News

POCO X3 NFC launches with Snapdragon 732G, 120Hz display

The perfect midrange phone?

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After weeks of teasing, POCO has finally unveiled the POCO X3 NFC in China today. It’s the first phone to house a Snapdragon 732G processor and the midrange phone will be going up against OPPO’s Reno and even the OnePlus 8.

The phone has a 6.7-inch LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Full HD+ resolution. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5 and gets TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification.

Powering the phone is a Snapdragon 732G processor with Adreno 618 GPU. The phone sports expandable storage via a microSD card and features LiquidCool technology for better performance endurance.

On the rear is a quad camera setup consisting of a 64-megapixel primary sensor, a 13-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 2-megapixel portrait shooter, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. For selfies, a 20-megapixel front camera is located in a punch-hole cut-out.

Backing these internals is a 5160mAh battery with 33W fast charging. The phone ships with MIUI 12 out-of-the-box and features dual stereo speakers.

Pricing and availability

The POCO X3 NFC will come in Shadow Gray and Cobalt Blue. Pricing are as follows:

Europe

6GB+64GB — EUR 229 (US$ 271) / early bird pricing EUR 199 (US$ 235)
6GB+128GB — EUR 269 (US$ 318) / early bird pricing EUR 249m (US$ 294)

It will be available starting September 8 on the official Xiaomi store as well as other popular online shopping stores.

Philippines

6GB+64GB — PhP 10,990
6GB+128GB — PhP 12,990

Will be available starting September 9.

There’s also a special 48-hour deal. The 6GB+64GB variant will be available exclusively on Shopee at PhP 9,990. Early bird customers will also receive a complimentary POCO mousepad, BlackShark Fun Cooler.

Meanwhile, the 6GB+128GB variant will retail for PhP 11,990 with the following freebies: POCO digital pouch and BlackShark Fun Cooler Pro.

India

6GB+64GB — INR 16,999

6GB+128GB — INR 18,499

8GB+128GB — INR 19,999

It will be available for purchase via Flipkart from September 29.

The phone is called POCO X3 officially in India and has a slightly bumped battery, coming in at 6000mAh. The regional variant doesn’t have NFC connectivity.

SEE ALSO: POCO F2 Pro review: Underrated sequel

News

Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for $15 million

Samsung allegedly used her image without her consent.

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Samsung has an unlikely rival. Dua Lipa is suing the South Korean company for using her image without her permission.

In the marketing world, brand endorsers are part and parcel of how products are pushed to the market. Famous celebrities are often asked to advertise a product for their potential star power. That said, a company needs the endorser’s consent first.

According to a new suit (via Variety), pop star Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for using her image to endorse TVs without her consent. The South Korean brand is reportedly using Lipa’s photo on the packaging of its TVs. Lipa alleges that the photo’s usage implies that she endorses the TV, which she does not.

The complaint also alleges that Lipa asked Samsung to take down the image last year. However, Samsung’s reply was, to her, “dismissive and callous.” The brand has then continued to use the image in its packaging.

To prove her point, the suit includes anecdotes of Samsung customers who bought the TV specifically because the packaging has Lipa’s image on it. To pay for damages, Lipa is asking for US$ 15 million from the global brand for copyright infringement.

SEE ALSO: These Samsung TVs and sound devices are perfect for summer

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The Switch 2 is getting more expensive this year

The price increases will start this month.

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Gone are the days when consoles get cheaper as time goes by. These days, especially because of the RAM crisis, gaming consoles are getting more expensive. Joining this worrying trend, the Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a price hike.

Even upon launch, the Switch 2 was already pricier than its original counterpart. Currently, without the incoming price hikes, the console retails for US$ 449.99. It’s a lot but not completely out of reach.

Last week, Nintendo announced a price hike that might push the console to less than attainable levels. Starting May 25, the Switch 2 will cost JPY 59,980 (up from JPY 49,980) in Japan. The original generation is also getting a hike: JPY 47,980 for the Switch OLED, JPY 43,980 for the base Switch, and JPY 29,980 for the Switch Lite.

Abroad, you can expect price hikes on September 1. The Switch 2 will jump to US$ 499.99, CAN 679.99, or EUR 499.99, depending on where you live. These are the only official hikes announced right now, but Nintendo has confirmed that price revisions will be implemented in other regions, too.

As you might expect, the price increases are due to the ongoing RAM crisis. Though the console is an undeniable hit, the Switch 2 can’t hide behind its popularity against the price shortage dealt by unnecessary data centers. At the very least, users worldwide have time to grab the console in its original pricing before the hikes.

SEE ALSO: Switch 2 now lets you play old games in 1080p

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Gaming

Call of Duty drops the PlayStation 4 starting with its next game

Is this the beginning of the end for the PlayStation 4?

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When can we declare that a console is officially dead? Is it as soon as the launch of the next generation? Is it when games no longer come out on the console? Recently, Call of Duty has confirmed that the next game will not be available anymore on the PlayStation 4, which presents an important question: Is the PlayStation 4 officially dead?

Call of Duty is one of the most persistent gaming franchises today. The last entry, Black Ops 7, is still available for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Both consoles were launched over twelve years ago. (If that doesn’t make you old, the current generation was launched almost six years ago.)

As such, the franchise is one of the last stalwarts keeping the past generation alive. This week, Call of Duty, via a post on X, confirmed that the next game will not arrive on the PlayStation 4. Presumably, this also means the Xbox One.

Currently, we don’t have details about the upcoming game yet. But a new entry is confirmed to arrive later this year.

With the departure of the Call of Duty franchise, it’s fair to ask what will become of the old generation moving forward. Over the years, developers have started shying away from the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Since the franchise still maintains a steady fan base today, a lot of PlayStation 4 users might be forced to make an upgrade to play the latest entry.

SEE ALSO: PC Game Pass gets cheaper, but Call of Duty delays are coming

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