Samsung’s Galaxy Fold finally has a U.S. launch date. The company’s first foldable phone was supposed to launch on April 25 but it went through a recall and delays after tech journalists reviewing it ran into hardware issues. Five months later, it’s now set to launch on September 27.
The foldable phone, which costs $1,980, will be available unlocked through Samsung and Best Buy, and a separate model will also be sold through AT&T as well. T-Mobile was a part of the initial group of carriers and retailers carrying the phone, but it backed out after the launch delay and has said it isn’t going to be a part of the Fold’s official September launch. People that pre-ordered the phone from AT&T and Samsung had their orders canceled, and Samsung offered up a $250 Samsung store gift card as a recompense.
Those buying the phone will get access to Samsung’s Premier Service, announced a few weeks ago. The service offers up 24/7 access to Samsung technicians, who can provide “tailored guidance and support,” either over the phone, through video chat, or in person.
In July, Samsung said it fixed the Galaxy Fold. What has changed? Samsung showed off the new version at the IFA 2019 tradeshow in Berlin early September — we had a chance to check it out — and explained that it made three adjustments to the hardware to alleviate the issues that plagued the original model.
The new and improved version of the Galaxy Fold comes with software improvements as well. The Android navigation buttons can now occupy either side of the screen (when the Fold is unfolded), making it easier to use one-handed. The YouTube app also can now recognize the Fold’s aspect ratio and can display content in the right manner.
Considering the Galaxy Fold is a new category of smartphone, it’s unsurprising there are hardware issues with the nascent technology. It also explains the unusually high price. As more manufacturers adopt the technology — and there are quite a few that are interested, including Apple — expect the price to come down (and the kinks to be sorted out).
Motorola has built some of my favorite foldables and flagship phones. I had a great time with both the Razr Fold and last year's Signature. So when the company began teasing the Signature 27, I couldn't help be excited. The new model comes with Qualcomm's blazing-fast Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, and better still, it is finally getting a proper global release.
One of the reasons I was obsessed with the last-gen Signature was its amazing price tag. But it seems like that budget flagship dream might be officially dead. Portuguese retailer MegaPC has prematurely listed a 12GB RAM and 512GB storage Signature 27 in Pantone Coal Smoke for €1,594.90 (approx. $1,775).
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.