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Xiaomi will launch its wide foldable before Apple does

The Xiaomi 18 Fold debuts on September 7.

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When you’re in the smartphone business, speed is often the key. The race now is for the fate of the wide foldable segment. Unfortunately for everyone else, Samsung already fired the first salvo last month. A week ago, Apple was scheduled to be the second one, at least. However, Xiaomi has beat them to the punch, announcing the Xiaomi 18 Fold ahead of the rumored iPhone Fold.

For a while now, it’s been rumored that Apple is going to launch its first foldable this year. Even better, the device might follow a passport-style form factor, a critically acclaimed design that found success with Samsung. Naturally, others want to follow suit, and Xiaomi did just that.

Today, Xiaomi has confirmed that the Xiaomi 18 Fold is launching on September 7, a few days before Apple’s own event. Plus, leaving fans with more than just a date, the brand also revealed what the phone will look like. Of course, it’s a wide foldable, and it looks amazing.

Xiaomi also teased that the Xiaomi 18 Fold will rock the new XRing O3 SoC, which features improvements across CPU, GPU, and NPU performance. It will also have a sizable 7.58-inch main display and a 5.38-inch secondary screen.

It won’t be long now. September 7 is just a few sleeps away. And, Apple is coming soon after.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Review

News

Acer unveils Predator ES Thunder Pro e-Scooter

More power, longer range, better safety features

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Acer continues to expand its e-scooter portfolio with the launch of the Predator ES Thunder Pro. It is the latest mobility offering from the brand after expanding to the category in 2023.

The all-new e-scooter enhances powertrain performance, enabling confident handling across a wide range of terrains.

It is designed both for everyday mobility and versatile terrain handling, making it well-suited for extended use and longer riding distances.

The most powerful model yet in the Predator e-scooter portfolio, it is equipped with a high-performance 500W rear-wheel-drive DC motor.

This has a peak output power of 1,600W, and a maximum torque of 32Nm. This way, the e-scooter delivers stronger, smoother power output during acceleration and hill-climbing.

In addition, the Predator ES Thunder Pro uses a Traction Control System (TCS) that adjusts power output in real time base on road conditions. This improves tire traction and overall stability on wet or low-grip surfaces.

The e-scooter comes with 10-inch tubeless pneumatic off-road tires and IPX6 water-resistance rating as well.

In front are daytime running lights while on the sides are RGB ambient lighting for better visibility.

In terms of range, the e-scooter can travel up to 70 kilometers on a single charge, effectively reducing charging frequency.

Furthermore, the e-scooter integrates dual-platform location tracking via Find My and Find Hub, paired with the Acer eMobility app with AI voice control.

Pricing, availability

The Acer Predator ES Thunder Pro will be available in Europe early next year, starting at EUR 799.

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Gaming

Acer unveils the smaller Predator Atlas 7

The console will have the same power but with more portability.

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Sometimes, an inch makes all the difference. Fresh off the launch of the Predator Atlas 8, Acer is back with the Atlas 7, a similarly powerful handheld console with an inch lopped off for better grip.

An inch isn’t just an inch in this case. The smaller form factor is supposedly better for your grip, making it much more portable than its predecessor. In line with that, the grips are better molded for your hands. It has a larger palm rest area and an anti-slip texture.

Inside, you’ll find much of what made the Atlas 8 so powerful. The console can come with up to an Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor and up to an Intel Arc B390 GPU. These are paired with up to 24GB of memory and up to 1TB in storage.

For the nitty gritty on the display, the Atlas 7 has a 7-inch FHD screen with 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness. It’s also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for additional handheld protection.

Rounding everything out, the Atlas 7 has Thunderbolt 4 ports, room for a microSD card, and support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Finally, you can get up to an 80Wh battery.

Though Acer unveiled the console at IFA 2026, you’ll have to wait a little longer to get your hands on it. The Acer Predator Atlas 7 will come out in the last quarter of 2026.

SEE ALSO: Acer unveils Predator Atlas 8 handheld with Intel Arc G-Series power

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POCO F9 Series: Price, availability in the Philippines

POCO’s latest flagship duo is here.

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POCO F9 Pro

POCO has officially launched the F9 Series in the Philippines, bringing the POCO F9 Ultra and POCO F9 Pro to the local market. The new lineup focuses on flagship performance, 185Hz displays, upgraded cameras, and longer battery life.

Both phones are now available through Shopee, with an Early Bird promo running from September 1 to 16, 2026. Buyers can also get a free REDMI Buds 8 Active, 1+1 Years Warranty, and up to six months of screen replacement at any Xiaomi Service Center. Shopee also offers a rebate on top of the Early Bird promo.

POCO F9 Series pricing and availability

The POCO F9 Ultra comes in Dark Cherry and Black, with three storage configurations:

  • 12GB + 256GB: PhP 55,999 SRP | PhP 45,999 Early Bird | PhP 41,920 with Shopee Rebate
  • 16GB + 512GB: PhP 59,999 SRP | PhP 48,999 Early Bird | PhP 44,600 with Shopee Rebate
  • 16GB + 1TB: PhP 89,999 SRP | PhP 79,999 Early Bird | PhP 73,600 with Shopee Rebate

Meanwhile, the POCO F9 Pro comes in White, Aurora Green, and Black:

  • 12GB + 256GB: PhP 49,999 SRP | PhP 33,999 Early Bird | PhP 30,600 with Shopee Rebate | PhP 29,300 with Lazada Rebate
  • 12GB + 512GB: PhP 54,999 SRP | PhP 35,999 Early Bird | PhP 32,400 with Shopee Rebate | PhP 31,500 with Lazada Rebate

POCO F9 Ultra

POCO F9 Ultra

The POCO F9 Ultra is the higher-end model of the two. It runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform and pairs it with the VisionBoost D8 chipset. This enables Smart frame rate of up to 185FPS, with Smart frame rate and AI Super Resolution able to run simultaneously. POCO says the F9 Ultra also achieved an AnTuTu score of 4,165,108, the highest recorded on a POCO smartphone.

For gaming, the F9 Ultra supports 185FPS across more than 20 titles natively, while five additional games can reach 185FPS through Smart frame rate. It also features a 4,800Hz instant touch sampling rate, 480Hz 10-point touch sampling rate, 200Hz gyro sampling rate, and POCO 3D IceLoop cooling.

It also gets a 6.9-inch 185Hz HyperRGB AMOLED display. The panel uses POCO HyperRGB technology and the new M11 luminescent material, reaching up to 4,500 nits of peak brightness and 10,000 nits for HDR content. The phone also supports Xiaomi Vision Care and TÜV Rheinland Quadruple Eye Care certification.

On the back, the F9 Ultra introduces dynamic lighting that can react to calls, notifications, gaming, and music.

For audio, the F9 Ultra uses dual symmetrical 1115D stereo speakers and a 1620 independent subwoofer to deliver a 2.1-channel audio setup. Sound by Bose tuning also brings Dynamic and Balanced sound profiles.

The phone packs an 8,050mAh battery with 100W wired and 50W wireless HyperCharge. It also supports 27W wired and 22.5W wireless reverse charging.

For photography, the F9 Ultra has POCO’s first 200MP ultra-clear camera system with OIS. It is paired with a 5x periscope telephoto camera, 10x lossless zoom, and up to 20x AI Ultra Zoom. A 32MP front camera handles selfies.

POCO F9 Pro

POCO F8 Pro and POCO F9 Pro

The POCO F9 Pro takes the F Series experience into a slightly more compact package.

It also uses a flagship Qualcomm mobile platform alongside the VisionBoost D8 chipset, enabling the same 185FPS Smart frame rate capabilities. It gets the same HyperRGB AMOLED display technology, but on a smaller 6.59-inch 185Hz panel.

The F9 Pro has a 6,330mAh battery with 100W wired and 50W wireless HyperCharge. It also supports reverse charging at up to 27W wired and 22.5W wireless.

For photography, the phone gets POCO’s first 200MP main camera system with OIS. It is paired with a 50MP 2.5x floating telephoto camera that can focus as close as 10cm, making it suitable for both close-up and long-distance shots.

The F9 Pro also gets Sound by Bose technology, using dual symmetrical 1115F super-linear stereo speakers and a Sealed Cavity Design.

Both phones also support POCO’s new Game Audio mode, which boosts the volume of footsteps while retaining other in-game audio cues to help players identify sounds and their direction more easily.

The POCO F9 Series is now available in the Philippines through Shopee, with Early Bird offers running until September 16, 2026.

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