News
Samsung Galaxy S21 Series now official
A few new improvements and features here and there
We knew it was coming, and like its predecessors, the leaks came flooding. Now, the Samsung Galaxy S21 is official. The series, like last year’s S20 is composed of three phones — the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Like the series that came before it, the Galaxy S21 series follows much of the same hierarchy in terms of size and performance. Here’s a quick look at the three phones by the numbers to get you acquainted.
Galaxy S21 Series Specs
| Galaxy S21 | Galaxy S21+ | Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Display | 6.2”
Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz |
6.7”
Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz |
6.8”
Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz/4K |
| Processor | Snapdragon 888/ Exynos 2100
*Depending on the region |
||
| Build | Polycarbonate Plastic | Gorilla Glass Victus | Gorilla Glass Victus |
| RAM + ROM | Up to 8GB + 256GB | Up to 8GB + 256GB | Up to 16GB + 512GB |
| Battery Capacity | 4000mAh
25W wired charging 15W wireless charging |
4800mAh
25W wired charging 15W wireless charging |
5000mAh
25W wired charging 15W wireless charging |
| Rear cameras | 12MP Ultra Wide f/2.2
12MP Wide f/1.8 64MP Telephoto f/2.0 |
12MP Ultra Wide f/2.2
12MP Wide f/1.8 64MP Telephoto f/2.0 |
12MP Ultra wide f/2.2
108MP Wide f/1.8 10MP Telephoto1 f/2.4 10MP Telephoto2 f/4.9 Laser AF |
| Selfie camera | 10MP f/2.2 | 40MP f/2.2 | |
| S Pen support | No | No | Yes
*Sold separately *No slot for storage |
| Colors | Phantom Violet
Phantom Pink Phantom Grey Phantom White *Varies depending on market |
Phantom Violet
Phantom Grey Phanton Silver Phantom Black *Varies depending on market |
Phantom Silver
Phantom Black |
Improve Camera features
The megapixel numbers on the phones have largely stayed the same from the Galaxy S20 series. However, Samsung said the improvements they made will largely come in the software department.
Other than improving their computational photography, they have also improved and added upon features that were introduced in the Galaxy S20 series. AI has been applied to Portrait Mode — and nope, it’s no longer called Live Focus.
When shooting using the telephoto lenses, there’s now ZoomLock to aid people with shaky hands. It uses AI to help keep the shot steady and the subject in frame.
Samsung took time to develop the video taking capabilities of the Galaxy S21 series. For instance, Single Take Mode now uses AI to analyze more frames per second.
There’s 8K video recording that lets you take a high resolution photo while you’re recording. Then, there’s the Director’s View Mode that lets you do a number of things. It lets you shoot from both the front and rear cameras at the same time. It also shows you the view from the other cameras and lets you switch between them as you please.
Performance
Jury’s still out on this aspect but it should be no different than the flagships of the past. It’ll be interesting to see how the benchmarks compare between the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 units and those that are equipped with the Samsung Exynos 2100 which is promising to be the largest step up for Exynos to date.
As stated on the specs sheet above, all three models have Dynamic AMOLED Display with support for 120Hz screen refresh rate for that oh so smooth viewing and scrolling experience.
S Pen support
As rumored, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will have support for the S Pen. However, unlike the Galaxy Note series, it doesn’t come bundled and does not the smartphone doesn’t have a slot to keep the S Pen tucked in. The S Pen can be bought separately for US$ 39.99.
If you’re keen on getting the S Pen, Samsung has first party cases that have a provision for the S Pen. The cases start at US$ 69.99.
No charger in the box, other things to note
After mocking Apple for removing power bricks, Samsung is doing the exact same thing. The Samsung Galaxy S21 series will also not come with power adapters.
The entire Galaxy S21 series also has UWB or Ultra Wide Band. It lets users point their phone at another Galaxy phone to send files. The feature set has been expanded to include unlocking your car with your phone.
Samsung is also launching an accessory called Smart Tags. These are trackers you can attach to your keys or your backpack. You can then use these to locate your items using the SmartThings Find App.
Pricing and availability
Starting prices are as follows:
| US | Philippines | |
| Galaxy S21 | US$ 799.99 | PhP 47,990 |
| Galaxy S21+ | US$ 999.99 | PhP 57,990 |
| Galaxy S21 | US$ 1,199.99 | PhP 69,990 |
Just days after vivo’s widely-anticipated X300 series, its sister brand OPPO releases the Find X9 series. It’s their latest line of flagships for 2025.
Flagship Find
The OPPO Find X9 and Find X9 Pro are the next line of smartphones equipped with MediaTek’s latest Dimensity 9500 SoC based on a powerful and power-efficient 3nm process.
Much like its closest cousins, the base and Pro models of the Find X9 differ in certain aspects.
First and foremost, the Pro has the bigger 6.78-inch display. Meanwhile, the vanilla variant has a “more compact” 6.59-inch.
OPPO says though that both units boast an ultra-thin 1.15mm symmetrical bezels on all sides.
Moreover, battery capacities are also different.
The Find X9 has 7025mAh while the Find X9 Pro possess a larger 7500mAh battery.
These phones are expected to run the all-new ColorOS 16 with primary focus on silky-smooth animation, as well as smarter AI feats, seamless connectivity between PCs, Macs, and other accessories, as well as band overall user experience.
Hasselblad Legacy
Different from what OnePlus is doing, OPPO continues to strengthen its partnership with the renowned Swedish camera-maker Hasselblad.
With this continuous collaboration, both the Find X9 and X9 Pro feature the Hasselblad Camera System alongside OPPO’s all-new LUMO Image Engine.
Furthermore, the Find X9 Pro offers a 200MP telephoto camera co-developed with Hasselblad — both in sensor calibration and optical design.
Additionally, these Find models also deliver exceptional video capabilities with up to 4K / 120fps Dolby Vision support as well as LOG recording with ACES support for that seamless and professional workflow.
The Find X9 series are also concert-ready with cutting-edge telephoto optimizations such as Stage Mode and AI Sound Focus.
Pricing and Availability
The OPPO Find X9 are available in three colorways: Titanium Grey, Space Black, and Velvet Red.
Meanwhile, the Find X9 Pro is being offered in two shades: Silk White and Titanium Charcoal.
In line with the China-exclusive launch, the announcement of the Find X9 series slated for global markets will be held in Barcelona, Spain on October 28th.
Mark your calendars!
Accessories
Samsung launched a charger that’s incompatible with all its phones
None of their phones have built-in Qi2 magnets.
In the world of wireless charging, Qi2 is where it’s at. The newer magnetic system automatically aligns the phone with the best positions to charge wirelessly. That said, it’s taking a while for most smartphones to get the charging standard. In an odder twist, Samsung, who does not currently have any native Qi2 devices, has launched its own Qi2 chargers.
In the United States, Samsung rolled out the Qi2-compatible Single Wireless Charger and Car Wireless Charger. As both their names indicate, the chargers will allow for wireless charging in a variety of situations.
Retailing for US$ 34.99, the single puck can charge by up to 25W when paired with a charging adapter (sold separately). The car charger, on the other hand, comes with its own 12V car adapter and a rotating mount. It’s very pricy, coming in at US$ 84.99.
Now, the kicker is that the chargers are compatible with Samsung’s current flagships including the Galaxy S25, the Flip7, and the Fold7. Technically, yes, these smartphones can charge using this duo. However, none of them have the built-in magnets to natively connect to the pucks. They need a separate case with a Qi2-certified magnet included.
It seems pretty scummy to offer a Qi2 charger for smartphones without the magnets built inside. On the bright side, it’s a good sign that Samsung’s upcoming smartphones, starting with the Galaxy S26 early next year, will likely offer Qi2 charging natively. (At least, we hope. Otherwise, this might be the priciest charger in recent memory.)
SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S25 FE review: Closer to flagship than ever
Apps
ChatGPT will soon allow NSFW conversations
The platform will start age-gating users in December.
Every day, we inch closer and closer to the strange reality of Joaquin Phoenix’s Her. Today’s AI-powered chatbots have inevitably adapted to address our more carnal desires. Some, such as those offered by xAI, are even explicitly designed to only flirt with the user. Soon, ChatGPT will offer the same thing: a way for adult users to… well, be adults.
Through a post on X, OpenAI’s Sam Altman reiterated ChatGPT’s impending drive to introduce age-gating in December. Keeping younger users from the platform will open ChatGPT to more “mature” conversations. Altman specifically names “erotica” as one of the potential uses of a looser platform.
We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right.
Now that we have…
— Sam Altman (@sama) October 14, 2025
Additionally, ChatGPT is rolling out an update which will make the platform more personable and comparable to actual conversations. This includes using more emojis or talking like a friend.
The platform is also adding more safeguards when it comes to mental health issues, given that more people are using it as a makeshift therapist. Recently, Altman made sure that ChatGPT treated mental health with more delicateness. To some, especially those without such issues, the platform became more unusable. To bring back how it used to be, the platform will add better tools to detect whether the user is in “mental distress.”
Finally, OpenAI is implementing a backend solution to mental health by creating a new council of researchers and experts to accurately determine the impact of AI on mental health. Currently, it’s still unknown how much this new technology is helping (or harming) our wellbeing.
SEE ALSO: ChatGPT Go now available in the Philippines, more Asian countries
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