News
nubia joins durability competition with launch of V80 Max
Budget smartphone introduces durability-related upgrades
Not to be left behind in the budget smartphone durability and waterproofness competition, nubia has launched nubia V80 Max in the Philippines.
The latest device starts at just PhP 6,499 via ecommerce platforms like Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop. It has a regular retail price of PhP 9,999.
Unarguably, the most significant upgrades from the V70 Max are the 1.8-meter drop resistance and IP64 water and dust resistance.
The phone features 360-degree all-round protection for impacts, ensuring they keep up with most competitors offering the similar durability-laden features.
Everywhere else, the improvements are incremental. The budget handset is powered by an octa-core processor with up to 1.8GHz clock speed.
The phone houses a 6,000mAh battery with support for Bypass Charging and even reverse charging.
In front is a 6.9-inch 720p display with up to 780 nits of brightness, which is 41.8% brighter than the previous generation. On paper, the panel is also capable of up to 120Hz refresh rate.
For its cameras, the nubia V80 Max has a 50MP main camera coupled with a 16MP front camera.
Additional OS features include AI Scam Alert, AI Social Publisher, and more. The V80 Max also introduces weak signal optimization for challenging areas.
It even has a network-free communication capability of its own, called nubia LinkFree.
Customers can get the new budget device in five colorways: Stardust Purple, Stellar Silver, Aurellia Gold, Sky Cyan, and Space Black.
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? After a year of wrestling through tariffs from the current American administration, Nintendo has decided to sue the United States.
Last year, the Trump administration was trigger-happy with implement tariffs on countries everywhere. Though the controversy mostly circulated around geopolitics, major corporations also found themselves on the receiving end of Trump’s ire. All over the world, the tariffs sparked product delays and price hikes.
Nintendo is no exception. As a result of the fiasco, the company had to delay the launch of the Switch 2, in anticipation of disruptions caused by the tariffs. First reported by Aftermath, the Japanese gaming giant is now going after the American government over refunds associated with the tariffs.
Now, the tariffs aren’t a big issue anymore. Notably, the Supreme Court scratched off the White House’s implementations that the former found illegal. While a big sigh of relief for future business, corporations like Nintendo have already paid duties and deposits in the past. As a result, Nintendo is now looking for recompense for what they paid before.
Nintendo isn’t the first company to seek restitution over the illegal tariffs. Others, including FedEx and Revlon, are also asking for refunds. However, the Japanese giant is certainly one of the biggest names to cross the government’s path. After all, the company is notoriously litigious over anything it considers as an affront to its business, including small streamers using Pokémon on their broadcasts.
With all its global resources, Nintendo likely won’t just give up without a fight.
SEE ALSO: The Nintendo Switch is now Nintendo’s best-selling console ever
Gaming
Project Helix is Xbox’s next console, and it plays PC games
It might be as powerful as a modern PC.
Among all the platforms in today’s generation of consoles, the Xbox has to be biggest loser. Compared to the PlayStation 5 and the Switch 2, the Xbox Series X|S isn’t as memorable. To rectify its position in the rankings, Xbox is heavily teasing its next console codenamed Project Helix.
As was hinted before, Xbox is trying something different with its next-generation console. Rather than just a simple iteration over the current-generation console, the upcoming one will reportedly double as a PC. Today, the company itself has confirmed that this is the case for Project Helix.
Through a post on X, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said that the console will “lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games.”
Great start to the morning with Team Xbox, where we talked about our commitment to the return of Xbox including Project Helix, the code name for our next generation console.
Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games. Looking forward to chatting about… pic.twitter.com/Xx5rpVnAZI
— Asha (@asha_shar) March 5, 2026
There are two things to unpack here. Firstly, Project Helix will aim to bridge the perilous divide between console players and PC players. Unlike the past, there will be a way to play both platforms on both devices… except for games exclusive to the PlayStation and the Switch, that is.
Secondly, a “lead in performance” seems to indicate that this isn’t just a mini-PC. Most recently, Valve announced the Steam Machine. Though it offers a convenient way to play Steam games in one device, it doesn’t have the best specs. Project Helix, if Sharma’s words are to be believed, might be as powerful as a modern PC.
Xbox won’t wait long before revealing more details about the console. Sharma, who only recently started her post as CEO, will be at next week’s Game Developers Conference to explain Project Helix more.
SEE ALSO: AMD teases next-gen Xbox coming in 2027
News
Nothing adds color to its wearables with the Headphone (a)
The Pink and Yellow colors look great!
Last year, the Nothing Headphone (1) added a sense of fashion to the drab headphone market. Today, Nothing is adding a splash of color to its stylish lineup of headphones through the newly launched Headphone (a).
As with the (a) series of phones, the Headphone (a) melds fashion with affordability and performance. For quality, the wearable will have intelligent noise cancellation and sharper voice pick-ups with a 3-microphone Environmental Noise Cancellation system. It will also deliver rich immersive sound through Static Spatial Audio.
It’s only 310g light for easy use throughout the day.
For convenience, the Headphone (a) will have tactile gestures, such as a Button, Roller, and Paddle, to easily control the device without need of a phone. Users can integrate features like Channel Hop and Camera Shutter mode straight into the controls.
The headphones are designed for up to five days of battery life. Plus, a five-minute charge time can already provide five hours of playback. Finally, for durability, it is rated for IP52 resistance.
The Headphone (a) is available for preorders now. Starting March 13, it will be available in White, Black, and Pink. It will sell for EUR 159. Meanwhile, a limited-edition Yellow pair will be available starting April 6.
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