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OnePlus confirms and teases the ‘more affordable’ OnePlus Lite Z Thing

What a mouthful

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For a while now, OnePlus has circulated rumors and confirmations about an upcoming affordable smartphone line. On the one hand, several leaks have already spoiled the mysterious OnePlus Z, a potential midrange phone. On the other, OnePlus has confirmed the “affordable phone” rumors without giving anything away.

Now, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau is waving away most of the mystery. In a OnePlus forum post, the head honcho further confirmed the upcoming series. It shouldn’t be anything new, given Lau’s past confirmations of the same. However, this time, his statement links to a brand-new Instagram account hyping the series.

Quite a mouthful on its own, @OnePlusLiteZThing teases the series with the tagline, “New Beginnings.” Further, one of the account’s few posts is a very short Morse code message. It simply says “July,” potentially hinting at the series’ impending launch.

Unfortunately, the account does not spoil much. If anything, another post reads: “We want to celebrate what it means to stay true to who you are, what you do, and what you make.” Either OnePlus is returning to its flagship-killing roots, or the new smartphone heavily targets content creators.

The series will be developed by Paul Yu, who headed previous flagship devices in the past.

Either way, the future is coming. According to Lau’s original post, the new series will come first to Europe and India before anywhere else.

SEE ALSO: OnePlus CEO Pete Lau will allegedly move to OPPO, rumor says

Accessories

Sony ships its LinkBuds Fit Hatsune Miku edition to the United States

It will come with the special acrylic stand.

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Hatsune Miku is finding her way everywhere. Last year, the pop icon built partnerships where you might have least expected one. Now, a recent collaboration has made it to new shores. Sony is shipping its recent partnership with Hatsune Miku in the United States.

In the middle of last year, Sony released a limited edition of the LinkBuds Fit featuring Hatsune Miku. Inside, the special variant is indistinguishable from the original series. However, it will have special colorway options, including the icon’s signature green.

Now, the limited edition is now available in the United States. It will be available for US$ 249.99.

Like the first launch, buying the special edition of the earbuds will give fans a limited-edition acrylic earbud stand featuring newly illustrated artwork by Ogipote. It also features two original HoloModels of the character.

Further, those who purchased the device will get access to a special campaign song called “BELIEVE DAY” and an animated performance of the same song. Fans need only to register their product and install the HoloModels app.

SEE ALSO: Sony PH offers limited-time LinkBuds Fit x Hatsune Miku bundle

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TNT earns honors at 2025 International Business Awards

TNT Petmaloop campaign earns Gold Stevie

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Philippines network provider TNT, the value brand of PLDT’s mobile wireless subsidiary Smart, earned multiple honors at the recent 2025 International Business Awards.

At the 22nd edition of the IBA, TNT bagged a Gold Stevie for Brand Experience of the Year – Consumer. This was for the groundbreaking TNT Petmaloop Challenge.

The campaign gathered content creators nationwide to feature highlights of their hometowns that give them “saya” (joy) using TikTok.

It culminated in an uninterrupted stream that earned a Guinness World Records title for the Longest Travel Livestream after running for 26 hours, 15 minutes, and 29 seconds.

Moreover, TNT also received a Silver Stevie for Viral Marketing Campaign of the Year for its SIM Registration campaign. This blended creativity and humor in urging subscribers to register their SIMs on time.

TNT’s awards form part of the broader recognition received by the PLDT Group and Smart at the same awards, also known as The Stevies.

These reflect the integrated telecommunications provider’s continued investments in network development, innovation, and customer-focused initiatives.

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Apps

Apple gives up on making AI, inks a deal with Gemini to power Siri

Gemini gets another feather in its cap.

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In the not-too-long-ago past, the biggest names of the tech industry competed to build their own AI software. Now, though some brands are still on the hunt, it’s easier to name certain software that have more successfully drowned users in a flood of AI-powered features. Today, Google gets another win by adding Apple’s Siri to its Gemini cap.

In the past, Apple peddled Apple Intelligence, an upcoming AI-powered system to compete against the giants of the industry. However, much like other features from other brands, Apple Intelligence came out half baked with features still lacking months after the initial launch.

Now, Apple has signed a deal with Google to use Gemini for a revamped Siri. The former plans to launch a new version of Siri later this year. Because of the deal, the voice assistant will start using Gemini as a foundation for its own services. Currently, Samsung’s Galaxy AI already uses Gemini.

Formerly a battleground between so many competing brands, it’s now looking like a battle between two major companies: Google and OpenAI. Google now has a huge grip, though. Both Samsung and Apple are no slouches when it comes to owning market share in the world’s smartphones.

Now, as consumers, Apple’s deal probably doesn’t mean much besides the continued influx of features that add little to no value to a smartphone.

SEE ALSO: Google paid Samsung a lot of money to install Gemini on Galaxy

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