News

Redmi 9, 9A, 9C budget family now official

Because three is better than one!

Published

July 16, 2020

Rodneil Quiteles

We’ve already shown you how you can maximize your budget phone. Those exact same methods apply to all three of these new budget smartphones — the Redmi 9, 9A, and 9C.

We’re just going to do a quick rundown here.

Redmi 9

This is a budget smartphone equipped with a quad-camera setup. That’s shooting versatility for less. Whether you’re looking to take a quick snap, wide-angle group shot, close-up with stunning details, or beautiful portrait photos, Redmi 9 has you covered.

It has a 6.53’’ FHD+ Dot Drop display with TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification and Corning Gorilla Glass for on-the-go protection.

Inside it’s powered by a MediaTek Helio G80 SoC. It has a 5020mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging.

You also get your usual ports and connections:a 3.5mm headphone jack, IR blaster, multifunctional NFC, while supporting dual SIM usage and an additional microSD card slot.

The Redmi 9 is available in the Philippines and comes in Carbon Grey, Ocean Green and Sunset Purple. Pricing are as follows:

3GB+32GB — PhP 6990
4GB+64GB — PhP 7490

They are available for offline purchase at official Mi Stores, as well as Xiaomi’s authorized offline retailers and the Xiaomi Official Store on Lazada.

Redmi 9A

If a huge display with a big battery for less is your jam then you might want to rock with the Redmi 9A.

It has a 6.53” Dot Drop display with 5000mAh battery. Elsewhere on the phone you get the MediaTek Helio G25 chip and a 13MP rear camera.

It’s available in The Philippines with one variant, 2GB+32GB, in Granite Gray, Peacock Green and Sky Blue. Priced a PhP 4,690.

The device is available for purchase from at official Mi Stores, as well as through Xiaomi Flagship Store on Lazada and Xiaomi Global Store on Shopee.

The model will also be available for purchase from July 21 via Xiaomi’s authorized offline retailers.

Redmi 9C

The Redmi 9C hits much of the same beats as the 9A with a similar 6.53” Dot Drop display with a 5000mAh battery. Inside, it’s powered by a MediaTek Helio G35 chip.

It comes in three colors: Midnight Gray, Sunrise Orange, and Twilight Blue. Global pricing are as follows:

2GB+32GB — EUR 119
3GB+64GB — EUR 139

For distance learning

It’s interesting to note that all three fall within the minimum spec requirements laid out by the Philippines’ Education Department. Despite common sense and on the ground knowledge dictating that it’s best to skip the school year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, they are still bullish about pushing through with it.

So, if you’re a parent and want to arm your child with a basic smartphone to help, all three of the mentioned phones will suffice. For reference, here are the minimum requirements.

Distance Learning, Smartphone Minimum Tech Specs
Processor	Octa-core 2 GHz
Memory	2GB
Display	6”, IPS LCD
Storage	32GB
Network	GSM / HSPA / LTE Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth
Ports	Micro USB or Type C, 3.5mm Audio Jack
OS	Android 8.1

Related Topics:Redmi 9 Redmi 9A Redmi 9C Xiaomi

Apps

Canva teams up with SB19 to turn A’TIN’s passion into creativity

Campaign lets fans access assets, editable templates, more

Published

August 8, 2026

GadgetMatch

Canva Philippines has joined forces with SB19 and Sony Music Entertainment to launch the “Kaya sa Canva” campaign.

This first-of-its-kind initiative is aimed at transforming the popular Filipino boy band’s fanbase into creators by giving them access to official design assets, exclusive templates, and powerful creative tools.

That’s of course as fans have a way of creating artwork, banners, and more outputs to honor their idols.

As such, the partnership enables the A’TIN (SB19’s fanbase) to access the Canva-exclusive SB19’s Creative Hub.

This dedicated space lets fans access assets, including SB19-inspired sticker packs, custom typography, and editable templates inspired by the group.

Fans around the world will initially have access to templates for photo-booth strips, wallpapers, posters, and videos.

The campaign will then expand with Canva-exclusive assets celebrating the group’s New Era, as well as their latest single, “Lawless”.

Meanwhile, the original song “KAYA” is accompanied with an upbeat music video, doubling as a love letter to A’TIN and a masterclass in Canva’s tools.

Every visual and animation is fan-inspired, a celebration of the creativity, passion, and dedication that’s defined in the community from day one.

News

The iPhone 18 might sell out for an unexpected reason

The ongoing shortage might play a part in the phone selling out earlier than expected.

Published

August 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

An iPhone selling out is not news. Because of how popular the phones are, it’s within the realm of probability that Apple runs out of stock at some point. According to a new report, this year won’t be any different… but it’s for an entirely different reason.

First reported by analyst Tim Culpan, Apple is reportedly struggling to meet its demand for semiconductors for the iPhone 18 and the foldable iPhone. The ongoing memory shortage is cutting off Apple’s ability to deliver the required supply of smartphones in a timely fashion. The report even claims that TSMC, which helps produce the iPhone, is sitting on a shipment of processors, worth US$ 1 billion, that don’t have memory chips.

Now, Apple is still confident that it can weather the launch. However, if the shortage persists, the iPhone 18 generation will likely sell out much more quickly than expected.

It’s an interesting time for Apple to experience such a shortage. It’s been heavily rumored that the company will launch its very first foldable phone next month, creating a new market for the brand. Apple definitely wants this attempt to succeed after the tepid response to its last new product, the Vision Pro.

News

These “smart” glasses just sold out in under a week

DuckDuckGo touts that these glasses have zero AI, zero cameras, and an infinite battery life.

Published

August 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Smart glasses are in a weird place right now. While a chunk of the population views them as cool and innovative, another significant chunk sees them as a privacy nightmare. If you’re in the latter group but want to see what life is like on the former, DuckDuckGo has a new product: a pair of anti-surveillance glasses with no camera or AI, otherwise known as just normal sunglasses.

If it’s not obvious, yes, it’s a troll product. DuckDuckGo is a search engine famously known for pushing privacy as a priority, opposing Google’s penchant for advertising and AI. Now, the search engine is taking on the smart glasses market.

Partnering with Knockaround, DuckDuckGo released the Paso Robles, a pair of sunglasses touted as having zero cameras, an always-offline mode, and a battery life of infinity.

It’s a statement piece. The rims have a logo mark, similar to the Meta’s glasses. The packaging also states that the glasses are “designed to block the sun, not send data to the cloud.”

Now, if you want a pair, they cost only US$ 35, as opposed to Meta’s US$ 299 price tag, but they are already sold out.

Which says quite a bit about today’s sentiment against AI and for privacy. Of course, to be fair, DuckDuckGo’s supply is certainly less than Meta’s stock for their smart glasses. It does, however, prove that the sentiment is there.

As of now, the world is slowly realizing that unimpeded smart glasses aren’t such a good idea, leading to people concerned about their privacy. In fact, some states have already started banning the technology in certain public spaces.