News

Qualcomm launches faster and better Snapdragon 845

Published

December 7, 2017

Luigi Leonardo

Smartphones are about to get faster and stronger once again. As with every year, Qualcomm has announced their SoC processor for next year, the Snapdragon 845.

At their recently concluded Snapdragon Technology Summit in Hawaii, Qualcomm unveiled the details for its flagship-bound Snapdragon 845 processor. The high-end SoC (system on a chip) boasts faster performance, graphics, and image processing.

With four performance cores (clocking in at 2.8GHz) and four efficiency cores (at 1.8GHz), the Snapdragon 845 delivers 19 to 25 percent more performance over the Snapdragon 835.

Compared to last year’s Adreno 540 GPU, the Snapdragon 845 rocks an Adreno 630 upgrade. The new GPU promises a 30 percent boost in graphics performance and power efficiency. The upgrade also delivers 2.5 times more display throughput and increases flagships’ support for VR and AR apps.

The Snapdragon 845’s biggest improvement is in its image signal processor (ISP), the Spectra 280. The ISP equips phones with the ability to shoot 4K Ultra HD videos in HDR. It offers a 97 percent wider color gamut for more natural images.

The Spectra 280 can take 720p videos at up to 480 frames per second. Further, it can film 60fps videos with only a 16-megapixel camera.

Image source: Ars Technica

Taking after its rivals at Apple, the Snapdragon 845 is now compatible with face unlocking. Whereas Apple uses 30,000 dots for theirs, Qualcomm’s face unlock uses a more accurate 50,000 dots.

While 5G speeds are still far off into the future, the Snapdragon 845 builds itself ready for the technology. With its new Qualcomm X20 LTE modem, internet speeds can reach a maximum of 1,200Mbps. The modem adapts the new 60GHz 802.11ad standard.

Meanwhile, Bluetooth 5 boosts wireless connectivity by allowing faster transfers and more efficient battery usage. The latter supports a move for better compatibility with truly wireless earphones.

Whether we’ll see these features next year is still up to the smartphone manufacturers themselves. Some phones may opt to forego some features for others, for example.

The new chip, however, is already expected to launch with the flagships of Google, HTC, and Samsung. It’s also expected to make its way to Windows 10 PCs.

[irp posts=”15548″ name=”Snapdragon 450 is Qualcomm’s newest midrange chipset”]

Gaming

Silksong is getting its first major expansion next year

The expansion is called Sea of Sorrow.

Published

December 16, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

I still can’t believe that Hollow Knight: Silksong came out this year. After years of just waiting for the mythical title, it’s surreal to have it in my library. Now, barely waiting to catch their breath, Team Cherry is already working hard towards the next content drop, starting with Silksong DLC.

Just like the original Hollow Knight, Silksong is getting free DLCs to expand its story. The upcoming Sea of Sorrow DLC will be the game’s “first big expansion.”

The expansion’s trailer barely shows anything about the new content, besides vague allusions to what’s coming. At the very least, Team Cherry has confirmed, both via the announcement and the accompanying poster, that Sea of Sorrow will be nautical-themed.

It will feature new locations, new tools, and new enemies. By itself, Silksong is already a huge game. Adding more content then is a massive undertaking. Plus, Team Cherry says that this is just the first expansion, hinting at more coming in the future.

Sea of Sorrow will launch in 2026.

Besides the new expansion, the studio is also working on a Nintendo Switch 2 update for the original Hollow Knight. It will add higher framerates, resolutions, and more graphical effects. PC players will also get some upgrades to support larger screens.

The Switch 2 update, which will be free for those who already own the original game, will also launch next year.

Entertainment

Supergirl gets its first teaser trailer

Milly Alcock stars as the titular character.

Published

December 12, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

Before the new year starts, it’s already fair to assume that Supergirl might be one of the most anticipated movies of 2026. Premiering a year after the globally successful Superman, Supergirl will see the adventures of Clark Kent’s superpowered cousin, Kara Zor-El. Now, the next film in the sage finally has a teaser trailer.

As James Gunn mentioned previously, Supergirl will be based on Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Off traveling to other planets to party, Kara finds herself thrust back into the role of being a hero after a young girl named Ruthye Mary Knoll asks her for help.

Though the teaser trailer is mostly a montage of scenes, we already know what we can expect. According to Gunn, Supergirl will be tonally different from Superman, and we see this in the trailer.

However, we can still see influences from Gunn including the usage of “Call Me” by Blondie for the trailer. Also, the film’s space scenes look like they can fit right in with Guardians of the Galaxy.

Still, that’s what we have, and we’re excited. Supergirl will premiere on June 26, 2026.

The film will be directed by Craig Gillespie (Cruella). Milly Alcock plays the titular character. Meanwhile, she will star alongside Eve Ridley as Ruthye Mary Knoll.

News

HONOR Magic8 Pro launches in Dubai

Price, preorder perks, availability

Published

December 11, 2025

GadgetMatch

The HONOR Magic8 Pro, HONOR’s latest flagship smartphone, has been officially launched Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Customers can place preorders starting December 11 across UAE via the HONOR Online Store, Sharaf DG, Emax, Ecity, Jumbo, Virgin Megastore, Amazon, Carrefour, e&, Eros, Noon, and Lulu.

The pricing are as follows:

12GB+512GB (Sunrise Gold, Sky Cyan, Black): AED 3,999
16GB+1TB (Sunrise Gold, Black): AED 4,699

Those who preorder will get the following as part of a preorder gift package worth AED 2,299:

HONOR VIP Care+ with 12-month damage protection
3-month Google AI Pro trial
HONOR Watch5 Ultra

HONOR Magic8 Pro: AI imaging, mobile intelligence, creator-focused tech

The introduction of the HONOR Magic8 Pro reinforces the company’s leadership in AI Imaging, mobile intelligence, and creator-focused technology.

The phone boasts of groundbreaking on-device AI innovations, including Low-bit Quantization Technology for AI Models and Next-Generation Hybrid Retrieval Technology.

Powering the Pro model is the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 mobile platform. It is the first phone in UAE to have the processor.

HONOR’s agentic AI capabilities and Qualcomm’s mobile platforms make it possible for the device to be more efficient and packed with computing power.

The phone also comes with a 7100mAh Silicon-carbon battery. More advanced features include the AI Button, AI Search, and AI Documents, all designed to enhance productivity and support AI-driven workflows.

For its camera package, the HONOR Magic8 Pro has a 200MP AI Ultra Night Telephoto camera and an upgraded AI Ultra Night Portrait mode.

The device also introduces AI Magic Color and a new AI Editor, enabling refined color optimization and on-device creative adjustments.

For more of the innovations on the HONOR Magic8 Pro, read: HONOR reveals 1st images of Magic8 Pro, introduces new AI technologies