This week, we had two major phone unveilings at opposite ends of the price spectrum: Galaxy Unpacked, which revealed premium foldable phones, and the CMF by Nothing unveiling, which showed us a cheap and cheerful (but surprisingly well-specced) new smartphone.
We also saw other Samsung devices, got a sneak peek at the Google and Samsung XR (again), and were promised some great Prime Day deals, including three free PC games.
We've covered these top stories and more in this roundup in case you missed it, so let's get you caught up on the biggest tech news of the week.
7. We went crazy at Samsung Unpacked
The long-awaited Galaxy Ring may have been the star of this week's Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event, but two new models in Samsung's foldable lineup—the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6—proved equally popular with Paris attendees.
It’s true that this year’s updates are more iterative than innovative, but they might still be enough to place the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 among the best foldable phones of 2024. The former has a sharper design and brighter display than its predecessor, while the Galaxy Z Flip 6 brings a new 50MP camera and a larger battery. Both new foldables have a faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and plenty of durability improvements, too.
We currently have the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 in our testing labs, but for an early verdict on each new device, check out our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 hands-on review and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 hands-on review.
6. Samsung Unpacked was something you had to see
The biggest news in wearables is that Samsung has finally launched its Galaxy Ring, the Galaxy Watch 7 and its new flagship Galaxy Watch Ultra.
The long-awaited Samsung Galaxy Ring, Samsung's first foray into a new wearables category, looks like a small, unobtrusive fitness tracker that actually packs some smart features thanks to the Samsung Health app and, unlike some of its competitors, doesn't come with a subscription.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is a rival to Samsung’s Apple Watch Ultra – a rugged smartwatch with a titanium body and longer battery life. Finally, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is a sleek smartwatch that barely deviates from the design of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. You can read all our thoughts on the new devices by clicking the links above.
5. Samsung and Google talked about AI updates and teased the XR
Continuing with the hottest tech trend of 2024, Samsung made AI a central part of its Unpacked presentation, even bringing a Google executive onstage to explain how Gemini would make Samsung (and other Android devices) forces to be reckoned with.
This includes a new Sketch to Image feature that allows the device to turn your sketches into more artistic looking images as a standalone image or as a new element in an existing photo. The Z Flip 6 even has a unique Live Translation feature that displays translated text on both its inner and outer screens so you and the person you’re chatting with can understand each other without you constantly turning your phone’s screen.
However, right at the end of this segment, we got another teaser of the Samsung and Google XR (an umbrella term for VR, AR, and MR) collaboration with Samsung President and Head of Mobile Experience (MX) Business TM Roh saying that “the new XR platform is coming this year.” We didn’t get an exact date, but all eyes are on the Samsung Developer Conference (SDC), which is scheduled for October 3, 2024, as the venue for an announcement where we might finally see the Samsung XR/VR headset.
4. CMF by Nothing gave us new, cheap but cheerful technology
Nothing’s sub-brand CMF (which stands for Color, Material, Finish) is known for combining good design with tempting prices. And it did it again this week with a trio of new launches: the Phone 1, Buds Pro 2 and Watch Pro 2.
All three bring something new to their respective lineups, whether it's the Phone 1's removable back covers, the Buds Pro 2's sleek case with built-in dial, or the Watch Pro 2's modest $69 / £69 / AU$119 price tag.
With their bright orange accents and respectable spec sheets, they're likely to overshadow some of our budget-focused buying guides, such as those for the best cheap wireless earbuds and the best cheap smartwatches. Stay tuned for some full reviews very soon.
3. YouTube Music brought the AI game to Spotify by testing AI radio
AI isn’t just for creating quirky artwork and spicing up your CV, you know? It’s also capable of creating radio stations – and Google-owned YouTube Music doesn’t know that? Hot on the heels of introducing a “you hum it, we play it” audio recognition system, the lesser-known streaming service is now testing an AI playlist feature that will create a personalized radio station just for you. Once the feature rolls out to your account (or if it rolls out), you’ll see a new card in your Home feed that says, “Ask for music any way you want it” (and we’re now singing “Any way you want it”). that is “the way you need it” directly to our phones).
Either way, a chat window opens up that lets you enter a message by typing or speaking. The app suggests example messages like “epic soundtracks,” “catchy pop choruses,” and even “surprise me.”
So far, the new feature doesn't appear to be being widely tested, but YouTube Music's now two-pronged AI experiments could prove to be important, defining features in its quest to become one of the top music streaming services.
2. Amazon promised free gifts for Prime Day
Amazon Prime Day deals are fast approaching, and while the early deals we've seen so far can help you save on Sony headphones, OLED TVs, and smartwatches, is there a better discount than 100% off? (Well, I guess 200% off, which means you get paid, but I mean a discount you'll actually see.)
That's right, Prime members will receive some free goodies on July 16 in the form of three PC games: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Cavalry 2and Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20th Anniversary Celebration (which includes the Season Pass DLC).
We know Kill the Justice League It's a terrible game (we gave it two stars in our review), but since it costs you nothing and its next expansion, Mrs. Freeze, is coming soon, might now be the perfect time to start? That or just play? Rise of the Tomb Raiderbecause it's a great game.
Speaking of deals, we can't help but talk about this terrible deal that Meta launched for its 512 GB Meta Quest 3, because even though Meta says that “you will end up spending less than you would if you bought each item individually”, that is not true.
This week, Meta launched a buy now, pay later plan, allowing eligible US-based customers to purchase a Meta Quest 3 headset, a 24-month Meta Quest+ subscription, and a 24-month Meta Plus warranty, and pay for it in 24 monthly installments. The 128GB Meta Quest 3 bundle costs $24.99 per month, and will save you money overall (it’s $599.76 instead of $659.96). However, the 512GB bundle would cost $839.76 instead of just $819.96, which you’d pay for everything separately.
Meta has not responded to our request for comment, but we believe the issue stems from how it calculates the cost of a 24-month Meta Quest+ membership. Because you’re limited to two years with the plan, we think it’s fair to compare the cost to two one-year subscriptions at $59.99 each (or $119.98 all-inclusive), while Meta calculates it using the monthly cost of $7.99 (or $191.76).
You should always think carefully before agreeing to a buy now, pay later plan, as you cannot change your mind later. This is another reminder to check that it really is a good deal before you commit.
