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Last year when Samsung released second editions of its foldable phones, I bought them both — The Galaxy Z Flip and the Galaxy Z Fold2 because I wanted in on the world of foldables.

Of the two, the Z Flip is the phone that excites me more. I love being able to fold it shut and tuck it into my pocket. And even more so the other way around.

Well, the time has come for a new Z Flip and I’m pretty stoked. Today Samsung just unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G.

Thinner body, larger cover display

The new Z Flip 3 is still roughly the same size as last year’s model. But its feels more flat with straight edges versus last year’s model. The finish also isn’t as glossy, and doesn’t pick up smudges easily.

I really like this new two toned design. Well, two-toned if you get one of these colors: Cream, Lavender or Green. But solid black is nice too. Speaking of colors, if you order on Samsung.com, there are exclusive color offerings: White, Pink and Grey.

This design brings your focus to the cover screen, which I think is the biggest upgrade Samsung’s made to the Galaxy Z Flip3. After all when you have a phone that folds — you want to be able to use it whether it’s closed or open.

At 1.5 inches diagonally it is four times larger than last year.  The display on last year’s Z Flip was tiny. Now, you can fit four lines of text on here with the option to scroll down to see more.

That means more space to read notifications, display widgets – like the music controls or the weather, or pay with Samsung Pay. If you swipe down you can also access controls to adjust brightness or volume.

You can also add Cover Display Art that coordinates with the watch face on the newly announced Galaxy Watch 4.

Z Flip3 cameras

Probably more importantly, it makes it easier to take selfies while the phone is closed. Don’t get me wrong, you can take selfies with the front camera on the original Flip. But with how small the display was,  it doesn’t even show the entire frame.

That’s not a problem anymore with the Galaxy Z Fold3. And now you can also take videos. So, for those vloggers out there, you can do that too on the new Z Flip 3.

The feature is called Quick Shot 2.0 and to activate it, just double press on the power button, which by the way doubles as a fingerprint scanner.

Speaking of cameras, this phone has got the same exact hardware as on the previous model. Here’s a recap:  12MP f/1.8  Dual Pixel wide angle camera and a 12MP f/2.2 Ultra wide angle camera. When you open up the phone you get a 10MP selfie camera.
10MP F/2.4.

While the hardware is the same, with the improved SOC and new software features, I expect photos to be better. Plus you get all the features that came with the Galaxy S21 Series.

Durability

Just like on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the durability on the Flip 3 has been improved. First off the inner display has a new protective film that’s supposedly 80 percent more durable. And feels smoother to the touch than on the previous model.

The glass on the outside sides of the Galaxy Z Flip3 are both made of Gorilla Glass Victus — the toughest in its class. And the metal frame and hinge are made of a new material Armor Aluminum which is 10 percent stronger. But also a lighter.

And finally, the phone is also now IPX8 water and dust resistant, making both the Flip 3 and the Fold 3 the first in their class to get a water resistance rating.

More improvements

Two more improvements worth noting: The inside display is now a buttery smooth 120Hz It’s still a 6.7 inch Infinity Flex Display (FHD+ AMOLED panel). And you now get stereo speakers via grilles on both sides of USB-C port On the previous model you only got mono audio. So, very practical quality of life improvements over all.

The phone runs off of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 processor, at least here in the US. It has 8GB of ram and  comes in 128 or 256GB Storage Configurations. UFS 3.1. Battery Size is the same 3,300mAh. And nop,  Samsung doesn’t include a charger in the box.

Accessories

As the Flip is targeted at the younger, hipper crowd as well as those more fashion forward, it makes perfect sense that Samsung is also launching a line of cases with the new phone. Including a silicone ring case. And my favorite a strap case.

Price and availability

Of course, the biggest news here is that both Samsung foldables are more affordable than last year. Pricing are as follows:

Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G — BUY here
Galaxy Fold 3 5G — BUY here
Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic — BUY here
Tab S7 FE — BUY here
Galaxy Buds 2– BUY here

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Accessories

Apple AirPods Pro 2: USB-C vs Lightning

Are there even any changes?

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September 22, 2023

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The 2nd Generation of AirPods Pro (or AirPods Pro 2) was launched not too long ago.

It’s got all the nifty upgrades from the first iteration including better ANC, better battery life, better chip with UWB, more sensors, a MagSafe charging case with speakers, and many more.

Then Apple introduced the USB-C version of the same AirPods Pro model.

You might be wondering: Are there even any changes? Or is it just that new USB-C port all along?

Spoiler alert! There are changes you need to know and might convince you to buy one.

Head over to our comparison of the refreshed AirPods 2 USB-C versus its Lightning counterpart (and a mini unboxing in between).

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Hands-On

Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Series Hands-on

Which iPhone 15 is your GadgetMatch?

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September 18, 2023

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It’s the time of the year again!

Wonderlust — it’s the theme for this year’s annual Apple Event held at the ever-popular Apple Park in Cupertino, California.

The shining and glimmering stars of the show are none other than the newest iPhone 15 and 15 Pro lineup.

Excited to see what’s new? How about the latest colorways?

Are you even convincing yourself to upgrade?

More of your questions might just be answered by heading over to our iPhone 15 and 15 Pro Series Hands-on video.

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Hands-On

Answering your Infinix GT 10 Pro questions

Performance, pricing, and more

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August 30, 2023

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Infinix GT 10 Pro

The Infinix GT 10 Pro has been a lot more popular than we expected. Our unboxing video got over a million views on TikTok and over a hundred thousand views on Facebook (make sure to follow and like our page!). 

In case you missed it, this is the unboxing video.

 

@gadgetmatch

Meet the new Infinix GT 10 Pro! ✨ #Infinix #InfinixGT10Pro #Unboxing #Smartphone #fyp

♬ original sound – GadgetMatch – GadgetMatch

Naturally, people had questions and we’re here to answer them. 

Ads on UI?

This is likely a case-by-case basis depending on the region you’re in. For our review unit specifically, the UI did not have any ads, annoying or otherwise.

Price and Availability?

At launch, The Infinix GT 10 Pro retails for between US$ 240 to US$ 250, and will be available in Cyber Black and Mirage Silver colors.

As of writing we don’t have any other pricing and availability information. We’ll update this pace when we learn more. 

Overheating issues?

The only time the Infinix GT 10 Pro overheated during our testing is when we cranked up all the graphics settings to very high while playing Honkai: Star Rail. In fact, it got so hot, the phone voluntarily restarted. 

For the generally smoothest gameplay experience, keep settings to medium. These games are optimized for that anyway.

Are ghost touches frequent?

Infinix GT 10 Pro

As far as ghosting goes, other than our Managing Editor’s romantic prospects, the phone also did exhibit such tendencies. Not ideal for any phone marketing itself as for gamers. Granted, most of it happened not while playing but during general browsing. 

Game crashes?

We already mentioned the phone crashing earlier. As far as games go, no such thing happened during our time with it. Do note that after the initial crashing incident, we mostly kept the games at medium settings. 

Storage?

The unit we have has 256GB of internal storage. As of writing, that appears to be the only variant available. 

Camera Zoom?

The zoom capabilities are all digital. You can toggle from 1X to 2X and if you pinch-to-zoom, it goes all the way up to 10X. But that isn’t advisable. The Zoom on this thing is pretty negligible. See photo below. 

But the 108MP main camera takes decent photos ready for whatever social media platform you want to post them on. 

Selfies are nice too. Here are some taken by our lovely Japanese Tech Journo friend. 

Does the battery drain fast?

This ultimately depends on your usage. During days that we actively played games to see how the phone performs, the battery tends to lose somewhere between 40-50% after an hour or so of gameplay. 

On standby mode, this thing is a beast. It knows when to stay active or not when receiving notifications. There was a time we left the phone on standby for a little over a day. It went from 77% to 50%. That’s pretty handy for days when you forget to juice up. 

Unsolicited thoughts

You didn’t ask but we feel compelled to share anyway. Here are a few things of note that we noticed. 

It might just be us being used to higher-end displays, but the Infinix GT 10 Pro doesn’t quite get to a level of crispness that we like. Compared to other phones in its price range, it’s fine. Not a standout but not being left behind either. This is surprising considering it’s supposed to be an AMOLED screen.

We absolutely love that the packaging offers some form of utility. If there’s one thing the Infinix GT 10 Pro isn’t lacking in is its absolute flair when it comes to presentation. The back design is an eye-catcher especially if it appeals to your sensibilities. 

The phone is pretty light to hold. You won’t feel any strain playing games for an extended period. 

Overall, the Infinix GT 10 Pro is a visually pleasing piece of gadget that delivers on the midrange gaming performance that it promises. It’s not perfect, but what phone is? 

Infinix GT 10 Pro specs

Infinix GT 10 Pro

Display — 6.67″ AMOLED
Processor — MediaTek Dimensity 8050 (6nm)
RAM — 8GB + 8GB Extended
Storage — 256GB Internal, Option for microSDXC slot
Battery and charging — 5,000mAh, 45W wired
OS — Android 13, XOS 13
Cameras:

  • Main — 108MP f/1.8
  • Macro — 2MP
  • Depth — 2MP
  • Front — 32MP, f/2.5
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