News

motorola edge+ with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 launches

With an optional stylus

Published

on

motorola edge+

Smartphones powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip are slowly but surely coming out of the woodwork. Joining the fray is the motorola edge+ which promises top notch performance and competitive cameras.

Here’s a quick look at its specs:

Performance

  • Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
  • Up to 12GB RAM, 512GB Storage
  • 6.7″ pOLED Display
  • 144Hz Refresh Rate
  • 5G (mmwave & sub6GHz)

Cameras

  • 50MP f/1.8 Main | Quad Pixel Technology for 2.0μm
  • 50MP f/2.2 Ultra-wide angle
  • 2MP f/2.4 Depth Camera
  • 60MP f/2.4 Front-facing Camera

Battery and Charging

  • 4,800mAh
  • 30W TurboPower charging
  • 15W wireless charging
  • 5W wireless power sharing

Baseline flagship

On paper, the motorola edge+ has the makings of a baseline flagship device. It certainly checks the performance boxes, being equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip to go along with a display that should do well in gaming and media consumption.

The battery is also just a couple hundred shy of 5,000mAh which is what the top-of-the-line Galaxy S22 Ultra is rocking. The charging speeds are modest but still plenty fast.

Meanwhile, the cameras are quite surprising with the main and ultra-wide angle lenses sporting similar megapixel counts. Of course, this can’t be judged on paper alone, we’ll have to see actual images to appropriately judge what it can do.

Perhaps more surprising is the 60MP front-facing camera. Could this be a result of the proliferation of short-form videos on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and IG Reels? The MP count is astonishing, but again, it has to be put through the test to see exactly how it performs.

Works with a stylus

If you didn’t have enough reason to compare this to Samsung’s latest Galaxy S, perhaps this optional accessory might change your mind. The Motorola Edge+ is compatible with the company’s new smart stylus with an adaptable folio.

Like any self-respecting stylus maker, the claim is that using it feels just like “using pen and paper.” It does whatever you expect a stylus to do like being able to sketch on certain apps, annotating on PDFs, and more.

It will be sold separately or as an in-box bundle depending on the country.

Price and availability

The motorola edge+ comes in Cosmos Blue and Stardust White. It’ll be available in North America, universally unlocked at Best Buy, Amazon.com, and Motorola.com. It retails for US$ 999.99.

At launch, it will have a limited time offer of US$ 899.99 ($100 off).

Verizon, Boost Mobile, and Republic Wireless will also offer the device in the coming months.

Different name elsewhere

The device will also launch globally but under a different name — motorola edge 30. It will come in the following markets: Latin America, India, Middle East, Asia and Europe. Local price and availability will vary per market.

Accessories

Samsung joins the clip-on earbud trend with the Galaxy Buds On

But it’s exclusive to South Korea for now.

Published

on

Audio wearables have been getting makeovers as of late. Besides the traditional form factors, the segment is experimenting with bone conduction and clip-on headphones. Today, Samsung is joining that trend with the Galaxy Buds On.

Debuting in South Korea, the Galaxy Buds On is Samsung’s first-ever clip-on earbuds. You’re likely familiar with how these earbuds look like, having seen them grace the ears of many a passerby today. Instead of plugging right into your ear canals, they actually do clip onto your earlobes. Samsung’s take, however, is a little bit heftier, which the brand claims gives it a wider surface area to balance the weight for your ears.

Additionally, the new earbuds has a TwinBoost speaker system. While the system adds better bass to the earbuds, it also adds automatic voice adjustments to better attune the sound according to your environment. It also has an Audio Leakage Reduction feature, so others won’t be able to hear what you’re listening to.

The Galaxy Buds On has a charging case almost identical to the Galaxy Buds4 case. Powered by the Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform, the earbuds can reportedly last up to 9.5 hours on a single charge.

Right now, the wearable is exclusive to South Korea, but Samsung says that a global rollout will happen in the future. In South Korea, the Galaxy Buds On costs KRW 299,000 (or approximately US$ 220).

SEE ALSO: Galaxy Buds4 Pro review: I thought I was done with in-ears

Continue Reading

News

vivo X Fold6 makes global debut with 200MP camera and 6900mAh battery

With 200MP camera and 6900mAh battery

Published

on

vivo X Fold6

vivo has officially launched the X Fold6 globally. It combines a slim foldable design with productivity features, flagship imaging, and a large 6900mAh battery.

The X Fold6 runs OriginOS 7 Fold, which introduces Multi-Task Workbench with Origin Workbench and Multi-Split Screen. Users can display and resize up to four windows simultaneously, while AI Cross-App Drag allows content to move directly between apps.

Productivity with AI

The foldable also includes AI-powered productivity tools. AI Meeting Assistant provides speaker transcription and summaries through AI Recorder, while AI Captions adds real-time subtitles during online meetings. AI File Manager organizes files with features such as Topics, Smart Naming, AI Summary, and Column View. There’s also AI Reader Mode that reformats PDFs into an eBook-style layout.

vivo also equips the X Fold6 with Jovi, an AI agent designed to handle tasks across smartphones and PCs. It can search and understand materials, generate content, and complete office workflows through voice commands. It also supports scheduled and recurring tasks.

For users who want to replace a computer for lighter workloads, vivo Office Kit enables cross-device collaboration. Desktop Mode turns the foldable into a desktop-like workspace when connected to a compatible monitor or TV.

6900mAh large battery

The X Fold6 packs a 6900mAh BlueVolt Battery with 80W FlashCharge, 40W Wireless FlashCharge, and wireless reverse charging. Its 5th-Gen Silicon Anode Technology allows vivo to fit the large battery into a slim foldable body, while its 3rd-Gen Semi-Solid-State Battery is designed to maintain performance in temperatures as low as -20°C.

Despite its battery capacity, the X Fold6 measures as little as 4.4mm when unfolded and weighs 228g in Prism Black. The Horizon Blue version measures 4.8mm and weighs 235g. Both variants feature a 2.5D flat-edge metal frame and ultra-narrow bezels.

For photography, the foldable features a 200MP ZEISS main camera with a Samsung HPB large sensor, ZEISS T* coating, and optical image stabilization. It is paired with a ZEISS APO telephoto camera with a Sony LYTIA 602 sensor, 3x periscope design, telephoto macro capability, and up to 100x ZEISS HyperZoom.

The camera system also introduces Stage Mode for telephoto concert and live performance photography. It supports 4K 60fps Dolby Vision video, while Motion Portrait 2.0 uses subject tracking and portrait processing to capture moving subjects.

Powered by MediaTek

The X Fold6 uses the Dimensity 9500 Super Edition flagship platform and features an 8.02-inch inner display alongside a 6.51-inch cover display. Both screens use 8T-LTPO technology with a 1–120Hz adaptive refresh rate, adaptive dimming, up to 5,000 nits local peak brightness, and a minimum brightness of 1 nit.

The foldable also carries IPX8 and IPX9 water resistance and IP5X dust resistance. Its 1+4 Communication Chipset is designed to improve cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity, while Data Store allows users in select markets to purchase local data plans directly on the device across 129 countries and regions.

Continue Reading

Gaming

The regular PlayStation 5 is getting an AI upscaling feature

The feature debuts with Wolverine and Ghost of Yotei.

Published

on

Marvel's Wolverine

If you’re an owner of a regular PlayStation 5, watching a PS5 Pro owner might touch you with a tinge of jealousy. Besides the upgraded console’s better hardware, it also has something called the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), which uses AI to improve resolution and framerate. Unfortunately, that feature isn’t available on the regular console. But Sony is throwing the classic console a bone today by adding Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR), which does the same as PSSR but on the older machine.

Since the introduction of PSSR, fans and developers alike have asked whether the older console can have a version of the technology. Developed with AMD, QSSR is an AI upscaling feature that improves performance for modern games on the PlayStation 5. For now, the feature is debuting first on Ghost of Yotei and Marvel’s Wolverine via a set of patches. Moving forward, Sony will also allow its developers to add the feature for their respective games.

Now, the choice of games is deliberate. Marvel’s Wolverine is still fresh on everyone’s mind. Meanwhile, Ghost of Yotei has just released a Complete Edition, which packs in a new story expansion and a roguelike mode. You don’t even need to Complete Edition or the corresponding paid upgrade to enjoy the new feature.

SEE ALSO: Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition review: More of a great thing

Continue Reading

Trending