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Moto Z2 Force brings shatter-resistant display and flagship specs

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Motorola has announced the Moto Z2 Force, the latest member of the new Z2 family of Moto Mod-compatible smartphones.

Like before, Motorola is keeping the design of its Z2 family consistent. The Z2 Force looks a lot like its Z2 Play sibling with its slim all-metal body, big camera hump on its back, and magnetic points for Moto Mods.

What makes the Z2 Force special is its Moto ShatterShield feature. This assures your 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display will not crack or shatter even after a hard fall to the ground. You won’t need thick tempered glass to protect the Z2 Force’s display unlike other phones in the market.

Another differentiating feature of the Z2 Force is its new dual-rear cameras, which is a first for Motorola’s devices. The phone has two 12-megapixel cameras: one monochrome and one color. It’s pretty similar to the likes of the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus, wherein you get to play with richer monochromatic shots. For selfies, you get a standard 5-megapixel shooter.

Going deeper inside, we have a Snapdragon 835 processor making the phone a flagship-level performer for 2017. It also has ample 4GB of memory and spacious 64GB of expandable storage. A USB-C port is present as both data and audio connectivity since the handset doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack. Because they got rid of the headphone jack, we expected a bigger battery, but no luck with that: The Z2 Force has a much smaller battery than its predecessor’s, from 3500mAh to just 2730mAh.

Motorola also announced the 360 Camera Moto Mod, which can record 360-degree 4K video with 3D audio. It easily snaps on the back of any Moto Z or Z2 series smartphone and is capable of live streaming. The new Moto Mod is priced at US$ 299 and will be available starting August 10.

As for the pricing of the Z2 Force, it’ll be available unlocked for US$ 799 starting August 10 in the US. It’ll also be available in Mexico, Brazil, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in the coming months.

SEE MORE: Moto Z2 Play Review: To mod or not to mod

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Gaming

Horizon Hunters Gathering is an upcoming co-op roguelite spinoff

If you liked Nightreign, you might like this.

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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

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Report: HONOR tops global smartphone shipment growth in 2025

HONOR also improves overall market share

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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.

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Gaming

Valve is delaying the launch of the Steam Machine

But it’s still scheduled for the first half of 2026.

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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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