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Received yesterday — 26 July 2025

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review: More screen, more battery but something's missing

25 July 2025 at 14:00

Samsung’s annual foldable refresh includes a trio of devices this year. While the Z Fold 7 comes with a top-tier processor and cameras, the Z Flip 7 carries over many technical details from its predecessor. In fact, the most significant upgrade this year is a more expansive front display, or Flex Window, as the company prefers to call it.

Samsung has also, somehow, added an even bigger battery to a slimmer foldable, which is technically impressive. However, the company made minimal software additions and modest improvements in places. The upgrades are good, but are there enough of them?

Hardware

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review
Mat Smith for Engadget

Samsung has caught up to one of its few foldable rivals by substantially increasing the front display from 3.4 inches to 4.1 inches. The two camera cutouts are the only things interrupting this bright, vivid display.

Despite bigger screens (and battery), the Flip 7 is also thinner than last year’s model. It measures 6.4mm (0.25 inches) thick, down from 6.9mm (0.27 inches). That's equal to the Galaxy S25 edge, where the major selling point is its thinness. I shouldn’t have to say this, but that thickness doubles when you fold it away: Samsung says it’s 13.7mm (0.54 inches) when closed. However you measure it, this is the thinnest Flip yet.

The Flex Window now has a 120Hz refresh rate, can reach peak brightness levels of 2,600 nits (matching the S25 Ultra) and features the thinnest bezel yet (1.25mm) of any Samsung smartphone display. The brightness increase is a crucial upgrade on a screen that’s used mainly to glance at your device from across a desk or outside in sunlight. Samsung said it was able to further extend the display to the edges by applying a waterproof coating on components beneath the AMOLED display. This meant less bezel is needed around the screen’s perimeter.

Samsung also expanded the foldable’s main screen to 6.9 inches — a notable step up from the previous model’s 6.4 inches. The company also wisely shifted closer to a more typical smartphone display ratio of 21:9. While it’s not quite the same as, say, the Galaxy S25 or iPhone 16, video content now fits better.

Previous Z Flips had more elongated screens, making it hard to reach the upper corners when using one hand. While the Z Flip 7 has a better aspect ratio, it’s also bigger, which unfortunately means it has the same issue. If Samsung had changed the aspect ratio while keeping the screen size, it might have struck the ergonomic sweet spot.

Not for the first time, Samsung says it’s further strengthened the Flip's hinge mechanism. While I can't attest to its longevity, the Flip 7 does close with a beefier 'thunk' than its predecessors.

I like that it takes a little bit more strength to open because it makes the whole device feel more solid. If you’re hoping this is the year where the display crease disappears, I’m afraid that isn’t happening. For those who have never owned a foldable though, the Flip 7’s crease is largely unnoticeable.

The cameras

Galaxy Z Flip 7 review
Mat Smith for Engadget

The story of this year's Flip's cameras? More of the same. The Flip 7 has the same 50-megapixel f/1.8 primary setup with optical image stabilization (OIS) and a 12MP ultra-wide lens with a 123-degree field of view. There’s a 10MP camera on the inside, too, but with the Flip’s improved front screen, you really should be using the primary camera duo.

The best images come from well-lit scenes. Samsung’s Night Mode is a little aggressive, but it’s still great for nighttime shots, even if it leaves an over-processed look on skin tones and faces. The Flip 7 defaults to 12.5-megapixel images, but you can switch to 50MP stills if you want all the detail — and you have a steady hand. There’s no dedicated telephoto camera, which means the zoom is limited to a 2x crop, hindering the Z Flip 7’s versatility. Once again: if you want a foldable with the best cameras, you’ll have to go with the Fold series.

Galaxy Z Flip 7 review
Mat Smith for Engadget

In regard to video capture, the Flip 7 can record video in 10-bit HDR, up from 8-bit, for more color accuracy and detail. And you can still hold the Z Flip 7 like a retro camcorder, which remains far more enjoyable than it should be.

Software

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review
Mat Smith for Engadget

Despite the bigger screen, Samsung hasn’t really evolved its Flex Window's software this year. There are a few improvements, though. When using the front display to take selfies and videos, interface icons and mode buttons will float around the display to get out of the way of what it detects you’re trying to take photos of. If you’re looking to use a special filter on your shots, the Z Flip 7 can show a live preview of each filter before you apply them.

Two other software additions to the Flip series are the Now Bar and Now Brief, introduced in this year’s S25 series. The Now Bar is Samsung’s spin on the iPhone’s Dynamic Island, displaying pertinent ongoing or time-sensitive information that isn’t quite a notification, but something you might want to know about. This includes fitness metrics, weather or live updates from ride-share apps like Uber.

You can tap into the Now Bar without opening the phone, and you won't have to unfold it if you’re looking to interact with Google’s Gemini Live either. It’s another Android feature that seems well-suited to foldables, as you can talk to Gemini with minimal physical interaction on the Z Flip 7.

To use most other apps, you’ll still need to install the Multistar launcher (which is made by Samsung) in order to view and use basic software like Gmail and Chrome. This is the workaround for now, as Samsung hasn’t expanded the approved list of six apps that are allowed to run on the Z Flip 7’s Flex Window — a short list which bafflingly includes Netflix.

Battery life and performance

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review
Mat Smith for Engadget

Despite being even slimmer than last year’s model, the Flip 7 has a 4,300mAh battery that’s 300mAh larger than its predecessor’s. That, along with a new processor (its homemade 3nm Exynos 2500), has led to a leap in longevity.

In our standard battery rundown tests, the Flip 7 played continuous video for 18 and a half hours. That’s a big jump from the 13-hour rundown I got from the Flip 6. I was so surprised I ran the test two more times to confirm and got similar results.

The new chip never felt particularly sluggish, either, whether I was gaming, using Galaxy AI features or completing other taxing activities. That said, the phone would get warm, both in my hand and in my pocket, during camera testing and location-based tasks, like using Google Maps and CityMapper.

In my day-to-day use, with heavy testing, I’d get through a solid day and a half before I had to think about recharging. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Z Flip 7's wired charging speeds still top out at 25W, which Samsung has the gall to call Super Fast Charging. It’s the same speed as the Z Flip 6 (and the base S25), but when other phones are using 45W charge speeds (or higher), it’s a little underwhelming, especially on a premium device like this.

Wrap-up

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review
Mat Smith for Engadget

By refreshing the design and further slimming down the Z Flip, Samsung has made its smaller foldable easier to handle. At the same time, it’s accomplished an engineering marvel by squeezing in larger screens and a more substantial battery. However, certain aspects of the Flip 7 are lacking, most notably the cameras, which haven’t been changed since last year.

Samsung also needs to put more work into its Flex Window. While the ability to use most apps on the smaller front display is here, it’s still a fussy implementation and most of them aren’t tailored for the tinier screen. There’s untapped potential here and the Z Flip 7 doesn’t push its category of foldables forward by much.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-z-flip-7-review-140022250.html?src=rss

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© Mat Smith for Engadget

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review

The Morning After: Apple’s iOS 26 beta is ready for the public

25 July 2025 at 11:15

A few months since WWDC 2025, and Apple is shifting its OS update from developers to brave members of the public. Yesterday, the company launched the public beta version of all its operating systems, now all under the umbrella of "26", making my job a little bit easier.

I’ve been testing the iOS 26 beta, which (like the rest) centers on a major design shift to Liquid Glass, with transparent overlapping elements and fluid animations. While it looks different, Apple’s focus seems to be familiarity and guiding the user in how to use its hardware, across mobile, PC and the rest.

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Engadget

In iOS 26 specifically, key updates include a relocated search bar, improved Visual Intelligence for screenshots and boosted performance across many Apple Intelligence features, like voice note transcription, Genmoji and Image Playground (even if it thinks I’m entirely bald).

The Camera app has been redesigned, Apple Music gains AutoMix and Messages offers more engaging options, with custom backgrounds and live translation. However, while the update focuses heavily on design and system consistency, new Siri enhancements aren’t here yet.

Check out the full previews on the beta builds of iOS 26 here, macOS 26 here and iPadOS here.

— Mat Smith

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Maingear’s new PC is beige ’90s desktop meets raytracing

Back when the Millennium bug was the scariest thing out there.

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Maingear’s Retro95 is a new custom desktop PC that blends the aesthetic of ’90s beige desktops with modern, high-performance components. While its exterior evokes a 30-year-old machine that introduced many of us to dial-up internet, the Retro95 can be equipped with powerful internals, such as NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 graphics and the latest processors from Intel and AMD.

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These smartphone cases give any iPhone a USB-C port

Bring that iPhone X up to date!

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Ken Pillonel

After creating the first ever (unofficial) USB-C iPhone back in 2021, Ken Pillonel has created an iPhone case that can give older device models a USB-C port, welcoming them to 2025. You can browse the options in his shop. The cases cover all 20 iPhones with Lightning ports and support data transfer.

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Anker Nebula X1 projector review

The king of outdoor movies, if you can afford it.

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Engadget

The Nebula X1 is an odd proposition. While Anker has produced multiple projectors in the past, it has never reached the $3,000 mark. For that money, though, it beams out a category-leading 3,500 ANSI lumens at 4K resolution. It also features never-before-seen innovations in home projectors, including liquid cooling to reduce fan noise and a motorized lens gimbal that automates setup.

It’s framed as a portable outdoor projector, but it’s also just one of the best indoor projectors we’ve ever tested. With a sharp, high-contrast and color-accurate image, the video quality is stellar. It’s also easy to set up and incredibly versatile.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111549934.html?src=rss

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iOS 26 beta preview: Liquid Glass is better than you think

24 July 2025 at 18:00

At WWDC 2025, Apple revealed a major visual shake-up for iOS (not to mention the rest of the company’s operating systems). This is the biggest change, aesthetically, since the shift away from the stitching, textures and skeuomorphic design of the iOS 4. It also comes with significantly fewer AI and Siri updates this time around. However, it’s the smaller touches that make iOS 26 seem like a notable improvement over its predecessor.

I’ve been running the iOS 26 developer beta for the last two weeks and here's how Apple’s new Liquid Glass design — and iOS 26 broadly — stacks up.

(Ed. note: Apple just released the public betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 and watchOS 26. This means you can run the preview for yourself, if you are willing to risk potentially buggy or unstable software that could cause some of your apps to not work. As usual, we highly recommend backing up all your data before running any beta, and you can follow our guide on how to install Apple's public betas to do so.)

Liquid Glass changes everything

Liquid Glass on iOS 26

iOS 26 looks new and modern. And for once, how Apple describes it — liquid glass — makes sense: it’s a lot of layers of transparent elements overlapping and, in places, the animations are quite… liquidy. Menus and buttons will respond to your touch, with some of them coalescing around your finger and sometimes separating out into new menus.

Liquid Glass encompasses the entire design of iOS. The home and lock screens have been redesigned once again, featuring a new skyscraping clock font that stretches out from the background of your photos, with ever-so-slight transparency. There’s also a new 3D effect that infuses your photos with a bit of spatial magic, offering a touch of Vision Pro for iPhone users.

The experience in the first few builds of the iOS 26 beta was jarring and messy, especially with transparent icons and notifications, due to those overlapping elements making things almost illegible. Updates across subsequent releases have addressed this issue by making floating elements more opaque. There is also a toggle within the Accessibility tab in Settings to reduce transparency further, but I hope Apple offers a slider so that users can choose exactly how “liquid” they want their “glass” to be. If you own other Apple products, then you’ll come to appreciate the design parity across your Mac, iPad and Apple Watch.

One noticeable change I'd been waiting for was the iOS search bar’s relocation to the bottom of the screen. I first noticed it within Settings, but it reappears in Music, Podcasts, Photos and pretty much everywhere you might need to find specific files or menu items now. If, like me, you’re an iPhone Pro or Plus user, you may have struggled to reach those search bars when they were at the top of the screen. It’s a welcome improvement.

Visual Intelligence

A person holding an iPhone showing the new Visual Intelligence in screenshots feature at WWDC 2025.
Screenshot (Apple)

With iOS 26 on iPhones powerful enough to run Apple Intelligence, the company is bringing Visual Intelligence over to your screenshots. (Previously it was limited to Camera.) Once you’ve grabbed a shot by pressing the power and volume up buttons, you’ll get a preview of your image, surrounded by suggested actions that Apple Intelligence deduced would be relevant based on the contents of your screenshot. 

Managing Editor Cherlynn Low did a deep dive on what Visual Intelligence is capable of. From a screenshot, you can transfer information to other apps without having to switch or select them manually. This means I can easily screenshot tickets and emails, for example, to add to my calendar. Apple Intelligence can also identify types of plants, food and cars, even. If there are multiple people or objects in your screenshot, you can highlight what you want to focus on by circling it. There aren’t many third-party app options at this point, but that’s often the case with a beta build. These are features that Android users have had courtesy of Gemini for a year or two, but at least now we get something similar on iPhones.

One quick tip: Make sure to tap the markup button (the little pencil tip icon) to see Visual Intelligence in your screenshots. I initially thought my beta build was missing the feature, but it was just hidden behind the markup menu.

More broadly, Apple Intelligence continues to work well, but doesn't stand out in any particular way. We’re still waiting for Siri to receive its promised upgrades. Still, iOS 26 appears to have improved the performance of many features that use the iPhone’s onboard machine learning models. Since the first developer build, voice memos and voice notes are not only much faster, but also more accurate, especially with accents that the system previously struggled with.

Apple Intelligence’s Writing tools — which I mainly use for summarizing meetings, conference calls and even lengthy PDFs — doesn't choke with more substantial reading. On iOS 18, it would struggle with voice notes longer than 10 minutes, trying to detangle or structure the contents of a meeting. I haven’t had that issue with iOS 26 so far.

Genmoji on iOS 26
Van life vlogger, bald or running for Congress?
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget

Genmoji and Image Playground both offer up different results through the update. Image Playground can now generate pictures using ChatGPT. I’ll be honest, I hadn’t used the app since I tested it on iOS 18, but the upgrades mean it has more utility when I might want to generate AI artwork, which can occasionally reach photorealistic levels.

One useful addition is ChatGPT’s “any style” option, meaning you can try to specify the style you have in mind, which can skirt a little closer to contentious mimicry — especially if you want, say, a frivolous image of you splashing in a puddle, Studio Ghibli style.

Apple also tweaked Genmoji to add deeper customization options, but these AI-generated avatars don’t look like me? I liked the original Genmoji that launched last year, which had the almost-nostalgic style of 2010 emoji, but still somehow channeled the auras of me, my friends and family. This new batch are more detailed and elaborate, sure, but they don’t look right. Also, they make me look bald. And contrary to my detractors, I am not bald. Yet. This feels like a direct attack, Apple.

You might feel differently, however. For example, Cherlynn said that the first version of Genmoji did not resemble her, frequently presenting her as someone with much darker skin or of a different ethnicity, regardless of the source picture she submitted. 

Still, the ability to change a Genmoji’s expression, as well as add and remove glasses and facial hair through the new appearance customization options, is an improvement.

A Camera app redesign for everyone

iOS 26 beta
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget

Apple has revisited the camera app, returning to basics by stripping away most of the previously offered modes and settings — at least initially — to display only video and photo modes.

You can swipe up from the bottom to see additional options, like flash, the timer, exposure, styles and more. You can also tap on the new six-dot icon in the upper right of the interface for the same options, though that requires a bit more of a reach. These behave in line with the new Liquid Glass design and you’ll see the Photo pill expand into the settings menu when you press either area. Long-pressing on icons lets you go deeper into shooting modes, adjusting frame rates and even recording resolutions.

What I like here is that it benefits casual smartphone photographers while keeping all the settings that more advanced users demand. None of the updates here are earth-shattering, though. I hope Apple takes a good look at what Adobe’s Project Indigo camera app is doing — there are a lot of good ideas there.

One extra improvement if you use AirPods: Pressing and holding the stem of your AirPod (if it has an H2 chip) can now start video recording.

Apple Music tries to DJ

Mix songs like a DJ with AutoMix.

Alongside the Liquid Glass design touches, the big addition to Apple Music this year is AutoMix. Like a (much) more advanced version of the crossfade feature found on most music streaming apps, in iOS 26, Music tries to mix between tracks, slowing or speeding up tempos, gently fading in drums or bass loops before the next song kicks in. Twenty percent of the time, it doesn’t work well — or Apple Music doesn’t even try. But the new ability to pin playlists and albums is useful, especially for recommendations from other folks that you never got around to listening to.

Messages get a little more fun

iOS 26 preview
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget

Apple is making Messages more fun. One of the ways it’s doing so is by enabling custom backgrounds in chats, much like in WhatsApp. I immediately set out to find the most embarrassing photo of my colleague (and frenemy) Cherlynn Low and make it our chat background. I know she’s also running iOS 26 in beta, so she will see it. [Ed. note: Way to give me a reason to ignore your messages, Mat!]

Apple’s Live translation now works across Messages, voice calls and FaceTime. Setting things up can be a little complicated — you’ll first need to download various language files to use the feature. There’s also some inconsistency in the languages supported across the board. For instance, Mandarin and Japanese are supported in Messages, but not on FaceTime yet. In chats, if your system language is set to English or Spanish, then you’ll only be able to translate into English or Spanish. For those polyglots out there, if you want to translate incoming Japanese texts into German, you’ll need to set your device's language to German.

While I didn’t get to flex my Japanese abilities on voice calls and FaceTime, iOS 26 was more than capable of keeping up with some rudimentary German and Spanish. I’m not sure if I’d rely on it for serious business translation or holiday bookings, but I think it could be a very useful tool for basics. 

There’s also the ability to filter spam messages to their own little folder (purgatory). Spam texts remain a nightmare, so I appreciate any potential weapons in the fight. Sadly, it hasn’t quite manage to deal with the TikTok marketing agencies and phone network customer services that continue to barrage my Messages. Still, hopefully Apple will continue to improve its detection algorithms.

One more tool in the battle against spam: You can mute notifications for Messages from unknown numbers, although time-sensitive alerts from delivery services and rideshare apps will still reach you.

New apps are hit-or-miss

Not everything in the beta lands, however. I’ve already touched on how Liquid Glass was initially a semi-transparent mess. The Games App, too, seems like an unnecessary addition. Because it’s a blend of the Games tab of the App Store and a silo of your preinstalled games, I’m not sure what it’s adding. It’s not any easier to navigate, nor does it introduce me to games I want to buy.

Cherlynn did want to highlight that for a casual gamer like herself, it’s intriguing to see if the Games app might start to recommend more mind-numbing puzzles or farming simulations. She was also intrigued by the idea of a more social gaming experience on iOS, issuing challenges to her friends. Still, because the phone she has been testing the beta on doesn’t have access to all her contacts or her gaming history, the recommendations and features are fairly limited at the moment.

Games is one of two new apps that will automatically join your home screen. (Fortunately, they can be uninstalled). The other is Preview, which should be a familiar addition to any Mac user. It offers an easy way to view sent or downloaded files, like menus, ticket QR codes and more. During the developer beta, the app pulled in a handful of my documents that previously lived in the Files app. Navigation across both those apps is identical, although Preview is limited to files you can actually open, of course.

AirPods, upgraded

This is more iPhone-adjacent, but iOS 26 includes several quality-of-life improvements for some of Apple’s headphones. First up: notifications when your AirPods are fully charged, finally! The Apple Watch got this kind of notification back in iOS 14, so it’s great to see Apple’s headphones catch up.

Apple is also promising “studio-quality sound recording” from the AirPods, augmenting recordings with computational audio improvements. There’s a noticable bump in audio quality. It appears that AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 will record files at a sample rate of 48 kHz, which is double the rate used in the past. The sample rate bump happened last year, but it is dependent on what the app you're using. Is it “studio quality”? I don’t think so, but it’s an improvement. While recordings sound slightly better in quiet locations, the bigger change is in loud environments. The algorithm doesn't appear to be degrading audio quality as much while trying to reduce background noise.

iOS 26 also adds sleep detection to the buds. If the AirPods detect minimal movement, they’ll switch off automatically, which could be helpful for the next time I’m flying long-haul.

Wrap-up

In iOS 26, Apple has prioritized design changes and systemwide consistency over AI-centric software and features. While Liquid Glass is a big change to how your iPhone looks, Apple has drawn from user feedback to finesse the design into feeling less jarring and gelling better when the home screen, Control Center and Notification drop-downs overlap with each other.

There are numerous quality of life improvements, including Messages and Visual Intelligence, in particular. If anything, the AI elephant in the room is the lack of any substantial updates on Siri. After the company talked up advanced Siri interactions over a year ago, I’m still waiting for its assistant to catch up with the likes of Google.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/ios-26-beta-preview-liquid-glass-is-better-than-you-think-172155402.html?src=rss

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Received before yesterday

The Morning After: This is the Pixel 10 (or maybe the Pixel 10 Pro)

22 July 2025 at 11:16

While I wasn’t expecting a major design shakeup, Google revealed the design of its new Pixel phone, almost a month before the official launch event.

You can take a look for yourself on the front page of the Google Store. A short video teaser reveals one of the upcoming Pixel 10 smartphones. The device bears a similar appearance to the Pixel 9, with a back design that makes the camera unit protrude from the frame, similar to the Pixel 9 Pro. Oh, and an additional camera — if this is the base Pixel 10. Leaks suggest Google will equip all of its phones with telephoto cameras in 2025, but it’s still possible the phone in the video is a Pixel 10 Pro.

Under a month until we find out.

— Mat Smith

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The next iPad Pro might have double front-facing cameras

A new portrait-side camera could exist separately.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple will add a second front-facing camera to the portrait edge of the upcoming iPad Pro, expected to launch later this year. In the past, iPad models only had one front-facing camera on the upper border in portrait, but Apple shifted this to the landscape side in 2024 with the iPad Pro M4. However, some users have found it trickier to use Face ID when holding the tablet vertically.

Beyond the additional camera, the new iPad Pro is expected to feature performance upgrades and improved power efficiency, thanks to an enhanced M5 chip. Previous reports suggest the tablet will launch in the second half of the year, but don’t expect them to feature Apple’s homemade modems — that’s an M6 project, reportedly.

Continue reading.

Meta says it won’t sign the EU’s AI code of practice

Its global affairs officer called the guidelines an ‘over-reach.’

Meta won’t sign the European Union’s new AI code of practice. The guidelines provide a framework for the EU’s AI Act, which regulates companies operating in the European Union. There aren’t any business repercussions, and the code of practice is voluntary, so Meta was under no obligation to sign it.

“Europe is heading down the wrong path on AI,” Kaplan posted in a statement. “We have carefully reviewed the European Commission’s Code of Practice for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models, and Meta won’t be signing it.”

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The first few days with the new Galaxy Watch 8

The hardware looks… good?

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Senior Reporter Amy Skorheim’s four-day experience with the Galaxy Watch 8 has been promising. With a more comfortable design and a raised screen for improved scrolling, hardware improvements complement significant software additions, such as Google’s Gemini AI, which you can control directly from the watch. She loves the core functions, such as accurate workout tracking and a user-friendly Health app. However, the new antioxidant level detection feature didn’t show immediate results for her — it's worth noting you have to take the watch off to use the feature.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111648000.html?src=rss

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© Google

A grayish-blue Pixel 10 on a black background from Google's teaser video, with three cameras visible.

The Morning After: The next Google Pixel event kicks off on August 20

18 July 2025 at 11:15

What can you expect from Google’s Made By Pixel event? Well, according to the media invite we got (brag), it’s promising new Pixel phones, watches, buds and more.

Last year, that was true. The same event gave us the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2. I think that was everything?

As for that “and more” part, recent rumors suggest Google is working on Pixelsnap, a proper response to Apple’s MagSafe tech. Android phones have been slow to adopt the Qi2 wireless charging standard — I mean, check out all of Samsung’s recent phones. But… wireless charging? I hope Google has something more exciting planned.

— Mat Smith

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Sony’s new $5,000 compact camera

Sorry, I meant $5,100.

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Sony

The death of compact cameras has been exaggerated. If it’s not the viral Fujifilm X100 series, it’s Sony’s vlogging cameras and now an update to its RX1R fixed-lens compact. Coming nearly 10 years after the RX1R II, it features a 61MP Exmor R sensor, along with Sony’s latest image processing advancements and top-notch object tracking, supported by 693 phase-detection AF points. Why not 694, eh?

It won’t match Sony’s A7 full-frame cameras, but video-wise, it can capture 10-bit 4K video at up to 30 fps. The kicker, though, is the price. While the Mark II was a heady $3,300, the RX1R III is a bank balance-shaking $5,100. And if you want a thumb grip? 300 bucks. Thanks!

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review

Foldable phone nirvana (for a price).

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Engadget

Samsung has taken its premier foldable to the next level. With the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it’s improved the size (thinner), battery life (longer) and camera (sharper, higher resolution) and that’s without talking about the improved, bigger displays and even tougher build. According to Sam Rutherford’s review, it’s “foldable phone nirvana.” The price of folding enlightenment is still $2,000.

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Quicken Simplifi, our favorite budgeting app, is 50 percent off

Under $40 for the year.

You can subscribe to Quicken Simplifi for only $3 per month, which is half off its usual $6-per-month price. Notably, you pay for the whole year, instead of month to month.

When we tested out several budgeting services and apps, Quicken Simplifi was our choice for best budget app overall. With its easy-to-use interface, it excels at tracking regular income and bills. Just don’t overthink the whole spending money to save money thing.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111554654.html?src=rss

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© Photo by Sam Rutherford / Engadget

All the hardware announced during Google's annual Pixel hardware event is arranged on a white table and look quite shiny and new in black and pastel hues.

The Morning After: Switch 2 user accidentally banned after playing pre-owned game cards

15 July 2025 at 11:31

Be extra careful where you buy your used Nintendo Switch game cards. A Switch 2 owner posted on Reddit about how their account was banned after downloading patches for a few Switch game cards they'd bought from Facebook Marketplace. The Switch 2 user contacted Nintendo support and discovered they were banned, but they provided proof of purchase and were unbanned shortly after. The Redditor said the “whole process was painless and fluid.”

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Nintendo

Nintendo attaches unique codes to its Switch game cartridges to prevent piracy. However, bad actors can copy games to a third-party device, like the MIG Flash, and resell the physical game card, meaning the code can exist twice. Once Nintendo detects two instances of the same code online at the same time, down comes the ban hammer.

Nintendo continues to push back against piracy aggressively. It amended the Switch user agreement to allow it to brick a console it detects running pirated games or mods.

— Mat Smith

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The owners of TikTok are making mixed reality goggles

Expect a tethered puck for processing and battery.

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The Information reports that ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, may be working on mixed reality goggles. It’s designed to layer digital objects over your view of the real world and, apparently, is supposed to compete directly with Meta’s upcoming mixed reality products. God, what will it look like?

ByteDance’s virtual reality startup, Pico, the creators of the Pico 4 VR headset, is building the goggles. Its past products have attempted to match Meta’s Quest headsets’ features. However, this new project will be lighter, smaller goggles, which weigh around 0.28 pounds. Pico plans to offload most of the computing work to a wired puck.

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Threads users stay on Threads

Data suggests people aren’t clicking on links.

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Threads is starting to look more and more like the most viable challenger to X, but it still isn’t sending much traffic to other websites, which could make the platform less appealing for creators, publishers and others whose businesses depend on non-Meta-owned websites. According to Similarweb, outbound referral traffic from Threads climbed to 28.4 million visits in June. That’s a notable jump from 15.1 million visits a year ago but still relatively tiny, considering Threads is currently averaging more than 115 million users a day.

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US government is giving leading AI companies a bunch of cash for military applications

This will “maintain strategic advantage.”

The US Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) is awarding up to $200 million each to leading AI companies, like Anthropic, Google, OpenAI and xAI, for military applications. A press release says the move will “broaden” the Department of Defense’s use of AI to “address critical national security needs.” This initiative aims to expand the Department of Defense’s AI use for national security. Notably, xAI’s receipt of funds coincides with its new version of Grok, made for federal use.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111439608.html?src=rss

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© Sam Rutherford for Engadget

For the Switch 2, Nintendo is using new red cartridges instead of the black ones used in the original Switch.

The Morning After: Did Panasonic make the best camera for creators?

27 June 2025 at 11:49

Panasonic’s S1 II is arguably the company’s best creator camera, if not the best creator camera, period. That’s according to our review from Steve Dent, who really liked a lot of things but especially the 6K RAW video and excellent stabilization. However, at $3,200, it’s expensive compared to the competition.

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Nikon’s Z6 III has nearly the same video capabilities, is a better camera for photography and costs at least $600 less. Then there’s Panasonic’s own $2,500 S1 IIe, which was announced at the same time as the S1 II. It has mostly the same features but uses a non-stacked sensor more prone to rolling. Make sure to check out the full review.

— Mat Smith

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Meta’s new smartglasses are an Oakley collab

And they look like Oakleys.

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Meta’s already got its low-key Ray-Ban-designed smart glasses. Now it’s coming for our dads. Or me. Or people somewhere between our ages. These are the Oakley Meta HSTN, apparently pronounced: HOW-stuh. They’re made for athletes but will probably be worn by that guy in Costco. (I love Costco, by the way.) Oakleys might seem a jump away from Ray-Ban, but Oakley is owned by EssilorLuxottica, which also owns Ray-Bans.

Despite rumors that the Oakley glasses would have a camera embedded in the frame’s bridge, these first models keep the lens on the side, with an ultra-wide 12MP camera that can capture footage in 3K, compared to the 1080p resolution of the Ray-Ban iterations. Also, the battery is rated for eight hours on a single charge (double that of the Meta Ray-Bans).

Several variants are incoming in lens colorways a little more vivid than typical sunglasses, with red, black, deep-water (blue?) and even some transition lenses. However, the first limited-edition Oakley Meta HSTN has gold accents and black lenses. They cost $499 and go on pre-order July 11.

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Windows kills the Blue Screen of Death

Black is the new blue.

Microsoft has been teasing this for years, but now it’s happening. There needs to be some sort of error screen, so later this summer, Microsoft is transitioning to a Black Screen of Death instead. Slimming, but just as frustrating.

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The best early deals from Amazon Prime Day 2025

It begins.

Prime Day returns July 8 to July 11 this year, marking the first time the shopping event has been more than 48-hours long. Amazon typically has early Prime Day deals in the lead up to the event, and this year we’re already seeing some solid discounts on gadgets we like, including AirPods Pro 2 and an array of Amazon hardware.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-114916031.html?src=rss

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© Steve Dent for Engadget

Panasonic S1 II review

The Morning After: Samsung’s big foldable Unpacked event takes place on July 9

24 June 2025 at 12:09

The third Unpacked of 2025 (following installments in January and May) will be on July 9 at 10AM ET, kicking off in Brooklyn, New York. The company usually debuts its latest foldables in the summer, so we’re expecting to see the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 here. However, there’s an extra wrinkle (don’t say wrinkle with foldables!): It’s looking like the premium Galaxy Z Fold Ultra is joining the family.

What exactly can you expect? We've written all about it. When it comes to foldables, one recent leak suggested Gemini Live will be a core part of the foldables’ presentation — which would make sense with this form factor. You’d be able to chat with the foldables without having to unfurl them. Leaked renders suggest the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will have a slimmer profile than the prior model and even a navy blue option. Escape from the grey! If the renders are accurate, the cover display and inner display will be bigger too. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 will also get a bigger screen, apparently.

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Then there’s the Galaxy Z Fold Ultra. There are no specs teased yet, but the company insists this will have “industry-leading hardware, cutting-edge performance and seamless AI integration optimized for the foldable format.” This doesn’t appear to be the tri-fold design we’ve heard and seen in various places, however. Maybe that’s a Fold 8 situation.

Typically, Samsung will take the opportunity to update its accessories too, so there’s a good chance we’ll see the Galaxy Watch 8 and/or the Galaxy Buds. Roll on July 9 to see what appears.

— Mat Smith

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Tesla’s quiet robotaxi launch runs into a few bumps

One Tesla briefly drove on the wrong side of the road.

Tesla quietly launched its robotaxi service over the weekend for a small group of very vocal test passengers. The Sunday rollout included only a small number of cars and heavy human supervision. The company’s cautious rollout ultimately seems for the best — at least one robotaxi attempted to drive on the wrong side of the road. The ride video shared by Rob Maurer showed the Tesla’s wheel start jerking back and forth, and the car briefly crosses to the wrong side of the road. (The in-car supervisor didn’t appear to do anything.) Other early riders have shared multiple instances of robotaxis going over the speed limit.

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Apple read your mean tweets about Liquid Glass and Finder

Liquid Glass gets a little liquid.

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Apple

Apple has already walked back some of the proposed design revisions it announced during WWDC 2025. 9to5Mac noticed the most recent developer betas included a darker, blurrier level of transparency, making parts of iOS et al easier to read and less of a carcrash, visually.

The other change reversed was the Finder app in macOS Tahoe. The previous developer beta flipped the colors in the icon, putting blue on the right and white on the left. Yeah, that’s it. Aren’t there many, many more things to complain and be worried about in June 2025?

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Xbox’s VR headset with Meta could be released sooner than we thought

A blacked-out, Xbox-branded Meta Quest 3S headset?

According to an image leaked on X and Game Sandwich, Xbox is reportedly teaming up with Meta to release an Xbox-branded Quest 3S headset in the coming days. The rumored specs show a very similar build to the base model Quest 3S with 128GB of storage but will reportedly be bundled with an Xbox wireless controller, a Meta Quest Elite strap and three months of Xbox Game Pass. Specs-wise, it seems largely the same VR headset, just with a moodier paint job. Given we’ve just seen the ASUS handheld collaboration, Xbox is having a busy hardware quarter.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121518786.html?src=rss

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© Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Review photo of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

Tesla’s first Robotaxi rides kick off in Austin, Texas

23 June 2025 at 10:00

The June 22 launch of Tesla's robotaxis in Austin, Texas, actually occurred. It's a tentative first step for the company, however: a human "Tesla Safety Monitor" is accompanying the first riders. There are also only ten cars and rides are limited to certain Tesla users. Those early riders and influencers have been sharing their experiences on social media, mostly (surprise) on X. 

Most of the early riders appear to be pro-Tesla users, with a company mention in their social media bio or a Tesla cap in their profile picture (or both), so consider these initial reactions within that context. Having said that, an autonomous car ride is... an autonomous car ride. Many livestreams show the safety monitor gripping a handle on the right side of the passenger seat, possibly with emergency controls. However, that hasn't yet been confirmed. Many passengers attempted to talk with their safety monitors, with, er, limited success.

Tesla RoboTaxi First Public Ride Livestream https://t.co/2KIm1TiieI

— Bearded Tesla (@BeardedTesla) June 22, 2025

One user, Bearded Tesla Guy called the app “basically Uber.” Others found it challenging to summon a Tesla car from the limited pool of rides, watching multiple driverless Waymos pass them by as they waited. Austin is the place for autonomous ride testing: Waymo is scaling up its service in partnership with Uber, while Amazon’s Zoox is also testing its tech in the area.

After verifying your identity with the human safety monitor, you initiate the journey by pressing the “start ride” button. Tesla has linked the service to users’ existing profiles, allowing you to import your existing music playlists, which is a nice touch. You can also adjust your temperature settings, seat position and more from the companion app. Unlike a typical Tesla, the robotaxi has buttons to ask the car to pull over or stop in lane. There’s also the option to call support if you encounter any issues with your automated ride, although we’d assume that a human safety monitor would likely offer quicker assistance.

As the service kicked off, Tesla revealed a new robotaxi page, with all the guidelines and rules for its Robotaxis. The company also has detailed FAQs for using the service and a sign-up sheet for updates. Early access riders are being charged a flat rate of $4.20 for their journeys.

Parameters are strict, on top of the limited pool of cars. Rides have to go within a geofenced area that excludes airports and run between 6AM and midnight. At this point, we know to take Musk’s claims with a grain of salt, but the Tesla boss says the company plans to grow its taxi fleet to a thousand driverless cars on the road “within a few months.” Tesla has also said it will operate its robotaxi network using an “unsupervised” version of its self-driving software.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/teslas-first-robotaxi-rides-kick-off-in-austin-texas-100015076.html?src=rss

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Tesla Robotaxi
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