IT wasn’t the Valentine date we planned, but it still turned out to be an epic night, even though we had to spend most of it in traffic, rushing from Samsung Galaxy’s S23 launch in Rockwell to the premiere of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania at SM Aura Premier.
Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S23 series at The Fifth in Rockwell with a spectacular Epic House party highlighting the series’ Nightography feature.
The Samsung S23 Series marks a new era for ultimate premium phone experiences headlined by truly cinematic Nightography videos with transformative AI, the “Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy” for powerful performance, and an embedded S Pen that offers more possibilities for productivity, all housed within a striking design that advances the company’s sustainability commitment.
Actress Liza Soberano, iconic photographer BJ Pascual, and famed artist Leeroy New took media guests on a tour of the Epic Rooms—experiential installations that brought to life exactly what makes the Samsung new Galaxy S23 series so exciting.
Guests had the opportunity to experience Samsung’s most cutting-edge camera through the Epic Nightography room that featured three stations: Night Selfie, Night Video, and Night Portrait where we could take photos with dazzling neon decorations that added to the vintage, nightlife vibe.
As Nightography is now also available in selfie mode we were able to try taking selfies in the dark, surrounded by neon lights. Night Video, on the other hand, allowed guests to record themselves in the dark surrounded by reflective panels to boost the Galaxy S23’s ability to capture motion while light conditions are low. For those who are into reels, the Slow Video feature adds a dramatic slow-motion effect to your videos that give a look of elegance. The Night Portrait room was surrounded by colored lights to show the Galaxy S23’s enhanced Nightography feature in portrait mode.
Samsung Galaxy S23’s enhanced Nightography feature now includes a new AI-powered image signal processing (ISP) algorithm that enhances object details and color tone under low-light conditions, which makes images at night crisper and more detailed. One can also take pro-grade photos with The Expert RAW app, which is exclusive to Samsung Galaxy. The series also has the most stable video capture yet with a doubled optical image stabilizer (OIS), so taking videos at night do not have to look blurry. The video quality has also improved with the new series, with enhanced 8K video at 30fps with a wider angle for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Liza Soberano then introduced the Epic Passions rooms with larger-than-life installations to showcase how the S23 series helped her with Productivity, Gaming and Self-Expression, as it allows her to connect with other Samsung devices creating an ecosystem where she could multitask with her different passions at the same time.
The Samsung Multi Control feature connects the Samsung S23 to the Samsung PC and tablet with mouse and keyboard functionality. The embedded S-Pen on the Samsung S23 Ultra allows users to collaborate with other people in making projects through the co-editing feature in Google Meets live sharing. In the Gaming station, guests were given the chance to use the Samsung Galaxy S23 series for mobile gaming to spotlight its premium performance with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy and an improved 5000mAh battery for the S23 Ultra. Rounding up the Epic Passions room is the Self-Expression Zone for those who love to customize their phones through their favorite apps widgets and aesthetic phone cases.
Lastly, the Epic Sustainability room introduced the importance of sustainability and how the Galaxy S23 Series was designed with the planet in mind. An awe-inspiring Flotilla installation, created by renowned sustainable artist Leeroy New, was the room’s showpiece, made with recycled materials and other sustainable products. The Galaxy S23 series is Samsung’s most sustainable line of mobile devices yet from the tech giant, made from pre-consumer recycled aluminum and glass and post-consumer recycled plastics sourced from discarded fishing nets, PET bottles and water barrels. It is also the first S series to market their screens made of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the most durable glass yet made with 22 percent pre-consumed recycled material.
Congratulations to our friends from Samsung Philippines and TARO AOX for making launch events exciting again.
FLAGSHIP KILLER RETURNS BUT AT WHAT PRICE?
IF interactive was the theme of the Samsung launch, OnePlus held a concert featuring legendary local rock band Urbandub alongside the Manila Symphony Orchestra as it unveiled the OnePlus 11 5G.
The rock symphony was a powerful demonstration of the brand’s “Never Settle” ethos, combining two genres to showcase the Shape of Power. With the help of the OnePlus 11 5G’s groundbreaking technology, futuristic design, and Hasselblad imaging, the symphony exemplified the brand’s commitment to pushing boundaries and striving for excellence with each device.
Living up to its “Flagship Killer” rep, the OnePlus 11 5G features a Snapdragon 8 Gen2 processor, up to 16GB RAM (allowing as many as 44 opened apps); a TÜV SÜD 48-month Fluency Rating A that guarantees smooth performance without lags for up to four years; 100W SUPERVOOC fast-charging (0-100 percent in less than half an hour); and a Hasselblad system-based triple camera module.
The main sensor features a 50MP Sony IMX 890 camera that provides the ability to take low-light photos and videos even in backlit areas. Following the main camera are the 115° 48MP ultra-wide camera and IMX709 32MP telephoto lens which allow users to snap and produce DSLR-level quality shots.
For its display, the OnePlus 11 5G has a 6.7-inch 2K 120Hz Super Fluid AMOLED Display with LTPO 3.0 and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection. Moreover, the phone is powered with Dolby Vision HDR, one of the first Android phones to feature this, to deliver the best viewing experience.
The OnePlus 11 5G is now available for pre-order via OnePlus Stores in two colors (Titan Black and Eternal Green) for P45,990 for the 8+128GB variant and P49,990 for the 16+256GB variant.
NEW BATTERY KING?
WRAPPING up the series of smartphone launches this week was Honor, reminding us that summer is here with a pool party held at The Island, BGC, Taguig City.
Following the “smashing” success of the Honor X9a, the brand builds more momentum with the launch of the Honor X7a that features a long-lasting 6,000mAh battery, a 50MP ultra-clear quad camera system, 128GB storage, and 6.74-inch Honor FullView Display at an even more affordable package.
The Honor X7a promises a three-day battery life, and it actually exceeded our expectations when we brought it to our Hong Kong trip. I only had to charge it once when we began our weeklong trip and it still had about 15-percent left by the time we got home.
The 6,000mAh battery delivers extraordinary battery life through its Smart Power Saving Technology that optimizes power consumption, allowing you 42 hours of social media browsing, 42 hours of phone calls or 29 hours of music streaming on a full charge. This makes it one of the best options for users who are constantly out and on the go. The cell of the Honor X7a comes with a higher energy density and a reduced thickness, contributing to the long battery life and the slim form factor. The battery should also demonstrate exceptional longevity, with the company claiming that it is capable of maintaining above 80 percent health even after three years of use. It has already entered the DXOMARK smartphone battery rankings, earning the DXOMARK Gold Battery Label in recognition of its outstanding battery performance.
The Honor X7a boasts a 6.74-inch Honor FullView Display with a remarkable 90.07 percent screen-to-body ratio, providing an immersive viewing experience for users whether they are working, streaming videos, or gaming. With support for HD resolution and a color depth of 16.7 million colors, visuals are displayed with stunning clarity and vibrancy.
For its cameras, the phone has an ultra-clear quad camera setup with a 50MP Main Camera, 5MP Wide Camera, 2MP Macro Camera and 2MP Depth Camera, plus an 8MP front camera for selfies. Its large 128GB storage can store over 28,000 pictures, 11,000 songs or 450 HD videos locally which could further be expanded up to 1TB via the MicroSD card slot.
The Honor X7a is available in three stunning colors: Titanium Silver, Ocean Blue and Midnight Black, and is priced at P7,990 and comes with free Honor Earbuds worth P1,590 until February 28, 2023.
Alongside its newest smartphone, Honor also unveiled its MagicBook X 14 and Honor Magic X 15 laptops that are equipped with 11th Gen Intel Core processors.
Perfect for those who spend long hours in front of a screen, the Honor MagicBook X 14 and Honor MagicBook X 15 come with TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification and TÜV Rheinland Flicker-free Certification, ensuring enhanced eye protection and a comfortable viewing experience while studying, working, or watching TV shows.
Ensuring an uninterrupted experience while gaming, the laptops come with an advanced Supersized Cooling Fan, enabling efficient heat dissipation to maintain a manageable temperature even during long periods of use. Along with a massive 56Wh battery, users can enjoy up to 9.9 hours of local 1080p video playback or 9.2 hours of webpage browsing on a single full charge.
The Honor MagicBook X 14 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 version or i3-1115G4 version will be available starting at P27,990. The new Honor MagicBook X 15 with 11th Gen Intel CoreTM i5-1135G7 version and i3-1115G4 version is priced beginning at P37,990. Both come with a free Honor Premium Backpack and Speaker.