Moto Z2 Play Philippines Price is Php 24,999, Complete Specs, Actual Unit Photos

The 2017 upper midrange Android smartphone of Lenovo-owned Motorola brand, the Moto Z2 Play, has just been officially launched in the Philippines via an exclusive media event held today - July 19, 2017 - in Bonifacio Global City.

Capable of transforming into a full-fledged gaming console via the Moto Mod shown in the photo above, Moto Z2 Play should delight avid mobile gamers of all ages.

Powered by a stellar set of internal hardware including its 64-Bit Octa-Core Qualcomm MSM8953-Pro Snapdragon 626 chipset that incorporates an Adreno 506 GPU, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage, this model should be able to run specs-intensive 3D games without annoying lags and to deliver a smooth overall mobile experience.

Another highlight of its model is its 12 MegaPixel rear camera with Dual Tone LED flash, phase detection autofocus that locks in on a subject in a blink of an eye, as well as a very wide f/1.7 aperture for great low-light performance. I'd say such aperture size is a real treat in this price category.

This main shooter is also capable of shooting 4K videos at 30 frames per second and ultra-slow-motion 720p HD videos at 120 fps!

In front, Moto Z2 Play is equipped with a 5.5-inch Full HD SuperAMOLED display panel that should deliver ultra crisp and brilliant images be it while gaming, watching 1080p videos, or just browsing photos taken using the camera.

Above the display, we'll find the 5 MegaPixel selfie cam and Dual Tone Soft LED flash, which comes in handy when snapping self-portraits in low to zero lighting conditions. As a Moto Z owner, I'd say that Moto has one of the best pre-installed Beautification Software for selfies; It just clears our your skin tone without drastically altering your facial features. It's very subtle but it works.

Despite being incredibly thin with depth of just 6 millimeters, Moto Z2 Play has a built-in 3.5mm audio jack, which should be a welcome feature for those who love listening to music on the go.

As for the phone's design and build, I'd say it's almost identical to my Moto Z. Moto Z2 Play has the same real metal mid-frame, circular protruding rear camera module, and similar placement of the magnetic connector for Modo Mods at the lower back portion.

Moto Z2 Play supports all Moto Mods that are now available in the Philippine market including Moto Insta-Share Projector, Hasselblad True Zoom, Incipio offGRID Power Pack, and JBL Soundboost Speaker Mod (versions 1 and 2). Of course, it also works with the new Game Console Mod, which is arriving in our country soon donning a price tag of around Php 10,000.

Out in three colors, namely, Fine Gold, Nimbus Blue, and Lunar Gray, Moto Z2 Play will be available across the country at Lenovo and Moto Concept Stores, kiosks, and authorized retail partners with an official suggested retail price of Php 24,999 starting on July 21, 2017.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)Name : Moto Z2 Play Philippines
Type : Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen)
Price Category : Upper Midrange
Dimensions : 156.2 x 76.2 x 6 mm
Weight : 145 grams
Available Colors : Lunar Gray, Fine Gold, Nimbus Blue
Operating System : Android 7.0 Nougat with Moto Customizations
Display : 5.5 inches (~70.1% screen-to-body ratio), 1080 x 1920 pixels (~401 ppi pixel density), SuperAMOLED Display, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Gorilla Glass 3
Processor : 64-Bit Octa Core 2.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A53, Adreno 506 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8953-Pro Snapdragon 626 chipset
RAM : 4GB RAM
Internal Storage : 64GB ROM, expandable via dedicated microSD card slot supporting up to 256GB
Camera : Back: 12 MegaPixels, f/1.7 aperture, PDAF, Dual Tone LED flash, 1.4 µm pixel size
Front: 5 MegaPixels, f/2.2 aperture, 1.4 µm pixel size, Dual Tone LED flash
Video Capture : Back: 4K 30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps
Front: Full HD 30fps
Audio and Video Playback : MP3, WAV, eAAC+, FLAC, MP4, H.264
Ports : USB Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, USB On-The-Go, Magnetic Connector for Moto Mods, 3.5mm combo jack
Connectivity : Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, EDR, LE, 3G HSPA+; 4G LTE
GPS : A-GPS, GLONASS
FM Radio : Yes
Sensors : Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, Digital Gyroscope, Fingerprint Scanner
Network : 2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 and SIM 2,
3G HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 19(800), 20(800), 28(700), 38(2600), 40(2300), 41(2500)
SIM Card Type : Dual nanoSIM
Battery : Non-removable 3,000 mAh Li-Ion battery
Uptime : TBD
Value-Added Features : Premium Design and Build, Moto Mods Support, Game Console Mode
Announcement : July 19, 2017
Availability : Philippines - July 21, 2017
Price : Official SRP - Php 24,999

Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501 Price, Specs, Actual Photos : Thinnest Gaming Laptop with 7th Gen Intel Core i7 Kaby Lake CPU and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Graphics!

On Wednesday - June 21, 2017, Asus Philippines officially launched the Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501 gaming notebook via an intimate media and consumer event held at ROG Concept Store in SM MegaMall, which was then followed by an exclusive screening of Transformers : The Last Knight movie at the Director's Cut Cinema for all of the guests.

With depth of only 16.9 millimeters, Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501 is currently the world’s slimmest gaming laptop that's powered by both 7th Generation Intel Core i7 Kaby Lake processor and the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics that work together to deliver an ultra-smooth gaming performance that competes with what you can get from bigger gaming devices, including desktops.

Clad in real metal and polycarbonate, this 15.6-inch laptop also incorporates the ROG-exclusive Active Aerodynamic System (AAS) - a specially designed cooling system that increases the airflow volume by 20% for better thermal performance by opening or flexing the bottom of the chassis. This design innovation allows full utilization of the CPU and GPU, so the user can enjoy marathon gaming sessions without fear of interruption.

Zephyrus also comes with the Microsoft Windows 10 Creators Update, which improves the performance of PC games through the all-new Windows Game Mode and makes it easier to perform native game-streaming using Beam, Microsoft’s online streaming service.

The notebook's slick blade-inspired design, top-notch internal hardware, and unique cooling system are a product of ROG's goal to create consistently laptops that are slimmer, cooler, quieter and more powerful than ever before.

Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501 flaunts a 15.6-inch Full HD wide-view display that delivers smooth gaming at a true 120Hz frame rate. It also features's NVIDIA G-SYNC display technology synchronizes the refresh rate with the NVIDIA GeForce graphics card’s frame rate to ensure an ultra-smooth visual experience when playing 3D titles.

Positioned at the front of the chassis, which should be more familiar and more comfortable for gamers who are more accustomed to desktop keyboards, this notebook's keyboard features the Taiwanese company's Aura RGB Lighting Technology that provides dynamic and customizable lighting effects as well as separately highlighted customizable effects for the WASD and QWER key groups. This innovation allows users to create their own gaming ambience that matches their mood or the feel of their game. The keys have been ergonomically designed to provide optimum comfort and typing accuracy as well as to prevent ghosting. Also, Zephyrus' touchpad is positioned on the right of the keyboard and integrates a 10-key numerical function that is easily activated by a hot key.

Here are the key features and technical specifications of Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501:

Size: 37.9 x 26.2 x 1.69cm (W x D x H)
Weight: 2.2 kg (with battery)
Processor: Intel Core i7-7700HQ
Chipset: Intel HM175
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB DDR5X or GTX1070 8GB DDR5
Memory: DDR4 2400MHz (up to 24GB)
Storage: M.2 PCIe x4 256/512GB/1TB SSD
Operating System: Windows 10 Home
Display: 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixel) wide-view panel with anti-glare 120Hz refresh rate with NVIDIA G-SYNC
Camera: Built-in HD camera and array mic
Keyboard: ASUS Aura RGB backlit chiclet keyboard with 30-key rollover; 1.4mm key travel
Wireless: 802.11ac Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
Connectivity:
1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C with Thunderbolt 3
4 x USB 3.1
1 x HDMI 2.0
1 x 3.5mm headphone and mic combo jack
Battery: 4 cell, 50Wh

Now up for pre-order, the sleek and powerful Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501 will be available at all ROG Concept Stores in the Philippines come August 2017 with price tag starting at Php 149,995.

Ragnarok Online Philippines Registration Page for Beta Players Goes Live

Popular multi-player online role-playing game Ragnarok Online is back in the Philippines -- and based on what its new publishers have shared so far, it seems that the game will be better than ever!

Created by Japanese company Gravity Co. Ltd and previously managed in the Philippines by Level Up! Games, Ragnarok Online was one of the most loved online gaming titles ever -- taking over almost all cafes across the country during its peak.

On May 12, 2017, the game's new local publishers - Extreme Electronics and Elite Global Outsourcing Incorporated - held a press conference to announce the much-awaited return of Ragnarok Online after 2 years of hiatus. The following day, the new team behind the title mounted Ragna Festival 2017 at SM North EDSA where Pinoy fans gathered once again wearing their cosplay attires to celebrate the comeback of their favorite MMORPG.

Photo Credit: Ragnarok Online Philippines Official Facebook Page

The all-new Ragnarok Online will be free to play and will likewise offer key items for free within the game that players can use to progress. Nonetheless, there will still be an item mall, where players may opt to just buy key items using top-up cards that will soon be released in the market. These improvements along with the promise that bots and lags will be minimized if not eliminated guarantee a far better Ragnarok Online experience for Pinoys moving forward.

For big Ragna fans - both the old and the new, you may sign up to be a closed-beta player of the revamped Ragnarok Online at the official game page. You just need to fill up a few boxes, wait for the confirmation email as well as the announcement for exact date when the game will go live, and you're good to go.