Tuesday, August 23, 2022

iPhone 13 Pro Max Quick Unboxing Review | Ceddy's Random

Ceddy August 23, 2022 0 Comments

iPhone 13 Pro Max Quick Unboxing Review | Ceddy's Random

Hello Everyone! Ceddy here and welcome back to my blog. And for today's content, I am going to do a quick unboxing review of the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Yes! You read it right. Finally, after 3 years of using my iPhone 11, I was able to upgrade to iPhone 13 Pro Max. After 3 years of using my old iPhone, its battery degrade as well from 100 % going down to 75%. As the time I used my device, I also noticed that its overall performance was lessened although Apple is well known to optimize the overall hardware and software performance.

I didn't hesitate to purchase the iPhone 13 Pro Max although the new iPhone 14 is approaching and will introduce this coming September's keynote event. I've been watching plenty of reviews of the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the feedback was excellent.

Some of the reasons that I purchased this device is because of the adaptive ProMotion display which clocks up to 120hz and clocks down to 10hz. I personally prefer this high refresh rate since I'm always playing Mobile Legends and Genshin Impact. 5G is also available on iPhone 13 Pro Max which was initially debuted from the previous iPhone 12 lineup. Dolby Vision XDR Display as well that provides a wide color gamut giving unprecedented color accuracy when watching a movie or capturing/recording video content. Packed with 6 GB or ram, an IP68 Rating that can be fully protected from dust and can handle being underwater for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 6 meters. I mentioned only a few of the features of the new iPhone 13 Pro Max. Enough with the intro, let's start the unboxing!

iPhone 13 Pro Max Alpine Green New Redesigned Packaging

I opted to choose the limited edition Alpine Green. It took me a few weeks to wait for this color to arrive since it's very hard to find one considering that it's very limited. Luckily I was able to have one. As you can see, the packaging of the iPhone devices started with iPhone 13 series completely redesigned. Apple will be omitting the use of plastic wraps around the boxes when the new iPhones are shipped.

Back Portion of the iPhone 13 Pro Max Alpine Green

Back of the newly redesigned iPhone packaging. Apple really does care about the environment. As an Apple fanboy who loves to unbox a product, the exciting part which I really love the most is the removal of plastic wrap (ASMR) however, for the new packaging, there is a new tear-off tab made of paper glued to the box and can be torn just once. And that's it. So far it's also satisfying but nothing beats the ASMR of the plastic. It's just my personal preference.

USB-C 20W Power Adapter

One thing that I hate about Apple is that they wanted us to buy more out of the expensive devices. Considering the price of an iPhone versus some of the flagship android devices that have a power adapter, the iPhone doesn't have at all. It comes with 1 lightning to USB-C cable instead, so I have to buy a 20W USB-C power adapter. But to be honest and to my surprise, the USB-C 20W adapter charges my iPhone to 50% in under 30 minutes. But the price of the adapter costs 75 dirhams or approximately 20 USD.

What's in the Box?

iPhone 13 Pro Max Alpine Green

And here she is. I already unboxed and synchronized my iCloud to my new iPhone so as you can see my wallpaper was also updated. I am using the iOS 16 Public beta at the moment. Comparing my iPhone 11 which is 194 grams, to iPhone 13 Pro Max, my new device is a bit heavier weighing 240 grams. And the notch of the 13 Pro Max is 20% less compared to its previous models.

Documentation with Apple Sticker

Some documentation, a sim ejecting tool, and of course a fresh new sticker which I loved the most. I haven't used the stickers which were also included on my previous iPhones such as 6S Plus and the iPhone X and iPhone 11, I have a quick unboxing review of my iPhone 11, click here to learn more.

iPhone 13 Pro Max All Glass Front / Textured Glass Back

The iPhone 13 Pro Max comes with an all-glass scratch-resistant ceramic glass with an oleophobic coating which is designed to keep your fingerprints off of your screen. It also matches the color of the stainless steel to look more aesthetic.

iPhone 13 Pro Max Triple Camera Lenses

Comparing my iPhone 11 which comes with wide and ultrawide lenses. You can read my full review of the iPhone 11 here. The iPhone 13 Pro Max packs up with an additional telephoto lens (3x optical zoom) and macro photography was also added. There's also a LiDAR Scanner which means it can create a depth of map of your surroundings which is very beneficial to developers who are focusing on augmented reality to its customers such as IKEA to name a few.

Side Panel of the iPhone 13 Pro Max

The right side panel of the device contains the power/wake button and the left side has the silent switch and the volume buttons. Antenna bands are located at the top and sides of the phone. The sim card slot is located on the left side of the device. The device can support E-Sim. You can check my other review of Virgin E-sim here if you want to learn more. The device includes speaker holes and a microphone at the bottom and can support dual stereo wherein the main speaker act as the left speaker if you are trying to watch a movie or playing a game.

USB-C to Lightning Cable Charger

And the last item in the box is no other than the USB-C to lightning cable. Most Android devices use USB-C chargers because of the data transfer rate and charging speed capability. However, Apple still continues to use the lightning cable which was launched way back in 2012.

Transparent Case for iPhone 13 Pro Max

For added protection, I purchased a transparent case for my device along with a screen protector. I'm planning to purchase another case that comes with a magnet embossed on its back so that charging a MagSafe would be easier.

iPhone 13 Pro Max with Transparent Case

And that's it! Thanks for reading my quick unboxing review of the iPhone 13 Pro Max. I will be writing a follow review after using the device for a month utilizing its features such as 5G connectivity and more. So stay tuned!

Stay safe and God Bless!

-Ceddy

Friday, July 29, 2022

Samsung Pay Review 2022- 1 Month After Using It | Ceddy's Random

Ceddy July 29, 2022 0 Comments

Samsung Pay Review 2022- 1 Month After Using It | Ceddy's Random

photo credits to Wikipedia

What's up everyone! Ceddy here and welcome back to my blog. And for today's blog, I'm going to share with you my experience using Samsung Pay on my Samsung Galaxy M52 5G. I recently made a quick unboxing review of my new device. Go ahead and check it out by clicking this link to learn more.

Contactless Payments

contactless card symbol, image credits to Wikipedia

Since the pandemic started, 2 years ago, merchant stores are gradually adapting to contactless payment technology. Debit and credit cards adopt NFC technology, which means it's much safer to make a payment by just quickly tapping the card into the merchant card terminal. This technology is commonly available to major electronic payment cards

such as Visa (Contactless) and Mastercard (Tap and Go). Since I mentioned Mastercard, I am using Payoneer Debit Mastercard and you can watch a quick vlog review of my Payoneer Debit Mastercard which has the feature of Tap and Go. You can click this Youtube link to learn more.

Enough with the intro. Let's go ahead and start this review! 😀

I have a Samsung Galaxy M52 5G. And I really wanted to try Samsung Pay. Good thing, my current bank is in the UAE. RAKBANK, accepts Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, so it's not hard for me to set it up.

Samsung Pay - Setting It Up

Setting Up Samsung Pay is easy. Compared to Apple Pay- where the application is already pre-installed on the device. Samsung Pay is needed to be downloaded on the Play Store. I already created a Samsung Account and it asks me to sync the same account associated with my Samsung Pay. It authenticates via fingerprint on my thumb, next thing is providing the card details a few next and accepting the terms and conditions, and done, you're good to go. I don't have any screenshot on how to add the credit/debit card due to its security policy of Samsung. For your reference, I am attaching a link to Samsung's support portal instead.

Launched Date

Samsung Pay was initially launched in South Korea last August 20, 2015, followed in the USA on September 28, 2015. After succeeding months and years, other countries follow as well. Including the UAE last April 27, 2017.

What is Samsung Pay?

Samsung Pay works a lot like other mobile payment platforms out there like Apple Pay and Google Pay by using NFC. But one thing that Samsung Pay stands out from its competitor is having MST. Samsung utilizes MST which stands for Magnetic Secure Transmission which essentially mimics the physical swipe of a credit card through magnetic waves which neither Google Pay nor Apple Pay does. Most POS machine which has a built-in debit/credit card terminal relies on MST but doesn't have NFC Technology. So Samsung applied this technology to its new devices. You'll be able to use Samsung Pay without the store having to upgrade their POS Machines.

My Experienced Using Samsung Pay

So far, within a month of using Samsung Pay. I didn't face any problem using it on the merchant card terminal. It was pretty easy to use since it relies on a PIN or fingerprint. On the other hand, Apple Pay can be used via Face ID and pin as well. My Samsung M52 doesn't have face depth technology opting to use the fingerprint scanner to authenticate Samsung Pay transactions.

Samsung Pay - Is it Safe?

Samsung Pay is completely secure via tokenization. Similar to Apple Pay, it creates a unique identifier to process the transaction. This means you never have to worry about your actual debit/credit card number being compromised. It's also protected with an added security layer of Samsung KNOX.

Since I'm residing here in the UAE. From small merchants to Malls, Wireless payments are mostly accepted. I am withdrawing my cash without using or bringing out my debit/credit card.

The convenience of Samsung Pay

photo credits to boubyan bank

It happened to me one time when I go for grocery shopping, realizing that I forgot my wallet. I didn't bother since I am confident that I can make a payment using my phone. I have my 2 phones with me. But I decided to use Samsung Pay since I don't have to remove my mask to authenticate it (for Apple Pay, I usually do this all the time) All I have to do is to authenticate it on my Samsung Fingerprint.

Similar to Apple Pay, the Samsung Pay Application is user-friendly. It divides into 3 tab sections.

Samsung Pay Application

Home, Pay, and Discover.

Home Tab

It shows the analysis of your expenses for the whole month, week, or day. It also shows what current promotions Samsung Pay has to offer and a step-by-step guide on how to use Samsung Pay.

Pay Tab

It shows your debit/credit card and loyalty cards available. This is the section as well where you have to authenticate your debit/credit card via pin or fingerprint before making a payment.

Discover Tab

It shows your voucher and other deals such as hotels, attractions, and airfare deals to name a few. It's like an Entertainer App., providing great discounts as long as you need to use Samsung Pay in order to get the discounts.

Shopping Online Using Samsung Pay

I also shop online. And one thing that stressed me out is the checking out section where you have to pull out your debit/credit card and enter all the details manually. However, most of the online shopping applications here in the UAE widely adopt Samsung Pay and Apple Pay. Unlike the traditional way of typing the payment card, the application detects Samsung Pay or Apple and asks as well if you prefer to enter the card details manually.

I use often my iPhone 11 via Apple Pay to securely make transactions online. Now that I have Samsung Pay, I tried it as well and it went well pretty accurately. I cannot take a screenshot again since Samsung won't allow it due to security policy. And Samsung Pay can be used as well even if you're offline. For your reference, below is a screenshot from medium.com .

photo credits via medium.com

Overall Experience

My experience using Samsung Pay is great, 5 stars to Samsung Pay! People would think that their card would be compromised since hackers nowadays are using more advanced technologies to infiltrate their suspect's financial information. Anyways, Samsung has KNOX technology and I trust Samsung. Either way around, they would always say that the safety of their consumers to digital products and finances is always their number 1 priority same goes with Apple.

Samsung Pay Supported Countries

Currently, upon writing this blog, there are 27 countries that support Samsung Pay. Sadly, the Philippines is not on the list and hopefully, the Philippines would also adopt this technology. Though GCASH by Alipay is one of the most widely used mobile payment, mobile wallet, and branchless banking services in the Philippines.

Do I recommend Samsung Pay?

Definitely, a YES! It's worth trying.

Thanks for reading my blog and I'll see you again on my next blog.

--Ceddy

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G UAE Version Quick Unboxing Review | Ceddy's Random

Ceddy July 26, 2022 0 Comments

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G UAE Version Quick Unboxing Review | Ceddy's Random

Another Quick Tech Unboxing Review

Hello Everyone! Ceddy here and welcome back to another quick tech unboxing review. And for today's blog, I am going to share with you my new smartphone. This is the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G.

But first, let me share with you a recap of my Android Smartphone Experience (throwback)

This is the second time that I'll be using an android smartphone. My last device was an LG G2 Mini Wayback 2013 when I was still working in the Philippines. But that changed when I migrated to Apple.

Mentioning Apple, my first device was an Apple 3GS Wayback 2010 and when the android hyped started around mid-2011, I decided to switch to Android during the 2013 period.

My experience using the android smartphone was a bit upside down, android system update was constant at that time and instead of making my device runs fluidly, it will become sluggish even if I don't have that many apps, or maybe I can also blame the ram. But common, that was 2013 hype. And my device was also vulnerable to malware (that I didn't think of it before)

When I started working in the UAE way back in 2015. I decided to go back to Apple. And every after 2 years, I always upgrade to another device. From iPhone 3GS, to iPhone 6S Plus to iPhone XS, and right now I'm owning an iPhone 11. Which is definitely great! I don't bring my Sony A6100 all the time for vlogging so this is my go-to device for vlogging. iOS Ecosystem works perfectly along with my other Apple devices such as my Macbook Air and my iMac, but that is another different story.

Why did I choose Android and why Samsung?

Android is a well-known operating system for smartphones. To be honest, I really wanted the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max. All of the major upgrades that I am looking for are on that iPhone. But at this time, it's too impractical to buy an expensive smartphone. So I decided to check some android smartphone (midrange) who has the same features and I stumbled on this device - the Samsung M52 5G. I maybe can afford to buy the iPhone 13 Pro Max later this year right after Apple will be releasing the new iPhone 14 by September, for sure the price will be lower right after.

I choose Samsung because of its reputation. Their android lineup and their security software system are always advanced and improving all the time.

Anyways, without further ado, this is the Samsung Galaxy M52 G5.

The Device's Box

The box packaging is quite similar to other iPhone devices which I previously unboxed before.

the side box of the packaging

And here are some of the documentation below.

A sim ejecting tool is included.

A documentation / Quick Guide is below.

An adaptive fast charger (15 watts) 25-watt charger is optional and sold separately.

Below is a USB type C charger.

And here's the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G

There are 3 colors to choose from. Icy blue, blazing black and white. My favorite color is blue, so opted to choose icy blue. The first time I saw it in actuality versus on youtube, believe me. The device is gorgeous.

The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G has an intricate vertical line design that shimmers in the light. Unfortunately, the device's back panel is plastic but that doesn't mean it affects the overall build quality. The back panel is not a matte finish rather it's glossy. So fingerprint is always visible but this would fix by putting a case on it.

I'm not into its camera, but it comes with a triple camera packed with great features. I'm not going too deep into it but I'll leave the link that has all its features here.

The right side of the device has aligned buttons, this is the power button which acts as a fingerprint sensor to unlock the device, and the volume button as well. The power button is also customizable. I set it to make a payment for Samsung Pay by just tapping it twice, otherwise, you can set the power button to run some commands such as Bixby. Since this is a mid-range device, the lack of a front camera depth sensor means it cannot proceed to make a payment using the front camera instead it can be made via fingerprint which is very convenient compared to my iPhone which I have to remove my mask all the time to use Apple Pay. You can check my review of Apple Pay here.

I'm not a fan of USB-C, Since most of my devices run the typical USB B Micro and the lightning-type charger of my Apple devices. So here's below the USB-C Type charging port of M52. Unfortunately, the Samsung M52 5G doesn't have dual speakers. It comes with a single speaker at the bottom along with a microphone for phone calls. Comparing it with my iPhone 11. The iPhone 11 has dual speakers, a dedicated microphone for its dual camera, and water resistance. But of course, Samsung M52 5G is a midrange device. So you pay what you get for. Hehehe

The sim compartment, the Samsung M52 5G is a dual hybrid, which means it can support a dual sim and the other sim tray can act as a memory card. The M52 can support up to 1TB of storage.

The main reason I bought this device is the 5G connectivity, 120hz refresh rate SUPER AMOLED Plus screen, and the battery capacity which is 5000mah. I'll be making a separate review of its 5G Speed capability so stay tuned.

What is the refresh rate? well based on Samsung's website:

A refresh rate is the number of times a display can update its image in 1 second. Usually, the refresh rate is expressed in Hertz (e.g. 60 Hz). The higher the Hertz or refresh rate (like 120 Hz), the faster the screen responds and refreshes. This means using your phone will be more fluid.

So here's a sample that I've screen captured on my device.

To prevent scratches and dents on my new device, I purchase a hard case. The Samsung M52 5G was released 8 months ago yet it's difficult for me to find some of its accessories in the mall. And finally, I was able to get one.

Look at this gorgeous beast! . I love it! the size is 6.7 inches with a corning gorilla glass 5. I played Genshin Impact on this device and I didn't see any lag issues. Though the refresh rate is only 60fps, I'm still hoping that Genshin Impact will release a 120hz refresh rate later.

Do I recommend this device?

Definitely YES! If you are looking for a mid-range device that packs the latest features such as 5G, Super AMOLED Plus Screen, 120hz refresh rate, Netflix-friendly screen, all-day battery, and good for gaming. I strongly recommend this device. for more information about the specs and features of this device. You can visit their website here.

Thanks for reading my quick unboxing review of the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G.

See you on my next blog.

--Ceddy

Ceddy's Random - Vlogs

Tuesday, August 23, 2022