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Samsung might launch a 5G-ready phone next year

No, it’s not the Galaxy S10

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After the successful launch of the Galaxy Note 9, Samsung is headed for a deep chill before starting up next year’s batch of revolutionary phones. Still, with barely a beat lost, rumors have already surfaced, foretelling Samsung’s plans for next year.

This time, the grapevine’s juiciest tidbit comes from infamous tipster, Ice Universe. Among others, the person (or persons) behind the account had correctly leaked the Galaxy Note 9 and Android Pie’s name.

In the account’s latest tweet, Ice Universe has obtained information straight from the horse’s mouth, Samsung head honcho DJ Koh.

According to the tipster, Samsung will launch 5G and a dedicated phone in March next year. With 5G just on the horizon, compatible phones have already started popping up. For one, Motorola announced their variant over a week ago.

However, the new leak boldly proclaims that Samsung will spearhead the world’s transition to 5G. On launch, the network will open only to a few countries. The Philippines will reportedly be one of the first pioneers.

As is tradition, Samsung’s release schedule falls around this time. Unfortunately, Ice Universe states that the upcoming Galaxy S10 will not be a 5G-compatible phone. Instead, Samsung will launch the Galaxy S10 without 5G compatibility, saying that the feature will bog down the phone’s performance.

Additionally, the tweet restates and denies some long-standing rumors surrounding Samsung. It also seemingly confirms the impending launch of Samsung’s (and the world’s) first foldable phone. Further, the tweet denies the rumor that Samsung will merge the Galaxy S and Note series.

Throughout its existence, the account has set up a good track record, similar to Evan Blass. If this particular rumor proves true, this is the first time we’ve heard of Samsung’s 5G plans. If done correctly, Samsung can potentially make a killing by starting up the 5G revolution.

SEE ALSO: Samsung reportedly developing triple cameras for Galaxy S10

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Honor is reportedly working on a 14000mAh battery

How much is too much?

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Nothing goes together more than a Chinese smartphone brand and the relentless pursuit for a bigger battery. For years, Chinese brands have engaged in a war for this particular component. Now, the latest salvo has been fired. Honor is reportedly working on a phone with a gigantic 14000mAh battery.

Today, the biggest battery capacity you can find on an Honor phone is 11000mAh. The Honor X80 Pro Max already offers a battery that can last you more than a single day. At this point, it’s certainly more than enough for our daily needs.

According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, a smartphone brand is currently working on a 14000mAh battery. Though the leak does not explicitly pinpoint Honor, the emoji used (a wolf) is historically used to imply the Chinese brand in Weibo parlance.

A 14000mAh is just absurdly huge. With a battery larger than some powerbanks, battery anxiety becomes moot. It’s bordering on “can we bring this on a plane” territory.

As with all rumored features, the next question is when this battery will arrive on a consumer-ready device. Given how serious the battery wars are for the Chinese market, it’s only a matter of time.

SEE ALSO: HONOR continues APAC expansion, to launch 600 series in Taiwan

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Nothing Phone (4b) shows up online, spoils some specs

It’s a step below the Phone (4a) series.

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Yesterday, Nothing officially teased the Phone (4b), an all-new line positioned below the Phone (4a) series. At the time, the teaser revealed nothing but the design of the upcoming phone. However, ahead of its July 7 launch, the Phone (4b) suddenly appeared on Geekbench, spoiling a few of its mysterious specs.

According to the listing, the Phone (4b) will run the SM6650, more popularly known as the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4. It’s a modestly powered processor built for the budget to midrange segments of the performance spectrum. Having this processor does confirm that the phone belongs to the step below the Phone (4a), bringing affordability to a name other than CMF.

Besides the processor, the new phone will come with an Adreno 810 GPU and 8GB of RAM. Inside, it will ship with Android 16 out of the box, but this will likely be upgradeable to Android 17 later this year.

It’s already confirmed that the Phone (4b) will be quite the looker. The phone will slightly depart from the design philosophy of the Phone (4a) series. Though it will still have a sizable rear island, the camera setup will just be a small vertical strip on the top-left corner. Additionally, the lighting element typical of all Nothing phones will be a small horizontal strip on the bottom-right corner.

Thankfully, the wait for more specs won’t be long. Nothing has confirmed that the phone’s launch is set for July 7.

SEE ALSO: Nothing will launch the Phone (4b) next month

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Polaroid says, enjoy the beach before AI ruins it

“We know what we stand to lose if we don’t protect it.”

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Tongue-in-cheek marketing is a soothing balm for a world where false promises are more often advertised. But, what happens when those tongue-in-cheek jokes strike a nerve and make you think, “maybe this isn’t a joke anymore”? Polaroid, a huge proponent of analog technology, has put up such a billboard to enjoy the beach “before the data centers drink it all up.”

Right in front of Coney Island (and right in time for summer), Polaroid has a simple message: “Go jump in the water before the data centers drink it all up.”

Though funny by itself, the message plays on an ongoing fear that today’s data centers, built for AI, have such a high water requirement that each query takes up gallons every time. This is, of course, slightly hyperbolic, but data centers are indeed exerting a lot of pressure on their area’s resources. They take a lot of water for cooling and electricity to keep open.

In a statement, Polaroid says that they’re not anti-digital. Rather, “we know we have to live alongside it, but we’re deeply pro-human and know what humanity gives us. And we know what we stand to lose if we don’t protect it. That’s a fight worth fighting,” says Polaroid’s creative director Patricia Varella, via LBB.

Now, this isn’t a completely altruistic ad. It’s still advertising the new Go Generation 3. Still, if you’re looking for a product to go alongside today’s shifting sentiments against AI, a Polaroid might be it.

SEE ALSO: The Loop PH rebrands as lifestyle-tech destination

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