Tag Archives | s7 edge

Smartphones in Lebanon – Low Prices VS Genuine Warranty

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Back in June when I got my S7 Edge, I decided to save some money by getting it from Amhaz in Bir El Abed because the price they provide for smartphones and accessories are usually the lowest in the market ($630 back then) *cough no VAT and no tax cough*. However, for selling at such prices, Amhaz does not give you a receipt and the warranty you get only covers factory defects which seemed fair enough for me.

I previously got some phones for my friends and family from there and luckily never had any problem with the handsets so I never resorted to the warranty. But fast forward to last week, my phone’s screen suddenly started to show a pink and green tint then continuously flashing, so I immediately took it to Amhaz to have it checked.

I got a phone call the next day that the screen is defected and I can have it replaced for $350 (Edge screens are expensive), so I went to the shop and started arguing with a technician about the origin of the problem as he insisted the screen was damaged due to some shock, knowing that the phone was unscratched and I never dropped it during the last days of using it.

Long story short, I couldn’t convince him of having it replaced under the warranty so I sold him the phone as it is for $160 and got an S7 instead.

I’m not sharing my story with you to bitch about Amhaz customer service, but to rather shed light on the importance of buying gadgets and electronics from authorized dealers. Such dealers have direct contact with the manufacturers and can help you easily replace a handset if it proved to be factory defective. On the other hand, other shops get their stuff imported through alternative channels and should go through a hassle to send a defective item to its origin, which explains why the warranty they give you is very limited.

I will never know what was wrong with my screen, maybe it was factory defected or maybe I could have damaged it myself, but what I’m sure of is that I had a higher chance of repairing it for free had I opted to originally get it from CTC because I heard of so many stories where people were able to get their phones repaired at no cost. Needless to say, with dealers like CTC and others the cases where a service is provided for free are clearly defined and do not depend on the technician’s mood.

At a time when tech companies are always challenged to keep innovating and releasing new models, shit can happen with their new designs and you never know when you might end up purchasing a messed up device like the Note 7 and regret not having a valid warranty with it. I learned my lesson the hard way, but I urge you to learn from my mistake! I now believe a genuine warranty is worth a few tens of bucks when buying such expensive devices, and no don’t settle for “kafeilit ma7all”. When it comes to mobile phones, make sure you a warranty from CTC for Samsung phones, and from Gomobile for Sony, Alcatel, HTC, and Lenovo.

Phonefinity.net is one of the shops I recommend for smartphones with genuine warranty at a really good price.

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Our Silliest Record Breaking Attempt to Date

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Earlier last week, a friend told me that the organizers of BIAF (Beirut International Awards Festival) are planning to lay down the world’s longest red carpet as part of their 2-day event. The red carpet is expected to start somewhere in Hamra, then goes towards Achrafieh and all the way through downtown to Zaytouna Bay where the ceremony is taking place.

At first I was mainly concerned about the traffic jam this red carpet will be causing on a weekday. But after spotting parts of it on my way to work this morning, I think the traffic jam is absolutely not a problem compared to how hideous it looks!

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The thing doesn’t qualify as a red carpet. It’s barely a piece of red cloth, and it seems that some genius decided to lay it down last night and cars eventually ended up tearing it down.

The end result is needless to say, bahdaleh. I wish all the money that was put into this silly attempt to make it into the Guinness Book was allocated for something more meaningful, like helping Rozine get that liver transplant maybe!

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Review – Samsung S7 Edge and Gear VR

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I’ve been using an iPhone 5 for exactly 3 years now and recently started looking for an alternative. Among the current flagship mobile phones I was basically tempted to either get a 64GB iPhone 6s or a Samsung S7 Edge, still having never owned an Android mobile before, I didn’t want to get the S7 Edge and end up regretting it, so I thought of asking Samsung for a test unit and they were kind enough to send me one along with a Gear VR.

Long story short I’ve been using the S7 Edge for a couple of weeks now and totally loving it! In this review I won’t go all techy on you with specs and stuff, but rather describe how I found the S7 Edge fitting my needs as a blogger and someone who uses the phone camera very frequently.

Design

Plastic covers on older models of the Samsung S phones were the main reason that made me avoid them, they just made the handsets look cheap. This however has changed with the S6 and its rear glass which made it look more elegant, while the S7 Edge is a further enhancement with beautiful curves. The unit I got looked premium with the gold color on it.

The S7 Edge is also considered a compact phone. It is almost the same size of an iPhone 6s but has a larger display (5.5″ vs 4.7″), and this was made possible by minimizing the amount of bezel above and below the screen which increased the screen-to-body ratio by a great deal.

Screen

The QHD display on the S7 Edge is absolutely gorgeous! A friend of mine always bugs me with how good AMOLED screens are, but I honestly didn’t know they  were THAT good. Colors looked much more vibrant and made it hard for me to go back to watching media on an LCD screen.

Still, and even though it isn’t a deal breaker, the screen was a bit reflective for me when I was using it outdoors.

Camera

Having a 3 year old kid I always find myself using my phone camera whenever he’s fooling around. And for that, I really appreciated how quick is the autofocus in the S7 Edge camera. It also performs pretty well in low light.

Here are a sample of unedited photos I recently took. (Click on each photo for the original size)

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Usage

It’s not a secret Android wasn’t the friendliest mobile operating system. And being a longtime iPhone user, I really hate to say it but Android has come a long way in being much more user friendly. In fact, I found it easier for me to write a blog post on the S7 Edge than on my wife’s iPhone 6s.

Moreover, since Android is a more open platform, I found it much easier for me to deal with some files I usually need to upload to my server from time to time. All in all, Android is indeed more flexible if you’re a tech person.

Gear VR

I’ve never used a virtual reality headset other than Samsung’s, so I really cannot compare the Gear VR to other products.

I personally found the Gear VR very easy to setup, and the available 360 videos and images were quite entertaining. I was mostly interested in travel videos showing places from exotic parts of the world and I really enjoyed them, it was cool sitting on my couch and feeling like I was somewhere totally different.

The headset however felt bulky on me after 20 or 30 minutes of usage, so watching full length movies on it wasn’t my thing.

The Verdict

With a cool design, a stunning camera, and a sharp display, I really can’t ask for more. In fact, I’m honestly having a hard time returning the test unit! 😛

If you’re interested in buying the S7 Edge along with the Gear VR, the guy I usually get my handsets from is offering them both for $690. (Note that his prices differ from day to day)

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