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)

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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News

iPhone Duo: Price, availability in the Philippines

As listed on the Apple website

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Apple has officially entered the foldable smartphone market with the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone. It uses a passport-style design that opens into a larger display while retaining a more conventional smartphone experience when folded.

Price and availability

The iPhone Duo starts at PhP 159,990 in the Philippines for the 256GB model as listed on the Apple website.

Here’s the full local pricing:

  • 256GB — PhP 159,990
  • 512GB — PhP 175,990
  • 1TB — PhP 207,990
  • 2TB — PhP 254,990

The iPhone Duo comes in Star White and Night Sky.

Actual availability in the Philippines has yet to be officially announced.

A foldable design with two displays

The iPhone Duo has a 5.4-inch outer display when folded and expands to a 7.6-inch main display when opened. Both orientations use the same aspect ratio, allowing iOS to transition between them seamlessly.

The rear chassis uses Ceramic Shield, while the front display gets Ceramic Shield 2. The device is also IP68-rated for dust and water resistance.

Its hinge uses carbon fiber supports and magnets that produce an audible click when the phone is folded.

A20 Pro brings flagship performance

The iPhone Duo is powered by the A20 Pro, the same chip found in the iPhone 18 Pro series. Apple says the chip delivers 35 percent better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro.

It also comes with the new C2 cellular modem, which provides up to 50 percent faster uploads. Like other foldables, the Duo can be used in different configurations, including tent mode and a partially folded book-like position.

48-megapixel camera system

The iPhone Duo gets a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera alongside a 12-megapixel 2x telephoto camera.

For selfies and video calls, it has a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera. The inner display also uses an under-screen camera for a cleaner look.

Battery life goes beyond a day

The iPhone Duo offers up to 31 hours of video playback using the inner display and up to 44 hours using the outer display.

Charging is also quick. Apple says a 20-minute charge can replenish half the battery, while a five-minute charge can provide up to five hours of video playback.

For the complete specifications and first-look details, check out our main iPhone Duo launch coverage.

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