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Moto Z3 Play goes official with dual cameras and new Moto Mods

It’s missing something…

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After launching their budget Moto E5 and Moto G6 devices, Motorola unveiled the Moto Z3 Play. The Z Play series continues to be Motorola’s battery-efficient line of devices even up to this day. There are hardware changes from its predecessor, but the good news remains to be the support for Moto Mods.

Motorola kept the same footprint as the Z and Z2, but they managed to put in a taller 6-inch Super AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution. The bezels of the phone are now slimmer especially the forehead and chin. That being said, Motorola moved the fingerprint sensor to the side — just like how Xperia implemented theirs before.

Inside the phone is a Snapdragon 636 processor with 4GB of memory and up to 64GB of storage. The camera department also gets an upgrade with the addition of a secondary sensor. The main camera still sports a 12-megapixel sensor with Dual Pixel AF behind an f/1.7 lens, but it’s now paired with a 5-megapixel sensor to help with background effects such as bokeh. The selfie camera is now an 8-megapixel shooter, but it lost its dedicated LED flash.

The Z3 Play doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone port unlike the Z2 Play, but its battery capacity remains at 3000mAh. The loss of the jack didn’t give way to a bigger battery, unfortunately. Thankfully, the support of TurboPower 15W charging is still present.

Since the Z3 Play still has the same size as before, it accepts all existing and new Moto Mods. The back of the Z3 Play, though, is now a Gorilla Glass 3 panel. Also, it runs on a clean version of Android Oreo with a few Moto apps like Moto Display, Actions, and Camera.

Motorola brought the Moto Z3 Play to Brazil starting at a price of BRL 2,299 or roughly US$ 600. In the US, it’s priced at just US$ 499 and it is even bundled with a battery Moto Mod.

SEE ALSO: Motorola announces Moto G6, G6 Play, and G6 Plus with 18:9 displays, Android Oreo

Gaming

The regular PlayStation 5 is getting an AI upscaling feature

The feature debuts with Wolverine and Ghost of Yotei.

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Marvel's Wolverine

If you’re an owner of a regular PlayStation 5, watching a PS5 Pro owner might touch you with a tinge of jealousy. Besides the upgraded console’s better hardware, it also has something called the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), which uses AI to improve resolution and framerate. Unfortunately, that feature isn’t available on the regular console. But Sony is throwing the classic console a bone today by adding Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR), which does the same as PSSR but on the older machine.

Since the introduction of PSSR, fans and developers alike have asked whether the older console can have a version of the technology. Developed with AMD, QSSR is an AI upscaling feature that improves performance for modern games on the PlayStation 5. For now, the feature is debuting first on Ghost of Yotei and Marvel’s Wolverine via a set of patches. Moving forward, Sony will also allow its developers to add the feature for their respective games.

Now, the choice of games is deliberate. Marvel’s Wolverine is still fresh on everyone’s mind. Meanwhile, Ghost of Yotei has just released a Complete Edition, which packs in a new story expansion and a roguelike mode. You don’t even need to Complete Edition or the corresponding paid upgrade to enjoy the new feature.

SEE ALSO: Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition review: More of a great thing

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iPhone 18 Pro series pre-orders now open via Power Mac Center

Philippines gears up for iPhone 18 Pro series midnight launch later this month

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Premier Apple partner Power Mac Center (PMC) in the Philippines has opened pre-orders for the newest iPhone 18 Pro series.

As part of the announcement, exclusive activities were held at Greenbelt 3 and SM Mall of Asia. The nationwide pre-order opens on October 2.

Being among the first to pre-order the latest iPhone entitles customers to secure premium freebies.

Those visiting the aforementioned mall activations will also enjoy pre-order kits and UpTrade Boost, as well as freebies and a chance to win raffle prizes.

In any case, by October 2, nationwide pre-order will commence at Apple Premium partner stores. Meanwhile, PMC stores nationwide will accept pre-orders during mall hours.

In-store pre-order customers will also get pre-order kits and UpTrade Boost. In addition, there will be early access for customers who will line up for partner-exclusive offers at select locations:

  • BPI at Greenbelt 3
  • UnionBank at SM Megamall, The Annex SM North EDSA, Molito Lifestyle Center
  • Billease at SM City Tuguegarao

Lastly, customers who prefer online transactions can visit PMC’s official web store and the new official Lazada flagship store starting October 2.

Customers may use their 1 Infinite loyalty points as payment. Bank offers are also available.

The pre-order period ends on October 15.

iPhone 18 Pro series midnight launch

As usual, the iPhone 18 Pro series will officially be welcomed in the Philippines through a midnight launch.

There will be six locations where customers can take part in the festivities: Greenbelt 3, SM Mall of Asia, SM City Iloilo, SM Lanang, SM Megamall, and SM North EDSA.

Midnight launch participants can get exclusive gifts when they avail in select locations:

  • Additional freebies for first 75 customers: Greenbelt 3 and SM Mall of Asia
  • Additional freebies for first 50 customers: SM City Iloilo and SM Lanang
  • Additional freebies for first 25 customers: SM Megamall and SM North EDSA
  • Voucher for non-Apple accessory: Midnight selling participants at SM Megamall and SM North EDSA

More details will be announced on Power Mac Center’s social media accounts.

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Apple wants to release new iPhones more regularly

Apple CEO John Ternus is aiming for a new direction.

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Only a month after taking the reins from Tim Cook, Apple CEO John Ternus already changed how the company runs. As you’ve probably gathered, the company is now experimenting with a new release schedule by launching the two Pro models ahead of the regular iPhone duo. According to a new report, it’s all intentional as Ternus looks to make the company’s releases much more regular and unique.

That should come as no surprise for everyone. As opposed to the more managerial style of Tim Cook, Ternus comes specifically from an engineering background, ensuring that we’ll likely get crazier ideas going forward.

Right now, we don’t know how this new status quo will look like. It’s likely that we’ll see the regular iPhone 18 siblings next year, but who knows what else Apple has planned? Currently, there are rumors that the company might host a home-themed event this month.

Apple is now going through the tough teething stage of Ternus’s young term. Besides changing schedules, the company is also slowly shelving some projects to make itself leaner. Unfortunately, doing so also means layoffs. At the very least, Apple is allowing affected employees to find new work within the company to prevent getting laid off.

SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone 18 Pro Series review

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