Smartphones
Samsung Galaxy A56, A36 brings Awesome Intelligence
AI for less
It’s always a good thing when features introduced in flagship models make their way to devices with a more approachable price point. That’s the story of the Samsung Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36.
Recently, Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36. For the first time, the midrange lineup is getting Awesome Intelligence, Samsung’s take on AI-based software. Pair it with Samsung’s impressive hardware, and you have the makings of a promising midrange smartphone.
A throng of improvements under the hood
Compared to last year’s Exynos 1480, the Galaxy A56 gets a more impressive Exynos 1580 chipset. The new processor promises 12 percent better NPU performance, 17 percent GPU performance, and 18 percent better CPU performance, opposite the Exynos 1480.
On the other hand, the Galaxy A36 has the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, which provides an 8 percent better CPU performance compared to the Exynos 1380.
They will have a slightly larger 6.7-inch Super AMOLED screen. To maximize entertainment, they are capable of up to 1200 nits of brightness and Dolby Atmos.
As for cameras, both the Galaxy A56 and the A36 will have a 50-megapixel OIS (f/1.8) main camera capable of HDR video capturing and a 5-megapixel f/2.4 macro lens. However, the Galaxy A56 will have a 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide lens, as opposed to the Galaxy A36’s 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide lens.
Both models will have a 5000mAh battery, compatible with 45W fast charging. Samsung says that the battery will charge to full in just 68 minutes.
Awesome Intelligence is for everyone
Samsung is touting that the new midrange devices will bring AI to everyone. The Galaxy A series will get a host of features that should prove useful for everyone.
For one, both models will get AI Select. Using the feature, both phones can automatically select information on the screen. It can select text, copy phone numbers, or even turn videos into GIFs.
Best Face, another new AI-based feature, will automatically select the best faces in a batch of selfies and groufies you took.
Price, availability
Exclusive to the online store, the 8GB+128GB variants of the Galaxy A36 and the A36 will cost you PhP 19,990 and PhP 23,990, respectively.
On the other hand, the 8GB+256GB variant will cost PhP 21,990 for the Galaxy A36 and PhP 25,990 for the Galaxy A56.
News
Next year’s iPhone might have a curved Liquid Glass screen
A lot of plans are in store for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary.
Apple’s Liquid Glass design marked a return to the three-dimensional aesthetic of Windows Vista. Not content with letting the new design thrive solely on the software side, Apple is reportedly bringing “Liquid Glass” to the iPhone’s hardware.
Next year is important to the history of the iPhone as the ubiquitous phone will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Apple will definitely have major plans to herald the milestone.
According to rumors (via Ice Universe on X), the 20th anniversary iPhone will have a “curved display,” much like the aesthetics of Liquid Glass. However, the device will not be “anything like the curved screen solutions we have seen on Android phones over the years.”
Instead, the iPhone’s curve will be subtle and will rely on “optical refraction” to produce the illusion of a truly curved screen. The ultimate goal is to reduce the bezel as much as possible, creating an all-screen iPhone.
Naturally, such a form factor comes with questions. For example, where will Apple store the Dynamic Island and its hardware underneath? How will cases work if there are no bezels?
It’s still very early in the news cycle of next year’s iPhone. In fact, reports about the iPhone 18 series are just getting started. As with all rumors this early on, take it with a grain of salt. However, if anything, incorporating “Liquid Glass” into the iPhone’s hardware feels poetic.
With so many rumors coming out as of late, it’s fair to assume that the first foldable iPhone is really coming this year. Right now, there’s still so much time before its projected launch date in the fall, meaning a lot of chances for more rumors to pop out. Case in point, today sees the rumored name for this upcoming device show up: the iPhone Ultra.
We’ve been calling the foldable iPhone as the iPhone Fold for a while now. After all, what else would you call a foldable in a world dominated by the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip series?
According to a new rumor from Macworld, Apple will resurrect the Ultra moniker, which last made an appearance in the Apple Watch Ultra series, for its upcoming premium iPhone model. The foldable iPhone will be called, very simply, the iPhone Ultra.
Much like the iPhone Air, the iPhone Ultra will not have a number in its name, making it distinct from the upcoming iPhone 18 series. As a foldable, it makes sense for Apple to establish its own series for the form factor.
Additionally, Apple will reportedly use the same Ultra naming convention for a new series of MacBooks with a touchscreen OLED display. The MacBook Ultra might come out next year.
Both the iPhone Ultra and the MacBook Ultra will likely occupy top spots in Apple’s gallery of devices. Apple has even reportedly pushed the regular iPhone 18 duo’s launch to next year, clearing the room for the Pro duo and the Ultra for this fall’s event.
SEE ALSO: Apple’s iPhone Fold reportedly hits engineering delays
News
This rumored iPhone 18 color will make you switch phones
The rumored Dark Cherry color looks so premium.
(Cosmic) orange is the new black. With the iPhone 17 series, Apple introduced the color as the next fashion statement for the ubiquitous phone. If you see an orange phone today, chances are that it’s an all-new iPhone 17 Pro Max. This year, the series might get another new statement color: Dark Cherry.
Though the usual suspects of colors will always be there, Apple often leaves a bit of room for more experimental options for those who want to stand out with their new phone. As you can probably tell from the ongoing deluge of orange, the strategy is working well for Apple.
According to Macworld, Apple is working on a Dark Cherry option for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
Red isn’t a color foreign to the iPhone. In the past, several generations included a limited red colorway option. If the reports are true, red might be a standard option, rather than a limited edition.
But, of course, Dark Cherry is different from the red that we’re used to. Instead of the bright red, the new option will be more similar to the color of wine.
Besides Dark Cherry, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will also have Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver as options. Though Light Blue also looks great, the wine-like color looks like a personal highlight for me. I didn’t know I wanted a wine-colored iPhone until I saw the renders for this.
SEE ALSO: iPhone 18 may have lower specs and a delayed launch, rumor says
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