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Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+ (2018) officially launch in the Philippines

They don’t come cheap

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Samsung’s latest midrange phones are slowly making their way to regional markets. For Southeast Asia, the South Korean company officially announced the Galaxy A8 and A8+ (2018) in the Philippines.

The Samsung Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ (2018) are the newest additions to the premium midrange Galaxy A family. With these new phones, Samsung pushed its midrange offerings to become near-flagship.

Both devices have Infinity Displays with an 18.5:9 display ratio and Full HD+ resolution. The Galaxy A8 (2018)’s display measures at 5.6 inches with a 3000mAh battery while the Galaxy A8+ (2018) has a larger 6-inch panel and 3500mAh battery. Both support Adaptive Fast Charging through USB-C.

Another special feature is the dual front cameras: 16- and 8-megapixel sensors with a bright f/1.9 aperture. This setup brings the Live Focus feature from the Galaxy Note 8 for selfies with bokeh. A single 16-megapixel f/1.7 rear shooter with phase-detection autofocus and electronic image stabilization handles low-light photography. The phones are also IP68-certified against water and dust.

Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) Ambassador Yassi Pressman

They are powered by an unspecified octa-core processor (most likely an Exynos chip), with up to 6GB of memory for the A8+ and up to 64GB of expandable storage. Out of the box, they run Android 7.1.1 Nougat with the Samsung Experience skin on top.

The Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) will be available in the Philippine market starting January 27 for PhP 26,990 and PhP 32,990, respectively. Color options include gold and black.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+ (2018) Review: Premium midrange features come at a price

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Honor is reportedly working on a 14000mAh battery

How much is too much?

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Nothing goes together more than a Chinese smartphone brand and the relentless pursuit for a bigger battery. For years, Chinese brands have engaged in a war for this particular component. Now, the latest salvo has been fired. Honor is reportedly working on a phone with a gigantic 14000mAh battery.

Today, the biggest battery capacity you can find on an Honor phone is 11000mAh. The Honor X80 Pro Max already offers a battery that can last you more than a single day. At this point, it’s certainly more than enough for our daily needs.

According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, a smartphone brand is currently working on a 14000mAh battery. Though the leak does not explicitly pinpoint Honor, the emoji used (a wolf) is historically used to imply the Chinese brand in Weibo parlance.

A 14000mAh is just absurdly huge. With a battery larger than some powerbanks, battery anxiety becomes moot. It’s bordering on “can we bring this on a plane” territory.

As with all rumored features, the next question is when this battery will arrive on a consumer-ready device. Given how serious the battery wars are for the Chinese market, it’s only a matter of time.

SEE ALSO: HONOR continues APAC expansion, to launch 600 series in Taiwan

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Nothing Phone (4b) shows up online, spoils some specs

It’s a step below the Phone (4a) series.

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Yesterday, Nothing officially teased the Phone (4b), an all-new line positioned below the Phone (4a) series. At the time, the teaser revealed nothing but the design of the upcoming phone. However, ahead of its July 7 launch, the Phone (4b) suddenly appeared on Geekbench, spoiling a few of its mysterious specs.

According to the listing, the Phone (4b) will run the SM6650, more popularly known as the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4. It’s a modestly powered processor built for the budget to midrange segments of the performance spectrum. Having this processor does confirm that the phone belongs to the step below the Phone (4a), bringing affordability to a name other than CMF.

Besides the processor, the new phone will come with an Adreno 810 GPU and 8GB of RAM. Inside, it will ship with Android 16 out of the box, but this will likely be upgradeable to Android 17 later this year.

It’s already confirmed that the Phone (4b) will be quite the looker. The phone will slightly depart from the design philosophy of the Phone (4a) series. Though it will still have a sizable rear island, the camera setup will just be a small vertical strip on the top-left corner. Additionally, the lighting element typical of all Nothing phones will be a small horizontal strip on the bottom-right corner.

Thankfully, the wait for more specs won’t be long. Nothing has confirmed that the phone’s launch is set for July 7.

SEE ALSO: Nothing will launch the Phone (4b) next month

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Polaroid says, enjoy the beach before AI ruins it

“We know what we stand to lose if we don’t protect it.”

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Tongue-in-cheek marketing is a soothing balm for a world where false promises are more often advertised. But, what happens when those tongue-in-cheek jokes strike a nerve and make you think, “maybe this isn’t a joke anymore”? Polaroid, a huge proponent of analog technology, has put up such a billboard to enjoy the beach “before the data centers drink it all up.”

Right in front of Coney Island (and right in time for summer), Polaroid has a simple message: “Go jump in the water before the data centers drink it all up.”

Though funny by itself, the message plays on an ongoing fear that today’s data centers, built for AI, have such a high water requirement that each query takes up gallons every time. This is, of course, slightly hyperbolic, but data centers are indeed exerting a lot of pressure on their area’s resources. They take a lot of water for cooling and electricity to keep open.

In a statement, Polaroid says that they’re not anti-digital. Rather, “we know we have to live alongside it, but we’re deeply pro-human and know what humanity gives us. And we know what we stand to lose if we don’t protect it. That’s a fight worth fighting,” says Polaroid’s creative director Patricia Varella, via LBB.

Now, this isn’t a completely altruistic ad. It’s still advertising the new Go Generation 3. Still, if you’re looking for a product to go alongside today’s shifting sentiments against AI, a Polaroid might be it.

SEE ALSO: The Loop PH rebrands as lifestyle-tech destination

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