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Sony Xperia XZ Premium launches in the Philippines

Xperia fans in the Philippines are in for a treat: They can now purchase Sony’s most premium smartphone to date!
Launched in Barcelona, Spain last February, the Xperia XZ Premium is the company’s top-shelf smartphone for this year. It has a class-leading Snapdragon 835 processor, a true 5.5-inch 4K resolution display, and one of the fastest cameras on any handset.
Check out our video below to find out more about all the features worth looking forward to.
Pretty cool, huh? Hold on, it costs a pretty penny.
We were already familiar with a price hovering around GBP 650 (or $845) when the Xperia XZ Premium was first announced. Now, we have a more concrete price of PhP 45,490 ($915) after it launched in the Philippines earlier today.
Who exactly is the target market for a smartphone with a top-of-the-line Qualcomm chip such as this? Zhorida Lipayon, Marketing Manager of Mobile Product Marketing at Sony Philippines, had this to say:
“We think hardworking people who are really crazy Sony and Xperia fans deserve to experience this kind of phone…it offers the best of everything – 4K HDR from Bravia TVs, the best from our alpha and RX camera lines, and high res audio from our personal audio products. All the best from Sony in one device.”
But even if you don’t consider the die-hard fans, it’s imperative for Samsung’s high-end Galaxy S8 to have competition in the Philippines and other parts of Asia — Sony’s Xperia XZ Premium does just that. The Xiaomi Mi 6 would also be a serious rival if not for the limited availability outside of China.
SEE ALSO: Sony Xperia XZ Premium Hands-On
[irp posts=”11148″ name=”Sony Xperia XZ Premium Hands-On”]


A year ago, Twitter’s blue checkmark was a coveted piece of online identity making. Now, the once-prestigious marker has grown into somewhat of a meme. The blue checkmark doesn’t mean the same as it did a year ago. Now, Twitter is reportedly developing a way to hide the checkmark from your profile.
Last year, Twitter announced a much easier way to get a blue checkmark for themselves. Soon after Elon Musk purchased the platform, Twitter Blue offered the badge with the monthly subscription price. Users who earned the old checkmark without paying for the subscription had their badges converted into yellow legacy checkmarks.
With the change, the value of a blue checkmark changed drastically. It become associated with a joke mocking users who paid for Twitter, an otherwise free-to-use platform.
#Twitter keeps working on the ability to control everything related to account verification and identity by adding the option to show or hide your blue checkmark on your profile 👀 pic.twitter.com/6uTjBON21N
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) March 21, 2023
Now, as spotted by notable app engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, Twitter is developing a way to hide the blue checkmark altogether. Currently, the development is still just a leak. It remains possible that the app will not launch the feature after all.
That said, after several months reinventing verification, the platform is still struggling for the perfect way to blend the old with the new. Right around the same time the leak popped up, they also officially announced that it will retire legacy checkmarks starting April 1.

Big Tech has been pushing for an end to the password. However, the password-less future is taking a while to get off the ground. Only a few platforms can support passkeys. A big name is lending its hand to the technology, though. PayPal has announced that it is working on implementing passkeys for Android users.
Starting today, the digital payment platform is slowly rolling out support for the new security measure. With a passkey, users will no longer need a password or two-factor authentication. Instead, PayPal will install a passkey onto your device. That passkey will be exclusive to your devices. If PayPal recognizes the device you’re trying to log in from, then the platform will allow you in.
It’s not a grand rollout yet, though. PayPal will introduce the feature for mobile browsers first, rather than the app outright. Android users will need Chrome to access the feature. App integration will come in the future. In the meantime, Android users will start getting the feature from now throughout the year.
Passkeys are moving slowly across the tech space. Some time ago, Apple, Google, and Microsoft mutually pledged to help usher in the future of passkeys as a more secure alternative to passwords. Today, only a few platforms can support the technology. In a time when cybersecurity is quickly becoming a priority for everyone, the arrival of passkeys can’t come sooner.
SEE ALSO: Google Chrome can now go password-free

2K and the LEGO Group has announced May 19 as the official worldwide release date of LEGO 2K Drive for multiple consoles.
The driving adventure game is developed by Visual Concept. It is the first title to be released as part of a multi-title partnership between 2K and the LEGO Group. They seek to evolve the LEGO experience in exciting new ways.
The game will feature a combination of open-world driving and competitive racing. Players can explore the vast world of Bricklandia, build any vehicle LEGO-style, drive anywhere, and become a racing legend.
The Sky Cup Trophy is the game’s coveted prize. Players will have to compete against a series of rivals across a broad range of tracks while taking advantage of unique power-ups that can guide them throughout a race.
LEGO 2K Drive also offers unique customization, with over 1,000 LEGO pieces available when building a vehicle. Color designs, stickers, flairs, and more are likewise customizable.
Players may also collaborate with others in a two-person split-screen mode or multiplayer mode.
There will be three editions for the upcoming game:
- Standard Edition – US$ 59.99 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch; US$ 69.99 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S (both physical and digital)
- Awesome Edition – US$ 99.99; includes new vehicle, flair, in-game LEGO minifigure, Year 1 Drive Pass (covers four individual post-launch seasons of Drive pass content)
- Awesome Rivals Edition – US$ 119.99; includes multiple new vehicles, flair, in-game LEGO minifigures, Year 1 Drive Pass
Preorders are now open, and those who purchase before launch day will receive an Aquadirt Racer Pack.
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