Well readers the time has come. Some of you will have already been aware of this with the rebrand and the statement that was released but time with CultureJam is at an end. Allow me a final chance for some self-indulgence and reflection as I sign off.

Five years ago I sat down at my computer, bought a domain and a website template and stumbled my way through creating ThoseGamers. Did I know what I was doing? Definitely not. Did I stop when I wiped the customisation to the website when I played too much with the template settings? Not a chance. I hung in there because I had a passion for playing video games and playing with the latest and greatest gadgets. I also had a vision. That vision was to create a website that didn’t care too much about grammatical correctness or journalistic structure. I wanted to create a site that was straight from the heart and provided you all with news from the gaming and tech world along with honest reviews of the games and products I was checking out.

As the site grew and we covered more things I realised there was no way I could do it alone and that the name did not accurately reflect what we were covering, hence ThoseGamers became CultureJam, a name that better reflected all that was being covered all the while sticking to the core value the site was founded on, honest coverage.

 Growth also meant I couldn’t do it on my own and I was lucky enough to have the supremely talented Brian McDonald join me and I truly believe that what started out as a vision, turned into something greater than I could have ever imagined. A place that never compromised its integrity and always delivered an honest assessment of what we games we played and what tech we were lucky enough to be sent to review.

We could not have continued for five years without the tremendous support of you, our readers. Whenever I looked at analytics, I was blown away by the traffic coming to the site and that is what kept me going for all those years. Make no mistake, aside from absolutely miniscule ad revenue from Adwords we have never generated outside revenue from the site. This was a labour of love that was spurred on by you all coming and reading what was written and for that I say a sincere thanks. The truth of the matter is, I never studied communications or journalism. I’m an Accountant and in all honesty not really talented in writing. Any of you that read my reviews will have no doubt noticed the grammatical errors, poor sentence structure and many typos due to my disdain for using spell checker. It was raw but I assure you it was 100% authentic to who I am. That is why in writing this I told Brian one thing, don’t edit this. Why change now right?

For any of you out there thinking you can’t do something like this you are wrong. You can do it! All you need to have is the passion and desire and you can make it happen.

My five years have allowed me to do things I always thought was a dream, going to E3, going to Singapore to cover the launch of a new smartphone. Those are memories I’ll never forget but what resonates greater is again your support.

Throughout 2019 something stuck with me that I couldn’t shake. I just wasn’t getting content out and wasn’t pulling my weight on the site I created. I wanted to, I really did but my biggest achievement in life is being a Husband and Father and the reality was that time working on CultureJam was time I couldn’t spend with my family and so I made the tough decision to leave CultureJam in the hands of Brian.

With that change of leadership and ownership comes a new era, gone is CultureJam and in comes 8Bit Island. A fresh start with a unique kiwicentric identity and I know it is going to be great beyond anything I could have made of CultureJam. There is no one more passionate about this stuff than Brian and as much as I hate to admit it the guy is the most talented writer I’ve come across. Brian has put together a great team and I completely trust what he is doing.

Again thank you so much everyone, this has truly been a pleasure. On that note there is only one last thing to say, Good afternoon, good evening and goodbye.

The post Good Afternoon, Good Evening, & Goodbye – Farewell from Ben appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

OPPO recently announced the launch of a 5G joint laboratory with Ericsson, a leading information and communication technology provider, which will serve to deepen the two companies’ collaboration in the area of 5G. Through the new lab, OPPO and Ericsson will also promote global collaboration, share with each other cutting-edge 5G technologies and help optimise 5G products and network performance to accelerate the large-scale deployment of 5G globally.

evin Cho, Managing Director OPPO New Zealand, said: “This joint 5G lab is another step in OPPO’s commitment to developing and realising the potential of 5G technology. As a leading adopter and innovator of 5G, we understand the importance of collaboration to harness the full capabilities of the new technology and explore the possibilities available to Kiwis, as New Zealand prepares to enter the 5G era.”

“By working in partnership with an industry leader such as Ericsson, we have created a platform from which we can conceive, optimise and implement best in class standards of 5G functionality in New Zealand and beyond. It is our hope, through OPPO’s experience in new product and technology development along with Ericsson’s cutting-edge infrastructure, customers across New Zealand will soon have access to the highest quality 5G products and experiences.”

Cho added: “5G will have a significant impact on the smartphone experience. Mobile gaming, for instance, will be greatly enhanced through the lower-latency and high-speed network, opening the door to augmented and virtual reality gaming to rival the console experience. Furthermore, 5G will provide the foundations for enhanced connectivity, from smart cities to machine to machine communications, such as driverless vehicles. OPPO will continue to invest in the development of new connected devices to deliver new experiences for our customers and take advantage of the advanced capabilities of the 5G network.”

“This partnership is of highly strategic importance for both Ericsson and OPPO. It will contribute to the diversity of the 5G ecosystem and benefit from the agility of both companies to bring new use cases and customer value to the market,” said Luca Orsini, Vice President and Head of Networks for Market Area North East Asia at Ericsson.

OPPO and Ericsson have been working closely to contribute to the evolution of 5G technologies and have also signed a global patent license agreement, laying a solid foundation for their ongoing, in-depth collaboration in the 5G era. Since the third quarter of 2018, the two partners have been running joint 5G tests on OPPO’s 5G handset and Ericsson’s 5G infrastructure with local operator partners in Sweden, Germany and China as part of an effort to accelerate the commercial availability of 5G products. At MWC 2019 earlier this year, OPPO and Ericsson also partnered to showcase 5G smartphones and cloud-gaming scenarios to attendees.

OPPO has been at the forefront of the development and popularisation of 5G smartphones. In May 2019, OPPO launched its innovative Reno 5G model in Switzerland, making it the first 5G phone commercially available in Europe. The device has since been rolled out in the UK, Australia, Italy and other markets across the world to great acclaim. With 5G adoption on the cusp of scaling up, OPPO will also launch the world’s first Qualcomm-powered dual-mode 5G smartphone by the end of the year, offering an enhanced and more robust 5G experience to global users.

In the new era of 5G intelligent connectivity, OPPO will continue to invest in product development, technological research, standards and application scenarios for 5G and work with leading partners like Ericsson to explore the tremendous potential of 5G and bring its innovation value to consumers around the world.

The post OPPO and Ericsson Launch 5G Joint Lab appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

After initially not planning to show the Bronze Medal Rugby World Cup Playoff between the All Blacks and Wales on TVNZ, Spark Sport have now confirmed the game will appear on TVNZ as well as Spark Sport.

The play-off for the Rugby World Cup 2019 bronze medal between New Zealand and Wales will be available live on Spark Sport and with a one hour delay on TVNZ 1 on Friday 1 November.

The match was previously scheduled to stream solely on Spark Sport, but the Spark team has made the decision to show the match with a one hour delay on TVNZ now that the All Blacks are part of the play-off.

Jeff Latch, Head of Spark Sport says, “We know the interest level in this match will now be much higher than when we originally decided which matches would show on free-to-air TV. We want to ensure that as many New Zealanders as possible have the opportunity to see how the All Blacks close out their tournament.”

All Spark Sport RWC Tournament Pass customers and New Zealand v Wales Match Pass customers will be able to watch live. Spark Sport monthly subscribers and those tuning in to TVNZ 1 will be able to watch the delayed coverage.

The post All Blacks v Wales to Appear on TVNZ appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Let me just start this review by saying that I’ve seen a lot in the home theatre space over the years. I grew up in a time where Tubus Gigantis (the CRT/TV) ruled the earth. That big horrible wooden box was least the size of the modern big screen TV, yet the viewing area was 14 inches if you were lucky. Sound was also tinny as hell, and that was on a premium set!.

I also still remember when I got my first home theatre system. It was a sweet 5 stack DVD player system with surround sound. The wires ran across the room and were a veritable tripping hazard, but to get that sense of sound going from left to right/right to left behind me it was worth the health and safety risks.

Then and Now

Now we live in a time where 4K TVs are taking over, and the humble soundbar is a more than acceptable companion. Soundbars have come a long way over the years; the virtual surround sound effect and the common subwoofer create admirable and affordable sound for your living room, with the added benefits of taking up a small footprint.

The Sony HT-X8500, in some respects goes, against the grain for the modern soundbar. It is (only) a 2.1 channel soundbar, and does not come with a separate subwoofer. Does that affect it? Not at all, thanks to built in subwoofers and a glorious piece of audio wizardry known as Dolby Atmos.

Sleek and subtle

Before we move on to the audio experience allow me to briefly discuss the design. At first glance the HT-X8500 is fairly unassuming, just a singular black slab with two holes at either end which are where the subwoofers are. It’s a slim, fairly low-profile design that will compliment any modern TV. Sony hasn’t tried to overplay their hand, on the design front and I like it. Rather than creating something that stands out, Sony have come up with a design that leaves the TV to do the talking, and the soundbar to (not so) quietly go about its business. In a dark room, aside from a couple of lights on top of it, you wouldn’t even notice it in the room and that’s a good thing.

The X8500 features one HDMI ARC slot which 4K HDR support, so you can plug your Xbox One, PS4 or other media device into the soundbar then connect the soundbar to your TV to get the benefits of the soundbar’s audio processing. You also get bluetooth connectivity so you can connect your phone or tablet and play your tunes through there.

The biggest downside to the soundbar is absence of on onscreen menu. The only way of knowing what the soundbar is doing is through some LED lights on top that indicate what sound profile you currently have activated. But that’s about it. The lights will also turn off after a period of time, so I found myself sometimes wondering if the current sound profile had been applied, and often had to resort to the manual to figure out how to change settings.

Quality sound

But what it lacks in operational intuition it more than makes up for in in sound quality. This bad boy with only 2.1 channels and no upfiring speakers did not inspire me with confidence. The built-in Dolby Atmos capability seemed to me to be nothing more than a marketing ploy. After all, how can you create a true 360 degree sound experience without having speakers that fire up at the ceiling to bounce the sound around? The answer is the vertical sound engine, but beyond that I have no bloody idea how that engine manages to do things it can do.

The soundbar supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which are the current gold standards in sound profile in-home. Watching 4K Bluray movies or Netflix with Dolby Atmos support is nothing short of breathtaking. Sony claims the X8500 simulates 7.1.2 surround sound and, while I wouldn’t quite say it simulates the sound stage to that level, it is pretty damn close. Watching a movie like Aquaman or Bumblebee, you genuinely get a verticality to the sound and sense of immersion all around you that just should not be possible from a 2.1 channel soundbar. The sense that the sound is coming from all around you is pretty spectacular. The sound is rich and accompanied by powerful bass that roars to life when the action gets going.

The one caveat I would put on this is that you get the best benefit when you are sitting within 2 metres of the soundbar, outside of that you’ll still get height and a sense of the sound coming at you from the sides but overhead sound simulation diminishes the further away from the soundbar you get.

Not just a one-trick Sony

If you are watching a content source that doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, don’t be put off; the X8500 has some more tricks up its sleeve. One press of the Vertical S button on the remote will have the soundbar simulate that Atmos effect on non Atmos sources, even with something like TV shows on Freeview, or watching sport on Sky.

Sport is absolutely one of my favourite virtual vertical surround features. Never before have I felt so close to that in stadium experience from home. Hearing the crowd in a 360 degree soundstage makes it feel like you are right there in the action. In fact, the Vertical S function is so good on non-Atmos sources that there is not a lot of noticeable difference between Atmos and non-Atmos sources. If anything I’d say the only discernible difference is that when someone is speaking on a non-Atmos source they sound just a wee bit distant.

There is one last piece of the puzzle left to mention. Dolby Atmos soundbars are not cheap, typically you’re looking at a minimum of $900-$1,000+ in New Zealand. But in saying that, there is one last trick that Sony has for the HT-X8500; it retails for just $699, and I’ve seen a few specials lately where you could grab one for $599!

With an amazing ability to generate height and depth from 2.1 channels and simulate an atmospheric 360 degree sound experience from Atmos and Non-atmos sources, the Sony HT-X8500 is remarkable piece of engineering that offers the best value for money proposition I’ve seen in a soundbar. Make no mistake, if you are looking for a soundbar that delivers rich, immersive sound (and won’t break your bank), this is the soundbar you’ve been looking for.

The post Sony HT-X8500 Soundbar Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

According to new data insights from PriceSpy, the fully impartial price and product comparison site, it appears gamers are shopping smartly, waiting for prices to drop for the most popular games of last year, as all top five games are now priced under the $70 mark.

PriceSpy’s five most popular games in May 2019

Liisa says: “Based on historical clicks received, despite launching over a year ago, God of War (PS4) has claimed the top spot as most popular game in May, ahead of a brand new release, CTR Crash Team Racing – Nitro Fuled Edition (PS4), which is due to launch later this month.

“Our insights indicate gamers appear to be shopping smartly, holding out to purchase last year’s most popular games once the initial launch hype has died down and the price has dropped.  This is great to see, as shopping like this can help gamers save hundreds of dollars in the long run.”

God of War (PS4) originally launched with an RRP of $120. According to pricing insights from PriceSpy, it can now be purchased for just $48, 60 percent less than 15 months ago. Liisa concludes:  “The price drop has certainly resulted in consumer demand picking up in the game again, as previously the last time God of War (PS4) was the most popular game, was back in August 2018.

Win God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS4

PriceSpy has teamed up with us to give away the top two games for the month of May. To stand a chance of winning, enter our giveaway below and don’t forget you can Download the PriceSpy app here.www.pricespy.co.nz

The post WIN – God of War the most popular game in May, 15 months after it was released appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Finally, it’s happened! Sky TV has announced major changes to Sky Sport with sport-specific channels and also completely transformed Fan Pass.

Effective from 1 August, Sky Chief Executive Martin Stewart has announced that all Sky Sport customers will get 12 dedicated sport channels, including:

• Dedicated homes for Rugby, Cricket, Golf and Football – and channels that strongly feature Netball, League, Motorsport and more
• A new Sky Sport News channel
• The two ESPN channels

All 12 channels will be in HD, offering our customers a brilliant viewing experience.

There will be more great features and documentaries, highlights through the Sky Sport Highlights app, and continued access to On Demand sport via an enhanced and improved Sky Go.

There will also be additional pop-up channels for major events like the Australian Tennis Open and Tokyo Olympics Games.

Martin Stewart said “We’re supercharging Sky Sport. The enhancements are designed for the millions of New Zealanders who love sport.

“We already have nationwide reach and a reliable service that we know our customers value. By enhancing the channel line-up we’re giving them even more sport, better content discovery, and in glorious HD as well.

“The depth and breadth of our sports offer is second to none, and we continue to add more. We were delighted to announce our six-year deal with Cricket Australia last week, including the iconic Boxing Day Tests back for the first time since 1987, and there’s more to come.

“Delivering the best sport to our customers and helping our sports partners grow their sport is what we’re here for.

“The Sky Sport News channel is an exciting new initiative. We will have daily news from New Zealand and around the world, expert opinion and analysis, exclusive interviews, and a raft of features to keep every keen sports fan ‘in the know’.”

Sky Sport News will be live from 1 August, and our special local shows will start on 2 September.

The full new channel line-up is:

• Sky Sport News
• Sky Sport 1 – Rugby 24/7
• Sky Sport 2 – Cricket 24/7
• Sky Sport 3 – Home of Netball
• Sky Sport 4 – Home of Rugby League
• Sky Sport 5 – Home of Motorsport
• Sky Sport 6 – Golf 24/7
• Sky Sport 7 – Football 24/7
• Sky Sport 8 – Best of The Rest
• Sky Sport 9 – Best of The Rest
• ESPN
• ESPN 2

That’s not all though, from 14 August Fan Pass will be no more. In its place will be Sky Sport Now offering every single Sky Sport channel available to stream (about time!). And in further good news Sky will allow Sky Sport Now subscribers to watch all their sporting goodness on their TVs.

“Sky was the first company to bring sport streaming to New Zealand, first with Sky Go and then Fan Pass. Fan Pass has efficiently streamed four sports channels 24/7 for the last 4½ years, but we know sports fans are looking for more.

“Today we are supercharging it. We have already delivered cheaper pricing for it, and from 14 August we will replace it with our new sports app, Sky Sport Now” commented CEO Martin Stewart.

“I announced last month that we are accelerating our focus on streaming services. Sky Sport Now is the first evidence of that strategy. It’s a superb sport streaming offer, and we want it to be in hands of every Kiwi sports fan, wherever they are.

“Sports fans are increasingly mobile, and often time poor. Young fans in particular are looking for a range of experiences. Sky Sport Now is one way we can make sport more accessible, exciting and appealing

“We want to delight our customers every day, and we want to be in hands of every New Zealander.”

Sky Sport Now will be available from 14 August, and can be purchased for:

• Week Pass $19.99
• Month Pass $49.99
• 12 Month Pass $39.99 per month

The post Sky goes full stream ahead with major changes to Sky Sport and Fan Pass appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

After earlier announcing pricing for their Rugby World Cup Tournament Pass, Spark Sport have announced it is now available to purchase.

Until the end of May, fans can purchase their Tournament Pass for just $59.99. The Spark Sport Rugby World Cup 2019 Tournament Pass is the only way New Zealanders can access all 48 matches of the tournament live and on demand.

Jeff Latch, Head of Spark Sport is urging fans who want the complete Rugby World Cup experience, to get in early and purchase their Tournament Pass at the super-early bird price of $59.99.

“Tournament Pass holders will get access to full match replays for 30 days following each match, an array of highlights, preview and review programming. It includes access to a range of historic Rugby World Cup match content as soon as the pass is purchased, giving rugby fans another reason to sign up early and relive the excitement of previous years.”

“Spark Sport is the only place rugby fans will be able to watch every single match live; some of the free-to-air matches will be broadcast with a delay on TVNZ. Viewers will also have the flexibility of being able to watch on a wide range of devices.”

Simply head to sparksport.co.nz, where you’ll be able to buy a Tournament Pass as a one-off purchase. You will need to set up a Spark Sport account as part of the purchase, but don’t need a monthly subscription ($19.99) to buy a Tournament Pass.

Fans can purchase a Tournament Pass with peace of mind. If you buy a pass, then realise for whatever reason that it doesn’t work for you, at any time up to the tournament starting you can cancel the pass and get your money back.

Spark Sport pricing

• Super early bird Tournament Pass (8^th May – 31^st May 2019) – $59.99
• Early bird Tournament Pass (1^st June – 10^th September 2019) – $79.99
• Full price Tournament Pass (11^th September – 2^nd November 2019) – $89.99
• Match Pass (20^th September – 2^nd November 2019) – $24.99 

The post Rugby World Cup Pass Available to Buy on Spark Sport appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Let’s get one thing straight, over the past few years Sony have been on a roll with their AAA open-world games. Horizon Zero Dawn was a magnificent brand new open-world piece of IP. God of War is one of, if not the best games of the current console generation. I had my reservations about Days Gone right from when I first saw it announced yet I had hope that with Sony backing it, it could put my fears at bay and prove to be another stellar piece of IP for Sony. Sadly Days Gone ends up being a buggy, meandering affair that never overcomes the issues that hold it back.

So what’s the story with Days Gone? Well the human race has been exposed to a pandemic that has turned almost everyone into Zombies. Except they aren’t Zombies, they’re Freakers. What’s the difference? Well, the name is different… Aside from that there isn’t a great deal of difference. In any case, our protagonist is Deacon St. John, a biker whose wife was evacuated out of the danger zone, and is left with his good mate to fend for themselves in the wild. Throughout this 60-hour story you’ll complete a variety of missions, picking up jobs here and there, scavenge to survive, and build your skills. You’ll find yourself caught up with a local cult, what remains of the disaster relief agency, and also encounter a whole bunch of survivors. Oh, and of course you’ll find yourself battling a hell of a lot of Freakers.

No matter how I look at it, the story just doesn’t draw me in. It feels like it’s pieced together from a bunch of Zombie and open-world games, but can never be something truly original. The voice acting is solid, but that cannot redeem what is a meandering first act filled with characters that are hard to care about. Once we get beyond Act 1, the pace picks up and we get introduced to some interesting folks, but one annoying aspect continues throughout. Deacon and his wife Sarah’s backstory is told through flashbacks that are minimally interactive, and often more disruptive than insightful. It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for long load times every time these flashbacks occur. Another issue is monotonous missions that don’t seem to serve any purpose at all.

An example is a mission where we basically ride across the admittedly gorgeous open-world only to have a character interaction that goes like this:

Lisa – “I don’t like it here.”

Deacon – “OK.”

That is literally what we just drove across the map for.

The best way to sum up the story is that it feels like when you see a movie that runs 40 minutes longer than it should; just compound that feeling by several hours. I can’t help but feel that if the story was reduced by a few hours we would have ended up with something that was a whole lot more endearing, and action-packed, and satisfying.

Sometimes you get a game where the story isn’t so great but the gameplay more than makes up for it. Days Gone has some stellar elements, but almost every aspect that makes the game great is also accompanied by parts that let it down.

As a world and environment, Days Gone looks absolutely stunning, but is let down by dreaded pop-in and, at times, terribly stuttering frame rates. That said, when you take in this world, it’s hard not to be impressed. Initially I found riding by motorbike to be a frustrating experience, as a slight tap left or right on the controller barely registered a move from the bike, and a further push saw the bike over correct and lose control. But after enough time coming to terms with the bike, I relished the chance to hit the open road, and once you get to grips with the handling the bike will drift beautifully and is one of the most enjoyable parts of the game. It isn’t without its downsides though, as even with upgrades the bike is still an absolute damage magnet, which can be an incredibly frustrating experience.

Combat is unavoidable in Days Gone. Yes, stealth is available, with a simple cover based system employing sound and sight to pick people off and lure them where you want them, but make no bones about it, you will engage in combat and lots of it. Human enemies are there, and that gets a bit more fun the more you play, but Days Gone is all about fighting Freakers. That’s where the game truly shines. Your standard Freaker is pretty easy to deal with, but there are a few varieties; Breakers who are like zomb- I mean Freakers on steroids and take multple shots to die, and infected animals are also added to the mix. Then you get the Hordes; this is where the excitement really comes to the fore.

Hordes are massive groups of Freakers that require every last one to be dispatched in order to win the battle. You need your wits about you, and can’t rely solely on your guns; you need to make sure your resources are in order, and that you’re armed with traps, grenades, molotovs, bombs, and basically anything you can find to kill heaps of these guys in one go. Fighting a Horde is exhilarating and intense, but unfortunately they aren’t all that common; make the most of these fights when you get the opportunity.

And here is where we get another pro mixed with the con. The battles are great, but the gunplay is far from it. The third-person perspective is fine, almost all weapons feel underwhelming. Aiming isn’t precise, and they really lack the punch you would expect from certain weapons like shotguns and assault rifles. Shooting is a core aspect of this game, so it’s a shame the guns feel so lacklustre.

Then we have the other aspect of the gameplay that truly shocked me: the Newts. Newts are adolescent infected humans that you will encounter in the game. They will naturally flee and hang out on rooftops, but if you go up into their turf (which you have to at times), they will attack you. And yes, you have to kill them. I get that the idea here is to show that everyone is infected in this world, but you don’t need to make me kill kids to ram that point home. Even though they’re infected, as a parent myself it is disturbing that I have to kill adolescents. And before you start commenting that I should just avoid them so I don’t have to kill them, that’s all well and good, but what about the times I’m scavenging an empty car and one jumps out from the boot of a car and I’m given a close-up of this child latching onto my head and I’m forced to stab them in the throat? Don’t get me wrong, I’m down with violence in video-games but let’s get one thing straight: I draw the line at killing kids.

On the surface, Days Gone has everything you want in an open-world action game; a large, richly detailed map that looks truly stunning, a dynamic weather system that changes as you play and brings its own unique dynamics and challenges, limiting resources to force players to scavenge and engage with the world to survive. Add to this a skill tree that rewards progress, which in turn provides players with greater choice on how they want to play, and lots of enemies to take on as you go about your business, and you should have a real winner. Unfortunately, once you dig below the surface, Days Gone just feel a bit too generic and lacking in originality. Every positive aspect of the game with a negative, and in some cases multiple negatives. A game that could have had so much potential ends up being a game whose story stutters just as much as its framerate.

I will say this for Days Gone, the title is spot on. The time I spent playing this game certainly represent Days Gone that I will never get back.

The post Days Gone Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

OPPO has today announced the launch of its latest smartphone, the AX5s. The device is available exclusively through Spark marking the beginning of a new partnership.

Boasting a stylish design, long-lasting battery life, and dual rear cameras, the AX5s is the perfect travel companion for price savvy Kiwis looking to capture every moment. It also features OPPO’s unique waterdrop screen, ensuring a fully immersive viewing experience through its near-full screen display.

Managing Director at OPPO New Zealand, Kevin Cho said, “We understand smartphones can be an expensive purchase and at times a luxury not everyone can afford. With the AX5s we’ve taken many of the latest innovations found in our flagship devices and packed them into this device. Ultimately, we want our technology to be accessible to every Kiwi and the AX5s helps to make this a reality.”

Spark’s Mobile Lead, Renee Mateparae, said “OPPO is renowned for delivering high quality, reliable devices and is receiving excellent feedback from consumers overseas.”

“Spark is pleased to have recently become an official retailer of OPPO’s AX5s and we are looking forward to launching more great devices into the New Zealand market together,” said Mateparae.

Stylish mirror exterior with a waterdrop screen

What better way to enjoy an unparalleled immersive experience, than with an enormous 6.2-inch LCD waterdrop screen boasting a 19:9 aspect ratio with 1520×720-pixel resolution. Thanks to relentless innovation in both technology and manufacturing, an earpiece, camera, and light sensor have all been integrated into the waterdrop positioned at the top of the screen. This makes the 89.35% screen-to-body ratio possible, creating a display perfectly structured for gaming, entertainment and web-browsing.

Play stronger and longer with a 4230mAh battery and 3GB RAM

Powered by a 4230mAh large-capacity battery, the AX5s supports up to 13.5 hours of video playback, thanks to an AI algorithm optimisation and a low power-consumption MTK6765 processor. Its 2.3GHz CPU and 3GB RAM enables multiple applications to run seamlessly at the same time, eliminating all possibilities of freezing.

Capture every angle with 13MP dual rear cameras and 8MP front beauty camera

OPPO devices are known for their exceptional camera performance and the AX5s is no exception. It sports an 8MP front facing camera with F2.0 aperture and 13MP+2PM dual rear cameras for crystal clear image capture. Thanks to AI and big data technologies, the front camera offers more natural and personalised beautification options, delivering stunning selfies in a flash. The smartphone’s rear cameras produce high-quality portraits by blurring the background to help users stand out in their photos. The primary camera uses a 5P lens to precisely control the light path, creating a sharper image. Paired with AI beautification technology, portraits are now more eye-catching than ever before.

Meanwhile, the multi-frame anti-shake technology ensures a smoother, more stable video shooting experience. The AX5s also supports AR stickers that respond to facial movements, as well as foreground and music stickers, opening up a more dynamic and engaging photo experience for everyone.

Making life smarter and more efficient with ColorOS 5.2.1

The AX5s runs on the streamlined and striking ColorOS 5.2.1. With new features such as Smart Bar, Smart Scan, Music on Display, Video Editing, and more, the AX5s provides unique entertainment options and user experiences. In particular, Smart Scan and Smart Bar are two stand-out functions. Smart Scan reads business cards to easily transform paper business cards into electronic ones. It also supports scan and image translation, providing invaluable assistance when traveling abroad.

More so, Smart Scan can convert images into editable text, allowing users to seamlessly work between formats. Meanwhile, Smart Bar is a productivity tool that allows users to quickly switch between applications, conveniently reply to text messages, and transfer files while playing games or watching videos. It also supports multiple shortcut tools, such as cutting and screen recording, making life and work more efficient.

The post Oppo and Spark bring the AX5s to New Zealand appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Awww, it’s so cute!

It was rumoured and leaked but today it’s official. Microsoft have announced their disc-less Xbox One X All-Digital Edition.

The new disc-less All-Digital Edition comes with a reduced price point of $249 USD and will release on May 7 although New Zealand pricing and release date have yet to be revealed.

Consumer appetite for digital content and experiences are stronger today than ever before. Gaming and technology have changed quite a bit since the first Xbox debuted in 2001. During this time, we’ve seen a digital transformation across gaming, music, TV and movies. And closer to home, the success of Xbox Game Pass, which gives members access to over 100 great games, is just another example of how consumers today have grown to expect great digital content. The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition was created for those who prefer to find and play their games digitally and are looking for the most affordable way to play Xbox games.

The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition will be feature 1TB of storage and comes bundled with three of our most compelling and popular games – Minecraft,Forza Horizon 3 andSea of Thieves. These critically acclaimed titles are sure to offer something for everyone in the family to enjoy.

If you haven’t tried Xbox Game Pass yet, the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition comes with a special offer to get started with access to over 100 great games, and with new games being added all the time there will always be something new to queue in your digital library. Cord cutters will enjoy watching 4K HDR entertainment with Netflix, Amazon and more, and thousands of Xbox One games are available from the Microsoft Store digitally. Of course this means that no blu-ray drive means no playing physical 4K UHD movies.

Whilst this is good news for fans that don’t want physical discs 1TB of storage still seems awfully low given that the size of AAA games just keeps going up and up. Thankfully you’ll still be able to plug in an external HDD to get that precious extra space.

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