News

Apple leads global smartphone profits for Q2 2018

More money for the company

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iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X | GadgetMatch

Apple didn’t manage to sell the most number of smartphones, but they still earned a lot more than their competitors. According to the latest data from Counterpoint Research, Apple had the biggest share of industry profits during the second quarter of the year.

The report states that Apple earned 62 percent of the second-quarter profits related to smartphone sales. Samsung, which is the top-selling smartphone vendor, is responsible for just 17 percent of smartphone profits in the quarter. Basically, Apple’s profits amounted to more than 3.6 times than Samsung’s.

Samsung’s profits continue to decline over the last three years, but Chinese tech giants enjoy the opposite. Huawei placed third accounting for eight percent of the smartphone profits, OPPO has five percent, Vivo gets four percent, and Xiaomi with three percent. The report noted that the Chinese manufacturers produced more premium handsets during the second quarter which allowed them to score US$ 2 billion in profits for the first time.

As for deeper insights, the iPhone brought Apple US$ 6 billion in profits on US$ 30 billion in sales during the second quarter. Samsung’s smartphone profits, on the other hand, declined 21 percent. Shipments of the Galaxy S9 series is down by 24 percent compared to shipments of the Galaxy S8 series during the same quarter last year.

Counterpoint also showed Apple’s dominance in the high-end market. During the second quarter, the iPhone was responsible for 88 percent of the revenue generated by sales of smartphones above US$ 800. Apple, with 41 percent, and Samsung, with 44 percent, battled for phones priced between US$ 600 to 800.

The midrange US$ 400 to 600 price of smartphones was led by Apple and OPPO, each with 22 percent of the revenue generated by sales in that segment. Samsung and Huawei were next with 16 and 14 percent, respectively. Xiaomi follows behind with six percent and OnePlus with five percent.

Via: AppleInsider

SEE ALSO: New report confirms Huawei’s dominance over Apple in smartphones

Accessories

Apple is reportedly working on its own gaming controllers

It might launch under the Beats brand.

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Last week, the iPhone Duo changed how you look at the ubiquitous smartphone. Foldables are in, and Apple is right there with it. But the company isn’t stopping with the foldable segment. Apple is reportedly working on its own branded game controllers.

According to Bloomberg, Apple has been working on a controller since last year. Further, a piece of code linked to macOS 27.4, spotted by MacRumors, includes references to two unknown gaming controllers.

Because Apple just concluded its huge event this month, it will likely be a while before we see confirmation of this controller. And it could be anything. Of course, because the Duo is fresh on our minds, the easiest answer is a mobile controller than can maximize the foldable’s ability to stand by itself. It could also use Apple’s larger screens like the iPad, the MacBook, or the Mac. Some even speculate that this could be Apple’s stronger push into the gaming market.

Outside of the actual hardware, the reports are also claiming that the controller will arrive by way of Beats, rather than from Apple itself. At first, the branding comes off as a surprise, but then again, Beats hasn’t really evolved past an audio brand in a long, long time. Is it time to revitalize Beats as something more than just a peddler of headphones?

SEE ALSO: First Look: Apple iPhone Duo

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Gaming

Xbox saves Kojima’s PHYSINT after PlayStation drops support

PlayStation says the separation was mutual, but Kojima hints otherwise.

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Things aren’t going well in the PlayStation camp. After two months of frankly questionable decisions, the company adds another to the pile by dropping support for Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT.

For a while now, Kojima and PlayStation were in a very productive relationship with the Death Stranding duology, a critically acclaimed collection of titles for the platform. When things looked like they were going well, Kojima announced PHYSINT, an espionage-themed game which reminded fans way too much of Metal Gear Solid.

If you were investing in a PlayStation 5 to play Kojima’s latest thriller, you might want to move your chips elsewhere now. PlayStation has just dropped support for the espionage game, meaning PHYSINT will no longer be a first-party title for the platform.

Though PlayStation claims that the decision came after “careful consideration,” Kojima himself has said that the move was “unexpected,” going against PlayStation’s assurance of a mutual separation.

Very quickly, Xbox has announced that their platform will support PHYSINT instead. It’s a big get for the competing brand because Xbox Game Studios is already supporting OD, Kojima’s other upcoming horror project starring Sophia Lillis.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say more. As is tradition, Kojima will not explain much more about his upcoming titles. In fact, OD’s trailer barely says anything. One thing’s for sure, though: we’re all in for quite a ride.

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Entertainment

PH to celebrate 1st ever National Cinema Day; movies start at less than $2

Watch a movie on September 12 for a fraction of the cost

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The Philippines will be celebrating its first ever National Cinema Day on September 12. On this day, movie tickets will go for as low as PhP 100 (US$ 1.60) at regular 2D cinemas.

The campaign aims to make moviegoing more accessible to audiences. This includes families, friends, students, and cinephiles in general.

Such initiative has been a staple in other countries, like the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and more. The same concept applies, with movie tickets going on sale for a lot less.

What’s great about the celebration is that all movies scheduled for exhibition on September 12, whether local or international, shall get the special admission price.

Advanced tickets sales have already begun. Customers can purchase through participating box offices, official websites, mobile apps, and authorized platforms.

Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and remain subject to theater capacity. Prices vary for other viewing formats like Director’s Club or IMAX, for instance.

The campaign is organized by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP), along with industry and government partners.

The initiative is supported by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), and the Metro Manila Film Festival through the MMDA.

Participating cinemas include Ayala Malls Cinemas, SM Cinemas, Robinsons Movieworld, CityMall Cinema, Megaworld Cinemas, and more.

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