News

Sony updates their midrange lineup with the Xperia 10 II

No Plus version anymore

Published

February 26, 2020

Vincenz

Image by GadgetMatch

Other than the Xperia 1 II and Xperia Pro, Sony also refreshed their midrange lineup with the new Xperia 10 II. As opposed to last year’s Xperia 10, they ditched the Plus version this time.

Same form factor with some caveats

Image by GadgetMatch

Sony’s newest midrange smartphone doesn’t have the latest midrange chipset from Snapdragon. Instead of having the 765 chipset, you’ll get the 665 instead which doesn’t support 5G. Thus, still relying on 4G support. RAM is still limited to 4GB just like last year’s Xperia 10.

The onboard storage is still limited to 128GB. However, expect storage expandability with microSD (which uses a shared SIM slot just like the old Xperia 10 series).

Still new, nonetheless

Unlike the Xperia 10 with plastic back and frame, it’s now sandwiched with two Gorilla Glass 6 for added durability. Another added layer of protection is the inclusion of IP65/68 rating — something the old midranger doesn’t have. For security, it still relies on the side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

It might still have a 6-inch Full HD+ display, but Sony has decided to replace last year’s IPS LCD to OLED panel. Paired with BRAVIA technology, it now produces deeper blacks and vibrant colors. The 21:9 CinemaWide ratio is still there for a cinematic audiovisual experience.

Image by GadgetMatch

Say goodbye to the centered dual-camera setup. Just like its flagship sibling, you’ll get a triple-camera system placed on the upper left corner. Other than the 12-megapixel main shooter, there are two 8-megapixel cameras for zoom and super-wide shooting. The telephoto lens is capable of two times optical zoom. You can still record 4K videos in 30p. Meanwhile, the selfie camera remains with an 8-megapixel sensor.

Battery capacity is rated at 3600mAh from Xperia 10’s 2870mAh battery — which even beats the Xperia 10 Plus’ 3000mAh juice. There’s also the Xperia Adaptive Charging which helps prolong the phone’s battery life.

Just like the Xperia 1 II, it has an audio jack and runs Android 10 out of the box.

Pricing and Availability

The Xperia 10 II with 4GB and 128GB configuration will retail at EUR 320 (approximately US$ 347). It only comes in black and white color options.

According to a French press release, it will be available by “spring” (around March) but Dutch and Bulgarian press releases suggest “end of spring”, which is around May.

Update as of 05/04/2020: It has already launched in Taiwan and the phone is now available for pre-order in Europe. It’ll cost £319 in the UK and for €369 around Europe, directly translating to around US$ 400.

Gaming

Nintendo retires the original Switch in Europe

The original Switch will no longer be sold in Europe after early 2027.

Published

July 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

It’s been almost a decade since the original Nintendo Switch. As with every technology reaching a certain age, it’s natural to expect its impending doom. But despite its age, the Nintendo Switch still feels like it’s too young to go off into the sunset. Europe, however, has other plans. The original console will no longer be sold after early 2027.

As always, Europe is a bastion for consumer-friendly devices. The European Union has no qualms about forcing corporations to adopt better practices for consumers. Part of those efforts is to force Nintendo to sell devices with replaceable batteries.

Starting February 2027, Nintendo will start replacing its current with models carrying replaceable batteries. The new lineup is headlined by a new Switch 2. It’s virtually identical to the old model but with a replaceable battery.

The official list of new devices conspicuously lacks the entirety of the original Switch generation, including the Lite and the OLED. That’s because Nintendo has decided to skip these models for the update. If you live in Europe after February 2027, the original console is effectively dead.

That’s not to say that the original consoles will just shut down. Existing consoles sold before February 2027 will continue to work. Likewise, you can still get the old ones in countries that don’t have an updated policy regarding device batteries.

Alongside the Switch, Nintendo has also skipped the NES Controller, Pokémon GO Plus +, SEGA Mega Drive Control Pad, SNES Controller, and the Switch Pro Controller.

Gaming

PlayStation declares AI as “foundational piece” in future

The brand, however, sees it more as a tool than a cost-cutting measure.

Published

July 6, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Being the gaming company that they are, Sony has embarked on a speedrun of its own: to deliver as much eyebrow-raising decisions as it can in a short span of time. Last week, PlayStation announced that the company will stop producing physical copies of its games in 2028. Now, the brand has confirmed that it will rely on AI for future game development.

In an interview with CEO Hideaki Nishino, via TweakTown, PlayStation has stated that AI will be a “foundational piece” in the company’s future game development. It is, however, some consolation that Nishino is adamant that it’s only a tool, rather than a cost-cutting measure.

Nishino says that AI usage can cut out repetitive tasks which frees developers up for more critical tasks. Interestingly, he also confirms that it will be used for asset placeholders and synthetic voices.

AI in game development isn’t completely new. In fact, some developers already use the technology just as how PlayStation describes it. However, it’s relatively uncommon for companies to essentially push AI to the forefront of development. Also, to be fair to Nishino, AI isn’t as maligned in Japan as it is in the Western world.

That said, it’s still an interesting decision to make, especially coming after Sony’s decision to cut off physical copies in 2028. PlayStation’s upcoming AI usage will surely raise some eyebrows.

News

Not even Nokia phones are safe from AI features

Users have to pay for the AI after 180 days, too.

Published

July 6, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Did you mistakenly assume that the only way to escape the deluge of AI is to go for a more budget-friendly smartphone? With major brands infusing their phones with AI, it’s a reasonable assumption. However, a batch of new Nokia phones proves that even the budget market isn’t safe from artificial intelligence.

Recently, Nokia, thanks to HMD, is launching four new phones: Nokia 200 4G, 210 4G, 215 4G 2nd Edition, and 235 4G 2nd Edition. It’s easy to get bogged down on the detailed specs of all four phones, but it’s even easier to focus on the ginormous AI button present on all of them.

All four phones are powered by Sikey AI. Pressing that big button lets users ask basic queries, so it’s more a voice assistant in essence than anything. However, when it’s literally a giant button, it’s also a very hard sell.

Even worse, the AI is free for only 180 days. Users will need to subscriber afterwards and on a separate smartphone (because the Nokia doesn’t have apps) to continue using the features. Otherwise, the AI logo turns into something completely useless.

In other news, all four phones are pleasantly dumb. The Nokia 215 and the 235 have a 2.8-inch IPS display, while the 210 4G and the 215 4G have 2.4-inch QVGA displays. All four models have everything you need from a simple communication device.