First announced alongside the Samsung Galaxy S10 and refined later on in 2019, the Samsung Galaxy Fold has now made its way to the Philippines. The country’s two biggest telecommunication providers are also joining in the fray.

With Globe, pre-orders start November 18 with Globe’s ThePLAN or ThePLATINUM. It will be available until December 1st or until stocks last; only 400 units will be available.

With Smart, interested parties may start their application by preparing the following requirements: contact information, proof of income or financial capacity, proof of identity, proof of address, and email address. Visit a Smart Signature store anywhere in the country to submit your requirements. For more details visit Smart’s website.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold is available at Signature Device Plan L at PhP 4,099 per month for 24 months with a one-time cash-out of PhP 20,700. With it comes 15GB of monthly data, Unli AnyNet Texts, Unli On-Net Calls, and 150 minutes of AnyNet calls.

It’s also available with the premium postpaid plan called Smart Infinity under the Limitless/Traveler Plan 3500 with a monthly amortization of PhP 2,000 for 24 months. Under the Limitless/Traveler Plan 5000 for 30 months, the Galaxy Fold can be had for free.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold is available for PhP 109,990 at Abensons, Ansons, Samsung Experience Stores, Lazada, and other official distributors. It’ll come with a pair of Galaxy Buds, one year of Samsung Care+ and Samsung Concierge.

Samsung Concierge and Samsung Care+

Samsung Concierge gives access to specialized customer care programs including a 24/7 dedicated hotline, free pick-up and delivery assistance, and service express lanes, among others. Customers get to directly consult with the company’s tech experts for any queries.

Samsung Care+ is a hassle-free year-long program to assist Galaxy Fold owners for any emergency concerns. It also includes repair coverage for one year.

A new device category

The Galaxy Fold is Samsung’s first foldable smartphone. It sports a foldable 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display. Revealed months ago, the display can freely transform between an expansive 7.3-inch tablet and a smaller 4.6-inch phone. Unfolded, the phone is a QXGA+ resolution powerhouse. Folded, the phone carries a workable HD+ display.

Powering the device is a 7nm octa-core processor, 12GB of RAM, and 512GB of internal storage. Outside, the phone carries a triple rear camera setup — 16-megapixel ultra-wide camera + 12-megapixel wide-angle camera + a telephoto lens. In front, it has a 16-megapixel selfie shooter when folded. It has two batteries that combine for a total of 4380mAh.

During the first reveal, the Galaxy Fold was said to be available in four colors with LTE and 5G variants and will retail for US$ 1,980. Global availability of the refined version was announced in September at IFA 2019 in Berlin.

SEE ALSO

Samsung is already working on a more affordable Galaxy Fold

Samsung admits redesigned Galaxy Fold is still too fragile

The Galaxy Fold fails a crucial folding test

Samsung teases the next Galaxy Fold

Philips Hue has been around since 2012. Just two years ago, we listed Philips Hue under must-have devices for a smarter home. Now, they officially launched it in the Philippines.

In case you missed it, the Philips Hue system is not just about “smart bulbs”, it’s also a connected lighting system for your home — strips, spots, lamps, and controls all included. With the excellence of developers, there are more than 700 third-party apps designed for the Hue.

The Philips Hue is responsible for switching light controls and changing colors within the reach of your fingertips. You can personalize and choose from the spectrum of 16 million colors in order to change your interior’s ambiance. It also has a feature that increases the brightness when you wake up in the day.

Other than that, there are also light scenes such as Tropical Twilight or Tokyo Lights, or even a customized scene based on your liking. The light activity can even depend on the music, video, and games you are playing — especially that it has an integration on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Best of all, you can control it through voice commands with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, and Nest. It’s also compatible with other smart-home platforms such as Samsung SmartThings, Bosch, and Logitech.

Price and availability

The Hue White ambiance Starter Kit includes a Philips Hue White Ambiance Bulb, bridge, and wireless dimmer switch.

Meanwhile, the Hue White and Color Ambiance Kit includes three white and color ambiance bulbs, plus a bridge.

Here are the official prices:

Starter Kits

• Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Kit — PhP 10,390
• Philips Hue White Ambiance Kit — PhP 7,490

Bulbs

• Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Bulb — PhP 2,990
• Philips Hue White Ambiance Bulb — PhP 1,790

Controls

• Philips Hue bridge — PhP 3,690
• Philips Hue wireless dimmer switch — PhP 1,290
• Philips Hue Motion sensor — PhP 2,690

You can get the Philips Hue in select Power Mac Centers, Switch, iStore, Nifty, Urban Gadgets, Infomax Glorietta, Abenson Global City, and online at the Philips Lighting Official Store on Lazada.

To celebrate the Batman’s 80th anniversary and honor its pop-culture legacy, DC Comics and lifestyle brand Ekonic joined forces for an exclusive collaboration to release a limited edition Batman-themed devices that capture the nostalgia of the iconic superhero.

For the collection, Batman has been depicted in a visual roundup on a set of power banks and Bluetooth speakers, featuring his most iconic moments on the pages of comic books such as The Dark Knight’s distinctive look penciled by Jim Lee in the Hush story arc and Greg Capullo’s variant cover for the 1000th Detective Comics.

Other designs drew inspiration from the noteworthy iconography of Batman throughout the years, containing the different iterations of his signature logo and recognizable cowl from the 1950s to the present time in pop-art-styled graphics.

Batman is well-known for his reliable and expedient gadgets, and Ekonic gave the media an opportunity to examine the latest addition to his long list of useful tools found in his utility belt at the collection’s official launch held last Friday, November 15 at the DC Super Heroes Café in Mandaluyong City.

In a slim profile with an art design printed in high-quality matte cover, the power bank 10000mAh battery with 1A/2.1A outputs, allowing the user to charge two devices at the same time.

On the other hand, the Bluetooth speaker can blast sound that fills the room with its 3W output. In addition, it can stream non-stop music with its 3.5 millimeter aux port or from a distance of up to 10 meters with a Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity. Lastly, the device has a built-in 4000mAh battery capacity.

The event was also attended by Filipino illustrator Philip Tan, who has worked on major DC Comics titles such as Batman, Superman and Justice League. He hosted a small meet-and-greet session with the local fans outside the restaurant.

The collection is available at DC Super Heroes Café and in all branches of Electroworld and Abenson for PhP 998.00.

Batman has been Gotham City’s protector for decades–eight whopping decades, to be exact. Created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger in 1939, the Caped Crusader made his first appearance in the 27th issue of Detective Comics, which would later be simplified to its initials DC.