Technologies

Forget the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Foldables Should Look Like the Microsoft Surface Duo

Commentary: Google almost had the right form factor with the first Pixel Fold. It took the wrong path by copying Samsung.

Google almost got it right with the first Pixel Fold.

As Google unveils its latest foldable, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, at this year’s Made by Google event, I keep thinking about the original Pixel Fold. Released in 2023, it was far from a perfect phone. It was underpowered, had a thick inner bezel and couldn’t open completely flat. Even then, it was a beautiful device with a shiny stainless steel chassis that felt substantial in the hand. Not only that, it was wide. The passport-like form factor made it squat in comparison to slab-style iPhones and Galaxys, but when opened up, it had an almost TV-like 17:9 aspect ratio.

Then, with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold the following year, Google threw out the Moleskine for Galaxy Z Fold-style safety.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold axed its predecessor’s passport-like form factor for a slab that happened to fold open. Literally, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold had the same outer screen aspect ratio as the Pixel 9 Pro. Here, Google was folding (no pun intended) to industry trends, following similar form factors of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, OnePlus Open, Xiaomi’s MIX Fold 4 and others.

Apart from the first Pixel Fold, the only other phone to go squat and wide was the first Oppo Find N from 2021. YouTuber Marques Brownlee went so far as to call it the best folding phone, in terms of form factor. Since then, Oppo dropped the passport for a folding slab, as can be seen with the Oppo Find N5.

Why all foldables look the same

A major reason all foldable phone makers have adopted a similar form factor is app support. The outer display on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a more typical slab phone aspect ratio, meaning apps better conform to its standard smartphone-like screen. And when opened, loading up two apps side-by-side fits well on what’s essentially a long rectangle.

«That’s what led us to say, ‘Hey, we need to make this a phone first in terms of design,'» Claude Zellweger, Google’s director of industrial design, said in a 2024 blog post about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

The other issue is Android’s limited app support for tablets. The iPad, which has strong support from Apple, sells well and gets plenty of app updates to support its wider form factor. The same can’t be said for Android tablets. Many Android apps aren’t optimized for wider tablet aspect ratios. It’s a recurring complaint from fans and tech columnists. It doesn’t help that Google hasn’t put in a strong effort in the tablet space either, with the company axing its Pixel Tablet line after just one attempt.

So, when you tried to run Reddit or some other popular third-party apps on the Pixel Fold’s wide screen, the app would have black bars on both sides, essentially running in the same aspect ratio as a typical phone. This problem persists on taller foldables as well; it just isn’t as prominent.

Who’ll make a foldable that gets it right?

Despite the anemic support for tablet apps, I’d love to see a foldable phone with the measurements of the Microsoft Surface Duo. Released in 2020, it was a half-step toward what foldable phones are today. Instead of having a foldable inner display, it was two screens bisected by a hinge. It really felt like holding a metal and glass Moleskine notebook. The inner two displays on the Surface Duo had a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is also square-like. This is largely due to its chunky inner bezels. Foldable screen tech has come a long way since. Assuming Microsoft were to make a true foldable in 2025 with minimal bezels, the inner display could have a wide 24:9 aspect ratio. It would be a beastly device for watching YouTube, Netflix or playing games. And rotating it would feed my eyes an endless scroll of Instagram Reels brainrot.

The likelihood of any foldable phone-maker bisecting a 16:9 or 21:9 screen is slim. Honestly, if any phone-maker could do something so daring, it’d be Apple. Rumors have been floating for some time that Apple is working on a clamshell-like foldable for 2027. If Apple does decide to jump into the world of book-style foldables, thanks to the iPad, a wide foldable iPhone would be ready to go without the need for developers to massively overhaul their apps. Assuming Apple does do a squat and wide foldable, that move would likely prompt the rest of the smartphone market to (again, I apologize for the pun), fold.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 29, #963

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Jan. 29 #963.

Looking for the most recent 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, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

What a fun NYT Connections puzzle today! There’s a favorite children’s story in one group, and four classic author surnames that, naturally, don’t show up in an «author surname» category. Read on for clues and all of today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

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

Yellow group hint: Maybe it’s Maybelline.

Green group hint: Too hot, too cold, just right.

Blue group hint: Raise a cup.

Purple group hint: They all sound like words with a similar meaning.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Makeup.

Green group: Featured in Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Blue group: Ending with drinking vessels.

Purple group: Homophones of words meaning «brutal.»

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

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is makeup. The four answers are bronzer, foundation, liner and stain.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is featured in Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The four answers are bear, bed, Goldilocks and porridge.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is ending with drinking vessels. The four answers are fiberglass, Silverstein, smug and stumbler.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is homophones of words meaning «brutal.» The four answers are Gorey, Grimm, grizzly and Scarry.

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

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Jan. 29, #493

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 29, No. 493.

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 features some tricky terms. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle 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 appear in the NYT Games app, but it does 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: Checkmate!

Green group hint: Think Nadia Comăneci.

Blue group hint: Soccer stars.

Purple group hint: H2O.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Chess pieces.

Green group: Gymnastics terms.

Blue group: Premier League Golden Boot winners.

Purple group: Water ____.

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 chess pieces. The four answers are bishop, pawn, queen and rook.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is gymnastics terms. The four answers are handspring, round-off, salto and twist.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Premier League Golden Boot winners. The four answers are

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is water ____. The four answers are bottle, boy, hazard and polo.

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

Technologies

Google Gives Chrome an AI Side Panel and Lets Gemini Browse for You

The update also includes Nano Banana image tools and deeper integrations with Google apps like Gmail, Calendar, Maps and Flights.

Google is turning Chrome into something closer to a digital copilot.

In the next wave of Gemini updates rolling out, Google on Wednesday revealed a set of new AI-powered features coming directly to its browser, aimed at reducing the frustrations of exploring the internet each day. Built on Gemini 3, the updates introduce an always-available side panel, deeper app integrations, creative image tools and a new browser agent called auto browse that can complete multistep tasks on your behalf.

Essentially, Google wants Chrome to be like an AI wingman that browses, compares and multitasks for you.

Now you can automate browsing

To me, the standout new addition is auto browse, a browser agent designed to handle tedious and time-consuming chores. Instead of hopping between tabs, filling out forms or manually comparing prices of things like products or flights, you can ask Chrome to do the legwork.

Auto browse can research flights and hotels across different dates, collect documents, schedule appointments, manage subscriptions and help with tasks like renewing a driver’s license or filing expense reports.

In a live demo I saw, Product Lead Charmaine D’Silva used the new tools to plan a family vacation. Gemini compared destinations and prices across multiple travel sites, checked school calendars to see when her kids were off and lined up schedules to find workable travel windows. When it came time to book, though, D’Silva emphasized that the final decision and purchase were still hers, underscoring Google’s plan to keep humans in control for key tasks like booking and purchases.

The feature is rolling out to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US now, signaling Google’s broader push toward more agentic AI experiences.

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

A new side panel experience

Another update rolling out now is a redesigned Gemini side panel in Chrome, available across MacOS, Windows and Chromebook Plus. Instead of opening a separate tab, Gemini now lives alongside whatever you’re working on, making it easier to multitask without breaking your flow. Testers have used it to summarize reviews across sites, compare shopping options and juggle packed calendars while keeping their main task front and center.

AI image editing with Nano Banana

Chrome is also trying to become more creative. Google is bringing Nano Banana, its AI image editing and generation tool, directly into the browser. You can now edit and reimagine images you find on the web without downloading files or switching apps — whether that’s mocking up a living room redesign or turning raw data into an infographic at work.

Chrome connects with other Google apps

Under the hood, Gemini in Chrome is becoming more connected to the rest of Google’s ecosystem. Integrations with Gmail, Calendar, Maps, YouTube, Google Flights and Shopping will allow the assistant to pull in relevant context and take action across apps. Planning a trip, for example, could involve referencing an old email, checking flight options and drafting a follow-up email to your travel companions. Now all in one place.

More to come

Looking ahead, Google says personal intelligence is coming to Chrome in the coming months. With user opt-in, Gemini will remember context from past interactions to deliver more tailored, proactive help across the web, while giving you control over what data is connected and when.