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Samsung TV Plus Gets a Revamp Across Galaxy Devices, Smart TVs
Samsung TV Plus Gets a Revamp Across Galaxy Devices, Smart TVs
Samsung on Tuesday announced the global relaunch of its free streaming service, Samsung TV Plus, with a logo redesign and lineup of new programming for TV and mobile customers across 24 countries. The electronics company is rolling out the app rebrand for its smart TVs, Galaxy devices and the web.
The relaunch expands the company's free, ad-supported streaming platform with access to more premium content, including local news, concerts and feature films. According to Samsung, the rollout will bring additional programming from A+E Networks, BBC and ION, as well as more live news broadcasting, exclusive premieres and a fresh batch of channels. Viewers can now stream ION to catch Law & Order: SVU, NCIS or Chicago Fire and also have the option to watch four BBC channels, including Classic Doctor Who and Antiques Roadshow UK.
The platform is also growing its lifestyle category with the addition of the Home.Made.Nation station from A+E, which is intended to complement its slate of travel, food and home improvement channels. Viewers who love cars can tune in for the fall launch of Ride or Drive, an upcoming original Samsung TV Plus channel with dedicated auto-themed content. And the Samsung Showcase channel will feature special events, concerts and more. Moving forward, the brand has plans to grow its video-on-demand library in 2023 through partnerships with Lionsgate and other studios.
Originally launched in 2015, Samsung TV Plus features over 200 channels in the US -- and more than 1,500 worldwide -- that stream sports, music, news, TV shows and movies on demand. The service comes preinstalled on 2016-2022 Samsung smart TVs, Galaxy tablets and phones and select Family Hub refrigerators. Billed as an alternative to paid subscription services like Netflix and Disney Plus, the app offers a watchlist, recommendation feature and channel guide but doesn't require you to sign up for an account. Though Samsung TV Plus is solely available on the brand's devices, it's another free platform that joins the likes of Freevee, Tubi, Roku Channel and Pluto TV, which are accessible on multiple streaming devices and smart TVs.
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How to spy on your lover, the smartphone way
How to spy on your lover, the smartphone way
Perfect. Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET
Trust is like love.
You want to believe in it, but then your rational side kicks in and dents your faith.
Here at the Ministry of Failed Relationships, we understand this. There is nothing worse than committing yourself to someone who poses as your soulmate, only to discover that their soul has drunkenly mated with a passing half-sized halfwit.
One company has -- perhaps inadvertently -- stumbled upon a notion that might ease your worried brow. Or confirm your dearest fear. For it is now offering phones that have built-in spyware.
A sample of my chat with Karen, whom I trust completely. Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET
mSpy created its software with a mind to, say, help parents track their unruly teens. Now, however, with the release of preloaded phones such as the HTC One, Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5S, you can merely buy your lover a gift and watch it keep on giving.
So there. Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET
Mind you, mSpy's founder, Andrei Shimanovich, told Forbes it's not actually his business how people will end up using this nifty software.
Or think of it this way: spy software doesn't spy on people, but rather people spy on other people.
Indeed, though the concept of spying has enjoyed some nuanced developments over the last few months, I was reasonably sure that spying on my lover would be illegal.
So for starters I thought I'd IM with an mSpy rep to see how easy this whole thing was. I posed as a troubled lover, and in return got what seemed to be rather canned answers.
Me: Can I really spy on my lover with this? I think she may be cheating on me.
Karen, the sales manager: You can do that once you install mSpy on her phone.
Me: Is it easy to install?
Karen: It is very easy and fast to install mSpy on the target phone.
Me: But how can I do it without her knowing?
Karen: We can walk you through installation after purchase.
I then told Karen which type of phone I'd like to track. An iPhone 5. Yes, I imagine my perfect, imaginary lover has an iPhone 5.
Karen's reply:
Dear Customer, please be advised that an iPhone must be jailbroken before the installation, but the process is very fast and easy - it takes only few minutes to jailbreak an iPhone. You can check on how to jailbreak an iPhone on http://iclarified.com/jailbreak and http://iclarified.com/jailbreak for iOS 7 +. Kindly be advised that we're the only company who assists with jailbreak. Once an iPhone is jailbroken Cydia icon will appear on the Springboard. But you can hide it after you install the app, so there will be no traces left.
I confess that there was a certain side of me that felt excited, although if I was to spy on my imaginary lover there would surely soon be no traces of the relationship left.
Moreover, the legalities were still preying on my conscience. When I asked "But how can I do it without her knowing?" I fear that my IM buddy heard only "how can I do it" and provided merely a practical response, missing the "without her knowing" portion of the question and its deeper foray into the ethics of the situation. Or maybe that was something for later in the discussion, when we got down to brass tacks.
Still curious, I wandered over to the mSpy legal agreement. It reads, in part:
It is a considered federal and/or state violation of the law in most cases to install surveillance software onto a mobile phone or other device for which you do not have proper authorization, and in most cases you are required to notify users of the device that they are being monitored. Failure to do so may result in a violation of federal or state laws, if you install this software onto a device you do not own or if you do not have proper consent to monitor the user of the device.
After these words of warning, in large blue type is, "We absolutely do not endorse the use of our software for illegal purposes."
But I always thought that all was legal in love and war.
Still, was mSpy just ever so slightly encouraging me to spy on my lover?
I've had lovers sneak into my emails and probe my phone. When I discovered them, their reply was always: "What? You thought I wouldn't? Do I look stupid?" Or expressions to that effect.
So perhaps all this spying is, indeed, quite normal. But it won't have mSpy's official seal of approval.
An mSpy spokeswoman told me:
mSpy does advocate notifying users of the device that they are being monitored. During the installation stage (which had yet to be approached), users need to tick off a few boxes confirming that they have informed the monitored party and got his/her consent. As well, customer services representatives are required to share with you this information as you navigate the process. mSpy's disclaimer clearly state that we do not approve of the illegal use of our software and in the case when the legal breach has been identified we will cooperate with relevant authorities, if required.
I leave all this, therefore, to your conscience, just as I leave national security to the consciences of those who direct it.
Most people will admit that they'd dearly wished they had evidence to back up their suspicions, when they thought their lovers were less than faithful.
But those suspicions in themselves surely described the truth of the relationship.
The difficulty, of course, is waiting for that truth to emerge. Some wait for days, months or even years to discover that what they'd feared was true. Or, more painfully, to discover that the truth was even worse than they'd feared.
Spying can never save a relationship. All it can save is time.
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Apple's iPhone 13 is great, but these missing features are a letdown
Apple's iPhone 13 is great, but these missing features are a letdown
With longer battery life, better cameras, a new Cinematic mode and more base-level storage space, Apple's iPhone 13 lineup has a lot to offer over its predecessors. (Check out CNET's iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro and Pro Max reviews.) Although there's a lot to love about the iPhone 13, it's missing a few features we had hoped to see from Apple's latest smartphone. Many of these features are available on Android competitors, while others can be found on different Apple devices.
The iPhone 13, which is available for purchase, starts at $829 for the standard model without a carrier discount. The Mini begins at $729, the iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max has an entry price of $1,099.
Read more: Should you upgrade to iPhone 13? We compared the last five years of iPhones to find out
From an in-screen fingerprint reader to a truly borderless screen, here are the features missing from the iPhone 13.
USB-C support
Wouldn't it be great if you could use the same charger for your iPhone and the other gadgets in your home? Apple's latest iPhone, however, is once again missing USB-C connectivity. As has been the case since 2012, the latest iPhones require Apple's proprietary Lightning cable for wired charging.
Not only does that mean you can't use chargers from other gadgets to power up your iPhone, but it also means chargers from other Apple mobile devices might not be compatible with your iPhone. Apple's iPad Air, iPad Pro and newly announced iPad Mini, for example, all charge via USB-C. That means even if you're an Apple loyalist, you'll need to keep track of multiple charging cables.
An in-screen fingerprint reader
Face ID works great most of the time, but it would be nice to have the option of using your fingerprint to unlock your device as well. That's especially true over the last year and a half since Face ID can't accurately identify you while wearing a face mask. If you don't have an Apple Watch, you've probably been typing in your passcode much more than usual over the past year.
Read more: New iPhone 13? How to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone
Many Android phones, such as those from Samsung, Motorola and OnePlus, have fingerprint readers built into their screens. A 2019 report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is known for his sometimes accurate Apple predictions, said Apple would release an iPhone with Face ID and an in-display fingerprint sensor in 2021. That didn't turn out to be true, but perhaps we'll see it in the iPhone 14.
Satellite connectivity
One of the most prominent rumors about the iPhone 13 in the weeks before its launch was that it would come with satellite connectivity for sending texts in emergency scenarios. That didn't turn out to be true, at least not yet.
Kuo and Bloomberg both reported that the iPhone 13 would be able to use satellite connectivity in areas without cellular coverage. But Bloomberg's report provided a bit more detail, saying that this feature would primarily serve as an SOS for contacting emergency services. Messages would have a length restriction, and you might have to walk to a certain location to connect.
However, the Bloomberg report did say that the feature could be scrapped, and it warned that the iPhone 13 may not have the feature at launch even if it has the hardware to support it.
Wi-Fi 6E support
Wi-Fi 6E is new and isn't a must-have yet. But since many people buy an iPhone with the intention of keeping it for several years, it would have been helpful to see Wi-Fi 6E support in at least the Pro and Pro Max models.
Wi-Fi 6E is a special designation for Wi-Fi 6 devices that allows them to access the new 6GHz band of spectrum. As my colleague Ry Crist puts it, think of the 6GHz band as a "shiny, new seven-lane superhighway" that's only available for select devices. The 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands we're used to connecting on today's routers are more like a "one-lane country highway" and a "three-lane interstate," respectively.
There aren't many smartphones out there that support Wi-Fi 6E yet. But Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra is one of them, and we're already seeing routers from Asus and Netgear that support 6E. If you're paying for the top-of-the-line iPhone, it would be useful to at least have Wi-Fi 6E connectivity as an option.
An always-on display
My Apple Watch has an always-on display, and I only wish my iPhone could, too. For years, smartphones from Samsung, OnePlus and other Android device-makers have had screens that are capable of showing information onscreen even when the display is asleep.
That might not sound like a big deal, but I've found it to be surprisingly useful. Most phones with an always-on display will show information like the time and your next calendar event when the display is turned off.
Having this information available at a glance has made it easier to see when my next meeting is without having to actually pick up my phone, which is helpful for avoiding distractions. If you don't own a smartwatch, an always-on display makes it easier to quickly see small bits of information while maintaining some distance from your phone.
A telephoto lens with a 10x optical zoom
The iPhone 13 lineup is getting major camera quality improvements. There's a new Cinematic mode on all four models that automatically switches the focus between subjects as needed, and the iPhone 13 Pro is getting the ability to take macro shots.
But the iPhone 13's telephoto camera still doesn't have as close a zoom as Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max have 6x optical zoom range, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra has two telephoto lenses that support a 3x and 10x optical zoom.
Samsung's smartphones are known for their zooming capabilities, which is why the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra was named our favorite phone for camera zoom in 2020. But we'll have to wait until we've tested the iPhone 13 Pro to see how it really stacks up against Samsung's latest flagships.
A notchless screen
Yes, Apple fans are probably used to the notch by now since it's been present on iPhones since 2017. But it's hard to overlook it when you consider the progress Android device-makers have made in this regard.
Most Android smartphones come with notch-free screens that include just a subtle hole-shaped cutout for the camera. Samsung was among the earliest to embrace this design back in 2019 with the Galaxy S10 family. But now, this design is common across the Android landscape, whether you're looking at phones from Samsung, Google, OnePlus or Motorola.
However, it's worth pointing out that part of the reason why the iPhone's notch is so large is because that's where all of its Face ID sensors are located. Apple's facial recognition system has generally been considered to be ahead of the competition, especially around the time it launched.
The flexibility to control the screen's refresh rate
The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are the first iPhones to get Apple's ProMotion feature, which boosts the display's refresh rate to up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling and increased responsiveness. To conserve battery life, it throttles the screen to a lower refresh rate to maintain battery life.
Other phones like the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S20 give you more control and flexibility by allowing you to choose when you want to crank the refresh rate up to 120Hz rather than having the phone decide for you. It's possible to choose between a smoother scrolling option and a battery life option in Samsung's settings menu. You'll have to be willing to sacrifice some image quality and battery life, however.
Faster wireless charging
Wireless charging has been standard on the iPhone since 2017, but we still have yet to see meaningful improvements when it comes to charging speeds. If you're not using a MagSafe wireless charger, which can deliver 15-watt wireless charging speeds, you'll only be able to charge your iPhone at 7.5 watts.
That's a lot slower than most Android phones. Samsung's Galaxy S21, for example, supports 10-watt wireless charging, while the Galaxy S20 FE supports faster 15-watt wireless charging. The OnePlus 9 Pro supports 50-watt wireless charging.
Now that wireless charging is a given and is no longer considered a rarity on smartphones, it would be nice to see Apple boost the iPhone's wireless charging speeds the way it has done for the Apple Watch.
Reverse wireless charging for powering other gadgets
We've all been there. Maybe you're on the bus or train, and you pull out your AirPods only to see that dreaded red light signaling that your battery is about to run out. If only you could rest your AirPods case on the back of your iPhone to give it a little power boost.
This feature, broadly known as reverse wireless charging, is available on Android phones such as Samsung's Galaxy S21 line and the Google Pixel 5, but not on the iPhone 13. It essentially enables the back of your phone to act as a wireless charging pad for accessories like smartphones, wireless earbuds and even other phones.
Apple does have some version of this feature, but it's very limited and can't be used to power up AirPods or the Apple Watch, as far as we know. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 can supply a charge to Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack when plugged in with the accessory attached. We'd love to see Apple expand this functionality in the future.
Apple Pencil support
Apple has brought Apple Pencil support to every iPad in its lineup, but there's still no compatibility with the iPhone. I could particularly see the Apple Pencil being useful on the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the iPhone 12 Pro Max, both of which have nearly tablet-size 6.7-inch screens that are ideal for sketching and note taking. Plus, adding Apple Pencil support to the supersize Pro Max phones would give Apple yet another way to differentiate the Pro Max from the 6.1-inch Pro and make more use of its larger screen.
Lossless audio over Bluetooth
With chipmaker Qualcomm debuting its proprietary audio format for delivering lossless audio over Bluetooth, it would have been nice to hear similar ambitions from Apple.
Lossless audio uses a different compression method that preserves more detail than the process that's used to make Bluetooth audio files small enough to store on your phone. Qualcomm expects devices that support its lossless audio format should be launching in early 2022, so there's a chance we'll hear more about it around CES in January.
In the meantime, you'll have to use wired headphones or your iPhone's built-in speakers to listen to lossless music from your mobile device.
Center Stage for video calls
The entry-level iPad and iPad Mini now have Center Stage, the feature that automatically keeps your face in frame when video chatting. It works automatically and has been super convenient now that many of us are communicating with friends, co-workers and family members over video calls.
It would be more useful, however, if Center Stage was available across all of Apple's products, including iPhones and Macs. In fact, I do most of my video chatting on an iPhone or a Mac rather than an iPad, especially since phones are smaller and usually easier to hold at eye level in portrait orientation.
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Galaxy Z Flip 4: The Last-Minute Rumors You Won't Want to Miss
Galaxy Z Flip 4: The Last-Minute Rumors You Won't Want to Miss
Samsung's next Unpacked event is today -- here's how you can watch it live -- and we're expecting to see a couple new foldable phones. Samsung's trailer for the event shows off what could be the rumored Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Although the Galaxy Z Flip and Fold 4 are both foldable phones, they differ in many ways. The most noticeable difference is that the Z Fold bends like a book, while the Z Flip folds vertically. Last year's Z Flip 3 was dubbed the "most normal foldable available," by CNET's Patrick Holland, and the upcoming Z Flip 4 will probably bring some welcome upgrades and refinements.
Read more: Samsung Unpacked Live Blog: Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4 Reveals To Come
We're collecting all the rumors regarding the Galaxy Z Flip 4's release date, price, new features and specs, and will be updating this story as new information becomes available. Here's what we've heard so far. Just note that, since these are rumors, none of the specs have been confirmed by Samsung.
But to encourage people to reserve their phones early, from July 19 until Aug. 10, Samsung is offering an extensive list of discounts based on different bundles, from a maximum of $200 off for those reserving a Galaxy phone, watch and buds down to a minimum of $30 off for just reserving Galaxy buds. While this could be a hint of what's coming at Unpacked, the savings could apply to older Galaxy Watch or Galaxy Buds models.
Release date: Will we see the Galaxy Z Flip 4 on Aug. 10?
Following rumors about an August Unpacked from tipster Evan Blass, Samsung confirmed that it will hold an event on Aug. 10, 2022. It's still unclear what exactly will be announced at the company's upcoming event, but Samsung's invitation and trailer shows what appears to be a new version of the clamshell Galaxy Z Flip.
Looking at the history of the foldable phone (and that of its Galaxy Z Fold sibling), we can broadly deduce when to expect the new device.
The Galaxy Z Flip's launches don't appear to follow a specific pattern, as the original was announced in February 2020 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 was released in August 2021. However, Samsung seems to have buddied the device with the Galaxy Z Fold, which is why the Z Flip jumped from version 1 to 3 -- to match the naming convention of the Z Fold.
The 2019 Galaxy Fold and 2020 Z Fold 2 were released in September, while the Z Fold 3 debuted in August 2021. If Samsung plans on releasing the phones as a pair, we can likely expect the Galaxy Z Flip 4 in August or September alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which aligns with the upcoming event date.
Price: The Galaxy Z Flip 4 could be less expensive
We haven't yet heard much in terms of the Galaxy Z Flip 4's possible price. But, we can look to rumors about the Galaxy Z Fold 4 for hints.
A Korean leaker who goes by the handle yeux1122 suggests the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 4 will cost less than the Z Fold 3. (Leaker yeux1122 doesn't have much of a track record compared to others. MacRumors reported in February that they correctly guessed the iPad Mini 6's release time frame, but were incorrect about the tablet's screen size.) Although the tipster didn't provide any further detail, that speculation aligns with the phone's price history. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 ($1,800) got a price drop compared to the Fold 2 ($2,000). The price of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 was slashed last year as well to $1,000 from $1,380 for the original Z Flip.
Read more:Here's One Feature Samsung Could Use to One-Up Apple
With that in mind, it's within the realm of possibility for Samsung to decrease the cost of the Z Flip 4. But, like every other rumor, we won't know for sure until the company announces the device.
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Flip 3, shown above, may look similar.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Design: Larger cover screen and a new hinge
Rumors about the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 4's display suggest Samsung's making a few small tweaks rather than large sweeping upgrades. According to Korean news site The Elec, the Z Flip 4 will retain the 6.7-inch internal foldable display of the Z Flip 3, but the external cover screen will slightly increase from 1.83 to 1.9 inches. Ross Young, co-founder and CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, however, believes that the cover display could increase further to 2 inches.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3's cover screen, the display on the outside when the phone is closed, is four times larger than that of the original Z Flip, and Holland lauded the move as a "step in the right direction." A slightly bigger cover screen could make reading notifications and swiping widgets a little easier.
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 may also get a redesigned hinge. That is, according to leaker Ice Universe. The new hinge, which is also shown in leaked images of the foldable phone posted by Blass, would be thinner than those on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and may give the phone's an overall slimmer design.
The Galaxy Z Flip's rumored extendable display.
LetsGoDigital
According to a patent Samsung filed with the World Intellectual Property Office, however, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 may get more than just a new cover screen and hinge. The patent, as Dutch blog LetsGoDigital reported in March, shows a Galaxy Z Flip that has both a foldable and extendable screen that can be pulled out to create a display that is twice as large.
Read more:Galaxy Watch 5: Every Noteworthy Rumor Ahead of Samsung Unpacked
Cameras: Rotating lenses?
Samsung didn't upgrade the camera hardware for the Galaxy Z Flip 3, but the upcoming Z Flip 4 may offer some improvements. If rumors are to be believed, the new foldable will offer a rotating camera and a better under-display camera.
Samsung filed another patent application with the World Intellectual Property Office for a clamshell phone sporting a rotating camera, as LetsGoDigital reported in 2021. The camera, which lives on the foldable's hinge, has two lenses and can pivot to be used when the phone is closed, open or at different angles in between. This means the camera could take selfies and meet other photography needs.
The Galaxy Z Flip 4's rumored rotating camera.
LetsGoDigital
Although a one-size-fits-all camera sounds neat, it may also cause the foldable's hinge to be significantly larger, making the phone itself bigger and bulkier.
Additional rumors from Korean leaker yeux1122, suggest Samsung has tested versions of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 with an improved under-display camera that can be used on the cover screen, too. However, the company is also rumored to have tested versions of the phone with a perforated, punch-hole cutout display.
Read more: Samsung, the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip Could Be Even Better
Other rumored specs and features
Here's everything else we've heard about Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4's specifications and potential new features.
Battery
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 may have a larger battery capacity than its predecessor. According to leaker Ice Universe, Samsung's upcoming foldable phone could sport a 3,700-mAh battery. That's 400 mAh larger than last year's Galaxy Z Flip 3.
Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip
Rumors from Ice Universe also suggest that the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 may both run on the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip. The new chip would give the foldables a performance boost over the Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold 3 which run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888.
Color options
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is rumored to come in four colors, including blue, black, cream and a lavender option said to be called Bora Purple, according to supposed renders posted by MySmartPrice.
We still have some time until the Galaxy Z Flip 4's possible reveal, but we have some helpful information to check out while you wait. You can read up on rumors about the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and CNET's reviews of Samsung's flagship phones, the Galaxy S22 and S22 Ultra. You can also check out how to save up to $200 on Samsung's new foldables before they even launch.
Have an Android phone that needs tweaking? Take a look at these settings to change and how to clear your browser cache. More of an Apple fan? We're collecting iPhone 14 rumors, too.
Samsung's Galaxy Tab S7 FE is coming to the US, preorders start Aug. 5
Samsung's Galaxy Tab S7 FE is coming to the US, preorders start Aug. 5
Samsung's next big Unpacked event may be set for Aug. 11, but that doesn't mean the Galaxy-maker doesn't have some other new products in the works before then. On Wednesday the company announced its latest tablets, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE and Tab S7 FE 5G.
The new "Fan Edition" devices, which will be available in the US starting on Aug. 5, will sport 12.4-inch LCD displays with support for the company's S-Pen stylus, which is included in the box. The tablets will also feature 4GB of RAM to go with 64GB of storage (expandable up to 1TB through microSD), run on Android 11 and pack two cameras: an 8-megapixel shooter on the rear and a 5-megapixel main lens upfront.
The back of the Galaxy Tab S7 FE.
Samsung
The Wi-Fi variant of the Tab S7 FE will run on Qualcomm's SM7325 chipset while the 5G device will be powered by Qualcomm's 750G processor.
As with the FE versions of its Galaxy S phones, the Tab S7 FE seems to be a compromise of an existing Samsung device by offering several slightly scaled-down versions of features while costing a bit less. With these new tablets, the reference seems to be last year's Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, which offered a more robust 12.4-inch, 120Hz Super AMOLED display and ran on Qualcomm's 865 Plus chipset.
Read more:Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 appear in leak
That tablet, however, is a little pricier, with a starting price of $850 for the Wi-Fi model or $1,050 for a 5G version. The Wi-Fi edition of the new Tab S7 FE will be available for preorder Thursday for $530, with availability "beginning in September."
The Tab S7 FE 5G will run $669 and be available for orders starting on Thursday at Samsung.com, AT&T and Verizon. Samsung says that the 5G tablet will also be heading to T-Mobile, US Cellular and "other retailers," with additional details in the "coming days."
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Samsung's ready to update its foldable devices. The company on Tuesday said it will host a virtual Unpacked event on Aug. 11, where it's expected to show off less expensive foldables that aim to move the devices beyond niche products.
The company sent invites to reporters, saying its virtual keynote will take place at 7 a.m. PT on Aug. 11. While parts of the world are reopening in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, tech companies aren't yet holding product launches in person. The invite touted: "Get ready to unfold."
Samsung's next Unpacked event will be Aug. 11.
Samsung
While Samsung hasn't yet detailed what it will announce at Unpacked, it has already opened up its Reserve Now system for Galaxy fans to claim a device in advance. Customers who reserve early are eligible for perks such as 12 months free of Samsung Care Plus, up to an extra $100 trade-in credit and a special pre-order offer that Samsung hasn't yet detailed.
The event on Aug. 11 is Samsung's third Unpacked of the year, and it's expected to continue a trend set by previous launches -- making devices more affordable for consumers. In January, the company unveiled its flagship Galaxy S21 smartphone, which it sold for $200 less than its predecessor. Then in March, it highlighted its inexpensive Galaxy A line of smartphones.
TM Roh, the company's head of mobile, said in a December blog post that Samsung planned to expand its foldable lineup and make the devices "more accessible," which likely means more affordable.
"The Z Fold 2 was praised as a smartphone that reimagines what's possible with mobile technology, and I'm excited to say, it's just a hint of what's to come as we continue to explore, evolve and expand this category-changing space," Roh wrote at the time.
Samsung's bigger push with making devices more affordable reflects the reality we're all living in. Phone designs aren't changing much from year to year, and consumers are holding onto devices for longer, about three years in the US versus two in the past. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has hurt millions of people financially. While high-end specs and cutting-edge features are nice for attention and buzz, people still care about what they're spending on phones -- especially right now.
Samsung typically uses its August Unpacked event to show off its newest Galaxy Note devices. The Note line, which kicked off the craze for big-screen phones, used to showcase Samsung's latest and greatest technology. But that title now goes to the company's foldables lineup. The devices, which first hit the market in 2019 with the $1,980 Galaxy Fold, incorporate bendable displays that let them expand into tablets or fold smaller to protect the inner screen. While Samsung likely won't introduce a new Note this year, the company has said the line isn't dead.
Samsung followed up the Fold with its Z Flip in February 2020. That device, which retailed for $1,380, was a clamshell design that folded outward -- a sort of high-tech flip phone. Samsung updated it with 5G connectivity and boosted the price to $1,450 in July of that year. Samsung's latest device, the Z Fold 2, fixed the original Fold's problems and packed in bigger screens and 5G connectivity. Priced at $2,000, it became the company's most expensive phone.
Samsung's first Galaxy Fold, which folded outward from a phone into a tablet, wowed most people who tested early versions of the device. But foldables have been too expensive to attract mainstream buyers, and so far, they've remained niche products.
This year, Samsung is expected to introduce a new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and an updated Z Flip 3. The former device is expected to feature a front-facing camera embedded beneath the screen, refined rear-facing cameras and support for a special version of the S Pen, which has gradually moved beyond the Note to work with other devices. The Z Flip 3 could have a new two-tone color scheme and a larger exterior screen for when the phone is folded shut.
Along with foldables, Samsung's Unpacked is expected to include a new Galaxy S21 FE 5G phone, adding a second device to the less expensive FE lineup. The Galaxy S20 FE, which hit the market in September for $300 less than the S20, proved to be popular with buyers. A Samsung executive told CNET in March that the company planned to introduce future versions of the device.
Samsung also likely will unveil Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic smartwatches and Galaxy Buds 2 wireless earbuds.
The race to build AR glasses is heating up, and Samsung is surprisingly quiet
The race to build AR glasses is heating up, and Samsung is surprisingly quiet
It's only January, but 2022 is already shaping up to be a big year for augmented and virtual reality. It was one of the most prevalent themes at CES, which featured AR and VR announcements from Sony, Microsoft and Qualcomm (among others). Apple is also rumored to finally make its anticipated move into the smart headset space this or next year.
Yet, one company has been unusually quiet on the AR and VR front in recent years: Samsung.
The South Korean tech giant made a name for itself early on primarily through its line of Gear VR smartphone-based headsets, which launched in 2014. But companies like Meta, Microsoft and Snap have made bigger strides in the past couple of years.
Samsung has a reputation for experimenting with new technologies early and often, typically before other major competitors like Apple. Its decision to enter the Android smartphone market early -- more than a decade ago -- also helped it become the world's largest mobile device maker in terms of market share. That makes Samsung's relative absence from the smart glasses discourse all the more puzzling.
Smart glasses and VR are moving forward... without Samsung
Although it will likely be a long time before smart glasses become useful enough to earn a place in our everyday lives, the industry seems eager to get there. This year kicked off with a slew of announcements at CES, which included a partnership between Microsoft and Qualcomm to make custom chips for AR glasses and a glasses concept from TCL that look like an evolved version of Google Glass. Sony also teased the second-generation PlayStation VR, although it didn't reveal a price or launch date.
We also saw some pretty significant developments in the AR and VR space throughout 2021, perhaps the biggest of which was Facebook's rebranding as Meta. The change reflects its larger goal to expand beyond social networking and focus on building the "metaverse," a blanket term for digital communities which also encompasses AR and VR.
Meta is also currently leading the VR market thanks to its popular Oculus VR line. The company accounts for almost 75% of the market for AR and VR headsets, according to the International Data Corporation.
Snapchat parent Snap also debuted in 2021 its first wireless AR spectacles, which can display 3D effects over real surroundings and track hand movements. These glasses aren't available for the general public without an application and are primarily aimed at developers. But Snap has already released three generations of its photo-taking Snapchat Spectacles, a signal that it's serious about wearable tech.
Microsoft, meanwhile, was one of the early players in the AR and VR market with its first HoloLens AR headset back in 2015. It launched the second-generation model in 2019 and added 5G support in 2020.
Apple hasn't released VR or AR eyewear yet, but rumors that it could launch a headset this year are already making waves. The iPhone maker is expected to announce an AR and VR-capable headset mostly geared towards developers in 2022, which could lay the groundwork for a more ambitious pair of consumer-friendly AR glasses in the future, according to Bloomberg. But Apple may delay the headset's debut by several months because of development issues, possibly pushing it to 2023, according to a more recent Bloomberg report.
While we don't know when or if we'll ever see an Apple AR headset, CEO Tim Cook has been vocal about his enthusiasm for augmented reality. He told journalist Kara Swisher in April 2021 that he's seeing AR "take off" when used with phones and that the technology is critical to the company's future. The company has long offered tools for developers to build better AR apps for the iPhone in its ARKit platform, but it recently started building depth-sensing Lidar sensors into certain iPhone and iPad Pro models, too.
Snapchat's AR Spectacles are compact, but they're entirely developer-focused and have a very short battery life.
Scott Stein/CNET
Samsung, meanwhile, hasn't released a new version of its Gear VR headset since 2017. But that doesn't mean it's been completely quiet; the company is seemingly focusing on different executions of AR. At CES 2022, for example, one Samsung concept showed how AR could be incorporated into a car's windshield to display the weather, tire pressure levels, maps and other information. The company also worked with the 3D avatar and social app Zepeto to create a virtual home filled with its products during CES, an effort to prove it's paying attention to the metaverse hype.
Meanwhile, an older Samsung concept from CES 2020 involved pairing AR glasses with an exoskeleton to provide virtual workout experiences. And back in 2017, it showcased a computer glasses concept called Monitorless at Mobile World Congress.
Still, it's been a while since Samsung has made announcements around concrete AR or VR products, while companies like Meta and Snap are moving full steam ahead. But that doesn't mean Samsung isn't thinking about it. Two leaked videos from 2021 suggested Samsung is working on a pair of AR glasses that could project a giant screen before your eyes or place 3D virtual objects in your surroundings.
Samsung said its research team "continues to develop related core technologies for smart devices including AR glasses, next-generation wearables and more" when CNET asked about its plans for AR and VR products. The company also pointed to the website for Samsung's research division, which mentions AR glasses specifically and discusses the technology's potential benefits and industrywide challenges.
"AR glasses are expected by many experts as a next-generation IT device because they have the advantages of large-screen immersiveness compared to smartphones, unfettered freedom of not having to hold it, immediacy of not having to take it out of one's pocket, and a truly private display," Samsung Research's website reads.
Being early has worked to Samsung's advantage
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has nearly all the refinements you could ask for but still feel like it's missing a purpose.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Samsung isn't usually one to sit on the sidelines when it comes to emerging technologies. It launched its first modern smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, back in 2013 when the industry was still new and wearables were scarce. Apple didn't launch the first-generation Apple Watch until 2015, by comparison.
The story is similar for other technologies like curved screens and foldable smartphones. Samsung announced the Galaxy Round in 2013, which had dramatic curves along its sides, long before it integrated rounded edges into its more recent Galaxy phones.
Samsung was also among the first major companies to release a smartphone with a foldable screen in 2019 with the Galaxy Z Fold, a phone that's already on its third generation. Years before we had the Galaxy Z Fold or Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung also showcased its flexible display technology prototypes during events. It's still cranking out new concepts, as we saw at CES 2022.
The rest of the industry hasn't quite caught up with Samsung when it comes to foldable phones. Motorola, for example, has launched two versions of its foldable Razr, the last of which debuted in 2020, while Samsung has already released several foldables. Huawei, another early front-runner in the foldable space, only sells its flexible Mate X2 phone in China. Samsung, meanwhile, said it sold four times as many foldable phones in 2021 as it did in 2020.
Being early is a strategy that's paid off for Samsung in the broader smartphone space beyond foldables and in the smartwatch market. Samsung is the global leader in smartphone shipments, according to Counterpoint Research, and the second-largest player in the wearable device market, says the International Data Corporation.
Showing up early has also given Samsung the flexibility to experiment, see what customers respond to and incorporate that feedback into future products. Take the Galaxy Round, Samsung's curved screen phone from 2013, as an example. That phone never caught on, but maybe it wasn't supposed to.
Instead, the Galaxy Round helped pave the way for Samsung's later phone designs with more subtle curves, like the Galaxy S10 series. Samsung's early bet on larger-screened smartphones with the original Galaxy Note in 2011 not only influenced its own direction, but also helped usher in an industry-wide shift to bigger phones. And who knows if we would have the Galaxy Watch 4 without the original Galaxy Gear, which was deemed clunky and expensive nearly 10 years ago.
Smart glasses still face many challenges
Amazon is also trying its hand at smart glasses with the Echo Frames, which provide hands-free Alexa access.
James Martin/CNET
That we haven't heard much from Samsung on the smart glasses front makes me wonder if it'll skip that experimental phase and keep its earlier iterations behind closed doors. Of course, that's if Samsung is working on smart glasses at all, which is a big assumption.
And more broadly, smart glasses face challenges that must be solved before they can become as mainstream as smartphones or smartwatches. Those include improving battery life, phone compatibility and working easily with eyeglass prescriptions.
Does Samsung want to risk entering the market early, or wait out what could be a years-long process? Or could they launch simpler glasses in the meantime, similar to audio glasses from Amazon and Bose? Samsung is clearly thinking about some of these questions, as it says on its research website. What we don't know is when those efforts will materialize into a real product, if at all.
Who knows how long Samsung can afford to wait when companies like Meta and Microsoft are pushing forward. Those tech giants missed out on the smartphone boom for the most part and are seemingly determined to prevent the smart glasses market from becoming yet another two-horse race between Apple and Samsung. But the AR glasses landscape is still conspicuously missing some of the biggest players in the consumer tech space -- Samsung being one of them -- and that absence looms large.
