News
Xiaomi breaks into top 5 smartphone vendors of Europe
Rookie of the year!
It wasn’t enough for Xiaomi to have the bestselling Android phone in the world. Now they want to take over Europe!
After breaking into the Western European market last November and vowing to make a stronger impact in that region, the Chinese company is finally seeing the fruits of its labor with an incredible showing in Canalys‘ latest data of smartphone shipments during the first quarter of 2018.
While fourth place in smartphone shipments isn’t exactly market dominance, the fact that Xiaomi just started in Europe and already shipped 2.4 million units is astonishing.
Have a look:
This led to a growth that’s — wait for it — off the charts! And with barely any footing this time last year, Xiaomi already has a respectable 5.3 percent market share in Europe.
Samsung is still at the top with a 33.1 percent share, but its reign might not last long with a 15.4 percent decline in growth. Apple, likewise, experienced a drop of 5.4 percent while managing to maintain its second-place position.
Fellow Chinese brand Huawei is in third with a 16.1 percent control of the market and positive growth for the quarter. The only European company on the list, Nokia, earned the fifth spot with 1.6 million units shipped and a 3.5 percent market share.
Xiaomi’s rise is even more impressive when you notice the steep overall decline of handset shipments in Western Europe. That part of the continent had to endure a 13.9 percent dip with only 30.1 million units shipped during the three-month period.
Europeans are clearly less in need of new gadgets, but have been loving the entry of Xiaomi. Canalys points out that flagship features have been trickling into the budget-friendly segment, which Xiaomi and Nokia have been capitalizing on. These two brands are also privately owned, meaning they can operate under a net loss in order to push as many shipments as possible.
Xiaomi is currently working on its Initial public offering (IPO) which would change the company’s market approach, but for now, it can enjoy the fantastic numbers and its successful push into yet another important region.
News
Smart showcases cloud gaming platform in partnership with Blacknut
Play over 1,000 titles straight on your smartphones
Philippines mobile service provider Smart showcased the country’s first cloud gaming platform in partnership with Blacknut at the recent Philippine GameDev Expo (PGDX) 2026.
As the event’s main presenter, Smart highlighted its collaboration with the cloud gaming subscription service. Together with its value-packed Power All offers, the network provider is highlighting what the future of gaming can look like.
Smart and TNT subscribers can conveniently access Blacknut Cloud Gaming through a dedicated site. Here, they can play more than 1,000 premium console and PC-quality games on their smartphones.
That’s without the need for expensive gaming hardware or lengthy downloads. Weekly subscriptions start at just PhP 145 and can be conveniently charged to prepaid load following a simple OTP verification process.
To make the experience better, Smart also has Power All offers, which provide generous open-access data for today’s digital lifestyles. There’s a package for cloud and mobile gaming, streaming, content sharing, and productivity.
Gaming
Ghost of Yotei gets a story expansion in October
The Complete Edition comes with the expansion and a roguelike mode.
Ghost of Yotei is a classic RPG experience set in the same universe as its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima. In my opinion, Atsu’s journey of revenge feels a lot more fun than Jin’s battle to save his homeland. If you’re in the same boat, Ghost of Yotei is coming back on October 1 with brand-new content.
Without delving too much into spoiler territory, Ghost of Yotei has a conclusive ending. Rather than shoehorning a forced epilogue, Echoes of Sekigahara, the title of the upcoming story expansion, explores Atsu’s past.
As with Tsushima’s expansion, Echoes of Sekigahara features a new map with new enemies, weapons, and collectibles. It will be set in two different time periods.
Besides the story expansion, the upcoming update also has a new mode called Most Wanted, which Sucker Punch Production describes as their “spin on a roguelike.” The mode explores Atsu’s experience as a headhunter, feeding her with bounties and earnable perks.
The two new content expansions will come with in the upcoming Ghost of Yotei Complete Edition. The new edition, coming on October 1, will also come with the co-op Legends mode. It also has a few perks and customization options. The edition will sell for US$ 70.
If you already have the base edition, you can grab an upgrade for only US$ 15. If you don’t want to pay for the upgrade, the game is still getting a few minor tweaks.
SEE ALSO: Ghost of Yotei review: A tale sharpened by vengeance
The HONOR Robot Phone may have officially launched, but don’t expect this version to immediately make its way to global markets.
HONOR told media in Shenzhen that it currently has no plans to bring the current Robot Phone outside China. The main hurdle isn’t the hardware. It’s the phone’s AI experience, which is currently optimized for the Chinese market.
HONOR believes a future generation of the Robot Phone would be better positioned for a true global rollout once its AI experience is ready for markets outside China.
That doesn’t mean HONOR is abandoning the idea. Quite the opposite.
More than a phone with a moving camera
The Robot Phone is HONOR’s attempt to introduce a new idea to the smartphone market. It combines a smartphone with a 4DoF mechanical gimbal, allowing its camera to physically move.
Its AI features take that concept further. YOYO Robot Mode can use voice commands, gestures, and AI tracking to control the camera. It can also automatically pan and tilt to keep a person in frame during vlogs, livestreams, and video calls.
The phone also brings selected elements of ARRI Image Science and professional cinema workflows to its camera system. Its 200MP gimbal main camera supports 10-bit ARRI LogC3 recording, while ARRI Wide Gamut 3 and ARRI Looks give creators more control over their footage.
But HONOR isn’t treating the Robot Phone primarily as a volume-driving product.
The company says its bigger goal is to introduce a new concept to the smartphone market and see what kind of effect it can have.
That makes the Robot Phone an interesting experiment for HONOR. The hardware is already here. The company now wants to learn what happens when a smartphone can physically move, respond to its surroundings, and use AI to help operate itself.
For now, though, China is where that experiment begins.
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