HTC quietly launches a sub-$100 smartphone with a lot of compromises
The Wildfire E5 Plus has a sleek, more modern appearance that would look right at home alongside most flagships. A few telltale details, like the larger camera bumps and thicker bezels, are the only indicators that it's a lower-end phone. The 6.75-inch display has an impressive 90Hz refresh rate but only supports a resolution of 720p.
The phone is powered by a Unisoc T606 chipset. While it was a solid chip at one time, the T606 is relatively underpowered now compared to other, more popular options on the market, like the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It has 6GB of RAM — and that means it has little to no AI functionality — alongside 128GB of internal storage, but this can be expanded through a microSD card.
The Wildfire E5 Plus has a 50MP main camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 16MP selfie camera on the front.
One area where the Wildfire E5 Plus does stand out is its battery. With a 5,000mAh capacity, its battery is larger than any found in Samsung's current flagship lineup and on par with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, given the lower power demands of the E5 Plus, it will likely last a great deal longer.
The phone runs on Android 14 and is currently available in Vietnam for the equivalent of around $93. Like we said earlier, HTC hasn't given details on a global rollout yet.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
3 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
This breakthrough TV tech has Samsung, Sony and Hisense seeing dollar signs — here's why it could beat OLED in one big way
Here's a promise I can keep: In the coming years, you'll be hearing a lot about something called RGB Mini-LED. Recently, several companies unveiled TVs that sport this brand-new display technology, and each of these brands couldn't be more excited about the benefits RGB Mini-LEDs bring to the viewing experience. We're talking brighter pictures, improved contrast, and color volume that very well could exceed what we've seen on the best OLED TVs on the market. Here's everything you need to know about how Samsung, Hisense and Sony are putting their own spin on RGB Mini-LEDs, and why these sets could be the start of a new era in TV tech. While each TV maker exploring post-Mini-LED panel technologies is playing around with different formulas, the basic approach is similar for Samsung, Hisense and Sony. Previous iterations on LED backlighting have revolved around making the LEDs smaller with more controllable zones, thus enhancing contrast. This is why Mini-LEDs are considered the current gold standard for consumer LED TVs. However, in addition to their super-small size, RGB Mini-LEDs have an additional trick up their sleeve: color variation. RGB Mini-LEDs have an additional trick up their sleeve: color variation. Even the best Mini-LED displays on the market today use white LEDs and color filters to produce color. RGB Mini-LEDs, however, tap red-, green- and blue-colored LEDs that can be independently controlled across all dimming zones. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. This hardware upgrade allows for some seriously sensational hues. According to the brands leading the charge, RGB Mini-LED TVs are capable of covering 95% to 100% of BT.2020 (an international standard for color accuracy that industry folks use to measure a display's color production). If OLED TVs are the kings of contrast, an advantage like this would make RGB Mini-LED the undisputed kings of color. To date, even the best, quantum dot-equipped OLED TVs hover around 89% to 92% coverage of the BT.2020 color gamut. Remember: Not all TV brands are leveraging this new tech in precisely the same way. There are key hardware- and software-related differences from one brand's design to the next, and exactly how this new technology is deployed depends on a number of factors. With that in mind, let's take a look at where Samsung, Hisense and Sony stand with their take. Samsung recently unveiled the first of its TVs to bridge the gap between traditional Mini-LED and next-generation Micro-LED with the Samsung Micro RGB TV. Currently, it's only being made available in a 115-inch model, which will set you back a whopping $29,999. Samsung claims that it's capable of covering 100% of the BT.2020 color gamut. That would be higher than any TV I've measured in my ten-year history of testing TVs. The Samsung Micro RGB TV comes with a native 144Hz refresh rate, built-in smart features and Samsung's Vision AI software suite. Similar to the brand's flagship OLED, the Samsung S95F, this Micro RGB TV is dressed with a matte, glare-free finish. Credit where credit is due: Hisense was the first brand to introduce me to this next-generation TV technology earlier this year. Originally, Hisense was calling its take TriChroma LED, but according to recent press materials, this has been swapped out for the name RGB Mini-LED. Originally unveiled at CES 2025, the Hisense 116UX is launching this year in an exclusive, 116-inch version. If you're keeping score at home, that's one inch bigger than Samsung's Micro RGB TV. It'll also be available for the same eye-watering price of $29,999. The 116UX debuts alongside a slightly smaller (but still huge) 100-inch version, the Hisense 100UX. This TV is reportedly hitting shelves at $19,999. Hisense claims that the 116UX can clear 95% coverage of the BT.2020 color gamut. We've already been lucky enough to take a look at the 116UX with our testing equipment, and according to measurements, the 116UX is the brightest commercial TV we've ever tested, easily cracking the 5,000-nit mark in HDR. Of the brands tinkering with this technology, Sony is taking the most time to forge its own path. To date, Sony hasn't officially given a name to its take on RGB Mini-LED, nor has it given a name to the model we saw during a press event in Tokyo earlier this year. For now, at Tom's Guide, we're colloquially referring to the TV as the Bravia 10 and to Sony's take on the technology as Sony RGB LED. Neither of these names are confirmed. Based on what we know, Sony's version of this display operates similarly to that of Samsung and Hisense. Sony says the display covers 90% of BT.2020 and can get as bright as 4,000 nits. Unlike its competitors, Sony is currently planning on debuting this TV sometime in 2026, so we'll have to wait to get more details There's no way around it: Most people can't afford TVs in the $20,000 to $30,000 price range, and while big screens are more popular than ever, 100-inch TVs just aren't practical. But if you're hoping to put a 65-inch RGB Mini-LED TV for your living room, you'll probably have to wait a while. As time moves on, these TV-makers are banking on RGB Mini-LED being brought down to popular sizes, like 75 and 65 inches. Display technology can be tricky to scale down. When it comes to pricey, carefully engineered display hardware, it's much more cost effective to start at larger display sizes before developing a reliable way of manufacturing it at smaller size points. This is why most of these TVs are both gargantuan and expensive. But as time moves on, these TV-makers are banking on RGB Mini-LED being brought down to popular sizes, like 75 and 65 inches. In the meantime, consider RGB Mini-LED to be a bridge between the Mini-LEDs of today and the TVs of the future. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
NBC News
4 hours ago
- NBC News
Samsung taking market share from Apple in U.S. as foldable phones gain momentum
In 2014, Apple and Samsung were duking it out to rule the U.S. smartphone market. Samsung was selling devices with large screens, and iPhone fans were demanding a response. It took Apple some time, but the company finally released the iPhone 6, breaking with previous iterations and giving consumers a large-screen option. The iPhone won. But more than a decade later, recent smartphone sales and shipment figures signal that the Apple-Samsung fight has returned. And once again, it's all about the screen. In the second quarter, shipments from Samsung surged in the U.S., with its market share rising from 23% to 31% from the prior period, according to data from Canalys. Apple's market share during the quarter declined to 49% from 56%. Apple remains on top of the U.S. smartphone market, taking the majority of new smartphone sales in the U.S. It's often in second place around the world, but the recent slips point to turbulence for Apple for the first time in well over a decade. That's one reason investors have sent Apple shares down 7.5% this year, underperforming all of the U.S. megacap tech companies other than Tesla. Samsung's stock, meanwhile, is up about 35% in 2025. Apple reported a 13% increase in year-over-year iPhone sales in its July earnings. In July, Samsung introduced a pair of innovative new phones that feature foldable screens. One model, the Z Fold 7, can effectively turn into a tablet, while the Z Flip resembles an old-school flip phone with modern smartphone features. They were added to Samsung's catalog of phones released this spring under its Galaxy brand, including a thin-and-light phone called the Galaxy S25 Edge. The devices are also getting a lot of traction on social media, particularly around durability tests. One user posted a livestream that showed him bending the Z Fold 7 over 200,000 times in a row. The video has been clipped and shared widely on social media, with one version of the clip accumulating more than 15 million views on YouTube. In the past month, Samsung's premium devices, including the Z Fold 7, were mentioned over 50,000 times on social media, and 83% of those mentions were positive or neutral, according to data from Sprout Social, a social media analytics company. The market share numbers aren't just the result of user preferences. Much of the shift in shipment figures in the June quarter, analysts said, can be attributed to tariffs, which are causing 'disruption' in the industry as smartphone makers use different strategies to minimize the impact on their business. But Samsung's gains also reflect the company's ability to offer a much wider range of products at different prices compared to Apple. That includes low-end phones, which accounted for much of Samsung's second-quarter U.S. improvement, as well as high-end devices that cost more than any individual iPhone. Samsung's Galaxy and Z phone lineup 'stretches from $650 up to $2,400. That is a massive span of devices,' said Canalys analyst Runar Bjorhovde. 'There is an idea that you can target people at every single price point, and you can meet them at every spot.' The iPhone has pretty much looked the same since 2017 — a rectangular piece of glass with a touchscreen on the front, and a few cameras on the back. These days, the company offers a series of four slates ranging from $829 to $1,599. Samsung and others are starting to go beyond the so-called candy bar shape and experimenting with new form factors. Apple is expected to start doing the same — beginning with a potential launch next month of a slimmer iPhone that will compete with Samsung's Galaxy Edge. 'Apple is clearly betting that its 5.5mm Air model is going to lift its fortunes as testing suggests a strong desire for the new form factor,' wrote Loop Capital managing director John Donovan in May. JPMorgan Chase analyst Samik Chatterjee wrote in a report last month that Apple may release a folding phone next year to compete with Samsung's Z Fold. 'Investor focus has already turned to the 2026 fall launches with Apple expected to launch its first foldable iPhone as part of the iPhone 18 lineup in September 2026,' Chatterjee wrote. Trying new form factors offers Apple the opportunity to sell devices at higher prices, according to Bjorhovde. Apple's most expensive phone, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, currently starts at $1,199 for 256GB of storage and can go up to $1,599 for a version with 1TB of storage. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which was announced last week, starts at $1,999 for the 256GB version and tops out at $2,419 for the 1TB version. Chatterjee said he thinks Apple's version of a folding phone could start at $1,999. Folding phones finally mature Samsung's first folding phone was released in 2019, but got off to a rocky start. The initial launch was delayed after reviewers — including CNBC — discovered that the early devices would break along their folding crease. But Samsung says this time is different, and that folding phones are finally ready to go mainstream, especially with respect to durability. 'There really are no longer trade-offs towards owning a foldable device,' said Drew Blackard, vice president of mobile product management at Samsung Electronics America. The South Korean company doesn't provide sales numbers, but Blackard said the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the latest version, had 25% more preorders than any previous Samsung folding phone and that sales are outpacing the device's predecessor by nearly 50%. 'Samsung with the foldable is able to actually optimize for innovation,' said Bjorhovde. "Try to be ahead, show that something is different, and there's a certain halo effect from that.' According to Counterpoint Research, a firm that estimates smartphone sales to customers, Samsung's sell-through increased 16% during the June quarter, thanks to demand for high-end devices, including a 'slight boost' from the slim S25 Edge. The rise of artificial intelligence is also heralding new form factors for consumer electronics that could one day replace the iPhone. OpenAI in May acquired the startup of former Apple design guru Jony Ive for $6.5 billion. The AI startup plans to develop the next generation of hardware, and other AI startups have released pins, pendants and glasses that rely on users' voice to control the devices. Samsung devices, as well as other Android phones, get access to Google's Gemini, which is widely considered to be one of the best AI models alongside OpenAI's ChatGPT. Gemini has several features that users can't get with Siri and Apple Intelligence. Blackard said folding phones, with their larger displays, are well suited for AI. Google's circle-to-search feature, which allows a user to simply circle something on the screen that they'd like to learn more about, is an example, Blackard said. On a Samsung folding phone, he said, users can still see the original screen with the content they circled, as well as another screen with supplementary information. 'It's much more productive being able to go back and forth,' Blackard said. Investors have worried that Apple's AI delays, including its next-generation Siri that's now scheduled to come out next year, could start hurting sales. But many analysts say that Apple's brand loyalty and lock-in will give it a period of years before iPhone customers start defecting for competitors. Chatterjee told CNBC that Apple's strategy with devices is to wait until a technology is ready for the mainstream before embracing it. That time may be now for foldable devices. Apple has 'never been about trying to be the first to market,' Chatterjee said. 'It's about being watchful, seeing a technology mature, knowing that there are no big roadblocks to that technology adoption, and then moving ahead.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Get the Samsung Galaxy Ring for $100 off
Smartwatches get all the attention, but smart rings are a great alternative if you're looking for a more subtle way to track your health and fitness metrics. While there are plenty to choose from, the Samsung Galaxy Ring is going to be a top choice for Android and Samsung device owners, especially since you won't need to pay any additional monthly fees to use it. And right now, you can score the ring for $100 below its retail price as Samsung, Best Buy, and Amazon all have it on sale. Ditch the bulky watch and get this instead While it's been a year since the release of the Galaxy Ring, it's still a very capable wearable. You get a simple yet pleasing design, with lots of different colors, and excellent health tracking features. The battery is also quite good, lasting a full week, and it even comes with a case that can recharge the ring when you can't plug in. Now, since the ring doesn't have a screen, you'll need to install the Samsung Health app in order to get all the details. This is where you'll be able to see the details of your day, from health rate tracking, blood oxygen levels, sleep tracking, and more. Perhaps the only area where the watch falls short is that it can only track a small number of activities. This isn't going to be a problem for most people, but if you're looking for something a bit more aggressive on the fitness side, you'll have to look elsewhere. Perhaps the best part about all of this is that you won't need any kind of membership in order to access all the data like some of the competition. Overall, it's a fantastic smart ring to own, and especially now that it's $100 less. It can do pretty much everything a smartwatch does but offers it in a much smaller package. It's easy to wear and is durable enough to handle most of the things you throw at it. Plus, this is one of the best discounts we've seen, making it a great time to buy.
