1. GALAXY Z FOLD4
Samsung released two new foldable phones and a new generation of smartwatches at its annual August Galaxy Unpacked. The new Galaxy Z Fold4 has a slightly wider screen, measures 6.11" x 2.64" x 0.62" closed, and weighs 9.28 oz. The 6.2" cover screen offers the benefits of a conventional phone, but the folded-open 7.6" screen with Multi window provides twice that for a tablet-size work area or a side-by-side dual screen. You can split the screen to use up to three apps, with drag and drop across the apps, and the task bar has been improved to see more apps in Multi window. The overall size is thinner and lighter than the Fold3, making it more comfortable in your pocket, and there are improvements for durability. The phone and the hinges are aluminum, and the cover screen and back cover are Gorilla Glass Victus. The body provides IPX8 water resistance. Improvements for the cameras include an increase in the wide camera to 50MP, and the telephoto now has 3X optical zoom for a 30X Space Zoom. Low-light environments are now more manageable with a premium-level Nighto-graphy. www.samsung.com
2. GALAXY Z FLIP4
When open, the Galaxy Z Flip4 looks and works like an ordinary smartphone with a 6.7" Dynamic AMOLED 1,080 x 2,640 screen, but when you fold it, the size collapses to about three inches with a 1.9" Super AMOLED screen in the cover. With that cover screen, you can display a calendar, notes, the weather, and a clock; unlock the device with its fingerprint reader; use its quick settings to silence the phone or answer phone calls; use a button to snap photos; and much more, all without opening the phone. And there’s a load of widgets and apps to add to the list of functions. If you’re still curious about the fold failing, Samsung says the flip should be good for 200,000 folds—that’s about 100 folds per day over five years. The glass panels and cover screen are Gorilla Glass Victus, and the frame is Samsung’s own Armor Aluminum. www.samsung.com
3. GALAXY WATCH5
The new Watch5 from Samsung combines fitness and health features with the Wear OS codesigned by Samsung and Google. The watch body still has an aluminum frame, but the display now is sapphire crystal instead of the previous Gorilla Glass to ensure a scratch-free lens. Water and dust resistance rating is still MIL-STD-810H, protecting against water up to 50 meters. The battery is slightly bigger than the Watch4. Samsung’s Health app lets you track workouts, record your sleep, and measure heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen, and body composition, and it has added the ability to measure changes in skin temperature. To take advantage of this new function, you’re asked to establish a baseline by taking readings over time. www.samsung.com
4. HP PAVILION AERO 13
The HP Pavilion Aero 13 is a nicely designed, very capable, lightweight ultra-portable laptop for less than $1,000. It weighs only 2.2 lbs. and measures 11.7" x 8.2" x 0.7". The cover is aluminum, and the keyboard is compact with a glass touchpad and a fingerprint reader below it. The Aero display is 13.3" with 1,920 x 1,200 pixels. The central processors are available from AMD Ryzen 5 to Ryzen 7, memory is from 8GB to 16GB RAM, and storage SSDs range from 256GB to 1TB. The ports include two USB-A, one USB-C, one HDMI, an audio jack, and a proprietary charging port. The battery lasts up to 10 hours. www.hp.com
