News

Two U.S. carriers to halt all sales, exchanges of Note 7 [UPDATED]

Published

October 10, 2016

Monch Lopez

Samsung can’t put the second half of the year behind it fast enough. And its troubles are yet to subside; quite the contrary, they are worsening.

Two major U.S. carriers — AT&T and T-Mobile — on Sunday said they would halt all sales and exchanges of the troubled Samsung phone following reports of fires caused by new and “safe” Note 7 units.

“Based on recent reports, we’re no longer exchanging new Note 7s at this time, pending further investigation of these reported incidents,” AT&T said in an email sent to The Verge Sunday. “We still encourage customers with a recalled Note 7 to visit an AT&T location to exchange that device for another Samsung smartphone or other smartphone of their choice.”

[irp posts=”4473″ name=”You should replace your Samsung Galaxy Note 7 before it’s too late”]

T-Mobile head John Legere on Twitter said his company would stop selling and exchanging the Note 7 “out of an abundance of caution for our customers.” The carrier encourages subscribers to exchange their Note 7s with another device on T-Mobile and is giving a $25 credit on their bill.

U.S regulators are currently investigating the replacement Note 7 handset that caught fire on a Southwest Airlines flight on October 5. The plane was evacuated prior to take-off and no injuries were reported. At least four other incidents of replacement Note 7s catching fire have been reported in the U.S. alone.

In Minnesota, a young girl said she experienced a “weird, burning sensation” while holding her device; the phone later showed burn marks that were consistent with previous cases of Note 7s that were literally too hot to handle.

A man from Kentucky told local news outlet WKYT he woke up to find his bedroom filled with black smoke from his burnt Note 7. The man went on to say Samsung knew about it and didn’t say anything.

Even more damning, a Samsung representative allegedly sent him an inadvertent text message (likely intended for another company official) which said: “Just now got this. I can try and slow him down if we think it will matter, or we just let him do what he keeps threatening to do and see if he does it.”

[irp posts=”4936″ name=”How to identify a safe Samsung Galaxy Note 7″]

The fourth incident involves a man in Virginia whose replacement Note 7 “burst into flames” on his nightstand on October 9th. The man provided The Verge with copies of his receipts and photographs of his Note 7 box to corroborate his story.

The latest reported incident came from a Texas family who witnessed their device catch fire on a table. It had been replaced at a retail store in September.

Samsung has since issued a statement in which it said it is investigating the fires and working with U.S. authorities — in particular, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) — throughout the investigation. The company promises to share its findings “as soon as possible.” You can read the full statement below.

Samsung understands the concern our carriers and consumers must be feeling after recent reports have raised questions about our newly released replacement Note 7 devices.

We continue to move quickly to investigate the reported case to determine the cause and will share findings as soon as possible.

We remain in close contact with the CPSC throughout this process.

If we conclude a safety issue exists, we will work with the CPSC to take immediate steps to address the situation.

We want to reassure our customers that we take every report seriously and we appreciate their patience as we work diligently through this process.

At this point, it seems almost certain that we’ll hear about another global recall soon, and that the once-promising flagship will be pulled from shelves for good this time.

If the reports are indeed accurate, Samsung should cut its losses and discontinue the Note 7, and focus its efforts on making amends with affected customers. And it has to knock everyone’s socks off with next year’s S8 to even have a chance at winning back public opinion. That phone ought to be capable of doing more than just scanning irises and taking pictures with two rear cameras.

UPDATE, October 10: Verizon also announced today it would stop issuing replacement Note 7 phones to its customers. The company has the most wireless subscribers in the U.S.

UPDATE 2, October 11: The Galaxy Note 7 is done for. Samsung has asked all carriers and retail partners to “stop sales and exchanges” of the phone. Here’s the latest statement from the company.

We are working with relevant regulatory bodies to investigate the recently reported cases involving the Galaxy Note 7. Because consumers’ safety remains our top priority, Samsung will ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 while the investigation is taking place.

We remain committed to working diligently with appropriate regulatory authorities to take all necessary steps to resolve the situation. Consumers with either an original Galaxy Note 7 or replacement Galaxy Note 7 device should power down and stop using the device and take advantage of the remedies available.

UPDATE 3, October 12: Samsung said on Tuesday it would permanently cease production and sales of the Galaxy Note 7, The Wall Street Journal reports. To quote the company’s statement:

Taking our customer’s safety as our highest priority, we have decided to halt sales and production of the Galaxy Note 7.

The move effectively ends the phablet’s brief and embattled existence. Analysts said it could cost the company $17 billion in losses and forgone sales.

Source: The Verge, Samsung

Related Topics:Galaxy Note 7 recall Samsung

News

iPhone 18 Pro series pre-orders now open via Power Mac Center

Philippines gears up for iPhone 18 Pro series midnight launch later this month

Published

October 1, 2026

GadgetMatch

Premier Apple partner Power Mac Center (PMC) in the Philippines has opened pre-orders for the newest iPhone 18 Pro series.

As part of the announcement, exclusive activities were held at Greenbelt 3 and SM Mall of Asia. The nationwide pre-order opens on October 2.

Being among the first to pre-order the latest iPhone entitles customers to secure premium freebies.

Those visiting the aforementioned mall activations will also enjoy pre-order kits and UpTrade Boost, as well as freebies and a chance to win raffle prizes.

In any case, by October 2, nationwide pre-order will commence at Apple Premium partner stores. Meanwhile, PMC stores nationwide will accept pre-orders during mall hours.

In-store pre-order customers will also get pre-order kits and UpTrade Boost. In addition, there will be early access for customers who will line up for partner-exclusive offers at select locations:

BPI at Greenbelt 3
UnionBank at SM Megamall, The Annex SM North EDSA, Molito Lifestyle Center
Billease at SM City Tuguegarao

Lastly, customers who prefer online transactions can visit PMC’s official web store and the new official Lazada flagship store starting October 2.

Customers may use their 1 Infinite loyalty points as payment. Bank offers are also available.

The pre-order period ends on October 15.

iPhone 18 Pro series midnight launch

As usual, the iPhone 18 Pro series will officially be welcomed in the Philippines through a midnight launch.

There will be six locations where customers can take part in the festivities: Greenbelt 3, SM Mall of Asia, SM City Iloilo, SM Lanang, SM Megamall, and SM North EDSA.

Midnight launch participants can get exclusive gifts when they avail in select locations:

Additional freebies for first 75 customers: Greenbelt 3 and SM Mall of Asia
Additional freebies for first 50 customers: SM City Iloilo and SM Lanang
Additional freebies for first 25 customers: SM Megamall and SM North EDSA
Voucher for non-Apple accessory: Midnight selling participants at SM Megamall and SM North EDSA

More details will be announced on Power Mac Center’s social media accounts.

News

Apple wants to release new iPhones more regularly

Apple CEO John Ternus is aiming for a new direction.

Published

October 1, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Only a month after taking the reins from Tim Cook, Apple CEO John Ternus already changed how the company runs. As you’ve probably gathered, the company is now experimenting with a new release schedule by launching the two Pro models ahead of the regular iPhone duo. According to a new report, it’s all intentional as Ternus looks to make the company’s releases much more regular and unique.

That should come as no surprise for everyone. As opposed to the more managerial style of Tim Cook, Ternus comes specifically from an engineering background, ensuring that we’ll likely get crazier ideas going forward.

Right now, we don’t know how this new status quo will look like. It’s likely that we’ll see the regular iPhone 18 siblings next year, but who knows what else Apple has planned? Currently, there are rumors that the company might host a home-themed event this month.

Apple is now going through the tough teething stage of Ternus’s young term. Besides changing schedules, the company is also slowly shelving some projects to make itself leaner. Unfortunately, doing so also means layoffs. At the very least, Apple is allowing affected employees to find new work within the company to prevent getting laid off.

News

Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab S12 series for work, creativity, and life on the go

Samsung’s latest tablet lineup brings a slim design, Galaxy AI, and pro-level tools!

Published

September 30, 2026

MJ Jucutan

Samsung has a new tablet for flexible, modern workspaces. The Galaxy Tab S12 series has officially arrived.

The lineup includes the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S12+. Both feature Samsung’s latest Galaxy AI, upgraded performance, long battery life, and a remarkably slim profile. The series targets users moving between work, learning, and creative projects throughout the day.

Slim profile, vivid display

At 5.1mm thin, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is Samsung’s thinnest tablet yet. It pairs this ultra-thin design with a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab S12+ features a 12.6-inch display with slimmer bezels. Both screens reach up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness. An upgraded Vision Booster improves visibility in bright lighting.

All-day power, durability

Battery performance gets a noticeable boost. Samsung states the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra lasts up to 23 hours per charge. The Galaxy Tab S12+ reaches up to 21 hours. Both models support 45W fast charging. A full charge takes about 95 minutes under standard conditions.

Both models carry an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. This adds extra durability and peace of mind for daily travel.

Upgraded Internal Hardware

The hardware underneath sees significant gains. A new 3nm processor delivers up to 61% faster NPU processing, 19% faster CPU performance, and 17% improved GPU performance compared to the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra.

A redesigned 3D Vapor Chamber efficiently manages heat during heavy tasks like video editing and graphic design.

Smart productivity with S Pen and AI

The included S Pen brings tactile precision to the display. Users can easily write notes, annotate documents, and sketch. Multi Window splits the screen into up to three sections.

You can run a lecture video, Samsung Notes, and an AI assistant simultaneously. Note Assist condenses lengthy notes into quick summaries.

Galaxy AI simplifies information management across the system. The lineup includes a six-month trial of Google AI Pro. Gemini Notebook combines notes, images, recordings, and files into one workspace. Users can also quickly generate summaries, podcasts, and quizzes from their materials.

Pro-level creative suite

Samsung delivers a serious software lineup for creative work. Adobe Photoshop comes pre-loaded on the Galaxy Tab S12 series.

This marks the first time Photoshop comes pre-installed on an Android tablet. The optimized experience supports the S Pen and includes AI tools like Generative Fill and Image to Video.

The lineup also supports top apps like Notability, Goodnotes, LumaFusion, Notion, and Clip Studio Paint. These tools expand performance beyond everyday note-taking into digital art, video editing, writing, and organization.

Price, availability in the Philippines

In the Philippines, pre-orders run exclusively on Shopee from October 9 to 20. The official online launch occurs on October 21 via Samsung.com, Lazada, TikTok Shop, Shopee, MemoX.com, and Abenson.com. Physical availability follows at Samsung Experience and Authorized stores on October 28.

Every launch purchase includes a productivity bundle valued at up to PhP 18,279. It features the Book Cover Keyboard Slim, S Pen, and 45W travel adapter. Buyers also receive app perks worth up to PhP 24,161. These include a one-year Microsoft 365 subscription, six months of Google AI Pro, and four months of Adobe Photoshop.

Combining a large display, portable design, S Pen, Galaxy AI, and pro tools, the Galaxy Tab S12 series unchains your full workspace from a standard desk.