News

iQOO launches its first monstrous flagship at attractive price

Check out those specs!

Published

March 2, 2019

Luigi Leonardo

Last month, Vivo launched a promising sub-brand, iQOO. Breaking away from its parent company’s targets, iQOO will aim for a more premium market. Initially, the brand launched without unveiling any hints of its future lineup. iQOO was an empty brand for weeks.

Eventually, rumor mills started speculating on the company’s first phone. The most prominent rumor featured a foldable phone, curiously featuring iQOO’s only known graphic. Based on the available information (or lack thereof), iQOO’s phones fervently remained in the dark.

Now, almost a month after the brand’s launch, iQOO has finally launched its first phone. Simply named the iQOO, the brand’s first offering lives up to its premium hype. The self-titled debut is a monstrous gaming phone for only a fraction of its expected price.

The iQOO comes with a 6.41-inch OLED with an under-display fingerprint scanner. Within its sleek body, the phone sports a high-end Snapdragon 855 processor, up to 12GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of internal storage. For less power-heavy users, the phone’s lowest variant has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

From the most premium to the lowest-specced variant, the iQOO offers a surprising amount of capability in today’s heavy-hitting standards.

Additionally, this gaming phone will have a vapor chamber, offering liquid cooling for gaming purposes. With performance-enhancing software inside, the phone will have 30 percent faster startup time and 70 percent improved frame rate in games.

For shooting, the iQOO carries a triple rear camera setup. The combination includes a primary 12-megapixel dual-pixel shooter, a 13-megapixel wide-angle shooter with Sony’s IMX263 sensor, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.

For power, the iQOO has a sizable 4000mAh battery. Further, the phone supports 44W fast-charging capabilities. From an empty tank, the battery will fully charge in just 45 minutes. The lowest variant will come with only 22.5W charging, which isn’t too shabby either.

The iQOO will come in either Electric Blue or Lava Orange. The cheapest variant will cost CNY 2,998 (or around US$ 447). An 8GB RAM variant will start at CNY 3,298 (or around US$ 491). Finally, the most premium variant will cost CNY 4,298 (or around US$ 640). The phone’s first sale will start on March 6.

News

Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for $15 million

Samsung allegedly used her image without her consent.

Published

May 11, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Samsung has an unlikely rival. Dua Lipa is suing the South Korean company for using her image without her permission.

In the marketing world, brand endorsers are part and parcel of how products are pushed to the market. Famous celebrities are often asked to advertise a product for their potential star power. That said, a company needs the endorser’s consent first.

According to a new suit (via Variety), pop star Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for using her image to endorse TVs without her consent. The South Korean brand is reportedly using Lipa’s photo on the packaging of its TVs. Lipa alleges that the photo’s usage implies that she endorses the TV, which she does not.

The complaint also alleges that Lipa asked Samsung to take down the image last year. However, Samsung’s reply was, to her, “dismissive and callous.” The brand has then continued to use the image in its packaging.

To prove her point, the suit includes anecdotes of Samsung customers who bought the TV specifically because the packaging has Lipa’s image on it. To pay for damages, Lipa is asking for US$ 15 million from the global brand for copyright infringement.

Gaming

The Switch 2 is getting more expensive this year

The price increases will start this month.

Published

May 11, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Gone are the days when consoles get cheaper as time goes by. These days, especially because of the RAM crisis, gaming consoles are getting more expensive. Joining this worrying trend, the Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a price hike.

Even upon launch, the Switch 2 was already pricier than its original counterpart. Currently, without the incoming price hikes, the console retails for US$ 449.99. It’s a lot but not completely out of reach.

Last week, Nintendo announced a price hike that might push the console to less than attainable levels. Starting May 25, the Switch 2 will cost JPY 59,980 (up from JPY 49,980) in Japan. The original generation is also getting a hike: JPY 47,980 for the Switch OLED, JPY 43,980 for the base Switch, and JPY 29,980 for the Switch Lite.

Abroad, you can expect price hikes on September 1. The Switch 2 will jump to US$ 499.99, CAN 679.99, or EUR 499.99, depending on where you live. These are the only official hikes announced right now, but Nintendo has confirmed that price revisions will be implemented in other regions, too.

As you might expect, the price increases are due to the ongoing RAM crisis. Though the console is an undeniable hit, the Switch 2 can’t hide behind its popularity against the price shortage dealt by unnecessary data centers. At the very least, users worldwide have time to grab the console in its original pricing before the hikes.

Gaming

Call of Duty drops the PlayStation 4 starting with its next game

Is this the beginning of the end for the PlayStation 4?

Published

May 8, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

When can we declare that a console is officially dead? Is it as soon as the launch of the next generation? Is it when games no longer come out on the console? Recently, Call of Duty has confirmed that the next game will not be available anymore on the PlayStation 4, which presents an important question: Is the PlayStation 4 officially dead?

Call of Duty is one of the most persistent gaming franchises today. The last entry, Black Ops 7, is still available for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Both consoles were launched over twelve years ago. (If that doesn’t make you old, the current generation was launched almost six years ago.)

As such, the franchise is one of the last stalwarts keeping the past generation alive. This week, Call of Duty, via a post on X, confirmed that the next game will not arrive on the PlayStation 4. Presumably, this also means the Xbox One.

Not sure where this one started, but it’s not true. The next Call of Duty is not being developed for PS4.

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) May 4, 2026

Currently, we don’t have details about the upcoming game yet. But a new entry is confirmed to arrive later this year.

With the departure of the Call of Duty franchise, it’s fair to ask what will become of the old generation moving forward. Over the years, developers have started shying away from the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Since the franchise still maintains a steady fan base today, a lot of PlayStation 4 users might be forced to make an upgrade to play the latest entry.