Latest news with #SamRutherford
Engadget
4 days ago
- Engadget
The Morning After: The next Google Pixel event kicks off on August 20
What can you expect from Google's Made By Pixel event? Well, according to the media invite we got (brag), it's promising new Pixel phones, watches, buds and more. Last year, that was true. The same event gave us the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2. I think that was everything? As for that 'and more' part, recent rumors suggest Google is working on Pixelsnap, a proper response to Apple's MagSafe tech. Android phones have been slow to adopt the Qi2 wireless charging standard — I mean, check out all of Samsung's recent phones. But… wireless charging? I hope Google has something more exciting planned. — Mat Smith Get Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! The death of compact cameras has been exaggerated. If it's not the viral Fujifilm X100 series, it's Sony's vlogging cameras and now an update to its RX1R fixed-lens compact. Coming nearly 10 years after the RX1R II, it features a 61MP Exmor R sensor, along with Sony's latest image processing advancements and top-notch object tracking, supported by 693 phase-detection AF points. Why not 694, eh? It won't match Sony's A7 full-frame cameras, but video-wise, it can capture 10-bit 4K video at up to 30 fps. The kicker, though, is the price. While the Mark II was a heady $3,300, the RX1R III is a bank balance-shaking $5,100. And if you want a thumb grip? 300 bucks. Thanks! Continue reading. Samsung has taken its premier foldable to the next level. With the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it's improved the size (thinner), battery life (longer) and camera (sharper, higher resolution) and that's without talking about the improved, bigger displays and even tougher build. According to Sam Rutherford's review, it's 'foldable phone nirvana.' The price of folding enlightenment is still $2,000. Continue reading. You can subscribe to Quicken Simplifi for only $3 per month, which is half off its usual $6-per-month price. Notably, you pay for the whole year, instead of month to month. When we tested out several budgeting services and apps, Quicken Simplifi was our choice for best budget app overall. With its easy-to-use interface, it excels at tracking regular income and bills. Just don't overthink the whole spending money to save money thing. Continue reading.
Engadget
5 days ago
- Engadget
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review: Foldable phone nirvana (for a price)
After several generations of iterative updates, it feels like Samsung tossed the Galaxy Z Fold 7 into a Hyperbolic Time Chamber to create a stunning device that's leaner, stronger and more powerful than before. The best part though is the phone looks and functions just like a regular handset now that there's less bulk to lug around. But at a moment's notice, it can go Super Saiyan by opening up to reveal an even larger 8-inch display to become a true multimedia Raidboss. Unfortunately, it's still extremely expensive at $2,000. Though if you can handle the price, in a lot of ways, Samsung has finally achieved foldable phone nirvana with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. When Samsung debuted its updated super sleek design language on the Galaxy S25 Edge , it felt like a novel way to reimagine the S25+ as a more engaging device. But when the company gave the same treatment to the Z Fold 7, that engineering became something truly transformative. Compared to its predecessor, Samsung's big foldable for 2025 is 10 percent lighter at just 215 grams. The bigger drop comes in thickness with Galaxy Z Fold 7 measuring a whopping 26 percent thinner (just 8.9mm when folded). This represents the biggest generation-over-generation decrease for the entire Z Fold line, which is kind of shocking considering it's happening seven years in. The result is a foldable that is basically the same size and weight as the Galaxy S25 Ultra (it's actually a little narrower), which is no mean feat for a class of gadgets that has been plagued by extra heft since they first came out. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has reached foldable phone nirvana thanks to major reductions in its size and thickness. Though at $2,000, it remains extremely expensive. $2,000 at Amazon What might be just as impressive is that Samsung hasn't really cut corners to deliver the Z Fold 7's streamlined dimensions. You still get an IP48 rating for dust and water resistance (which can handle submersions of up to 5 feet for 30 minutes) along with Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 in front and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 in back. Samsung also completely re-engineered its Armor FlexHinge, which glides open and closed like a dream. Samsung even says that Z Fold 7's ultra-thin glass is 50 percent thicker than before while also sporting a new titanium lattice that adds additional support and durability to the phone's flexible display. Inside, Samsung has switched away from the under-display sensor used on previous models in favor of a more traditional hole-punch camera. This is a bit of a shame as it adds a small blemish to that otherwise gorgeous screen. However, with the panel now measuring 8 inches across (up from 7.6 on the Z Fold 6), there's more of it to enjoy even after you account for the small cutout. Plus, the move to a higher-res 10-megapixel sensor for this camera results in significantly better image quality than any of Samsung's under-display modules. Sam Rutherford for Engadget The one small design quirk is that sometimes the phone doesn't unfold all the way, often stopping just short at 179 degrees — much like the original Pixel Fold . That said, you can always make it go fully flat with a bit of extra pressure, though most of the time I don't even bother because this is the kind of thing that you don't really notice unless you're specifically looking for it. As for brightness and image quality, Samsung's panels are still unmatched. In addition to a larger main display, the Z Fold 7's exterior Cover Screen is slightly bigger at 6.5 inches. More importantly, it's noticeably wider too while sporting even thinner bezels, which makes the whole phone feel more usable. The feeling of holding a skinny baton I got on previous models is completely gone. Both screens also support a 120Hz refresh rate and can hit a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. And when compared to rivals like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the Fold 7's displays just pop a touch more thanks to slightly richer colors and saturation. Sam Rutherford for Engadget After introducing S Pen integration on the Z Fold 3, Samsung has removed stylus support for this model — a big downgrade that may anger longtime Z Fold fans. The company claims it made this decision after seeing "very low" S Pen usage on previous generations, which frankly isn't all that surprising. But, as one of the highlight features that separated Samsung's big foldables from practically all of its rivals, it's still sad to see it go. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 unquestionably packs top-tier performance. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip along with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. Everything feels fast and snappy while OneUI 8 and Android 16 bring app optimizations that help make the most of the phone's big display. Sam Rutherford for Engadget The biggest eye-opener for me was when I compared how long it took the Z Fold 7 to launch my current favorite mobile game, Sword of Convallaria , against the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Even with the increased performance of Google's recent Tensor chips, Samsung's foldable loaded the game in 13 seconds compared to 18 seconds for the Pixel. That might not sound like a ton, but it's around 25 percent faster and when it's something you do multiple times a day, shaving off even a few seconds adds up fast.. While the Z Fold 7's ultrawide and 3x telephoto cameras are largely unchanged, the phone features a big photo upgrade thanks to a new 200MP sensor for its main camera. This is essentially the same component Samsung used in the S25 Ultra and S25 Edge, and it delivers a much-needed bump in image quality. Sam Rutherford for Engadget In bright light, the Z Fold 7 easily keeps pace with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. In certain situations like when snapping pics of food, some may prefer its shots thanks to Samsung's warmer color profile. The phone still tends to oversharpen things, but colors are vibrant. For those who want to maximize resolution, you can select the phone's full 200MP mode (images are captured at 12MP by default). At night, the Fold 7's shots remained surprisingly sharp. I still prefer the Pixel 9 Pro Fold due to its more accurate white balance and often sharper focus, though Samsung's phone isn't far behind. Potentially the biggest shortcoming on the Fold 7 is that its 3x optical zoom can't quite match the 5x telephoto cam on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. But for fans of group shots, Samsung added a new selfie camera with a wider 100-degree field of view. While the Z Fold 7's 4,400mAh battery is the same size as its predecessor, you will get slightly increased longevity due to improved power efficiency from its processor. In our local video rundown test, the Z Fold 7 lasted 20 hours and 50 minutes when using its main 8-inch display and 26 hours and 22 minutes with its exterior screen. Depending on which display you use, that's between 45 minutes and an hour longer than what we got from the previous model, which is nice to see considering battery life was already pretty solid. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Sadly, Samsung hasn't changed much when it comes to recharging. The Z Fold 7 supports wired charging at up to 25 watts — which is rather average for a modern flagship — alongside 15 watt wireless charging. And like the rest of the 2025 premium Galaxy line, this phone is merely Qi 2 ready, which means there's no built-in attachment system for magnetic accessories like charging pucks, card holders and battery packs. So if you want to use peripherals like those, you'll need to get a case with full support for Qi 2. I've always said that Samsung is at its best when it focuses on hardware design, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 may be one of the best examples of that. With its latest flagship foldable, Samsung has removed one of the remaining barriers preventing people from trying out the new breed of phones: excessive size and weight. By widening its cover display, the Z Fold 7 looks and acts just like a regular smartphone, which is great for checking messages, looking up directions or snapping a photo. When you want to get really immersed in a show, movie or game, you can open up that beautiful flexible display, which is now even larger for your viewing pleasure. The phone's higher-res main camera also brings upgraded image quality while its Snapdragon 8 Elite chip gives it a performance edge over rivals like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Sam Rutherford for Engadget I don't love how Samsung is backtracking on features by removing S Pen support and reverting to an old-school camera cutout instead of an under-display sensor for its main display. But at least in the case of the latter, that change comes with much improved image quality, which is a big upgrade for video calls. With the Galaxy Z Fold 7, you really do get the best of both worlds. Its new design is just as sleek as comparable traditional flagships while hiding a larger display that makes the need for small tablets obsolete. Unfortunately, with a starting price of $2,000, Samsung hasn't addressed the last roadblock stopping people from trying out a device that might completely change the way they use their phone.
Engadget
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Engadget Podcast: Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 are a huge leap for foldables
Sam Rutherford for Engadget Samsung has finally debuted its latest foldables (after plenty of leaks), and boy they sure look thin. This week, Engadget's Sam Rutherford joins us to chat about the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7, as well as other highlights from its Galaxy Unpacked event. Also, we dive into a few of the best deals from Amazon Prime Day. You won't believe how cheap huge TVs have gotten. Topics Breaking down the Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 and everything else from Unpacked 2025 – 1:58 Galaxy Z Flip 7: bigger screens, bigger battery – 16:06 Galaxy Watch 8: now with an antioxidant sensor? – 20:59 Great deals still available as Amazon Prime Day 2025 comes to a close – 30:38 Linda Yaccarino leaves X, xAI's Grok goes on an antisemitic tirade – 39:03 Cloudflare could make AI web crawlers pay a toll – 41:28 Jack Dorsey unveils Bitchat, a 'secure' Bluetooth mesh messaging app – 43:40 Marco Rubio AI imposter attempts to gain access to government information – 46:33 A U.S. version of TikTok is currently in development – 49:43 Anthropic wins significant Fair Use copyright case – 52:38 Working on – 1:00:53 Pop culture picks – 1:02:25 iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Podcasts Host: Devindra Hardawar and Sam Rutherford Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.
Engadget
09-07-2025
- Engadget
Galaxy Unpacked 2025: Everything Samsung announced including the Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Watch 8
Pre-release leaks may have spoiled most of the surprises Samsung had up its sleeve for Wednesday's Unpacked event, but there were still some interesting details to gleam from the presentation. For example, we knew the Galaxy Z Fold 7 would be Samsung's thinnest foldable ever, but now we know part of the reason for that is because the company dropped S Pen support. Samsung also announced updates to its family of Galaxy Watch devices. Here's everything the company had to share at the latest Galaxy Unpacked. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Samsung kicked Unpacked off with its new flagship foldable for 2025, the Galaxy Z Fold 7. After six previous iterations, the company has arrived at its thinnest foldable phone yet, with the new device measuring 8.9mm thick when closed and 4.2mm unfolded. If you're curious, at its thickest the Z Fold 7 is only 0.7mm thicker than the S25 Ultra, and 26 percent thinner than the previous Fold. The new handset is also Samsung's lightest foldable yet, weighing in at just 215 grams. Despite the glow up, Samsung says the Z Fold 7 is also more durable than its predecessors, thanks to the inclusion of a new grade four titanium layer and a redesigned FlexHinge that should make the display crease on the Z Fold 7 less prominent. Speaking of the display, it's now 8 inches big, up from 7.6 inches previously. Internally, the new phone features Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and a 4,400mAh battery. Samsung has dropped S Pen support, claiming stylus use on the Z Fold 6 was "really low," and part of the reason the new foldable is so slim is that the company was free to remove the digitizer that was needed to process stylus inputs. Storage starts at 256GB, with 512GB and 1TB configurations available. In addition to being thin, the Z Fold 7 offers Samsung's best phone camera to date. The foldable has a massive 200-megapixel main sensor. It also comes with a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and a 12MP ultrawide. The company has once again tweaked the inside camera. It's no longer under the screen and offers a wider 100-degree field of view with 10MP of resolution. For selfies, Samsung has once again gone with a 10MP sensor above the phone's cover screen. Rounding things out, the company has updated its visual engine to support 10-bit HDR capture. Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 start today, with general availability to follow on July 25. Pricing starts at $2,000. At launch, Samsung will offer the phone in three colors: blue shadow, jet black and silver shadow. Samsung will also exclusively carry the phone in a mint color. The Z Fold 7 will ship with Android 16 out of the box. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Samsung's clamshell foldable has also received some upgrades. The new Galaxy Z Flip 7 has a 4.1-inch edge-to-edge FlexWindow display with 1.25mm bezels. That's good enough to give it the thinnest display bezel on any Samsung phone. Additionally, the new screen offers a 120Hz refresh rate and 2,600 nits of peak brightness. It also works with Google Gemini, along with Samsung's own suite of AI features, including Now Bar and Now Brief. On the inside, Samsung has increased the size of the main screen for the first time. It's now 6.9 inches, up from 6.7 inches on the Z Flip 6. For context, that's the same size as the screen on the S25+. Samsung has also equipped the Z Flip 7 with a larger 4,300mAh battery. The entire phone offers improved water protection compared to its predecessor, and the new Armor FlexHinge should better protect the internal display against unsightly creasing. Now, I'm sure this will upset some people, but Samsung has decided to spec the Z Fold 7 with one of its in-house chipsets, the Exynos 2500, instead of a Qualcomm Snapdragon. I know what you're thinking, but the company's recent processors have been great — the Exynos 2400e was the best part of the S24 FE. For photos and video, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 has a 50MP main camera, supported by a 12MP ultra-wide. For self-portraits, you can use either the main camera or the 10MP camera selfie camera found on the inside of the phone. Like the Z Fold 7, Samsung has updated the Z Flip 7's camera engine to support 10-bit HDR capture. The Z Flip 7 is available to pre-order today. It comes in three colors – coral red, blue shadow and jet black — and two storage configurations — 256GB and 512GB. As with the Z Fold 7, Samsung will also exclusively carry the phone in a mint color. Pricing starts at $1,100. Sam Rutherford for Engadget If the high cost of Samsung's foldables has kept you from buying one in the past, this year Samsung is trying to offer a more affordable way to enter the ecosystem. I say it's trying because at $900 the Z Flip 7 FE is still a nearly $1,000 phone. For that price, you get what is last year's Z Flip 6 with an Exynos 2400 processor and a smaller 3,700mAh battery. The design of the new model doesn't include any of the flourishes found on the Z Flip 7, including the edge-to-edge Flex Window display or the larger internal screen. For what it's worth, Samsung's Galaxy AI suite is included in the package. Storage on the FE starts at 128GB. Samsung will also sell a 256GB variant for those who need more space. This being an FE model, colors to just two: white and black. Like all of its siblings, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is available to pre-order today, and expected to hit store shelves on July 25 Sam Rutherford for Engadget As expected, Samsung has also updated its wearable line for 2025. Starting with the Galaxy Watch 8, it now features a thinner design reminiscent of last year's Galaxy Watch Ultra. Like with that device, Samsung has gone with a squircle form factor. There's also a new lug system for changing out straps. As mentioned, the new watch is also thinner. In this case, it's 11 percent smaller than its predecessor. Despite the size reduction, the Galaxy Watch 8 offers better battery life, thanks to the inclusion of larger power cells on both the 40mm and 44mm models. The former has a 325mAh battery while the latter has a 435mAh one. A new AMOLED display offers 3,000 nits of peak brightness to make the watch easier to read in harsh sunlight. Samsung has also improved the Watch 8's ingress protection. The wearable's case is rated 5ATM and IP68-certified against water and dust. As for software, the Galaxy Watch 8 will ship with Wear OS 6 out of the box, making it the first Samsung wearable to offer the new operating system. Included in the update is Google's Gemini assistant, which, thanks to AI, can better understand better natural language. New to the entire Galaxy Watch family is a feature that Samsung claims can accurately measure the antioxidant levels in your blood. To use the tool, you'll need to take the Galaxy Watch 8 off your wrist and place the device's heart rate scanner on your thumb. The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic offers all of the enhancements found on the base model alongside the rotating bezel the Classic series is known for. This year, Samsung plans to only offer the Watch 8 Classic in a single 46mm size. That model comes with a 445mAh battery. Samsung is probably holding off on a proper Watch Ultra update for 2025. Instead, the company has announced a new SKU of the wearable that has 64GB of internal storage and the lug system found on its siblings. Pricing for the Galaxy Watch 8 series starts at $350. The Watch 8 Classic will cost $500 and $550 for the Wi-Fi and cellular models respectively. The entire family is available to pre-order today and will hit retail more broadly on July 25. Samsung also updated some of its software features this Unpacked, and one piece of news that might get overlooked is something coming to Samsung Wallet. After launching a Tap to Transfer feature last year and announcing Instant Installment in January this year, the company is sharing today that its Buy Now Pay Later service is launching with the Fold 7.
Engadget
09-07-2025
- Engadget
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 is thinner, lighter and has a larger 8-inch display
With the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung is getting closer than ever to perfecting its folding smartphones. The new model is a substantial improvement over the Fold 6 with a much thinner, lighter design, larger and brighter display and an improved hinge design that reduces visible creasing to almost nothing. It's also more powerful and comes with a new wide-angle camera that finally matches up with the mainstream Galaxy S series. Though it superficially resembles the previous model, Samsung has improved the Fold 7 nearly everywhere. That starts with the display(s), with the main AMOLED 2X main display (120Hz, 2,184 x 1,968) now 11 percent larger at 8 inches with up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness. It's also tougher thanks to the use of Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2. The cover screen uses the same display tech and is also bigger at 6.5 inches compared to 6.3 inches, with a 21:9 aspect ratio. Sam Rutherford for Engadget The main improvement, though, is with the lighter and thinner Armor FlexHinge that reduces visible creasing noticeably compared to the Fold 6, addressing a key concern for buyers. It also boosts durability thanks to a "multi-rail structure" that evenly disperses stress. Though the screens are larger, the Fold 7 is lighter and thinner than its predecessor. Weighing in at 215 grams, it's 24 grams lighter than the Fold 6 and lighter even than the non-folding Galaxy S25 Ultra. It's also just 8.9mm thick when folded and 4.2mm when unfolded, a hefty 27 percent reduction compared to the previous model. Under the hood is Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy that boosts CPU and GPU performance by 38 and 26 percent respectively, while lifting NPU compute by 40 percent. Other key specs include 12GB memory, up to 512GB internal storage and a 4,400mAh dual battery (with wireless Qi charging and a 50 percent wired charge in around 30 minutes). Samsung is also touting its latest One UI 8 on Android 16 that is very AI-centric, as you'd expect, with features like Gemini Live, Circle to Search and Galaxy AI optimized for large screens. Sam Rutherford for Engadget The Galaxy Z Fold 7 also has updated cameras, negating one of our biggest complaints about the Fold 6. It now comes with the same 200MP wide-angle camera as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, though the 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP telephoto cameras are unchanged — as are the 10MP selfie cover camera and 10MP main camera. Still, at least you're no longer getting compromised optics with the principal camera, especially considering this smartphone's price. And the Galaxy Z Fold 7 certainly isn't cheap with another $100 boost in price compared to last year. It's now available for pre-order in the US at and elsewhere starting at $2,000 in Jetblack, Blue Shadow and Silver Shadow options. Shipping is set to start around July 25, 2025. If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.
