Technologies

Samsung’s One UI Code Hints at Existence of ‘Wide’ Galaxy Z Fold

The company’s latest Android application packages, spotted by a leaker online, include references to animations for the rumored phone.

We may see a wide version of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold phone sooner rather than later, according to a report by Android Authority using Android Package files spotted by known leaker wr3ckl3ss. The latest One UI 9 build includes light and dark mode animations for a new foldable phone, which could be the wide Samsung Galaxy Z Fold.

The latest data scraped from Samsung’s One UI Android APKs has a product codename — «H8» — plastered all over it. Android Authority’s previous reporting connected the H8 to a device model number SM-F971U, which is rumored to be a wide Galaxy Z Fold phone. While data scraped from APKs doesn’t always make it to a full release of the software, the mention of new hardware is a good flag for what’s being internally developed.

It’s important to note that there are still no leaked photos or concrete visual assets indicating the existence of the wide Galaxy Z Fold. Several crude AI mockups have circulated online, generated in response to features that might show up on Samsung’s rumored phone, but no leaker has produced real photos of the device.

A representative for Samsung didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Most of our knowledge about this new Galaxy Z Fold is derived from a Korean report from Etnews, which says Samsung has been working on a device referred to internally as the «Wide Fold.» While the latest info gleaned from the APKs doesn’t offer insight into how the phone will look, this report claims the Wide Fold will be squarer and boxier, with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The phone could have a 7.6-inch internal screen when open, and a 5.4-inch external display when folded, according to the report.

Samsung’s rumored wide foldable phone might be designed to shake up its lineup just as Apple is rumored to bring its first iPhone Fold to the market in 2026. It also follows the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Trifold earlier this year.

The H8 animations included in the latest One UI APKs are the most compelling developments surrounding this phone we’ve seen yet, and they might lend credence to the idea that we’ll hear more about the Wide Fold through official Samsung channels soon.

Technologies

AT&T Says It’s Pumping $250 Billion Into New Infrastructure Improvements

Technologies

Apple’s New Smart Home Display Delayed Until Fall Over Siri Issues

It has been nearly a year and a half since the company announced the AI-powered product.

Your home could get smarter with Apple’s Siri, but it will have to wait a few more months. Bloomberg reported the iPad-shaped AI home hub won’t be ready until September, several months after the company was hoping to launch it this spring. Apple engineers first need to complete work on a new and improved Siri assistant for the home device, code-named J490, according to Bloomberg.

Apple was hoping to release J490 this month, along with a slew of other new devices, including the iPhone 17e, MacBook Neo, MacBook Air M5, new Pro models, and iPad Air M4. Apple first teased the smart home display in November 2024.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Siri is Apple’s virtual assistant that uses voice recognition and AI to fulfill a variety of tasks and commands, along with intriguing uses. You might use Siri to find your iPhone — «Hey Siri, where are you?» — or to hear the weather forecast — «Siri, what will the weather be today?» Siri is available on iPhones, MacBooks and iPads. It was launched in 2011 as a feature of the iPhone 4S.

As CNET reported last month, Apple engineers have struggled to push the upgraded Siri assistant out the door. It isn’t fast enough, gets confused by complex commands and doesn’t interact well with other Apple AI models. The company is also wrestling with how much personal data to access to inform the AI, and the new Siri is not yet able to complete in-app tasks, such as finding a photo and posting it to socials, all with one command.

It has been nearly two years since Apple announced that it would give Siri a major upgrade. In the meantime, competitors like Alexa Plus and Gemini for Home have entered the marketplace.

Tech tester Jon Rettinger, whose YouTube channel has 1.66 million subscribers, says the repeated delays in upgrading Siri can «erode» confidence in Apple’s ability to keep up in the AI race.

«Apple as a whole is still one of the strongest companies on the planet. But their AI play is clearly the weakest link in an otherwise very strong chain,» Rettinger told CNET.

Rettinger said he has had issues getting Siri to complete basic commands, such as setting two alarms at the same time, and that it’s a bit of «a mess» right now.

«Having said that, the iPhone has such massive market penetration that I’m not sure it will actually matter in the end. Which is kind of wild when you think about it,» Rettinger said.

Facial recognition for residents

The hardware for the forthcoming smart home display has already been finished. It resembles an iPad and can be either attached to a wall or rest on a half-domed-shaped base, the Bloomberg report said.

The device will be equipped with facial recognition, so when residents walk up to it, they will be shown personalized data such as music preferences, news headlines, appointments, reminders, tasks and so on.

The screen interface will include a bunch of circular app icons, similar to the display on an Apple Watch. The Bloomberg report said the smart home display will be the first of several home devices by Apple. Future products include a tabletop robotic limb with a 9-inch screen, a smart security camera and a Face ID-enabled smart doorbell.