News

Samsung Galaxy S8 pricing and availability in the Philippines

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Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and the larger Galaxy S8+ are beautiful pieces of tech — so much so that some of us are willing to jump ship from our Apple loyalty. Of course, premium gadgets come at distinctly higher prices.

While the pricing in the US can be a bit messy — $720 to $750 for the Galaxy S8 and $840 to $850 for the Galaxy S8+ depending on the carrier — Philippine pricing is a little more straightforward.

Beginning May 5, you can purchase the Galaxy S8 and S8+ for PhP 39,990 and PhP 45,990, respectively. Considering those are only PhP 2,000 to PhP 3,000 more expensive than their US counterparts, those markups aren’t too shabby, especially when you factor in the heavy taxes imported goods normally experience.

These match up to how much an LG G6 currently costs, although the Galaxy S8 is arguably more powerful. At the same time, the most affordable Galaxy S8’s base price is way above the $650 of the cheapest iPhone 7 and Google Pixel, two of Samsung’s closest rivals. At this rate, we wouldn’t be surprised if the next iPhone and Pixel will hit an average price of $800.

On the bright side, the lowest built-in storage option for the S8 pair is 64GB, which can be further expanded with a microSD card. That’s a major upgrade from the 16GB and 32GB storage we’ve gotten used to. Coupled with the one-of-a-kind aesthetics and updated hardware, we’re looking at fair deals for the phones, no matter how outrageous they may seem now.

Need more convincing? Look no further than our hands-on video below:

SEE ALSO: 6 things the Samsung Galaxy S8 camera can do

[irp posts=”11721″ name=”6 things the Samsung Galaxy S8 camera can do”]

Gaming

AMD teases next-gen Xbox coming in 2027

It might double as a usable PC, too.

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It’s been a while since GPU companies focused on making chips for consoles. With how the industry is going now, chips feel like they’re destined to end up in the suffocating deluge of AI servers. Now, however, AMD is showing signs of healing by teasing the next-generation Xbox.

In the latest earnings call (via Engadget), AMD CEO Lisa Su teased that the next-gen Xbox, built with a custom AMD SoC, is “progressing well to support a launch in 2027.”

The subtle tease is vague enough to obscure any details about the upcoming console but clear enough to confirm that it’s coming. Since the Xbox Series X|S has been out for several years now, it’s not surprising that Microsoft is thinking about what’s coming next.

However, it’s still intriguing that Microsoft is going for another console. Previous reports have speculated that the company might focus on delivering games, especially through the Game Pass. Lately, both the PlayStation and the Switch have thoroughly dominated the console market ahead of the Xbox. Handheld consoles are likewise impressive, too.

Other reports have speculated that the upcoming generation will focus on delivering both a gaming and a PC experience. With the Steam Machine coming soon, it seems natural that the next consoles will be usable PCs as well.

SEE ALSO: Match Pulse: ROG Xbox Ally X

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Gaming

Overwatch reinvents itself with a new story and five new heroes

And it’s not “Overwatch 2” anymore.

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Overwatch 2 was not a disaster for the popular multiplayer shooter franchise. It did, however, make the game more polarizing. For 2026, Blizzard is shaking things up once again, starting by dropping the “2” from Overwatch 2.

During its scheduled showcase, the new-and-improved Overwatch will feature annual storylines that will keep the game fresh for years to come. The system will go live on February 10. By then, the year-long event called Reign of Talon will start with Season 1.

As the name suggests, this year will be all about the villain-coded Talon organization, and it’s going to be more story-driven. Right off the bat, a new cinematic sees Vendetta seemingly kill Doomfist and take over the leadership of Talon.

Blizzard says that the year will see ten new characters introduced to the roster. In fact, five of those will already be playable starting in Season 1.

Without a doubt, the highlight character for this round is the formerly cancelled Jetpack Cat. The character was first rumored all the way back in 2017 but will now be fully playable this season. The flying feline hero is a support character that can hook another hero to a location while healing them. Their ultimate reverses this by having them crash land onto enemies and then hooking one to, ideally, drop them off the map.

Jetpack Cat will join four other heroes. Anran, who is also affiliated with the Overwatch faction, deals fire damage. Domina, who, along with the next three heroes, works with Talon, is a shield-based tank. Emre imagines an evil version of Soldier: 76. Finally, Mizuki is a Talon-affiliated healer.

Besides a new story and heroes, Overwatch will feature new game modes and improvements across the board. The new Season 1 starts on February 10.

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Gaming

The Nintendo Switch is now Nintendo’s best-selling console ever

Meanwhile, the Switch 2 just crossed 17 million units sold.

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The Nintendo Switch 2’s success was bound to happen. After enormous success with the original Switch, Nintendo is practically destined to also put up impressive numbers for the console’s recently released sequel. Today, the company has whipped out some proof. The Nintendo Switch 2 officially sold 17.37 million units, as of December last year.

Nintendo shared the console’s numbers through an investor’s report. Despite coming out only eight months ago, the Switch 2 is already putting up impressive numbers. With those numbers, the console is already Nintendo’s fastest selling platform to date.

For comparison, the original Switch sold less than half of what Switch 2 has sold in the former’s first eight months. Though the second console is still miles away from its predecessor’s total numbers, it’s already well on its way. In fact, Nintendo already expects the Switch 2 to break 19 million units by the end of the quarter.

The second Switch isn’t the only console reaping the rewards of its hard work. The original Switch has also crossed a major milestone. As of last year, the console has sold 155.37 million units, making it Nintendo’s bestselling console ever. It just overtook the Nintendo DS, which sold 154.02 million units.

With that, the Switch 2 has a mountain to climb, just to reach the same heights that its predecessor already attained. For sure, the console’s ongoing success is buoyed by the goodwill established by the original. Now, the question is whether the Switch 2 can sustain its growth on its own.

To help, the console is expecting significant first-party titles including Pokémon Pokopia and Meetup in Bellabel Park, a Super Mario Bros. Wonder DLC.

SEE ALSO: The Nintendo Switch is nearing the end of its lifecycle

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