Technologies
Galaxy Z Fold 5: Everything I Want From Samsung’s Next Foldable
Commentary: Above all else, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 needs more features you can’t get elsewhere that make use of its bendable screen.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a slightly tweaked design, an updated camera that brings it up to speed with the Galaxy S22 and a new processor. These are steps in the right direction, but there are plenty of ways Samsung could further improve its larger foldable phone.
The biggest change I’m hoping to see in the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s successor (which will likely be called the Galaxy Z Fold 5) is more software that takes advantage of its foldable shape. Having a giant screen that fits in your pocket is great. But Samsung needs to provide a more convincing argument if it truly wants foldables to be appealing to more than just early adopters.
The Galaxy Z Fold is on its fourth generation, yet foldables still haven’t had the breakout moment Samsung has been waiting for. Although sales of foldable phones are growing, they will only account for 1.1% of the overall smartphone market in 2022, according to projections from the International Data Corporation.
Samsung typically releases its new foldable phones in August. Here’s everything I’m hoping to see from the Galaxy Z Fold 5 next year.
More software features
Yes, the Galaxy Z Fold’s design is what makes it noteworthy. But impressive hardware doesn’t mean much without the software to go with it. Samsung has done a lot to improve the way apps work across the Z Fold’s 7.6-inch inner display in the years since its launch. For example, the Z Fold 4 has a dock that sits at the bottom of the screen for quickly accessing apps, as well as the ability to use the bottom half of the screen as a touchpad when in Flex Mode.
The problem is that these features don’t do a great job at convincing users why they should want a foldable phone in the first place. Instead, they just make the process of using apps on the Z Fold slightly easier and more convenient.
I don’t think any company has answered that question adequately just yet, but I have seen some promising attempts. Microsoft’s Surface Duo 2, for example, turns into a digital book when you open the Kindle app, complete with page-turn animations. It’s worth remembering, however, that the Surface Duo is different from the Z Fold since it consists of two separate displays joined together by a hinge. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is also a much better phone overall thanks to its superior camera and smoother software improvements, among other benefits.
Samsung was among the first to release a foldable phone, meaning it’s had a longer lead time than most competitors in this department. That’s why I’m hoping to see more ambitious features from Samsung in future versions of the Galaxy Z Fold.
An embedded S Pen
The S Pen could help Samsung address that critical question of who the Galaxy Z Fold is for. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and 4 both support the S Pen, but you must buy it separately and there’s no storage mechanism for it. Instead, Samsung should bundle the S Pen with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and add a way to conveniently store it within or attach it to the device.
Doing so could make the Galaxy Z Fold 5 even more useful for taking notes, sketching and editing documents. That might not be important to everyone, but it could make the Z Fold more appealing to the productivity-oriented crowd that Samsung seems to be targeting. It would also make the Z Fold’s high price a bit easier to swallow since you’ll be getting more for your money.
Samsung hasn’t discussed its plans for the Galaxy Z Fold series. But a report from The Elec says Samsung has cited the addition of an S Pen slot as a key challenge that must be overcome to make foldables more popular. That means Samsung may at least be thinking about bundling the S Pen with its future foldables.
A less noticeable crease
Samsung has gradually refined the Z Fold’s design over the years, but the crease hasn’t gone away just yet. Although it’s not always visible, you can feel the crease when running your finger across the screen. Reducing the crease could make the Galaxy Z Fold feel more like a regular tablet when opened.
Samsung may be the leader when it comes to foldable phones, but other companies are making quick progress when it comes to shrinking the crease. Take Huawei and Oppo, the latter of which is one of the world’s biggest smartphone makers.
The screen on Huawei’s Mate XS 2 wraps around the front of the device so that it can function as a regular phone when folded and a tablet when opened — a design that makes the crease barely existent. CNET’s Sareena Dayaram recently tried Oppo’s new Find N2 foldable, writing that she “hardly ever saw or felt the crease.” These advancements make me wish I saw more progress from Samsung in this regard. There’s a chance Samsung may be looking into how to address this, considering The Elec’s report also suggests Samsung is interested in reducing the Z Fold’s crease.
A thinner design
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a sturdy build and a wide cover screen. But it still feels cumbersome to use as a regular phone when closed. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 measures 0.5 to 0.6 inch thick when folded, whereas the iPhone 14 and Galaxy S22 both measure roughly 0.3 inch thick. That extra bulk might not bother those who primarily use their Galaxy Z Fold unfolded in tablet mode. But it’s another barrier to adoption for those who aren’t yet convinced of the promise of foldable phones.
A lower price
With a regular price of $1,800, calling the Galaxy Z Fold 4 expensive might be an understatement. You’ll get a discount when trading in an old device, with Samsung listing the 256GB model for $900 with an eligible trade-in. But that still lands at the high end of the spectrum compared to many nonfolding phones, like those in the Galaxy S22 lineup and Pixel 7 family.
Samsung is at least aware of this conundrum. “It’s definitely a challenge that we are tackling, and we will need to tackle,” TM Roh, president and head of Samsung’s mobile experience business, said in an interview with CNET earlier this year regarding the Z Fold’s price.
Foldable phones are still a nascent part of the broader smartphone market, but changes like these could push them closer to becoming viable alternatives to our everyday devices. Samsung helped popularize the big-screen phones we use today with its first Galaxy Note phone back in 2011. It’s trying to do the same with foldables, but there are clearly still challenges to overcome.
Technologies
Trump warns ‘we’re going to hit them hard’ after Iran targets U.S. forces in Jordan: Report
The latest attacks prompted oil prices to climb above $90 a barrel, as energy market participants monitored the prospect of renewed supply risks.
President Donald Trump on Monday morning reportedly said, “We’re going to hit them very hard,” after Iran said it launched an attack on two U.S. bases in Jordan in response to an American strike on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.
“There will be a response,” Trump said on a call to Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst, according to Yingst.
The president also reportedly told Fox that U.S. air defense systems intercepted all but one of the missiles launched at the bases by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, and that the remaining missile was allowed to pass through after it was determined that it would not strike anything significant.
The Guard said the U.S. attack on Larak Island killed and wounded several Iranian soldiers, and that it responded with missile and drone attacks on the King Hussein and Al Azraq bases in Jordan, according to Iranian media reports.
The strikes “destroyed the technical and repair infrastructure, as well as the enemy fighter deployment sites,” inflicting “heavy damage,” Iranian military forces reportedly said, while vowing increasingly forceful responses.
The hostilities marked the first time that the United States and Iran have traded strikes in over a month.
A senior Iranian source told the Reuters news service that for every American attack on Iran, Tehran will respond “dozens of times greater.”
“No target in the region is beyond Tehran’s reach,” the source told Reuters.
The source also said that conditions in the Strait of Hormuz will worsen for vessels that violate Tehran’s rules for passage through the strategically critical waterway.
American forces hit two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday after the U.S. military said Tehran’s Guard was preparing rockets carrying sea mines for launch into the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command confirmed to MS NOW.
“Earlier today U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a U.S. Central Command spokesperson, said in a statement to MS NOW.
“Last week, CENTCOM completed clearing sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes. U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” he said.
Larak, a small Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, has become a key military and shipping control point for Tehran, used by the Guard to monitor vessel traffic through one of the world’s most important maritime routes.
Sunday’s attack was the first publicly acknowledged U.S. strike on Iranian positions since late July.
The back-and-forth strikes come as the U.S. Defense Department on Monday announced that it had reached seven-year procurement contracts with General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin to increase production quantities and speed up delivery schedules for “critical subcomponents” for systems used to intercept ballistic missiles.
The systems are Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement.
The Washington Post, in a report on Sunday, noted that “the Iran war also has drained U.S. supplies of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors — vital not only to the protection of American assets in the Middle East but to regional allies as well — and long-range Tomahawk missiles.”
“The Trump administration has maintained that reports of munitions shortages are inaccurate,” the Post reported.
The war has dragged on for six months and sharply disrupted vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy shipments.
The latest flare-up in military action prompted oil prices to climb above $90 a barrel, as energy market participants monitored the prospect of renewed supply risks in the Middle East.
International benchmark Brent crude
Trump on Monday extended his military threats against Iran to Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export terminal.
Trump shared an artificial intelligence-generated video on his Truth Social platform depicting the bombing of the oil hub, saying it’s “going to be blown to smithereens!”
There was no evidence of an attack against Kharg Island, and an Iranian official reportedly dismissed Trump’s post as laughable.
On Monday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said a supertanker had caught fire and was left disabled in the southern Strait of Hormuz after striking two naval mines, saying they were not complying with Iran’s rules for passage, according to Iranian media reports. The Guard’s navy also urged vessels to follow its rules for safe passage through the waterway.
Separately, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that the U.S. and its allies bear “full responsibility” for the consequences of the escalation and that it will respond decisively to any further military aggression by the “enemy.”
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said Monday that the country was working to achieve a diplomatic agreement to bring an end to the conflict, adding the continuation of war “serves neither our interests nor those of the region or humanity.”
Speaking alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kyrgyzstan, Pezeshkian said Monday that the U.S. side “has not fulfilled its commitments,” state media reported.
The U.S. Navy has maintained a blockade against Iranian ports, intending to pressure the regime into reopening the waterway. Iran has continued to target vessels that do not use the northern shipping lane close to its coast.
Another tanker was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting inbound in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, using the southern lane along the Omani coast, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Centre. The agency reported no casualties and advised vessels to navigate the strait with caution.
Technologies
Brent Crude Breaches $90 As U.S.-Iran Hostilities Resume
Oil prices soared to $90.34 per barrel after U.S. forces attacked Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, reigniting tensions between Washington and Tehran.
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Technologies
Brent Crude Surges Beyond $90 Following U.S. Strike on Iranian Launchers
Oil prices surged past $90 after U.S. forces targeted Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, sparking renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran amid an ongoing Middle East conflict.
International crude oil prices surged on Monday following U.S. forces targeting two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, signaling a resumption of hostilities between Washington and Tehran.
Brent crude futures for September delivery rose 3.3% to $90.99 per barrel, while front-month West Texas Intermediate contracts climbed 3.6% to $86.36.
“Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a U.S. Central Command spokesperson, stated that U.S. forces had indeed struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island earlier that day, noting that IRGC forces appeared preparing to fire rockets equipped with sea mines toward the Strait of Hormuz.”
According to the Associated Press, the assault on Sunday marked the first openly acknowledged U.S. operation against Iranian positions since late July.
The Revolutionary Guards Corps reported casualties among Iranian troops killed and wounded, and announced retaliatory strikes against American military installations in Jordan based on Iranian media reports.
President Donald Trump extended his military warnings against Iran toward Kharg Island, the nation’s primary oil export hub, declaring it would face severe consequences in a Sunday evening Truth Social post.
Vessel movement across the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for global energy shipments, has suffered significant disruption due to the ongoing Middle East conflict now entering its sixth month.
“Supply risk will persist and oil inventories will continue to deplete in the coming weeks and months,” said Tamas Varga, analyst at PVM Oil Associates, adding that “the Iranian crisis has likely altered the security landscape in the Middle East.”
Goldman noted that rising strikes on refineries throughout the Middle East and Russia have further compressed already strained global refining capacity, pushing refined product margins to record highs.
—Verum’s Anniek Bao contributed to the report.
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