News Weekly
News Weekly is our column where we highlight and summarize some of the week’s top stories so you can catch up on the latest tech news.
This is Android Central’s News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week’s most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.
This week, Samsung launched its new foldables and the Galaxy Watch 8 series, a Pixel 10 prototype shows up in a weird place, Meta’s next Ray-Ban smart glasses show up in a leak, Garmin finally unlocks Google Maps on its watches, and Samsung sheds its S Pen to keep things sleek on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Let’s dive in.
Samsung’s summer Unpacked
Samsung finally unpacked its new line of devices this week in New York. The summer Galaxy Unpacked event brought the Galaxy Z Flip 7, Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip FE, and the Galaxy Watch 8 series. And that’s not all, on the software front, these devices come packed with the latest One UI 8, backed by Android 16. This means new Galaxy AI features debut on these devices along with Wear OS 6 quirks.
Galaxy Z Fold 7
Samsung is flexing its muscles with its new Galaxy Z Fold 7, which arrives as the thinnest and almost creaseless foldable device yet. Measuring 8.9mm when folded and 4.2mm when unfolded while maintaining a 4,400mAh battery.
The Z Fold 7 arrives with a much wider 6.5-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X cover display, which Samsung says features a 21:9 aspect ratio, and an 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen that achieves 2,600 nits of peak brightness.
Samsung’s new foldable is powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, and gets the Galaxy Z series’ first 200MP (wide-angle) primary lens, along with a 12MP ultra-wide and a 10MP telephoto lens. While the cover display and internal display both have 10MP selfie shooters.
The phone comes with three different storage options and colorways, with preorders now live, starting at $1,999 in Blue Shadow, Jet Black, and Silver Shadow.
Galaxy Z Flip 7
Samsung outdid itself with the Galaxy Z Flip 7, launching with an all-new look and sporting a larger screen space than usual. To begin, it sheds its usual folder-like cover screen for the largest ever edge-to-edge external display on a Galaxy Z Flip series.
The 4.1-inch Super AMOLED FlexWindow enables users to perform more tasks directly from its cover screen when the device is closed. The Flip 7 gets a larger 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen and a 120 Hz refresh rate.
This pocket-sized dynamite of a phone comes with Exynos 2500 SoC and a 4,300mAh battery, delivering “up to 31 hours of video on a single charge.”
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is available in two storage configurations: 12/256GB and 12/512GB, and in three colorways: Blue Shadow, Jet Black, and Coral Red. The Mint is reserved for online purchases only.
Preorders begin today, and it is set to hit stores on July 25, starting at $1,099.
Galaxy Z Flip FE
It looks like the Z Flip 6; it feels like the Z Flip 6… but it’s the new Z Flip 7 Fan Edition. The device arrived at a lower price and with a different processor — aka the Exynos 2400.
This device features a smaller 3.4-inch cover display and a larger 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It has a 50MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide, along with a 10MP selfie camera. Other than that, it comes packed with new Galaxy AI features and is available for $899 in black and white.
Galaxy Watch 8 series
The Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic are built upon the Watch Ultra aesthetic.
The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic arrives in a single 46mm (1.34-inch display) case and sports a “slimmer, brighter Classic screen.” The Classic weighs about 63.5 grams and has a Sapphire Crystal display, making consumers’ viewing experience much better.
With an ultra-like squaricle dial, Watch 8 Classic brings back the physical rotating bezel, making scrolling through your apps a breeze. The smartwatch gets a new “Quick Button” for “added convenience.” The smartwatch arrives with a 445mAh battery, 2GB of memory, and 64GB of storage.
As for the standard Galaxy Watch 8, Samsung claims it features the thinnest build yet, approximately 11% thinner than previous models, and includes a “Dynamic Lug” system for enhanced comfort and fit. It comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes with 1.34-inch and 1.47-inch Super AMOLED displays, respectively. Brightness is increased by 50% to 3,000 nits. Design-wise, it features a cushion design inspired by the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Pixel 10 prototype leaks on a Chinese auction site
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Google Pixel 10 leaks have been coming in hot, with a Pixel 10 prototype model showing up on a Chinese auction website. The machine-translated description box indicates that the seller is offering the motherboard of the Pixel device, which resembles what we’ve seen in past leaks. The phone features the usual rounded corners and flat edges, similar to Google’s past-generation models.
The back, which further emphasizes its prototype nature, displays the “G” logo and a horizontal camera bump with an additional lens. The photo of the motherboard features a bolded “G5,” which likely indicates the phone’s expected Tensor G5 SoC.
The Pixel 10’s camera island appears to consist of three lenses and its LED flash. The Chinese seller states that this device is in its EVT stage, which the publication notes indicates the “final stage” before mass production for the market.
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While phone leaks have been appearing frequently, this one seems like a breath of fresh air. Leaked renders of smartglasses show off two alleged Ray-Ban Meta styles— ‘Aperol’ (sunglasses) and ‘Bellini’ (optical) — hinting at a shift from the one-style-fits-all approach by the company.
Both models are expected to offer significantly improved battery life and advanced AI features, including object detection, scene recognition, and possibly even facial recognition. The next-gen Ray-Ban Meta glasses could also feature an always-on mode that keeps cameras and sensors running continuously, allowing the AI to provide live reminders.
While there’s conflicting news about when we might see these wearables launch, the XR Research Institute thinks these models might arrive before the year’s end, but The Information says we might have to wait until 2026.
Garmin just made Google Maps legit on its watches
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Garmin announced on Tuesday (July 8) that some of its smartwatches will receive Google Maps via the company’s Connect IQ Store. This addition makes navigation much easier for users, as they can get turn-by-turn directions right on their wrist.
Garmin’s Venu, Forerunner, Vivoactive, and Fenix products will all receive Google Maps support. Users interested in trying out the feature will be able to put their destination on Google Maps on their connected Android smartphone, and the app will then send notifications to their Garmin smartwatch, giving directions on when to take turns while they are walking, running, or cycling.
“Whether exploring a new city, mapping out a run, or casually cycling with friends, the Google Maps app in the Connect IQ store will keep users going in the right direction. The turn-by-turn notifications will be a game changer for those who want to stay hands-free and keep their phone in their pocket,” Susan Lyman, Garmin vice president of Consumer Sales and Marketing, notes in the accompanying announcement post.
Galaxy Z Fold 7 won’t get the S Pen
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Samsung just dropped its latest foldables on Wednesday, and while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is as thin as a Fold can get, the company seems to have made some trade-offs to achieve that slim form factor.
In an email to Android Central, Samsung’s spokesperson confirmed this move and said, “The Galaxy Z Fold7 does not include S Pen support this time around. It’s a notable shift from previous models.”
While the reasoning behind this decision remains unknown, it is likely due to the phone’s slim form factor (measuring 8.9mm when folded and about 4.2mm unfolded), which would make it challenging to integrate an S Pen without requiring more space on the device for the accessory.
More stories this week
Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:
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