News

Samsung Galaxy S9 steals the crown from iPhone X as best-selling phone

Xiaomi is part of the list!

Published

June 13, 2018

Daniel Morial

Samsung Galaxy S9 | GadgetMatch

Apple took the lead in the smartphone market with the iPhone X taking the title as the best-selling smartphone during the first three months of 2018. But, it looks like Samsung is picking up speed with the Galaxy S9 phones because the new Android flagships managed to grab top positions in April.

According to the latest report from Counterpoint Research, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ took the number one and two spots, respectively, although both phones are equally popular based on estimated numbers. The two Samsung behemoths captured a global market of 2.6 percent each. Their growth has been driven largely by buyers in the Asia-Pacific region and North America. Even the predecessor, the Galaxy S8, joins the spotlight and became the 10th best-selling phone worldwide.

Of course, the latest iPhones from Apple are still very popular among consumers. The iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone 8 managed to take the third, fourth, and fifth spot — the first two captured a global market share of 2.3 percent each, while the latter got 2.2 percent. Just like with flagship Galaxy phones, older iPhones are still popular with the iPhone 6 at seventh place and the iPhone 7 at ninth — both with a 1.4 percent share.

The third most popular phone manufacturer on the list is Xiaomi with two budget phones. The uber-cheap Redmi 5A placed sixth with a 1.5 percent share while the Redmi 5 Plus took the eight spot with 1.4 percent.

Looking at the numbers in the report, we noticed the growing trend among budget and former flagship devices. Even Apple fans preferred the almost four-year-old iPhone 6 over the iPhone 7 from 2016. The entry of Xiaomi is also noteworthy even though they are just budget devices, especially the Redmi 5A which is priced under US$ 100. Despite their massive popularity in Europe, Huawei still didn’t manage to make it but it shouldn’t be too long before they begin to appear on the chart.

Gaming

Reebok unveils Valhalla-themed Capsule Collection

Inspired by the Viking fantasy of the upcoming Assassin’s Creed title

Published

October 29, 2020

Gab Orlina

Are any of these your SneakerMatch? Footwear brand Reebok launches its own Capsule Collection inspired by the Viking fantasy of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

The whole collection features sneakers, apparel, and accessories in different color accents taken straight from the game. For the footwear options, three styles headline the entire collection with designs taking insipiration from elements of Viking lore. The Zig Kinetica, Club C Revenge, and Classic Leather Legacy all include symbols, weapons, and colors taken from Norse mythology.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is just right around the corner, and it promises a whole new adventure to explore. Explore the rich lore of the Vikings as Eivor, a fierce raider during the time of England’s Dark Ages. With new features and new worlds to explore, Valhalla promises a whole new dimension in the Assassin’s Creed saga. Before you get to venture into the Dark Ages, you can bring Valhalla to your sense of style!

The collection also features two hoodies, caps, and socks to match the footwear. It will be exclusively available on Reebok’s website beginning November 7, and will hit select retailers on November 11.

Enterprise

Apple has now reached 1 billion active iPhones

According to an analyst

Published

October 29, 2020

Luigi Leonardo

How many iPhone users are there right now? Name your best guess. If you answered one billion, you’re probably right. According to an analyst’s estimates, Apple has now reached 1 billion active iPhones, marking a monumental increase in revenue this year.

Knowing Apple’s popularity, it’s surprising that they took this long. This year, the iPhone maker finally reached the milestone. Of note, the analyst, Above Avalon, predicts that Apple reached 1 billion active iPhones last month, before the iPhone 12 series launch.

Adding to the milestone’s impressiveness, Apple’s revenue actually dipped this year, stemming from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Because of income dips and a new work-from-home lifestyle, no one really wanted to buy new phones. Apparently, despite the decreased demand, whatever Apple did sell was enough to push the company above 1 billion.

According to the analyst, Apple has always subsisted on an upgrade system; that is, existing users buying the new models every year. That said, though there are 1 billion active iPhones, it is highly likely that a significant portion of the iPhone-owning population owns more than one iPhone.

With that in mind, the company aims to continue the same tradition by focusing on increasing the value of owning an iPhone. Doing so will propel the company’s growth even further, as the analyst says.

Besides a renewed focus on iPhones, the analyst also predicts that Apple’s wearable market will prove essential in pushing the company to 2 billion active users. Much like how an iPhone user can own multiple iPhones, buying into Apple’s ecosystem increases the likelihood of buying an Apple wearable to go along with it.

SEE ALSO: Apple is now worth $2 trillion

Apps

Grab introduces new cashless payment through Cash-in With Driver

A new way to go cashless!

Published

October 28, 2020

MJ Jucutan

Because of the pandemic, Grab’s GrabCar service has adopted cashless payments only. With more people still opting for cash for their commutes, Grab pushes a new feature to make their service safe and reliable — Cash-in with Driver.

This feature allows commuters to use GrabCar by paying cash through the driver. All you have to do is activate your GrabPay wallet during the ride, pay cash to the driver, and receive your change back on your GrabPay wallet.

Grab hopes the new feature allows more commuters to switch gradually towards a cashless lifestyle, and enjoy GrabPay benefits. For instance, there’s GrabRewards points that can be used for certain deals, promos, save on Grab transactions, and make seamless cashless payments across GrabPay’s partners.

Cash-in with Driver will be available on GrabCar 2-seater and 4-seater in Metro Manila. For Cebu and Pampanga, it will be available in GrabBayanihan Car and GrabCar 2-seater. Additionally, it’s expected to come soon on GrabTaxi.

The new feature will fully roll out by November 2020. Simply update your Grab app to the latest version, and you can start embracing a cashless lifestyle. Learn more about Cash-in with Driver via this link.

Watch our how to use GrabPay video
<span style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" data-mce-type="bookmark" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>