News
Meizu launches the world’s first hole-less phone
No USB, SIM, speakers, or buttons
The year’s surprises just keep coming. Already, the smartphone market’s latest slew of newcomers has blown away last year’s notch-addicted lookalikes. To recap, 2019 will host the foldable phone, the penta-lens phone, and the “waterdrop” phone. Now, another form factor has unexpectedly joined the fray.
Recently, Meizu launched the world’s first “hole-less” phone — the Meizu Zero. The new phone has completely eradicated almost all of a smartphone’s traditional input and output interfaces. Except for a rear and a front-facing camera, the Meizu Zero does not have any physical buttons, slots, or sensors.
Instead of the usual bells and whistles, Meizu used several space-saving techniques that can put Marie Kondo to shame. Rather than tangible power and volume buttons, the Meizu Zero uses touch capacitive side panels to do the same functions. Likewise, the phone uses under-screen piezoelectric transducers, in lieu of actual speakers.
For the rest, the Meizu Zero will rely on wireless technology — charging, transferring data, and even installing SIMs. Instead of SIM cards, Meizu will use the relatively new wireless eSIM technology.
Under the hood, the 5.99-inch AMOLED screen will house a Snapdragon 845 chipset underneath it. It will also have a 20-megapixel front-facing camera. At the back, it will have a 12-megapixel + 20-megapixel rear camera combination.
Currently, Meizu has hidden the phone’s other specifications. However, the launch curiously coincides with Vivo’s own announcement of an edge-less smartphone. Regardless, the Meizu Zero heralds another new branch in the smartphone market’s exodus away from the derided camera notch.
SEE ALSO: Meizu launches 15 line in celebration of their 15th year
Gaming
Horizon Hunters Gathering is an upcoming co-op roguelite spinoff
If you liked Nightreign, you might like this.
Like Valve, the PlayStation’s tentpole franchises are allergic to the number 3. The Last of Us, the ongoing God of War arc, Spider-Man, and Horizon all don’t have a third game yet. These franchises, however, have all gotten rumors of spinoffs. Now, Horizon is getting more than just a rumor; an official co-op spinoff is happening. Say hello to Horizon Hunters Gathering!
Today, Guerilla unveiled Horizon Hunters Gathering, an official co-op roguelite set in the Horizon universe. The game will feature multiple players working to take down difficult enemies, bosses, and dungeons.
The title shares similarities with Elden Ring Nightreign. For one, players can choose between six characters with different roles. The main mode, called Machine Incursion, takes players to a wide map with powerups and roaming monsters. The map then has a shrinking ring that… well, you know what a shrinking ring does.
Horizon Hunters Gathering also has a different game mode called Cauldron Descent. Compared to the Nightreign type of gameplay, Cauldron Descent is a more traditional roguelite mode. Players enter a dangerous dungeon and choose alternate paths that vary in challenges.
Both game modes will be available through an upcoming closed playtest through the PlayStation Beta Program.
Because this is from Guerilla themselves, this is an official game. But it’s far from the only spinoff for the universe. Previously, NCSoft, a South Korean gaming studio, announced Horizon Steel Frontiers, an MMO set in the Horizon universe. Like Horizon Hunters Gathering, Steel Frontiers has an unknown launch date.
SEE ALSO: Horizon Steel Frontiers is an MMO set in the Horizon universe
News
Report: HONOR tops global smartphone shipment growth in 2025
HONOR also improves overall market share
HONOR topped last year’s global smartphone shipment growth, according to an Omdia report. The manufacturer achieved an 11% year-over-year growth, which ranked first among the world’s top 10 smartphone vendors.
Furthermore, as per data from IDC, in the first three quarters of 2025, HONOR also led all top brands in overseas shipment growth across these premium segments:
- Smartphones priced above US$ 300 (premium and upper-mid-tier)
- Tablets in the US$ 300 to US$ 600 price band (upper-mid)
Such growth enabled HONOR to improve their overall market share to 6% in 2025. They’ve already edged Lenovo (5%), HUAWEI (4%), and realme (3%) after a strong calendar year.
Unarguably contributing to their performance are the releases of the flagships HONOR Magic V5 and HONOR Magic7 Pro, as well as mid-rangers like the HONOR 400 series and a handful of HONOR X series devices.
Meanwhile, Transsion, which holds the Infinix, TECNO, and itel brands, have an 8% market share combined, which is the same as OPPO and vivo. Xiaomi is at 13%, while giant players Apple and Samsung both have a 19% market share each.
Building on their growth, HONOR is set to unveil groundbreaking products at MWC 2026 in Barcelona this March.
These include the HONOR Robot Phone and the brand’s latest flagship foldable, the HONOR Magic V6. The impending releases accelerate the momentum of HONOR’s Alpha Plan.
Gaming
Valve is delaying the launch of the Steam Machine
But it’s still scheduled for the first half of 2026.
Overshadowed only by the Nintendo Switch 2, the upcoming Steam Machine was one of the most exciting gaming devices announced last year. Unfortunately, especially if you were waiting intently for the console’s launch, Valve is delaying the device by an undisclosed amount of time.
Initially, Valve anticipated a launch for the Steam Machine sometime in the first half of 2026. However, as the calendar rolls on into the second month of the year, the company has yet to announce either a price or a launch date for the console. Valve says that both should be out by now.
In a recent update, the company confirms that ongoing chip shortages have forced a reevaluation of the Steam Machine’s price and shipping date. This also goes for the Steam Controller and the Steam Frame. Valve is going back to the drawing board to figure out what is feasible for the console market.
On the bright side, Valve is still aiming to launch all three devices in the first half of the year. It’s just a matter of determining when that is.
The Steam Machine is just the latest in a growing line of devices affected by the chip shortage. Today, chipmakers are funneling their supplies to the supposed demand for AI servers. Naturally, more infrastructure means less chips reserved for regular consumers.
Also recently, NVIDIA was rumored to skip this year for a new GPU launch because of the AI “boom”. It’s the first time that this has happened in thirty years.
SEE ALSO: Valve announces its own console called the Steam Machine
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