This week, we had two major phone reveals at opposite ends of the price spectrum, with Galaxy Unpacked revealing premium foldable devices and CMF’s showcase from Nothing giving us a cheap and cheerful (but surprisingly well specified).
We also got a look at other Samsung devices, got a tease of Google and the Samsung XR (again), and were promised big Prime Day deals, including three free PC games.
We’ve covered these top stories and more in case you missed that roundup, so let’s get you up to speed on the week’s biggest tech news.
7. We returned to Samsung Unpacked
The long-awaited Galaxy Ring may have earned top billing at this week’s Samsung Galaxy Unpacked show, 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 crowd present in Paris.
Admittedly, this year’s improvements are more iterative than new, but they may 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 chip and plenty of durability improvements.
We currently have the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 in our test labs, but for an early verdict on each new device, check out our hands-on review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. 6 review.
6. Samsung Unpacked was a must-see
The biggest news in wearables is that Samsung finally took the wraps off the Galaxy Ring, the Galaxy Watch 7 and its new flagship Galaxy Watch Ultra.
The long-awaited Samsung Galaxy Ring, Samsung’s first foray into a new category of wearables, looks like a small and discreet fitness tracker that’s really packed with intelligence thanks to the Samsung Health app and unlike some of the competition his, he does not come with a subscription.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is the rival of Samsung’s Apple Watch Ultra: a rough and tumble smartwatch with a titanium body and extended battery life. Finally, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is a stylish smartwatch that barely deviates from the design of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. You can read all our opinions on the new devices by clicking on the links above.
5. Samsung and Google talked about AI updates and teased the XR
Continuing the hottest tech trend of 2024, Samsung made AI a central part of its Unpacked presentation, even bringing a Google executive on stage to explain how Gemini would make Samsung (and its devices other Android) forces to be considered.
This includes a new Sketch to Image feature that allows the device to turn your rough drawings into more artistic looking photos as a standalone image or as a new element to an existing photo. The Z Flip 6 even has a unique live translation feature that shows translated text on its internal and external screens so you and the person you’re talking to can understand each other without constantly scrolling the phone screen .
At the end of this segment, however, we got another tease of the Samsung and Google XR collaboration (an attraction for VR, AR and MR) with Samsung President and Head of Mobile Experience (MX) business TM Roh saying “the new The XR platform is coming this year.” We didn’t get an exact date, but all eyes are on Samsung’s Developer Conference (SDC), which is scheduled for October 3, 2024, as the venue for an announcement where we can finally see the Samsung XR/VR headset.
4. CMF from Nothing gave us a cheap but hilarious new technology
The nothing 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 desks, 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 low $69 / £69 / AU$119.
With their bright orange accents and respectable spec sheets, they’re likely to upset some of our budget-focused buying guides, such as the best budget wireless headphones and cheapest smartwatches. Look for some full reviews very soon.
3. YouTube Music brought the AI game to Spotify by testing AI radio
AI isn’t just for weird artwork and giving your resume a shine, you know. It’s also capable of creating radio stations – and doesn’t Google-owned YouTube Music know? Hot on the heels of introducing its “you hum, we’ll play” audio recognition system, the lesser-known streaming service is now testing an AI playlist feature that will create a personalized radio station just for you you. Once — or if — the feature appears in your account, you’ll see a new card in your Home feed that reads: “Request music any way you want” (tell us to sing, “Any way you want this is as you need” directly on our phones).
However, a chat window opens, allowing you to enter a request by typing or speaking. The app suggests triggers such as “epic soundtrack”, “catchy pop chorus” and even “surprise me”.
So far, the new feature doesn’t seem to be being widely tested, but YouTube Music’s dual AI experiments could now become an important and defining feature in its fight to become one of the best streaming services. streaming music.
2. Amazon promised free gifts for the first day
Amazon Prime Day deals are fast approaching, and while the early deals we’ve seen so far can help you save on Sony headphones, OLED TVs, and smartwatches, is there a discount better than 100% off? (Well, I mean 200% off, which means they pay you, but I mean a discount you’ll actually see)
That’s right, Prime members will be getting some free goodies on July 16 in the form of three PC games: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Cavalry 2AND Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20th Anniversary Celebration (which includes Season Pass DLC).
We know Kill the Justice League is a terrible game (we gave it two stars in our review), but since it costs you nothing and its next expansion Ms. Freeze is coming very soon, this might be the perfect time to get inserted? That or just play Rise of the Tomb Raideras this is a cracking game.
Speaking of deals, we can’t help but talk about this terrible deal released by Meta for its 512GB Meta Quest 3, because despite Meta saying you’ll “end up spending less than if you bought each item individually” , This is not true.
This week, Meta launched a buy-now-pay-later scheme that allows eligible US-based customers to 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 per month and will save you money overall (which costs $599.76 instead of $659.96). However, the 512GB package would go for $839.76 instead of just the $819.96 you’d pay for everything on its own.
Meta did not respond to our request for comment, but we think the problem stems from the way it calculates the cost of a 24-month Meta Quest+ membership. Because you’re locked into two years with the plan, we think it’s fair to compare the cost to two one-year subscriptions at $59.99 each (or $119.98 total), while Meta calculates it using the monthly cost of $7.99 (or $191.76).
You should always think long and hard before agreeing to a buy now, pay later scheme, as you cannot change your mind later. This is another reminder to double check that it’s actually a good deal before you commit to one.