Features

Samsung’s display folds, Trese anime coming to Netflix: Weekend Rewind

Lots of new things coming soon!

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Here are this week’s top stories on GadgetMatch.

1. Samsung’s Infinity Flex is here

Five years since showcasing the Youm Flexible display, Samsung finally unveiled a prototype of its foldable smartphone. Called the Infinity Flex, it looks like a thicker phone when folded but expands to a 7.3-inch display. An actual product could come in Spring 2019.

Android has already announced support for folding devices while Huawei and LG are also developing their own versions of a foldable phone.

However, a smaller Chinese company, Rouyu Technology, has already beaten them all to the punch when they unveiled the world’s first foldable smartphone. The 7.8-inch phone touts a Snapdragon 8150, up to 8GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of internal storage. It will feature a 20MP and 16MP rear camera combination, and retail for CNY 8,999.

2. Nokia’s five-camera phone

The multiple smartphone camera setup is slowly becoming a thing and Nokia is jumping right in. The company has decided to do everyone else better by coming up with a phone with five rear cameras.

As expected, leaks and renders have already made their rounds on the internet because well, it’s the internet. We expect the cameras to include a telephoto lens, a wide-angle lens, and a depth-sensing camera.

As for other specifications, the Nokia 9 will supposedly carry an 18:9 screen, a Snapdragon 845 processor, up to 8GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, and 4150mAh battery capacity.

3. Get active with the Fossil Sport

If you’re all about being active, you might want to take a good look at the Fossil Sport. It’s one of the first smartwatches to run Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Wear 3100 which brings new features like better ambient mode and longer battery life.

Available in 41mm and 43mm sizes, its casing is now made of aluminum and nylon instead of stainless steel and it will retail for US$ 255.

4. Ragnarok M: Eternal Love

Ragnarok Online is officially back! Ragnarok M: Eternal Love is a mobile version of the hit MMORPG and it’s a lot like the original, from the job classes, to the nostalgic sights and monsters. It’s free to play on both Android and iOS so you can invite all your friends.

You’ll have to make sure your phone has the space for it, though. It’s over 1GB through Google Play, but the unpacked content leads to 5GB. Fortunately, through Marvin’s findings, the app only consumes an average of 12MB per hour. Not bad.

5. Trese, Pacific Rim anime coming to Netflix

If there’s something strange in the Philippine neighborhood, you call Alexandra Trese. The popular comic book is coming to Netflix and will be helmed by none other than Jay Oliva (Wonder Woman, Legend of Korra).

Other new anime titles coming to Netflix are the sci-fi film franchise Pacific Rim, Netflix’s original series Altered Carbon, Cagaster of an Insect Cage, and Yasuke. Anime lovers have plenty of binge-watching to look forward to!


Weekend Rewind is our roundup of top news and features you might have missed for the week. We know the world of technology can be overwhelming and not everyone has the time to get up to speed with everything — and that includes us. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the rewind.

Buyer's Guide

2024 Samsung TV: Buyer’s Guide

Which 2024 Samsung TV is your GadgetMatch?

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With all the options available in the market, shopping for TVs can get overwhelming.

One brand Michael Josh recommends whenever someone asks? It’s none other than Samsung.

They have TVs for every price point and every feature a user might prioritize.

But which one is right for you?

Keep watching our 2024 Buyer’s Guide to find out the latest Samsung TV that best matches your needs.

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Features

Why choose the MSI Claw?

Is it the gaming handheld for you?

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MSI Claw

The MSI Claw is the latest gaming handheld from a major PC and laptop brand. The competition in this emerging gadget segment is tighter than ever. So, what is it about the MSI Claw that can scratch your gaming itch? Here’s a quick list. 

Best grip in the game

One quick glance and it’s hard not to compare the claw with another popular gaming handheld. But a closer look and actually holding the thing will reveal that its grip easily feels better. 

It has a slightly deeper groove that makes it easier to hold. So, MSI’s “Grip and Game” tagline isn’t all talk. Its design truly does provide one of the better feeling handles among its competition. 

The overall design makes sure it’s made for extended gameplay sessions. The buttons are where you expect them to be. That includes the four mini buttons on the upper edges of the screen. These are the View, MSI Center M, Menu, and Quick Settings buttons.

In addition, the face buttons and d-pad all feel great. The face buttons, in particular, feel comparable to those of regular console controllers. 

The rest of the buttons and triggers have a very satisfying tactile feel. It also uses Hall Effect technology to get rid of any stick drift issues. 

Up top, you’ll find the power button, MicroSD Card slot, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port, audio jack, and the volume buttons. These are intuitively placed and just makes sense given the overall design approach. 

As cliché as it sounds, you’ll really think you got your money’s worth once you hold, touch, press, and grip the MSI Claw.

Dragon Vision 

Now, MSI isn’t really calling it that but I thought it sounds pretty cool. A big part of the whole gaming experience is the display. Balancing resolution and frame rates is always tricky but the MSI Claw does it convincingly. 

With this gaming handheld, you get a 7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Looks great on paper and it’s even better in real life. It’s the sweet spot in terms of both size and performance. There’s enough here to immerse you all while delivering a satisfying level of crisp and smoothness.

It’s comfortable to view whether you’re on the couch, on a desk table, or lying down getting a quick game in before you get some shut-eye. 

Battery Life 

At 53Whr, the MSI Claw has a 36% larger battery capacity than its contemporaries and promises 50% more play time.

MSI claims “elevated performance with extended endurance” using the Claw with faster charging capabilities. 

These percentages are hard to measure in real life usage. What we can say for certain is that you get the expected performance and playtime typical of a handheld. That’s a little under two hours for graphically demanding titles, and close to four hours on less demanding ones. 

The charging claim is legitimate. The MSI Claw juices up faster than most other handhelds, going from 20% to 100% in about a little over a K-Drama episode (roughly a little over an hour).

MSI Center M 

Any self-respecting gaming handheld has its own software to make navigating the thing more manageable. While its direct competitors have an armoury crate and a space, MSI went with Center M. 

The best part about MSI Center M is it puts your installed games front and center. Right when it launches, you get immediate access to the titles you have available on your machine.

MSI Afterburner is already the most commonly used app for taking a look at how your machine is performing while you play. That functionality is built-in to the MSI Claw. You can access it view the Quick Settings buttons. 

Layout and functionality-wise, the MSI Center M is certainly one of the better Gaming Handheld softwares available right now. 

Competitive Performance

A defining trait of the MSI Claw is that It’s the first gaming handheld to be powered by Intel Core Ultra. With it comes Intel XeSS tech. What it does is leverage AI upscaling to boost the fps of select titles.

As of launch, 50 notable games are supported. That number will certainly grow throughout the device’s lifespan. Some of the titles include Hi-Fi Rush, Dying Light 2, Forza Horizon 5, Call of Duty Warzone 2.0, Returnal, and many, many more. 

Naturally, results will vary depending on the game mode you’re using. But in general, AAA games get anywhere between 10% to 45% better frame rate performance with Intel XeSS. 

For our part we played TEKKEN 8 and the recently launched Horizon Forbidden West. Both graphically demanding games played relatively well on the MSI Claw. Frame rate performance on TEKKEN 8 is crucial and we got a relatively consistent fps, never dropping below 40. 

Horizon Forbidden West is a much more graphically demanding game. We were able to run it in Medium Settings and while it doesn’t look as incredible, it still played relatively well with a frame rate surprising for a gaming handheld. 

Extras 

MSI made sure that if you wanted to, you could get some extra stuff with the MSI Claw. Its separately sold accessory set includes the Claw Travel Case, Nest Docking Station, Claw Lanyard, and Claw Keychain. 

On paper, the MSI Claw lists its ergonomic design, AI Engine, and App Player as distinct advantages over its competition. 

Whether it’s the Gaming Handheld that matches your needs is still ultimately up to you. If you have the opportunity to test drive the device, we suggest you do so. That might just solidify your purchase decision. 

Price and availability in the Philippines

 

The MSI Claw will be available in three configurations in the Philippines. There are priced as follows:

MSI Claw A1M-075PH (PhP 45, 995).

  • Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 processor 135H 
  • 512GB NVMe PCIe Gen4x4 
  • LPDDR5 16GB, dual channel
  • Intel® Arc™ Graphics

Claw A1M-076PH (PhP 50, 995).

  • Intel® Core™ Ultra 7  processor 155H
  • 512GB NVMe PCIe Gen4x4 
  • LPDDR5 16GB, dual channel
  • Intel® Arc™ Graphics

Claw A1M-077PH (PhP 53, 995).

  • Intel® Core™ Ultra 7  processor 155H
  • 1TB NVMe PCIe Gen4x4 
  • LPDDR5 16GB, dual channel
  • Intel® Arc™ Graphics

Ongoing Promotion

You can still get your own MSI Claw with exclusive bundled freebies 𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃 until 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟑𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒!


This feature article is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and MSI Philippines.

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Accessories

Marshall Major V: Reasons Why I Love It

After a month of using

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I’ve got a new favorite pair of headphones. 

They look good, sound good, last long, are compact and portable. 

Most of all? They are from a brand that I truly love.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Here’s are V Major reasons why I love the new Marshall Major V!

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