News

Vivo brings in high-end Xplay 6, midrange X9 and X9 Plus

Published

November 17, 2016

Marvin Velasco

Vivo has really stepped up its game this week. After releasing the V5 in India a couple of days ago, the Chinese manufacturer went back to its home country to launch its new flagship Xplay 6, along with two additions to the X series.

This has to be the company’s answer to pressure forged by rivals Xiaomi and Huawei after they came out with some of the most impressive hardware we’ve seen this year. Vivo can rest easy with its second-place ranking in China, but there’s no telling when the tides could shift to another brand’s favor — just ask former top-ranker Xiaomi.

[irp posts=”7758″ name=”Vivo V5 with 20MP front camera launched in India”]

The Xplay 6, in particular, is no joke. Although it imitates a lot of the established ideas from fellow Chinese flagships, the price competes with Google’s Pixel phones at a bewildering CNY 4,498; that’s $655, seriously!

What makes this smartphone so special? Looking down the feature list, there’s nothing out of this world if you’re updated on the latest mobile tech.

Vivo Xplay 6 in rose gold

Standing out the most is the curved 5.46-inch Quad HD AMOLED display, which is something you’d find on the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. But the Xplay 6’s advantage over its Korean counterpart is the use of 6GB of memory and a larger 4080mAh battery with built-in fast charging.

There’s also the inclusion of smartphone technology’s latest trending feature: a dual-camera setup. With a pair of 12- and 5-megapixel rear cameras, the former does the photo taking with the help of optical image stabilization, while the latter provides depth information to produce sharper subjects with blurred-out backgrounds.

Curiously, Vivo decided to go with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor instead of the newer 821. Reminds us of what HTC had done earlier with the Bolt. The Android version is also stuck at 6.0 Marshmallow, and not the much maturer 7.0 Nougat.

Vivo Xplay 6 in gold

Even if you consider the full-metal body, fingerprint scanner in front, and super-cool rose gold color, the Xplay 6 is a tough sell. You can purchase it beginning December 12, if you really must.

And then we have the X9 and X9 Plus, which fit between the lower-end V5 and premium Xplay 6. The 5.5-inch X9 retails at CNY 2,798 ($407) for the 64GB storage variant, and the 128GB storage option goes for CNY 2,998 ($436); both are already available for pre-order. No details have been revealed for the 5.88-inch X9 Plus.

The X9 and X9 Plus have one thing in common, and that’s the dual-front-facing cameras. One is 20 megapixels in resolution, and the other has an 8-megapixel image sensor for depth info, just like the rear camera setup of the Xplay 6. Both have a plain 16-megapixel shooter at the back.

Vivo X9 in rose gold

Other than that, you can already spell out what else they offer. The smaller X9 has a midrange Snapdragon 625 processor, 4GB of memory, and 3050mAh battery. As for the larger X9 Plus, it has a faster Snapdragon 653 chipset, 6GB of memory, and 4000mAh capacity for its battery.

If all these sound too expensive for you, you can always look down the pricing ladder towards the Vivo Y55. It got our thumbs up in both its full review and our best budget phones list, plus it costs only $165.

[irp posts=”7340″ name=”Vivo Y55 unboxing and review”]

Sources: Fone Arena, (2)

Gaming

PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan is retiring next year

Aims to spend more time with his family

Published

September 29, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Since the start of the pandemic, the PlayStation has had a steady face. Jim Ryan essentially ushered in the PlayStation 5 generation by powering through the pandemic. Sadly, Ryan’s tenure is about to come to an end. The Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO and President has announced his retirement from the position.

Yesterday, Jim Ryan officially announced that he will step down from his position after March 2024. Starting April 1, Hiroki Totoki — the current COO, CFO, and president of the Sony Group — will assume the position as interim CEO. Totoki will continue Ryan’s work while finding a more permanent replacement for the latter.

Ryan has been with the company for almost 30 years. However, he only recently assumed the top spot in 2019, just in time for the new PlayStation 5. Ryan’s job was made more difficult with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because everything turned to online communication, he was forced to be the more visible face of the PS5 through a series of digital launches.

However, according to his announcement, the position was taking a huge toll on his work-life balance. The constant commute between his home in the United Kingdom and his work in the United States led him to consider and decide on retirement.

Gaming

PUBG: Battlegrounds, Mobile team up with KFC

KFC-themed rewards, meals

Published

September 28, 2023

GadgetMatch

KFC has launched a collaboration with PUBG: Battlegrounds and PUBG: Mobile, allowing players to visit virtual KFC restaurants in-game featuring exclusive KFC items.

In-game visuals like the statue of Colonel Sanders, plane banner, electric billboards, and map decal are also available.

Starting October 2, PUBG: Mobile players may visit KFC Royale Restaurants across Erangel, Miramar, Nusa, and Livik maps.

These in-game restaurants offer players mouth-watering delicacies for health and energy boosts. KFC-themed items include the following:

KFC Royale Colonel Set
Chicken Cover and Set
Royale Delight Top and Parachute
Seasoned Squad Graffiti
Crispy Crunch Avatar Frame

The collaboration will last until November 6 for mobile users.

Meanwhile, PUBG: Battlegrounds players may acquire these similar items from KFC restaurants on the Erangel map:

KFC Chicken Box
KFC French Fries
KFC Energy Drink
Colonel’s Bucket Hat
Colonel’s Jacket
Colonel’s Shorts
Colonel’s Clogs
Colonel’s Parachute
“It’s Finger Lickin’ Good” Spray

This collaboration will last until November 7 on PC and November 15 on consoles.

As for the real world, customers can “Load up, Dive in” with PUBG-themed meals at participating KFC restaurants online or via its app in select regions to score a good loot straight from the Colonel’s kitchen.

Rewards include up to six battle cosmetics in KFC’s signature red and white colors.

KFC no stranger to gaming, tech

This isn’t KFC’s first brush with gaming or tech. The fried chicken specialists have collaborated with gaming and tech related brands over the years. This includes a similar execution with Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a KFC Phone in China, and even a KFConsole.

News

Cignal named official broadcaster of NBA, NBA 2K League

Strengthened partnership

Published

September 28, 2023

GadgetMatch

Following a multi-year extension with the NBA, Cignal TV has become the official broadcast partner of both the NBA and NBA 2K League games in the Philippines.

The company will air both programs through its channels across free-to-air and satellite television, as well as streaming app Pilipinas Live.

Starting October 25, the 2023-24 NBA season may be watched live and on-demand on One Sports (free) and NBA TV Philippines (premium).

Marquee events such as the NBA All-Star weekend, Playoffs, and Finals shall also be broadcasted.

For PhP 149 a month, Pilipinas Live subscribers may also access locally produced programming, like “NBA HYPE” and “1 on 1,” a new show that shall discuss NBA’s premier players and teams from the 2000s to the present.

In addition, Cignal shall manage NBA.com/Philippines, the league’s official website in the archipelago.

NBA 2K League telecast

As part of Cignal’s partnership, the 2024 NBA 2K League season that tips off early next year shall be broadcasted for the first time on NBA TV Philippines and Pilipinas Live, including the Tha Banner Chain Series and NBA 2KL 3v3 Blacktop Series.

Cignal has also become the first-ever presenting partner of the NBA 2K League APAC Invitational, the NBA 2K League’s qualifying event for the Asia-Pacific region.

Coincidentally, e-Gilas Pilipinas competes in the eFIBA for the same region, so its top players have the opportunity to become eligible for the 2024 NBA 2K League Draft.