News
This is our first look at Samsung’s holed smartphone
The Galaxy A8s looks better than expected
Almost a month ago, Samsung announced the world’s first holed smartphone. Surprisingly, the unique form factor isn’t even the company’s most astonishing plan right now. Samsung’s more ambitious plans have overshadowed the holed smartphone’s hype.
However, the Samsung A8s is also impressive by itself. Whereas the other plans have started leaking earlier, the holed midrange phone has finally received its first looks.
Based on existing information and rumors, German website AllAboutSamsung has created renders of the upcoming smartphone. Of course, renders are still speculations, in essence. Although, to its credit, AllAboutSamsung has correctly predicted the Galaxy A9’s looks in the past.
Going off of this, the Galaxy A8s renders give a good look at Samsung’s new Infinity-O Display. This new form factor is part of Samsung’s latest design refresh in 2019. Taking apart the traditional slab phone, the Infinity-O display drills a hole on the screen’s upper-left corner. The hole houses the phone’s front-facing selfie camera.
With its strange camera placement, the new display does away with the controversial notch. It’s one step closer to becoming truly bezel-less. Because of the lack of information, the renders don’t show where the usual front sensors are. Quite possibly, this hints at progress with Samsung’s planned integrated screen. Some sensors might come buried underneath the screen.
Other than the camera hole, the renders depict a triple rear camera system and a rear fingerprint scanner. Under the hardware, the phone will supposedly carry a midrange Snapdragon 710 processor and 6GB of RAM.
The Samsung Galaxy A8s will launch sometime in January next year.
SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy A9 with quadruple rear cameras is up for grabs
Sony PlayStation will stop producing physical game discs for all new PlayStation titles starting January 2028.
The company says the move reflects changing consumer habits. More players now buy games digitally instead of on disc.
Games released before January 2028 will not be affected. Those titles will continue to receive physical editions as planned.
After the transition, all new PlayStation games will launch in digital format only. Players can buy them through the PlayStation Store or from retailers selling digital game codes.
Sony says the shift will help it focus on digital distribution. It also wants to give players more ways to purchase games while continuing to improve the gaming experience.
The move also signals a major change for the industry.
Players will no longer be able to buy physical copies of new PlayStation games after January 2027. That could reduce the second-hand game market since digital purchases cannot usually be resold.
Collectors may also see fewer special editions that include game discs. Future collector’s editions could instead bundle digital download codes with physical merchandise.
The transition also makes reliable internet access more important. Every new game will need to be downloaded, and players may need to upgrade their storage as game sizes continue to grow.
For Sony and game publishers, the move could lower manufacturing and shipping costs. It also gives them greater control over pricing, distribution, and digital sales.
While the company did not mention game preservation, some players may also raise concerns about long-term ownership. Unlike physical discs, digital games depend on online storefronts and account access.
Sony thanked players for their continued support and said it remains committed to delivering a world-class gaming experience as the industry continues its shift toward digital.
Accessories
Nothing confirms Ear (3a) is coming this month
It launches alongside the Phone (4b) on July 7.
From being told to not expect anything this year, Nothing fans suddenly have a lot to look forward to. The brand already launched the Phone (4a) series earlier this year, and the new Phone (4b) is likewise coming this month. Now, the Ear (3a) has also been announced.
Through an official teaser on X, Nothing announced that the Ear (3a) is launching alongside the Phone (4b) on July 7. Unfortunately, the short teaser doesn’t spill what the earbuds will look like. However, it does confirm that there will be four colorway options: White, Black, Yellow, and Pink.
Despite being under a relatively new brand, the Ear series carries a lot of history for Nothing. It is, after all, the brand’s first consumer-ready product which came out before the Phones. Since then, the earbuds typify Nothing’s iconic transparent designs. Now, there’s no indication that the Ear (3a) will depart from this tradition, but we’ll see a lot more color, at least.
The Ear (3a) isn’t the only spotlight in this teaser. Nothing also says that the video was shot with the upcoming Phone (4b). Though the video doesn’t spoil the phone’s camera hardware, it’s clear that it can shoot decent videos under relatively low-light conditions. (Of course, we’ll need a better look to confirm that.)
The Phone (4b) and the Ear (3a) are scheduled to launch worldwide on July 7.
News
Samsung is working on the Galaxy Ring 2
It will have better health tracking and a longer battery life.
Though the wearable launched with a lot of promise, the Samsung Galaxy Ring never really took off. That said, Samsung isn’t giving up. The company is already working on a Galaxy Ring 2.
In a new Forbes interview (via SamMobile), Dr. Hon Pak, head of Samsung’s Digital Health, has confirmed the development of the wearable’s sequel. The Galaxy Ring 2 will reportedly feature better health tracking and a longer battery life. Additionally, it will add support for iPhone pairing.
Because of its form factor, the original Ring comes off as a convenient health tracker for those who don’t prefer the larger nature of a smartwatch or a fitness band. However, it did have issues including a relatively short battery life and an incident where it swelled over a man’s finger.
Currently, there is no timeline for the upcoming Galaxy Ring 2. For reference, the original wearable launched all the way back in 2024. A follow-up is a reasonable ask at this point, but it’s still good that Samsung decided not to make the Ring an annual release.
Besides the Galaxy Ring 2, Samsung has a lot of tricks up its sleeve. Just today, the brand finally teased its first wide foldable phone. It’s also set to launch the Galaxy Glasses soon. On top of all this, Samsung is also experimenting with the trifold market via the Galaxy Z Trifold.
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