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realme 6i and realme Band: pricing, availability in the Philippines

Compelling features at great prices

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realme Philippines is launching the successor to the popular realme 5 series in the country. The Realme 6 series will build on the features that made its predecessor popular among many. The first device in the series — realme 6i — is coming soon to the Philippines with pre-orders starting soon.

realme 6i is the successor of the highly-popular Realme 5 smartphone.  This time around, the company brought some improvements to the specs that matter to most consumers.

For example, the camera has some massive improvements in tow this year. It still has a quad-camera setup from its predecessor. What’s new is the setup: it now has a 48MP wide-angle + 8MP ultra-wide-angle + 8MP macro + 2MP depth sensor on the back. This should allow for better images with more details and higher resolutions.

The front camera’s got some boost too. realme 6i now has a 16MP up front, which is a 3MP bump from last year.

This time around, Mediatek’s Helio G80 powers the device, providing a 35% performance boost from realme 5’s Snapdragon 665. It comes with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM for a fluid experience. Storage still comes at an option of 64GB or 128GB, which is expandable with a MicroSD card. The device comes with realme UI based on Android 10, so users can expect goodies such as system-wide Dark Mode here.

While the battery from the realme 6i remains unchanged at 5,000 mAh, the company is throwing an 18Wh charger so users can fully charge the device in under an hour. realme is finally putting a USB-C port on this device, which is becoming much more common nowadays.

The display of this device remains at 1600 x 720 resolution. The company could have switched to an OLED panel this year, but they have to cut some corners in order for this device to remain competitive in its target segment. Still, the display should be enough for most users.

These features are all packed in a smartphone with an improved finish and design. The design of Realme 6i is helmed by Naoto Fukusawa, who is also behind the realme X Series Master Edition.

realme Band is coming too

realme is also bringing its first smart band — realme Band — in the country. It packs a decent 0.96 LCD display and 24/7 heart-rate monitoring. There are 9 exercises which the band can track. Sleep times and quality can also be tracked with the band.

realme Band offers customization options with personalized watch faces and smart notifications. Users can link their band with their smartphones through the realme Link app. The charging of the band is done directly on the device.

Pricing and availability

realme 6i comes in two configurations. The 3 + 64 GB starts at PhP 7,990, while the 4 +128 GB starts at PhP 9,990. Both configurations are available in either White Milk or Green Tea color.

Meanwhile, realme Band is available in three colors: yellow, green, and black. It retails at PhP 1,990 with a special introductory price of PhP 990.

Those who wanted to purchase these devices may do so on Lazada. realme is holding a flash sale for both devices on May 23 and May 26, so keep an eye out for realme’s Lazada page.

Gaming

AMD teases next-gen Xbox coming in 2027

It might double as a usable PC, too.

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It’s been a while since GPU companies focused on making chips for consoles. With how the industry is going now, chips feel like they’re destined to end up in the suffocating deluge of AI servers. Now, however, AMD is showing signs of healing by teasing the next-generation Xbox.

In the latest earnings call (via Engadget), AMD CEO Lisa Su teased that the next-gen Xbox, built with a custom AMD SoC, is “progressing well to support a launch in 2027.”

The subtle tease is vague enough to obscure any details about the upcoming console but clear enough to confirm that it’s coming. Since the Xbox Series X|S has been out for several years now, it’s not surprising that Microsoft is thinking about what’s coming next.

However, it’s still intriguing that Microsoft is going for another console. Previous reports have speculated that the company might focus on delivering games, especially through the Game Pass. Lately, both the PlayStation and the Switch have thoroughly dominated the console market ahead of the Xbox. Handheld consoles are likewise impressive, too.

Other reports have speculated that the upcoming generation will focus on delivering both a gaming and a PC experience. With the Steam Machine coming soon, it seems natural that the next consoles will be usable PCs as well.

SEE ALSO: Match Pulse: ROG Xbox Ally X

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Gaming

Overwatch reinvents itself with a new story and five new heroes

And it’s not “Overwatch 2” anymore.

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Overwatch 2 was not a disaster for the popular multiplayer shooter franchise. It did, however, make the game more polarizing. For 2026, Blizzard is shaking things up once again, starting by dropping the “2” from Overwatch 2.

During its scheduled showcase, the new-and-improved Overwatch will feature annual storylines that will keep the game fresh for years to come. The system will go live on February 10. By then, the year-long event called Reign of Talon will start with Season 1.

As the name suggests, this year will be all about the villain-coded Talon organization, and it’s going to be more story-driven. Right off the bat, a new cinematic sees Vendetta seemingly kill Doomfist and take over the leadership of Talon.

Blizzard says that the year will see ten new characters introduced to the roster. In fact, five of those will already be playable starting in Season 1.

Without a doubt, the highlight character for this round is the formerly cancelled Jetpack Cat. The character was first rumored all the way back in 2017 but will now be fully playable this season. The flying feline hero is a support character that can hook another hero to a location while healing them. Their ultimate reverses this by having them crash land onto enemies and then hooking one to, ideally, drop them off the map.

Jetpack Cat will join four other heroes. Anran, who is also affiliated with the Overwatch faction, deals fire damage. Domina, who, along with the next three heroes, works with Talon, is a shield-based tank. Emre imagines an evil version of Soldier: 76. Finally, Mizuki is a Talon-affiliated healer.

Besides a new story and heroes, Overwatch will feature new game modes and improvements across the board. The new Season 1 starts on February 10.

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Gaming

The Nintendo Switch is now Nintendo’s best-selling console ever

Meanwhile, the Switch 2 just crossed 17 million units sold.

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The Nintendo Switch 2’s success was bound to happen. After enormous success with the original Switch, Nintendo is practically destined to also put up impressive numbers for the console’s recently released sequel. Today, the company has whipped out some proof. The Nintendo Switch 2 officially sold 17.37 million units, as of December last year.

Nintendo shared the console’s numbers through an investor’s report. Despite coming out only eight months ago, the Switch 2 is already putting up impressive numbers. With those numbers, the console is already Nintendo’s fastest selling platform to date.

For comparison, the original Switch sold less than half of what Switch 2 has sold in the former’s first eight months. Though the second console is still miles away from its predecessor’s total numbers, it’s already well on its way. In fact, Nintendo already expects the Switch 2 to break 19 million units by the end of the quarter.

The second Switch isn’t the only console reaping the rewards of its hard work. The original Switch has also crossed a major milestone. As of last year, the console has sold 155.37 million units, making it Nintendo’s bestselling console ever. It just overtook the Nintendo DS, which sold 154.02 million units.

With that, the Switch 2 has a mountain to climb, just to reach the same heights that its predecessor already attained. For sure, the console’s ongoing success is buoyed by the goodwill established by the original. Now, the question is whether the Switch 2 can sustain its growth on its own.

To help, the console is expecting significant first-party titles including Pokémon Pokopia and Meetup in Bellabel Park, a Super Mario Bros. Wonder DLC.

SEE ALSO: The Nintendo Switch is nearing the end of its lifecycle

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