China’s Huawei has unveiled a trifold smartphone with an OLED panel that has two vertical folds, opening to a 10.2-inch, 16:11 display. The Mate XT — which comes in red and black and offers three storage options ranging in price from $2,809 to $3,371 — is due to arrive in Chinese stores September 20, the same day that Apple’s new iPhone 16 lineup hits retail shelves there. Huawei and Apple are among the top brands currently battling for market share in what is the world’s largest cellphone market. With Huawei under U.S. sanctions, it is unlikely the trifold phone will be released here. Continue reading Huawei Unveils Mate XT Phone with 3 Panels, 10-inch Screen

Apple has reportedly sold about 200,000 Vision Pro units since its U.S. release February 2, the day before the tech giant’s quarterly earnings showed net sales increased by 2 percent to $119.58 billion for the three months that ended December 31. It was the company’s first quarterly revenue increase in a year, driving $33.92 billion in profit for the period, a 13 percent uptick year-over-year. Apple has yet to release official numbers for the Vision Pro, which it describes as “a revolutionary spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world.” Based on early estimates, sales of the $3,500 device are likely to be too small to significantly impact the next quarter. Continue reading Apple’s Vision Pro Ignites Worldwide Interest as Sales Inch Up

New devices to make life easier and more stylish in the home and on the go debuted at yesterday’s Made by Google event. The AI-powered Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones took center stage, packed with a Tensor G3 chipset. Event co-stars included the Pixel Watch 2, also with a processor upgrade — in this case, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5. Google’s Pixel Buds Pro got a makeover with two new colors: light blue and porcelain. The Pixel Fold and talk of the upcoming experimental launch of Google Home AI and Google Assistant with Bard were other highlights. Continue reading Google Unveils Creative AI Features for Its Pixel 8 Phone Line

Google’s new Pixel Fold does double duty as a 5.8-inch smartphone that transforms into a small 7.6-inch tablet, made possible by the device’s foldable design. The debut of the $1,800 device sees Google challenging market leader Samsung and its Galaxy Z Fold4 in the foldable phone space. Preorders began this week for a June shipping date. Featuring two 120Hz refresh rate OLED panels — a 1080 x 2092 pixel display on the outside and a 2208 x 1840 pixel inner display — the unit is equally high-end on the inside, using the Tensor 2 processor that powers the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Continue reading Pixel Fold: Google Officially Unveils Its Foldable Smartphone

Samsung live-streamed its annual Unpacked event from South Korea, revealing more than five new devices including the Galaxy Z Fold 2, two Galaxy Note20 5G models, the Galaxy Buds Live, the Galaxy Tab S7 tablet, Galaxy Watch3 and more. The company is finding it difficult to sell its high-end devices as are other phone manufacturers during the pandemic and economic downturn. Regarding the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 2, Samsung focused on its fixes for flaws in the original folding phone. Continue reading Samsung Introduces Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Note20 & More

According to sources, Google may unveil the test version of a 5G smartphone as early as October 15, when it is also expected to also reveal two new 4G Pixel smartphones with OLED screens and possibly a smart watch and notebook. If Google does indeed introduce the 5G phone, it would get a significant jump on Apple, whose plans are to unveil a 5G phone in 2020. Google is making a bigger play in branded hardware to have a greater hold over consumers using its search engine and other software products. Continue reading Google Set to Announce 5G Phone Next Week, Say Sources

In early 2020, Samsung Electronics plans to introduce its second foldable device, this one featuring a 6.7-inch inner display that folds like a clamshell into a compact square. The company aims to make its second try at a bendable smartphone both thinner and more affordable than this year’s Galaxy Fold. Samsung has collaborated with U.S. designer Thom Browne on the new phone, attempting to make it a must-have fashionable luxury device. The phone will also have a hole-punch selfie camera at the top of the inner display. Continue reading Samsung Plans to Intro Squarer Version of Its Galaxy Fold

Huawei Technologies has inked 40 commercial contracts for 5G technology, leading its Q1 revenue to leap 39 percent to 179.7 billion yuan ($26.8 billion). The Chinese company also stated that it has shipped about 70,000 5G base stations, making it a leading supplier of 5G gear. Huawei’s net-profit margin rose a bit to 8 percent. The company also introduced what it calls the world’s first 5G-communication hardware for the auto industry. Its MH5000 module is built on its newly launched Balong 5000 5G chip. Continue reading Huawei Inks 40 Contracts to Build and Operate 5G Networks

Samsung introduced four new Galaxy phones this week, one of which will work on 5G networks and three of which will have somewhat larger screens and more sophisticated camera systems. The company is also teasing a fifth device that is foldable. With regard to larger sizes, Samsung is offering the S10 and S10 Plus, with 6.1-inch and 6.4-inch displays respectively, compared to the S9 and S9 Plus’ screen sizes of 5.8 inches and 6.2 inches. Larger screen size was achieved without enlarging the devices’ body sizes. Continue reading Samsung Reveals New Galaxy Phones, Including a Foldable

Samsung Electronics plans to debut a smartphone, codenamed “Winner,” with a foldable screen early next year, according to sources. The screen measures about 7 inches diagonally and can be folded in half, similar to a wallet. In the folded position, the exterior has cameras on one side and a small display bar on the other. Unfolded, the phone will be almost entirely screen. Samsung’s phone could help spark a comeback in the smartphone market, where sales have dipped 0.3 percent in 2017, the first in the industry’s history, notes IDC. Continue reading Samsung Reportedly Plans to Debut Foldable Phone in 2019

Apple is tweaking its iPhone design and features, to help differentiate it in an increasingly competitive market. According to sources, the company is currently working on a technology that would allow users to perform some tasks by moving a finger close to the screen but not actually touching it. Currently, Apple’s 3D Touch responds differently depending on finger pressure. The company is also working on a display that will curve inward, gradually, from top to bottom. All iPhones currently sport a flat display. Continue reading Apple R&Ds Curved OLED Screen, Touchless Gesture Feature

Samsung is considering the 2017 launch of two new smartphones with bendable screens, giving the company a leg up on competitors such as Apple, say people familiar with the plans. One phone would reportedly fold in half similar to a cosmetic compact, while the other would feature a 5-inch screen with the ability to unfurl into an 8-inch display. “Codenamed ‘Project Valley,’ Samsung could unveil one or both of the devices as soon as February, when Mobile World Congress takes place in Barcelona,” reports Bloomberg. “That timing would give Samsung a head-start on Apple’s iPhone using OLED screens that may be released later in 2017.” Continue reading Samsung May Intro New Phones with Bendable OLED Screens