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Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+ (2018) go official with dual front cameras and Infinity Display

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Samsung officially unveiled the latest versions of their upper-midrange line of smartphones. With almost all of the competitors already having near-borderless phones for their lower-tier devices, the Galaxy A8 (2018) series joins the club.

The newest additions to the Galaxy A series are the Galaxy A8 (2018) and the larger Galaxy A8+ (2018). Both have nearly identical specifications aside from battery capacity and screen size. The new naming scheme hides the fact that these are the successors to the Galaxy A5 (2017) and A7 (2017), rather than the old Galaxy A8.

What’s new to the 2018 series are dual front cameras, the Infinity Display (without the curved edge), and an ergonomic design with curved glass (back and front) and a metal frame.

Both have a Super AMOLED display with an 18.5:9 display ratio and Full HD+ resolution. Being the smaller of the two, the Galaxy A8 (2018)’s display measures at 5.6 inches while the Galaxy A8+ (2018) has a 6-inch panel. Since the latter is bigger, it has a larger 3500mAh battery versus the former’s 3000mAh capacity. Both support Adaptive Fast Charging through USB-C.

Camera-wise, both have three cameras onboard. There’s a single 16-megapixel f/1.7 rear shooter with phase-detection autofocus and electronic image stabilization. Its wide aperture also enables better low-light photography along with a built-in hyperlapse feature. For selfies, you get two front-facing cameras: 16- and 8-megapixel f/1.9 cameras. The dual front camera setup brings the Live Focus feature from the Note 8 for selfies with bokeh.

The phones 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. They also support NFC and Samsung Pay.

Lastly, the phones are IP68-certified water and dust resistant, and can be used with Samsung Gear VR.

The Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) will be in stores starting early January 2018. They’ll come in four colors: black, orchid gray, gold, and blue. Pricing and regional availability are yet to be announced.

SEE ALSO: Samsung might launch the Galaxy S9 in February

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Gaming

Call of Duty drops the PlayStation 4 starting with its next game

Is this the beginning of the end for the PlayStation 4?

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When can we declare that a console is officially dead? Is it as soon as the launch of the next generation? Is it when games no longer come out on the console? Recently, Call of Duty has confirmed that the next game will not be available anymore on the PlayStation 4, which presents an important question: Is the PlayStation 4 officially dead?

Call of Duty is one of the most persistent gaming franchises today. The last entry, Black Ops 7, is still available for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Both consoles were launched over twelve years ago. (If that doesn’t make you old, the current generation was launched almost six years ago.)

As such, the franchise is one of the last stalwarts keeping the past generation alive. This week, Call of Duty, via a post on X, confirmed that the next game will not arrive on the PlayStation 4. Presumably, this also means the Xbox One.

Currently, we don’t have details about the upcoming game yet. But a new entry is confirmed to arrive later this year.

With the departure of the Call of Duty franchise, it’s fair to ask what will become of the old generation moving forward. Over the years, developers have started shying away from the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Since the franchise still maintains a steady fan base today, a lot of PlayStation 4 users might be forced to make an upgrade to play the latest entry.

SEE ALSO: PC Game Pass gets cheaper, but Call of Duty delays are coming

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TCL CSOT Unveils ‘APEX Pixel’ innovations at SID Display Week 2026

Breakthroughs in display technologies

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TCL CSOT SID 2026
Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Pushing the boundaries of display physics, TCL CSOT has officially launched its APEX Pixel framework at SID Display Week 2026.

This unified innovation path targets the microscopic architecture of pixels across FMM OLED, Inkjet-printed (IJP) OLED, and LCD panels to redefine clarity, power efficiency, and color volume.

The Super Pixel revolution

The highlight of the showcase is the Super Pixel technology for mobile FMM OLEDs.

TCL CSOT Super Pixel Mobile Display

By increasing sub-pixel density by roughly 1.8%, TCL CSOT has achieved sharpness comparable to WQHD standards while slashing power consumption by 25%.

Key mobile prototypes on display include:

  • 6.9-inch Ultra-Clarity Display: Features a 2608×1200 resolution with a 0.5mm top bezel
  • 165Hz High-Refresh Panel: Utilizes a Real RGB layout to boost motion smoothness by 40% over standard 120Hz screens
  • Ultra-Low Power 8T LTPO: A 420PPI powerhouse that reduces SoC power draw by a quarter.

IJP OLED and the Tri-Fold Future

TCL CSOT continues to lead the transition toward Inkjet-printed (IJP) OLED.

By utilizing the world’s first 8.6-generation IJP line, the company has debuted a 28-inch Foldable and Portable IJP OLED Monitor.

TCL CSOT IJP OLED Monitor Display

This “Real Stripe” RGB display features a tri-fold design that expands from a 16-inch footprint to a 28-inch workspace.

IJP OLED allows for larger light-emitting areas, occupying 50% to 60% of the pixel. This leads to a significantly enhanced luminous efficiency compared to traditional evaporation methods.

RGBC: The New Standard for LCD

For large-scale cinema experiences, TCL CSOT introduced RGBC Four-Color Technology.

TCL CSOT

By adding a Cyan sub-pixel to the traditional RGB matrix, the 85-inch WHVA Ultra LCD TV achieves a staggering 131% of the BT.2020 color gamut.

This hardware-level shift allows for more saturated hues and finer resolution rendering that traditional three-color pixels cannot replicate.

Through APEX Pixel, TCL CSOT is no longer just chasing size, but perfecting the very atoms of the digital image.

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iPhone 17 is the best-selling phone of 2026 so far

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 series didn’t make the top ten list.

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With more than a quarter of the year done and dusted, it’s time to figure out which smartphone has taken the early lead in the charts. According to the numbers, it can’t get any clearer. The iPhone 17 is currently dominating the charts.

According to Counterpoint Research, the bestselling smartphone in the world as of the first quarter is the base iPhone 17. The model took 6 percent of the global share in unit sales. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Pro took the second and third spots, respectively. Only a bit surprisingly, Apple rounded out its quarter with the iPhone 16 taking the number 6 slot.

The stranger thing is Samsung’s presence on this list. The South Korean brand took five spots on the top 10 list. However, none of them are of the Galaxy S26 series. All of them are from the Galaxy A series: in order, Galaxy A07 4G, A17 5G, A56, A36, and A17 4G. (The Galaxy S26 series narrowly missed the top 10.)

That makes nine. The final spot was taken by the Xiaomi Redmi A5.

Going only by the last two paragraphs, you’ll likely assume that the midrange market is rightfully dominating the charts in the months following the Christmas season. However, the iPhone 17’s dominance confirms that Apple has not lost its stride.

Plus, with the iPhone 17e only just having launched, Apple might continue its run well into 2026.

SEE ALSO: Foldable iPhone might be called the iPhone Ultra

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