Remember when Xiaomi announced the Mi A3 in India days ago? Good news for everyone as the Mi A3 will also be in the Philippines.

This latest A-series offering is known as the “stripped-down” version of the Mi CC9e. It packs the same internals: Snapdragon 665 chipset, 4GB RAM, plus 64 or 128GB storage options. What’s different? Instead of the heavily-skinned MIUI 10, it packs the Android One with a fresh, stock-like Android experience — just like using a Google Pixel.

There’s a new 6.088-inch Super AMOLED display in tow. With the new display technology, it’s expected to be power-efficient. Although changing the technology from IPS-LCD may sound good, the downgrade of screen resolution from 1080p to 720p might become a dealbreaker for some. Other than that, there’s an optical in-display fingerprint scanner, eliminating the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner of the Mi A2.

This year’s A3 packs a triple camera setup: 48-megapixel main camera, 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a new 8-megapixel ultra-wide shooter. The Dot Drop Display notch houses the 32-megapixel selfie camera. Both cameras have AI functionality.

When it comes to battery, the 4,030 mAh capacity is a huge improvement over last year. It is expected to have a longer battery life than Mi A2’s so-so 3,000 mAh battery. 18W Fast Charge is still supported, all thanks to USB-C. They also brought back the 3.5mm audio jack for dongle-less usage. The IR blaster is still present for controlling appliances.

Pricing and availability

The Xiaomi Mi A3 will be available in local Mi Authorized stores starting August 24, 2019 and will be on Lazada and Shopee starting September 9, 2019. There are three color options to choose from: Not Just Blue, Kind of Grey, and More than White. The sole variant with 4GB/128GB configuration will retail at PhP 11,990.

Preparations for the upcoming 2019 Southeast Asian Games are underway, especially with eSports now added to the competition. Razer, the official eSports partner for the SEA Games has an idea on how to make preparations more interesting. The global gaming lifestyle brand wants to bring esports teams from all participating countries to train them by learning from the best players in the world.

Razer officially rolls out the Razer SEA Games eSports Bootcamp, a two-day training camp for eSports teams participating in the Dota 2 tournament for the SEA Games. The bootcamp will feature a series of mentorship sessions and practice games for all the competing teams from Singapore (Team X) , Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia (PG.Barracx), and the Philippines (Sibol). With the inclusion of eSports in this year’s SEA Games, Razer’s Global Sports Director David Tse hopes to “bring eSports to the next level.”

To guide these teams to success, Razer taps upon a global eSports powerhouse in the Evil Geniuses. EG’s Dota 2 coach, Sam “Bulba” Sosale will mentor the five participating teams to compete at the highest level for the upcoming tournament.

“Evil Geniuses is excited to help some of the best players in Southeast Asia prepare for it,” Sosale said. As of writing, members of the EG’s Dota 2 team are competing in the Upper Bracket semifinal round of The International 9 in Shanghai.

The Razer SEA Games eSports Bootcamp will run from September 2 to 3, 2019 in Singapore. As a treat, Evil Geniuses is hosting their first ever meet-and-greet in Southeast Asia on September 1. Fans will have a chance to get up close with members from EG’s Dota 2 team: Arteezy, SumaiL and s4, along with Bulba. Fans will also get a chance to win signed jerseys from their favorite players.

Canon’s G series family just received its latest additions for vloggers and compact camera enthusiasts. These two cameras promise to bring high quality and quick images, while packaged ever so lightly. During the Canon Vlog Ventures event, the company unveiled the PowerShot G5 X  II and the PowerShot G7X  III.

Canon’s Benny Yu, Head of Marketing for its Consumer division dubbed these cameras as an “on-the-go” devices. According to Yu, these devices fit best with “advanced photographers and vloggers who are constantly on the move.” The PowerShot G5 X and G7 X bring a new one-inch CMOS image sensor, 4K video recording, and livestreaming features (only for the G7 X).

Apart from these, both devices support up to 30 frames per second of continuous shooting modes in RAW format. This enables you to capture fast-moving objects without missing a singe thing, especially for events and travel vlogs. This frame cap also applies when shooting videos in 4K, which allows you to shoot videos in unbelievable, stunning quality.

Canon is currently offering vlogger packages along with any pre-orders between August 16 to 31, 2019. The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III package starts at PhP 46,998, complete with a free 24/7 Vlogger Service Support, 3-year warranty and access to Canon’s accessories and lens. Meanwhile, the Canon PowerShot G5 X II package starts at PhP 54,998.

The vlogging cameras were first announced in July. In the US, the G7X III retails for US$ 749.