahead of an expected Galaxy Unpacked event later this month.

Stay tuned to GadgetMatch for more updates as Samsung unveils what’s next for Galaxy foldables.

Apps

WhatsApp will introduce usernames to hide your phone number

Hide your number from others.

Published

June 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

WhatsApp is about to get an extra later of protection. After thriving on number-based chatting, the platform will soon add usernames, eliminating the need to share your number with strangers.

Usernames are the standard way of maintaining your anonymity online. Though most platforms today require users to log their email addresses or phone numbers, establishing a username can prevent other users from seeing this information way too easily.

Today, Meta has started rolling out reservations for WhatsApp usernames. The feature itself isn’t available yet, but early adopters can grab theirs as soon as the setting becomes available on their app.

To access the reservation, users can go to Settings > Account > Username. Of note, this isn’t available for everyone yet. But if you want to take dibs on a specific name, be on the lookout for the setting.

As for the username itself, users can reserve anything as long as it’s unique. Business owners and creators can also use their Facebook or Instagram handles as their WhatsApp usernames.

The feature, once it launches, will stop users from accessing your phone number when messaging. Similarly, other users will now need your exact username to start a conversation. Users can also set a separate code to protect conversations further.