Microsoft is holding an event on September 22nd, where we’re expecting the company to announce a number of new Surface devices to debut alongside Windows 11. Among them is the Surface Pro 8, the latest detachable tablet in the company’s lineup. While not much is known about the device yet, a new report from The Vergesuggests that the Surface Pro 8 might finally come with Thunderbolt 4 support. Specifically, the report suggests that “at least one model” of the Surface Pro 8 will support Thunderbolt.
If true, this would be a big deal. Thunderbolt has been the standard for docking stations and high-speed peripherals for quite some time. Not only can you use a Thunderbolt dock to get a myriad of ports from a single connection, you can also connect things like external GPUs and some monitors.
For years, Microsoft has stayed away from the Thunderbolt standard, though, and instead uses its proprietary Surface Connect port for docking. This has advantages such as it being a magnetic connector, which makes it easier to plug in, plus the cable will simply detach if you pull on it instead of dragging your device to the floor. But it also means the ecosystem of peripherals is much smaller. You can’t connect an external GPU with a Surface Connect port, for example.
According to a leaked video from Microsoft last year, the lack of Thunderbolt support is due to security concerns, so it’s interesting to see the company backtrack on this. Thunderbolt 4 has some new security features, though, so that could be why.
Regardless, there are reasons to be skeptical, too. The report doesn’t indicate support for Thunderbolt on any other Surface device, which would be an odd omission. With the Surface Book 4 being the more powerful device, it would make sense for that to also include support for Thunderbolt. We’re just over one week away from the event, so we won’t have long to find out. In the meantime, you can check out what we’re hoping to see in the Surface Pro 8.
The new Windows 11 Photos app is now available, as some users on Reddit have begun receiving the update. Last week, Microsoft’s Panos Panay teased the new app, saying it’d be coming to Insiders soon. As expected, this update enables a few new features, but it also brings UI changes across the board.
Overall, the new Photos app definitely feels very familiar to the Windows 10 version. Opening the app, you’ll see your most recent images along with a few shortcuts at the top to curated collections. The top bar menu has all the same sections as before, but the overall design is slightly tweaked. Of course, you also see rounded corners everywhere, but that’s about it for changes in this view.
The changes are a bit more significant once you open an image, however. As teased in the video we saw before, you now get a carousel at the bottom of the image viewer, which you can use to select more images at once. This lets you view them all next to each other and add them to your favorites or delete them. When viewing a single image, you’ll see a floating toolbar at the top, with shortcuts to rotate or edit an image, draw on it, delete it, and view information about the image.
Clicking the ellipsis icons reveals a few more changes, like icons for each of the options available. Most of the options here aren’t new, though they’ve been consolidated under this menu whereas they used to be in different places. However, there is something that’s new: at the bottom of the menu, the app says you can expand its capabilities with extensions.
It’s not clear what those extensions could look like, but it would be interesting to see Adobe make certain Photoshop features available in the Photos app, for example. It could also be that Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Clipchamp could lead to a better video editor being added to the Photos app. Though, it would arguably be better if it became its own app instead.
The new Windows 11 Photos app seems to be rolling out gradually, and it’s not available on our machines in the Dev and Beta channels. However, you can download the new Photos app here, courtesy of Deskmodder. Hopefully, it will be available to everyone by the time Windows 11 launches on October 5.
Earlier this month, we got our hands on leaked images of the Infinix Zero X. The images gave us a close look at its Nexus 4-like speckled back cover and the rest of its design, but they revealed no details about its specifications. Infinix has now officially announced the phone, along with two other Zero X series phones.
The all-new Infinix Zero X series includes (via Pocketnow) the Infinix Zero X, the Zero X Pro, and the Zero X Neo. All three phones pack MediaTek’s Helio G series chipsets and periscope zoom cameras. Check out the table below for the full hardware specifications.
The Infinix Zero X Pro is the top-of-the-line model in the new Zero X lineup. It features a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display that refreshes at 120Hz and offers a 240Hz touch sampling rate. The phone packs MediaTek’s Helio G95 chipset coupled with an Intelligent Display chipset that enables 120Hz high refresh rate support. The SoC is paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage, and the device features a hybrid dual-SIM tray that can accommodate a microSD card slot for expansion (up to 512GB).
Being the highest-end device in the lineup, the Infinix Zero X Pro has the best camera setup. It features a 16MP selfie shooter, a 108MP rear-facing primary camera with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and an 8MP periscope zoom camera with 5x optical and 60x hybrid zoom. Rounding off the hardware is a 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired fast charging support.
The regular Infinix Zero X is pretty much the same as the Pro model. It has the same display, SoC, RAM, and storage as the premium model. But it features a 64MP primary camera and a smaller 4,500mAh battery.
The Infinix Zero X Neo is the most affordable device out of the lot, and it misses out on some of the premium features found on the other two models. Although it packs a larger 6.78-inch display, it’s an IPS LCD panel. The device also lacks the Intelligent Display chipset, so it maxes out at 90Hz. On the camera front, the Infinix Zero X Neo packs a 48MP primary shooter, a 2MP monochrome sensor, and an 8MP periscope camera. It has a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support.
All three phones will run XOS 7.6 based on Android 11 out of the box.
Pricing & Availability
Infinix is yet to share the pricing and availability details for the new Infinix Zero X series. We’ll update this post with the info as soon as it becomes available.
Google One is the umbrella branding for all of Google’s paid cloud storage options, giving you a single shared bucket of storage for all Google services. The service has likely become more popular as free storage for Google Photos came to an end earlier this year, and now Google is starting to roll out a new storage option beyond the three tiers already available on all accounts.
Google One currently has three tiers for all accounts: 100GB ($1.99/mo), 200GB ($2.99/mo), and 2TB ($9.99/mo). There are a few additional benefits for some of those plans, such as 10% back credit for Google Store purchases on the 2TB plan, but they’re all mainly for storage. Some accounts also have options for 2T ($19.99/mo), 10TB (99.99/mo), and 20TB ($199.9/mo). The $80/month increase from 2TB to 10TB is quite a leap, but Google is now introducing 5TB option in between.
The new storage option still appears to be rolling out — it’s not visible on my personal Google account, but others at XDA have it available (h/t Reddit user inquirer). The new 5TB option costs $24.99/mo, and just like all the other tiers, the storage applies to all Google products and services. That’s a lot of room for photos and videos in Google Photos.
Google hasn’t officially announced the new storage option, so it’s not clear when it will finish rolling out to all accounts. To check if the new 5TB tier is available for you, visit one.google.com/storage or check within the mobile app.
Qualcomm is reportedly working on multiple new chips spanning across the mid-range and budget segments. One of the new chips is aimed at budget gaming phones and can power displays with up to 144Hz refresh rate, according to a new report from WinFuture.
As per the publication, Qualcomm is developing at least two platforms: Snapdragon SM6375 and Snapdragon SM6225. To begin, the Snapdragon SM6375 has an octa-core CPU, featuring four Kryo Gold performance cores and four Kryo Silver efficiency cores. The report notes Qualcomm is currently testing up to four SKUs of the same platform with different clock speeds:
4x Gold cores at 2.5GHz + 4x Silver cores 2.2GHz
4x Gold cores at 2.3GHz + 4x Silver cores 2.1GHz
4x Gold cores at 2.2GHz + 4x Silver cores 2.0GHz
4x Gold cores at 2.1GHz + 4x Silver cores 1.8GHz
The GPU frequency for these models ranges between 800MHz, 940MHz, and 960MHz. Interestingly, one of the variants Qualcomm is testing can power 144Hz high refresh rate displays, which the report says will be released as a gaming-oriented model alongside the base model. The special gaming model doesn’t come as a surprise as we have seen Qualcomm releasing multiple gaming-oriented variants under the 7xx series. These chips have G suffix added to their names, denoting focus on gaming, and feature higher CPU and GPU clock speeds.
The report doesn’t specify whether the Snapdragon SM6375 will belong to the 7xx series or the 6xx series. For reference, the Snapdragon 690, which launched last year, has the model number SM6350.
Another platform Qualcomm is reportedly working on is the Snapdragon SM6225. This will be part of the Snapdragon 600 series and could succeed the Snapdragon 665 that came out in 2019. Technical specifications of the SoC aren’t known at this point, but we’re told that Qualcomm is testing the chip on a developer unit that has a 90Hz FHD+ display, 6GB RAM, and 128GB UFS 2.2 flash storage. Based on this information, we can speculate that the Snapdragon SM6225 will likely be featured in lower mid-range and budget smartphones.
The Snapdragon SM6375 and Snapdragon SM6225 are said to be manufactured by TSMC though it’s unclear which process node they will be built on.
After launching its first Android tablet earlier this month, Realme is now gearing up to launch a 4K TV stick with Google TV built-in. Although the company has shared no information about the upcoming device, a teaser shared by eCommerce platform Flipkart reveals that Realme will announce it during the upcoming Big Billion Days sale.
If the teaser is to be believed, the Realme TV stick will be the first alternative to Google’s Chromecast with Google TV, as it will run Google TV instead of Android TV. For the unaware, Google TV is Google’s latest version of Android TV with a new content-focused UI.
Realme 4k Google TV Stick will be an exclusive launch on Flipkart BBD
The UI features a couple of different tables, including For You, Live, Movies, Shows, Apps, and Library, that give users quick access to all their content in one place. It greatly improves user experience compared to Android TV, as it consolidates content from various platforms onto one screen. So far, it’s only available on the Chromecast with Google TV and a handful of smart TVs from Sony and TCL.
Google TV UI
At the moment, we don’t know much about the Realme TV stick’s features, except that it will offer 4K streaming capabilities. Based on the image included in the teaser, we can be sure that it will feature an HDMI port to connect to your TV and a USB Type-C port. The Realme TV stick will likely come with a remote, and it might offer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.
Flipkart is yet to announce the dates for its Big Billion Days sale. We’ll update this post as soon as we have more information about the Realme TV stick and the sale.
Go through recent smartphone history and you’d be hard-pressed to find a phone that improved on the last generation as much as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 upgraded from the original Fold. In fact, I personally think the Galaxy Z Fold 2 brought one of the biggest generation-to-generation hardware improvements in smartphone history. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 had a more durable, practical hinge design; a much larger outside “cover screen” that made the original look like a joke; and a cleaner, faster-refreshing inside screen with fewer interruptions. The Galaxy Z Fold 3, at first glance and touch, doesn’t bring as big a jump over the last generation.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 uses virtually the same camera system, has the same screen dimensions, the hinge feels mostly the same, and one of its two selfie cameras actually got a downgrade in terms of megapixel count.
This doesn’t mean Samsung slacked off this year. The South Korean tech giant made tangible improvements to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 too. They’re just not as immediately noticeable this time around because these upgrades focus on improving practicality, to make the Galaxy Z Fold 3 more usable and approachable for more people.
Galaxy Z Fold 3 (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 2 (right)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 2: Specifications
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 2: Specifications
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
CPU
Snapdragon 888
Snapdragon 865+
Dimensions and weight
Folded: 158.2 x 67.1 x 16.0mm
Unfolded: 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4mm
Weight: 271g
Folded: 159.2 x 68 x 16.8 mm
Unfolded: 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9 mm
Weight: 283g
About this article: I tested a review unit of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 provided by Samsung along with a retail unit of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 I bought myself about a year ago. Samsung had no input in this article.
Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs Galaxy Z Fold 2: What’s different?
Looking at the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 2 from afar, it’d be hard to spot differences other than different colors. The two phones share similar dimensions when folded and unfolded, although the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a hair smaller in all three (height, width, thickness) dimensions, as well as 12g lighter. Truth be told, unless you actively hold both phones at the same time or back-to-back, you’re not really going to notice the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s slightly smaller form factor.
Still, this is progress in the right direction. Anytime a phone maker can shed weight and dimension without losing screen space, specs or features is great.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 also gets the annual processor bump to the Snapdragon 888, and there’s a new under-screen selfie camera on the inside screen. The former is a necessary addition, but the latter is divisive, as Samsung’s under-screen camera technology is sort of half-baked. The camera itself is just a 4MP shooter, and the part of the display that’s supposed to be “covering” the camera has this weird mesh-like look that’s quite noticeable. Compared to Xiaomi’s implementation of the same technology on the Mix 4, this feels like two generations behind.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3’s “under-screen” camera on top, and the Galaxy Z Fold 2’s traditional hole-punch selfie camera bottom
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 adds IPX8 water resistance (the former had none), and S-Pen support, although you need to buy a new S-Pen designed specifically for the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The Galaxy Z Fold 3’s aluminum bits are also supposedly stronger than before. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 should be more durable than the Galaxy Z Fold 2, and any other foldable before it.
The outside “cover display” has also seen its refresh rate double to 120Hz in the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Honestly, I’d be fine if Samsung hadn’t made this change (or had at least given us the option to turn off 120Hz on just the cover display), because the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has slightly worse battery life than the Galaxy Z Fold 2. On a heavy usage day like a Sunday out around town for 14 hours, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 would run out of juice by hour 11 or 12. The Galaxy Z Fold 2, from my year of use, usually could go at least 12 to 13 hours. Keep in mind I’m a very heavy user. For most, the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s battery life should be good enough that they don’t have to worry about finding a charger before they finish the day.
While the addition of S-Pen support, IPX8, and a newer Qualcomm SoC are all welcome additions, the two biggest improvements that benefit me the most personally are the new screen protective film that feels more like glass than the plasticky film of last year, and the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s hinge corner area, when folded, isn’t as sharp as the Galaxy Z Fold 2’s. The latter problem bothered me throughout my year of use, as the phone’s corner just poked at my palm in an uncomfortable way.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 should be more durable than the Galaxy Z Fold 2, and any other foldable phone before it.
Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs Galaxy Z Fold 2: What’s basically the same?
Other than the ability to use an S-Pen (which requires a separate purchase), using the Galaxy Z Fold 3 feels very similar to using the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The phone’s lighter weight will only be noticeable if you actively hold both phones to “feel the weight.”
One area that’s virtually identical is the main camera hardware. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 brings back the same triple-camera system as the Galaxy Z Fold 2. For the most part, photos captured by the Galaxy Z Fold 3 look identical to the Galaxy Z Fold 2.
However, the outer screen’s 10MP selfie camera of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 produces better colors consistently than the same 10MP selfie camera of the Galaxy Z Fold 2.
Still, the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s cameras, by 2021 standards, are just “pretty good”. It lags far behind any 2021 premium slab flagships like the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, Huawei P50 Pro, or Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. These glass slabs can produce far sharper zoom photos, and the main camera has more natural bokeh and takes in more light.
Conclusion: The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is refined and polished, but Galaxy Z Fold 2 owners need not upgrade
I can say with confidence that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is an awesome device that changes the way you use a phone — because I could say the same thing about the Galaxy Z Fold 2, and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a more polished, refined upgrade.
For those interested in trying a large foldable and who don’t already own one, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a no-brainer. It’s the best all-around and most polished foldable device out right now. If you already own the original Fold, I’d say it’s an easy choice to upgrade too, as the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will feel like a huge jump from the first Galaxy Fold.
But if you already own the Galaxy Z Fold 2? Then I’d say you should upgrade if you need either water-proofing or S-Pen use (or if you have disposable income or have an awesome trade-in offer). Otherwise, if you know you’re rarely around water and have no use for a stylus, I’m not sure the Galaxy Z Fold 3 brings enough differences to justify the upgrade. The camera performance is mostly identical — in fact, the inner selfie camera is worse. Battery life is worse. And while the Snapdragon 888 is great on paper, unless you’re a heavy gamer, you won’t see much of a difference between it and the Snapdragon 865+ that powers the Galaxy Z Fold 2.
The Z Fold 3 doesn't bring immediate jaw-dropping improvements over the Z Fold 2, but it does bring very practical improvements such as water resistance and S-Pen support. Plus it's cheaper than the previous Folds, so that's a win.
Otherwise, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is still a very damn good phone, one of the best foldables even in summer 2021, and will still give you that awesome tablet-in-your-pocket experience.
Even at almost a year old, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is still an excellent option. If you don't need water resistance and S-Pen support, maybe you'd be better off buying the Z Fold 2.
