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Realme 2 and 2 Pro launch in Southeast Asia

Aimed at the youth market

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As far as spin-offs go, Realme looks to be heading in the right direction.

After launching the budget-friendly Realme 2 and Realme 2 Pro in India, the company which was initially an OPPO sub-brand is setting its sights on Southeast Asia. At an event held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, Realme launched the two phones which are aimed squarely at the youth market.

Realme is marketing their phones as “Power meets Style.” The Realme 2 Pro is taking care of the power part with a Snapdragon 660 processor, up to 8GB of RAM, and up to 128GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 256GB thanks to a microSD card slot. It has a 3500mAh battery to power you through the day. There will also be 4GB and 6GB RAM variants.

As for style, the Realme 2 will come in three colors: Black, Blue, and Red, and will sport a diamond-cut-looking design on its back similar to the one first seen on the OPPO F7.

Cameras for portraits and selfies

The cameras seem standard enough for 2018. The Realme 2 sports a 13- and 2-megapixel dual-camera setup while the front-facing camera has 8 megapixels. It’s packed with features like portrait mode, beauty mode, and AR stickers. The Realme 2 Pro takes it up a notch (yes, it does have a notch) with a 16MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and a secondary 2MP depth sensor with an f/2 aperture. The selfie camera is 16MP and supports AI-powered beauty mode and smart HDR.

Both phones will run on Android 8.1 Oreo with ColorOS on top.

New entry-level king

Realme also announced a new entry-level phone — the Realme C1. It will sport the dewdrop notch just like the Realme 2 Pro’s, but the specs are more comparable to the Realme 2: 6.2-inch display, 13MP + 2MP dual cameras, 4230mAh battery, 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage.

Pricing and availability

As of posting, we only have the pricing and availability for Indonesia:

Realme 2 Pro (October 23 through Lazada)
4GB + 64GB: IDR 2,899,000
6GB + 64GB: IDR 3,299,000
8GB + 128GB: IDR 3,699,00

Realme 2 (October 16 through Lazada)
3GB + 32GB: IDR 1,999,000
4GB + 64GB: IDR 2,399,000

Realme C1
2GB + 16GB: IDR 1,499,000 with special sale on November 11 at IDR 1,399,000

We’ll update with the prices for the rest of Southeast Asia as soon as we get the information.

News

Globe introduces The Loop, a portable 5G Wi-Fi hotspot

A home WiFi that moves with you

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Globe at Home The Loop

Globe is giving Filipinos a new way to stay connected — whether at home or on the go — with The loop, its latest portable 5G Wi-Fi device.

Globe at Home The Loop

Officially unveiled at The Blueprint event, The loop combines style and function in one compact device. It looks like a sleek mini basket with a handle on top and a touchscreen display in the middle — designed for everyday use, not just tech setups.

While it serves as a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot that can connect up to 16 devices simultaneously, Globe also built Theoop to fit right into modern lifestyles. You can stream music, watch videos, and even make video calls directly from the device — perfect for family bonding moments, group trips, or quick catch-ups anywhere.

Globe at Home The Loop

With its built-in battery, The loop keeps your connection running for up to two days even during a power outage, making it a reliable companion at home or outdoors.

Price and availability

Globe at Home The Loop

Available in green, orange,and white and soon in pink! The Loop retails for PhP 10,999.

Available on TikTok Shop! Get the connection you’ll love and feel the 5G energy with exclusive launch deals.

Also available at select Globe The loop stores nationwide — including Alabang Town Center, ICONIC Store BGC, Glorietta 3, Robinsons Place Manila, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, SM Southmall, SM City Cebu, and more.

Globe’s The loop is more than a Wi-Fi gadget — it’s an experience built to keep every connection within reach.

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Gaming

New Civilization VII update will address everyone’s biggest issue

Soon, everyone can play as a single Civ.

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Despite being enjoyable in its current state, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is a work in progress. Firaxis Games is still working on improvements, especially as suggested by the franchise’s fans. Now, approaching the new game’s first anniversary, Civilization VII is getting a massive patch, called the Test of Time update, later this spring.

Playing as a single Civ

Test of Time will address the biggest problem that players had with the base game: the inability to play as a single Civ. Currently, players are forced to evolve into Age-appropriate Civs at the end of the previous Age. The system leads to odd histories, such as Maurya somehow evolving into modern-day America.

Starting with the update, players can now take a single Civ across the test of time. And it’s not a shoehorned feature, too. Civs will now have an Apex Age, meaning the Age they were historically associated with. Playing Civs outside of their Apex Age will introduce a new kit that corresponds to the other Ages.

Plus, this also introduces a new system called Syncretism. Playing a Civ outside of their Age allows players to choose a unique military unit or infrastructure from other Civs to help bolster their strategy.

The new system works in reverse too. Players can start a game in the Modern Age using an Antiquity Age Civ. Finally, if players decide to use this system, the AI will follow suit, ensuring an equal playing field.

Reworked victory conditions

Besides the playability of Civs, Civilization VII will rework Victories. Instead of a clear path to victory via Legacy Paths (which players have complained as being too rigid), the new Triumph system will introduce new optional objectives to prod players further down the line of victory.

Plus, getting extraordinary progress in one victory condition can help players earn victory even before the Modern Age. Victory can be earned as early as the Exploration Age, but Firaxis has not explained how this can happen.

Firaxis says that the new system should help the game feel more dynamic and exciting after the Antiquity Age.

Now, to celebrate the actual anniversary, players will get access to a new leader, Gilgamesh, a fan favorite from the previous game. He will be free for all players with update 1.3.2.

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Gaming

CM Punk graces cover of WWE 2K26

The game will feature over 400 playable characters, the largest to date.

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Compared to the gigantic NBA 2K, WWE 2K is a relatively small series. Well, with thirty teams and a healthy roster of hall of famers, that’s no surprise. This year, however, WWE 2K26 wants to catch up, featuring the biggest roster that the franchise has ever had and a plethora of new features.

WWE 2K26 will feature over 400 playable characters, which includes current Superstars from RAW, SmackDown, and NXT. As always, Legends and Hall of Famers will be playable wrestlers.

This year, however, the roster of classics are much healthier. Specifically, there are three different editions dedicated to past wrestlers. The first, called The King of Kings Edition, centers the spotlight on Hall of Famer and Chief Content Officer, Triple H (or Paul Levesque). The Attitude Era Edition features Superstars from that era, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, and The Rock. Finally, the Monday Night Wars Edition includes Superstars from WCW such as the nWo’s Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall.

Meanwhile, the Standard Edition features a Superstar that’s been no less decorated over the years. CM Punk, who will also grace the cover, will have his entire career featured in the annual 2K Showcase.

For gameplay, WWE 2K26 has four new match types: I Quit, Inferno, Three Stages of Hell, and Dumpster. Intergender matches are also available now. The environment is now more interactable with more usable weapons. Plus, the Stamina and Reversal systems have been reworked.

The Standard Edition (US$ 69.99) launches on March 13 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

The King of Kings Edition (US$ 99.99), the Attitude Era Edition (US$ 129.99), and the Monday Night War Edition (US$ 149.99) will all launch a week prior, on March 6.

SEE ALSO: Netflix will become new home for WWE in 2025

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