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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3: Price, availability in the Philippines

Samsung really wants it to be mainstream

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For years now, Samsung’s flagship Galaxy smartphones have had no particular specialty. They simply throw everything and see what sticks resulting in well-rounded smartphones that seem less flashy. They’ve taken the same approach with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, saying it can literally do anything AND it folds.

Lighter, more screen

The differences are subtle but still notable. For instance, the Galaxy Z Fold3 is lighter at 271g vs the Galaxy Z Fold2’s 281g.

Then there’s the Under Display Camera. From the eyesore that it was on the first Galaxy Fold, to the more subtle but still noticeable punch hole, Samsung is now finally introducing their first crack at an Under Display Camera on the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G.

It’s a 4MP camera that you shouldn’t expect much from in terms of quality. The priority here was to still deliver some form of front-facing camera while ensuring that you get as much screen real estate as possible on the Galaxy Z Fold3.

The screen now also has a protective film to prevent accidental scratches. We still don’t know exactly how tough it is but Samsung was confident enough to point it out.

Speaking of the screens, both the main display and the cover display can now go up to 120Hz refresh rate. Previously, this was only available on the main display.

Improved UX, app integration 

The biggest challenge of the foldable form factor has been software. Naturally, there won’t be that many apps that could maximize, let alone scale properly to the Galaxy Fold. Three years in, and it’s significantly changing.

Samsung has expanded their partnerships with multiple companies that handle apps to ensure that they are maximized on the Fold form factor. Some of them are the most used ones today like video call apps Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

Apps like Spotify and YouTube should also now work better and feel more organic on the Galaxy Z Fold3. But it doesn’t stop there. On the settings menu, you can turn on the Labs feature which lets you customize the size of your app window so you can use it alongside other apps.

Fold Note?

Samsung already said we’re not getting a Galaxy Note this year, breaking the popular device line’s yearly cycle since it first came out in 2011. Fret not though, as Samsung is bringing S Pen support to the Galaxy Z Fold3.

There are two S Pens compatible with the Galaxy Z Fold3: The S Pen Fold Edition and the S Pen Pro.

As its name suggests, the S Pen Fold Edition is one that’s made especially for the Galaxy Z Fold3. It measures 132mm and has pretty much all the useful S Pen features we know and love like Air Command, instant screen captures and jotting down notes . There’s also a special cover case for the Galaxy Z Fold3 to be able to carry the S Pen Fold Edition.

Meanwhile, the S Pen Pro is larger at 173.7mm and can be used with other supported Galaxy devices like the S21 Ultra, Note 20 Series, Note 10 Series, Tab S7 and S7+, and the Galaxy Book Pro 360. It also has an onboard memory feature that lets you copy from one device and paste it to another.

Spec Rundown 

Everything else on the Galaxy Z Fold3 is either a rehash or an expected upgrade from its predecessor. Here’s a spec rundown:

  • Main Display — 7.6” Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Infinity Flex Display
  • Cover Display — 6.2” Dynamic AMOLED 2X
  • Rear Cameras:
    • 12MP f/1.8 Wide
    • 12MP f/2.2 Ultra-wide
    • 12MP f/2.4 Telephoto
  • Cover Camera — 10MP f/2.2
  • Under Display Camera — 4MP f/1.8
  • Processor — Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  • SIM — Two (2) NanoSIMs, One (1) eSIM
  • Battery — 4,400mAh
  • RAM — 12GB
  • Storage — 128GB and 256GB (Both UFS 3.1)
  • Authentication — Pattern, PIN, password, Side fingerprint sensor, Face recognition

Price and availability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G comes in three colors: Phantom Green, Phantom Black, Phantom Silver. The 256GB version is priced at PhP 87,990 while the 512GB version will set you back PhP 95,990. 

Pre-order period is from August 19 to September 21, 2021 in Samsung Experience stores and authorized retailers. Pre-orders also get freebies worth PhP 27,440. These include: PhP 5,000 e-voucher Galaxy Buds Pro worth PhP 9,990, 25W Travel Adapter worth PhP 949, 50 percent off on select cases, and one (1) year free Samsung Care+ coverage worth PhP 9,499.

The device will be available on samsung.com/ph starting September 22, 2021.


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

Apps

Firefox ad reunites all your favorite memes from decades ago

The Numa Numa Guy, Annoying Orange, and Chocolate Rain are back!

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Before Tung Tung Tung Sahur and Skibidi Toilet, the early internet was populated by charismatic personalities looking to make their presences felt in a land that didn’t have a lot of rules yet. As early users, we danced to “Dragostea din tei,” belted out “Chocolate Rain,” and copied “Shoes” word-for-word. Today, Firefox is bringing all those good memories back for a grand reunion.

In a new ad, the web browser featured ten of the biggest stars of the early internet including the aforementioned Numa Numa Guy, Tay Zonday, and Shoes’ Kelly. You can also see Annoying Orange, Chuck Testa, Overly Attached Girlfriend, Bad Luck Brian, Where the Hell is Matt?, the Apparently Kid, and the Success Kid.

Now, this isn’t just a reunion. The ad has a clear message about today’s most concerning issue: AI. Everything has “built-in AI, always asking, asking, asking,” as the Annoying Orange said.

“They make money by following us, and somehow, I’m the creepy one?” the Overly Attached Girlfriend asked.

All these famous personalities are asking what happened to the internet today. Obviously, the big takeaway is that we should all go back to Firefox.

Compared to other browsers, Firefox has a lot of built-in features that offer a lot of control for users. For one, it has its own VPN for privacy. Secondly, reflecting the ad’s message against AI, the browser has a toggle to minimize AI features.

SEE ALSO: Google illegally destroys 250,000 trees for a single AI data center

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Gaming

Nintendo eShop will finally launch in the Philippines

The doors will open on November 10.

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Filipino Nintendo fans, the wait is finally over! Nintendo eShop and Nintendo Switch Online are launching in the Philippines on November 10.

If you’re in the Philippines (or any other country without the service, for that matter), owning a Switch 2 comes with a modicum of difficulty. The country does not have access to Nintendo’s online services, prompting users to buy physical cartridges or switch their region to supported countries, which unfortunately leads to lopsided pricing.

Around the launch of the Switch 2, Nintendo promised that these online services will soon launch in more countries, including the Philippines. Finally, that date is nigh. On November 10, users can access the Nintendo eShop to purchase games digitally, and Nintendo Switch Online to play with friends online.

Besides that, we don’t know much else. There are still a lot of questions unanswered. For example, how will the games’ prices compare to prices in other regions? Since users in the country are forced to switch to another country’s store, they are also subservient to that particular country’s taxes and fees.

Either way, it’s a huge win for Filipino gamers, who no longer have to pretend they’re Singaporean or American just to access online games.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo retires the original Switch in Europe

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News

Apple unveils its biggest iPad mini update yet

Apple upgrades its compact tablet.

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Apple has unveiled a redesigned iPad mini, introducing an OLED display, a faster processor, and improved durability. The update brings significant changes to Apple’s smallest tablet while retaining its compact form factor.

The new iPad mini features an 8.5-inch OLED display, up from the previous model’s 8.3-inch LCD screen. The upgrade promises deeper blacks, improved contrast, and a better viewing experience for videos, games, and other content.

Apple has also equipped the tablet with its A20 Pro chip, delivering improved performance and enhanced capabilities for artificial intelligence tasks.

Bigger OLED display, improved performance

The new iPad mini features a Super Retina XDR OLED display with a peak brightness of 1,200 nits for HDR content. It can also reduce its brightness to just 1 nit, making it more comfortable to use in darker environments.

Apple has reduced the tablet’s thickness to 5.4mm while retaining its compact design. The redesigned model also features slimmer bezels.

For video calls, the tablet features a 12-megapixel Center Stage front-facing camera positioned along its landscape edge. This makes video calls more convenient when using the tablet horizontally.

The new model also introduces IP67 water and dust resistance, offering additional protection against everyday accidents.

Improved AI capabilities

The A20 Pro chip powers the new iPad mini, bringing improvements to CPU and graphics performance.

Apple says the processor delivers up to 60 percent faster multithreaded CPU performance and up to 4.5 times faster AI performance compared with the previous generation.

These improvements support Apple’s expanding Apple Intelligence ecosystem and its latest Siri capabilities.

The upgraded hardware should also benefit users who edit photos, multitask across applications, and run demanding games on the compact tablet.

Pricing and availability

The new iPad mini starts at US$699 for the Wi-Fi model and US$849 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular variant in the United States.

In Singapore, the tablet starts at S$999 for the Wi-Fi model and S$1,229 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular version. Eligible customers can get the Wi-Fi model starting at S$929 with education pricing.

In the Philippines, the new iPad mini starts at PhP 49,990 for the Wi-Fi model and PhP 59,990 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular variant. Eligible customers can purchase it with education pricing starting at PhP 45,990.

The tablet comes in midnight and starlight finishes, with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage configurations.

In the United States, preorders begin October 28, 2026, with availability starting November 6. Singapore preorders open October 29, with availability also beginning November 6.

Apple has yet to announce a specific preorder or release date for the Philippines. The company says the new iPad mini will be available soon through its Philippine online store and authorized resellers.

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