News
Xiaomi Redmi S2 makes surprise landing in the Philippines
Xiaomi’s most affordable dual-camera phone
Surprise, surprise! After making a successful debut in China last week, Xiaomi’s affordable Redmi S2 smartphone is finding its way to the Philippines, making the archipelago the first country outside of China to receive it.
We already have the Redmi 5A and Redmi Note 5 to drool over, so what makes the Redmi S2 special? Let’s say it’s somewhere in between the two aforementioned bestsellers — both in price and features.
For starters, it comes with a 5.99-inch 720p display with a reliable Snapdragon 625 chipset and 3GB of memory to push pixels. For capacities, you get 32GB of expandable storage and a 3080mAh battery.
But the real star here is the camera setup. There are two on the back: one has a 12-megapixel image sensor while the other has 5 megapixels. Put them together, and you get crisper photos and access to fun features like portrait and HDR modes. Just as cool is the AI-assisted 16-megapixel front camera, which even has its own LED flash.
And in case you’re wondering, there’s a fingerprint sensor on the back panel and Android 8.0 Oreo as its operating system (skinned with Xiaomi’s MIUI 9 interface), unlike some phones in the price range.
The best part: All these come with a price of only PhP 7,990 (US$ 153). That’s a superb deal in this segment, and puts a lot of competitors to shame.
Availability begins once the Redmi S2 hits Lazada Philippines’ online store on June 4.
Gaming
Infinix expands SEA footprint with more official MLBB tourney partnerships
Infinix becomes MPL Indonesia, MSL Thailand official partner
Infinix has announced a landmark expansion of its partnership with Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Esports.
As part of the strategic move, Infinix is now the official partner of various MLBB tournaments across Southeast Asia.
The smartphone brand is now the Presenting Partner of the MLBB Professional League (MPL) Indonesia, as well as the Titling Partner of the MLBB Development League (MDL) Indonesia.
Infinix also strengthens its regional footprint further as the Official Sponsor of the MLBB Super League (MSL) Thailand.
These partnerships build on successful collaborations with the Philippines and Malaysia, deepening Infinix’s commitment to the region’s most competitive markets.
Next-level fan, community engagement
As an official partner, Infinix will deliver comprehensive end-to-end support for the tournaments. This includes supplying tournament-grade hardware and executing localized fan engagement initiatives.
Infinix’s AIoT devices are also going to be on display at the tournaments. Moreover, their flagship regional esports IP, the Infinix Campus Cup, will bring the competition to campuses with offline matches played on Infinix gaming phones.
Uniting Southeast Asian markets
The 2026 MLBB Tournament Series officially kicks off on March 20, with the brand powering the opening matches of MPL Philippines and MSL Myanmar as their Official Gaming Phone.
On March 27, Infinix will debut its presence at MPL Indonesia Season 17, followed by the opening of MDL Indonesia three days after.
As a presenting partner, Infinix will also crown the MPL Indonesia season champions with the “KINGFINIX” title.
The regional expansion continues on April 3 with the start of MPL Malaysia and MPL Cambodia. Infinix’s strong presence across the region then culminates with MSL Thailand on April 18.
Apps
Disney+ launches a TikTok-coded vertical feed called Verts
TikTok has changed how we consume media. Everything is now vertical. Even the most established streaming services, often a bastion for traditionally horizontal content, is adopting the different format. Now, Disney+ is getting a vertical feed called Verts.
Like its contemporaries, Verts presents a continuous feed of content but tailored to show the plethora of titles from the Disney+ library. This might include the first scenes of shows or notable highlights. The hope, of course, is to direct users to the longform content.
Directly from the Verts feed, users can easily add the respective title to their watchlist or go straight to the title’s page. In turn, the feed is accessible from the homepage since it has its own tab.
According to Disney, early experiments with the feature have driven engagement to available content. Right now, the feed is mostly for clipping enticing content from shows. However, the platform will experiment further with the format for new ways to tell stories.
Though Verts surely stands for “verticals” in this case, “adverts” might fit better as its full government name. Still, it might be a useful tool if you’re figuring out what to watch for the night.
Currently, Verts is available for Disney+ subscribers in the United States. Disney also has plans to expand the feature to ESPN for sports-related content.
SEE ALSO: Live NBA action on Disney Plus now available in the Philippines
Some of today’s navigation apps are living in the future. Instead of a two-dimensional map, these apps render the user’s surroundings in 3D. It’s a nifty upgrade that helps drivers more accurately visualize directions on the fly. Finally, Google Maps is getting a much-needed upgrade and will take navigation to the third dimension.
In a new update rolling out today, the new Immersive Navigation feature will bring your surroundings to life. The 3D view creates a render of the surrounding buildings, overpasses, and terrain around the car. It takes the guesswork out of navigation by showing precisely where to turn and what landmarks to look out for.
In the same vein, you can now use Street View to preview your destination before you arrive. Google Maps will also highlight your destination’s entrance, side of the street, and nearby parking.
Outside of how the map is visualized, Google Maps is also infusing its service with Gemini. The new Ask Maps feature will let you engage with the app in a conversational manner. For example, if you’re in the middle of a long drive, you can now ask Maps where the best place is to stop over and have a coffee break. Ask Maps will provide directions, a potential itinerary, and even helpful links to book a reservation ahead of time.
Now, availability for both of these features is still a bit limited. Immersive View is rolling out today to compatible devices and vehicles in the United States. Further, availability will expand over the coming months.
Meanwhile, Ask Maps is available now in the United States and India for Android and iOS. A desktop version is coming soon.
SEE ALSO: Google Maps is finally getting a power saving mode
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