News

Xiaomi Mi 8 is company’s newest flagship and it has a notch

Comes with a special variant!

Published

May 31, 2018

Daniel Morial

Xiaomi just wrapped up its annual launch event and the Chinese tech company presented a number of devices. Of course, the star of the show is their new flagship phone: the Mi 8. After months of speculation and rumors, Xiaomi’s new phone is finally official.

The Mi 8 is Xiaomi’s 8th-anniversary phone hence the skip in the numbering scheme and disregard for the number seven. The rumors were true about the Mi 8: It has a notched display, a Snapdragon 845 processor, and 6GB of memory.

The phone’s notched display is a 6.21-inch Super AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ resolution and 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The notch is pretty wide compared to Huawei’s or LG’s but it’s got something similar to the iPhone X. It owns a 20-megapixel AI-powered front camera, sensors, earpiece, and additional infrared lighting and lens to support 3D face scanning. During the launch, Xiaomi simply called it Face ID, which is a straightforward copy from Apple’s book.

Like its predecessor, the Mi 8 also has dual rear cameras. Both have 12-megapixel sensors but with different lens openings: f/1.8 and f/2.4. The main shooter is used for everyday photography and low-light scenes, while the other is for telephoto. AI is also present on the Mi 8’s rear shooters using 4-in-1 pixel binding for better low-light shots.

Xiaomi is proud to brag about the Mi 8’s DxOMark score of 99 points overall. Based on DxOMark’s ranking, the Mi 8 is now the best Xiaomi shooter beating the Mi Mix 2S and is even higher than the iPhone X. The photo category alone is rated at 105.

The rest of the Mi 8’s specs include a USB-C port for audio, charging, and data transfer, dual GPS, rear fingerprint sensor, and the latest MIUI software.

As always, there’s a special variant of the flagship Xiaomi phone. For the Mi 8, Xiaomi is not favoring ceramic bodies anymore because a see-through back panel is now a cooler feature.

Called the Explorer Edition, this Mi 8 variant gives you a peek at the internals of the phone which is pretty sweet. Not only that, it’s also Xiaomi’s first device to have an in-display fingerprint sensor — now that’s special.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 has a starting price of CNY 2,699 (US$ 420) for the base model with 64GB of storage. The 128GB version is priced at CNY 2,999 (US$ 470) while the most expensive version with 256GB storage will go for CNY 3,299 (US$ 515).

The Explorer Edition will have only one variant with 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage for CNY 3,799 or roughly US$ 590.

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.

News

TCL CSOT Unveils ‘APEX Pixel’ innovations at SID Display Week 2026

Breakthroughs in display technologies

Published

May 7, 2026

GadgetMatch

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Pushing the boundaries of display physics, TCL CSOT has officially launched its APEX Pixel framework at SID Display Week 2026.

This unified innovation path targets the microscopic architecture of pixels across FMM OLED, Inkjet-printed (IJP) OLED, and LCD panels to redefine clarity, power efficiency, and color volume.

The Super Pixel revolution

The highlight of the showcase is the Super Pixel technology for mobile FMM OLEDs.

By increasing sub-pixel density by roughly 1.8%, TCL CSOT has achieved sharpness comparable to WQHD standards while slashing power consumption by 25%.

Key mobile prototypes on display include:

6.9-inch Ultra-Clarity Display: Features a 2608×1200 resolution with a 0.5mm top bezel
165Hz High-Refresh Panel: Utilizes a Real RGB layout to boost motion smoothness by 40% over standard 120Hz screens
Ultra-Low Power 8T LTPO: A 420PPI powerhouse that reduces SoC power draw by a quarter.

IJP OLED and the Tri-Fold Future

TCL CSOT continues to lead the transition toward Inkjet-printed (IJP) OLED.

By utilizing the world’s first 8.6-generation IJP line, the company has debuted a 28-inch Foldable and Portable IJP OLED Monitor.

This “Real Stripe” RGB display features a tri-fold design that expands from a 16-inch footprint to a 28-inch workspace.

IJP OLED allows for larger light-emitting areas, occupying 50% to 60% of the pixel. This leads to a significantly enhanced luminous efficiency compared to traditional evaporation methods.

RGBC: The New Standard for LCD

For large-scale cinema experiences, TCL CSOT introduced RGBC Four-Color Technology.

By adding a Cyan sub-pixel to the traditional RGB matrix, the 85-inch WHVA Ultra LCD TV achieves a staggering 131% of the BT.2020 color gamut.

This hardware-level shift allows for more saturated hues and finer resolution rendering that traditional three-color pixels cannot replicate.

Through APEX Pixel, TCL CSOT is no longer just chasing size, but perfecting the very atoms of the digital image.

News

iPhone 17 is the best-selling phone of 2026 so far

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 series didn’t make the top ten list.

Published

May 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

With more than a quarter of the year done and dusted, it’s time to figure out which smartphone has taken the early lead in the charts. According to the numbers, it can’t get any clearer. The iPhone 17 is currently dominating the charts.

According to Counterpoint Research, the bestselling smartphone in the world as of the first quarter is the base iPhone 17. The model took 6 percent of the global share in unit sales. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Pro took the second and third spots, respectively. Only a bit surprisingly, Apple rounded out its quarter with the iPhone 16 taking the number 6 slot.

The stranger thing is Samsung’s presence on this list. The South Korean brand took five spots on the top 10 list. However, none of them are of the Galaxy S26 series. All of them are from the Galaxy A series: in order, Galaxy A07 4G, A17 5G, A56, A36, and A17 4G. (The Galaxy S26 series narrowly missed the top 10.)

That makes nine. The final spot was taken by the Xiaomi Redmi A5.

Going only by the last two paragraphs, you’ll likely assume that the midrange market is rightfully dominating the charts in the months following the Christmas season. However, the iPhone 17’s dominance confirms that Apple has not lost its stride.

Plus, with the iPhone 17e only just having launched, Apple might continue its run well into 2026.