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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

Max vs 100 will feature Max Verstappen race against 100 go-karters

The live event will stream at midnight on September 17.

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As a child, one of my favorite thought experiments is to imagine who would win in a fight between my favorite characters at the time and a number of other random beings. For example, will Superman prevail against 100 Magnetos? Those are the ways I kept my young mind occupied. Now, as a former child, I still do the same thing but with more realistic people, like imagining if Steph Curry can win against 100 high schoolers. This week, ESPN and Disney+ are making one of those imaginary fights real: Formula 1 legend Max Verstappen versus 100 go-karters.

In an upcoming live event streaming exclusively on Disney+, Max vs 100 will pit the four-time world champion against 100 go-karters from everywhere in pop culture. This gaggle of 100 will include popular content creators such as Twitch streamer ExtraEmily, car photographer Larry Chen, and NBA shooting coach Chris Matthews.

All 101 drivers will race around one of the most iconic tracks in Formula 1 history, Silverstone in England. The track will be reconfigured to match the special race.

Of course, this is more than just a parade of go-karts. Max Verstappen will start at the back of the grid, meaning he has to overtake all 100 racers to win. Now, the Dutch driver is no stranger to winning from the back. In 2024, he won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix despite starting from P17 (out of 20 racers). Max vs 100, though familiar for the driver, presents a different challenge. Can he overtake 100 times to win the race?

Max vs 100 will stream live through Disney+ on September 17, 12:00am PHT.

SEE ALSO: Disney+ is moving to a global app experience

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Apps

Apple’s best feature to cure motion sickness is finally on Android

Google copies a good page from Apple’s playbook.

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As an Android user, I’ve been jealous of iPhone users for a while now, but it’s not for the reason you might think. See, I’m ridiculously prone to motion sickness when I’m not driving. So, when I discovered that Apple has a software-based cure called Vehicle Motion Cues, I wanted it immediately. Now, Android does have third-party apps that do the same thing, but they’re not as good as a fully native version. Well, those dark, nauseating days are about to come to an end. Android 17 is finally getting a similar tool called Motion assist.

Before that, let’s rewind for a bit. What do these features do? How can they cure motion sickness?

Whenever you open Vehicle Motion Cues or Motion assist, the interface spawns a series of dots on the screen. These dots respond to movement. For example, if the vehicle turns to the left, the dots also go to the left, mimicking the movement. Without cues like this, the stationary nature of the screen clashes with our brain’s perception of movement. The disparity creates that feeling of nausea. Basically, our eyes are desperately trying to focus on the static screen, but our brains are telling us that we should be seeing motion. Having moving dots reorients our brain and places the phone inside our perception of movement.

Now, you can enable the same feature on your Android 17 device through Settings > All services > Motion assist under Personal & device safety. You can also set it so that the feature turns on automatically when the phone detects that you’re in a moving vehicle. Finally, you can also tweak the shape, color, and opacity of these dots.

Android 17’s Motion assist is rolling out now to compatible devices.

SEE ALSO: These are the best Android 17 features (if you hate AI)

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Gaming

Valve unveils price of the Steam Frame

The VR headset starts at US$ 1,059.

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The trifecta is complete. Almost a year after announcing their new hardware, Valve has finally unveiled the price tag of the Steam Frame, complementing the Steam Machine and Steam Controller revealed a few months ago.

Whereas the Steam Machine is a console of its own, the Steam Frame is a traditional VR headset with a pair of controllers for both hands. Unfortunately, despite being in a different segment, the headset is not immune to the rising prices of technology. The Steam Frame will start at US$ 1,059 for a 256GB model and can go up to US$ 1,299 for the 1TB model. On the plus side, each box will come Half-Life: Alyx packaged along with the headset.

Here’s a more detailed rundown of what you’re getting. The Steam Frame will ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM. Each eye comes with a 2160 x 2160 LCD screen, putting out images at up t0 a 144Hz experimental refresh rate. As mentioned above, the headset will start with 256GB of storage but can go up to 2TB. It will come packaged with SteamOS 3 and a rechargeable 21.6Wh battery.

This might be a hard buy for some. The industry currently has more affordable options, for one. Also, virtual reality isn’t the most thriving segment of gaming today.

If you’re still decided on buying one, however, Valve is using its lottery system. Interested customers can sign up from now until September 17. The company will then randomize the purchasing order. Those who draw the first ones in the lottery can get a purchase email as soon as September 18. Meanwhile, anyone who registers after September 17 will automatically be put at the back of the queue.

SEE ALSO: Valve announces its own console called the Steam Machine

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