News

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2: A head-to-toe improvement

An expected refinement

Published

September 1, 2020

Rodneil Quiteles

When the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 was first unveiled at the Galaxy Note 20 series Unpacked event we barely knew anything about the device. Now, Samsung has completely revealed everything.

As expected, this is a refinement of the first generation Galaxy Fold. Curiously, Samsung is calling it their third generation folding device following the Galaxy Fold and the Galaxy Z Flip.

Here’s what’s under the hood:

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2
Main Display	7.6” QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display (22.5:18) Infinity Flex Display (2208 x 1768), 373ppi
Cover Screen	6.2” HD+ Super AMOLED Display (25:9), 2260 x 816, 386ppi
Cover Camera	10MP Selfie Camera : F2.2, Pixel size: 1.22μm, FOV: 80 ̊
Front Camera	10MP Selfie Camera : F2.2, Pixel size: 1.22μm, FOV: 80 ̊
Rear Triple Camera	12MP Ultra Wide Camera : F2.2 ,Pixel size: 1.12μm, FOV : 123 ̊ 12MP Wide-angle Camera : Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, OIS, F1.8, Pixel size: 1.8μm, FOV: 83 ̊ 12MP Telephoto Camera : PDAF, F2.4, OIS, Pixel size: 1.0μm, FOV: 45 ̊
RAM and Storage	12GB RAM with 256GB internal storage (UFS3.1)
Battery	4500mAh (typical) dual battery Fast Charging compatible on wired and wireless Wireless PowerShare
Security	Lock type: pattern, PIN, password Biometric lock type: Face Recognition, Side-mounted Fingerprint sensor Knox protection: real-time monitoring and protection. Secure Folder: a secure space on the device to keep content such
Colors	Mystic Black, Mystic Bronze [Customization Hinge Color] Metallic Silver, Metallic Gold, Metallic Red, Metallic Blue

Smoothing out the edges

As expected, the Galaxy Z Fold2 looks more like a finished product than its predecessor. The 6.2-inch Infiniy-O (punch-hole) cover screen makes it usable when folded. You can check emails, look up directions, watch videos, and pretty much anything you would normally do on your phone.

Unfold it and you’ll be greeted by the 7.6-inch main screen that now has a punch hole front camera instead of the hideous notch that was present in the original Galaxy Fold. That massive screen also has a 120Hz refresh rate.

The Galaxy Z Fold2 is held together by the Hideaway Hinge with the CAM mechanism that helps you prop up the fold in whatever way you want it to. They also added the sweeper tech first used on the Galaxy Z Flip. This repels dust and dirt between the body and the hinge.

Different capturing modes

The numbers on the cameras aren’t gonna jump out at you. What’s unique is the number of ways you can capture stills and footage with the device.

There’s Capture View Mode that lets you preview your last five shots on the bottom half of the screen without leaving the camera app.

There’s also Auto Framing which lets you shoot videos hands-free. When over three people are detected, it will automatically zoom out to capture everyone. It uses a machine learning algorithm to detect human faces. Trackable distance is between 1.5m to 2.5m.

It also retains the feature that lets you use the front camera as a viewfinder but use the main camera to take the photo for a higher resolution image. You also get staple Galaxy camera features like Pro Mode, Single Take, Bright Night, and many others.

A multitasking machine

Everyone says this about devices with massive screens but Samsung has put in extra attention to make sure that the ONE UI version on the Galaxy Z Fold2 meets the needs of mobile multitaskers.

Multi-Active Window now lets you have more control and should be easier to use. There’s an improved Multi-Window Tray that lets you use multiple files from the same app and view them side by side.

You can drag and drop seamlessly to move or copy files and can switch between traditional screen or large screen layouts on the Main screen depending on your preference.

This is also the first foldable to implement the use of three apps all at the same time. With Edge Panel, you can customize how those three apps are laid out. The new Screen Capture tech also lets you take a screenshot and just select one of those three apps as the final product without needing to resize and edit.

Everything was just really built intuitively in a way that makes sense for the Fold2’s form factor.

Thom Browne Edition

As revealed during the Galaxy Note 20 series launch, the Galaxy Z Fold2 will have a Thom Browne Edition.

Other than the signature geometric grey and multicolor stripe look, software additions include a new lock screen and exclusive photo filter.

Each Thom Browne Edition Package includes the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Watch3, Galaxy Buds Live and an array of fully customized accessories all featuring elements of Thom Browne’s iconic design.

Galaxy Z Premiere

Just like previous Galaxy Fold owners, Galaxy Z Fold2 consumers have access to the Galaxy Z Premier Service. It’s an on-demand concierge support from a dedicated team of product experts.

Galaxy Z Fold2 owners will be provided one-time device protection against accidental display damage within one year of purchasing date.

With Galaxy Z Premiere, Galaxy Z owners can get a membership to Founders Card21, access to a prepared meal from a Michelin star restaurant, and an elite fairway golf and country club program at clubs across the U.S.23 with more benefits being added all the time.

Pricing and availability

In the US, The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 will retail for US$ 1,999. It will be available starting September 18 in carrier and Unlocked by Samsung versions through Samsung.com, carriers and select retailers online.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold2 5G begin September 2, 2020 at 12:01 am ET.

Original Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip users can trade-in their device to get the Galaxy Z Fold2 for as low as US$ 25/month with up to US$ 800 trade-in value. Users can save up to US$ 650 on trade-ins of other eligible devices. These offers are for a limited time.

Meanwhile, The Galaxy Z Fold2 Thom Browne edition will retail for US$ 3,299 and will be available for pre-order beginning September 2, 2020 with general availability on September 25, 2020.

In the Philippines, The Galaxy Z Fold2 will be available in Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze on

September 25, 2020 for select Samsung Online Partners and October 2, 2020 for select Authorized Samsung Stores.

Pre-order period is from September 12 to 24, 2020.

Entertainment

Netflix is getting a second F1 docuseries

Focusing on F1 Academy

Published

May 4, 2024

Luigi Leonardo

Image source: Bianca Bustamante (@racerbia), Instagram

Formula 1’s success these days owes a lot to Netflix’s Drive to Survive. In concise ten-episode chunks per season, the documentary series takes viewers through an entire season of the sport. Next year, Netflix is getting a second Formula 1 series, focusing on F1 Academy, to add to its motorsports slate.

The F1 Academy is a much smaller series attached to Formula 1. Before a few F1 races sprinkled through the season, 15 female drivers take to the circuit. Though the series only started in late 2022, its main goal is to grant developmental opportunities for female drivers in motorsports.

The newly minted series gained a lot of traction because of McLaren’s Bianca Bustamante, the first Filipino driver to win an F1 Academy race. She also has two other podium finishes in the series to her name.

Now, almost a year since winning her race, Bustamante will get her Netflix debut through a new docuseries simply titled F1 Academy. As the name indicates, the upcoming series will focus on the female-only series, much like how Drive to Survive focuses on the main series.

In production now, the series is set to premiere sometime in 2025. It will be produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.

Laptops

Apple MacBook Air M3 has finally reached the Philippines

With exclusive pre-order perks

Published

May 3, 2024

Vincenz

After a month (or two) of waiting for the local launch of Apple’s newest MacBook Air, Power Mac Center has finally unveiled and brought the MacBook Air M3 to the Philippine shores this May 3, 2024 at their Premium Partner Store in Greenbelt 3.

This goes live hand-in-hand with select Power Mac Center branches as well as The Loop stores nationwide.

Lean and Mean

Just like its predecessor, the new generation of Silicon-powered MacBook Air is either available in 13 or 15-inch Liquid Retina displays.

Both sizes are lean at just around 0.45-inches in thickness — or thinness, rather. The laptops are lightweight too weighing at just 1.24 kilograms and 1.51 kilograms respectively.

But being light in heft doesn’t mean it’s light in features. In fact, the MacBook Air M3 is power-packed to consider it as “the world’s best consumer laptop for AI“.

There are several configurations like choosing between 8GB or 16GB of unified memory and 256GB or 512GB of internal storage.

But the highlight of the show is none other than its new M3 chipset. This has an 8-core CPU that’s powerful than ever and promises 13x faster than its last Intel-based countepart. Aside from that, GPU can be configured between 8 or 10 cores.

Moreover, the new MacBook Air M3 boasts a Wi-Fi 6E connectivity support as well as a promising all-day battery life of up to 18 hours! Also, there’s an extra support for another external display — that’s when you use it closed.

Mac and Me

Hosted by Aiyana Perlas

To further hype up the launch of the much-awaited MacBook Air powered by M3, Power Mac Center has invited some renowned Mac users and using it to further hone their craftsmanship.

First is none other than Hey! Hey! Hey! Janina Vela here — a sought after content creator in the Philippines who’s also a “proud Power Mac Consumer since Forever” ✨

This was then followed by Merphi Panaguiton, the Creative Director and Co-Founder of ATOMM Studios — one of the country’s leading self-shoot studios.

Last but definitely not the least is Sid Maderazo, a prominent film director especially in terms of brand filmmaking.

Pricing and Availability

The M3 MacBook Air, just like its predecessor, is still available in four color choices: Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver.

Both display sizes are available in three different configurations:

Configuration	13-inch	15-inch
8GB unified memory + 256GB storage**	PhP 76,990	PhP 89,990
8GB unified memory + 512GB storage	PhP 89,990	PhP 102,990
16GB unified memory + 512GB storage	PhP 102,990	PhP 115,990

**Base configurations are only limited to an 8-core GPU

If straight payment isn’t your cup of tea, Power Mac Center offers flexible payment options via select banks and credit issuers. There’s even a 24-month installment if you’re really that decided to own one without much savings in mind.

Click here to know more about Power Mac Center’s installment pricing plans for the new MacBook Air M3.

Exclusive Perks Await

From May 3rd until the 5th, prospective MacBook Air M3 buyers can enjoy up to 40% discount on select premium accessories plus a free Microsoft 365 Personal Electronic Software Delivery.

If you’re planning to join this weekend’s launch at Greenbelt 3, you will also get a free backpack and laptop stand courtesy of Tuscano.

And that’s not all! Between May 6th to 12th, buyers of the M3 MacBook Air regardless of the size and the Power Mac Center or The Loop branch you purchase it automatically gets an entry to win the raffle. Those include:

1 winner of Power Mac Center Gift Certificates worth PhP 30,000
1 winner of LaCie Rugged Mini USB 3.0 1TB worth PhP 6,800
4 winners of Seagate One Touch Slim USB 3.0 1TB worth PhP 4,190
10 winners of SanDisk iXpand Flip OTG Flash Drive Lightning + Type A 128GB worth PhP 4,999

Accessories

F1’s Daniel Ricciardo spotted with an unreleased Beats Pill

LeBron James was also spotted with the same thing

Published

May 3, 2024

Luigi Leonardo

Image source: Formula 1 | Instagram

In a world inundated with leaks, spotting an unreleased device out in the wild is less of a spectacle these days. However, there are still some sneak peeks that manage to catch our eyes. One such example is the sudden appearance of an unreleased Beats Pill in the hands of F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo.

A Beats Pill is not an easy speaker to find these days. After all, the company discontinued the last one back in 2022. Unless they particularly love old devices, it’s likely not a coincidence if a popular personality is somehow toting one out in public.

In preparation for the upcoming Miami Grand Prix this weekend, Daniel Ricciardo, who currently races for the Visa Cash App RB team, strolled into the paddock carrying a golden Beats Pill. It’s also interesting that the Pill is positioned perfectly to display the Beats logo.

As if that’s not a sure sign already, LeBron James was also spotted with the same speaker before a game back in April. Serendipitously, the pictured speaker swung perfectly to display the Beats logo in the NBA star’s photo.

Because Beats has not announced a revival yet, it’s difficult to see what the audio company has in store for its next portable speaker. However, one thing’s for sure: A new lanyard will make it easier to carry around. It’s also safe to assume that the device will come with USB-C this time around.