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

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
Apple Gave Us the Neo, Now It Might Be Planning a High-End MacBook Ultra
The company might launch its most sophisticated MacBook ever, with its first OLED screen.
Apple went budget with the MacBook Neo. Now reportedly the company is preparing to go high end, and high price.
Apple is gearing up to launch a MacBook «Ultra» in the fall, outfitted with the first OLED display in MacBook history, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
Gurman says the new laptop will have a touchscreen and new M6 chips. Last month, Bloomberg reported that Apple could be launching its first touchscreen MacBook — with a Dynamic Island. The Dynamic Island is a feature on more recent iPhone models — iPhone 14 and later — that’s shaped like a long horizontal pill atop the screen and shows alerts, notifications, timers and music.
It if happens, the Ultra would be at the opposite end of the cost spectrum from the Neo, which Apple launched earlier this month for $599 as a rival to Chromebooks and Windows laptops in the same price range. Gurman says the MacBook Ultra could cost 20 percent more than the new MacBook Pro (M5 series), which Apple lists at $1,699.
If you want to read more about the new Neo, CNET has been all over it: Here’s why students might love it, the colors we liked and didn’t like and why the Neo is a really is a game-changer.
Gurman suggested that Apple might keep selling the M5 series MacBook Pro even after the Ultra launches. That would give the company a wider range of MacBooks at various costs — the Neo ($599), the Air (starting at $1,099), the Pro ($1,699) and the Ultra.
Tech analyst Paolo Pescatore said adding the premium MacBook Ultra would «signal a clear shift in strategy» for Apple.
«If this turns out to be the case, then Apple appears to be stretching the Mac further upmarket,» Pescatore told CNET. «The opportunity is to drive higher spending and keep premium users firmly within Apple’s ecosystem. The challenge will be avoiding confusion, especially if the lines between MacBook Pro and iPad Pro become even more blurred.»
Gurman also said that Apple’s first foldable iPhone, rumored to be launched later this year, might be called the «iPhone Ultra.»
Technologies
AI Is One of the Least-Liked Things in America, According to New NBC Poll
The poll finds that AI is viewed less positively than ICE and President Donald Trump, and only more positively than Iran and the Democratic Party.
Artificial intelligence has rapidly become embedded in everything from phones to schoolwork to war plans. And that means everyone is likely to have an opinion about the technology.
A new national survey conducted for NBC News highlights a striking disconnect between the spread of AI tools and Americans’ views on them. The poll, which ran from Feb. 27 to March 3, asked 1,000 registered voters about their views on topics ranging from border security to the new pope.
Only 26% of voters said they view AI positively, 46% view it negatively, and 28% said they feel unsure or have no opinion, leaving AI with a net favorability of -20. In the study, AI ranked less favorably than US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, President Donald Trump, former Vice President Kamala Harris, the Republican Party and The Late Show host Stephen Colbert. (Pope Leo XIV was by far the most popular person respondents were asked about.)
Among the rankings, AI is one of the least popular topics in the survey — ranking only slightly more positively than Iran and the Democratic Party.
A growing disconnect between AI and public opinion
There is a notable disconnect between the industry’s ongoing push for AI adoption and how Americans feel about it.
Tech companies are currently investing millions of dollars into developing generative AI tools and physical AI. In the last week alone, OpenAI released its latest GPT 5.4 model and AI companies made moves to work with the US Department of Defense. At the same time, Americans are growing increasingly wary of the technology.
The mismatch between adoption and public sentiment seems to be driven by concerns about AI’s broader impact, such as job displacement, privacy issues, the spread of misinformation and the undermining of human-made work.
For companies and policymakers going all in on AI, the biggest challenge will be less about developing the next slew of innovative chatbot models or AI devices and more about persuading the public that the technology can be trusted.
Technologies
Just $30 Will Get You 3 Months of the 5GB Mint Mobile Phone Plan
Finding a phone plan for $10 a month was impossible until this Mint Mobile deal came along.
If you told me I could get a three-month cell plan for just $30, I probably wouldn’t believe you. But that’s exactly what Mint Mobile is offering right now. If you pay for three months of 5GB cell service upfront, you can score it for just $30.
New customers to Mint Mobile can score a 5GB wireless plan for just $10 per month for the first three months. The only catch is you have to use the code 5GB10 and pay $30 upfront for the full term. The usual price is $45 for three months, meaning this is a 33% discount.
After the three-month period, the plan renews at $25 per month for three months. If you really like the plan, you can opt for the six-month version, which can lower the monthly cost to $20. You can also track your data usage in the Mint Mobile app and switch to a better-suited data plan when it’s time to renew.
Don’t forget a new phone to go with your new phone plan. Take a look at the best phone deals you can score right now.
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It seems like everything is becoming more and more expensive these days. That’s why saving wherever you can makes a huge difference. The phone bill is one thing that is here to stay, and that’s why this deal of $10 per month is really unbeatable. Just keep in mind you’ll have to pay the full three months upfront. But even that is just $30 total. Be sure to use code 5GB10 for the discount.
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