News
Samsung, LG promise to launch better midrange phones this year
Relying on flagships just doesn’t work anymore
Have you noticed the sheer abundance of smartphone models out in the market lately? Of course, the market has always featured a wide variety. However, brands have now diversified greatly to accommodate more markets.
Headlined by Samsung and Apple, the phone market has traditionally offered a catch-all flagship and droves of forgettable others for the budget spenders. Throughout the years, over-saturation has caused this strategy to falter.
According to Strategy Analytics, the balance of power is shifting. As of this year’s first quarter, Samsung’s grip on the world’s top spot has weakened by 2.5 percent. From 80.2 million units sold in 2017’s first quarter, Samsung shipped only 78.2 million units this year.
On the other hand, Apple has increased their numbers to 52.2 million units sold from just 50.8 million units last year. Likewise, Chinese companies Huawei and Xiaomi enjoyed huge gains, growing by 114 percent and 225 percent, respectively.
With the threat of loss in mind, Korean companies Samsung and LG have since adopted a “shotgun approach” with their releases this year. Instead of putting their eggs in one basket, they are releasing as much diversity as they can.
Since its ascension to the top, Samsung has always launched various lines catering to the midrange and budget markets. However, until recently, these models never offered much advantage in these segments. Additionally, they were shipped almost exclusively to developing markets, such as key countries in the Southeast Asian region. Meanwhile, LG has a decidedly weaker midrange lineup.
In fact, both companies rely heavily on their flagship and premium models to draw in sales.
To fight this, Samsung and LG are trying a strategy that works for Huawei and Xiaomi (which, incidentally, grew this year). The strategy involves outing midrange and budget phones that can competitively go one-on-one with flagship features.
Both Huawei and Xiaomi have a wider variety of options for users. In fact, Huawei even has its own sister brand dedicated to the market — Honor. With Xiaomi potentially launching their own sister brand, the brands’ successes speak more for themselves.
Whether this translates into a more competitive Galaxy J or LG Q series, only time will tell. Currently, both companies have already launched eight to nine models this year, compared to their eleven models in total apiece last year.
There are a few titles that an overwheling majority of gamers consider as an absolute must-play for other gamers. One of those titles is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Originally launched for the Nintendo 64, it’s not easy to play the iconic game today. But, later this year, the game is about to get much more accessible. Nintendo has officially announced a remake of Ocarina of Time.
Modern gamers might not realize the effect of the original Ocarina of Time on the RPG genre. Besides adding a third dimension to the then-fledgling Legend of Zelda series, the 1998 game also revolutionized the gaming world by popularizing targeting systems. That, and the refining of the formula in Majora’s Mask, makes Ocarina an essential in gaming history.
During today’s Nintendo Direct, the company capped off the hour-long presentations by announcing a remake of the game. Though the short, short trailer didn’t reveal any gameplay, it did confirm that the remake will retain the original’s more whimsical art style, as opposed to the realism put forth by the Breath of the Wild duology.
It’s not the first re-release for the game, though. In the past, Nintendo released remastered versions of the game for the GameCube and the 3DS. This is, however, the first official remake of the title for a much more modern system.
We didn’t know when the remake will officially launch, but it’s coming out within this year.
News
Apple has essentially confirmed the launch of the iPhone Fold
Some hidden references were not hidden enough.
No, Apple did not officially launch the iPhone Fold yet.
However, WWDC 2026 had a few surprises for those attentive enough to go deeper into the event’s announcements. And it all revolves around iOS 27.
Of course, the main event of WWDC 2026 is the first peek into the upcoming mobile operating system. Though we already covered everything that Apple visibly announced, something hidden has essentially confirmed the band’s first foldable phone.
On X, Sam Henri Gold, an engineer, spotted a few crucial references to a foldable form factor. Hidden underneath the recently released iOS 27 beta are mentions of “foldState” and “angleDegrees.” The code also includes references to the number of displays a single device has.
Notably, iOS 26 did not include such mentions. It can’t be purely coincidental. Unless Apple is suddenly shipping iOS 27 out to foldables from other brands (highly unlikely), this is the prelude to an iPhone Fold coming later this year.
Now, rumors of an iPhone Fold have been making the rounds for a while now. But they haven’t been as strong as this year. There’s heavy speculation that the brand’s first foldable phone is coming later this fall.
There’s still a nonzero chance that it makes an appearance during WWDC 2026, but don’t put all your eggs in this basket. Apple traditionally reserves the conference for software developments. Fall is the usual playing ground for Apple’s hardware.
Alongside the debut of Siri AI at WWDC26, Apple also unveiled the next generation of Apple Intelligence, bringing new AI-powered features to Photos, Safari, Messages, Shortcuts, Home, and other apps across its ecosystem.
Powered by a new privacy-focused architecture, Apple Intelligence now integrates more deeply across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro. The company says the update makes everyday tasks easier with smarter editing tools, improved web browsing, more capable communication features, and expanded automation options.
New AI editing tools come to Photos
Apple is introducing several new editing features to Photos.
Spatial Reframing lets users adjust the composition of a photo after it has been taken. The feature uses AI to generate only the parts of an image needed to accommodate the new perspective while keeping the original scene intact.
The Photos app is also gaining an upgraded Extend tool, which can expand images, straighten horizons, and adjust aspect ratios without cropping out important elements. Meanwhile, the Clean Up tool now delivers more realistic results when removing unwanted objects from photos. Apple says AI-edited images will automatically include a hidden SynthID watermark.
Safari gets smarter browsing features
Apple Intelligence is also changing how Safari works.
A new feature automatically organizes tabs into topics, making it easier to manage research, trip planning, and other projects spread across multiple pages. Safari can continue grouping new tabs into existing topics as users browse.
Another feature called Notify Me can monitor webpages for changes, such as product restocks or price drops, and send notifications when updates occur. Safari can also generate custom browser extensions through a new Describe an Extension tool that builds extensions based on a user’s written instructions.
Apple is also expanding the capabilities of the Passwords app. Eligible accounts can now be automatically upgraded to stronger passwords, with Apple Intelligence handling the process on a user’s behalf.
Messages, Calendar, and Shortcuts gain AI assistance
Messages and Mail are becoming more proactive with contextual suggestions.
Users can receive one-tap recommendations to create reminders or notes based on conversations. Messages can also help locate specific photos by recognizing people, locations, and keywords mentioned in chats. Smart Reply can now adapt responses based on a user’s writing style.
Apple is also bringing AI assistance to Calendar and Shortcuts. Users can create calendar events simply by describing them, while a new Describe a Shortcut feature can automatically build automations based on natural language instructions.
The Phone app is gaining Call Context, which can surface information such as reservation numbers and confirmation codes when users contact a business. Apple says the feature runs entirely on-device and does not share information with the company.
New features for Home and accessibility
The Home app is becoming smarter with AI-generated video descriptions and improved search tools for HomeKit Secure Video cameras.
Users can search security camera footage using natural language and review automatically highlighted noteworthy events. Apple Intelligence can also group related notifications into a single activity to reduce clutter.
Accessibility features are also receiving upgrades. VoiceOver can provide richer image descriptions, while Voice Control allows users to describe onscreen controls instead of memorizing exact button names. Accessibility Reader now supports more complex documents and can provide summaries and translations on demand.
Availability
The new Apple Intelligence features are available for developer testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program. A public beta will launch next month through the Apple Beta Software Program.
Apple plans to release the features this fall as part of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 for supported Apple Intelligence-compatible devices.
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