WhatsApp is finally addressing one of the biggest problems with its chat histories: the inability to carry them over when you switch platforms. The Facebook brand has used Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event to introduce the option of importing your WhatsApp chat history between Android and iOS. It'll initially reach Android phones, starting with Samsung phones running Android 10 or newer (including the new foldables), but it'll eventually be available on both operating systems.
The transfer includes photos and voice memos, and should reach users in the "coming weeks."
The implementation was difficult, according to WhatsApp. As the messages are end-to-end encrypted and stored on-device, migrating them demands "additional work" from WhatsApp, OS developers and phone makers. It took a collaborative effort to enable transfers like these, in other words.
It's not surprising that WhatsApp would announce the news at Unpacked. Samsung is clearly hoping this will rope in iPhone users who were hesitant to lose their WhatsApp histories when switching to a Galaxy phone. However, this will also be useful for people switching to iPhones, or anyone worried about losing an important conversation thread when they hop from one platform to the other.
Unlike years past, this August did not bring a new wave of Samsung Note devices. Instead, the company just announced a couple of new foldable smartphones along with a revamped smartwatch and new wireless earbuds. Samsung showed off the Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G during a virtual event today, reiterating how serious the company is about complementing its standard, slab smartphones with these flexible devices. But as to be expected, these unique smartphones come with high prices — the Z Flip 3 starts at $999 while the Z Fold 3 will set you back $1,799. If you're willing to pay the price to have a not-so-typical smartphone, here's how you can pre-order all of Samsung's latest devices, including the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G
Samsung
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G starts at $1,799 and is available to pre-order today from Samsung's website. It comes in three colors: black, green and silver. If you pre-order between August 11 and August 26, you can get a $200 Samsung credit that you can use towards another purchase.
Samsung improved upon the foundations of the Z Fold 2 with this new handset while also lowering the starting price by $200. The Z Fold 3 has a 7.6-inch, 2208 x 1768 Infinity Flex AMOLED display plus a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED cover screen — both of which have 120Hz adaptive refresh rates. The main screen uses new eco technology that makes it 29 percent bright than its predecessor while consuming less energy. We thought the Z Fold 2 already had a decent battery life, and this new display technology could help the Z Fold 3 last even longer.
Samsung also brought its S Pen technology to its foldables this year, allowing you to take notes, scribble and the like on the Z Fold 3. The company has two new styli — the S Pen Fold and the S Pen Pro — and both have a retractable tip with "force limit technology" that should protect the Z Fold 3's main screen even while you're using it.
As far as specs go, the Z Fold 3 5G runs Android 11 on an octa-core processor, 12GB of RAM and either 256GB of 512GB of storage. It has a 4,400mAh battery and supports wireless charging. The handset has 10-megapixel selfie camera, a 4MP under-display camera plus a triple rear camera array that includes a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 12MP wide angle lens and a 12MP telephoto shooter.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G
Samsung
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G starts at $999 and is available to pre-order today from Samsung's website. It comes in seven colors — cream, green, lavender, black, gray, pink and white, with the latter three colors being exclusive to Samsung.com. If you pre-order between August 11 and August 26, you can get a $150 Samsung credit that you can use towards another purchase.
Last year's Z Flip was an ambitious departure from the slabs we're used to, but that also meant it came with a lot of uncertainty. While the Z Flip 3 probably won't be completely free of uncertainty when it comes to staying power, Samsung did try to rectify some of the problems with the previous model. The cover screen on the Z Flip 3 is four times larger than that of its predecessor, which means it'll show more information and be more useful overall. Samsung also created new widgets for the cover screen that provide glanceable information about your schedule, the weather and more.
The main screen is a 6.7-inch, 2640 x 1080 Infinity Flex AMOLED panel with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Samsung hasn't provided additional information about the screen's durability, but we hope it's more resistant to scratches than the previous Z Flip's screen was. Flex Mode remains a feature for the screen as well, and it appears you'll be able to do more things with Flex Mode on the Z Flip 3 like watching a video on the top half of the display while being able to access controls for brightness and volume on the bottom half.
On the specs side, the Z Flip 3 5G runs Android 11 on an octa-core processor, 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. It has a 3,300mAh battery and supports wireless charging. The handset also has a 10MP selfie camera along with a dual-lens setup on the rear that includes a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens and a 12MP wide angle camera.
Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic
Samsung
Both the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Watch 4 Classic are available for pre-order today from Samsung's website and will be available widely on August 27. The Galaxy Watch 4 starts at $249 while the Watch 4 Classic starts at $349. If you pre-order between August 11 and August 26, you can get a $50 Samsung credit that you can use towards another purchase.
The latest Galaxy Watches are the first devices to come out since Samsung and Google teamed up to revamp WearOS. The watches run on Google's operating system but use the new "One UI Watch" interface. The new system does things like automatically install the watch version of an app when the mobile app is installed on your smartphone, and automatically sync phone and watch settings like do not disturb.
The Watch 4 and the Watch 4 Classic also have Samsung's new "BioActive sensor," which combines optical heart rate, ECG and bioelectrical impedance analysis in one sensor. That means the watches monitor heart rate — including irregular heart rate — blood oxygen levels, body composition and even blood pressure (although the latter is not available in the US). The BioActive sensor accompanies a GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer and geomagnetic and light sensors inside the watches. A bevy of additional fitness features are available on each watch as well, including guided workouts, sleep tracking and more.
The differences between the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Watch 4 Classic are mostly in design. The Watch 4 has a more minimalist look and comes in fun colors like pink gold, green and silver. The Watch 4 Classic has a more traditional design and comes in black and silver. Both models have the same full-color, Super AMOLED, always-on touchscreens, but their cases sizes are a bit different. The Galaxy Watch 4's aluminum case comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes, while the Watch 4 Classic's stainless steel case (which features a rotating bezel) comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes.
Under the screen, you'll find a 5nm Exynos processor in both the Watch 4 and the Watch 4 Classic, along with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. LTE is available on both wearables, but WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC are standard features.
Galaxy Buds 2
Samsung
The Galaxy Buds 2 are available for pre-order today on Samsung's website for $150 and they come in graphite, white, olive and lavender colors. These are the follow-ups to the Galaxy Buds+, which came out in 2020. The Buds 2 are Samsung's smallest and lightest yet and they support active noise-cancellation with three adjustable ambient sound levels. Samsung also added new machine learning technology that filters out noises when you're taking calls with the buds so your voice will come through more clearly.
Of all the devices Samsung launched at its Unpacked event today, I find the Z Flip 3 the most interesting. It’s a smartphone that folds in on itself to become half its size and features a new external display that’s four times larger than the one on its predecessor. Though it lacks the S Pen support offered on the Z Fold 3, the Flip 3’s bendable screen still delivers a 120Hz refresh rate that makes scrolling and animation rendering smoother. It’s also water resistant and can process contactless payments when it’s shut, making it more useful in its smaller mode. Just as important, it now costs $1,000, down from $1,300, making it not affordable, exactly, but on par with other flagship smartphones. At a brief hands-on event in New York, I was able to check out the Flip 3’s upgrades and am cautiously hopeful that this is the first foldable I’m ready to buy.
The Flip 3’s non-sequential name might be slightly baffling (the last two models were the Z Flip and Z Flip 5G), but for the most part, all of its upgrades feel self-explanatory. The most obvious is the larger external screen — or, as Samsung calls it, the Cover Display. Instead of the 1.1-inch sliver from the original Flip, the new Cover Display measures 1.9 inches diagonally, giving users four times the screen real estate. This means you can see more of your notifications or widgets at once (up to four lines, according to Samsung). You can also swipe through up to six widgets on this screen, and the options available include things like Samsung Pay, Weather, Alarms, volume control, media playback and step count.
As before, you can tap and swipe to interact with this screen, and I scrolled vertically on the Flip 3’s Cover Display to toggle through clock, volume control and Samsung Pay widgets. It was nice being able to drag the slider on this screen to make the phone louder, but I could also use physical keys on the side. Other widgets are probably more useful, and Samsung will need to encourage developers to create them for their apps. There weren’t any notifications on my demo unit, though, so I didn’t get to see how that would look. Side-swiping on this panel also didn’t do anything, though this likely depends on what the widgets themselves are designed to support.
The other benefit of a larger Cover Display is when you’re using it to frame a selfie with the Flip 3 closed. Of all the nostalgic value that using a flip phone brings, snapping a selfie with a tiny outside screen and camera is the one thing that immediately brings me back to the 2000s. (I was one of many who used a pink Motorola Razr V3 circa 2003-4.)
Mat Smith / Engadget
Of course, I’m not suggesting you rely on the Flip 3’s relatively cramped Cover Display and 10-megapixel selfie camera as your primary means of shooting portraits. But in a pinch, the new larger window is more useful than its predecessor’s in gauging what you’re snapping. I used it to capture a couple of selfies at my demo session using the volume buttons on the phone’s edge as triggers. Though I couldn’t see all of the scene in the viewfinder, it was enough to get my colleague and I centered in the frame.
Open up the Flip 3, set it up in a half-folded mode, and you’ll see the Camera app expand to take up the whole 6.7-inch screen. Samsung calls this view Flex Mode, and compatible apps automatically rearrange themselves so that their layouts align with the top and bottom halves of the display. In the Gallery app, for example, the bottom section becomes sort of a navigation pad where you can swipe sideways to scroll through your pictures in a carousel. In the Camera app, the viewfinder takes up the top half while controls sit on the bottom.
I didn’t have time at our briefing to try out every app, but so far I’ve noticed that Camera and Gallery supports Flex Mode while Photos, Maps and Chrome do not. The ones that do also switch between Flex Mode and full-screen very quickly, which is a promising sign of the Flip 3’s processor’s performance. The device will have the same chipset as the Fold 3, which in the US is the Snapdragon 888, and it’ll come with 8GB of RAM along with 128GB or 256GB of storage.
Samsung said it’s working with developers to optimize more apps for Flex Mode and that it has already enabled at least 50 percent of the most popular options. Thankfully, it’s not like you can’t use your favorite app if it’s not optimized for Flex Mode; it just won’t be laid out as nicely.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
In addition to the larger cover display, the Flip 3’s upgrades over its predecessors include support for adaptive 120Hz refresh rate on its internal screen. This made quickly scrolling through the list of articles on Engadget’s homepage look smooth, and will likely make the system feel faster overall. Though the 22:9 aspect ratio is taller than most phones today, I didn’t find it too jarring. Meanwhile, images looked colorful and crisp on the Full HD+ display.
One more improvement that Samsung made on the Flip 3 is its water resistance rating of IPX8. There weren’t any setups at the demo event for me to test this out, so we’ll have to take Samsung at its word for now.
Like the Z Fold 3, the new Flip features some overall durability improvements. Samsung used a new “Armor Aluminum” in its metal frame and hinge that makes the phone 10 percent stronger, while the company said the Gorilla Glass covering the device is 50 percent more durable than previous models. The main screen also uses a new protective film that’s said to be stronger and more scratch resistant. These durability claims aren’t something I can vouch for yet as I didn’t try dropping or scratching our demo units, but I can say that the Flip 3’s hinge moved smoothly and stayed open at various angles. I was also able to close the phone with one hand, albeit without the same satisfying thunk that Razrs made.
Despite all its durability upgrades, the Flip 3 is about just as light and thin as the Flip 5G, though the new phone is slightly smaller. Samsung is offering the Flip 3 in seven colors this time around, and while I still love the purple version, the green option is also gorgeous. Oh, and don’t forget the Thom Browne edition that will also be available in a Team USA color scheme in a nod to the Olympics.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Everything else about the Flip 3 is pretty much the same as before. You’ll still get a 3,300mAh battery, a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 10-megapixel one for selfies, which produced nice enough samples during my hands-on. But battery life and image quality are among the many things we’ll need proper review units to test out in the real world.
Though I’m excited that Samsung has managed to drop the Z Flip 3’s price down to $1,000 while adding water resistance, improving the overall build and Cover Display, I’d like to see how the software updates add to its experience as a daily driver. But from my brief preview, the Z Flip 3 might be the first foldable device I’m ready to invest in and could finally make the category ready for the mainstream.
Follow all of the news from Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event right here!
Samsung's two most recent sets of true wireless earbuds included an "open-type" design that elicited a bevy of bean jokes and a full-featured noise-cancelling option. The company's more affordable Galaxy Buds+ debuted in early 2020 and Samsung is introducing the follow-up to that model today with the Galaxy Buds 2. The new entry-level option in the Galaxy Buds lineup remains $150, but the company added active noise cancellation (ANC) to a design that's similar to pricier Galaxy Buds Pro.
Samsung ditched the triangular design from the Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds+ in favor of a more ergonomic egg-shaped earbud. The Galaxy Buds 2 are also 15 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter than the Galaxy Buds+, and those were already quite small. Of course, the smaller size helps keep things comfy and it means that there's less earbud to stick out from your head. However, like the Galaxy Buds Pro, the Galaxy Buds 2 are only IPX2 rated against water droplets. That means you should be okay if you get caught in the rain, but extra sweaty workouts and splashes could be a problem.
The company's curvy square charging case returns as well, though this time the case is white no matter which color earbuds you choose. Only the interior of the case and a small band around the seam matches the buds inside. Quick pairing is back for compatible devices, where all you need to do is open the case and follow the pop-ups on your phone to get started. If you need to switch to another phone, tablet or computer, an easy pairing mode is activated by touching and holding both earbuds for three seconds while they're in the case.
Samsung
Inside, Samsung says two-way drivers offer "crisp, clear high notes and a deep bass" when it comes to music. The company also included ANC for the first time on its most affordable earbuds, which it claims can reduce background noise by up to 98 percent. There's an adjustable ambient sound mode as well, giving you the option to select from three different levels of environmental noise. This configurable ambient audio feature has become a staple on the Galaxy Buds line as we've seen it on previous models.
Those changes are accessible inside the Galaxy Wearable app on Samsung and Android devices. There's also a Galaxy Buds app for Windows on PCs. Like before, this software allows you to see battery levels, choose an audio preset, adjust ambient sound and reconfigure the long press touch controls. Plus, a handy Find My Earbuds tool can help you locate a misplaced bud and a fit test will ensure you're getting the best seal for audio quality and ANC performance. If you also have a Galaxy Watch 4, a new Buds Controller feature allows you to toggle between ambient sound and active noise cancellation alongside battery level info and an option for disabling touch controls — all right on your wrist.
As always, Samsung is making big promises about call quality on the Galaxy Buds 2. The company says the combination of machine learning, a three-mic setup per earbud (two beamforming) and a voice pickup unit (VPU) "maximizes call clarity in all conditions." This is something we'll have to test the merits of ourselves as claims of pristine call quality can vary widely from the real-world results.
Samsung says the Galaxy Buds 2 will last up to five hours with ANC on and up to 7.5 hours with noise cancellation turned off. The case holds three additional charges and can power up wirelessly via Qi-certified accessories. The earbuds are also equipped with a quick-charge feature that will give you an hour of non-ANC play time in five minutes.
The Galaxy Buds 2 will be available August 27th for $149.99 in white, grey, green and light purple.
Follow all of the news from Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event right here!
We knew the Galaxy Watch 4 was coming, and that it would run the new Wear OS Samsung co-engineered with Google. We even saw previews of what it would look like. But that doesn't mean there's nothing left to learn about Samsung's latest smartwatches. The Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch Classic 4, which launched today, feature a new 3-in-1 sensor, sharper screens and can even perform body fat scans. At a demo event in New York, I was able to check them both out and see what Wear OS on a Galaxy watch looks like.
Before we get too far ahead though, it’s worth noting that Samsung’s getting rid of the “Active” branding from its existing lineup — the Watch 4 is the spiritual successor to the Watch Active 2 (there wasn’t an Active 3). Meanwhile, it’s adding the “Classic” moniker to the previous “regular” Watch line, which the Watch 4 Classic is now the latest member of. Yep, not confusing at all.
The new Wear OS on Samsung is basically Tizen
Setting aside the frustrating rebranding, Tizen fans have nothing to worry about with the new OS on the Watch 4s. There’s barely any difference. The main change I noticed is that instead of All Apps being one of the pages that you come across when swiping sideways through the watch, you can now access them by pulling up from the home screen. Otherwise, you can still swipe horizontally to scroll through widgets and cards like Weather, Exercise, Heart Rate and Stress, while quick settings are above the home screen.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
This similarity to Tizen is something Samsung and Google are aware of. A Google spokesperson told Engadget that Wear OS 3 lets device makers add customized user experiences on top of the platform, like picking specific apps and services to be the default options. Though the two companies collaborated to “bring together the best of Wear OS and Tizen into one unified platform,” it’s becoming evident that smartwatch makers will still bring distinct identities to their devices.
To distinguish between different versions of Wear OS, there will be unique branding as well. For example, the Galaxy Watch 4 series is running “Wear OS powered by Samsung.”
It’s still unclear what Wear OS 3 will look like on other devices, but a Google spokesperson added that “while we expect many watches to have this experience in the future, there will start to be new consumer experiences introduced to the ecosystem.” Confusing? Potentially. But for now, it sounds like, while Google and Samsung did collaborate on a unified wearable platform, Galaxy smartwatches will run what amounts to a renamed version of Tizen with better third-party app support.
There are updated Google Maps, Messages, Pay and YouTube Music experiences, along with new apps and Tiles from Calm, MyFitnessPal, Strava, Sleep Cycle, Spotify and more. The Play Store is also available on the Galaxy Watch 4 for wrist-based discovery and installation, while Samsung’s One UI interface makes it easier to keep your phone and watch themes and notifications in sync.
Minor cosmetic updates
On the Watch 4 Classic, you’ll find Samsung’s hallmark rotating the bezel for spinning through widgets. Like the Galaxy Watch 3, the mechanical wheel is lighter and less clunky than older models, while still getting into each notch with a satisfying click.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
The larger variants of both the Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic feature sharper 450 x 450 displays, while remaining basically the same size as before. The Classic now comes in 42mm and 46mm options versus 41mm and 45mm before, and the regular or Active models are still available in 40mm and 44mm. Also, Samsung is offering the Classic style in black, silver or green, and the standard edition in black, silver or pink.
In person, the black and silver Watch 4s looked like green and white, respectively, though that might have something to do with the warm lighting in our demo area. And though they have bigger faces than I like, the Watch 4 felt comfortable on my wrist — so much so that I forgot I was wearing one and almost walked out of our briefing with it on. Meanwhile, the Watch 4 Classic, which weighs 46.5 grams (or 52 grams in the 46mm size), felt heavier and more noticeable.
A new sensor and processor
Hardware improvements to the Watch 4 series don’t end at aesthetics. The biggest change this year is what Samsung is calling a new 3-in-1 BioActive sensor. The three here refers to optical heart rate, electrical heart rate and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). In addition to a smaller design that uses one chip to run the trio of sensors, this also enables a new feature: Body Composition measurement.
I’m super excited for this new service, since I like the additional insight that my body fat percentage brings to my understanding of my overall health. BMI is only one facet of your general fitness (and not a great one at that), and having a convenient way to get a body fat scan is something I’ve been looking for. I’ve been using Amazon’s camera-based tool in its Halo app to get a reading every month (the most accurate method would be to visit a doctor for a full DXA scan, but I’ve yet to take one).
Mat Smith / Engadget
I used the preview units of the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic to take two separate readings of my body composition. It was surprisingly easy. All I had to do was fill in my gender, height and weight, then hold my middle and ring fingers against the two buttons on the watch for about 15 seconds. Both times, the smartwatches gave me a result of 30.8 percent, which is a little higher than what I usually get from Amazon’s app, but not too far off.
Other improvements to health-tracking include new snoring detection via a compatible smartphone, more accurate sleep-logging and faster auto-detection of workouts. Overnight, too, the Watch 4s will measure your blood oxygen level. Of course, I couldn’t test the sleep-related features at our brief preview session.
The Watch 4 series are also the first Galaxy Watches to sport 5nm processors, with a 20 percent faster CPU, 50 percent more RAM (16GB) and a GPU that’s 10 times speedier than the previous generation, according to Samsung. From my limited experience with them, the Watch 4s certainly felt fast, but I’d need more time in the real world to know how they hold up against the likes of Apple and Fitbit.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Samsung also promises up to 40 hours of battery life on the Galaxy Watch 4 series, though versions with LTE will likely have shorter runtimes. When you run out of juice, you should be able to get up to 10 hours of power in 30 minutes, too.
Along with the sleep-tracking features and overall performance improvements, battery life is another thing I look forward to testing on the Galaxy Watch 4 when we receive review units. The wearables go on sale on August 27th, though you can pre-order them today, with the smaller Watch 4 starting at $250 and the Watch 4 Classic costing $100 more.
While I’m stoked about the body composition measurement feature, I’m not yet convinced that the new Galaxy Watches with Wear OS powered by Samsung can take on Apple’s watchOS. But, at least based on my early impressions, Samsung continues to have the best smartwatch for Android users, even if that’s not a very high bar.
Follow all of the news from Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event right here!
In less than two hours, Samsung will kick off its fourth Galaxy Unpacked event of 2021. While the official livestream won't get underway until 10AM ET, Engadget’s coverage of Unpacked will start at 9:40AM ET with a pre-show. We’ll also return after the event is complete to share analysis and answer your questions. Between information shared by Samsung and the usual assortment of pre-release leaks, we have a good idea of what to expect from the company later today.
For instance, we’re almost certain Samsung won’t announce a new Note phone at Unpacked. Instead, updated models of the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold will headline the event. The company has also confirmed it will show off a new version of the S Pen that will work with its foldable devices. However, what we’re most excited about is the chance to see its latest Galaxy Watch wearable. At I/O 2021, Samsung and Google announced they were working together on a new version of Wear OS, and we’ll see the fruits of that partnership at Unpacked. Beyond that and an updated pair of Galaxy Buds, there’s always the chance Samsung could surprise us as well.
Follow all of the news from Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event right here!
Just days after Oppo unveiled its latest under-screen camera solution, Xiaomi is now launching a new flagship phone with a similar, if not the same, feature. The Mi Mix 4 is the Chinese company's slimmest ceramic unibody smartphone yet, featuring a 6.67-inch 2,400 x 1,080 screen that stealthily hides a 20-megapixel selfie camera underneath a near-indistinguishable patch of pixels — it's the same 400ppi density as the rest of the panel, albeit with smaller pixels and transparent circuitry thanks to advancements in AMOLED production.
If the selfie photos on the Mi Mix 4 turn out to be just as good, if not better, than Oppo's samples from last week, then it's no surprise that Xiaomi went with this under-screen camera tech. The Mix series has always been about pushing the boundary of form factor design, with the firsttwo models — both designed by Philippe Starck — offering super slim screen bezels along three sides. They were some of the first ceramic smartphones, too.
With the Mi Mix 3, Xiaomi finally got rid of the chin by moving the selfie camera to a slide-up module. I wasn't a fan of that design, though, as it felt more fragile.
Xiaomi
Now that the under-screen camera is seemingly reaching maturity, it serves as a sensible evolution path to the Mi Mix 4. Still, CEO Lei Jun added that if you really care about your selfies, you should stick to phones with punch-hole cameras; but for him, the under-screen camera is good enough.
The screen itself is otherwise very much the same as what many other recent flagships are offering: 10-bit color, P3 gamut, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 120Hz refresh rate and 480Hz touch sampling rate. It's protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus. Like many recent Xiaomi phones, the Mi Mix 4 provides stereo sound tuned by Harman/Kardon, which should go well with that vibrant screen.
Xiaomi
The Mi Mix 4 also happens to be the first smartphone sporting Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 888+ 5G processor, taking the clock speed up to 3GHz while being cooled by several layers of graphene and graphite. LPDDR5 RAM options range from 8GB to 12GB, whereas UFS 3.1 storage goes from 128GB to 512GB.
Much like the iPhone 12 series, the Mi Mix 4 also packs UWB (ultra-wide band), but instead of tracking tags, Xiaomi is using this for a feature dubbed "Point to Connect." Simply point your Mi Mix 4 to a compatible Xiaomi smart device like a TV, smart speaker (like the freshly-announced Xiaomi Sound) or air conditioner, and the relevant app will show up.
The company will also offer a small UWB hub for existing TVs, and this will launch via a beta program in China on August 20th. But if you prefer the old-school way, this Android phone also has an infrared remote feature — as is the case with some Chinese smartphones these days.
Xiaomi
The rear cameras are impressive on paper. There's a 108-megapixel main camera (HMX sensor with optical stabilization), an 8-megapixel 5x optical zoom camera (with optical stabilization) and a 13-megapixel 120-degree ultra-wide camera (with free-form lens). Still, Lei admitted on stage that he's saving the better camera components for his main flagship line.
The Mi Mix 4 houses a 4,500mAh which is relatively standard these days, but it supports 120W wired charging, which goes from zero to 100 percent in 21 minutes by default, or in just 15 minutes if you enable "Boost Mode." There's also 50W wireless charging, which normally takes 45 minutes for a full charge, or just 28 minutes in "Boost Mode."
Xiaomi
Xiaomi will be selling the Mi Mix 4 in China starting from August 16th, with colors including white, black and a new gray option. Prices start from 4,999 yuan or around $770 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage model, and capping at 6,299 yuan or about $970 for the 12GB RAM + 512GB storage option. We'll have to stay tuned for international availability, but we'd be surprised if the world's second largest phone maker doesn't plan on taking the Mi Mix 4 outside of China.
Commodore’s Amiga 500 was one of the most popular home computers in the era just before the PC swallowed the world. Now, thirty years and change since its heyday, Retro Games is making a “mini” version of the computer and games console. Much like Retro Games’ last machine, a “mini” version of the Commodore 64 that can’t use the Commodore name, this will be branded as THEA500 Mini.
Retro Games has said that the console will include 25 titles from the vast (and excellent) Amiga library including Another World, Worms, Simon the Sorcerer and The Chaos Engine. The full list of titles hasn’t been released, but if Bart vs. The Space Mutants and Dalek Attack aren’t on there, I will cry.
Much like pretty much every other retro console, a glossy software layer will smooth out the rougher edges of this software. Users will be able to save and resume titles part-way through play, and you’ll be able to side-load titles you (ahem) own over the included USB port.
Rather than simply emulating the vanilla Amiga 500, the hardware will also run the Enhanced Chip Set (ECS) layers found in the Amiga 500 Plus, a short-lived revision released in 1991. You’ll also be able to harness the advanced graphics architecture (AGA) of the much-pricier flagship model, the Amiga 1200.
Retro Games / Koch Media
Hardware-wise, it’s likely to be a similar sort of moulded-plastic-around-a-mini-board situation as found in THEC64 Mini. But on the accessories front, it’ll ship with the Amiga’s famous two-button mouse, and a joypad that, to my eyes, seems to be based on the Amiga CD32’s gamepad rather than the 500’s (which, to be fair, was more famously a joystick-led machine).
Retro Games / Koch Media
THEA500 Mini will launch at some point in early 2022, and is expected to cost $140 (£120, €130) when it arrives. The only misgivings I have at this point is that Retro Games’ previous work with the THEC64 Mini made that a hard product to love in several ways. Hopefully, however, many of those issues have been resolved for the new model, which was the object of lust for many people soon be knocking on 40.
Oh, and here's the greatest advert for a computer ever made:
Samsung has unveiled the Exynos W920, a new processor designed specifically for smartphones and wearables. It has an integrated LTE modem and is the first chip designed for wearables to be built on a 5-nanometer EUV (extreme ultra-violet) process, according to Samsung.
The new chip features dual Cortex-A55 cores, a Mali-G68 GPU and a Cortex-M55 processor dedicated to always-on displays that's designed to reduce power consumption. The company claims that it offers a 20 percent improvement in CPU performance and tenfold GPU boost over its last wearable chip. It's also the "smallest package currently available in the market for wearables," it said.
In its press release, Samsung explicitly wrote that "the Exynos W920 supports a new unified wearable platform Samsung built jointly with Google, and will be first applied to the upcoming Galaxy Watch model." That's no doubt going to be the Galaxy Watch 4 that leaked out last month and is expected to be announced tomorrow at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event.
Samsung will likely also reveal its latest smartwatch software that marries Tizen and Wear OS, developed jointly with Google. We're expecting to see navigation changes, new Tiles for third-party apps, improved battery efficiency, improved health and fitness tracking and a more open interface.
It's official. Sony now owns both Crunchyroll and Funimation. The company's Sony Pictures division completed the $1.175 billion acquisition on Monday. And with the deal now closed, Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra said the company's goal is to "create a unified anime subscription experience as soon as possible."
Sony didn't say how soon we could see that happen and what form that "experience" will take. For the time being, Funimation and Crunchyroll will continue to exist as separate streaming platforms, with few details on what the deal means for subscribers.
Big news! Crunchyroll will continue its commitment to anime and its fans, now under Sony Funimation Global Group.
"With the addition of Crunchyroll, we have an unprecedented opportunity to serve anime fans like never before and deliver the anime experience across any platform they choose, from theatrical, events, home entertainment, games, streaming, linear TV — everywhere and every way fans want to experience their anime," Vinciquerra said.
Sony first announced it was acquiring Crunchyroll from AT&T at the end of 2020. At the time, the service said it had 3 million subscribers and over 90 million registered users across more than 200 countries. Less than a year later, Crunchyroll notes those numbers have increased to 5 million and 120 million, respectively.
