Samsung is releasing a Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition that will initially debut in South Korea on October 25 at a price of roughly $2,000. This thinner, lighter new Z Fold sports larger displays and a superior 200MP camera system, an AI-friendly 16GB of RAM and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, though by the time it debuts in the U.S. it may have the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite, which Qualcomm says will start showing up in products by the end of this year. Samsung is positioning the exclusive limited run as “a thank-you” to local customers. There are rumors of a possible China release forthcoming. Continue reading Samsung’s New Galaxy Z Fold Releasing Only in South Korea

Wacom is releasing the Wacom Movink, an OLED pen display developed around the needs of creative professionals, digital artists and design students. In addition to being the industry’s first OLED pen display, Wacom says the Movink is its “thinnest and lightest” pen display ever. The Movink combines the pen with a 13.3 inch full HD OLED Samsung drawing tablet display for $750, available from the Wacom online store. The company says the Wacom Movink has the fastest response time among Wacom pens, “with increased pen detection height and no visible parallax.” Continue reading Wacom Movink Introed as Industry’s First OLED Drawing Tablet

HP is targeting the prosumer market with an offshoot of its Elite Dragonfly business line, introducing the Dragonfly Pro Windows laptop and Dragonfly Pro Chromebook at CES 2023. Targeting freelancers, creators and hybrid workers, the aim is to simplify purchasing choices by offering basic configurations and limited customization. ”HP is taking the headache out of hybrid by delivering powerful and best-in-class ecosystem experiences,” said Alex Cho, president, personal systems, HP Inc. By 2027 freelancers will account for more than 50 percent of the total U.S. workforce, HP projects. Continue reading CES: HP Designs Dragonfly Pro Laptops for Hybrid Workforce

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

At MWC Barcelona (formerly Mobile World Congress), Samsung Electronics and Huawei Technologies debuted foldable smartphones, betting that consumers will upgrade after five straight quarters of diminished sales. Mobile carriers, however, are dubious, since the price tag for these new phones — $1,980 for Samsung’s Galaxy Fold and an estimated $2,600+ for Huawei’s Mate X — is high and folding-screen technology is unproven. Some experts urge buyers to wait for superior glass-based screens, currently not ready for use in foldable phones. Continue reading Huawei, Samsung Hope Consumers Adopt Foldable Phones

LG Electronics will introduce the world’s lightest 17-inch laptop during CES in January. The new LG gram 17 weighs a mere 1,340 grams (as compared to the 2,000+ grams of comparable laptops), while offering a 17-inch WQXGA 16:10 display featuring 2560 x 1600 resolution, making it ideal for streaming video, playing games and editing multiple documents simultaneously. The company will also unveil the 14-inch LG gram 2-in-1 convertible with digital pen support that features a 360-degree hinge, enabling it to function as a laptop or a tablet. Both devices have been named 2019 CES Innovation Award winners. Continue reading LG to Unveil the Market’s Lightest 17-Inch Laptop PC at CES

The once-popular Finnish smartphone manufacturer Nokia, now under the aegis of HMD Global, is introducing a new mobile device. With its Android-based Nokia 8, the company hopes to compete with the iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S8. HMD Global, led by former Nokia employees and funded by private equity, bought Nokia’s phone tech from Microsoft, which purchased it in 2013. The flagship phone, encased in polished aluminum, is 7.9-mm thick and features a high-resolution 5.3-inch screen, 4K video recording, Carl Zeiss optics and spatial audio emanating from its 360-degree camera. Continue reading Nokia Phone Features Zeiss Optics, 360 Video, Spatial Audio

During a product unveiling in New York last week, Microsoft introduced new devices including a Surface Book laptop, the company’s latest Surface Pro tablet, big-screen Lumia smartphones that plug into displays for PC capabilities, and a $249 wearable fitness band. The press event also showcased Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality headset. While a focus on CE devices represents a shift for the software giant, hardware serves an integral role in a new corporate strategy that revolves around the Windows 10 operating system, designed to run on a variety of different devices. Continue reading Microsoft Unveils New Devices with Emphasis on Windows 10

Glass manufacturer Corning is developing a new material with the durability of Gorilla Glass and the scratch-resistance of sapphire. The company’s Gorilla Glass is featured on Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones. Last year however, Apple almost severed ties with Corning because it wanted to start using material that did not scratch as easily. When Apple’s plan fell through, Corning launched Project Phire with the goal of developing an extremely sturdy and scratch-resistant glass for CE devices. Continue reading Corning Designs Scratch-Resistant Gorilla Glass-Like Material

Desay, a Chinese manufacturer that supplies companies like Ford and Apple, has released an “unbreakable” smartphone. The display is made with sapphire, the second hardest mineral after diamond. The 5-inch Magical Mirror X5 costs $160, which reportedly does not cover the production costs of the phone. Apple had previously planned to use sapphire screens in the iPhone 6, but the company they were working with failed to produce enough of the mineral. Continue reading Chinese Company Offers Unbreakable Sapphire-Screen Phone

Apple has invested $700 million in producing synthetic sapphire, one of the hardest minerals on Earth, for the newest iPhone’s display screens. Sapphire is expensive to produce, but the material does not crack or scratch as easily as the glass currently used in iPhones. Apple and GT Advanced Technologies have opened a facility in Arizona to produce the new material. The facility’s ability to meet the demand will determine whether Apple rolls out an iPhone with a sapphire screen. Continue reading New iPhone May Feature Scratch-Resistant Sapphire Screen

Samsung plans to release two new PC products in the upcoming weeks: The company’s ATIV Book 9 Plus is a $1,399, 13.3-inch ultrabook featuring a 3,200 x 1,800 Gorilla Glass qHD+ display, which the company claims offers the “highest resolution in the world.” In addition, Samsung’s ATIV Tab 3 measures a mere 0.32-inches thick and weighs only 1.28 pounds. The $700 tablet features a 10.1-inch, 1,366 x 768 resolution display and boasts up to seven hours of battery life. Continue reading Samsung Readies ATIV Ultrabook and Tablet for U.S. Launch

Talk of a smartwatch from Apple is heating up as the electronics giant is reportedly experimenting with wristwatch-like devices designed with curved glass, according to people familiar with the efforts. The watch would operate on Apple’s iOS platform and would be based in the company’s understanding of how this type of glass can curve around the human body. Apple declined to comment on such plans. Continue reading Update: More Speculation Emerges About an Apple Smartwatch

What began with the revolutionary touch screen on mobile phones now shows signs that almost anything can become an effective interface. With an expanded range of input, imaginative teams will undoubtedly create new experiences. Two companies — Atmel and Canopy — are exploring the potential range of touch technologies with two compelling products on display this week in Las Vegas. Continue reading CES 2013: Atmel and Canopy Explore Next Wave of Touch Tech