POCO has announced the availability of another affordable smartphone in the Philippines in the POCO M8s 5G.

The handset is powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 mobile platform, and comes with up to 16GB of RAM (8GB base plus 8GB expansion).

It runs on Xiaomi HyperOS and supports intelligent features, including Google Gemini and Circle to Search.

The POCO M8s 5G comes with a 50MP main camera, along with creative AI tools like AI Erase and AI Sky.

In front is a 6.9-inch 1.5K display with Wet Touch Technology 2.0. The phone also houses a 7,000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging and 18W reverse charging.

Other practical features include 200% volume boost, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and IP64 water and dust resistance.

Price, availability

In the Philippines, the POCO M8s 5G is available on Shopee exclusively from April 21 to 30.

During this early bird window, the phone is available for:

• 6GB+128GB: PhP 11,999
• 8GB+256GB: PhP 13,999

Afterwards, the phone will become available on Lazada and other platforms.

Launch offers for the MacBook Neo are aplenty, and Beyond the Box and Digital Walker are both offering the best deals for the first 400 customers to purchase the laptop on launch day, April 23.

The authorized retailers will hold a special launch event at the Glorietta Palm Drive Activity Center in Makati, Metro Manila.

The first 400 customers will get an exclusive bundle comprising both the MacBook Neo and an Apple Watch SE 2 starting at just PhP 39,990. That’s PhP 16,990 in savings, virtually getting the smartwatch for free.

Meanwhile, the 512GB configuration retails for PhP 46,990.

Customers can start placing orders by 11:00 A.M. Once the first 400 slots are gone, the deals are likewise gone.

Furthermore, there will also be PhP 250,000 worth of raffle prizes up for grabs. Included here is the chance to take home the airiest mobile phone.

The launch event officially takes place at 5:30 P.M. and the MacBook Neo units begin releasing at 7:00 P.M.

As YouTube remains the top streaming platform in the Philippines, advertisers are urged to continue investing in TV programs and content available on the platform, as these generate effective returns.

According to a 2025 Kantar Study, YouTube is the No. 1 video streaming platform in the Philippines in terms of reach.

The same study mentions that 97% of Filipinos in rural Visayas and Mindanao, two major island groups in the country, have watched online TV programs on YouTube in the past month.

Another significant finding is that the streaming platform is providing a 60% incremental reach beyond traditional linear TV.

This proves that YouTube is an essential bridge to Filipino TV viewers, specially in this era. The platform has transformed from just being a video hosting site to an all-in-one entertainment hub that spans traditional TV programs and both longform vlogs and shortform trending clips.

Given this massive gravitational pull, YouTube has partnered with media giants ABS-CBN, GMA, and TV5. This is to ensure the best content, from news to live sports, is available to every YouTube subscriber.

Furthermore, during the “Unstoppable: YouTube in the Next Era of Growth” event, the networks also urged advertisers to keep supporting such TV programs and related content.

They mentioned conversion numbers that say ads through such content remain effective. This is a dynamic that sponsors can continue to explore for marketing, given that YouTube has also integrated Unskippable Ads onto their platform.