News

Huawei could ship lesser smartphones by 2021

From 170 million units to 45 million according to TrendForce

Published

January 8, 2021

Kenrick Buduan

The recent years have been challenging for Huawei and it might not get better soon. A recent report by TrendForce predicts that Huawei will drop to seventh place in total smartphone production volume by 2021, which is huge considering the company placed third last year.

For perspective, Huawei shipped a total of 170 million smartphone units last 2020. This puts it firmly in third place, trailing behind Samsung and Apple. As 2021 comes, TrendForce predicts that Huawei will only ship a total of 45 million smartphones. Such a huge drop in production volume will allow Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, and Transsion to overtake the embattled company.

The company will also see a huge drop in the 5G market share. Last year, Huawei commanded a huge 30% market share for 5G smartphones, putting it in second place after Apple with a 31% lead. This 2021, TrendForce predicts a drop to 8% which is a considerable loss. Other companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo will overtake Huawei with 13%, 11%, 14%, and 13% market share, respectively.

TrendForce attributes their predictions for Huawei to these things: US export restrictions and the spin-off of Honor as an independent brand. Honor became an independent brand after Huawei sold it to a conglomerate last November.

TrendForce now predicts that the two companies will compete with each other, imposing an obstacle to Huawei should it regain the lost market share brought about by the loss of its former sub-brand.

As for the latter, the entity ban that took effect last 2019 will continue to strain the company even if the global smartphone market share improves.

Smartphone market on uncertain times

While the times are hard for Huawei, the global smartphone market is also experiencing difficulties imposed by the pandemic. TrendForce recorded an 11% year-on-year decrease in global smartphone production. Overall, smartphone production for 2020 reached a mere 1.25 billion units. This is a far cry from the 1.4 billion units and upward of 2018 and 2019.

Things are shaking up to improve by 2021, however. As more people become accustomed to the “new” normal, TrendForce predicts a surge in device replacements. Emerging markets will also see a growing demand for smartphones this year. Assuming that these scenarios play out, the global smartphone production will increase to 9%, amounting to a total of 1.36 billion units.

However, TrendForce also warns that these scenarios are dependent on how the pandemic affects the global economy by 2021. Other factors that could affect global smartphone production include geopolitical instabilities and the limited production capacity of the semiconductor foundry market. TrendForce notes that banning SMIC has resulted in additional strain for semiconductor foundries.

Regardless of how the global smartphone production plays out, the 5G market share will continue to increase this 2021. Last year, the global penetration rate stands at 19% amounting to 240 million 5G-powered smartphones. TrendForce predicts an increase of 37% penetration rate for this year alone thanks to projected 500 million 5G-powered units.

Gaming

Xbox saves Kojima’s PHYSINT after PlayStation drops support

PlayStation says the separation was mutual, but Kojima hints otherwise.

Published

September 11, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Things aren’t going well in the PlayStation camp. After two months of frankly questionable decisions, the company adds another to the pile by dropping support for Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT.

For a while now, Kojima and PlayStation were in a very productive relationship with the Death Stranding duology, a critically acclaimed collection of titles for the platform. When things looked like they were going well, Kojima announced PHYSINT, an espionage-themed game which reminded fans way too much of Metal Gear Solid.

If you were investing in a PlayStation 5 to play Kojima’s latest thriller, you might want to move your chips elsewhere now. PlayStation has just dropped support for the espionage game, meaning PHYSINT will no longer be a first-party title for the platform.

Though PlayStation claims that the decision came after “careful consideration,” Kojima himself has said that the move was “unexpected,” going against PlayStation’s assurance of a mutual separation.

Very quickly, Xbox has announced that their platform will support PHYSINT instead. It’s a big get for the competing brand because Xbox Game Studios is already supporting OD, Kojima’s other upcoming horror project starring Sophia Lillis.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say more. As is tradition, Kojima will not explain much more about his upcoming titles. In fact, OD’s trailer barely says anything. One thing’s for sure, though: we’re all in for quite a ride.

Entertainment

PH to celebrate 1st ever National Cinema Day; movies start at less than $2

Watch a movie on September 12 for a fraction of the cost

Published

September 10, 2026

GadgetMatch

The Philippines will be celebrating its first ever National Cinema Day on September 12. On this day, movie tickets will go for as low as PhP 100 (US$ 1.60) at regular 2D cinemas.

The campaign aims to make moviegoing more accessible to audiences. This includes families, friends, students, and cinephiles in general.

Such initiative has been a staple in other countries, like the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and more. The same concept applies, with movie tickets going on sale for a lot less.

What’s great about the celebration is that all movies scheduled for exhibition on September 12, whether local or international, shall get the special admission price.

Advanced tickets sales have already begun. Customers can purchase through participating box offices, official websites, mobile apps, and authorized platforms.

Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and remain subject to theater capacity. Prices vary for other viewing formats like Director’s Club or IMAX, for instance.

The campaign is organized by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP), along with industry and government partners.

The initiative is supported by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), and the Metro Manila Film Festival through the MMDA.

Participating cinemas include Ayala Malls Cinemas, SM Cinemas, Robinsons Movieworld, CityMall Cinema, Megaworld Cinemas, and more.

News

iPhone Duo: Price, availability in the Philippines

As listed on the Apple website

Published

September 10, 2026

GadgetMatch

Apple has officially entered the foldable smartphone market with the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone. It uses a passport-style design that opens into a larger display while retaining a more conventional smartphone experience when folded.

Price and availability

The iPhone Duo starts at PhP 159,990 in the Philippines for the 256GB model as listed on the Apple website.

Here’s the full local pricing:

256GB — PhP 159,990
512GB — PhP 175,990
1TB — PhP 207,990
2TB — PhP 254,990

The iPhone Duo comes in Star White and Night Sky.

Actual availability in the Philippines has yet to be officially announced.

A foldable design with two displays

The iPhone Duo has a 5.4-inch outer display when folded and expands to a 7.6-inch main display when opened. Both orientations use the same aspect ratio, allowing iOS to transition between them seamlessly.

The rear chassis uses Ceramic Shield, while the front display gets Ceramic Shield 2. The device is also IP68-rated for dust and water resistance.

Its hinge uses carbon fiber supports and magnets that produce an audible click when the phone is folded.

A20 Pro brings flagship performance

The iPhone Duo is powered by the A20 Pro, the same chip found in the iPhone 18 Pro series. Apple says the chip delivers 35 percent better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro.

It also comes with the new C2 cellular modem, which provides up to 50 percent faster uploads. Like other foldables, the Duo can be used in different configurations, including tent mode and a partially folded book-like position.

48-megapixel camera system

The iPhone Duo gets a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera alongside a 12-megapixel 2x telephoto camera.

For selfies and video calls, it has a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera. The inner display also uses an under-screen camera for a cleaner look.

Battery life goes beyond a day

The iPhone Duo offers up to 31 hours of video playback using the inner display and up to 44 hours using the outer display.

Charging is also quick. Apple says a 20-minute charge can replenish half the battery, while a five-minute charge can provide up to five hours of video playback.

For the complete specifications and first-look details, check out our main iPhone Duo launch coverage.