News

You should replace your Samsung Galaxy Note 7 before it’s too late

Published

September 9, 2016

Marvin Velasco

As you might have heard, Samsung’s best phone ever is literally exploding around the world. The chances of you owning an unsafe unit are slim – Samsung claims only one in every 42,000 units are affected – but the inconvenience of replacing your Galaxy Note 7 or asking for a refund shouldn’t hold you back. Take the latest incidents as examples.

In what seems to be the most damaging instance yet, a man’s garage in Horry County, South Carolina caught fire while charging his Galaxy Note 7 two days ago. The scare happened as Wesley Hartzog came back to his home after leaving his Samsung phone charging in the room. The source of damage was found to be near the electric socket used to charge the handset, leading to the speculation. No one was injured, but Hartzog and his family are now forced to live in hotels while repairs are made.

Another similarly scary case also happened two days ago in St. Petersburg, Florida, where another man lost his Jeep Grand Cherokee to a fire. The cause is centered around the Galaxy Note 7 Nathan Dornacher left charging inside the vehicle, as he and his wife were unloading a desk they bought from a yard sale. While you shouldn’t leave a phone charging in a car under the scorching sun, a handset shouldn’t explode strong enough to destroy a large SUV either. Again, luckily, no was harmed.

The situation has become so bad that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sent out a statement advising Galaxy Note 7 users against charging or even turning on their phones while in flight. Despite there being only 35 reported incidents as of September 1 (doesn’t include the two reported here), the FAA is taking no risks, and considers the Samsung phone a possible explosive. To make matters worse, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges consumers who own a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to “power them down and stop charging or using the device.” Samsung is agreeing with the CPSC, and is asking users to exchange their phones right away.

So, what exactly is causing the explosions? Samsung UK explained that it’s an issue with the battery cell, wherein overheating occurs when the anode-to-cathode comes into contact, which is a “very rare manufacturing error.”

We recently explained how to tell if your Galaxy Note 7 is safe or a possible hazard, and we also covered the replacement process for customers in the Philippines. Our advice is to choose the latter option before any more unnecessary accidents arise.

[irp posts=”9766″ name=”Everything you need to know about the Note 7 investigation”]

Sources: WMBF News, Fox 13

News

TCL expands mobile lineup with latest NXTPAPER series

3 new smartphone models featuring a paper-like viewing experience

Published

August 10, 2026

GadgetMatch

TCL has expanded its mobile lineup with the launch of the latest NXTPAPER smartphone series.

Part of the new NXTPAPER roster are the NXTPAPER 60 Ultra, NXTPAPER 70 Pro, and K70 Power 4G.

The new generation of smartphones is designed to deliver smarter, more comfortable, and more powerful mobile experiences for today’s connected lifestyle.

At the heart of the lineup is the company’s proprietary NXTPAPER technology, and award-winning display innovation.

It combines both hardware and software advancements to reduce eyestrain while preserving vivid colors and sharp picture quality. The result is a paper-like viewing experience.

Bannering the roster is the NXTPAPER 60 Ultra. It is powered by a Dimensity 7400 Elite processor and runs on Android 16.

It comes with up to 512GB of internal storage and 12GB of base RAM, plus 12GB more for expansion.

In front is an expansive 7.2-inch 120Hz FHD+ display featuring Nxtpaper 4.0 and a 32MP selfie camera, while at the back is a 50MP main camera, along with a 50MP 3X telephoto camera.

This variant houses a 5,200mAh battery with support for 33W charging.

Right under the 60 Ultra is the NXTPAPER 70 Pro. It is powered by a Dimensity 7300 processor, and comes with a 6.9-inch 120Hz FHD+ display and a 50MP main shooter.

This model has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It has a similar 5,200mAh battery with 33W charging.

Lastly, the K70 Power 4G is a budget choice, with a Helio G100 Ultra chipset, 6.75-inch 120Hz display, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 50MP main camera.

Price, availability

In the Philippines, the latest NXTPAPER smartphones are available for the following pricing:

NXTPAPER 60 Ultra: PhP 35,995
NXTPAPER 70 Pro: PhP 22,995
K70 Power 4G: PhP 9,495

All devices are available through Shopee.

Apps

Canva teams up with SB19 to turn A’TIN’s passion into creativity

Campaign lets fans access assets, editable templates, more

Published

August 8, 2026

GadgetMatch

Canva Philippines has joined forces with SB19 and Sony Music Entertainment to launch the “Kaya sa Canva” campaign.

This first-of-its-kind initiative is aimed at transforming the popular Filipino boy band’s fanbase into creators by giving them access to official design assets, exclusive templates, and powerful creative tools.

That’s of course as fans have a way of creating artwork, banners, and more outputs to honor their idols.

As such, the partnership enables the A’TIN (SB19’s fanbase) to access the Canva-exclusive SB19’s Creative Hub.

This dedicated space lets fans access assets, including SB19-inspired sticker packs, custom typography, and editable templates inspired by the group.

Fans around the world will initially have access to templates for photo-booth strips, wallpapers, posters, and videos.

The campaign will then expand with Canva-exclusive assets celebrating the group’s New Era, as well as their latest single, “Lawless”.

Meanwhile, the original song “KAYA” is accompanied with an upbeat music video, doubling as a love letter to A’TIN and a masterclass in Canva’s tools.

Every visual and animation is fan-inspired, a celebration of the creativity, passion, and dedication that’s defined in the community from day one.

News

The iPhone 18 might sell out for an unexpected reason

The ongoing shortage might play a part in the phone selling out earlier than expected.

Published

August 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

An iPhone selling out is not news. Because of how popular the phones are, it’s within the realm of probability that Apple runs out of stock at some point. According to a new report, this year won’t be any different… but it’s for an entirely different reason.

First reported by analyst Tim Culpan, Apple is reportedly struggling to meet its demand for semiconductors for the iPhone 18 and the foldable iPhone. The ongoing memory shortage is cutting off Apple’s ability to deliver the required supply of smartphones in a timely fashion. The report even claims that TSMC, which helps produce the iPhone, is sitting on a shipment of processors, worth US$ 1 billion, that don’t have memory chips.

Now, Apple is still confident that it can weather the launch. However, if the shortage persists, the iPhone 18 generation will likely sell out much more quickly than expected.

It’s an interesting time for Apple to experience such a shortage. It’s been heavily rumored that the company will launch its very first foldable phone next month, creating a new market for the brand. Apple definitely wants this attempt to succeed after the tepid response to its last new product, the Vision Pro.