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Samsung’s Z Fold 8 Ultra is more of the same, but better than ever

2026-08-07T10:48:38-04:00

The Z Fold 8 Ultra retains the boxy shape of Samsung’s previous foldables.

What makes the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra so Ultra? Samsung's first foldable with the Ultra name isn't a souped-up version of the regular Fold 8, as you might expect. Where the Z Fold 8 is squat and wide, the Fold 8 Ultra retains the thin outer screen and square inner panel of the previous Folds. It does have a substantially better triple rear camera system and a slightly larger battery. But with no support for the S Pen stylus and no Privacy Display, it's not Ultra in the same way as the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

But compare it to last year's Z Fold 7 and the upgrades look more substantial. Samsung has improved the displays, battery, charging, …

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SpaceX is coming for T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon

2026-08-05T03:09:52-04:00

SpaceX is preparing to build a terrestrial mobile network to "acquire quite a few" of the customers now subscribed to T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. The message to compete head-to-head with the US carriers was delivered by SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell and CEO Elon Musk during the Q&A section of the company's first earnings call.

"The spectrum that we purchased from EchoStar does have terrestrial components, so we definitely intend to build out the terrestrial component," said Shotwell. "You will have not only the capacity from the satellites themselves, but you will have a buildout of the terrestrial, basically the hardware and systems ne …

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T-Mobile’s $0-down financing plan bundles taxes and fees

2026-08-07T12:01:45-04:00

T-Mobile is launching a new financing option that will allow you to pay for a device, taxes, and fees over 36 months. In an update on Tuesday, T-Mobile says its new Equipment Installment Plan (EIP) Flex 36 requires no upfront payment and will come with a 0 percent APR for a limited time.

Even if you are financing a device, carriers typically require you to pay sales tax, an activation fee, or a down payment at checkout. T-Mobile says its new plan eliminates that by allowing you to pay off all of these costs over time - though its website notes only "well-qualified customers" will pay $0 upfront. The EIP Flex 36 financing option is available …

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Palworld’s expanding to mobile with a new MMORPG

2026-08-03T10:58:10-04:00

After its 1.0 launch last month, Palworld is coming to iOS and Android with a new open-world MMORPG launching later this year, Polygon reports. Garena, the developer behind the new game, says in its announcement that Palworld Online "reimagines the depth, freedom, and scale of the original PC survival creature-collecting title for mobile."

The core features of the new mobile game sound a lot like the original Palworld, with crafting, creature collecting, and multiplayer options for co-op, PvP, and PvE. Garena says it will introduce a "new narrative setting with original story elements," and "expand the narrative with new side stories creat …

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Foldables are sort of boring now — and that’s great news for Apple

2026-07-29T18:27:11-04:00

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on smartphones and Android, follow Dominic Preston. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.

How it started

Believe it or not, it didn't all start with Samsung. Royole, a now-bankrupt manufacturer of flexible displays, was the first to release a commercial folding phone, the "charmingly awful" FlexPai. Samsung's first Galaxy Fold followed a year later, plagued by a variety of faults that saw review units break within days. That launch went so badly that it prompted Chinese riva …

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You could be taking way better photos on your phone

2026-08-03T12:14:10-04:00

Your smartphone photos can look way better. If you're willing to put in a little extra work, use third party apps, and spend a bit of time editing, it's possible to take photos that - under the right circumstances - can rival those from dedicated digital cameras.

I post a lot of smartphone photos online, and "How do I take better photos on my phone?" is a question I get practically every day. It makes sense. As the saying goes, "The best camera is the one you have on you," and we practically always have our phones on us these days.

Over the last few years, smartphone camera sensors have gotten bigger, with better light gathering capabiliti …

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Pixel 11 Pro Fold design leaks ahead of Google launch event

2026-07-30T13:04:31-04:00

Weeks ahead of Google's next Pixel hardware event, Leaker Evan Blass has shared what appear to be marketing renders of the unannounced Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold in a post on his Substack.

The renders, if accurate, show that the new foldable will look fairly similar to last year's model - it has a tall outer screen instead of using a shorter style like the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the rumored foldable iPhone. The renders also show that the inner screen will retain the 8-inch size. However, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold's back camera array has been slightly redesigned and will apparently get the glowy light that Google has already teased for the Pixel …

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Qualcomm is raising phone chip prices starting September 1st

2026-07-29T17:41:56-04:00

RAMageddon won't be the only reason your next phone costs more - Qualcomm is about to raise prices on all its processors, as well. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said on Wednesday that "prices are going to go up" on the company's products starting on September 1st, CNBC reports. The price hikes were rumored last week to be "a percentage in the double digits."

Qualcomm announced the planned price increases while reporting a 20 percent year-over-year drop in revenue from its handset business, the lowest it's reported since 2021. In its quarterly earnings presentation, Qualcomm said this drop is due to "unprecedented increases in memory pricing …

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Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like the future

2026-07-29T09:54:55-04:00

A short king.

Is this the future of foldable phones?

Samsung clearly thinks so. The company has given its new wide foldable the "Z Fold 8" name, positioning the phone not as a widescreen oddity, but as the new normal, the default design for foldables going forward. Rumor has it that Apple feels the same way, with a similar squat shape widely predicted for the first foldable iPhone, expected to launch in September.

Whether you want to give the credit to Apple, Samsung, or even Huawei (which got here first with the Pura X Max), I think they might be onto something. After a week, the Z Fold 8 feels comfortable, natural, and normal, despite being the short …

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Amazon’s trying to launch a global satellite cellphone network in 2028

2026-07-27T11:40:38-04:00

Amazon filed an FCC application on Saturday to launch a new Leo satellite constellation that will provide direct-to-device satellite service for "voice, messaging, data, and emergency services." If approved, Amazon will begin deploying the new constellation of 5,105 satellites in 2028. It says it plans to partner with mobile network operators to offer direct-to-device satellite service, similar to Starlink's partnership with T-Mobile.

Earlier this year, Amazon announced it's acquiring Globalstar's satellite network and taking over its deal to provide direct-to-device satellite services for Apple devices. Amazon says its new constellation w …

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