Galaxy S20 gets exclusive three-month free access to Flipboard TV

Samsung unveiled a bunch of new high-end smartphones two days ago. The company closely worked with brands like Google, Microsoft, Netflix, and Spotify for some unique software integrations for the Galaxy S20, Galaxy Z Flip, and the Galaxy Buds+. Now, Flipboard has announced that it is launching its paid video service, which will be exclusive to the Galaxy S20 series for now.

Flipboard TV is a new curated video service that is integrated into the Flipboard app. It brings professionally produced video content from popular creators and media publishers across a variety of topics like business, entertainment, fashion, news, politics, technology, and more.

Flipboard’s new video service curates business videos from Barron’s, Bloomberg, Market Watch, The Wall Street Journal, and others, while entertainment content is sourced from Rolling Stones, US Weekly, and Variety. It also gives access to local TV news in the US from KCCI, KCRA, and WESH. The Politics channel gets content from The Recount and others.

The content curation service says that Flipboard TV will have more than 100 publishers at launch, which coincides with the launch of the Galaxy S20 series. Initially, Flipboard TV will be exclusively available on the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra. It will cost $2.99 per month after the three-month free trial.

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Samsung reportedly working on Dexbook, a DeX-powered portable monitor

Samsung has been trying for years to make its Galaxy smartphones even more useful by making them behave like desktop computers, when needed, with the DeX software. Now, it appears that the South Korean tech giant has plans to make a portable monitor for its smartphones.

According to a report from ETNews, Samsung is planning to launch a 14.1-inch portable monitor that can turn Galaxy smartphones into desktop computer-like devices. While the company already supports a similar feature through third-party displays and even PCs, the new monitor is expected to weigh less than a kilogram, which makes it truly portable.

It is being reported that the upcoming Dexbook device will have a built-in 10,000mAh battery that can not only power the monitor but also the connected smartphone. It doesn’t come with a keyboard or a mouse, though, which is quite puzzling if the whole idea is to convert the phone into a PC. Perhaps, the idea is to utilize the monitor’s big screen for enjoying movies.

Apparently, even LG is making such a portable monitor that has a 5,000mAh built-in battery. Both firms are reportedly planning to start the mass production of their portable monitors in Q2 and release them in Q3 of this year. The Dexbook monitor could be priced anywhere between $339 to $423. Would you be interested in such a device? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Why the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip will be your secret love affair

Some of you may not agree with this statement but I have a strong feeling that you’ll end up agreeing with me by the end of this piece. As far as smartphones are concerned, there’s not much that surprises me anymore. I’ve been in this business long enough to have tested more phones than I could remember and have had a front-row seat to the transformation of the mobile industry over the past decade and a half.

So it doesn’t matter if a new phone has a larger display or a better camera, it’s all just evolutionary after all. The truly surprising moments have been few and far between. There certainly was one with the Galaxy Fold, and boy oh boy has Samsung given me one with the Galaxy Z Flip.

The Galaxy Z Flip is Samsung’s second foldable smartphone, third if you’re counting the Galaxy Fold that was announced before durability improvements were made. This new device has a completely different form factor. While the Galaxy Fold broke new ground by adopting an unusual form factor, the Galaxy Z Flip modernizes a form factor that once dominated the mobile landscape as we knew it.

The clamshell or the flip phone form factor used to be all the rage more than a decade ago. Some of you may not be old enough to remember them but many of us have certainly kept a flip phone in the past. People liked them because they had a smaller footprint. Remember, manufacturers were trying all sorts of things back then, from QWERTY keyboards to the stylus, yet the flip phones remained unchallenged. You had a compact device that could easily fit inside a pocket or a clutch. Flip it open to make a call or read your texts, close it when you’re done and go about your life. It used to be such a different experience compared to how we’ve been boxed in the candy bar form factor for the past decade.

I’m not just pining for the good old days. It’s not about being nostalgic and having something to scratch that itch with. To make the Galaxy Z Flip work, Samsung had to find the perfect balance between that feeling, the nostalgia and what customers need from a modern smartphone. As we pointed out in our hands-on review of the Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung has outdone itself.

I have been using the Galaxy Fold as my daily driver since the day it came out. I still believe that it’s the best smartphone that Samsung has ever made. It’s still a first-gen device that has room for improvement but it stands so far above anything else on the market that it’s not even funny. I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical about the Galaxy Z Flip before I got to play around with it. After having spent some time with it, I’m confident in its efficacy for all users.

This form factor needed to be brought back and Samsung has done that with outstanding clarity. The Galaxy Z Flip folds away from being a smartphone with a 6.7-inch display to something that you can fit entirely in your palm. It’s a refreshing break from the monotony of big smartphones that now rule the market. Even Samsung makes them, look no further than the Galaxy S20 lineup, but the Galaxy Z Flip offers customers looking for something different with an incredible choice. When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Flip is almost as tall as the Galaxy S20 Ultra which is an absolute behemoth in size. Yet, with a gentle flick of your wrist, you can instantly make it compact.

That’s the real advantage. You get a phone with a smaller footprint overall without compromising the need for a large display, which is essential for any modern smartphone. The 6.7-inch display on the Galaxy Z Flip can’t be called small by any stretch of the imagination. This just makes the overall experience much better, it’s easier to hold the device and carry it around while the display is big enough to support all of your modern content consumption needs. Think about it, the Galaxy Z Flip folds into essentially half the size of the phone that’s in your pocket right now.

It’s because of the feeling it gives that I believe the Galaxy Z Flip is going to be the secret love affair of every smartphone user. I certainly haven’t felt this way about a phone in a long time. Is it all sunshine and rainbows, though? Not necessarily and I certainly wouldn’t call it perfection. There are obvious disadvantages to this form factor, in that you will need to keep it unfolded always if you want to text someone and the smaller footprint doesn’t allow for a beefier battery.

That being said, the Galaxy Z Flip has come as a pleasant surprise. I can’t wait to get one and start using it daily. Still on the fence about it? Our full Galaxy Z Flip review will be up soon so do stick around for that.

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Samsung can create multi-hinge foldable devices, but there’s no use yet

If you’ve followed the foldable scene over the years then you must’ve seen countless patent applications revealing purported designs for unreleased multi-hinge Samsung devices that can fold in more than one place. As Samsung is leading the foray into foldable screen technology, the company has obviously experimented with a lot of concepts. In reality, however, we shouldn’t expect any of these unusual designs to make it into consumer products anytime soon.

The idea that patented designs aren’t guaranteed to become reality isn’t anything new. But this time around, Samsung’s new president and head of mobile division, Roh Tae-moon, confirmed that the company doesn’t yet see any practical use cases for foldable devices that have more than one hinge.

Although Samsung could technically design phones that fold even more times as a show of force, there’s really no need for bragging given that the company is already leading the foldable market. Samsung’s president believes that offering value is more important for customers, and a multi-hinge foldable device doesn’t necessarily offer that, or at least, not yet.

Samsung might put a bigger focus on software and services next

It’s also important to have an ecosystem for sufficient content and services before releasing more foldable variants, Roh Tae-moon said in the recent interview following Unpacked, adding that Samsung can release new foldable phones at an opportune time when there are enough services on those phones.

It sounds like the company might want to focus on improving the software experience of foldables before creating new designs based on flexible display tech. Nevertheless, Samsung’s president does envision a future of foldable devices that are capable of folding multiple times and adapt, in size, according to the user’s needs. It’s just that it will take some time before that happens, and single-hinge foldable devices will remain the norm for the foreseeable future.

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Download Galaxy Z Flip wallpapers and see your home screen ‘bloom’

The Galaxy Z Flip has gone official and will soon be hitting retail stores, at least in the US and South Korea (though other markets are going to follow soon). We went hands on with Samsung’s clamshell foldable and came away impressed, as it brings a number of cool features that we haven’t seen on other phones — foldable or otherwise — before. As expected, the Galaxy Z Flip also comes preloaded with some new wallpapers, and some of those wallpapers are now available for download.

The Galaxy Z Flip was developed with the codename ‘Bloom’, and that’s the theme the wallpapers are based on. The live video wallpaper on the Z Flip shows a blooming flower in multiple colors, and it looks downright gorgeous. The static wallpapers show the same flower. You will also notice how the wallpapers have an unusually taller vertical resolution. That’s because the Galaxy Z Flip’s 6.7-inch display is unusually tall as well, though Samsung has included standard-sized versions of the same wallpapers.

You can download the entire wallpaper package (including a wallpaper from the Thom Browne edition of the Galaxy Z Flip) as a ZIP file by clicking this link. The individual wallpapers can be seen below. It’s worth mentioning that these wallpapers have a maximum resolution of 2636×2636 pixels, so they may not look very sharp on maximum screen resolution on a Galaxy S10 or Galaxy Note 10.

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Samsung’s foldable device portfolio adopts new naming convention

The launch of the Galaxy Z Flip marks a new chapter in the company’s foldable device portfolio, and we don’t say this just because it’s a brand new device, but because the Galaxy Z Flip has established a new naming convention for Samsung’s foldable devices.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg News, Samsung confirmed that its foldable device portfolio is adopting a new naming scheme that shows our commitment to expanding the category to offer a variety of experiences. The spokesperson added that ‘Z’ was chosen for the new foldable series because it intuitively communicates the idea of a fold while delivering a dynamic, youthful feel.

Samsung is retroactively adopting a new naming scheme

Samsung’s decision to rename its foldable device portfolio already seems to apply retroactively, as discovered earlier today by @MaxWinebach. The Galaxy Fold category on the Samsung US portal now redirects to the newly-added ‘Galaxy Z’ category, and as shown in the screenshot below, even the Galaxy Fold store page has had its URL changed to include the Galaxy Z moniker.

What this likely means is that the direct sequel to the Galaxy Fold might not be called the Galaxy Fold 2. Instead, it could follow this Z-based naming convention, making the original Galaxy Fold seem that much more experimental and one of a kind.

Time will tell exactly how the OG Fold’s sequel will be called, but it should technically be unveiled in the second half of 2020 so there’s plenty of time ahead of us for rumors and speculations. We’ll keep you up to speed as soon as we find out more.

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Sprint unveils Galaxy S20 launch details, Galaxy Z Flip pre-orders go live

Sprint has announced the launch details for the Galaxy S20 series and Galaxy Z Flip on its network. The Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and Galaxy S20 Ultra will become available for pre-order on February 21 before launching on March 6, but Sprint is so far keeping quiet about the prices. Nevertheless, the flagship trio will likely launch on Sprint’s network for prices similar to AT&T’s, Verizon’s, and T-Mobile’s.

In the meantime, Sprint seems to be eager to offer the stylish Galaxy Z Flip to its customers, and prospective buyers are already able to pre-order the phone before it hits the shelves on February 14.

Galaxy Z Flip costs $1,380, comes in purple or black

Sprint customers can now pre-order the Galaxy Z Flip in Mirror Purple or Mirror Black. Samsung also showcased a Mirror Gold color option at Unpacked. It will be made available at a later date, but it probably won’t be offered by Sprint.

The US-based carrier sells the Galaxy Z Flip for the usual $1,380 price, but customers can also acquire the phone through a Sprint Flex 18 month lease starting at $57.50 a month. Once the 18 months have passed, you can choose to return the Galaxy Z Flip for a newer phone model or complete the purchase by paying the remainder in one lump or six monthly payments.

The Galaxy Z Flip comes with 256GB of built-in UFS 3.0 storage, the Snapdragon 855+ chipset, 8GB of RAM, and a stunning 6.7-inch foldable Dynamic AMOLED display with HDR10+ support.

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