News

Rumor: Huawei selling the Mate and P phone brands

Huawei has denied the reports

Published

January 26, 2021

Kenrick Buduan

With no end in sight for the ban that took effect last 2019, Huawei is taking drastic measures to ensure its own survival. Just this week, the company’s CEO — Ren Zhengfei — outlined the company’s strategy for the future. If the latest report from Reuters is to be believed, we may never see another Huawei-branded Mate and P phones in the future.

Citing two sources familiar on the matter, Reuters claims that Huawei is in early talks to sell its flagship Mate and P phone brands to other manufacturers. The company is specifically eyeing the sale to a consortium of government-backed Shanghai investment firms.

Huawei initially explored the possibility of selling its flagship brands last September. The talks allegedly went back and forth for months, with the company yet to finalize its decision. The timing of these talks coincides with the sale of another Huawei asset — its Honor sub-brand — last November to a government-backed Shenzen firm.

The sale of its flagship brands has been mulled by Huawei since it sees little to no hope with the change in the US administration. The Biden administration has yet to take a stance on the ban imposed by the Trump administration. In the meantime, the company has to weather the ban that saw its phones lose access to the Google Play Store and other critical Android apps.

The shortage of Kirin chips is also behind the decision to go ahead with the talks. Analysts predict that Huawei will run out of supply of its own Kirin chips this 2021. The company outsources the production of its chips to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) which uses US-made equipment. A ban that took effect last year made it clear that Huawei can never use any US-made equipment, impeding the production of its Kirin chips.

Huawei responds

It didn’t take long for Huawei to respond to the reports that it is selling its flagship brands. A company spokesperson denied these reports, stating that these are “substantiated rumors”. The spokesperson also claimed that the company “has no such plans” for a sale and that they “remain fully committed” to the smartphone market.

The Mate and P series remain major drivers in Huawei’s smartphone business. In fact, the recently launched Mate 40 series sold so well in China and other non-US markets.

Huawei also continues to be a major player in the smartphone segment. Just last year, it toppled Samsung briefly to become the no. 1 smartphone brand in the world. However, that might soon change as reports indicate that the company will slip further on rankings this year. TrendForce, in particular, predicts the company to slip into seventh place behind OPPO, vivo, and Xiaomi.

News

vivo introduces refurbished versions of X300 FE, X300 Ultra for less

vivo offers consumers more affordable way of owning smartphones

Published

September 9, 2026

GadgetMatch

vivo is offering its market an affordable way to own its smartphones without necessarily purchasing a brand-new unit: vivo refurbished phones.

Unlike ordinary second-hand phones, the refurbished vivo units are brand-managed devices that undergo inspection, cleaning, and necessary repairs by vivo customer service professionals.

After undergoing such a process, the phones are then made available for resale. This gives consumers a more accessible way to own a vivo smartphone — with added assurance of professional quality checks and warranty support.

@vivo_philippines

vivo Refurbished Phones are NOW AVAILABLE! Get high-end flagship smartphones at a lower price and watch to learn what makes it different from second-hand devices. Meet the star of our refurbished lineup, the vivo X300 Ultra! https://bit.ly/vivoX300Ultra_refurbished More units COMING SOON! #vivo #vivoX300Ultra #fyp #foryoupage #viral

♬ original sound – vivo_philippines – vivo_philippines

vivo says the refurbished units include those previously used by KOLs or ambassadors, as well as store display and demo units. They will be divided into two main types: Pre-owned (LDU) and Near New.

Once these devices are returned, they are handled by vivo customer service professionals and undergo the necessary inspection, cleaning, and repair processes before being relisted for sale.

This gives consumers another option when looking for a vivo smartphone that fits their budget. Refurbished units can make selected vivo devices more accessible.

Furthermore, the units will still come with a standard one-year warranty, with the warranty start date determined according to the unit’s classification and available proof of purchase.

To purchase a refurbished vivo phone, consumers can visit the vivo official website. Currently available are the vivo X300 FE and vivo X300 Ultra.

News

A casemaker just revealed the foldable iPhone Ultra ahead of time

The surprise is gone.

Published

September 9, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

As of now, we’re still around 12 hours ahead of the most anticipated event of the month, the launch of the iPhone 18 series. Besides the ubiquitous flagship lineup, the event is also heavily rumored to reveal the upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra. Well, while Apple has been secretive about the device itself, Dbrand has just spoiled the surprise for fans.

The often-sarcastic casemaker has just released a series of phone cases for the iPhone Ultra. The series doesn’t stray at all from Dbrand’s usual slew of designs. You’ll still get the traditional Teardown skins (which offers a peek into the iPhone’s internals) and the Leather skins (with real leather).

The main point here, of course, is that it’s already available ahead of the scheduled launch. As for looks, the cases confirm that the foldable will have the passport-style format popularized by the Galaxy Z Fold8. The device will also have a slightly elevated camera bump and two buttons on top of the bump.

Other than that, there’s still a lot to be revealed in the upcoming event. There are high hopes that the iPhone Ultra will fix the persistent pain points of the foldable segment. Unfortunately, it will likely come with a pretty exorbitant price tag, making it a much harder buy for regular iPhone users.

Accessories

Sony resurrects the WH-1000XM4 with a refreshed model

The return of the king.

Published

September 8, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

For a lot of people (me included), the Sony WH-1000XM4 was the first taste of what Bluetooth headphones could be. It was the first time I desperately wanted a new pair of headphones. It took me until the current XM6 to get a pair, but I can’t forget what came before. And, apparently, neither can Sony.

Today, Sony is resurrecting the WH-1000XM4 with the refreshed WH-1000XM4C. Straying from the lineup’s usual releases, the WH-1000XM4C is the second generation of the universally acclaimed headphones, while the XM6 is still the current flagship model.

It’s not just a simple rerelease, too. Though it still rocks the QN1-based active noise cancellation, the new pair tweaks the sound profile to more closely match the modern standard. It also comes with 10-band and gaming-specific equalizer presets. It will have a slightly smaller battery but with better fast charging to juice up quickly.

The new WH-1000XM4C will be available in Lavender, Black, and Platinum Silver. It will also cost US$ 299.99 — 50 bucks cheaper than the first generation.

Besides the refreshed flagship, Sony is also launching the WH-CH730N, a midrange pair built for commuters, and the WH-CH530, an entry-level pair with more colorful colorway options.

The WH-CH730N will come in White, Pink, Blue, Black, and Oat. It sells for US$ 179.99.

Meanwhile, the WH-CH530 come in Black, Cobalt, Coral, Mint, White, and Pink. It sells for US$ 69.99.