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Everyone wants a foldable phone, but most of us can’t afford one yet

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Chris Pantons is what you’d call a Google Pixel super fan. The Knoxville, Tennessee native loves the software, the camera, the virtual assistant, all of it. He even credits the phone’s car crash detection tool with saving his life a few years ago when he was in an accident.

“I’ve owned practically every Pixel device,” said Pantons, 33, who has posted hundreds of YouTube videos about Pixel phones and other tech products. “I’ve influenced so much of my family to switch to Pixel – my brother and sister-in-law, mom and wife … and I had a coworker switch, too.”

But this is the first year he won’t be upgrading to Pixel’s latest offering: the Pixel Fold, a foldable smartphone that starts at $1,799. “I’d love to own it,” he told CNN. “I don’t have the finances to do so. … [That] price for a first generation device is astronomical.”

Earlier this month, Google became the latest tech company to unveil a foldable smartphone, with the promise of giving customers all the features they’ve come to expect in a phone, paired with a tablet-sized display. But Pantons wasn’t the only one who felt sticker shock.

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“My first car was $1800,” one user wrote on Twitter. “Google [lost] their minds.” Another user said they’ve been saving up, knowing the price for a Pixel foldable phone would inevitably be high once announced.

“The fact you can buy a new Pixel, Pixel tablet and a Pixel Watch for less than the Fold and have various devices for use cases is a better value,” said Pantons.

The pricing problem isn’t unique to Google. When Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold in 2020, it cost $1,999. It has come down in price somewhat, but the latest version of the Z Fold still starts at $1,799 – the same as the Pixel Fold. Even foldable models from budget brands retail for well over $1,000 in markets abroad.

By comparison, the flagship iPhone starts at $799, less than half the price of the Pixel Fold. And classic 90s-style pre-paid flip phones, which are suddenly trendy again, can cost as little as $20.

The higher price point is one of the factors limiting the size of the foldable market. Samsung currently dominates the category, followed by others including Motorola, Lenovo, Oppo, and Huawei. According to ABI Research, foldable and flexible displays made up about 0.7% of the smartphone market in 2021, and in 2022 expected to fall just shy of 2%.

Lowering the price could help boost traction, but manufacturers may struggle to do that anytime soon.

Premium parts

The flexible screen found on foldable phones is one of the biggest reasons why they cost so much.

Flexible displays require more engineering and are more expensive to manufacture than traditional displays. And the Google Pixel Fold has two: a 5.8-inch cover display and a 7.6-inch inner display.

Other components unique to foldables also drive up the cost. The Pixel Fold, for example, moves on a custom-built 180-degree hinge. The mechanism is moved out entirely from under the display to improve its dust resistance and decrease the device’s overall thickness, according to the company. This also requires complex engineering and costly manufacturing.

“Expense is mainly to do with the high costs of components, notably the folding displays and hinge technology, which in many cases is a proprietary hinge design,” said David McQueen, research director at ABI Research. “So until volume grows enough that vendors can get scale, prices won’t be falling any time soon.”

A niche product

Foldable smartphones are still in their infancy. As a result, much of the research and development, and the costs associated with it, still lie ahead for manufacturers as they fine tune their products.

“Companies often try to recoup their investment with a high price tag,” said Nabila Popal, research director at market research firm IDC.

Foldable phones also remain a niche product for now, and manufacturers are targeting the price for the people willing to buy them early to help offset costs.

An uncertain future

The future for foldables remains uncertain. Most apps are still not optimized for foldable devices; Google’s chief rival, Apple, has yet to embrace the option; and splurging for a first-generation device with a lot of unknowns is a risky bet for anyone.

Foldable phones are also notoriously fragile. Early versions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, for example, had issues with the screen. Repairs for foldable smartphones can be costly too.

But Google’s decision to embrace the option may help persuade more consumers to take a chance.

Sean Milfort, a PhD student at Northcentral University, said he pre-ordered the Pixel Fold because he always wanted a foldable smartphone and didn’t want to leave the Pixel brand.

“I’m a big fan of the Pixel line and have loved the idea of a foldable,” he said. “The fact that it is coming from Google – because they make Android – gives me hope that they will be really investing in that larger form factor device with Android.”

But holdouts like Pantons may wait on the chance it could come down in price.

“If a trade-in deal later on becomes available or it goes on sale then maybe then [I’ll buy one],” he said.

 

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Huawei's new Kirin 9010 brings minor CPU improvements – GSMArena.com news – GSMArena.com

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Huawei announced the Pura 70 series today, and once again offered no details regarding the chipsets. However, early benchrmarks confirmed they feature a new platform called Kirin 9010, which has an 8-core CPU, identified by apps as 12-core unit due to hyperthreading.

Hyperthreading is nothing new in the chipset industry, as the Taishan cores have been supporting the technology for some time; it has been part of the Kirin 9000s and now is a part of the 9010 as well.

First Geekbench results revealed a minor improvement in raw performance, coming from slightly faster core speeds. The numbers show improvement single digit percentage improvements in both single core and multi core tests.

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Kirin 9000S on Geekbench

Kirin 9010 vs Kirin 9000S on Geekbench

The actual octa-core combination of Kirin 9010 is as follows: one 2.30 GHz Taishan Big, three 2.18 GHz Taishan Mid and four 1.55 GHz Cortex-A510. The GPU remains Maleoon 910 at 750 MHz.

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'Kingdom Come: Deliverance II' Revealed In Epic New Trailer And It Looks Incredible – Forbes

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“You can save the world, or you can help punish it for its sins.” That’s the crux of Warhorse Studio’s “behemoth” of a sequel to 2018’s Kingdom Come: Deliverance. The sequel, which is slated for release later this year on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PS5 will be bigger, more fun, filled with adventure and more diverse thanks to its setting in the 15th century Bohemian city of Kuttenberg a city that creative director Daniel Vavra says is “really big, it’s even too big in my opinion.”

New weapons like the crossbow and primitive firearms will also make their debut in the continued story of the squire Henry (Tom McKay) and the knight he accompanies, Hans Capon (Luke Dale) as they leave the country behind.

Here’s the trailer, which features gameplay, cinematics and discussion from the actors and developers. Be sure to watch until the end to see the bit about the music. A full choir and orchestra in a beautiful Eastern European cathedral? Just gorgeous.

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“What we are making now is what it was supposed to be in the beginning, but we weren’t able to do it because we didn’t have enough resources and experiences and all that stuff,” Vavra says in the video. “We’ve proven the concept works, so now we can take it to another level, which is what we always wanted.”

“This is a behemoth of a game in comparison to the first. In my opinion I think it’s got so much more energy and pace and adventure and action and fun and trial and tribulation and everything you can want,” McKay says in the video.

The game will be “much bigger in scope” with a more in-depth story and a world roughly twice the size of the first. The story has evolved from a small-scale conflict to one about “the problem with kings,” Vavra says.

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Kingdom Come Deliverance II, like the first game, is not a fantasy RPG like Skyrim or The Witcher, but one that attempts to create a historically accurate world down to the weapons, costumes, locations and people. There are no magicians or dragons or elves here—but there will be plenty of adventure, exploration and knight errantry.

Pretty exciting!

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Save $700 Off This 4K Projector at Amazon While You Still Can – CNET

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While it’s true that high-end TVs seem to be getting ever bigger, they still can’t compete with the best projectors when it comes to image size. If you choose a good 4K projector you’ll even get top-notch image quality as well. Right now you can pick one of those projectors up and save a whopping $700 to boot. That’s possible thanks to an Amazon deal that slashes the Xgimi Horizon Pro projector’s price to just $999, a return to its best price ever there. This deal doesn’t require you to enter any pesky codes or clip any coupons, but these kinds of limited-time deals also don’t have a published end date which means that this discount could end at any minute and without warning — be sure to keep that in mind.

The Xgimi Horizon Pro 4K has a ton of features that make it a great option for anyone looking to upgrade their old projector or make the jump from a big-screen TV. The 4K resolution and support for HDR ensure you’ll get a great picture, while the ultra-bright 1,500 ISO lumens mean you won’t find yourself squinting at a dark image. Other features of note include auto keystone correction and an autofocus capability. And we didn’t even get to the fact that this projector can generate a 200-inch image yet, either.

Looking to enjoy content without the hassle of wires? This projector has Android TV built in so you can enjoy any of the more than 5,000 Google Play apps while Chomecast support is built-in as well.

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Alternatively, the Xgimi Halo Plus projector is our top pick for a portable 1080p projector, making it great for camping trips and more — and right now a 23% discount means you can get one for just $650. Finally, the Xgimi MoGo2 is another protector designed to help you want content on the go and now it’s available at almost its best price yet at just $250.

Not sure that a projector is for you but still want to enjoy a great picture? Our list of the best OLED TV deals is just the ticket.



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