News

Sony Xperia Pro is the smartphone for professional videographers

It’s still under development

Published

February 26, 2020

Vincenz

Image by GadgetMatch

The cancellation of MWC 2020 didn’t stop Sony from teasing their upcoming professional smartphone. The tech giant is taking it to another level with the Xperia Pro. It’s particularly meant for professionals who shoot cinematic videos and broadcast-grade footage.

Xperia 1 II on (some) steroids

Just like the recently announced Xperia 1 II, it features the latest Snapdragon 865 processor with 5G support. Although the latter has a sub-6GHz spectrum, the Pro model uses 5G mmWave for faster upload and download speeds in a specific coverage area.

8GB RAM is still inside, with a bumped up internal storage of 512GB. It also supports microSD cards of up to 1TB. There are no increase in battery capacity as it relies on the same 4000mAh battery.

The display will still be the 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED 90Hz display with 21:9 aspect ratio, all protected by Gorilla Glass 6. IP rating is neither changed. IP65/68 will help protect the phone from unprecedented water spills and dust storms.

Other than that, the camera system is the same triple-lens setup found on the Xperia 1 II. It features three 12-megapixel cameras capable of shooting wide, super-wide, and zoomed shots. ZEISS optics, calibration, and coating are intact as well.

If you think Sony lets this smartphone shoot 8K videos, you’re wrong. It still shoots 4K 30p max. Selfie shooter is limited to just 8 megapixels.

So, what’s different?

Image by GadgetMatch

You might just call it “Xperia 1 II Plus” because of all the similar specs — but its stealthy form factor proves otherwise. Completely ditching the Gorilla Glass 6 back, it features a “low dielectric constant material” that’s supposed to strengthen 5G connections.

There’s also a 360-degree antenna design with 16 antennas that’s mostly helpful in connecting to 5G for TV broadcasting. With all these powerful 5G internals, it’s cooled by a graphite sheet, vapor chamber, and air gap to further maximize the use of 5G even in long periods of time.

Image by GadgetMatch

Not that it’s a special feature, but there’s an extra button (not a Google Assistant button) which lets you assign other apps whenever you press it. Other than that, there’s also an HDMI port which lets you connect through professional cameras as a secondary monitor. With the help of 5G, it enables the user to livestream TV-grade video content even in a limited area.

We still have to wait for Sony’s official announcement regarding its price and availability.

Automotive

Mercedes-Benz holds a Welcome Home campaign to celebrate 140 years

Get freebies and discounts from now until the end of July.

Published

June 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Mercedes-Benz has been an important part of Filipino car culture. Stylized as the “Chedeng,” the brand’s cars are still worthy choices today. Now, to celebrate their 140^th anniversary, Mercedes-Benz is launching the Welcome Home Campaign, offering treats and discounts for Filipino drivers.

From now until the end of June, new Mercedes-Benz owners can get an exclusive 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen Replica. The limited-edition replica represents the history of brand’s innovations in the motoring space.

Similarly, until the end of the month, interested customers can start their Benz journey for downpayments as low as PhP 140,000. Discounted prices, however, will go on until the end of July:

MODEL	*Original Price*	*Discounted Price*
CLA 200 Progressive	PhP 3,990,000	PhP 3,490,000
C 180 Avantgarde	PhP 3,990,000	PhP 2,990,000
GLB 200 AMG Line	PhP 4,590,000	PhP 4,090,000
GLC 200 4MATIC	PhP 5,190,000	PhP 4,690,000
EQB 250+ Electric Art	PhP 4,290,000	PhP 4,090,000
EQE 300 Electric Art Sedan	PhP 5,590,000	PhP 3,990,000
EQE 350+ AMG Line Sedan	PhP 6,290,000	PhP 4,690,000
EQS 450 4MATIC AMG Line Sedan	PhP 9,990,000	PhP 7,490,000
Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4MATIC	PhP 5,719,000	PhP 5,519,000
Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 4MATIC	PhP 5,719,000	PhP 5,219,000

If you already own a Chedeng, Mercedes-Benz will show some love by offering special aftersales initiatives throughout the campaign period. Additionally, there will be more roadshow activations happening the entire year to showcase the latest in the Benz lineup.

Finally, if you have a Chedeng story of your own, Mercedes-Benz is inviting long-time fans to share their stories on social media by tagging the official Mercedes-Benz Philippines account and using the hashtags #Chedeng and #140YearsofInnovation. Featured users can win exclusive Benz merchandise.

Gaming

Ubisoft co-founder dies in plane crash

Claude Guillemot was one of five brothers that founded Ubisoft.

Published

June 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Claude Guillemot, one of the four co-founders of Ubisoft, has died last week in a plane crash. He was 69 years old.

As reported via Bloomberg, Guillemot died alongside the plane’s other passenger. They both died in La Baule in France.

Regardless of how you feel about the company today, Ubisoft is still an undeniable reason why RPGs are so popular. In 1984, Guillemot started the company with his four brothers. Since then, it’s become a household name for gaming. Its portfolio includes Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell, Anno, and Far Cry. Despite the prolific resume, the company is currently struggling to recreate the magic that made it so popular over a decade ago. Its current efforts include remaking Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, which launches next month.

Though Claude might not be your first thought when thinking of Ubisoft, the company is still owned by the family, headed by his brother Yves. Claude, however, was the chairman of Guillemot Corp.

“Ubisoft was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Claude Guillemot, co-founder of the group and chairman of Guillemot Corp., in an accident. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. No further statements will be made at this time,” Ubisoft said about his passing.

News

No new CMF phones this year, Nothing confirms

But Nothing still has a phone scheduled later this year.

Published

June 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

For the past few years, Nothing kept launching smartphone after smartphone. Further, every new iteration felt like a reinvention, rather than just a modest upgrade. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, including Nothing’s streak. This year, after announcing that we won’t get a Phone (4), Nothing has announced that CMF is also skipping 2026 for a hopefully better 2027.

Now, whenever there’s bad news about delayed phone launches, there’s only one culprit. The ongoing RAM crisis is wreaking havoc across the entire industry. Because of the AI industry’s desperate need to stockpile chips, consumer-friendly devices find themselves with a scarcity of components, leading to delays or price increases.

Recently, in a moment of transparency, Nothing’s Akis Evangelidis confirms that CMF will not launch a new phone this year. Citing more of the same, he says that “with memory prices where they are right now, we can’t build a phone that feels like a genuine step forward at a price that makes sense for CMF.”

As a tease, Evangelidis did say that the brand is currently working on a sequel to the CMF Phone 2 Pro. Unfortunately, it’s going to take longer for the phone to come out.

All that said, there is a silver lining. Evangelidis concludes the announcement by also confirming that Nothing still has something up its sleeve. “The smartphone launch season at Nothing isn’t over yet,” he said.

This is a huge deal. Previously, Nothing’s Carl Pei said that the Phone (4) isn’t coming out this year. Even with the Phone (4a)’s launch already done and dusted, the brand still has something left in the tank.