News

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3: Price, availability in the Philippines

Samsung really wants it to be mainstream

Published

August 11, 2021

Rodneil Quiteles

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

Computers

Lenovo releases latest ThinkStation P3 desktops, ThinkPad laptops

Power and performance

Published

May 29, 2023

GadgetMatch

Two months after releasing its AMD Ryzen-powered ThinkPad laptops, Lenovo has announced the availability of the latest ThinkStation P3 series desktop workstations and next-gen ThinkPad laptops.

All devices are powered by the latest 13th Gen Intel Core processors and NVIDIA RTX graphics, while offering improved memory and storage capacities to support even the heaviest workloads for various professionals.

Limitless possibilities: ThinkStation P3 series

Lenovo’s latest ThinkStation P3 series desktops come with refined form factors, making them space-savers while being versatile and powerful.

Tower

Up to 13th Gen Intel Core processors
Up to NVIDIA RTX A5500 graphics
Up to 128GB DDR5 memory
Six storage drives
Four PCIe expansion slots
Expanded chassis to support power supplies up to 1100W
Up to 26TB storage options for data-heavy applications

Ultra

Space-saving chassis, four-liter volume
Up to RTX A5500 graphics
Optional BMC for advanced remote monitoring and systems management

Tiny

Fits any location with its one-liter volume
NVIDIA T1000 graphics for up to six displays

Relentless innovation: ThinkPad P series

Meanwhile, the latest ThinkPad laptops champion power, premium design, and durability. The latest P series models provide human-centric innovations designed for hybrid work, so professionals can enjoy power and performance on the go.

P16 Gen 2

13th Gen Intel Core HX-series processors
NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation GPUs
Storage and I/O support
Up to 192GB DDR5 for high-definition rendering and high-end VR

P1 Gen 6

NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation GPUs
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
Thin, light form factor
16-inch OLED touch screen
Wi-Fi 6E, optional 4G LTE
5MP camera
Low blue light display

P16v i Gen 1

13th Gen Intel Core H series processors
NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation GPUs
Dual thermal outflow for maximized cooling

P14s i Gen 4 and P16s i Gen 2

NVIDIA RTX A500 GPUs
14-inch and 16-inch displays
Longest battery life among latest models
Optional OLED and low blue light displays

Automotive

MediaTek confirms partnership with NVIDIA

But not for laptops

Published

May 29, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Earlier this month, a rumor leaked an upcoming deal between MediaTek and NVIDIA. Naturally, mixing the two companies brings to mind a chipset with gaming capabilities. Apparently, such a powerful chipset is still some ways away. Today, MediaTek has confirmed that it has indeed inked a partnership with NVIDIA — but not for PC or laptop chips.

Announced during COMPUTEX, the new partnership will take both brands into the realm of automotive hardware. Specifically, it will create “a complete range of in-vehicle AI cabin solutions for the next generation of software-defined vehicles.”

Plus, it isn’t just about graphics. Though the chipset will incorporate NVIDIA’s graphics hardware, it will also use NVIDIA AI to seamlessly connect GPUs with CPUs. As a result, the solution can run NVIDIA DRIVE OS, DRIVE IX, CUDA, and TensorRT software in the same system. It will provide advanced graphics capabilities, AI safety, and security features.

Prior to the partnership, MediaTek already offers the Dimensity Auto platform for automotive solutions. Now, an infusion of NVIDIA will bring the company up to speed with modern standards and needs.

Neither MediaTek nor NVIDIA have confirmed an upcoming product yet. Whatever both companies are brewing will take some time before it reaches modern cars.

Gaming

Honkai Star Rail version 1.1 coming June 7

New events, missions, gameplay features

Published

May 28, 2023

GadgetMatch

Honkai Star Rail has been speeding through players globally and the next pitstop features version 1.1 of the game. The aforementioned version will be called Galactic Roaming and will be available on June 7.

The latest update brings three new playable characters — Silver Wolf, Luocha, and Yukong. They have appeared in the intergalactic story before. Now, they can be officially recruited to assist in the grand space fantasy odyssey.

A series of trials will be added through “Stellar Flare,” “Garden of Plenty,” and “Lab Assistants in Position.” Some of which will put the combat techniques and the strategic thinking of the Trailblazer to the test, while providing bountiful rewards.

New missions, events

In the “Starhunt Game” event, the Trailblazers receive an invite from Herta Space Station’s network
security engineer, Leonard. You can assist him to locate the electronic graffiti hidden across the station and uncover the secrets within. As part of the compensation, the graffiti designs can be collected and applied to the in-game surfaces.

In addition, in the city of Belobog, where citizens have finally been saved from the threat of Stellaron, the History Museum is getting ready to be reopened. In the “Everwinter City Museum Ledger of Curiosities” event, the Trailblazer will spare no effort to track down clues, recover the lost exhibits, and run the business as the museum manager.

Three new Companion Missions provide opportunities to gain in-depth stories of these intriguing characters. Some useful functional features will be implemented as well, such as the friend chat and automatic enemy pinpointing, ensuring a smoother gaming experience.

Watch the trailer.

Honkai Star Rail

Honkai: Star Rail Version 1.1 will arrive on June 7, 2023, on PC, Epic Games Store, iOS, and Android. Its PlayStation version is under development. More information will be revealed soon. With the cross-save and cross-play functions, players can enjoy their adventures across different platforms.