News

POCO F3 now official, a flagship phone with a midrange price tag

AKA Redmi K40

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The POCO F1 was a legendary phone that kickstarted a new segment called “affordable flagship.” After a year-long sabbatical, the brand has made a quick recovery in 2020 and is now all set to launch its third top-notch offering. Dubbed the POCO F3, it has many expectations to meet.

It’s obvious that the phone doesn’t have a very lucrative price like the POCO F1 due to the ongoing semiconductor shortage and the final cost of incorporating a flagship chipset. However, POCO has achieved a midrange price stag that offers maximum bang for the buck.

The POCO F3 sports a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR 10+ support, and a peak brightness of 1300 nits. The display, as well as the back, is wrapped in Gorilla Glass 5.

Powering the phone is a Snapdragon 870 processor with Adreno 650 GPU, up to 8GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. The fingerprint scanner is located on the side, and it runs on MIUI 12, based on Android 11, out-of-the-box. It’s clear that POCO is focusing on performance and intends to continue the POCO F1 legacy.

The brand stressed on its LiquidCool Technology 1.0 Plus, allowing the device to deliver sustained peak performance. It also has 5G connectivity and WiFi 6 support, making it a solid future-proof phone.

On the back are a 48-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens, and a 5-megapixel macro sensor. There’s an in-display 20-megapixel front camera that’s located in a punch-hole cut-out.

Backing these internals is a 4520mAh battery with 33W fast charging. Xiaomi claims it can fully charge the phone in 52 minutes. It doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack, which it covers up by Dolby Atmos support and dual physical speakers.

Pricing and availability

Philippines

  • 6GB+128GB — PhP 17,990
  • 8GB+256GB — PhP 20,990

Color options include Arctic White, Night Black, and Deep Ocean Blue, and sales are exclusive to Lazada. If the POCO F3 is ordered on March 27, an early bird discount will be applicable of PhP 2,000 on both variants.

Global

  • 6GB+128GB — EUR 349 (early bird price — EUR 299)
  • 8GB+256GB — EUR 399 (early bird price — EUR 349)

Automotive

Mercedes-Benz celebrates 140th anniversary at the Presidential Car Museum

A generation’s worth of presidential Benz models under one roof

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Last month, Mercedes-Benz Philippines kicked off its 140th -anniversary “Welcome Home” campaign. Designed to celebrate the iconic Chedeng and introduce a new generation to the brand, the campaign attracts old and new customers alike. Now, the brand’s 140th year is also hitting history buffs with a special showcase at the Presidential Car Museum in Quezon City.

Since President Cory Aquino’s term, the official presidential car has been a Benz, offering comfort and protection for the current head of state. It is here where Mercedes-Benz wants to celebrate the legacy of the brand, especially in the annals of Philippine history.

Amid the cars of Presidents Aquino, Ramos, Estrada, and Macapagal-Arroyo, Mercedes-Benz is displaying a replica of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen Replica, which is the world’s first automobile introduced by Karl Benz in 1886. The replica will be on display until December 2026.

Outside the Presidential Car Museum, Mercedes-Benz is running discounts through the end of July. There are also special aftersales services for those who already own a Benz. Finally, the brand will continue to run activations throughout the anniversary, so expect to hear a lot more about the Chedeng throughout the year.

SEE ALSO: Mercedes-Benz holds a Welcome Home campaign to celebrate 140 years

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News

Samsung releases teaser with Spider-Man: Brand New Day Easter eggs

Spot also teases upcoming Galaxy foldable devices

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Samsung has just premiered a new spot that showcases clips directly from Spider-Man: Brand New Dayjust a few weeks before the movie hits cinemas later this month.

The clip showcases Spider-Man as he fights crime and puts his phone through the wear and tear of superhero life.

In the spot, the Fabricator creates a number of devices for Spider-Man built to stand up to the pace and unpredictability of life behind the mask. This includes what clearly looks like a Galaxy Z Flip phone.

This provides a behind the scenes look into how Peter Parker ultimately landed on a Samsung phone — as fans speculated from the first trailer.

Meanwhile, Ned can also be seen using the Spidey Tracker to try and catch Spider-Man throughout the city on his Samsung phone.

The campaign pretty much formalizes Jacob Batalon — who plays Ned Leeds — as Samsung’s Team Galaxy’s newest ambassador.

The clip ends with the text “A brand new shape for a Brand New Day”, which is also a callback to what the brand has been teasing regarding the future of its Galaxy foldable devices.

Samsung to release latest devices at Galaxy Unpacked

Next week, Samsung is set to launch its latest devices at Galaxy Unpacked 2026.

Ahead of the launch, customers who wish to reserve as early as now can get a US$ 30 credit during pre-order, for a total of up to US$ 1,230 in savings.

Customers can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win one of 10 US$ 500 Samsung.com gift cards towards their purchase.

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Apps

iOS 27 public beta gives us our first taste of Siri AI

You can access the beta for free.

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Normally, public betas come and go with nary a peep from anyone but dedicated fans and testers. After all, why care about a beta when the final release is likely just around the corner? This one, however, is special. Today, Apple launched the iOS 27 public beta, and it’s our first taste of the redesigned Siri AI.

Recently, WWDC 2026 unveiled Apple’s latest attempts at entering the AI segment. Whereas previous iterations to incorporate AI failed to make an impact, Siri AI promises to provide users with helpful feedback that’s actually helpful.

Now, in the public beta for iOS 27, users all over can finally access the new assistant. To get to the beta, you need to be a part of the beta program, which you can easily sign up for on beta.apple.com. Once signed up, you can get the update from Software Update in Settings. You’ll see options for a developer beta and a public beta. Choose iOS 27 Public Beta.

At face value, Siri AI offers much of what you’d get from a traditional AI-powered assistant. However, it does slightly differ because it integrates the entire phone. The assistant contextualizes your information (including emails, messages, and photos) to give you the most accurate feedback that you might need.

If that’s not enough, Siri AI also has its own chatbot app. If you’re more used to ChatGPT, the assistant should give you that bit of familiarity.

Now, if you don’t want to go for a beta, Apple is expected to launch iOS 27 in its final form sometime in September.

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