Feb 10, 2020 - Technology

Samsung uses Oscars commercial to show off new foldable phone

Ina Fried

Photo: Samsung

Samsung just couldn't wait until Tuesday's Unpacked event to show off its new foldable smartphone. The company used a commercial during the Oscars to tease the new phone, which has already been widely leaked.

The big picture: Foldables, led by the original Galaxy Fold and Motorola's Razr, are the current novelty of the smartphone market.

  • While the new foldable, expected to be called the Galaxy Z Flip, is likely to be the toast of the Tuesday event, the mainstay is the next generation of the Galaxy S family, which has also widely leaked, and is expected to be dubbed the Galaxy S20.
  • Also over the weekend, T.M. Roh, Samsung's new head of mobile communications, published a blog post touting, among other things, the company's work with Google and Microsoft.

Go deeper: Samsung sets Feb. 11 for next big phone launch

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Ina Fried

Samsung debuts Galaxy S20 with focus on cameras

Photo: Samsung

In launching the Galaxy S20 line on Tuesday, Samsung zoomed in on the improved picture-taking abilities of its latest flagship smartphones.

Why it matters: The move is an acknowledgment that the camera is the biggest thing that helps spur consumers to buy a new smartphone.

Go deeperArrowFeb 11, 2020 - Technology
Ina Fried

With no Mobile World Congress, product announcements start rolling in

Inside the Mobile World Congress (MWC) pavilion in Barcelona, Spain during the dismantling of the stands following the cancellation of the fair due to the coronavirus crisis and company cancellations. Photo: David Zorrakino/Europa Press via Getty Images

With the cancellation of Mobile World Congress, many tech companies now have lots of products to announce and no physical place to do it. The result has been a flurry of press releases and webcasts designed to replace planned in-person gatherings. In the last 24 hours or so, Intel, Sony and Huawei have all announced new products and components.

Why it matters: The show was to have been a key launching point for a number of products, including several high-end 5G-capable phones.

Go deeperArrowFeb 25, 2020 - Technology
Ina Fried

Google releases developer version of Android 11

Image: Google

Google released an earlier-than-expected test version of Android 11, offering developers a glimpse of what to expect in the final release later this year. Among the changes in the early code are improved support for 5G and foldable devices, as well as more granular security protections.

The big picture: Once upon a time, Google waited until its spring I/O developer conference to share code for the next version of Android, but has been moving the release earlier in recent years to give developers more time to prepare for the under-the-hood changes.

Go deeperArrowFeb 20, 2020 - Technology