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Samsung reveals the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition in South Korea

What the Galaxy Z Fold6 should have been in the first place

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Samsung has launched the Galaxy Z Fold6 with minor hardware changes and major AI features. One thing’s for sure, it has not shed down that unwanted thickness that its Chinese rivals have successfully achieved.

But just after three months, Samsung answers all the complaints through the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition aimed specifically for the South Korean market.

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The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition offers hardware features that we are all expecting for Samsung to do in the Galaxy Z Fold6.

The biggest change is none other than its overall thickness. From Galaxy Z Fold6’s 12.1mm depth, the Special Edition variant managed to become thinner at just 10.6mm — very close to vivo X Fold3’s 10.2mm mark.

Weight doesn’t differ that much at 236 grams (versus Z Fold6’s 239 grams).

Other improvements can be seen in both screens. While the Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz display remains unchanged, both screens are now bigger at 6.5-inches and 8.0-inches respectively (versus 6.3 and 7.6-inches).

This also means a wider and more usable aspect ratio for its cover screen and a bigger internal screen real estate.

Speaking of, the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition features a new UFG (Ultra Flexible Glass) instead of the usual UTG (Ultra Thin Glass) found on the majority of Samsung foldables.

And unlike the regular Galaxy Z Fold6, there’s no word regarding S-Pen support on the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition probably due to the new inner display tech.

Lastly, its 50MP main camera has been changed to a 200MP f/1.8 sensor. Albeit, there’s no information if it’s the same sensor found on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

This is also only available in one powerful configuration: 16GB memory + 512GB storage. Its base counterpart only offers 12GB RAM although confusingly, that one maxes out at 1TB.

Other internals remain such as the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, 4400mAh Li-Po battery with 25W wired charging + 15W wireless charging support.

Pricing and Availability

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition is only available in a lone Black Shadow colorway and retails for KRW 2,789,600 (around US$ 2033 / EUR 1875 / GBP 1559 / SG$ 2669 / PhP 116,902 / INR 170,965).

For comparison, a regular Galaxy Z Fold6 of the same 512GB configuration barely differs at KRW 2,388,100 (US$ 2019.99 / EUR 1999 / GBP 1899 / SG$ 2728 / PhP 113,990 / INR 176,999).

There’s no word on global availability but it’s high likely that this is exclusive to South Korea. However, a leaked video in China reveals the similar-looking “Galaxy W25 Fold” with a shiny black back studded with hints of gold on it.

Entertainment

UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony hits Makati in October

Determination arrives in October.

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For so small of a game, UNDERTALE quickly made it into the gaming world’s hall of fame. Despite being only a decade old, the small title has had a major influence for modern-day gamers because of its unique gameplay, its lo-fi art, and, of course, its catchy soundtrack. If you’re a fan of UNDERTALE’s soundtrack, a unique concert experience is headed your way.

On October 17, Film Concerts PH, in partnership with SOHO Live, is hosting UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.

The concert will be performed by the Filharmonika Orchestra and conducted by Thanapol Setabrahmana. Personally curated by creator Toby Fox and developed by Lambert Jackson with Materia Music, the concert experience showcases the game’s most recognizable tunes laid over gameplay footage playing simultaneously. Plus, for the world tour, the experience will have expanded scoring.

In the game, you play as a small child stuck in the mysterious Underground filled with interesting characters and monsters. Unlike traditional RPGs, UNDERTALE asks players to choose between building relationships and chasing after wins. It’s a unique experience that’s defined by whether you chose to make friends or fought your way to the top. It teaches players to value different ways to solve problems, all while showering them with its one-of-a-kind humor.

Pre-sales for the concert, exclusively for members of the Film Concerts PH community, start on August 4. Public sales, however, will start on August 11 via Ticketmelon.

SEE ALSO: The hunt begins: The Witcher in Concert hits Manila with surprises in tow

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Qualcomm is raising its prices this year

Will the price of smartphones follow suit?

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The price of technology isn’t fun these days. Because of the ongoing RAM shortage wrought by AI, companies across the industry are raising the prices of their products. Some, however, are still willing to shoulder the burden for their customers. Unfortunately, Qualcomm is soon leaving that list.

As reported by Bloomberg, Qualcomm will raise the prices of its products starting in September. Though the exact figure is unknown, the company did confirm that it’s in the double digits, percentage-wise. According to them, they can no longer shoulder the costs for its customers.

If you’re just a regular user, Qualcomm’s prices might not mean much for you. After all, the chipmaker doesn’t make phones of its own.

That said, Qualcomm is still one of the biggest suppliers for smartphone chipsets, including those that Samsung uses. Pushing the burden from chipsets to phone manufacturers reduces one more buffer against costs being ultimately pushed to consumers.

All things considered, Samsung managed to keep its prices hikes relatively low with the latest batch of foldables. However, with chips getting more price increases, it’s still within the realm of possibility that Samsung will also increase the price of its smartphones. The same can be said for any Qualcomm-powered smartphone available today.

SEE ALSO: Hands-on: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, Flip8, Ultra

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Apple is reportedly delaying its smart glasses due to privacy concerns

The brand wants to squash malicious recording.

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Smart glasses are in a weird place right now. While early adopters are celebrating the ability to record everything, a growing group of critics are decrying the loss of privacy. Formerly at full throttle, Apple, in response to these controversies, will reportedly delay its version of smart glasses to next year.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is heading back to the drawing board to further emphasize the unreleased wearable’s privacy protections, which includes “hardware and software-related privacy features not available on current products.” The report, however, doesn’t enumerate what these features are.

If anything, these features will likely prevent malicious recording. Most smart glasses today have a light that tells passersby that the device is actively recording video. However, users have discovered ways to tamper and disable this light, so their devices can start recording without alerting others. Apple will likely introduce better measure to prevent such tampering.

Additionally, it’s also possible that Apple introduces a version of the smart glasses without a camera attached.

Because of these new initiatives, the brand will delay the launch of the wearable to sometime next year. Previously, there was heavy speculation that the smart glasses will launch later this year.

On the bright side, there’s still substantial reason to believe that Apple is launching its first ever foldable device later this year.

SEE ALSO: New York becomes first state to ban smart glasses

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