Philippines

Unboxing Xiaomi’s Mi Fan Fest Mi-stery box

What’s in the box?!

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Happy Mi Fan Festival!

Celebrating the annual event, Xiaomi Philippines sent over a special Mystery Box. What could be inside it?

Let’s unbox it!

The package I received came in a whimsical box.

Wearing my loose chángpáo (長袍) for the Mi Fan Festival

Pattern is the same: Lots of numbers. Is Xiaomi hinting at something?

Pulling out the box so we can take a look inside…

… And voila! We’ve got a foam covering the insides. (And it’s Mi-branded!)

Remove the protective foam, and you’ll find three silver foil-like packages.

Here’s the first one up!

And it’s a pouch!

Although, it isn’t your regular pouch. The creases clearly show the material isn’t made of the usual fabric. It’s quite reminiscent of Freitag’s recycled laptop bags.

Next one up, it’s a larger package folded in half.

Voila! It’s a black shirt!

The shirt is merchandise for the 2021 Mi Fan Festival. To be very honest, I’m liking the space theme for this year’s celebration.

Next one up, it’s a silver, reflective box. Frankly, this took a while for me to figure out what’s inside; Xiaomi used srong adhesives to seal it.

After struggling to remove the seal, I was greeted by this kawaii astronaut figurine. It seems like a toy collectible, but could very well work as a phone holder in case you’re feeling bold and daring.

Last but not the least, there was a Redmi Note 10 Pro hiding underneath.

It came in its usual retail box.

The phone is majestic, as usual.

Taking it out, you can see the usual accessories inside: a charging cable, adapter, instruction manuals, a SIM ejector tool, and a clear phone case.

The Redmi Note 10 Pro is quite hefty, just like its predecessor.

If you want to know more about this phone, read our review.

The 2021 Mi Fan Festival

Xiaomi is giving a discount to a few of its smartphones, as part of the annual Mi Fan Festival running from April 6 to May 9.

  • Redmi Note 9 Pro (4GB/64GB) — PhP 10,990 (SRP: PhP 11,990)
    Redmi Note 9S (4GB/64GB) — PhP 9,490 (SRP: PhP 11,990)
    Redmi Note 9 Pro (6GB/128GB) — PhP 9,990 (SRP: PhP 10,990)
    Redmi Note 9S (6GB/128GB) — PhP 10,490 (SRP: PhP 12,990)

The purchase of the aforementioned devices will also score buyers two tickets to the Melody with Mi digital concert. The digital concert premieres on May 23, 8 pm.

For more tickets, buyers may avail of any variant of the Redmi Note 10 Pro and get three tickets for the concert. Meanwhile, purchases above PhP 25,000 will not only include tickets but also access to the exclusive Meet & Greet and After Party.

Non-discounted devices with included two tickets are also available on every purchase of the following: Redmi Note 10 (4GB/64GB), Redmi Note 10 (6GB/128GB), Redmi 9T (4GB/64GB), Redmi 9T (6GB/128GB), and Redmi 9A (2GB/32GB).
More discounts on Xiaomi’s Lazada and Shopee stores.

Redmi Note 10 Pro Mi Fan Festival Special Edition

Xiaomi will also be selling a special version of the Redmi Note 10 Pro. The Mi Fan Festival Special Edition will come in a package with a cosmic-inspired design, containing postcards and stickers as a special treat for Mi fans out there. Meanwhile, the device comes in a Gradient Bronze variant which has a natural metallic luster.

Philippines

realme 16 Pro 5G Harry Potter Edition: Price, availability in the Philippines

Hogwarts magic meets smartphone design

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The realme 16 Pro 5G Harry Potter Edition is now available in the Philippines for PHP 39,999. This limited-edition smartphone features a color-changing Hogwarts crest, an exclusive Harry Potter-themed interface, and a collection of Wizarding World memorabilia.

Limited to fewer than 200 units nationwide, the special edition is designed for fans and collectors of the beloved franchise.

Hogwarts magic in every detail

The realme 16 Pro 5G Harry Potter Edition comes in Magic Brown, featuring an Enchanted Texture Leather back with a three-dimensional diamond pattern inspired by wizard chessboards.

Its centerpiece is the Hogwarts Four-House Crest, which reveals the signature colors of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff when exposed to direct sunlight or ultraviolet light. This effect uses realme’s Quadra Light-Sensing Color-changing Tech.

The phone also features a gold Hedwig-inspired camera design, matching gold accents along its edges, and a laser-engraved “Welcome to Hogwarts” inscription on the side.

A Hogwarts-inspired interface

The Harry Potter theme extends to the phone’s software. Exclusive wallpapers depict Hogwarts Castle at different times of the day, with Golden Dawn for daytime and Mystic Dusk for nighttime.

Other customizations include boot-up and fingerprint animations inspired by Hogwarts acceptance letters, more than 30 redesigned app icons, and camera watermarks inspired by the four Hogwarts houses.

A trunk full of collectibles

The limited-edition packaging takes the form of a Harry Potter-inspired trunk featuring the Hogwarts crest and the realme 16 Pro Harry Potter Edition branding.

Inside, fans will find a Hogwarts acceptance letter addressed to Mr. Potter, character postcards featuring Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and bookmarks representing all four Hogwarts houses.

The package also includes Hogwarts Crest pins and a Hogwarts Express-inspired ticket bearing the route from London to Hogwarts via Platform 9¾.

realme 16 Pro 5G Harry Potter Edition price and availability

The realme 16 Pro 5G Harry Potter Edition is priced at PHP 39,999 in the Philippines. Only fewer than 200 units will be available nationwide.

Hogwarts-inspired store displays will be available at the following locations:

  • SM Fairview
  • SM North EDSA
  • SM Calamba

The device will also be available at kiosks in SM Clark, SM Dasmariñas, and SM Megamall.

For further updates, visit realme’s official Facebook page.

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Philippines

Samsung Galaxy A18, Galaxy A08 now in the Philippines

Everyday smartphone experience

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Samsung has unveiled the new Samsung Galaxy A18 and Samsung Galaxy A08 smartphones in the Philippines.

These affordable A series handsets bring more capable performance, long-term reliability, and core AI experiences to users.

The Galaxy A18 features a 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display and is powered by a Helio G99+ processor.

It comes with an upgraded DDR5 memory and supports RAM Plus, which uses available storage as virtual memory.

At its back is a 50MP wide camera, 5MP ultra-wide camera, and 2MP macro camera.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy A08 comes with a 6,000mAh battery, Helio G99+ processor, and upgraded memory.

It also comes with a similar 50MP main camera, along with a 2MP depth camera, and 8MP front camera.

Core AI experiences, long-term reliability

Both the Galaxy A18 and Galaxy A08 come with core AI experiences, including Circle to Search.

Moreover, both phones come with multiple AI agents to help users move more seamlessly between supported Galaxy native apps, Google apps, and select third-party apps.

Both handsets also feature IP64 rating for protection against dust and water splashes.

Furthermore, the devices support up to six generations of OS upgrades and six years of security updates.

Price, availability

The Samsung Galaxy A08 comes in Dark Blue, Silver, and Green, for the following prices:

  • 4GB+64GB: PhP 11,190
  • 4GB+128GB: PhP 13,090

Samsung is offering up to PhP 1,200 in savings until November 30.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy A18 will be available by December in Black, Silver, and Light Blue.

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TechLife Pad Neo SE: Price, availability in the Philippines

Now available at PhP 8,999 SRP, with deals on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.

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TechLife has officially launched the Pad Neo SE. It’s a 10.1-inch tablet aimed at families, positioned as a study device first, with room for creativity and after-school entertainment. It comes in Space Grey, Bubble Blue, and Aurora Green.

The Eye Comfort Display is the main draw. The larger screen gives kids more space for research and online classes. It’s designed to keep longer study sessions easier on the eyes.

Dual stereo speakers handle lessons and shared family viewing, while split-screen support lets kids and parents run two tasks at once.

The tablet supports Smart Parental Control and Google Kids Space. Parents can pick the apps, books, videos, and learning content their kids can access.

For the hardware, the Pad Neo SE runs Android 16 on an octa-core processor. It offers up to 8GB of RAM, including memory expansion, and 64GB of storage that can be expanded up to 1TB.

Also, its 6000mAh battery last through a full school day of classes and lessons. Rounding out the spec sheet are 5MP front and rear cameras and the Google Gemini AI assistant.

Price, availability in the Philippines

The Pad Neo SE retails at PhP 8,999. With vouchers, it can go for as low as PhP 7,099 on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.

As part of TechLife’s Peak Season offers, which run from October 29, 2026 to January 3, 2027, buyers get a free Folio Case or a free Power Bank R211 5,000mAh, depending on availability. An online giveaway for the Pad Neo SE also starts October 29 on TechLife’s official social media pages.

Vouchers apply to participating online platforms only. Stocks and vouchers are limited. Freebies are available while supplies last.

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