News

OPPO R9s, R9s Plus with 16MP rear and front cameras break cover in China

Published

October 20, 2016

Monch Lopez

Two new OPPO smartphones broke cover recently at a press event in China. The OPPO R9s and R9s Plus look particularly iPhone-ish, except the antenna lines on the metal-clad back of these devices are barely visible and their home button evokes Samsung’s aesthetics.

Oh, and they each have 16-megapixel rear- and front-facing cameras, which not only makes it infinitely easier for us to remember their camera specs, but also makes the phones an alluring pick for the selfie-loving generation. We were impressed with the 16-megapixel selfie cam on the F1 Plus, the R9s’ predecessor, and it would make sense to think OPPO has something similar, if not better, on offer here.

[irp posts=”2006″ name=”OPPO F1 Plus Hands-On Review”]

The rear-facing camera system, objectively speaking, is an even more impressive specimen, featuring a Sony sensor that no other device has yet and an f/1.7 aperture for superior performance in low light and to achieve a better depth of field, which some photographers refer to as “bokeh.” It can also shoot super-crisp 4K video at the standard 30 frames per second, though only the R9s Plus has an optically stabilized camera to compensate for shaky hands and movement.

The R9s will come in shades of gold, rose gold, and black

The R9s comes with a 5.5-inch, 1080p screen with curved-but-not-too-curved Gorilla Glass 5; a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 system-on-a-chip, alongside 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage; a fingerprint scanner on the home button; and a 3,010mAh battery that charges to 75 percent in 30 minutes.

The R9s Plus has a larger footprint, opting for a 6-inch display at full resolution and minimal bezels on the sides to keep the size of the phablet in check. Rounding off the specs, the Plus model makes use of a Snapdragon 653 chip, an incremental upgrade over the Snapdragon 652 inside many of today’s top midrange phones; 6GB of RAM; 64GB of storage; and a 4,000mAh battery.

[irp posts=”3906″ name=”The OPPO F1s is an affordable ‘selfie expert'”]

Both devices ship with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, making them the company’s first Marshmallow devices, although that isn’t meant to be a compliment. OPPO has been notoriously slow to adopt the latest Android software, with their existing phones still running Android Lollipop and below.

The OPPO R9s and R9s Plus will retail for 2,799 yuan ($415) and 3,499 yuan ($520) in their native China. They will go on sale starting October 28. The three available color options include gold, rose gold, and black. No word yet on pricing or an intended release outside China, but dollars to donuts, international markets will see the R9s under a different name before the year ends.

At least we hope so. These phones sound promising, and we’d hate to see them get a limited release.

Source: GSMArena

Gaming

Horizon Steel Frontiers is an MMO set in the Horizon universe

The game is built for mobile but will have cross-play gameplay with PC.

Published

November 13, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

A few months ago, Sony sued Tencent for copying design elements from the Horizon series for the latter’s upcoming game, Light of Motiram. Though the game has been relatively silent since the kerfuffle, was Tencent on to something? Today, Sony and a Korean studio named NCSoft have officially announced Horizon Steel Frontiers, an MMO set in the Horizon universe.

It’s not just a simple announcement either. The title now has an official 10-minute video to preview the upcoming title. Right now, the trailer has nothing but cinematics, pre-alpha footage, and developer interviews. However, it’s a clear commitment to bringing the MMO to life.

Both the cinematics and the pre-alpha footage show off the familiar mechanical beasts of the series. The main goal of the title is to team up with other players and take down colossal beasts.

The game is set in the Deathlands, a new region inspired by Arizona and New Mexico. Players will have the entire state to play with. And, instead of Aloy, they can create their own personalized characters.

Horizon Steel Frontiers is built for smartphones. However, Sony and NCSoft are working towards cross-platform gameplay for the PC.

Right now, especially since the released footage is from pre-alpha development, we don’t know when the MMO will launch. However, it does look extremely exciting for fans of the original duology.

Gaming

Elden Ring Nightreign is getting a DLC update this December

The update introduces two new Nightfarers and bosses.

Published

November 12, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

After Shadow of the Erdtree concluded the Elden Ring saga, FromSoftware kept the fire going with Elden Ring Nightreign, a multiplayer-focused standalone roguelike set in the same universe. It was a unique experience that breathed new life into the studio’s tough-as-nails dynamic. Now, before the year ends, FromSoftware has announced The Forsaken Hollows, a new DLC coming for Nightreign.

Even from launch, it was apparent that FromSoftware had content updates in store for Nightreign. The studio promised new maps and Nightfarers for the multiplayer game.

Yesterday, an earnings report hinted that the DLC was shipping out potentially early next year. Today, the studio dispelled all speculation and said that the DLC is definitely coming before the year ends.

The announcement expands the already-meaty game with two new playable Nightfarers: the arcane-wielding Scholar and the strength-slash-faith-focused Undertaker. Both characters, featured in the trailer, will introduce their special set of skills in the continuous battle against the Nightlord.

Besides the two new characters, two new bosses are coming to Limveld. We don’t know much about the two bosses. However, knowing FromSoftware, the studio is likely keeping them under wraps, so they can stomp on us harder.

Finally, the update introduces a new Shifting Earth area called The Great Hollow. The area is filled with “exotic ruins and temples; sacred towers denoting the remains of an ancient people; and crystals that exude a cursed, life-draining miasma.”

The Forsaken Hollows is a paid DLC coming to Elden Ring Nightreign on December 3. Though the DLC can be purchased separately, it’s already included in the Deluxe Edition and the Collectors Edition. It’s also available for those who purchased the Deluxe Edition Upgrade.

News

Apple reportedly shelved the iPhone Air series indefinitely

The delay is because of low sales.

Published

November 11, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

On its own, the iPhone 17 Air is a mighty device. However, if you consider that the vastly superior iPhone 17 Pro series is only a hundred bucks away from the Air series, the thinner iPhone model becomes less attractive. Based on actual sales, it looks like Apple users think the same way. In response to low demand, Apple has reportedly shelved the next iPhone Air indefinitely.

Since the series launched a few months ago, numerous reports have speculated that the iPhone 17 Air isn’t performing as Apple expected. Given how Apple held out a lot of hope for the iPhone 17’s new designs, the Air’s failure to meet expectations is a big blow. Soon after the first reports trickled in, Apple reportedly dialed back on production to balance out the lower demand.

Now, as reported by The Information, Apple has reportedly delayed the next iPhone Air model indefinitely. Previously, the company was scheduled to release a new model next year alongside the iPhone 18 series. That’s not happening now.

Right now, there is no timeline for the next Air, if it is coming. That said, it’s still likely that Apple is still working on a new Air. It just might take some time while the company figures out how to make the next model pop.

SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone Air Review