News

Xperia smartphones may support up to three years of Android updates

Following in the footsteps of Samsung

Published

on

Three years of OS updates may soon be a thing for Android OEMs. Samsung was the first to commit to an extended update period for its flagship and midrange devices. Now, Sony may soon follow suit for its Xperia smartphones with extended updates.

If the information from Android Next is to be believed, this year’s Xperia smartphone will come with three years of OS updates. There’s a big caveat though: only this year’s Xperia flagships will get an extra year of OS updates.

Following this scheme, both the Xperia 1 II and the soon-to-be-released Xperia 5 II will get Android 13. These flagships are both on Android 10, with an update to Android 11 coming later this year.

See also: Leak has revealed almost everything about the Xperia 5 II

Older flagship models and midrange devices are unlucky though. The original Xperia 1 and Xperia 5, for example, will only get Android 11, which is exactly two years worth of OS updates. This year’s Xperia 10 II will also get Android 11 before Sony stops giving it further updates.

Finally, it’s the end of the line for the Xperia 10 / 10 Plus, 8 / 8 Lite, Ace, and XZ3 since this year’s Android 10 will be their last update. However, things could change since Sony hasn’t given its final word yet on software updates for Xperia devices.

A step in the right direction

While it is unfortunate that only this year’s Xperia flagship is getting three years of OS updates, it is still a step in the right direction. Hopefully, this move will become a status quo for the whole Xperia line in the future. Given that Sony is cooking up something on September 17, it will be exciting to hear the company’s plan regarding software updates.

This move also marks a change in the way OEMs support their smartphones. Clearly, Samsung’s commitment to three years of updates hasn’t gone unnoticed by other manufacturers. If Sony follows in Samsung’s step, it could put more pressure on other manufacturers particularly those who are reluctant to even commit to two years of software updates.

Source: TechRadar via Android Next

News

realme 15T also releasing on October 8

A 3rd option under the latest realme numbered series

Published

on

realme is expanding the realme 15 Series with the launch of the realme 15T 5G on October 8.

The variant joins the realme 15 5G and realme 15 Pro 5G as part of a streamlined number series collection moving forward. realme earlier bared that it would let go of the “Plus” on such smartphones.

The realme 15T will launch on the same day in the Philippines as the realme 15 Pro 5G Game of Thrones Limited Edition.

Like the two other models under the 15 series, the realme 15T 5G comes with a 7000mAh battery. This is paired with 60W SUPERVOOC charging.

The phone is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 6400 Max processor and has the ample RAM and internal storage expected of a device of its price point.

Moreover, the handset features a metallic-textured mid-frame and looks more compact than its two other counterparts.

But besides this, the 15T 5G still maintains a slim profile. The Suit Titanium colorway measures just 7.79mm thin. The Flowing Silver variant, meanwhile, has a 7.89mm thickness.

In front is a 6.57-inch AMOLED flat display with DT Star D+ glass protection. For its cameras, the phone has a 50MP camera each on the rear and in front.

Purchases from October 8 will come with exclusive freebies worth up to PhP 2,898, while supplies last.

Continue Reading

Gaming

realme 15 Pro named official M7 World Championship gaming phone

realme keeps foot on mobile gaming gas pedal

Published

on

realme 15 Pro

realme continues to keep their foot on the gas pedal when it comes to mobile gaming.

The smartphone company’s realme 15 Pro 5G has been named official gaming phone of the M7 World Championship, which is the latest iteration of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang flagship global tournament.

Aside from its powerful cameras, the 15 Pro also features a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor, GT Boost, and a 144Hz display.

Moreover, the phone has a 7000mm² Airflow Vapor Chamber to ensure it delivers on pro-level mobile gaming performance.

It also has a 7000mAh battery and supports Bypass Charging to for long sessions, including for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

On the local front, realme Philippines has already opened registrations for the realme Regional Wars 2025.

The nationwide tournament presented by Converge ICT Solutions Inc. pits the country’s top collegiate teams against one another across four regions: NCR, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

After regional eliminations, the top two squads will advance to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and Grand Finals.

The champion team earns the right to represent at the Campus PlayFest 2025 Group Stages, where they will compete against the top universities in Manila.

The Regional Wars Competition is open to students aged 18-22 with teams required to come from the same university or school.

Prize pot for the regional tournament is at PhP 200,000 plus realme 15 Pro units for each member of the champion squad.

Continue Reading

News

McAfee rolls out an easy way to detect scam texts and emails

Plus, they have a much lighter app.

Published

on

Scammers are getting more brazen these days. Instead of going through the same scripts, malicious actors are now going for more robust schemes to impersonate official accounts. It’s impossible to go through a single week without a warning to never trust suspicious senders or links. To fight the latest wave of malicious parties, McAfee is launching new features to more easily find and eliminate potential threats.

As reported by McAfee, 88 percent of Americans have encountered a scam in the past year. The average person sees about 14 scams on a single day. And it’s not just exclusive to the United States. Everyone all over the world is falling prey to scammers more accurately presenting themselves as legitimate accounts.

Introducing the McAfee scam detector

To fight this, McAfee now has a scam detector. Using the power of AI, the antimalware service can scan both text messages and emails for potential scams. It can also block suspicious links for you.

Now, because the software now uses AI, it can also use the same technology to more easily present why it found a threat. In the past, McAfee just showed users the errant file and called it a day. Now, the software offers readable explanations as to why the detected file might be a threat. It’s the perfect tool for those who aren’t savvy with computers.

Additionally, the same feature can analyze videos to see if they’re deepfakes. Of course, not every deepfake is a scam. But knowing if a video might be generated is a crucial skill these days.

A much lighter app

Despite adding a significant feature against modern scams, McAfee has somehow made its software lighter for modern PCs. According to a performance test from AV-Comparatives, McAfee ranks the lightest compared to other titans in the segment including Avast, AVG, and Kaspersky. Basically, using McAfee takes the least toll on your PC.

More interestingly, this comparison includes Microsoft Defender. There used to be a time when experts said that Microsoft’s built-in antivirus software was much better than most paid services. Now, it seems McAfee is fighting back against the claim by offering a much lighter service that can work in the background without interrupting whatever you’re doing.

Available on all plans

Importantly, McAfee’s new scam detector is available on all plans. It’s also available for mobile, tablet, and PC use.

However, it isn’t available for all territories yet. McAfee is still working to get the feature implemented in other languages.

SEE ALSO: BPI rolls out latest app security features

Continue Reading

Trending