Smartphones

How to exchange your Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in the Philippines

Published

September 30, 2016

Monch Lopez

You’ve probably heard about it a million times. You’ve heard from the news, from your family and peers, and from Samsung. And you’ve heard right: A battery defect has caused a few Galaxy Note 7 phones to explode during and after charging.

Samsung has since launched an internal investigation and found a “battery-cell issue” in batteries made in South Korea. More notably, the consumer electronics giant issued a sweeping recall of over 2 million Note 7 units worldwide on September 2nd, a week after the first incident was reported in South Korea. Sales have stopped, and a mandatory update that prevents affected phones from fully charging the battery has been rolled out.

Samsung on September 8 announced a replacement program where users in the Philippines could exchange their Galaxy Note 7 handsets for new ones that are considered safe. The company had previously told customers they should expect the safe Note 7 units from October 1st. The finer details of the announcement can be found here.

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Contents of the box of a new Galaxy Note 7 that is deemed safe

But seeing that we’re just a day removed from the start of Samsung’s exchange program, we thought it would be best to summarize what we know about it and what we’ve been told during our recent meeting with Samsung executives.

First things first: The exchange program encompasses all Galaxy Note 7 devices sold through authorized retailers, including Lazada Philippines, and through carriers Globe Telecom and Smart Communications.
Samsung is prepared to replace all 6,000-plus phones sold in the Philippines prior to the recall in one go. Even if everyone who had bought the phone somehow manages to show up on October 1.
Users can also exchange the Note 7 for an S7 edge (Samsung will refund the price difference) or get their money back in full.
Customers must bring the following: the retail box with all the included accessories; one ID; and a proof of purchase.
Samsung recommends bringing the Note 7 to the store where the customer bought it. But if a unit was purchased in another part of the country — say, Davao — one can have it exchanged in a service location in Manila or another city. Proof of purchase will be required, of course.
All those who return their handset from tomorrow will get a screen protector and a P1,000 gift certificate to use on any Samsung purchase.
The new Note 7 units can be identified by a green battery icon on the status bar, and on the always-on and power-off screens; a black dot on the box; and their IMEIs or serial numbers. You can run a phone’s serial number against this database to find out if it is safe.

Samsung’s exchange program is currently ongoing in some parts of the world, and majority of customers seem to prefer getting a replacement Note 7 over the alternatives. Samsung earlier said around one million customers worldwide had exchanged their devices. Over 60 percent of old Note 7s have been returned in the U.S. and South Korea, 57 percent in Europe.

Samsung expects all recalled Note 7 phones in the Philippines will be returned by the end of the year. Galaxy Note 7 sales in the country will resume on — you guessed it — October 1st.

[irp posts=”9847″ name=”Samsung earned record profits despite Note 7 recall”]

Related Topics:Galaxy Note 7 Replacement Program Samsung

Lifestyle

What a day at Masungi GeoReserve taught me about a smartphone’s durability

Captured through the lens of the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G!

Published

February 4, 2026

Her and Noela

Xiaomi Philippines brought the Redmi Note 15 Series to Masungi GeoReserve to see how it holds up when the terrain is uneven.

Through the REDMI Titan Quest, we were brought into limestone paths and forest trails where dust settles fast and footing rarely stays predictable.

The day started with uneven ground beneath my feet and a phone that stayed out of my pocket. At Masungi GeoReserve, there was no reason to baby anything.

I spent the morning hiking and climbing, stopping only when something felt worth capturing using the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G.

Wide frames captured the scale of Masungi’s rock formations and open viewpoints.

Closer shots focused on textures, stone, and other details along the path. The 200-megapixel AI-powered camera system made it easy to move between 1x and 4x focal ranges as the light shifted throughout the day.

Power also never became a concern. With a 6,500mAh battery and 100W HyperCharge technology, the REDMI Note 15 Pro+ 5G kept up through hours of being outdoors.

Really ‘Titan Tough’

Durability showed itself early. Dirt clung to the device, and there were small knocks along the way that felt normal for a trail like this. Nothing cracked, of course.

A Titan Tough Durability Station later reinforced what the hike already proved; that dust and water resistance, and drop protection matter most in activities like this.

Designed for days like this, the REDMI Titan Structure, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and fiberglass back panels create a phone that feels ready for impact.

The Pro+ variant I’ve been carrying also supports drop resistance of up to 2.5 meters, which feels reassuring.

The Titan Quest builds on earlier REDMI Titan Lab durability tests, where toughness was measured under controlled conditions. On the trail, those results felt tangible.

Availability

The REDMI Note 15 Series is available through Xiaomi’s official stores on Shopee and Lazada. Select models come with bundled accessories, gift sets, and digital perks such as three months of Spotify Premium and a three-month 100 GB cloud storage plan.

The series includes Xiaomi Philippines’ No. 1 protection package, covering a four-year battery warranty, two-year liquid damage and exterior protection, and a two-year standard warranty.

News

Apple is reportedly considering a clamshell iPhone

They will likely wait if the first foldable will be popular.

Published

February 2, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Apple’s current foldable strategy is just one guy going “wouldn’t it be nice if we had a foldable phone” and everyone else nodding along. For years, Apple has constantly teased the development of its own entry into the market but failing to produce anything other than rumors. Now, while we’re still missing the mythical foldable, the company is reportedly considering a second foldable already: a clamshell iPhone.

Currently, all the previous rumors pointed to a traditional book-style foldable phone from Apple. The forecast says that the device might finally launch this year, but they do say that every year. In the meantime, according to Bloomberg, a clamshell version is already “under consideration.”

It hardly needs reminding that “under consideration” doesn’t mean anything other than “it might happen.” In contrast, the traditional foldable is probably in a “we’re just making sure everything is perfect” phase.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is likely evaluating whether there is enough demand for the first foldable. If, as the company predicts, it takes off, the company will want to capitalize on the hype immediately.

There’s a lot of expectations riding on Apple’s mythical foldable. Sometimes, it even feels like the unreleased phone has reached a point where it can’t possibly meet everyone’s standards. But, at the very least, we hope it does launch this year.

News

Nothing will not release a Phone (4) this year

But the Phone (4a) is still scheduled.

Published

January 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Last year, Nothing offered a worthy alternative to the usual flagship brands. Though the Phone (3) edged closer and closer to flagship-level prices, the smartphone is still a decent performer through and through. This year, however, a Phone (4) is not in the works.

Through a new YouTube video, Nothing’s Carl Pei has confirmed that the brand will not release a Phone (4) this year. The Phone (3) will still be the brand’s flagship option throughout 2026.

Pei did not reveal any explicit reason why they couldn’t make a new flagship this year. However, he does say that he wants every upgrade to be meaningful.

Despite the lack of a flagship, Nothing’s work will continue through the (a) series. The brand will release the new Phone (4a), for which Pei is promising a revolution. He says that there will be significant upgrades which will push the series closer to a flagship-like experience. It will also have new designs.

Unfortunately, the new phone might not come cheap. Along with the phone’s announcement, Pei confirmed that prices might increase this year, as a response to spiking RAM prices. It’s unclear how much it’s changing, though.

At the very least, the (a) series is usually priced competitively. However, if the increases affect the entire lineup, the flagship’s prices might go up to even more concerning levels.