News
Sony announces the Xperia 1 II, their newest flagship smartphone
A major improvement over the Xperia 1
It’s been a year since the announcement of Xperia 1 during MWC 2019. Although GSMA surprised everyone in the tech world with the cancellation of MWC 2020 due to the novel coronavirus, it hasn’t stopped Sony from announcing their latest devices.
Even if there are a lot of smartphones coming, the Japan-based company is ahead of the game by announcing three new smartphones: the flagship-grade Xperia 1 II, the midrange Xperia 10 II, and a professionally-targeted Xperia Pro that’s currently in development. The new “Mark II” naming scheme even reminds us of Sony’s Alpha mirrorless cameras.
What’s changed
With the debut of Snapdragon 865 chipset last December, Sony decided to equip their newest flagship with the latest chipset. This means there are improvements in performance over last year’s Snapdragon 855.
What’s groundbreaking is the support for 5G, something the Xperia 1 doesn’t have. To be specific, it uses the sub-6GHz spectrum instead of the mmWave. You can read this article to know all the hullabaloos of 5G connectivity.

Image by GadgetMatch
Sony is generous by giving more memory, bumping up from 6GB to 8GB. Instead of offering 64 and 128GB options, internal storage is only 256GB. Don’t worry, storage expandability isn’t limited to dual-SIM models anymore. Expect more battery life with its 4000mAh battery (which is a step up over last year’s 3330mAh).
There’s also a minor cosmetic change on the Xperia 1 II. The camera bump can now be found at the upper left portion instead of the center, making the design language similar to the Xperia 5.
As expected, it will run on the latest Android 10 out of the box.
What remains

Image by GadgetMatch
Just like the Xperia 1, it’s the same type of monolithic slab that’s sandwiched by two Gorilla Glass 6. Although it has a faster 90Hz refresh rate, it’s still the similar 6.5-inch 4K OLED Display with a cinematic 21:9 Aspect Ratio.
The camera system is still a triple 12-megapixel setup but it now has larger sensors and ZEISS optics. The cameras are also calibrated by ZEISS and the lens have a special ZEISS T* anti-reflective coating on them (something you can only find on professional lenses before). Optical zoom is one-step further with three times magnification instead of two.
Although 8K video recording isn’t there, 4K recording now has a 60p option. There’s even an additional 3D ToF sensor for sensing objects and faster focusing. The Eye AF tracking now works in animals too. It can even do 20fps burst shots with AF tracking. Selfie camera is still rated at 8 megapixels though.

Image by GadgetMatch
The Cinema Pro app still exists for professionally-inclined smartphone videography. An added bonus is the touch focus instead of the fixed focus found on previous versions. In addition to that is the new Camera Pro app which does the same job for photographs taken with the Xperia 1 II.
Front-facing stereo speakers also remain. The IP65/68 rating is still present which helps in keeping the device functioning even in harsher environments. Fingerprint reader is still side-mounted instead of an under-display scanner.
Audio jack resurrected

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Not totally a headlining feature, but for audiophiles, they know that the 3.5mm audio jack was missing last year. Sony has decided to bring it back with the Xperia 1 II. It’s a clever move considering this smartphone is a multimedia powerhouse. This also indicates that Sony still listens to its loyal fanbase.
Pricing and availability

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As stated earlier, the Xperia 1 II only comes in one configuration: 8GB RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. It will be available in Europe with a retail price of EUR 1199 (approximately US$ 1299). The Xperia 1 II only has two color options: black and purple.
Availability is uncertain. A French press release stated it will be available by “spring” or around March. Meanwhile, Dutch and Bulgarian press releases suggest “end of spring”, which is around May.
Pricing and availability in other regions have yet to be announced.
Computex 2026
The new NVIDIA RTX Spark laptops are AI PCs on steroids
“Useful AI has arrived,” NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang proclaimed in his monumental keynote speech to kick off COMPUTEX 2026, essentially admitting to the state of AI prior to today. But don’t let the past mess with how you view the present. AI today, according to the graphics-turned-AI company, will now serve everyday users, rather than procuring abstract and intangible benefits. For us normal people, it all starts with the new RTX Spark.
Rarely does a new product claim to reinvent the entire industry. Confident in its own abilities, that’s just what the RTX Spark wants to do. But what is it exactly?
Think of it like Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs but on AI-powered steroids. NVIDIA wants to bring the power of a supercomputer into the hands of regular consumers, just like how the personal computer (PC) brought gigantic computers to the comfort of everyone’s homes.
Co-engineered with Microsoft, RTX Spark will run autonomous AI agents the entire day. The agent is tied to you and your intent but will orchestrate all your devices under one roof.
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. The new series will leverage a Blackwell RTX GPU and a 20-core Grace CPU from MediaTek. It can also support up to 128GB of unified memory, delivering several of the most powerful (and most expensive) PCs available to consumers today. With the capabilities comparable to an RTX 5070, the series can supposedly play modern games with ease.
Inside, it will come with CUDA, the trove of information that powers AI technology today. Finally, despite how slim NVIDIA promises the series will be, the RTX Spark should come with a battery that lasts the entire day.
The first NVIDIA RTX Spark laptops will launch later this fall with six premium laptops for various brands. This, along with the 30 models launching soon after, will include Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and MSI. No word yet on how much these will cost, though.
UGREEN is expanding its smart travel lineup with the launch of the new FineTrack Series, a collection of compact trackers designed to help users keep tabs on everyday essentials.
Leading the announcement are the FineTrack 2 and FineTrack Mini 2, both of which support Apple’s Find My network for easy location tracking through compatible Apple devices. The trackers are built for travelers and commuters who want an extra layer of security for items such as keys, bags, wallets, and passports.
The FineTrack 2 comes in a soccer-inspired design created to celebrate the upcoming 2026 World Cup, while the FineTrack Mini 2 adopts a slimmer tag-style form factor that fits more easily inside wallets and passport holders. Both devices feature glow-in-the-dark accents for improved visibility in low-light conditions.
UGREEN says the trackers offer global tracking capabilities through Apple’s Find My ecosystem, along with smart left-behind alerts that notify users before they accidentally leave important belongings behind. When an item is nearby, users can trigger an alarm reaching up to 110dB to help locate it faster.
The company also highlights long-term reliability, with battery life rated for up to seven years. The FineTrack 2 additionally carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.
UGREEN has also announced Southeast Asia pricing for the new FineTrack Series.
Price and availability
In Singapore, the FineTrack 2 is priced at SGD 29.99, while the FineTrack Mini 2 costs SGD 25.99. Malaysian pricing comes in at RM 69 and RM 59, respectively.
For the Philippines, the FineTrack 2 retails for PHP 850, while the FineTrack Mini 2 is priced at PHP 799. In Vietnam, the trackers cost VND 369,000 and VND 339,000, respectively. Thailand pricing starts at THB 590 for both models.
Alongside the FineTrack Series, UGREEN also introduced its new Air Editions lineup. This includes the Nexode Air 65W Charger, Nexode Air 45W Charger Slim, and the MagFlow Air Magnetic Power Bank 10000mAh 15W, all designed around portability with compact and lightweight builds. The company has separately announced Southeast Asia pricing for these accessories.
The FineTrack Series is now rolling out across select Southeast Asian markets.
Along with the launch of the Xiaomi 17T Series, the company has likewise introduced a new lineup of AIoT offerings from wearables to smart home devices.
The new Xiaomi ecosystem lineup includes the Xiaomi Watch S5 46mm, Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro, and Xiaomi Buds 6 on the wearables end.
Furthermore, there’s the Xiaomi TV S Mini LED Series 2026 and Mijia Front Load Washer Dryer 9kg on the smart home front.
All these products are available with early bird offers also in store for consumers until June 7.
Xiaomi Watch S5 46mm
The Xiaomi Watch S5 46mm combines a refined 46mm stainless steel design with a 1.48-inch AMOLED display.
It has up to 21 days of battery life, supports over 150 sports modes, and has upgraded heart rate monitoring and system GNSS.
It also offers deeper sleep insights, Xiaomi HyperOS 3, and Xiaomi Home integration.
This wearable retails for PhP 10,229 (SRP: PhP 10,999) with a free strap. The Special Edition retails for PhP 11,159 (SRP PhP 11,999).
Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro
Additionally, there’s the everyday wellness tracking device in the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro. It has a 1.74-inch AMOLED display, up to 2,000 nits brightness, and up to 21 days of battery life.
It supports upgraded heart rate tracking and more than 150 sports modes, as well as more improvements.
It is priced at PhP 4,199 (SRP: PhP 4,499) with a Special Edition retailing for PhP 5,019 (PhP 5,399) — both with free straps during the promo period.
Xiaomi Buds 6
Furthermore, there’s the Xiaomi Buds 6, bringing a semi in-ear audio experience for comfortable and immersive listening.
It features an 11mm triple-magnet dynamic driver, Harman-tuned audio, Qualcomm aptX Lossless technology (on compatible devices), dimensional audio with head-tracking, ANC, 3-mic AI noise reduction, and HyperOS support.
It is available for PhP 5,679 (SRP: PhP 6,099).
Xiaomi TV S Mini LED Series 2026
For home entertainment, the new Xiaomi TV S Mini LED Series 2026 brings cinematic entertainment in five different sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch, and 98-inch.
The TV is powered by QD-Mini LED technology, and supports up to 1,200 nits of peak brightness. Other features include HDR10+, HLG, Filmmaker Mode, and Dolby Vision on select models.
The series also supports Google TV with Apple AirPlay, Google Assistant, and Google Cast support.
Mijia Front Load Washer Dryer 9kg
Lastly, the Mijia Front Load Washer Dryer 9kg combines two laundry tasks into one smart solution.
It has a large drum, power wash technology, high-temperature steam hygiene mode, and over 30 wash programs. Included is a 15-minute quick wash, as well as one-tap wash-and-dry function.
Through the Xiaomi Home app, users can also monitor cycles, customize settings, save preferences, and receive software updates over time.
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