Smartphones

All the foldable phones and how much you have to flex to get each one

A lot of $$$, basically

Published

February 27, 2019

Isa Rodriguez

We’re entering another technological era: The time of foldable smartphones. And no, I’m not talking about flip phones, no matter how cool those sound.

If you’re as confused as I am, this is all you need to know: For years, tech folks have been obsessed with foldable phones — with Samsung showing off a concept as early as 2014 — but it’s never really happened until this year.

All the bendy innovation comes at a price, though, that brings the famously expensive iPhone XS Max to shame. But, since price has never stopped anyone from liking weird stuff, I’ve rounded up all the foldable phones and added how much you’ll have to shell out to get one.

Royole FlexPai

Talk about beating the big tech companies to the punch, Royole launched the first-ever commercially available folding smartphone in China.

At this year’s CES, Royole showcased a folding phone that features a bendable display. The FlexPai wasn’t the only interesting flexible screen display application we saw from Royole.

Even better than the @RoyoleOfficial FlexPai? This awesome Royole purse fitted with a screen that can match your every mood 🤩 #CES2019 pic.twitter.com/rMn0DJHjm2

— Isa Rodriguez (@sisasaid) January 12, 2019

Not really surprised, though. This is the same company marketing a screen-fitted top hat for US$ 900 — which, TBH, is sort of worth it. 😂

Of course we have the #FlexPai foldable phone for you to touch & feel at our booth, but our flexible wearables are also here to entertain you! Hall 3, booth 3K33. #futurehat #MWC2019 pic.twitter.com/4ezo2f2mFC

— Royole Europe (@Royole_Europe) February 25, 2019

Cost: US$ 1,200 or just US$ 250 shy of that iPhone XS Max. If you think that’s expensive, oh, you have no idea.

Samsung Galaxy Fold

When Samsung finally unveiled its foldable phone at this year’s MWC, it was a 7.3-inch tablet that turns into a 4.3-inch phone by folding inward.

In case you missed it, @SamsungMobile unfolded the future #GalaxyFold #Unpacked pic.twitter.com/kGSmuKU0Fp

— GadgetMatch (@gadgetmatch) February 21, 2019

It has a total of six cameras on three different areas (there are so many phone sides now 😅).

Cost: US$ 1,980 or just about two reasonably priced 2018 smartphone flagships, because why get one phone when you can get yourself one that bends. 🤯

Huawei Mate X

Huawei’s entry into the foldable phone race folds outward and utilizes a bar on the back side for triple-camera Leica shooters.

It’s an 8-inch tablet that turns into a phone with a 6.6-inch front screen and a 6.38-inch back screen.

Cost: EUR 2,299 or around US$ 2,600 which is exactly the amount of money I do not have for a smartphone. Fun fact, the same price tag will get you two and a half Louis Vuitton Speedy Monogram bags or around 24 bottles of Moet.

OPPO foldable prototype

Not to be outdone and in true “if you can do it, we can do it, too!” fashion, OPPO also showed off a foldable device which looks a whole lot like Huawei’s Mate X.

Cost: Not coming to market… yet. OPPO admits that the cost of this phone is way too much for such a small market — finally, real talk from a multi-billion yuan company. 😅

TCL’s DragonHinge phones

Not to be outdone, TCL showcased a folding phone, well, sort of.

TCL unveiled the DragonHinge, which is a mechanism that will allow for even more foldable phones.

Cost: Phones with DragonHinge come with a 2020 shipping date so you can at least hold on to your cash until then.

LG V50 ThinQ with a case which is also technically something that folds

LG hasn’t jumped on the foldable screen bandwagon but instead offers a foldable phone option with their Dual Screen case. It’s literally an accessory that turns your single-screened V50 into a foldable phone with double screens — perfect for those who can’t commit to these flexy phones.

Cost: No pricing yet, but surely a phone and a phone case would cost less than 24 bottles of Moet?

ZTE Nubia Alpha Wearable, basically a phone bent around your wrist

So sure, these phones fold, but what if your flex is more of a bend than a fold? Worry not, dear reader, 2019 tech has you covered.

Here’s a new tech you can wear! #NubiaAlpha pic.twitter.com/yJ43gMSIno

— GadgetMatch (@gadgetmatch) February 26, 2019

ZTE’s Nubia Alpha wearable is sort of a smartwatch but is also almost a smartphone. It can house a 4G eSIM which means you can use it to call and text without pairing it to a phone!

Cost: EUR 549 for the basic 4G eSIM version, but there’s a luxxe 18-karat gold-coated version that retails for EUR 649.

Related Topics:Huawei Huawei Mate X LG LG V50 ThinQ OPPO Royole Royole Flexpai Samsung Samsung Galaxy Fold TCL TCL DrangonHinge

News

Galaxy S21 series performing poorer than S20

Compared to S20 and S10

Published

August 5, 2021

Luigi Leonardo

When a new flagship series comes out, the company involved usually has high expectations for it. However, there are some launches when a new smartphone ends up failing expectations. For example, because of poor sales, Apple is reportedly ending the iPhone mini model. On the flip side of things, Samsung is similarly experiencing poorer sales for the Galaxy S21.

According to a South Korean analyst firm Kiwoom Securities, this year’s Galaxy S21 series isn’t doing as well as last year’s Galaxy S20 series. Six months after it launched, the former sold only 13.5 million units. The figure is 20 percent less than the Galaxy S20 and 47 percent less than the Galaxy S10 series.

Alleviating this a bit, the Galaxy S21 did do well in its home turf. In the series’ first month, the flagship series sold around 590,000 units in South Korea. It’s only second to the Galaxy S8 which sold 620,000 units in its first month.

Currently — at least according to a recent ranking — Samsung is still the top smartphone seller in the world with Xiaomi trailing a bit behind in second place. The South Korean company might not be intimidated, though. Samsung is hosting its annual Galaxy Unpacked later this month, potentially boosting the company’s performance afterwards.

Lifestyle

Apple got cute pet portraits on their billboards!

Get your pet to model!

Published

August 4, 2021

Leez

Have you spotted cute pet babies hitting it on the street billboards lately? Well, Apple launched an ad campaign where everyone’s pets take over billboards around Singapore.

Hoping to turn heads and make pet portraits into high art, it’s arguably the most adorable addition to their Shot On iPhone campaign. If you’ve tried to take get your pet to pose to no avail, they’ve got photographer Jason Nocito to help.

The campaign hopes to aptly demonstrate how photographic features often reserved for professionals are now accessible to Apple users. The charming and adorable billboard pet portraits were all shot with an iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max–utilizing High-Key Light Mono Portrait.

Tips from Jason for pet portraits!

To help get your pet’s attention and eye contact, hold a squeaker or keys above the lens.
If you are shooting outdoors, place your subject under indirect light in front of a simple wall or background.
Place your pet in the center of the frame.
If you’re having a hard time getting your pet-posed High-Key Light Mono mode try shooting ina few regular shots in Portrait mode. From there you can apply the High-Key Light Mono mode in the edit function after the shoot.
Lastly, shoot a lot of different frames!

Up your pet photo game

The campaign will run globally–including an @apple Instagram takeover and WeChat component! There, you’ll get to play around the iPhone’s camera features while learning how to take billboard-worthy shots wherever you are. You can even check out the behind-the-scenes of the shoot with Jason and his furry friends!

The OOH billboards at Knightsbridge, Keppel, and Bugis in Singapore have gone live. But, be on the lookout for the coming weeks; a cute fur baby might be featured on a billboard near you!

News

Number portability is here, how will it work?

Easily switch among 3 telco providers!

Published

August 4, 2021

Mark Manera

IMAGE/GadgetMatch

Number portability or the ability to move your mobile number under any carrier you want seemed like a pipe dream. Not anymore thanks to the combined efforts of the Avengers. No, just kidding. They’re called the Telecommunications Connectivity Inc. made up of DITO Telecommunity, Globe Inc., and Smart Communications. So, kind of like the Avengers, but of Telecom companies in the Philippines.

This was made possible thanks to teh passing of the Mobile Number Portability Act. Republic Act No. 11202, also known as the Mobile Number Portability Act, ensures that mobile phone users can keep their numbers even when they transfer to another service provider, or when they switch their subscription from postpaid to prepaid, or vice-versa.

How to avail Number Portability

How to port within networks, you need to meet the following requirements:
An active SIM and the requestor is the assignee of the mobile number to be ported
Zero remaining balance from your previous bill (for postpaid)
Non-existent court prohibitions
No pending transfer of ownership

Number porting makes it possible to also keep your number when switching from prepaid to postpaid plans. Syniverse will be the provider of number portability services in the Philippines.

“Mobile Number Portability is a complex process not only do we need to adopt it into our system but we need to integrate it with the networks of our competitors,” said Atty. Froilan Castelo who sits as the Chairman of the Telecommunications Connectivity Inc. General Counsel, Globe Group of Companies.

“It took us 22 months to build MNP, upgrade the system, integrate with the MNP service provider, and do testing with the other telcos,” he added.