News
Huawei launches MatePad Pro with Kirin 990 SoC
It also has a punch-hole camera
Half a decade ago, the market was filled with tablets. They came in all sizes and specifications from a variety of companies. However, the market has consolidated and Apple controls a major chunk of it thanks to the iPad. On the Android side, Samsung and Huawei are trying to grab as much as they can.
With the MatePad Pro, Huawei wants to take on the similarly named iPad Pro from Apple. And, this is shown not just in the name, but also in its specifications and physical design features.
Punch-hole displays have become fairly common on smartphones and now we’re slowly seeing them trickle down to other devices. The Huawei MatePad Pro sports a 10.8-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1200 pixels along with a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio.
Under the hood, the tablet is powered by a Kirin 990 processor paired with either 6GB or 8GB RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. A 13-megapixel camera is located on the rear while the front gets an 8-megapixel selfie shooter.
Just like the Mate 30 series, this device will also skip Google Play Services due to the ongoing restrictions. But, it’ll be compensated by Huawei’s in-house suite of apps. This shouldn’t be an actual problem because we don’t expect it to launch outside of China.
The MatePad Pro includes four speakers and a 7250mAh battery with 40W fast charging. The tablet also comes with M-Pen stylus, the M-Pencil for more precise interaction and drawing.
It’ll be available in China from December 12 with a starting price of CNY 3,299 (US$ 470) for the base model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
Throughout the entire AI “era,” Apple kept its nose clean by not shoving Apple Intelligence to its users during every event. After the significant time of keeping clean, the brand might finally sink more chips into the AI space next month.
As history tells, the annual WWDC event is a time for the brand to showcase its developments for software. You won’t see a lot of iPhones, but you will see a lot of iOS. And with that, AI is par for the course.
According to The Information, the upcoming WWDC 2026 will showcase a lot of on-device AI. Interestingly, the report does not specifically name Apple Intelligence as the spotlight. Rather, Apple might focus on integrating its chips with AI and its partnership with Google’s Gemini.
Rather than a continuous push towards creating their own AI, the company might do more to integrate existing technologies to keep pace with the industry. Despite being announced almost two years ago, Apple Intelligence has not delivered much of what its contemporaries are providing for its users.
Ironically, the brand has carved a nice niche for itself in the space precisely by staying away from heavy doses of AI. Both Microsoft and Google, on the other hand, have crafted infamy by shoving unnecessary AI-based features towards their users, regardless of whether they want them or not. Hopefully, Apple keeps its reputation after WWDC 2026.
Gaming
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has been officially announced
And it’s coming out on the Switch 2.
Compared to the crazier news we’ve gotten so far, a new Call of Duty doesn’t seem like it should make a ripple, but it does. Activision has officially announced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, and it’s coming out on the Nintendo Switch 2.
This year’s mainline entry has a couple of firsts for the ubiquitous franchise. For one, Modern Warfare 4 will not launch on the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. It’s the first time that the series is dropping the last generation of consoles. Secondly, it’s launching for the Switch 2, marking the first time that the franchise is coming out on a Nintendo system since 2013. Finally, it won’t launch as a day-one release on the Game Pass.
Besides the reshuffling of launch outlets, Modern Warfare 4 will offer much of the same from the franchise: bombastic campaigns with global stakes and a thriving palette of multiplayer modes.
This time around, players will start the campaign as Private Park, a South Korean soldier thrust into a war as North Korea suddenly invades its southern neighbor. Players will also face assignments in Mumbai and New York. Captain Price is, of course, coming back but as an outlaw in pursuit of a powerful weapon.
For multiplayer, Activision promises more improvements yet again for movement and gunplay. Modern Warfare 4 will also introduce new modes such as Kill Block, which features maps that change after every round. DMZ is coming back, of course.
Activision promises more updates coming throughout the year. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will launch for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 on October 23, 2026.
SEE ALSO: Call of Duty drops the PlayStation 4 starting with its next game
Apps
Meta adds subscriptions for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp
Is your wallet buckling from the weight of so many subscription services? Well, Meta has a trio of new subscriptions for you to sink your hard-earned cash towards. If you have a few dollars, here’s Facebook Plus, Instagram Plus, and WhatsApp Plus.
All three subscriptions are designed to add new features which can enhance the experience for those who practically live on these apps. Among the three, Instagram Plus is the meatiest. It offers users the ability to view other people’s Stories without showing up as a viewer, create more tailored audiences outside of Close Friends, and extend the duration of a Story beyond 24 hours, among others.
Since it shares similarities with Instagram, Facebook Plus offers much of the same features. WhatsApp Plus, however, offers more customization options including new themes, ringtones, and stickers.
If that’s not enough, Meta has also released a new subscription system for Meta AI. Though the basic use of the AI is still free, the new Meta One Plus and Meta One Premium plans offer more capacity and performance for power users. The company is also testing new creator-focused plans, Meta One Essential and Meta One Advanced.
Of course, the new AI-based plans are more focused on those who actually use the AI software. Meanwhile, the three app plans are more for regular users. Facebook Plus and Instagram Plus will cost US$ 3.99 per month. Meanwhile, WhatsApp Plus will cost US$ 2.99 per month.
SEE ALSO: Instagram takes on Snapchat yet again with new Instants feature
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