This week, we had two major phone reveals at opposite ends of the price spectrum, with Galaxy Unpacked revealing premium foldables and CMF by Nothing’s showcase giving us a new cheap and cheerful (yet surprisingly well specced) smartphone.
We also saw other Samsung gadgets, got a Google and Samsung XR tease (again), and were promised big Prime Day deals, including three free PC games.
We’ve covered these top stories and more in this in case you missed it round-up, so let’s get you caught up to speed on the week’s biggest tech news stories.
7. We Flipped out at Samsung Unpacked
The long-awaited Galaxy Ring may have earned top billing at this week’s Samsung Galaxy Unpacked showcase, but two new entries in Samsung’s foldable lineup – namely the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 – proved just as popular with the attending Paris crowd.
Admittedly, this year’s upgrades are more iterative than ground-breaking, but they could still be enough to rank the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 among the best foldable phones of 2024. The former device gets a sharper design and a brighter screen than its predecessor, while the Galaxy Z Flip 6 brings a new 50MP camera and a bigger battery. Both new foldables get a faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and plenty of durability improvements, too.
We’ve currently have the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 in our testing labs, but for an early verdict on each new device, check our our hands-on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review and hands-on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review.
6. Samsung Unpacked was something you had to Watch
The biggest news in wearables is that Samsung finally dropped its Galaxy Ring, the Galaxy Watch 7, and its new, flagship Galaxy Watch Ultra.
The hotly-anticipated Samsung Galaxy Ring, Samsung’s first foray into a new wearables category, looks like a small, discreet fitness tracker that’s really packing some smarts thanks to the Samsung Health app, and unlike some of its competitors, it doesn’t come with a subscription.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s Apple Watch Ultra rival: a rough-and-tumble smartwatch with a titanium body and extended battery life. Finally, Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is a sleek smartwatch that barely deviates from the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6’s design. You can read all our opinions on the new devices by clicking on the links above.
5. Samsung and Google talked AI updates, and teased XR
Continuing 2024’s hottest tech trend, Samsung made AI a central part of its Unpacked presentation, even bringing a Google exec on stage to explain how Gemini would make Samsung (and other Android devices) forces to be reckoned with.
This includes a new Sketch to Image feature that allows the device to turn your rough drawings into more artistic-looking pictures as a standalone image or as a new element in an existing photo. The Z Flip 6 even has a unique live-translation feature that shows translated text on its inner and outer displays so you and the person you’re conversing with can understand each other without you constantly turning your phone screen around.
Right at the end of this segment, however, we got another tease of Samsung and Google XR collab (a catchall for VR, AR, and MR) with Samsung President and Head of the Mobile Experience (MX) business TM Roh saying the “new XR platform coming this year.” We didn’t get an exact date, but all eyes are on the Samsung Developer’s Conference (SDC), which is scheduled for October 3, 2024, as the venue for an announcement where we might finally see the Samsung XR/VR headset.
4. CMF by Nothing gave us some cheap but cheerful new tech
Nothing’s sub-brand CMF (which stands for Color, Material, Finish) is known for combining good design with some tempting price tags. And it did so again this week with a trio of new launches: the Phone 1, Buds Pro 2, and Watch Pro 2.
All three bring something new to their respective table, whether it’s the Phone 1’s removable back covers, the Buds Pro 2’s fancy case with a built-in dial, or the Watch Pro 2’s lowly $69 / £69 / AU$119 price tag.
With their bright orange accents and respectable spec sheets, they’re likely to trouble a few of our budget-focused buying guides, such as the best budget wireless earbuds and the best cheap smartwatches. Look out for some full reviews very soon.
3. YouTube Music brought the AI game to Spotify by trialling AI radio
AI isn’t just for bizarre artwork and giving your CV a glow-up, you know. It’s also capable of making radio stations – and doesn’t Google-owned YouTube Music know it? Shortly after introducing a “you hum it, we’ll play it” audio recognition system, the lesser-known streaming service is now testing an AI playlist feature that will create a custom, personalized radio station just for you. Once – or if – the feature rolls out to your account, you’ll see a new card in your Home feed that reads: “Ask for music any way you like” (cue us singing, “Any way you want it that’s the way you need it” directly into our phones).
Anyway, a chat window opens, allowing you to enter a prompt by typing or talking. The app suggests example prompts such as “epic soundtracks,” “catchy pop choruses,” and even “surprise me.”
So far, the new feature doesn’t appear to be testing widely, but YouTube Music’s now twofold AI experiments could become important and defining features in its fight to become one of the best music streaming services going.
2. Amazon promised free Prime Day goodies
Amazon Prime Day deals are fast approaching, and while early deals we’ve seen so far can help you save on Sony headphones, OLED TVs, and smartwatches is there a better discount that 100%-off? (Well I guess 200%-off, meaning they pay you, but I mean a discount you’ll actually see)
That’s right, Prime members are getting some free goodies on July 16 in the form of three PC games: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Chivalry 2, and Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration (which includes the Season Pass DLC).
We know Kill the Justice League is a terrible game (we gave it two-stars in our review), but with it costing you nothing and its next Mrs. Freeze expansion coming very soon this could be the perfect time to jump in? That or just play Rise of the Tomb Raider, as that’s a cracking game.
Speaking of deals, we can’t not talk about this terrible offer Meta launched for its 512GB Meta Quest 3, because despite Meta saying you’ll “end up spending less than you would if you purchased each item individually,” that’s not true.
This week, Meta launched a buy now pay later scheme, which lets eligible US-based customers pick up a Meta Quest 3 headset, a 24-month subscription to Meta Quest+, and a 24-month Meta Warranty Plus, and pay for it in 24 monthly installments. The 128GB Meta Quest 3 bundle costs $24.99 monthly and will save you money overall (costing $599.76 instead of $659.96). However, the 512GB bundle would come to $839.76 instead of just $819.96, which you’d pay for everything on its own.
Meta hasn’t responded to our request for comment, but we think the issue comes from how it calculates the cost of a 24-month Meta Quest+ membership. Because you’re locked into the two years with the scheme, we think it’s fair to compare the cost to two one-year subscriptions at $59.99 each (or $119.98 all-in), whereas Meta calculates it using the $7.99 monthly cost (or $191.76).
You should always think hard before agreeing to a buy now, pay later scheme, as you can’t change your mind later. This is another reminder to double-check that it’s actually a good deal before you commit to one.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
