News
Samsung Galaxy S9+ takes top spot on DxOMark
Beats the Pixel 2 and iPhone X
One of the biggest questions on everyone’s mind whenever a new smartphone launches is, “How good are the cameras?” While it’s often subjective and difficult to gauge from early photo samples, imaging authority DxOMark’s numeric ratings provide a good idea of where a handset’s cameras stand.
The latest entry is Samsung’s Galaxy S9+. It launched during Mobile World Congress earlier this week and is the first Galaxy S smartphone to own dual cameras of any sort. The setup turned out well for Samsung, as the cameras have been bestowed the highest rating ever on DxOMark’s mobile scoring.
With an overall score of 99, the Galaxy S9+ is a point higher than the previous king, the Pixel 2, and two points above the 97 of the iPhone X and Mate 10 Pro. That’s an impressive feat considering how strong the competition was during our own camera shootouts.
Here’s the breakdown of the numbers:
Where the Galaxy S9+ truly shines is in the still photos department. Its 104 points are way above the previous top score of 101 by the iPhone X. Meanwhile, the 91 video score is quite good, too, losing only to the 96 of the Pixel 2.
DxOMark praises the Samsung flagship for having no real weakness. The Galaxy S9+ is strong in all aspects, and performs well in any lighting situation. Other advantages are the secondary lens on the back for optical zooming (something the smaller Galaxy S9 doesn’t have) and a true portrait mode that blurs out the subject’s background.
But before Samsung can celebrate, they have to accept that it’s still early in 2018. With flagships from Huawei coming out soon and both Google and Apple releasing even better smartphones later this year, these rankings can easily turn to another’s favor.
We’ll have to get the Galaxy S9+ in our hands for a full review before we can attest to these scores. Stay tuned for that.
At CES 2026, ASUS unveiled an exciting lineup of notebooks headed for launch throughout the year. Earlier this month, the brand finally launched the latest Zenbooks built for maximum portability. Now, ASUS has released the new Zenbook S16 and S14, plus the new Zenbook DUO, in the Philippines.
Zenbook S16, S14
Much like its predecessor, the latest Zenbook S16 is designed for ultra portability. In terms of thinness, the notebook measures only 1.1 centimeters. Plus, it weighs only 1.5 kilograms, making it a perfect addition to your daily kit. The Zenbook S14, on the other hand, weighs only 1.1 kilograms.
As is always expected from the Zenbook S lineup, both laptops will have a tactile Ceraluminum lid, bolstered by an EasyLift hinge for ease of use. It will also have an ErgoSense keyboard with dished keycaps.
The 16- and 14-inch 3K ASUS Lumina OLED screen has touchscreen capabilities and a refresh rate of 120Hz. For audio, the S16 has a six-speaker Dolby Atmos system, including four front-firing tweeters and dual woofers. The S14 has four speakers.
Under the hood, the Zenbook S16 will sport an AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 chipset, while the Zenbook S14 has an Intel Core Ultra 9 Series 3 processor.
For battery, the S16 will have an 83 Wh battery, which can reportedly last over 21 hours, and the S14 has a 77 Wh battery.
Zenbook DUO
If portability isn’t your main focus, the new Zenbook DUO packs in two screens in one device. Though it packs a bit more punch the Zenbook S series, the dual-screen notebook still weighs only 1.65 kilograms.
The Zenbook DUO features the newest Intel Core Ultra 9 Series 3 processor, up to 32GB of memory, and up to 1TB of internal storage. This time, both screens have anti-reflective coating for a better viewing experience.
As with the previous generations of the DUO, this iteration comes with a detachable keyboard and a four different use cases including dual screen, laptop, desktop, and sharing modes.
Powering the beast is a huge 99Wh battery. ASUS says that this is the most they can pack inside without getting users in trouble at the airport.
Zenbook 14
To be clear, this is different from the Zenbook S14, but it bears a striking resemblance to that previous notebook, both in terms of design and hardware. For one, the new Zenbook 14 is 14.9mm thin and only 1.2kg light.
The 14-inch screen carries a WUXGA ASUS Lumina OLED display, putting out images in a 16:10 aspect ratio. The notebook also has an Ergosense keyboard and touchpad for more comfortable typing and more precise controls.
Under the hood, the Zenbook 14 trades the S14’s Intel chip for an AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 processor, capable of up to 50 TOPS. It will also have 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
For battery, the notebook will have a 75 Wh battery, reportedly capable of lasting over 15 hours of unplugged use.
Zenbook A16
Embodying the spirit of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” the brand is also introducing a modest upgrade to the Zenbook A series.
The new Zenbook A16 is only 1.2 kilograms in weight. Plus, with a 70Wh battery, the notebook can remain unplugged and outside for an entire day. The A16 comes with a 16-inch 3K 120Hz OLED screen and the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme.
Price, availability in the Philippines
The Zenbook S16 comes in Scandinavian White and starts at PhP 134,995. Meanwhile, the Zenbook S14 comes in Antrim Gray and sells for PhP 129,995.
The Zenbook DUO comes in Moher Gray and starts at PhP 179,995.
Meanwhile, the Zenbook 14 comes in Jade Black and sells for PhP 79,995.
Finally, the Zenbook A16 is coming soon.
News
More iPhone switchers this year than Android switchers, report says
Only the Google Pixel might be exempt from a global Android dip.
With the prices of chips skyrocketing this year, the commonly held rule of thumb is to hold on to your devices for as long as possible. Of course, the dip in demand will also translate to a dip in supply. According to new reports, users this year might favor switching to an iPhone over an Android phone.
As early as late last year, smartphone makers have already warned consumers that the prices of new devices might go up to anticipate the rising prices of RAM. For now, the prices are still manageable, but forecasts don’t look too kindly on the future.
According to a Morgan Stanley report via Investing.com, the shipments of Android phones might drop by as much as 15 percent this year, compared to the last. This encompasses all brands using the platform.
However, there is one notable holdout: the Google Pixel. According to the same report, the lineup will still enjoy some modicum of growth heading into their release schedule this year.
More notably, though, Apple might be the biggest winner this year. Though iPhone shipments might still drop by 2 percent, it’s nothing compared to the former’s 15 percent drop. When comparing the two, that should translate to a growth in Apple’s share of the pie this year. In other words, more people might switch to Apple, compared to people switching to any phone running on Android.
Now, to be fair, these are all just predictions. Anything can still happen, but it looks like Apple might be heading to a stellar performance later this year.
SEE ALSO: Hands-on: NEW iPhone 17e, iPad Air, MacBooks, Studio Displays
Entertainment
Marvel’s Wonder Man greenlit for a rare second season
The first season holds a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe back? After years of floundering through Phases Four and Five, Marvel Studios is poised to get its mojo back from a flurry of much-awaited Phase Six projects this year, including the second season of Daredevil: Born Again, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Avengers: Doomsday. And it all started this year with the critically acclaimed Wonder Man. Now, after the success of that series, a second season is officially in the works.
When its first trailer came out, Wonder Man did not look like anything that Marvel Studios has worked on before. For one, it was incredibly grounded, perhaps overshadowed only by Daredevil: Born Again. Second, it was about the reboot of a fictional superhero movie, itself called Wonder Man.
Actor Simon Williams (played by Yahya Abdul Mateen II) wants to energize his career by performing in the upcoming Wonder Man revival from acclaimed director Von Kovak (Zlatko Burić). Helping the former is the returning Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), who you might remember as the fake Mandarin from Iron Man 3.
Despite how different it looks compared to previous Marvel Studios projects, the series is one of the most acclaimed, currently holding a 91 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Because of this, Wonder Man has received the green light for a second season, via Variety.
A second season is relatively rare for Marvel Studios with its history of one-and-done series. There are some exceptions, though. Loki, for example, ended its run with a second season. Daredevil: Born Again will air its second season very soon (with a third one potentially in the works already).
SEE ALSO: Marvel’s Wolverine gets a release date
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