Technologies

Samsung Wants to Turn Your iPhone Into a Foldable Phone… Sort Of

It’s Samsung’s latest marketing ploy to lure iPhone users over to its Galaxy devices.

Just about every major smartphone company has released a foldable phone, or has announced plans to do so.

Except Apple.

Samsung is well aware of that fact, and it’s using the iPhone maker’s absence in an attempt to win over Apple loyalists. The South Korean tech giant just released an update for its Try Galaxy app that lets users simulate the experience of using Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold device by placing two iPhones side by side. The feature is available on Android phones too, but Samsung just expanded the Try Galaxy app to work on iPhones.

The update comes after Samsung launched its latest foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, at a high-profile event in Seoul last month with appearances from celebrities such as BTS’ Suga and Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney. Samsung’s app may be a marketing ploy, but it’s also another sign that it sees foldables as being a key part of its strategy in competing with Apple, its biggest rival in the global smartphone market.

Using the app on your iPhone involves scanning a QR code from Samsung, which is available in the company’s press release. Doing so will allow you to add a shortcut to Samsung’s Try Galaxy app to an iPhone’s home screen. Launching the shortcut pulls up a simulation of Samsung’s One UI Android software. But those who have two iPhones handy can use them together to imitate how the software would look on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold.

There are a couple of short demos available to try in this mode, such as an air hockey game and an animated video of an ocean scene showing a whale and other aquatic creatures swimming across screens. These demos aren’t very reflective of what it’s like to actually use the Galaxy Z Fold, but Samsung is clearly trying to illustrate what apps can look like when spread across two displays.

An air hockey video game being shown on two iPhones.

Still, using the Galaxy Z Fold feels notably different. I’ve tried several generations of the Galaxy Z Fold, and its biggest advantage is the way regular apps, like Netflix, Chrome and YouTube, are displayed on a much larger screen. Putting two phones together doesn’t accurately re-create that experience.

An animated video showing a fish and coral underwater across two iPhones.

But Samsung’s demo does show how apps work in split-screen mode, which can be helpful for those considering switching to a foldable device. In this demo, you are prompted to open the messages app on one iPhone and the photo gallery app on the other. From there, a prompt instructs the user to drag and drop photos from one iPhone into the messages app displayed on its companion iPhone. It provides a relatively realistic representation of what it’s like to use Samsung’s multitasking features. However, it’s worth remembering that the Z Fold’s shape is different from that of a regular phone, so apps in split-screen mode won’t look exactly like using two phones side by side.

Since the Try Galaxy app is a limited demo, I couldn’t re-create the exact experience on my Galaxy Z Fold 4. But the image below shows how three split-screen apps look on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 compared to Samsung’s app.

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4 (left) and Samsung's Try Galaxy app running on two iPhones (right).

Samsung certainly has incentive to promote its foldable devices. It’s facing more competition than ever from new entrants like Google and OnePlus and existing rivals like Motorola and Oppo, all of which have released or are planning to launch new foldable phones this year.

Worldwide shipments of foldable phones are also expected to grow more than 50% in 2023, according to market research firm International Data Corporation, giving Samsung and others more motivation to invest in the space. IDC’s report also refers to foldables as the «one positive talking point» in the smartphone industry, considering the market declined more than 11% last year.

Apple hasn’t mentioned any plans to release a foldable iPhone. But the company is rumored to be working on a foldable device that could arrive in 2025, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is known for his Apple product predictions. He believes Apple could release a «foldable iPad» or an iPhone-iPad hybrid, as he posted on Twitter (now called X) in April 2022.

Still, it’s unclear if or when Apple will ever launch a foldable device. And Samsung is sure to keep reminding users of that until we hear from Apple.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Flexes Its Foldable Beauty

A photo of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 taking a photo

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Technologies

Chrome Autofill Now Supports Passport, Driver’s License and Vehicle Info

Soon, you’ll never need to remember anything ever again.

Computer users are accustomed to web browsers autofilling everything from names and addresses to credit card numbers. Now, Google Chrome is adding new enhanced autofill options that allow users to automatically populate fields for passports, driver’s licenses, and their vehicle’s license plate or VIN, Google said in a blog post on Monday.

Desktop users must choose to turn on the feature, which is called enhanced autofill. Otherwise, it stays off. To turn it on, open Chrome, and at the top right of your browser, select more, then settings, then autofill and passwords. Finally, choose enhanced autofill and turn it in.

Google says Chrome now can «better understand complex forms and varied formatting requirements, improving accuracy across the web.» The company also says that enhanced autofill will be «private and secure.»

This enhanced autofill update is available in all languages, and more data options will be supported in the coming months.

A representative for Google said the company had no additional comment.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Chrome is a critical component in Google’s business. The web browser, currently the most popular in the world with a 73% market share, according to GlobalStats, provides the company with valuable user data that it uses to sell advertising. Advertising is how Google makes the majority of its revenues. New features help keep users loyal to Chrome, making it more difficult for them to switch to other browsers, including those from companies like Perplexity and OpenAI.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 4, #407

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 4, No. 407.

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

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle makers will never run out of categories because they have discovered they can just pick one athlete and make a connections group out of four facts about that person. They do that today with the blue category, so if you don’t know that one player, you’re out of luck. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Get up and go!

Green group hint: College hoops.

Blue group hint: Famous basketball player.

Purple group hint: Not fair, but…

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Energy.

Green group: Men’s college basketball teams with the most championships.

Blue group: Associated with Damian Lillard.

Purple group: Foul ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is energy. The four answers are pep, verve, vigor and zip.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is men’s college basketball teams with the most championships. The four answers are Kentucky, UCLA, UCONN and UNC.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with Damian Lillard. The four answers are 0, Dame Time, Trail Blazers and Weber State.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is foul ____. The four answers are out, shot, territory and tip.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Nov. 4

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Nov. 4.

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

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? There are a few tricky clues, so read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.