News

Samsung Galaxy A80 offers an all-display solution

Spoiler: It’s a rotating camera

Published

April 10, 2019

Rodneil Quiteles

Nearly every phone manufacturer is taking a crack at giving us a solution to the notches and punch-holes “problem.” As a result, we’ve seen pop-up cameras and secondary displays. With the Samsung Galaxy A80, the company is offering their take on the pop-up camera solution — the rotating camera.

Instead of just having the front-facing camera hide inside the phone, Samsung’s idea is to make the upper part of the phone lift then flip the camera module to face you. This happens automatically when you switch to selfie mode on the camera app. At around a little over a second, it’s pretty fast considering the number of actions that have to take place before the camera flips.

It’s important to note that we have seen a mechanism similar to this before from the likes of OPPO and Gionnee. However, those rotating cameras had to be moved manually unlike the automatic one on the Galaxy A80.

What are the cameras you ask? The Galaxy A80 has a three-camera setup. There’s a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultra wide-angle lens, and lastly, a 3D depth sensor. We only had a limited time with the device, but take a look at these quick samples so you can judge for yourself how it performs:

Capable of live streaming

Samsung is positioning the Galaxy A80 as the phone perfect for the “era of live.” The company believes that people are moving on from selfies to live streaming. Having this camera mechanism makes sure no quality is sacrificed when you decide to take selfies or go live.

As of writing, we’re still confirming what chipset the phone is using. Samsung representatives tell us that it’s an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, but we don’t know which series yet. You also get 8GB of RAM along with 128GB of internal storage.

Samsung says the Galaxy A80 is equipped with an “intelligent performance enhancer” which regulates the phone’s usage. This includes controlling the CPU, RAM, and battery usage for optimum performance. Speaking of the battery, it has a 3700mAh capacity (much lower than the one on the Galaxy A70) that supports 25W fast charging.

All-display goodness

Front and center is the 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED New Infinity Display which is extremely satisfying to look at. The display also houses an on-screen fingerprint sensor and when taking calls, it vibrates, effectively becoming the call’s audio source.

The Samsung Galaxy A80 comes in three colors: Phantom Black, Angel Gold, and Ghost White but only black and gold will come to the Philippines. One can only assume the white one decided to ghost the country.

Pricing will be announced soon.

News

NBA China, Alibaba Cloud partner to reimagine fan engagement

Alibaba Cloud becomes Official Cloud Computing and AI Partner of NBA in China

Published

October 10, 2025

GadgetMatch

NBA China and Alibaba Cloud have announced a multi-year partnership to elevate the fan experience locally through AI and cloud technologies.

Through the collaboration, Alibaba Cloud becomes the Official Cloud Computing and AI Partner of NBA in the country.

NBA China will utilize Alibaba Cloud’s AI and cloud computing services to support a wide range of digital fan engagement initiatives.

This includes the development of a proprietary AI model for NBA China based on Alibaba’s Qwen series of foundational models.

The scope of the partnership encompasses even the NBA All-Star, NBA Playoffs, and NBA Finals.

Even Quark and the Tongyi App, which are Alibaba’s consumer-facing AI applications, will also become Official Marketing Partners of NBA China.

Moreover, NBA China will leverage Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure to host its digital destinations. These include the NBA App, the league’s official website in China, and NBA China mini-programs.

In addition, Alibaba Cloud will debut a Real-Time 360 Replay Solution at The NBA China Games 2025. This shall provide fans with AI-powered visual enhancements to replay highlights.

This year’s NBA China Games will likewise showcase innovative and interactive experiences powered by Alibaba Cloud’s AI capabilities.

At NBA House, fans can create personalized NBA-themed avatars and generate iconic commentary clips in a voice replicated from a sample of their own.

Lastly, as part of the multi-year deal, NBA China will also utilize Alibaba Cloud’s intelligent analytical tools to generate data-driven insights. This shall help enhance the league’s fan engagement efforts locally.

Entertainment

A Minecraft Movie is getting a sequel

It’s scheduled to premiere in July 2027.

Published

October 10, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

A Minecraft Movie was decidedly not for me. However, there’s no denying how much the movie was so effective for younger fans and gamers who grew up with Minecraft. It’s one of the highest-grossing movies this year. Even if I didn’t personally like it, I still consider it a success for videogame adaptations. Now, recognizing the film’s success, Warner Bros. has signed off on a sequel to Jack Black’s blocky caper, as confirmed by Variety.

It’s a mystery where the sequel will take players. Not to spoil anything, but the original movie did end with virtually loose ends neatly tied into a bow. Then again, Minecraft is an endless well of content. Where one story ends, another can just as easily open up in its place. As a game, it’s a completely open sandbox where nothing is limited.

However, to establish continuity, the sequel is reportedly tapping the talents of director Jared Hess once again. Chris Galleta might also come back to write the screenplay.

Interestingly, Jack Black is not confirmed yet. But given how much of a star he was as Steve, it’s hard to imagine a sequel without his energy, so it’s likely that he’s coming back. On a more positive note, Jason Momoa, who co-starred as Garrett Garrison, is expected to co-produce the sequel.

Warner Bros. has currently scheduled the sequel’s premiere on July 23, 2027.

SEE ALSO: Now Playing: A Minecraft Movie

Apps

ChatGPT Go now available in the Philippines, more Asian countries

Access to more popular ChatGPT features for an affordable subscription plan

Published

October 9, 2025

GadgetMatch

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

OpenAI has officially launched ChatGPT Go in 16 Asian countries, including the Philippines. This is the most cost-friendly subscription option yet at just PhP 300 (~ US$ 5.15).

This development gives users in the serviced regions greater access to ChatGPT’s advanced capabilities at a more affordable price.

To get started, simply visit chat.openai.com or download the ChatGPT mobile app, then create an account and select ChatGPT Go as your plan. The payment process is simple.

On the other hand, those who already have accounts may simply upgrade to Go.

The launch comes amid strong growth adoption of OpenAI’s tools in the Philippines. In fact, the country ranks among the top five countries for weekly ChatGPT users in Asia.

In addition, the top five use cases locally are tutoring, editing, personal writing, “how to” advice, and creative ideation.

At PhP 300 a month, ChatGPT Go subscribers will gain access to ChatGPT’s most popular features, including higher message limits, image generation, file uploads, and memory.

These are all powered by GPT-5, OpenAI’s most-advanced model.

Specifically, here’s the perks for the Go plan compared to free:

10x higher message limits
10x more image generations per day
10x more file or image uploads per day
2x longer memory for personalized responses

ChatGPT Go will join existing subscription options Plus (PhP 1,100) and Pro (PhP 9,900).

Plus is for subscribers who need more advanced thinking models and features like deep research, agent mode, and Sora video creation.

Meanwhile, Pro is for professionals, researchers, or organizations who need enterprise-grade scale, pro-level reasoning, and the most advanced features.