News

Samsung Galaxy Fold6, Flip6 launch with minor changes + AI

Buds3 series refreshed

Published

July 10, 2024

Rodneil Quiteles

After launching the Galaxy Fold5, Flip5 and more in their home country, South Korea, Samsung decided to go West again to launch the Galaxy Z Fold6, Flip6 and more in Paris, France. What’s new? Not a lot.

Same old, brand new Fold

It’s pretty hard to spot what’s new with the Galaxy Z Fold6 at first glance. The changes are mostly internal with some tiny external touch-ups, and of course, the addition of Galaxy AI.

Let’s start with what’s new on the outside.

Tiny changes, matte finish

Samsung says the Galaxy Z Fold6 has a slightly smaller overall footprint but the dimensions have been altered slightly. It was done so that when folded, you get a more standard bar-type viewing experience. It’s not something you’ll notice at a glance, but on hand it definitely feels like a lighter device.

The biggest noticeable change is the matte finish on the back. No longer glossy like the previous generations. And the cameras at the back now have a circular highlight that shares the same color of the device.

Latest Snapdragon for Galaxy

This is the biggest contributing factor to it being an actual upgrade. The Galaxy Z Fold6 is equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy. It’s a similar top-end chip found in other Android flagships of 2024 but especially tuned for Galaxy.

More than the usual performance boosts, what the chip allows is on-device AI. That means all the magic happens inside the phone without needing to connect to the world wide web.

Speaking of AI, the Galaxy Z Fold6 will get all the Galaxy AI features introduced in the Galaxy S25 series. But there are some tweaks and some new ones.

Live Translate

Live Translate has been enhanced with the Galaxy Z Fold6. Simply swipe down and right on the quick access panel until you get to the live interpreter app. That’s the default method, but you can also make a shortcut of it on your homescreen.

The Live Translate app gives you two translation options: Conversation and Live Listening. Those are pretty straightforward.

Conversation is best used in Flex mode where the translation is displayed on the cover screen, making it easier for the person you’re speaking with to see the text translation.

Meanwhile, Live Listening sounds exactly what it means. It’s best used for when you’re watching something in a language you don’t understand or if you’re at some conference that’s in a language foreign to you. The Galaxy Z Fold6 will pick up the audio and then after about a 3-second delay, will show you the live translations on the app.

This feature is also available on the Galaxy Z Flip6 and the Galaxy Buds3 Pro (more on this later).

ProVisual Engine, Portrait Studio, and more

The ProVisual Engine AI feature lets you do a bunch of things. There’s Photo Assist that looks even better on a larger screen. And then there’s Portrait Studio that lets you snap a pic of anybody and then choose from a handful of different art styles like 3D Cartoon and more. If you enjoy playing with video, Instant Slow-mo will add frames to your existing footage for a more smooth looking slowed down video.

On the inside, Samsung increased the Vapor Chamber to provide better cooling for better overall performance. You should feel that even more when you play your favorite mobile games – some of which may now take advantage of Ray Tracing support on the device.

Specs:

Main screen: 7.6-inch QXGA+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Infinity Flex Display (2160 x 1856, 20.9:18), 374ppi, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (1~120Hz)

Cover screen: 6.3-inch HD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display (2376 x 968, 22.1:9), 410ppi, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (1~120Hz)

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy

Rear triple camera: 12MP Ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto, 50MP Wide angle
Cover camera: 10MP
Under-screen camera: 4MP
***Same as previous generation

RAM and Storage: 12GB+1TB, 12GB+512GB, 12GB+256GB

Battery and charging: 4,400mAh dual battery, Fast Wired 25W, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare

The Flip cam gets an upgrade

The Galaxy Z Flip has been a darling for content creators who shoot on their phones and on their own. Coming from a 12MP main camera, it’s now been bumped up to match the Fold’s main with a 50MP main shooter on the Galaxy Z Flip6.

That enables an overall better quality whether you’re taking clips or images in front of you, or when you’re shooting yourself in FlexMode.

When in FlexMode it goes into FlexCam which now comes with the Auto Zoom feature. What it does is adjust the zoom on its own depending on the subjects available on this display. When you go up close, it’ll zoom out to make sure your face is in the frame. When you go further away, it’ll zoom in and adjust the framing instantly so you can capture the perfect shot. It should work whether you’re alone or with a group.

On the AI front, it gets the same knick-knacks as the Galaxy Z Fold6. Yes, it also has Live Translate, Portrait Studio, and more.

Samsung also went out of their way to include a vapor chamber in the Galaxy Z Fold6. Previous generations did not have this. So, much like the Galaxy Z Fold6, you should expect a better overall performance and chip efficiency.

The battery also gets a bump from the previous 3,700mAh to now’s 4,000mAh.

Specs:

Main screen: 6.7-inch FHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz Adaptive refresh rate (1~120Hz), Infinity Flex Display (2640 x 1080, 22:9)

Cover screen: 3.4-inch Super AMOLED 60Hz Display, 720 x 748, 306 PPI

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy

Rear dual camera: 12MP Ultra-wide,, 50MP Wide angle

Front camera: 10MP

RAM and Storage: 12GB+512GB, 12GB+256GB

Battery and charging: 4,000mAh dual battery, Fast Wired 25W, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare

Galaxy Buds3 series

You know what’s also getting Galaxy AI? The Galaxy Buds3 series. As mentioned earlier, Live Translate will also work on the Galaxy Buds3 Pro. You can turn on Interpreter in Listening Mode to make use of the feature. Like the Live Translate on the Z Fold6 and ZFlip6, expect about a 3-second delay before the translation kicks in.

Voice Command is smarter than ever. Simply saying two words will let you have music control like stop, pause, play, and skip to next.

The Buds3 Pro, which now has a stem design, is also getting a bunch of new features with AI. This includes Adaptive EQ and Adaptive ANC. These analyze your listening environment and will adjust accordingly. When you’re out and about, it’ll be just enough to make sure you hear your surroundings while still keeping the audio crisp and clear.

For an even smarter and hands-free experience, these adjustments are done with the help of Adaptive Noise Control, Siren Detect, and Voice Detect.

Price and availability

The Galaxy Z Fold6 comes in the following colors. Some are online exclusive: Silver, Pink, Navy, Crafted Black and White.

The Galaxy Z Flip6, likewise will have online exclusives as well as standard colors: Crafted Black, White, Peach, Silver Shadow, Yellpw, Blue, Mint.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Buds3 series will come in Silver and White.

In the USA,The Galaxy Z Fold6, Z Flip6 and Buds3 series will be available for pre-order starting today, July 10, with general availability starting July 24 at Amazon, Best Buy, Samsung.com, and carriers nationwide.

Pricing are as follows:

Galaxy Z Fold6 starts at US$ 1899.99
Galaxy Z Flip6 starts at US$ 1099.99
Galaxy Buds3 is priced at US$ 179.99
Galaxy Buds3 Pro is priced at US$ 249.99

In the Philippines, pricing are as follows:

Galaxy Z Fold6 starts at PhP 105,990
Galaxy Z Flip6 starts at PhP 70,990
Galaxy Buds3 is priced at PhP 8,990
Galaxy Buds3 Pro is priced at PhP 14,990

News

FIFA World Cup: Lenovo’s Referee View received positively by fans

Unique first-person perspective brings action closer to viewers

Published

July 13, 2026

GadgetMatch

Lenovo has revealed that technological advancements at the FIFA World Cup 2026 has made viewers “feel closer” to the action than ever before.

Surveying fans across Australia, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Lenovo bared that 87% say technology is improving the viewing experience.

Close-to-action camera perspectives have also help 84% of surveyed viewers, making them feel they’re right on the pitch.

Of course, Lenovo AI has introduced Referee View throughout the World Cup. This AI-powered technology gives viewers a first-person POV of the match from a referee’s perspective.

Lenovo Referee View has been featured on an average of three times per match across the tournament in over 220 countries and territories worldwide, according to preliminary FIFA data.

Through a lightweight camera mounted on the match official, the technology gives a first-person POV of the match.

And while raw footage is fast-moving and sometimes unstable, Lenovo’s AI-powered video analytics platform automatically transforms the clips into smooth, broadcast-quality video in real-time.

Other findings from Lenovo’s research include:

76% of viewers have seen or heard about Referee View
91% say the close-to-action Referee View POV is appealing
88% say smooth and stable footage is an important part of viewing sports footage
98% say clear picture quality has been important when watching the FIFA World Cup 2026
91% are interested in seeing more technology that creates immersive or close-to-action sports experiences

Apps

Netflix suddenly resurrects 30-day free trials

It’s available only in some countries.

Published

July 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Over the weekend, a report emerged about Disney+ allegedly considering a new tier offered to users for absolutely free. Apparently, Disney isn’t the only one. Netflix is now resurrecting its free trial program in select countries.

Back in the day, it was easy to get into Netflix. With a 30-day free trial, you can watch the shows you’ve always wanted to catch. If you liked what you saw, you can pay the monthly fee to access the entire library without constraints. Eventually, the platform got rid of this system to favor a cheaper ad-supported tier.

Perhaps not seeing the benefits of ad-supported tiers, Netflix has suddenly resurrected its free trial program. Spotted online (via Android Authority), some countries, including Brazil and India, are experimenting with the program again. New users can get 30 days of free Netflix access.

Because only regular users are spotting this (rather than an official announcement), we don’t have a list of where the free trials are available.

Still, it’s an interesting move. Cable isn’t a thing anymore so “cutting the cable” isn’t a popular phrase anymore, but people are definitely cancelling subscriptions over rising prices. Some even rely on short clips from YouTube to catch up with their shows. Having a free trial opens up more possibilities for users, but it remains to be seen whether it’s enough for users to return to Netflix.

Apps

Disney+ might get a free tier

What would you like to see in a free Disney+ tier?

Published

July 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

In a world disappointingly obsessed with increasing prices beyond our means, Disney+ has miraculously remembered the phrase, “free sample.” According to a report, the streaming platform is considering making a free subscription tier.

As of late, it’s been difficult to maintain a healthy collection of streaming services. When you have to pay the equivalent of a full-course meal every month for just a single platform, you start to evaluate which ones really matter.

Perhaps feeling the sting of users leaving the platform over pricing, Disney+ is reportedly experimenting with a tier that comes at no cost to users (via Business Insider). According to two sources, adding such a tier might help the platform reach customers more.

Now, it’s still a mystery how this tier might work. Disney+ already offers an ad-supported tier, so it’s unlikely to be another one like that.

One possibility is a heavily curated feed of content either designed specifically for free users or limited exactly to give users a free sample. For the latter, think of the limited content you get on a plane. Sure, you might get the first three episodes of The Mandalorian, but you’ll have to fork over cash if you want to see the rest of the story.

And for the former, you can imagine short-form content available for free. Going back to Star Wars, you might see a short anthology series like Star Wars: Visions.

Either way, it’s an interesting concept. If the tier does offer full content, it’s a great way to get into franchises you were thinking of trying without the need to spend for a taste.