News

Samsung Galaxy Fold Lite could be a cheaper foldable phone

The price is still far from affordable

Published

on

Samsung rules the foldable segment right now thanks to the Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip. The brand is expected to launch the Fold 2 this year and that also means, it wants to get rid of the leftover inventory of the Fold. Enter the Samsung Galaxy Fold Lite.

According to industry insider Ross Young, Samsung could announce a new phone called the Galaxy Fold Special Edition in July. It’ll be similar to the Fold 1, but some features will be skipped to reduce overall costs. Previously, the phone has also been dubbed the Galaxy Fold Lite and this name also sounds plausible because Samsung has used this nomenclature regularly.

Additionally, infamous leakster Max Weinbach was the first one to acknowledge the existence of a more affordable Galaxy Fold. According to him, the phone will continue to house a Snapdragon 865 processor but the 5G capability could be muted via firmware. Instead of 512GB storage, it’ll come with 256GB.

 

On the design end as well, the changes shall be minor. Samsung could reuse “Mirror Purple” and “Mirror Black” colors from the Z Flip. Furthermore, the outer display from the original Fold could be ditched in favor of a smaller one, just like the Z Flip.

Quantities could be limited to 55,000 and the phone is expected to cost US$ 1,099 and availability will be global. Please note, that these are initial reports and the product is months away. The company can make drastic changes in the interim or even completely cancel the plan.

Apps

EU wages war against doomscrolling

Brussels is asking TikTok to change its addictive design.

Published

on

TikTok K-Pop TWICE Chaeyoung

Doomscrolling is the greatest enemy to everyone’s productivity today. The temptation to keep on scrolling for hours is an ever-present temptation. Taking a very strong stance against the phenomenon, the European Commission is now investigating TikTok for having an addictive interface.

Via Politico, Brussels is now prodding TikTok to change its interface. Very technically, the European Commission is not out to get doomscrolling, specifically. However, the major changes that they want to introduce “disabling infinite scrolling, setting strict screen time breaks, and changing its recommender systems.”

App addiction is a persistent problem today. Besides concerned parents, governments around the world have been trying to regulate addiction, especially when it comes to children. The European Commission, as is apparent from this new initiative, is at the forefront of preventing addiction.

Though the target is explicitly TikTok right now, changing addictive interfaces will also affect other social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and X. Most platforms nowadays thrive on encouraging users to keep scrolling through more content.

Right now, TikTok isn’t set to change just yet. However, the report states that the European Commission is willing to work with platforms for a better, non-addictive interface. It’s less abrasive than the region’s recent privacy initiatives, which requires users to verify their age before accessing mature content.

SEE ALSO: TikTok finally gets a buyer in the United States

Continue Reading

Laptops

Are you ready for a more colorful MacBook?

Apple is experimenting with quirkier colorway options for the MacBook.

Published

on

In recent years, Apple has relented on limiting the colors of its devices to only the more premium-looking options. Users can now pick quirkier colors for their iPhones, highlighted currently by the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max. Soon, the same splashes of color might make its way to the MacBook lineup.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been testing different colorway options for its upcoming entry-level MacBook. The unannounced lineup might come in pink, light yellow, light green, and blue.

It’s a big change for MacBooks. Currently, the only “quirky” option that users can get is the MacBook Air’s Sky Blue, which honestly looks more silvery than blue. Other than that, the MacBook simply seesaws from different shades of gold, silver, and black.

To be fair, the upcoming MacBook will still have the traditional colorways of the current lineup. Additionally, it’s unclear whether Apple will ultimately include all its experimental colors into the final lineup.

Reportedly, the new lineup will cost somewhere between US$ 699 to US$ 799. Of course, the lower price tag will come at the expense of some specs. Although, it should still be good if we’re talking about an entry-level laptop.

It’s even more interesting if it’s hinting at the return of truly colorful options but for the notebook. The iMac already got a similar renaissance back in 2024, which mimics the classic computer’s colorful history.

SEE ALSO: M5 MacBook Pro review

Continue Reading

Laptops

ASUS, Acer PCs are banned in Germany

And it’s all because of Nokia.

Published

on

Zenbook S 14

Brands getting banned are commonplace in today’s tech landscape. These usually happen because of geopolitical reasons, especially if it’s in the United States. In Europe, brands sometimes get banned for anticompetition reasons. Today, however, a commonly used codec, HEVC, is at the center of a controversy that has led to the banning of ASUS and Acer in Germany. Even crazier, Nokia is involved.

For context, Nokia owns several patents for video codecs. One of those codecs, HEVC (or High-Efficiency Video Coding) is ubiquitous in every PC, which means that every PC maker must purchase a license to include the codec in their machines. It’s an essential these days, so it’s unusual for ASUS and Acer to miss it.

In Germany, where licensing is stricter, both companies were found guilty of infringing the patent, as reported by German outlet Hardwareluxx. As a result, ASUS and Acer must stop selling PC and laptop sales until they obtain a license from Nokia.

To be clear, this doesn’t mean that the two brands have disappeared from the country. Third-party retailers can still sell their remaining stock. However, the companies cannot import or sell any new stock, pending a conclusion to the issue.

Naturally, the easiest fix is to just buy the license. Hisense, another company that found itself in the same mire, bought a license last month. Either ASUS and Acer are running into more technical issues, or they just didn’t feel the license was worth it for a single market.

SEE ALSO: ASUS is leaving the smartphone industry

Continue Reading

Trending