News
Consumer Reports: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ beat iPhone 7 Plus
We all have our biases, but when you need product rankings, going to an unbiased source like Consumer Reports helps strengthen arguments on which devices deserve the most praise.
In the publication’s latest rankings, Samsung’s pair of Galaxy S8 flagship phones have taken the top two spots for their “stunning camera, long battery life, and gorgeous display in a water-resistant package.”
We see nothing wrong with that. Our own review and hands-on video back up these claims:
The only knocks we have against the pair — and Consumer Reports backs these up — are the awkwardly placed fingerprint scanner on the rear (I’m still not used to it after two months) and Samsung’s immature Bixby virtual assistant.
Otherwise, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ deserve their top spots. Coming in at fourth (we’ll talk about third place later) is the LG G6, which is currently the second most popular — or third if you count the two Galaxies separately — smartphone to have a near-borderless display.
Again, the G6 is a great choice — not just for its beautiful screen, but also because of its solid mix of glass and metal, as well as the surprisingly useful extra-wide camera lens. We have more on those in our own full review:
Fifth place on the Consumer Reports ranking is the aging iPhone 7 Plus. Now, before you think Apple has a disadvantage with the timing of this report and being the oldest of the group, consider that the Galaxy S7 Edge is currently third on the list.
Yes, the Samsung flagship which launched early last year (six months before the iPhone 7 pair) is still a top choice according to Consumer Reports. But this shouldn’t discount the level of quality the iPhone 7 Plus achieves.
If you’ve watched our recent shootout between the Galaxy S8+ and iPhone 7 Plus, you’d see how the latter manages to keep up with the smartphones of tomorrow:
SEE ALSO: Best Premium Smartphones above $600 (June 2017 Edition)
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News
Smart showcases cloud gaming platform in partnership with Blacknut
Play over 1,000 titles straight on your smartphones
Philippines mobile service provider Smart showcased the country’s first cloud gaming platform in partnership with Blacknut at the recent Philippine GameDev Expo (PGDX) 2026.
As the event’s main presenter, Smart highlighted its collaboration with the cloud gaming subscription service. Together with its value-packed Power All offers, the network provider is highlighting what the future of gaming can look like.
Smart and TNT subscribers can conveniently access Blacknut Cloud Gaming through a dedicated site. Here, they can play more than 1,000 premium console and PC-quality games on their smartphones.
That’s without the need for expensive gaming hardware or lengthy downloads. Weekly subscriptions start at just PhP 145 and can be conveniently charged to prepaid load following a simple OTP verification process.
To make the experience better, Smart also has Power All offers, which provide generous open-access data for today’s digital lifestyles. There’s a package for cloud and mobile gaming, streaming, content sharing, and productivity.
Gaming
Ghost of Yotei gets a story expansion in October
The Complete Edition comes with the expansion and a roguelike mode.
Ghost of Yotei is a classic RPG experience set in the same universe as its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima. In my opinion, Atsu’s journey of revenge feels a lot more fun than Jin’s battle to save his homeland. If you’re in the same boat, Ghost of Yotei is coming back on October 1 with brand-new content.
Without delving too much into spoiler territory, Ghost of Yotei has a conclusive ending. Rather than shoehorning a forced epilogue, Echoes of Sekigahara, the title of the upcoming story expansion, explores Atsu’s past.
As with Tsushima’s expansion, Echoes of Sekigahara features a new map with new enemies, weapons, and collectibles. It will be set in two different time periods.
Besides the story expansion, the upcoming update also has a new mode called Most Wanted, which Sucker Punch Production describes as their “spin on a roguelike.” The mode explores Atsu’s experience as a headhunter, feeding her with bounties and earnable perks.
The two new content expansions will come with in the upcoming Ghost of Yotei Complete Edition. The new edition, coming on October 1, will also come with the co-op Legends mode. It also has a few perks and customization options. The edition will sell for US$ 70.
If you already have the base edition, you can grab an upgrade for only US$ 15. If you don’t want to pay for the upgrade, the game is still getting a few minor tweaks.
SEE ALSO: Ghost of Yotei review: A tale sharpened by vengeance
The HONOR Robot Phone may have officially launched, but don’t expect this version to immediately make its way to global markets.
HONOR told media in Shenzhen that it currently has no plans to bring the current Robot Phone outside China. The main hurdle isn’t the hardware. It’s the phone’s AI experience, which is currently optimized for the Chinese market.
HONOR believes a future generation of the Robot Phone would be better positioned for a true global rollout once its AI experience is ready for markets outside China.
That doesn’t mean HONOR is abandoning the idea. Quite the opposite.
More than a phone with a moving camera
The Robot Phone is HONOR’s attempt to introduce a new idea to the smartphone market. It combines a smartphone with a 4DoF mechanical gimbal, allowing its camera to physically move.
Its AI features take that concept further. YOYO Robot Mode can use voice commands, gestures, and AI tracking to control the camera. It can also automatically pan and tilt to keep a person in frame during vlogs, livestreams, and video calls.
The phone also brings selected elements of ARRI Image Science and professional cinema workflows to its camera system. Its 200MP gimbal main camera supports 10-bit ARRI LogC3 recording, while ARRI Wide Gamut 3 and ARRI Looks give creators more control over their footage.
But HONOR isn’t treating the Robot Phone primarily as a volume-driving product.
The company says its bigger goal is to introduce a new concept to the smartphone market and see what kind of effect it can have.
That makes the Robot Phone an interesting experiment for HONOR. The hardware is already here. The company now wants to learn what happens when a smartphone can physically move, respond to its surroundings, and use AI to help operate itself.
For now, though, China is where that experiment begins.
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