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Xiaomi 12 series unveiled in China

These are the world’s first Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 phones

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Right before 2022 even started, Xiaomi unveiled its latest flagship-grade smartphones in China. Lo and behold, the Xiaomi 12 series — successor to the Mi 11 series that was announced earlier this year as well.

Similar stellar performance

With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 official announcement last November, expect the latest chipset running the new smartphones. Not only does it promise better performance when it comes to multitasking and gaming, but it also supports a lot of improvements in hardware.

The smartphone’s cooled by Xiaomi’s large VC (vapor cooling) chamber of 2600mm² paired with a graphene film, to protect from overheating.

You can choose between 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128 or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage for both devices as well.

Same same, but different

While both are equipped with 120Hz AMOLED displays, the Xiaomi 12 has a 6.28-inch screen with a Full HD+ resolution while the 12 Pro features a bigger 6.76-inches with 2K/QHD+. This means future Xiaomi users who want to switch or upgrade have two options between a smaller and a bigger display.

The other difference is that the bigger one has an LTPO display that switches between 1 to 120Hz depending on usage. This helps reduce battery consumption. In contrast, both have under-display fingerprint scanners and Gorilla Glass Victus protection.

Another headlining feature is the 120W fast wired charging while the base variant has 67W. Albeit, both support 50W fast wireless charging and 10W reverse charging. Aside from the fast charging capabilities, the Xiaomi 12 Pro has a slightly bigger 4,600mAh compared to Xiaomi 12’s 4,500mAh battery capacity.

To alleviate overcharging and power management issues, Xiaomi has its in-house Surge P1 chip inside the phone. This is pretty much like comparing the Xiaomi 11T Pro versus the 11T all over again — but with a stark difference in screen sizes.

Different 50MP cameras, different setups

The Xiaomi 12 Pro has three 50-megapixel cameras. Meanwhile, the smaller sibling is equipped with one 50MP main (wide) camera, a 13MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5MP tele-macro lens. Both phones feature a 32MP front camera for selfies. Unlike previous Xiaomi phones, the punch-hole cutout moves from left to the center of the camera just like the 11T series.

While both possess a 50-megapixel main camera, there’s a massive difference between the two smartphones. The Xiaomi 12 is equipped with Sony IMX766 which is a 1/1.58″ sensor. On the other hand, the Xiaomi 12 Pro has a Sony IMX707 sensor with a bigger sensor sizing to 1/1.28″.

There’s also a new camera trick by Xiaomi called ‘CyberFocus’ that aims to challenge the iPhone 13 series’ Cinematic mode feature. This feature originally came from Xiaomi’s CyberDog AI robot. It has the ability to identify various subjects and control the camera’s focus.

 

Another improved camera capability is the new night mode algorithm that can still light up dim subjects while reducing the amount of noise.

But wait, there’s more!

There’s also a trimmed-down version of the Xiaomi 12 dubbed as the ‘Xiaomi 12X’. It mostly has the bells and whistles of its pricier sibling minus the wireless charging. Also, it doesn’t have the latest computational photography features of the new Xiaomi 12 series such as CyberFocus.

The performance is reduced too. From Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 down to Snapdragon 870 5G chipset. RAM and storage options are still the same.

Pricing and Availability

The Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro are available in four different colors. There are black, blue, and pink options in the lineup. Moreover, there’s the green one featuring a special vegan leather back.

Here are the pricing details in China along with their specific set of configurations:

Xiaomi 12 Pro

  • 8GB/128GB – CNY 4699 (US$ 738)
  • 8GB/256GB – CNY 4999 (US$ 785)
  • 12GB/256GB – CNY 5399 (US$ 848)

Xiaomi 12

  • 8GB/128GB – CNY 3699 (US$ 580)
  • 8GB/256GB – CNY 3999 (US$ 628)
  • 12GB/256GB – CNY 4399 (US$ 690)

Xiaomi 12X

  • 8GB/128GB – CNY 3199 (US$ 502)
  • 8GB/256GB – CNY 3499 (US$ 550)
  • 12GB/256GB – CNY 3799 (US$ 597)

Global availability has yet to be announced.

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nubia to launch new Neo 5 series gaming phones on March 28

Head to SM Megamall for activities, guest appearances, surprises

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nubia Philippines will officially launch the nubia Neo 5 series gaming smartphone on March 28 at their “Enter The NEOVerse: Born To Win” event. It will be held at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall in Metro Manila.

The nubia Neo 5 series’ design and details will be unveiled during the event. It is inspired by the REDMAGIC Gaming Lab, which is behind the REDMAGIC’s high-performance gaming ecosystem.

The nubia Neo 5 series will introduce a bold gaming-centric aesthetic, paired with performance-driven specs.

Customers can expect a sleek, futuristic styling, as well as powerful hardware engineered to elevate everyday mobile gameplay.

Across the lineup, users can expect high refresh rate displays, powerful processors, advanced cooling systems, and the familiar gaming triggers from the previous series.

It does look like nubia is adding AI-powered gaming optimization to give players an extra edge for every competitive match.

All these, of course, minus the flagship price tag.

Enter the NEOverse

At nubia’s launch event, the activity area will be transformed into a gaming-inspired universe.

Guests can explore interactive zones, participate in challenges, and experience the nubia Neo 5 series firsthand. They can also unlock exclusive rewards and prizes.

Moreover, the event will feature appearances from nubia ambassadors Sanya Lopez and ONIC Philippines.

From there, there will be 1v1 gaming sessions with ONIC PH players, as well as a special “Play” segment featuring a yet-to-be-revealed cosplayer.

nubia will also offer event-exclusive deals for early shoppers during the launch. Customers can enjoy up to seven premium freebies per nubia Neo 5 model. This is available for the first 100 customers.

Furthermore, nubia will officially announce its TikTok Super Brand Week, as well as partnerships with Yanlala and Geely.

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REDMI Note 15 Series named Presenting Partner for Spartan Race Philippines 2026 season

Titan Toughness takes center stage!

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Being a Spartan athlete for five years has taught me that endurance isn’t just about physical strength; it’s about the mental grit to keep moving when your body begs you to stop.

In this world, “toughness” becomes more than just a marketing buzzword. Now, it’s a requirement for survival. That’s why the partnership between Spartan Race Philippines and the REDMI Note 15 Series feels like a shared philosophy.

Partner for a tough course

Starting March 21, 2026, at Parklinks, Pasig City, the REDMI Note 15 Series officially joins the Spartan circuit.

For someone who has navigated these obstacles for years, I know that technology usually doesn’t belong in the mud. But the “Titan Tough” promise of the REDMI Note 15 is built for this exact routine.

It’s designed to be there for the moments that matter. For capturing the raw, unpolished triumph of the finish line; for surviving the grit of the course so you can focus on the next hurdle; and for finding the device at the heart of the festival area and the winner’s circle, mirroring the resilience of the athletes themselves.

Join the journey

Whether you are a seasoned elite racer or stepping into your first Open heat, this season is about testing your limits.

To help you get to that starting line, you can use the discount code REDMINOTE15 to get 10% OFF on all Spartan Race OCR, Spartan Kids Race, and Hurricane Heat events.

See you at the starting line. AROO!

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Stylish, student-friendly HONOR X8d launches

Price, pre-order offers

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HONOR Philippines has launched its latest mass-market smartphone entry that caters to students and the youthful market in general: the HONOR X8d.

The budget smartphone is priced at PhP 15,999 and is available in Blue, Velvet Black, and Velvet Grey colors.

As part of launch offers, those who pre-order until March 27 can get a free accessory and can also avail of 0% installment plans via credit cards and Home Credit.

Customers can get the device through Lazada, Shopee, and HONOR stores.

REVIEW: The HONOR X8d is serviceable

The HONOR X8d is powered by a Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 2 processor and comes with 8GB of RAM (plus 8GB expansion) and 256GB of storage.

It has a large 7,000mAh battery which supports 45W charging, making it a very long-lasting daily value companion.

The device features a 6.77-inch 120Hz display which has up to 3,000 nits of brightness, making it useful for practical situations.

The handset comes with usual display certifications and protections, including 3840Hz PWM dimming, E-Book mode, SGS drop resistance, and an IP65 rating.

For its cameras, the X8d has a 108MP main camera, plus a 16MP front camera. The main shooter can capture decent quality at 1x, 2x, and 3x zoom ranges.

There are also handy AI editing tools like AI Eraser, AI Cutout, and AI Upscale.

Out of the box, the HONOR X8d runs on MagicOS 10 based on Android 16. It also has staple productivity tools like AI Translate, AI Writing, AI Notes, and AI Recorder, alongside features such as Magic Portal and Circle to Search.

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