Tech

Samsung’s new $1,400 flip phone shows that foldable devices aren’t just a gimmick

Published

5 years ago

February 12, 2020

Samsung’s new foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip.

Samsung made a splash Tuesday with the unveiling of its latest experiment in the foldable phones category. And it appears to be the clearest demonstration yet of how the trend isn’t just a gimmick.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is a big improvement on the South Korean electronics giant’s predecessor, the Galaxy Fold. That phone started life crashing for floods of gadget reviewers before it even had the chance to hit the shelves.

But with the Z Flip, which CNBC got a hands-on with, we got an early sign that history is not likely to repeat itself. The device, which folds in half like a clamshell flip phone, feels sturdier and the hinge is a noticable improvement on the Fold. The gap in both halves of the phone is barely noticable, and it’s built to resist exposure to dust and sand.

Whereas the Fold showed how you can cram as much as possible into a phone that folds out into a huge tablet, the Z Flip demonstrates a much more compact version of that design which could open up the “niche” of foldables to a bigger audience.

Samsung’s new foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip.

It also obviously harks back to a time when such “flip” phones were far more commonplace, injecting both a sense of nostalgia and freshness at the same time – as the Motorola Razr did in its own way. And, given the Z Flip comes equipped with a glass display rather than a plastic one, it feels much smoother to use.

One little drawback for me was that it’s a little slower to be able to shut and open the device. A more secure hinge comes with the condition that it takes a little more force to close and open up the Z Flip.

“I believe we’re in the very beginning of a ten-year transition where nearly every mid-range and premium smartphone will be able to fold one way or another,” Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst of Moor Insights & Strategy, told CNBC. “I do not believe this is a passing fad, but a long term trend we will see in phones but also PCs.”

He added: “We will even see devices that can fold twice and I believe Samsung is looking to that future as it named the line ‘Z’ which has two folds.”

Interacting with apps

As with the Fold, there’s the ability to interact with apps in different ways. With the YouTube app, for instance, you can view it on the fully-opened phone normally as you would with any smartphone. But start folding it at a 90-degree angle, and the experience changes.

Samsung’s new foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip.

The video you’re viewing then collapses into the top half of the display — meaning it doesn’t cross into the second half — while recommendations for other clips and the comments section can be interacted with on the bottom portion of the device.

Meanwhile, the way this folding experience — which Samsung calls “Flex Mode” — works with the camera is also a neat feature. When bending it at an angle, like with YouTube, the photo app shows only what the camera sees at the top, while at the bottom you can flick through options like whether to take a picture or video and different effects.

It’s only a sneak peak at how practical folding phones could be for apps, but given that’s such a key thing these phones will have to get right, it’s a promising sign. Samsung could easily exploit this dual-screen function to enable more creative use cases, like it’s done with its “phablet” Note range of phones.

“Foldable phones is an iPhone moment for the smartphone industry similar to the transition from a keypad, non-touch form-factor to capacitive slate touch form-factor when the iPhone was launched ten years ago,” Neil Shah, partner and vice president of research at Counterpoijnt Research, told CNBC. “4G was the catalyst for the slate mobile phone form-factor then; 5G will play the same role for the foldable smartphones.”

Samsung’s new foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip.

But, Shah added: “The mobile ecosystem from supply chain to manufacturers to app developers will have to work hard on standardizing, optimizing the software, applications on these varieties of potential foldable form-factors to keep the experience intuitive and less fragmented.”

More foldables in the works

The Z flip isn’t just a copycat of the Motorola Razr, which was revealed to much fanfare late last year. That device is another clear example in its own right of how foldables could take off at lower entry points, especially for people hesitant to pay a high price for these gadgets.

Plus, despite Huawei’s political problems and a huge $2,600 price tag for its foldable phone, the Mate X released last year was another sign of the amount of investment that’s going into creating these things.

The Galaxy Z Flip sells for a cool $1,380 price, which is expensive. But it’s worth noting that’s significantly lower than the $1,980 you’d pay for a Galaxy Fold. However, the Z Flip won’t come with 5G — the super-fast next generation of mobile internet — whereas the Fold has a slightly more expensive variant with 5G.

Samsung’s new foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip.

Paolo Pescatore, tech, media and telecom analyst at PP Foresight, told CNBC he believes the foldable category is still a “novelty,” but that Samsung had done a “phenomenal job” with the Z Flip.

“Samsung has raised the benchmark compared to other foldable devices in every single way,” he said. “It is far more refined and feels more finished and fashionable compared to rivals.”

Still, the Z Flip will need to stand the test of time — and of willingness from consumers to buy it. If we’ve learned anything from the last two years’ dismal smartphone market performance, it’s that not everyone is ready to part with $1,000 or more for a new handset.

But it’s a promising sign for gadget enthusiasts and casual tech users alike who’ve been wanting to find a potential entry point for a premium-feeling phone that brings something “new” to the table. The Galaxy Z Flip isn’t cheap, but it’s cheaper, and that’s a start.

We’ll also need evidence the phones don’t stop working out of the blue like the Fold did for plenty of reviewers — including CNBC’s — last year. That’s a key thing to watch out for as Samsung starts putting this into more people’s hands.

Needless to say, this won’t be the last you’ve heard of foldable phones. Plenty of other manufacturers — particularly Chinese ones — are working on new and innovative folding devices.

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Tech

Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.

“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.

The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.

However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”

Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.

“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.

“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”

The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.

At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.

A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”

Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.

Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.

Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.

Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.

While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.

Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.

The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.

— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

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Health

Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

Published

2 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Tech

Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

Published

2 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.

The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.

“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.

Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”

“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.

The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.

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