News

The OnePlus 5 could have nifty spec bumps, dual cameras

Published

May 8, 2017

Rodneil Quiteles

OnePlus fans rejoice! The company has confirmed to The Verge that its next flagship is coming soon and will be named the OnePlus 5.

Why 5?

Plenty of reasons. First, it is the fifth phone in OnePlus’ lineup with the fourth one being the OnePlus 3T. Second, like many other Chinese companies, OnePlus is skipping the number four, as it’s considered unlucky because of its relation to death. Last, and curiously, OnePlus told The Verge that many of the company’s employees are fans of retired NBA player Robert Horry who sported the number five on his jersey. They are such big fans that they actually have paintings of “Big Shot Rob” in their office.

Top-of-the-line specs

Don’t expect OnePlus to drop its “flagship killer” tag any time soon. Like its earlier phones, the OnePlus 5 plans to take on current flagships with components that rival, if not exceed, the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the LG G6.

Powering the smartphone is the latest from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 835 processor. There have been rumors it will match the OnePlus 3T’s memory and storage options (6GB RAM, 128GB storage), but other rumors pointed to a variant that will have a whopping 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

However, notable tech scooper Evan Blass posted on Twitter a product listing of the OnePlus 5 on online shopping site GearBest with a rather comprehensive look at the specs.

From the looks of it, the OnePlus 5 will indeed come with 8GB of RAM, but not with the massive internal storage indicated by earlier rumors (only 64GB on this listing). Interesting to note, though, is that the OnePlus 5 will have a microSD card slot that supports a storage bump of up to 128GB.

This particular variant also has two nano-SIM card slots and will support dual standby. From the way it’s detailed, it appears it won’t be the usual case wherein one of the sim card slots converts to a microSD card slot. That’s great news if you need both slots and the additional storage!

OnePlus 5 equals dual cameras

The listing also includes an image of the OnePlus 5, and the first thing you’ll notice is the vertical dual cameras on its back.

The specs sheet only lists 23 megapixels on the back camera, and 16MP on the front. We’re not sure if it means the other back camera also sports 23MP, and what kind of functionality it will offer. If you’re curious about dual cameras we have listed 5 facts about them that you may want to know.

OnePlus appears to also be taking an “if it’s not broken why fix it” approach on the design, as there aren’t any major changes from the OnePlus 3/3T. It’s nearly identical save for the cameras at the back. A OnePlus 5 with these dimensions (152.7 x 74.7 x 7mm) and weight (156g) will also be slightly thinner and lighter compared to its predecessor (152.7 x 74.7 x 7.4mm, 158g).

Bigger battery, still not water-resistant

Despite the slight body adjustments, OnePlus managed to pack a bigger non-removable battery at 4000mAh compared to the 3 and 3T’s 3000mAh and 3400mAh capacities, respectively.

No IP-whatever rating, which suggests you will still need to keep it from getting wet. It will also have the standard headphone jack in case that’s something you were worried about.

When is the official announcement?

Your guess is as good as ours. OnePlus hasn’t exactly been consistent in terms of launch dates for its phones, but it did tell The Verge the phone is coming this summer, so expect a June or July release.

[irp posts=”12129″ name=”OnePlus 3T review (3 months later)”]

News

Smart showcases cloud gaming platform in partnership with Blacknut

Play over 1,000 titles straight on your smartphones

Published

August 14, 2026

GadgetMatch

Philippines mobile service provider Smart showcased the country’s first cloud gaming platform in partnership with Blacknut at the recent Philippine GameDev Expo (PGDX) 2026.

As the event’s main presenter, Smart highlighted its collaboration with the cloud gaming subscription service. Together with its value-packed Power All offers, the network provider is highlighting what the future of gaming can look like.

Smart and TNT subscribers can conveniently access Blacknut Cloud Gaming through a dedicated site. Here, they can play more than 1,000 premium console and PC-quality games on their smartphones.

That’s without the need for expensive gaming hardware or lengthy downloads. Weekly subscriptions start at just PhP 145 and can be conveniently charged to prepaid load following a simple OTP verification process.

To make the experience better, Smart also has Power All offers, which provide generous open-access data for today’s digital lifestyles. There’s a package for cloud and mobile gaming, streaming, content sharing, and productivity.

Gaming

Ghost of Yotei gets a story expansion in October

The Complete Edition comes with the expansion and a roguelike mode.

Published

August 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Ghost of Yotei is a classic RPG experience set in the same universe as its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima. In my opinion, Atsu’s journey of revenge feels a lot more fun than Jin’s battle to save his homeland. If you’re in the same boat, Ghost of Yotei is coming back on October 1 with brand-new content.

Without delving too much into spoiler territory, Ghost of Yotei has a conclusive ending. Rather than shoehorning a forced epilogue, Echoes of Sekigahara, the title of the upcoming story expansion, explores Atsu’s past.

As with Tsushima’s expansion, Echoes of Sekigahara features a new map with new enemies, weapons, and collectibles. It will be set in two different time periods.

Besides the story expansion, the upcoming update also has a new mode called Most Wanted, which Sucker Punch Production describes as their “spin on a roguelike.” The mode explores Atsu’s experience as a headhunter, feeding her with bounties and earnable perks.

The two new content expansions will come with in the upcoming Ghost of Yotei Complete Edition. The new edition, coming on October 1, will also come with the co-op Legends mode. It also has a few perks and customization options. The edition will sell for US$ 70.

If you already have the base edition, you can grab an upgrade for only US$ 15. If you don’t want to pay for the upgrade, the game is still getting a few minor tweaks.

News

HONOR isn’t taking the Robot Phone global — yet

The hardware is ready. The AI isn’t.

Published

August 13, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

The HONOR Robot Phone may have officially launched, but don’t expect this version to immediately make its way to global markets.

HONOR told media in Shenzhen that it currently has no plans to bring the current Robot Phone outside China. The main hurdle isn’t the hardware. It’s the phone’s AI experience, which is currently optimized for the Chinese market.

HONOR believes a future generation of the Robot Phone would be better positioned for a true global rollout once its AI experience is ready for markets outside China.

That doesn’t mean HONOR is abandoning the idea. Quite the opposite.

More than a phone with a moving camera

The Robot Phone is HONOR’s attempt to introduce a new idea to the smartphone market. It combines a smartphone with a 4DoF mechanical gimbal, allowing its camera to physically move.

Its AI features take that concept further. YOYO Robot Mode can use voice commands, gestures, and AI tracking to control the camera. It can also automatically pan and tilt to keep a person in frame during vlogs, livestreams, and video calls.

The phone also brings selected elements of ARRI Image Science and professional cinema workflows to its camera system. Its 200MP gimbal main camera supports 10-bit ARRI LogC3 recording, while ARRI Wide Gamut 3 and ARRI Looks give creators more control over their footage.

But HONOR isn’t treating the Robot Phone primarily as a volume-driving product.

The company says its bigger goal is to introduce a new concept to the smartphone market and see what kind of effect it can have.

That makes the Robot Phone an interesting experiment for HONOR. The hardware is already here. The company now wants to learn what happens when a smartphone can physically move, respond to its surroundings, and use AI to help operate itself.

For now, though, China is where that experiment begins.