News

Xiaomi announces Mi 5X with the latest MIUI 9

Published

July 26, 2017

Daniel Morial

After some teasing, Xiaomi has formally announced its latest smartphone that’ll surely be another hit, not only to the Chinese market, but to anyone who wants the best package without the hefty price tag.

This is the Xiaomi Mi 5X.

We already have the Mi 5 from last year, but this new Mi 5X is more than just a rehash or a cheaper variant of Xiaomi’s former flagship. First, it’s got a new metal unibody design that looks a lot like the iPhone 7 Plus (or the OPPO R11 and the OnePlus 5 — depends on who you’re asking). But instead of having the Apple logo, you get a more functional fingerprint reader in its place.

The Mi 5X sports a 5.5-inch 1080p display fitted into its body. Xiaomi promotes the phone’s rounded edge corners which make the phone easier to hold, plus anti-fingerprint coating to avoid unsightly smudges.

In addition, it sports dual-rear cameras. Both are 12-megapixel shooters with the one having a telephoto lens. Like with other dual-camera phones, the Mi 5X has a portrait mode to achieve artificial bokeh for your pictures. Here are some official samples from Xiaomi’s forum:

More importantly, the Mi 5X is the first phone to run the latest version of Xiaomi’s custom interface, MIUI 9, which is based on Android Nougat — that’s a big deal for a phone that isn’t considered a flagship. For now, MIUI 9 is only available in Chinese, but Xiaomi promises a global version soon.

Specs-wise, the phone is powered by a midrange Snapdragon 625 processor, and it comes with 4GB of memory and 64GB of internal storage. Battery capacity is at 3080mAh which could easily last a whole day of moderate usage.

The Mi 5X is priced at CNY 1,499 (US$ 222) for its sole variant. Xiaomi usually has a number of memory and storage configurations, but that’s not the case for the Mi 5X, making it a simple choice for those looking for a fresh smartphone.

SEE MORE: Xiaomi Mi MIX Review: 6 Months Later

[irp posts=”16594″ name=”Xiaomi Mi MIX Review: 6 Months Later”]

Related Topics:Mi 5X MIUI 9 Xiaomi Xiaomi Mi 5X

Enterprise

Globe hosts its first-ever CONNECT, an online business-matching event

Happening this July 15

Published

July 14, 2020

Kenrick Buduan

Photo by Christin Hume

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting every sector of society as it continues to spread worldwide. In the Philippines, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are particularly affected by the pandemic, with more appealing to the government for help. As a way of helping these MSMEs, Globe Telecom is conducting an online business-matching event, CONNECT.

CONNECT is Globe’s initiative to help MSMEs recover and prepare for the world after the pandemic. The event aims to digitize, pivot, and future-proof business in these trying times. It will connect businesses with renowned investors, suppliers, and potential customers. Participating businesses can gain a lot on the insights that will be shared during the event.

The first CONNECT event will happen this Wednesday, July 15. Interested participants shall watch out for the event on Globe’s myBusiness Facebook page at exactly 3:30pm. Globe has prepared an interesting line-up of activities for its first CONNECT event:

Time	Activity
3:30 – 3:45pm	Opening Suite: Welcome Remarks (DTI)
3:45 – 4:00pm	Keynote Speaker 1: Post-COVID-19 Business Strategies: What Consumer Trends To Expect in Order to Adapt (Patrick Cua, Nielsen Philippines)
4:00 – 4:05pm	Q&A
4:05 – 4:20pm	Keynote Speaker 2: Digitization Strategies: What Does “Pivoting to Digital” Really Mean and How Can I Do It? (Geia Lopez, Google Philippines)
4:20 – 4:25pm	Q&A
4:25 – 5:30pm	Business Matching, Culmination, Raffle

Breakout sessions

For the business matching segment, there will be three breakout sessions where businesses can participate according to their preferences. These sessions will discuss the tools and must-haves that will be useful in helping businesses adapt and transform their supply chain, logistics, and management to a new normal.

Time	Sessions
4:35 – 4:50pm	Innovations in Retail and e-Commerce with Lazada Philippines	Cashless Transactions with GCash	Innovations in Digital Marketing with AdSpark
4:50 – 5:05pm	Cashless Transactions with GCash	Innovations in Logistics with Mober	Cashless Transactions with GCash
5:05 – 5:25pm	Q&A
5:25 – 5:30pm	Closing Raffle Pitch Event Invitation Press Kit Distribution

Globe will hold these breakout sessions via private Zoom meetings.

Interested participants may register at this link. For more updates on future CONNECT events, follow Globe’s myBusiness Facebook page.

India

Google to invest US$10 billion in India over 5-7 years

Tech companies are bullish about India

Published

July 14, 2020

Shivam Vahia

Benjamin Dada on Unsplash

alAt its annual Google for India event, Google announced it will be investing INR 75,000 crore (US$ 10 billion) within the next five to seven years. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the investment will be via multiple channels. This includes direct investments, partnerships, and infrastructure.

“Investments will focus on four areas important to India’s digitization,” he said emphasizing on infrastructure.

He added that the recent pandemic has shown the need for technology and the adoption of new digital tools. Google will focus on improving internet access and offer more information in regional languages like Hindi, Tamil, Punjabi, and more.

Secondly, it will focus on building new products and services that will empower India’s businesses. Leveraging AI in the fields of health, education, and agriculture is a priority.

Google added that its Internet Saathi has already helped more than 30 million women across India. It’s an initiative that strives to spread internet awareness.

The tech giant has also increased its focus on India in the last few years since the market is hugely untapped. One of its most successful launches has been Google Pay. It leverages the country’s UPI (Unified Payments Interface) to transfer money instantaneously to friends, businesses, and even online services.

Pichai lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Digital India stating that India has made huge progress.

News

iQOO promises gaming phone with 120W fast charging this August

Charges from empty in just 15 minutes

Published

July 14, 2020

Luigi Leonardo

Image source: iQOO / Weibo

Earlier today, OPPO teased an upcoming 125W fast charging technology this Wednesday. The teaser is the highest charging capability we’ve heard so far. Though definitely a marvel, it certainly aims to upend vivo’s own punches in the battery war.

Coinciding with OPPO’s new teaser, vivo’s gaming sub-brand, iQOO held a press conference in China for the 120W battery technology that it’s been sitting on for quite a while now. Officially named the Super FlashCharge 120W, the upcoming tech can fill a 4000mAh battery in just 15 minutes, much like vivo’s fast charging presentation last year.

In the 15 minutes it took to charge the phone, the press conference detailed how the new technology could accomplish such a feat. Apparently, the battery is designed differently, allowing the device to charge quickly without overheating the phone.

More surprisingly, iQOO has also declared the technology ready for public release already. According to the press conference, the company will release a gaming smartphone built with the technology in August.

Since its inception, iQOO has always touted revolutionary technologies sold at an attractive price, as told by its first-ever flagship. Its most recent flagship, iQOO 3, boasted 55W fast charging and the quirkiest stress test. For sure, whatever iQOO comes up with in August will mimic this prestigious tradition.