Samsung Galaxy Folder 2 brings back clamshell

No, this isn’t a Flashback Friday article. Despite 99 percent of smartphones being bar-shaped touchscreens, the newly launched Android-powered Galaxy Folder 2 clamshell handset is Samsung’s latest throwback product.

As you can tell by the number, this isn’t the first time Samsung has released such a form factor. The first Galaxy Folder came out in July last year with a 3.8-inch, 800 x 480-pixel touchscreen and mostly low-end specs. The newer Folder 2 is obviously better in terms of performance, but surprisingly retains the exact same display.

To speed up the performance, the updated Galaxy Folder is equipped with a much faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset and 2GB of RAM, which is more than the older model’s 1.5GB of memory. The internal storage has been bumped up to 16GB as well, and it can be further pushed using a microSD card.

All these help in powering the Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system and assuring quick shots for the 8-megapixel main camera and 5-megapixel front-facing shooter. The 1,950mAh battery might not seem suffice, but when you consider the smallish, low-resolution screen, there’s no reason to worry.

We’re still waiting for Samsung to provide details on the release dates and prices. All we know is that the Galaxy Folder 2 will come out in China first, and that there’s going to be a large demand from flip phone fanatics who can’t accept the smartphones of today.

Source: Samsung China

Samsung W2017 is the flip phone of your dreams

As cool as it was to see a modern, Android-powered clamshell phone from Samsung last August, the Galaxy Folder 2 didn’t exactly impress outside of its throwback design. Things are a little different now with the launch of the high-end W2017, which is the hottest flippy phone you can probably buy soon.

Emphasis on probably, because you’d have to reside in China or have one shipped to get a hold of the W2017. Yes, it’s currently exclusive to the Chinese market, but that isn’t even the worst part.

Although the exact price hasn’t been confirmed yet, you might have to fork over CNY 20,000, which converts to nearly $3,000. Wowza!

The Samsung W2017 in gold

If that sounds totally outrageous to you, we’d understand, but this isn’t the first out-of-this-world pricing we’ve seen from Samsung. Its predecessor, the aptly named W2016, cost a whopping CNY 9,999 — half as much, but still excessively premium.

So, how does the W2017 justify its price tag? First of all, it has a two 4.2-inch Full HD AMOLED screens — one on each side of the handset’s cover. The outer display has Samsung’s Always On feature, meaning it can constantly stay on to alert you of notifications without significantly draining the battery.

Beneath everything is Qualcomm’s high-powered Snapdragon 820 processor (the same found in Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S7), an ample 4GB of memory, and 64GB of internal storage that you can expand using a microSD card.

For shooting photos and videos, you have a 12-megapixel camera at the back and 5-megapixel shooter on the inside for vanity. The former is more special, as it has a bright f/1.9 aperture for fast shots under poor lighting conditions, as well as 4K resolution video recording.

Gold and black models of the Samsung W2017

The only knock against it is the unremarkable 2300mAh battery, so good luck lasting more than a day with both displays sapping power at the same time. But if the price is something you can manage, ordering a fitting power bank shouldn’t be much trouble.

Luckily, there’s also fast charging to fill up the W2017 in a jiffy, plus a fingerprint scanner that supports Samsung Pay, in case you’re into high-tech payment methods.

While there’s no Galaxy branding to its name, the W2017 does indeed have Android 6.0 Marshmallow as its operating system. We’re guessing the moniker doesn’t matter much to Sammy anymore, since the Galaxy TabPro S convertiblehas the title sans Android.

And before we forget, it’ll come in two colors: black or gold. Choose wisely!

Source: SamMobile

ZTE CYMBAL-T flip phone launched with 3.5-inch display, 5MP camera

ZTE has launched a new smartphone in the US. Dubbed CYMBAL-T, it's a flip phone powered by Snapdragon 210 chipset and sports a 3.5-inch display. It has 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal memory, which can be expanded up to 32GB.

In terms of camera, the phone features a 5MP rear unit and a 2MP front shooter. Connectivity options include WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS. Support for LTE is also there. The handset runs Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box.

As for price, the CYMBAL-T carries a tag of $99.95. You can purchase it from the Home Shopping Network, which is also including a car charger, case, app pack, and 1,200 minutes of texts and data with the phone.

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All-electric self-driving cars are hitting the streets of Singapore for nuTonomy’s robotaxi project

It’s an exciting time in the autonomous driving space. While companies are making announcements about upcoming systems available in 2019, like Mobileye and Delphi, and in 2021, like Ford, some are already having trial projects with customers in public streets, like Uber in Pittsburgh.

Today, nuTonomy announced the start of its own public self-driving car trial in the streets of Singapore, and EV enthusiasts will be happy to know that they are using all-electric vehicles.

nuTonomy, an MIT startup, outfitted Renault Zoe and Mitsubishi i-MiEV cars with its custom sensor suite to test out its autonomous driving software.

The trial is a lot similar to what Uber is doing Pittsburgh, meaning customers will be invited to use nuTonomy’s ride-hailing app to book a ride in the new cars at no-cost ride and like Uber, an engineer will be in the car to monitor the system and take over control if needed.

The rides will also be limited to Singapore’s one-north business district where nuTonomy has been conducting daily testing since April.

CEO and co-founder of nuTonomy, Karl Iagnemma, on the announcement:

“nuTonomy’s first-in-the-world public trial is a direct reflection of the level of maturity that we have achieved with our AV software system. The trial represents an extraordinary opportunity to collect feedback from riders in a real-world setting, and this feedback will give nuTonomy a unique advantage as we work toward deployment of a self-driving vehicle fleet in 2018.”

It is one of the most aggressive official timeline for deployment so far. Google has informally talked about 2018 for the commercialization of its system and of course, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been dropping hints of a fully autonomous system by 2017-2018, but again without anything official.

The company released a quick promo video for the trial:

Best budget Android smartphones [August 2016]

ZTE ZMax Pro

Cheap phones are hardly ever good, but the $99 ZTE ZMax Pro is easily the best option at its price point. For that price you’ll get a massive 6-inch display, Snapdragon 617 processor, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. It also comes with a 13MP rear camera, 3,400 mAh battery, and even a fingerprint sensor. These same specs are found on devices which are far more expensive, so for $99 this is a fantastic deal, however it’s not without compromises.

For now the ZMax Pro is an exclusive to MetroPCS and only comes down to $99 after a rebate. You can unlock it for use on other GSM networks, but only after 3 months of active service. You can learn more about the ZMax Pro in our full review here. If you’re looking to buy, it’s available now through MetroPCS.

BLU Studio Touch

Another great $99 smartphone that released recently was the BLU Studio Touch. For $99 the Studio Touch brings a 5-inch HD display, MediaTek 1GHz quad core chipset, 8GB of storage, and 1GB of RAM. It also comes with an 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, 8GB of storage, and a fingerprint sensor, all wrapped up in an all-metal body. Another variant will also be coming next month with double the storage and RAM for an extra $10.

Obviously this device doesn’t compare very well to the ZMax Pro mentioned above, but this device runs just $99 outright, no rebates required. For a quick and cheap option, this is a fine device that will work for just about anyone using a GSM carrier.

The BLU Studio Touch is available from Amazon for $99 in both Gold/White and Black/Grey.

ZTE Axon 7

The second device from ZTE to land on this list is the Axon 7. Starting at just $399, the Axon 7 packs a 5.5-inch AMOLED display, an all-metal design, front facing speakers, and premium specifications including the top of the line Snapdragon 820 chipset. It also packs an insane 6GB of RAM and support for Google Daydream.

The ZTE Axon 7 is available for purchase from ZTE, Amazon, and many other retailers around the web for $399 unlocked for use on GSM carriers.

Alcatel IDOL 4S

The last major new release this month is the Alcatel IDOL 4s. This one hits our budget cap at $399, but for that price it’s a fantastic phone. The design is made up from glass and metal with a 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED display, Snapdragon 652 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 16MP rear camera, and a 3,000 mAh battery. The device’s packaging also doubles as a VR headset with several pre-loaded VR applications on the device. There’s also a fingerprint sensor on the rear and stereo speakers on both sides of the phone.

You can order the IDOL 4S now from Alcatel for $399 with a free set of JBL headphones and Incipio case along with the phone.

Disney launches child-focused messaging app

Just when you think there can’t possibly be room for yet another messaging app, along comes Disney with what looks like a decent attempt to prove us wrong. Disney Mix is a new messaging app designed for use by kids as young as four, using the tagline ‘chat, share, play.’

The free app offers stickers from just about every Disney movie you could name, customized cartoon avatars, built-in games and safety features designed to keep things family-friendly …

Disney Mix is a social messaging app where friends can chat, share, and play in a whole new way! Get creative and express yourself using some favorite Disney and Pixar characters like Flash from Zootopia, Hank from Finding Dory, Jenny from Adventures in Babysitting, Danny from Future-Worm!, and more! Add Disney Channel, Disney, and Disney Movies to your Friends List and receive the latest videos and photos directly from them. Personalize an avatar, chat with friends, play games, make memes, and send funny stickers and sounds… do it all in one place with Disney Mix.

On the safety side, Engadget notes that chat threads have a whistle icon at the top that kids can press if anything concerns them. An adult moderator will then step in to check things out. Disney has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying and harassment, and users are reminded to be respectful and keep it clean.

Disney Mix is a free download on Google Play, with an iOS version available too.