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Your Lifestyle and Technology Blog for the Last 13 Years

Xiaomi 17T officially launches in South Africa – The Telephoto Master arrives with Leica-powered storytelling capabilities

Hi Guys,

Xiaomi officially announces the launch of the all-new Xiaomi 17T in South Africa, a smartphone designed for creators, storytellers, and users who demand flagship-level photography, performance, and battery life in one premium device.

Co-engineered with Leica and introduced as “The Telephoto Master,” Xiaomi 17T pushes mobile photography to a new level by combining professional-grade imaging capabilities with cutting-edge Xiaomi innovation. More than just a smartphone, Xiaomi 17T is a storytelling tool built to capture South African expression, identity, creativity, and culture with exceptional detail and clarity.

Available from 09 June 2026, early bird deals from Vodacom stores nationwide, Xiaomi 17T will retail from only R799 per month over 36 months. As part of the launch offering, customers who purchase the device will also receive a FREE Xiaomi Smart Humidifier 2 while stocks last.

Xiaomi 17T officially launches in South Africa – The Telephoto Master arrives with Leica-powered storytelling capabilities

A new era of Leica mobile photography

Xiaomi 17T features a powerful Leica co-engineered triple-camera system designed to help users capture everything from portraits and everyday moments to distant landscapes and cinematic video.

At the heart of the device is a 50MP Leica main camera featuring a Light Fusion 800 image sensor and Leica optical lens technology, delivering improved light capture, richer detail, and stunning low-light photography.

The camera system also includes:

• 50MP Leica telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom

• Up to 120x AI Ultra Zoom

• 12MP ultra-wide camera

• Leica Live Moment feature for authentic street-style photography

• 8K video recording support

• Advanced AI photography enhancements powered by Xiaomi HyperAI

Inspired by professional Leica aesthetics, Xiaomi 17T preserves natural light, emotion, and detail while helping users create content with cinematic depth and clarity.

Premium design meets immersive eye-care display

Crafted with elegance and comfort in mind, the new Xiaomi 17T combines a refined premium finish with a sleek ergonomic design available in Opal White and Black colour options.

The device features a stunning 6.59-inch CrystalRes AMOLED display with:

• 1.5K resolution

• 120Hz refresh rate

• 3840Hz PWM dimming

• HDR10+ support

• TÜV Rheinland eye-care certifications

• Xiaomi Vision Care 2 technology

Whether users are gaming, streaming, editing content, or browsing social media, the device delivers a smooth and immersive viewing experience while reducing eye fatigue during extended use.

Flagship-level endurance and performance

Powering Xiaomi 17T is the latest MediaTek Dimensity 8500-Ultra processor built on an advanced 4nm process for faster speeds, improved power efficiency, and enhanced gaming performance.

Combined with Xiaomi HyperOS and Xiaomi HyperAI, users can expect intelligent multitasking, faster app responsiveness, and a more connected smart ecosystem experience.

Additional performance highlights include:

• 12GB RAM + 512GB storage

• 6500mAh silicon-carbon battery

• 67W HyperCharge support

• Dolby Atmos dual stereo speakers

• IP68 water and dust resistance

• Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity

The massive 6500mAh battery is engineered to comfortably power users through demanding daily tasks, content creation, gaming, and entertainment while maintaining a slim and premium form factor.

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Aum Namah Shivay!

Your Lifestyle and Technology Blog for the Last 13 Years

Epson introduces LifeStudio projectors and EcoTank Home and Business printers for creativity, immersive entertainment, and everyday productivity

Hi Guys,

- New Lifestudio™ projectors, EcoTank printers, and the Creative Corner platform empower users to unlock their potential, from immersive home entertainment to sustainable business growth.

Epson, a global technology leader, has unveiled a comprehensive suite of solutions designed to empower the dynamic lifestyles of modern consumers and small to mid-sized businesses. The launch introduces the new Lifestudio projector series, next-generation EcoTank printers for home and business, and the Epson Creative Corner online platform. Together, the three solutions form an ecosystem that delivers professional-quality results, immersive experiences, and creative expression accessible to everyone.

This new lineup is championed by Epson's collaboration with internationally acclaimed artist Shakira, who embodies the spirit of creativity and passionate self-expression that the technology is designed to unlock.

“At Epson, we recognise that our customers lead dynamic lives and demand technology that seamlessly adapts to their needs,” said Gareth Jay, Regional Sales Director at Epson South Africa. “With our latest suite of solutions including Lifestudio projectors, EcoTank printers, and the Creative Corner platform, we are empowering individuals and businesses to unlock their potential. This integrated ecosystem is designed to deliver professional-quality results, immersive experiences, and creative expression, all while upholding Epson’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, reliability, and thoughtful design.”

Epson introduces LifeStudio projectors and EcoTank Home and Business printers for creativity, immersive entertainment, and everyday productivity

Epson Lifestudio™ projector series

Epson, the number one projector brand worldwide, unveiled its all-new Lifestudio projector series, a lifestyle-focused range engineered to deliver a premium immersive home entertainment experience. Leading the series is the new Lifestudio portable range, EF-61, EF-71 and EF-72, designed for ultimate flexibility with a compact design and AutoFocus Pro for instant setup, transforming any space into a cinema with premium sound by Bose and built-in Google TV™. The portable range is complemented by Lifestudio Grand LS670 and Lifestudio Grand Plus LS970 ultra-short throw (UST) projectors that create a massive 4K PRO-UHD cinematic-scale picture of up to 150 inches while blending seamlessly into any home décor designed to replace the traditional television.

EcoTank Business printers

Engineered for small- and mid-sized organisations, the new EcoTank Business printers significantly reduce total cost of ownership by cutting printing costs by up to 90%. Using high-capacity refillable ink tanks and Epson's Heat-Free technology, these models reduce energy consumption by 96% compared to laser printers and ensure minimal interruptions for peak efficiency. With fast print speeds and enterprise-ready connectivity, the EcoTank Business range is a long-term investment in high productivity, long-term reliability, and environmental consideration.

For more information on the EcoTank Business range, please visit: https://www.epson.co.za/discover/printers/ecotank

EcoTank Home and Home Plus printers

EcoTank is the number one ink tank printer brand sold worldwide with global sales surpassing 100 million units as of October 2024. Designed for the modern household, the new EcoTank Home printers combine effortless, premium printing quality with a compact, space-saving design, with high-capacity ink tanks that hold the equivalent of 79 cartridges. This enables years of maintenance-free printing right out of the box while helping households to reduce printing costs by up to 90% compared to cartridge printers. Powered by Epson's Heat-Free technology, the range offers a reliable, energy-efficient solution for everything from schoolwork and remote work to creative projects, with seamless mobile control via the Epson Smart Panel app.

For more information on the EcoTank Home range, please visit: https://www.epson.co.za/discover/printers/ecotank

To further support users, Epson's Creative Corner is an online hub offering fresh, practical printable templates, designed to inspire creativity at home, schools, and offices. The platform empowers users to print what they want, offering a diverse selection of downloadable templates for every occasion and need. Available in multiple languages, including English, French, Arabic and Turkish, the Creative Corner helps bring ideas to life. Explore the platform at https://www.epson.co.za/discover/printers/creative-corner

The new Epson solutions will be available across South Africa from through Makro/Game/Incredible Connection, Hi-Fi Corporation/Takealot/Amazon. For more information, please visit https://www.epson.co.za/contact-us

About Epson META-CWA

Epson is a global technology leader whose philosophy of efficient, compact, and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world. With craft and care at its core, Epson’s regional operation - Epson META-CWA, brings the company’s high-quality and eco-conscious solutions in printing, scanning, visual display, manufacturing, and lifestyle categories to more than 80 countries across the Middle East, Türkiye, Africa, and Central & West Asia. Building on its 80-year legacy as an iconic Japanese technology pioneer, the company is reimagining what disruptive innovation can do for consumers, businesses, and the planet with a visionary approach to one of the world’s most dynamic regions. www.epson.ae

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Aum Namah Shivay!

Your Lifestyle and Technology Blog for the Last 13 Years

rAge and Mettlestate join forces to shape South Africa’s next great gaming festival

Hi Aashish,

One premium partner helps build a bigger map for South African gaming culture for one legendary event
Two South African gaming heavyweights, rAge and Mettlestate, have joined forces to transform the country’s most iconic gaming event into a fully immersive festival unlike anything experienced before.
The legacy favourites stay in the loadout, while retrofuturism will bring the experience to life by combining gaming nostalgia with future-facing technology.
The legend remains, but everything else evolves.
No AI was harmed in the making of this release.

South African gaming is entering a new era. After more than two decades as the country's most iconic gaming event, rAge is preparing for its biggest evolution yet.

Descending on Fourways Mall from 27 to 29 November 2026, rAge 2026 will bring together gaming, esports, technology, creators, cosplay, anime, entertainment, competition and community in a more immersive and expansive format than anyone can imagine.

Gaming will always remain the beating heart of rAge, but this year's spectacle has been designed from the ground up for a much broader audience. Families, young creators, technology enthusiasts, casual players, anime and cosplay fans, serious competitors, and curious first-time visitors will all find something unforgettable.

rAge and Mettlestate join forces to shape South Africa’s next great gaming festival

Key to this new chapter is Mettlestate, which joins rAge as a proud strategic partner for the future of the event. The partnership brings together rAge’s grand scale, heritage and cultural relevance with Mettlestate’s expertise in esports, gaming communities, live competition and audience engagement.

“This isn't simply another edition of rAge; it is a bold reinvention of what a gaming event can be, says Barry Louzada, managing director of Mettlestate. “While gaming remains the beating heart of rAge, every part of the experience has been reimagined to reflect how gaming culture has evolved. Today's gamers don't just play games. They also watch esports, follow creators, build communities, embrace technology, celebrate cosplay, create content and experience gaming as a culture that extends far beyond the screen. rAge 2026 has been built around that culture.”

rAge also boasts a new visual identity that signals the event that has officially levelled up. Bold, immersive and unmistakably rooted in gaming culture, it builds on the brand’s legendary legacy while introducing a sharper, more future-facing look. It is a visual upgrade that reflects its evolution from expo to full-scale festival.

The level up

The event will expand beyond the traditional expo format into a festival designed around participation. Visitors can expect immersive attractions, live entertainment, creator-led content, interactive experiences, community spaces and competitions. Hardcore players, casual gamers, families, anime and cosplay fans, creators, tech enthusiasts and curious first-timers will each find their own route through the event.

This year’s event will also introduce elements of retrofuturism, combining the nostalgia and visual language of gaming’s past with ideas, technology and experiences that look ahead to what the future of digital culture could become. From classic influences reimagined through new technology to immersive environments that blur the lines between then, now and next, retrofuturism will give rAge 2026 a distinctive creative identity. It is a creative direction that reflects rAge itself, honouring its legacy while looking firmly to the future.

The legacy loadout

Gaming remains the main quest. The iconic BYOC LAN, esports, cosplay, local game development, tabletop gaming, fandom, technology showcases, gear and show specials all remain firmly in play. The festival format builds out from that foundation rather than patching over the rAge experience its community has spent more than two decades shaping.

“We’ve spent 23 years building one of South Africa’s most recognised gaming brands,” says Michael James, project director of rAge. “Now we are taking the biggest step in our history. Together with Mettlestate, we're creating something that extends far beyond an expo. We're building a festival that celebrates every part of gaming culture, and what comes next will take it to another level.”

Game on

This brand evolution reflects gaming's growing influence on culture. rAge embraces that shift with a more immersive festival experience, where visitors can move between gaming, competition, creativity and live entertainment, with Mettlestate bringing its competitive and community-driven experience expertise to the event.

"rAge has always held a special place in South African gaming, and we're incredibly proud to be part of its next chapter," adds Louzada. "Every corner of the event has been designed to create moments worth sharing. And this November, a new era begins.”

Visitors will experience more ways to play, compete, discover and participate than ever before. Creators will have bigger stages to grow their communities. Esports will reach new audiences. Families will discover experiences designed for every generation. Brands will move beyond traditional exhibition stands into immersive activations that become part of the festival itself.

“rAge is no longer simply an expo. With Mettlestate in co-op mode, it is becoming South Africa’s premier gaming, esports, technology and digital culture festival that has the same legendary DNA with a bigger map and a premium new ally,” adds James.

Event details

rAge 2026
27 to 29 November 2026
Fourways Mall, Level 8
Johannesburg, South Africa

Ticket information, programme announcements and partner updates will be released soon.

About rAge Expo

Founded in 2002, rAge Expo is South Africa’s leading festival of gaming, technology, esports and geek culture. Held annually in Johannesburg, rAge brings together gamers, creators, developers, brands and families for a multi-day celebration of interactive entertainment, featuring immersive experiences, competitive gaming, live entertainment, technology showcases, cosplay, creator experiences and the iconic BYOC LAN. As one of the country’s most anticipated annual events, rAge continues to evolve while celebrating the communities and culture shaping the future of digital entertainment.

www.rageexpo.co.za

About Mettlestate

Mettlestate is the premium strategic partner for rAge, helping evolve the iconic gaming expo into a full-scale festival. Founded in 2016, Mettlestate is a gaming media and entertainment company focused on building and monetising gaming communities across Africa. It has delivered more than 150 campaigns and owns properties including Varsity Esports and Kasi Flare. Visit www.mettlestate.com for more information.

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Aum Namah Shivay!

Your Lifestyle and Technology Blog for the Last 13 Years

In Mandela's Spirit: Xiaomi South Africa Equips 40 Young Learners with Tools for a Digital Future

Hi Guys,

In Mandela's Spirit: Xiaomi South Africa Equips 40 Young Learners with Tools for a Digital Future

In celebration of Mandela Month and in honour of Nelson Mandela's enduring legacy of education, empowerment and service, Xiaomi South Africa proudly partnered with the Community to Career Career Fair to invest in the future of underprivileged learners from various schools across Gauteng.

The Community to Career Career Fair was established to bridge the gap between education and industry by exposing learners to diverse career opportunities and equipping them with the knowledge, skills and inspiration needed to make informed decisions about their future. The initiative brings together leading organisations and industry professionals to provide practical career guidance, mentorship, and real-world insights into opportunities across various sectors.

In Mandela's Spirit: Xiaomi South Africa Equips 40 Young Learners with Tools for a Digital Future

As part of Xiaomi South Africa's Mandela Month contribution, the company gifted every learner attending the Career Fair with a Xiaomi 10,000mAh 22.5W Power Bank and a pair of REDMI Buds 6 Play earphones. The devices are intended to support learners in their educational journeys by enabling them to stay connected, access educational content and embrace the digital tools that are increasingly shaping the future of learning.

The Career Fair provided learners with the opportunity to engage directly with industry representatives through interactive exhibition stand rotations, where participating organisations shared information about career pathways, industry trends, graduate programmes, internships, bursaries and the skills required to succeed in today's evolving workforce.

At Xiaomi South Africa, the company's mission of making innovation accessible to everyone extends beyond technology products and into creating opportunities that empower communities and inspire future generations.

"Mandela Month reminds us that meaningful change begins when we invest in people. Education remains one of the most powerful tools for transforming lives, and we believe every young person deserves access to opportunities that will help them realise their full potential," said Skye Li, Acting Marketing Manager at Xiaomi South Africa.

"Through our participation in the Community to Career Career Fair, we hope to inspire learners to explore careers in technology, innovation and the broader digital economy. South Africa's future innovators, engineers, entrepreneurs and leaders are sitting in classrooms today, and it is our collective responsibility to empower them with knowledge, confidence and the tools they need to succeed."

Technology continues to shape every aspect of modern society, creating exciting career opportunities across Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Xiaomi South Africa encouraged learners to remain curious, embrace lifelong learning and consider pursuing careers that will contribute to South Africa's growing digital economy.

The Community to Career Career Fair, held in collaboration with Hampton by Hilton, the Dis-Chem Foundation and participating corporate partners, serves as a platform that connects education and industry while inspiring young people to pursue meaningful career pathways and unlock their potential.

By supporting initiatives that uplift and educate young South Africans, Xiaomi South Africa continues to demonstrate its commitment to creating innovation for everyone and contributing positively to the communities it serves.

https://www.mi.com/za/

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