News

Samsung Galaxy S21 Series now official

A few new improvements and features here and there

Published

January 14, 2021

Rodneil Quiteles

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

More US pricing and availability details here.

More Philippine pricing and availability details here.

News

iPhone 13 pre-orders in Singapore begin today

Published

September 17, 2021

Rodneil Quiteles

Are you ready? Pre-orders for the iPhone 13 lineup begin today in Singapore! Specifically, it starts at 8PM.

Apple’s latest and greatest set of iPhones are coming to Singapore and you can secure one for yourself by heading to the Apple Singapore website. This year’s lineup is pretty much an iteration of last year’s. That means we get upgrades for all four models: iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini

New to this pair of iPhones is the A15 Bionic chip which, you already know, boosts the performance of the iPhone. You’re also getting Cinematic Mode which automatically adds background blur to your videos. It does this through an algorithm. It’s the first of its kind on smartphones.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max

This year’s pair of Pro iPhones are even more Pro than ever. It shares the same A15 Bionic chip as the other iPhone 13s, but it boosts performance thanks to a different, more powerful GPU. You also get the ability to shoot in Apple ProRes format. A boon for professional mobile filmmakers.

Pricing

The iPhone 13 starts at SG$ 1,299. Meanwhile, the iPhone 13 mini starts at SG $ 1,149.

The iPhone 13 Pro starts at SG$ 1649 (SG$ 69 a month for 24 months) and SG$ 1799 (SG$ 75 a month/24 months) for the iPhone 13 Pro Max variant. The base storage still starts at 128GB but goes all the way to 1TB — also a first on any iPhone.

Accessories

The Pulse 3D Wireless Headset now sports Midnight Black

Nicely paired with the DualSense controller and your “Midnight Black” PS5

Published

September 17, 2021

Gab Orlina

Back in June, Sony announced two additional colorways for its next-generation DualSense controller. Apart from the classic white, the PlayStation 5’s newest controller also received a Midnight Black and Cosmic Red. This time around, they’ve extended the invitation to another PS5 peripheral, the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset.

Much like the DualSense controller, the headset will also come in Midnight Black. Other than this, everything else is pretty much the same for the Pulse 3D Headset. In essence, it still gives you deeper, more immersive 3D sounds to games that fully take advantage of this. It’s just that now, you have other color options to choose from. Whether or not this also comes in Cosmic Red, Sony has yet to announce that.

It’s worth noting that included in the PS5’s second major update is an equalizer for the 3D Pulse. It adds another layer of control for players. This lets them enjoy the game precisely the way they want to. But if tweaking isn’t your thing, there are also three presets: Standard, Bass Boost, or Shooter.

The Pulse 3D Wireless Headset in Midnight Black will be available on October 29 for PhP 5,590/ SG$ 149 / MYR 469/ DR1,699,000 / THB3,490 / VND2,699,000.

Entertainment

Shopee’s 10.10 K-Pop performer is ITZY

Following sister group TWICE’s footsteps

Published

September 16, 2021

GadgetMatch

Image from @ITZYofficial on Twitter

Shopee is on a roll. After securing performances from K-Pop supergroup TWICE, the online shopping company has also secured performances from K-Pop 4th Gen superstars ITZY. The group is set to perform on their 10.10 Brand Festival Shopee live.

Shopee has yet to reveal what else they have in store for 10.10. But what we can expect for sure is another generous round of vouchers and giveaways.

ITZY is a five-member girl group featuring Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna. The group debuted with the song “Dalla Dalla”. In 2020, they launched the shoulder dance craze with their comeback “Wannabe”. On September 24, the group will release their first full album called Crazy In-Love with the title track “Loco”.

Early Shopee Christmas

In the Philippines, Shopee is already kickstarting its Christmas campaign. They are welcoming the holidays essentially the voice and face of Christmas in the country — Jose Mari Chan. Shoppers can catch the singer-songwriter on holiday-themed in-app games such as Shopee Catch and Shopee Collectibles from September to December.

The singer-songwriter will also give out treats via ShopeePay come December. He’s doing it along with other celebrities and influencers. Look for ShopeePay Celebrity Pamasko on your homepage and play the game to receive ShopeePay credits.

You can activate your ShopeePay wallet by clicking on the ShopeePay wallet bar, entering your personal information and OTP, and creating and confirming your ShopeePay PIN.