Samsung Is Now Offering Two New Size Options For Its Galaxy Ring
Samsung entered the smart ring market last year with the first Galaxy Ring and wowed the tech world with its sleek design and health focused features. But user feedback said more size options would be needed to reach a wider audience. Samsung listened and is expanding its offerings and big updates are coming at the Galaxy Unpacked event. New Galaxy Ring Sizes Samsung just announced two new sizes, 14 and 15, to the Galaxy Ring lineup after user feedback. These two new sizes will be available from January 22, 2025. Now the Galaxy Ring will have sizes from 5 to 15. Not only are the new sizes about inclusivity but it’s also a competitive advantage for Samsung in the wearables market. Such an expansion of the Galaxy Ring shows the company’s commitment to refine its product based on user feedback and stay ahead in the growing smart ring space. Expansion to More Markets The Ring started rolling out to more markets from July 2024. Since it launched in 38 markets including Australia, Canada, China and Turkey among others, Samsung has added 16 more regions and now the device is available in 53 markets globally. By offering both size options and expanding market availability Samsung wants to compete with the incumbents like Oura Ring which has been in the smart ring space for long. Improved Sleep and Health Features Samsung is also improving the health tracking of the Galaxy Ring. In addition to the hardware updates, the company is updating the Samsung Health app to give users more advanced sleep health features. Some of the new features: Sleep Time Guidance: Individual guidance to help users sleep better. Mindfulness Tracker: Track your mental well-being. Sleep Environment Report: Room temperature, noise levels and other factors that affect sleep. These new features shows how serious Samsung is in providing more than just basic activity tracking for health. Next Gen Prep Not much is known about the second gen Galaxy Ring but speculations are high that it will be announced at the Galaxy Unpacked event. Many are waiting to see what’s next, more battery life and other health metrics. Conclusion New sizes, more markets and more health features. Samsung is solidifying its position in the smart ring space. The Galaxy Ring is becoming a more inclusive and feature rich wearable for all types of users and heating up the wearables market. Now all eyes are on the Galaxy Unpacked event where more updates for the smart ring might be announced. Source
Apple Watch SE To Get A Redesign, Watch Ultra 3 Will Feature BP Monitor
Fans of the Apple smartwatches line their calendars every September, knowing the Apple Watch sees its refresh. But the latest Power On newsletter from veteran tech journalist Mark Gurman may shine some light on exactly what that might entail for Apple’s wearable lines. Let’s take a closer look. Apple Watch SE: New Design The entry-level Apple Watch SE was last updated in 2022 and is due for a design refresh. Details remain scant, but the company will probably keep the SE 3’s design after the Series 7 to Series 9 models, following tradition. That would move the SE into modern style while still making sure it stays more budget-friendly. Apple Watch Series 11: Incremental Changes After the big design refresh that came with the Series 10, the upcoming Series 11 models will likely enjoy only minor casing revisions. Though the new cases might essentially look indistinguishable from their predecessors, word is that the Series 11 will boast many additional hardware updates, especially in performance and functionality rather than a design refresh. Apple Watch Ultra 3: Connectivity Upgrades The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is supposed to look the same as its predecessor, launched in 2022. Still, Gurman suggests some significant hardware updates, such as satellite connectivity and 5G RedCap support. The latter is a new technology that reduces 5G bandwidth for non-phone devices, which could mean better connectivity for outdoor adventurers and fitness enthusiasts. Groundbreaking Health Features Blood pressure monitoring has been the most yearned-for feature across the lineup. First said to be coming with Series 10, this had been delayed due to some reliability problems during test courses. Apple seems ready to launch this revolutionary health feature in 2025, probably setting a new record when it comes to wearable health technology. Additionally, it’s said to be working on bringing AI workouts to the smartwatch platform, which would line up with plans to push deeper into health and fitness features in the medium term and make the Apple Watch a far more complete wellness device. Wareable’s Take This adds credibility to the claims, considering Mark Gurman’s track record in predicting Apple’s plans. The refresh of the design of the SE model makes sense since it has an outdated look. But for the Series 11 and Ultra 3, their rumored upgrades might be a bit underwhelming for some enthusiasts, especially considering the unchanged looks of both models. The Ultra series, which started in 2022, has missed a major refresh since its launch. Many were expecting a big refresh in 2025, but the rumored upgrades seem more incremental and closer to what one would expect from a normal yearly refresh cycle. What’s Next? Of course, these details paint a small picture of what Apple will offer, but much is left to question. As has often been the case with updates, features and designs can change in the upcoming months. Fans of Apple will have to wait until September for an official unveiling. Keep watching for the latest on the Apple Watch as more rumors and details emerge over the coming months. Source
Intel Shows Off Next-Gen Modular Gaming Handheld
Modular has been a tech enthusiast’s dream for years because it promises to make upgrading and fixing things easier. The concept has never really taken off in practice. Maybe things will change as Intel takes the stage with its modular products at the “Innovation Showcase”. According to The Verge, Intel’s latest effort has a swappable component gaming handheld that has rekindled interest in modular tech. Intel’s Gaming Handheld: A Closer Look Details are scarce but from the leaked images sent to The Verge it looks like a sleek metallic handheld with a 7 inch Full HD display. The screen is swappable and attached via 3 separate connectors. This kind of modularity means customization options like different specifications of screens but that’s just speculation for now. The design looks futuristic and user friendly and promises flexibility for gamers who want a custom experience. Unlike previous modular devices like the AYANEO 3 which only allowed users to swap controller designs, Intel’s concept means a more comprehensive approach to modularity and potentially redefining how gaming handhelds are designed. Expanding Modular Innovation: Beyond Handhelds But Intel’s interest in modularity doesn’t stop at gaming handhelds. At the same showcase they demoed a “Lunar Lake” modular laptop, a product of its previously introduced “Compute Card” idea. This laptop has a motorized hinge that opens and closes the lid on its own, eye-tracking and a rather unusual “ring-based” mouse. It also has a Qi wireless charging pad in the palm rest-a feature that’s new and aimed at convenience. These modular devices developed with Quanta-a leading Taiwanese hardware manufacturer-show Intel’s willingness to innovate. Quanta has years of experience in AI and advanced hardware development so these designs are instantly credible. The AI8A Branding The “AI8A” branding was on the modular products at the event but what that means is anyone’s guess. Is this a new product line or a concept? Nobody knows. Whatever it is it shows Intel’s intention to lead in modular tech. The Road Ahead for Modular Devices While these are just prototypes, Intel hasn’t confirmed if these will hit consumer markets but the excitement around them shows there’s a growing appetite for innovation in the tech industry. Modular tech is one of the most promising ways for customization and sustainability especially in gaming handhelds where personalization and performance is at the core of the device. Conclusion Intel’s foray into modular tech especially with its gaming handheld is a big step forward in consumer electronics. These are still in development but the potential to disrupt the market is huge. For gamers and tech enthusiasts who have to wait a bit longer for more info, Intel’s showcase is a reminder that the best kind of innovation is the kind that pushes the boundaries. The future of modular gaming handhelds has never looked brighter. Source & Images: The Verge
OnePlus Open 2: What We Know So Far
Introduction According to the latest rumors, the OnePlus Open 2 won’t be out until July 2025. Being the successor of the first gen OnePlus foldable which was launched last October 2023, Open 2 must have big updates in design and performance. Shared Designs Between OnePlus and Oppo OnePlus is a subsidiary of Oppo under BBK Electronics and they often share designs and features. BBK Electronics is also the parent company of other popular brands like Vivo, Realme and iQOO. So it’s not surprising that the OnePlus Open 2 will take inspiration from Oppo’s upcoming book-style foldable called the Find N 5. Ultra Thin Design with Premium Materials According to the usually reliable leaker Digital Chat Station, the Oppo Find N5 will come with a titanium body so it will be thinner than any folded device in existence. If true, the 9.2mm when folded and 4.35mm when unfolded record of the Honor Magic V3 will fall. That ultra thin design will likely be on the OnePlus Open 2 and will make it one of the most beautiful and pocketable foldables out there. Advanced Camera and Performance Upgrades Other info from another leaker, Smart Pikachu, the Oppo Find N5 will have a Hasselblad triple camera system with a periscope lens which may be on the Open 2. This device is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor which will give it class leading performance in multitasking, gaming and productivity. Bigger Battery and Class Leading Features For example the Oppo Find N5 will have a bigger battery, up to 6000mAh from 4805mAh of its predecessor. If true then that means the OnePlus Open 2 will have it too which will translate to longer usage time. Other features may include satellite connectivity and wireless charging. Competing with Samsung Galaxy Z Fold The OnePlus Open 2 if based on the Oppo Find N5 will seriously give Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold a run for its money. In a slim size, with high performance hardware and lots of premium features the Open 2 will be one of the strong contender in the foldable market. Launch Timeline The OnePlus Open 2 will be out in mid 2025 but the Oppo Find N5 may be announced as early as February 2025. That will give us a sneak peek of what the Open 2 will have and for the fans to see the design and features ahead of time. Conclusion It looks like the OnePlus Open 2 will be one of those foldables with latest technology and not compromising on design. Feature packed with titanium body, Hasselblad cameras and elite processor-Snapdragon 8 Elite it seems to be rewriting the spec sheet of foldable devices. And till that time comes we will have to see Oppo Find N5 to get a glimpse of what’s coming: Source Image Credit: Smartprix
Nubia Music 2 Announced For Audiophiles
ZTE has launched its latest budget phone, the Nubia Music 2, for music lovers who want great audio without the hefty price tag. While the phone has great audio features, the overall specs may not be for those who want high end performance. Great Audio Features Nubia Music 2 stands out with its audio focus. According to ZTE’s official website, the phone has 2.1 channel audio system with 3 full range speakers. It has DTS:X Ultra and can go up to 95dB max volume. It also has spatial audio and 3.5mm headphone jack, a rare feature in modern phones. Noticeably, this phone ditched the dual headphone jack of its predecessor and went with a single 3.5mm jack instead. ZTE probably thought the dual jack was just a gimmick. Hardware and Display Being a budget phone, Nubia Music 2 is powered by Unisoc T7200 (also known as Unisoc T606) with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. This combo may not be top notch but should be enough for basic usage and media playback. It has a 6.7 inch HD+ LCD display with 120Hz refresh rate, smooth visual experience. The resolution is standard for budget phones but the 120Hz refresh rate is a nice bonus. Battery and Charging Nubia Music 2 has 5,000mAh battery, decent for daily use. However, 10W wired charging is slow compared to industry standard. Camera For camera, Nubia Music 2 has 50-megapixel main camera and 5-megapixel front camera. The cameras are not great but enough for casual photography and video calls. Additional Features The phone has modern connectivity options like Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, Wi-Fi and VoLTE. Security is via side mounted fingerprint sensor. It runs on “Android U” which is speculated to be Android 14. Upgrading to Android 15 seems unlikely since the phone is budget but it’s not a big deal for the target audience. Price and Availability The phone is available in Malaysia for around $85 (€75) in Shopee and Lazada. It comes in two color options: Melody Wave and Pop Art, perfect for younger and style conscious users. Verdict Nubia Music 2 is a music focused budget phone with great audio and big display. Not great hardware and camera but affordable and audio focused so it’s a good option for music lovers on a budget. Source
OnePlus 13R Announced With Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 And 50MP Telephoto Camera
The Feature We’ve All Been Waiting For The OnePlus 13R marks a significant development in its camera series, introducing a telephoto lens-a feature long overdue for the mid-range smartphone enthusiast. Although it does not stand toe-to-toe with the flagship OnePlus 13, it does soften the usual corners cut in more affordable phones. Priced at $600/€750 for a 12GB RAM and 256GB storage model, the 13R adds more to last year’s offering. This time around, the OnePlus 12R started from $500 for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage; but OnePlus offers better value regarding the specs on offer. There’s also a 16GB RAM and 512GB storage version, which comes for ₹50,000. The base variant with 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage variant will retail for ₹43,000. Camera Upgrades: Telephoto Lens and More OnePlus 13R comes with a 50MP telephoto camera to upgrade the photography game. Main Camera The primary camera boasts a 50MP Sony LYT-700 sensor with Optical Image Stabilization and 4K video recording at 60fps. This is an upgrade over the IMX890 sensor on the 12R and should provide better images. Telephoto Lens The new 50MP telephoto camera boasts a Samsung JN5 sensor combined with an aperture of f/2.0. It also includes a 47mm optical focal length while offering 2x optical zoom, perfect for portraits. You can even enable 4 times zoom without many quality losses on the device. Other Cameras It includes an 8MP ultra-wide camera that displays a 112° field of view along with a 16MP selfie camera fixed focus. Performance: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Upgraded Storage The OnePlus 13R is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, an upgrade to the chip leading the predecessor, which used the Gen 2. It also packs 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage, up from UFS 3.1 storage on the 12R. The phone ships with OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15, and it has the backing of 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of security patches, though it still doesn’t match Samsung’s, Google’s, and Apple’s support policies. Battery and Charging: Bigger and Better The battery on the OnePlus 13R is bigger, a 6,000mAh battery compared with the 12R’s 5,500mAh. SuperVOOC speeds however decrease to 80W here, but that’s enough to charge this phone full in 52 minutes (54 minutes in North America). Design and Durability: Sleek and Robust The 13R weighs just 206g despite the bigger battery and is 0.8mm thinner than before, while adding in an IP65 rating to protect against water jets. Adding to that is Aqua Touch 2.0, enabling the screen to work even when wet, with a Glove Mode to further enhance usability in extreme conditions. The phone’s aluminum chassis comes in two colours: Astral Trail and Nebula Noir, while the screen protection is Gorilla Glass 7i. Display: Brilliant Display The LTPO OLED display has retained its 6.78-inch size, but it boasts a refresh rate of 1-120Hz, 10-bit color, support for HDR10+, and Dolby Vision. The peak brightness of 4,500 nits ensures that the screen is a great sight for any lighting condition. Connectivity and Other Features The OnePlus 13R also supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and dual nano-SIM cards. But the USB-C port still utilizes USB 2.0 speeds, which is a real shame. On the bright side, the Alert Slider is still here. Availability Pre-orders for the OnePlus 13R are now live worldwide. At this price, this gets pretty great value with upgraded cameras, a powerful chipset, and even better durability-the makings of a great mid-segment warrior. Source
AMD Unveils Next-Gen Ryzen Z2 APUs for Gaming Handhelds
Expanding Gaming Handheld Market AMD has announced the latest in game tech with the Ryzen Z2 APU series. This next gen series is for everything from entry level to high end handheld gaming with this next step. The line up will have three models: Z2 Extreme, Z2, and Z2 Go; these are for console quality gaming in a portable form factor. Building on the Success of the Z1 Series The Ryzen Z2 APUs are the follow up to the successful Z1 series which powered some of the most popular gaming handhelds in the industry like ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go and Valve’s Steam Deck. With the Z2 series AMD is looking to further solidify its position in the portable gaming space by offering more performance, longer battery life and better software support. Features and Tech The new AMD Z2 APUs will bring console gaming to handheld form factors. Some key features of these APUs include: Extended Battery Life: These APUs are optimized for hours of unplugged gaming so you can play for longer with fewer recharges in between. Enhanced Gaming Fidelity: With the implementation of cutting edge tech like AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution you can have maximum gaming quality on smaller devices. Performance Leadership: With more hardware and software integration AMD ensures better performance than competitive solutions. This will allow handheld gamers to tackle computationally intensive gaming loads at record efficiencies so you can game on the go with more flexibility. Marketing Reach One of the main goals of AMD with the Z2 series is to increase its TAM. To do that AMD is releasing multiple variants of the Z2 APU so it can hit different price points and user needs. This will likely appeal to a wider audience from casual gamers to enthusiasts who want top tier performance in a portable form factor. Timeline and Availability The first devices with the Ryzen Z2 APUs will be available in Q1 2025 so rest assured the new generation of handheld consoles with Z2 tech will be here soon. With this AMD is redefining the benchmark for portable gaming and making it more real. Conclusion: The Next Generation of Gaming Handhelds AMD Ryzen Z2 is big for handheld gaming. Developing top end tech while taking user centric steps like more battery life and higher performance means AMD is not leaving any grass to grow around portable gaming devices. Well at least that’s the future of handheld gaming-to look so good-first devices expected early 2025. Via
Qualcomm’s Next Snapdragon 8 Elite To Come Early In 2025
Since the launch, Snapdragon 8 Elite has been one of the best chipsets in the market. Qualcomm’s latest flagship processor beats most of the competition but the company is not resting here. It has already started working on the next generation chipset, reportedly called Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 and leaks are already coming in and giving us a glimpse of what to expect from this moster chipset. Early in 2025 According to Digital Chat Station, a well known tech leaker, Qualcomm wants to announce the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 ahead of schedule. For two years in a row, the company has been moving its Snapdragon Summit forward in the calendar where it announces its flagship processor. If this trend continues, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 may be announced as early as October 2025. For reference, the current Snapdragon 8 Elite was launched in mid October 2024. By moving the launch date forward, Qualcomm is showing it wants to stay ahead in the mobile processor game. Wider Adoption or Exclusive Appeal? Another point to consider with the chipset is its adoption rate. While there are reports that the flagship chipset will be in more devices than last year, then again considering the price premium of Snapdragon 8 Elite series smartphones, that’s a big if. These kind of processors are usually found in flagship smartphones and tablets so their market share is very limited. Whether Qualcomm can balance performance with affordability to reach a wider audience remains to be seen. Built on TSMC’s Latest Technology Of all, the making process would be one of the biggest highlight for the Elite 2. The chipset will be made using TSMC’s N3P node, same as Apple’s A19 chips. For sure the latest process will bring better efficiency and performance to strengthen Qualcomm as a leader in innovation when it comes to mobile processors. This move to TSMC N3P node is in line with the industry’s trend of smaller and more efficient chips. To users this means Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 devices could have longer battery life, better in-device heat management and overall performance boost. Big Performance Boost Performance is always the heart and soul of every new chipset launch and this isn’t different with this chip. Leaks say Qualcomm’s next flagship processor will have 20% CPU performance boost over the previous one. And that’s not all. The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 reportedly has big GPU upgrades to make it the go-to chip for gamers and power users. If the rumors are true the chipset may set a new standard for premium mobile graphics performance for resource hungry applications like gaming, AI and AR/VR. What This Means for You The Elite 2 is another step forward for mobile tech for the geek and the non-geek. First to market, with the latest process and huge performance boosts, it might set the bar for flagships. But how much will it cost and how fast will it be adopted? While it promises performance like no other, it will be very expensive for anything less than a premium device. Conclusion The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is going to be a monster when it drops. Qualcomm has definitely delivered on its promise of innovation and whatever we’ve seen so far of this upcoming chip is good for mobile computing.