Technologies

Samsung Unpacked: Everything You Need to Know About The Galaxy Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, Watch 6 and More

The new Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip phones, plus the latest Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Watch, are now official.

Samsung has taken the wraps off its latest devices. On Wednesday at an event in Seoul, South Korea the electronics giant unveiled a host of new devices including the latest Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 folding phones as well as a new Galaxy Tab S9 and Galaxy Watch 6 (complete with the return of a rotating bezel on the Classic).

The new wave of foldable phones were the focus of today’s Samsung Unpacked event, which was the first to take place in the company’s hometown of Seoul.

While Samsung’s entering its fifth consecutive year in the foldable phone market, the devices it’s launching at this year’s Unpacked arrive among a good deal more competition. Google’s $1,800 Pixel Fold is the first Pixel device to adopt a similar style to the Galaxy Z Fold series, in which a traditionally scaled phone unfolds to reveal an inner tablet-size screen. OnePlus is also rumored to have its own foldable phone on the way, which could further disrupt the space.

And after taking a few years off from the US market, Motorola’s new $1,000 Razr Plus is now eyeing Samsung’s Z Flip series, with the newest entry including a larger cover screen that can run most Android apps. We also know Motorola has a more affordable Razr model on the way with a smaller cover screen.

And it’s not only phones. As with Samsung’s past summer Unpacked events, Wednesday included new watches and tablets with the South Korean tech giant introducing a new Galaxy Watch 6 series and Tab S9 tablet line.

Here’s what you need to know about everything Samsung just unveiled.

Galaxy Z Fold 5: New ‘flex hinge’ closes the gap

The Z Fold 5 remains the pinnacle of Samsung’s folding lineup, though as with recent updates, this year’s model is largely iterative with no major redesign. There are improvements, notably a new «flex hinge» that allows the Z Fold 5 to fold completely closed without a gap around the hinge — a first for Samsung’s larger foldable. Also new is a Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 2 processor, just like the Galaxy S23 line, a brighter internal display and a thinner S Pen stylus.

Otherwise, the Z Fold 5 looks similar to the Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 3 with the same sized front and internal screens. It still has a «flex mode» for propping the foldable up like a mini laptop, IPX8 water-resistance and a crease that CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco still found to be visible.

Like recent Z Folds, the new Z Fold 5 will start at $1,800 (£1,749, AU£2,599) when it hits stores on Aug. 11.

Galaxy Z Flip 5: A bigger front screen leads the way

Whereas the Z Fold 5 looks largely similar to older Folds, Samsung gave the Z Flip 5 a bit more of a refresh. New for this year’s Flip line is a redesigned front screen, which goes from 1.9-inches to 3.4-inches. The new front screen allows Samsung to better stack up to Motorola’s recently released Razr Plus and its 3.6-inch front display, though the Z Flip front screen is a bit more limited than Motorola’s offering. Samsung only lets certain apps run on the display at launch.

Beyond the updated front display, the new Z Flip 5 similarly runs on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Gen 2 processor and sports a new hinge that also closes completely flat.

What hasn’t changed is the starting price, as the Z Flip 5 will start at the same $999 (£1,049, AU$1,649) that the Z Flip 4 commanded. The new flip phone is set to hit stores on Aug. 11.

Galaxy Watch 6: Return of the (Classic’s) rotating bezel

Samsung has given the Galaxy Watch 6 sports bigger batteries, larger screens and, at least on the Classic model, the return of the rotating bezel that was last seen on 2021’s Galaxy Watch 4. We’re glad it’s back as Samsung’s choice to cut it out from the Watch 5 line did not make us happy.

While otherwise largely incremental, the new Watch 6 will come in either 40mm or 44mm varieties (with screens running roughly 1.3 inches and 1.5 inches, respectively) while the Classic will arrive in either 43mm or 47mm sizes (sporting similar display sizes).

On the sensor front, the Watch 6 line sports similar sensors including ones for heart rate, skin temperature and bioimpedance (body composition). Google’s Wear OS continues to run the software side, with Samsung touting that a new app for Gmail was coming to the platform. Samsung’s One UI remains a part of the platform, including for better sleep insights.

The new Watch 6 will similarly go on sale on Aug. 11 and starts at $300 (£289, AU$549) for the smaller 40mm size and $330 (£319, AU$599) for the larger 44mm size, $20 more than the initial prices for the Watch 5. The Watch 6 Classic starts at $400 (£349, AU$699) for the smaller, 43mm model and $430 (£399, AU$749) for the bigger, 47mm size.

Galaxy Tab S9: Now water-resistant

Two Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 tablets side by side on a table, two different sizes

The Galaxy Tab family also got a refresh on Wednesday, with the new Tab S9 line sporting improved Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 2 processors and IP68-rated water- and dust-resistant designs (for both the tablet and the S Pen stylus), but like Samsung’s other refreshes are largely incremental. You’ll still find large and impressive AMOLED displays across the line, with screen sizes still ranging from 11-inches on the base S9, 12.4-inches on the S9 Plus and 14.6-inches on the S9 Ultra. There also is a new beige color.

Pricing for the tablets remains high: The S9 is $800 (£700, AU$1,299), the S9 Plus is $1,000 (£999, AU$1,699) and the Ultra is $1,200 (£1,199, AU$1,999). And while a keyboard still costs extra, Samsung still includes an S Pen. Like the other devices that Samsung announced, the new tablets will arrive on Aug. 11.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for July 5, #1477

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for July 5, No. 1,477.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a pretty tough one. I grew up on a farm, so I know the word, but I didn’t put it together right away, even though the letters are common ones. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

There is are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter B.

Wordle hint No. 4: Down on the farm

Today’s Wordle answer describes a piece of farm equipment.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer refers to a machine for making paper, hay, or cotton into bales.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is BALER.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, July 4, No. 1476 was CURVE.

Recent Wordle answers

June 30, No. 1472: BLINK

July 1, No. 1473: MOLDY

July 2, No. 1474: INCUR

July 3, No. 1475: POPPY

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for July 5, #489

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for July 5, No. 489.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

The theme of today’s NYT Strands puzzle isn’t terribly tough, but at least one of the words is unusual and really, really long to unscramble. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Every second counts.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Does anybody really know what time it is?

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

DIAL, SOLE, MOLE, MOLES, SHAKE, CHEEP, ROLE, HOME, LOCK, MEAT, TAME, TAMES, ROLES, ROON, TRON

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

CLOCK, WATCH, SUNDIAL, HOURGLASS, CHRONOMETER

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is TIMEKEEPERS. To find it, look for the T that’s four letters down on the far left, and wind across.

Technologies

Microsoft Is Eliminating Passwords in August: Here’s What You Need to Do to Prepare

Microsoft Authenticator has already stopped autofilling passwords, but the biggest change comes next month.

In June, Microsoft Authenticator stopped letting users create new passwords. In July, it turned off the autofill password function. And in August, the login app will stop supporting passwords entirely, moving to more secure passkeys, such as a PIN, fingerprint or facial recognition.

Attila Tomaschek, CNET’s software senior writer and digital security expert, says that passkeys are a safer alternative to the risky password habits practiced by 49% of US adults, according to a recent survey by CNET.

«Passwords can be cracked, whereas passkeys need both the public and the locally stored private key to authenticate users, which can help mitigate risks like falling victim to phishing and brute-force or credential-stuffing attacks,» Tomaschek said.

Using the same password for several accounts or adding personal hints can be a convenient way to remember your login. But that puts you at a big risk for scammers, identity theft and fraud. Here’s more on Microsoft’s plan for eliminating passwords and how to make the switch to passkeys before August.

When will Microsoft Authenticator stop supporting passwords?

Microsoft Authenticator houses your passwords and lets you sign into all your Microsoft accounts using a PIN, facial recognition like Windows Hello, or other biometric data like a fingerprint. Authenticator can be used in other ways, such as verifying you’re logging in if you forgot your password, or using two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your accounts. In June, the company stopped letting users add passwords to Authenticator, but here’s a timeline of other changes you can expect from Microsoft.

July 2025: You won’t be able to use the autofill password function.
August 2025: You’ll no longer be able to use saved passwords.

If you still want to use passwords instead of passkeys, you can store them in Microsoft Edge. However, CNET experts recommend adopting passkeys during this transition. «Passkeys use public key cryptography to authenticate users, rather than relying on users themselves creating their own (often weak or reused) passwords to access their online accounts,» Tomaschek said.

Why are passkeys a better alternative to passwords?

So what exactly is a passkey? It’s a credential created by the Fast Identity Online Alliance that uses biometric data or a PIN to verify your identity and access your account. Think about using your fingerprint or Face ID to log into your account. That’s generally safer than using a password that is easy to guess or susceptible to a phishing attack.

Passkeys aren’t stored on servers like passwords. Instead, they’re stored only on your personal device. More conveniently, this takes the guesswork out of remembering your passwords and the need for a password manager.

How to set up a passkey in Microsoft Authenticator

Microsoft said in a May 1 blog post that it will automatically detect the best passkey to set up and make that your default sign-in option. «If you have a password and ‘one-time code’ set up on your account, we’ll prompt you to sign in with your one-time code instead of your password. After you’re signed in, you’ll be prompted to enroll a passkey. Then the next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to sign in with your passkey,» according to the blog post.

To set up a new passkey, open your Authenticator app on your phone. Tap on your account and select «Set up a passkey.» You’ll be prompted to log in with your existing credentials. After you’re logged in, you can set up the passkey.