The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3: all the rumors, news, and announcements – The Verge The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts. 2021-08-11T21:08:03+00:00 https://www.theverge.com/rss/stream/22377831 https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/verge-rss-large_80b47e.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1 Brandon Widder <![CDATA[How to preorder the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3]]> https://www.theverge.com/22617611/samsung-galaxy-z-flip-3-fold-3-preorder-buy-price-availability-release-date 2021-08-11T17:08:03-04:00 2021-08-11T17:08:03-04:00

Like in previous years, Samsung used its latest Galaxy Unpacked event to announce a slew of new devices, including the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3. The two smartphones are already available for preorder starting at $1,799.99 and $999.99, respectively, and will launch alongside the Galaxy Buds 2 and a handful of other devices on Friday, August 27th.

How to preorder the Galaxy Z Fold 3

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is Samsung's latest foldable, yet it seems to take a cue directly from the Note, adopting S Pen support as well as an optional flip case designed to hold the stylus when not in use. The forthcoming device appears to be more rugged, to …

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]]> Brandon Widder <![CDATA[How to preorder the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic]]> https://www.theverge.com/22617607/samsung-galaxy-watch-4-classic-smartwatch-preorder-buy-price-availability-release-date 2021-08-11T13:51:46-04:00 2021-08-11T13:51:46-04:00

As expected, Samsung took the wraps off the Galaxy Watch 4 and the aptly titled Galaxy Watch 4 Classic during its Galaxy Unpacked event this morning, confirming recent leaks and introducing the first two devices built on Google and Samsung's co-developed smartwatch platform, Wear OS 3. Both watches also sport Samsung's new Exynos W920 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and come with a host of health-related features thanks to the inclusion of Samsung's 3-in-1 BioActive sensor.

Although neither model is set to arrive until August 27th, both are available for preorder starting today at varying price points.

How to preorder the Galaxy W …

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]]> Jon Porter <![CDATA[Google Pay and Messages updates are coming to existing Wear OS watches]]> https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/11/22619773/google-wear-os-2-smartwatch-google-pay-messages-apps 2021-08-11T13:23:52-04:00 2021-08-11T13:23:52-04:00
Google Pay on Wear OS. | Image: Google

Today's smartwatch news has been dominated by Samsung's new Wear OS 3-powered wearables, but Google wants you to know it hasn't forgotten about smartwatches running Wear OS 2. Updates to Google Pay, Messages, and other third-party apps will be coming to current devices in addition to Wear OS 3, giving existing owners something to look forward to as they roll out over the coming weeks.

For starters, Google Pay's support for contactless payments from smartwatches is expanding to 16 new countries: Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine, and …

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]]> Brandon Widder <![CDATA[How to preorder the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2]]> https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/11/22617569/samsung-galaxy-buds-2-preorder-how-to-buy-price-availability-release-date 2021-08-11T11:51:14-04:00 2021-08-11T11:51:14-04:00

It's official: Samsung's Galaxy Buds Plus are now considered last-gen. During today's Galaxy Unpacked event, the company announced their long-rumored successor, the Galaxy Buds 2, a new set of true wireless earbuds that look to refine Samsung's recent formula instead of reinvent it.

In terms of design, they're not drastically different from the Galaxy Buds Plus. Each earbud is lighter and features a more rounded exterior. The Galaxy Buds 2 will also be available in four distinct colors (dark gray, green, purple, and white), and each earbud features a three-point microphone, active noise cancellation, and three sizes of silicone ear tips. Li …

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]]> Dieter Bohn <![CDATA[How Samsung beefed up its new folding phones: metal, tape, and a dab of goo]]> https://www.theverge.com/22619139/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-3-flip-screen-durability-waterproof-aluminum 2021-08-11T11:30:00-04:00 2021-08-11T11:30:00-04:00
The hinge and sweeper brushes on a Galaxy Z Fold 3. | Image: Samsung

I was not expecting Samsung's third generation of folding phones to be water-resistant.

The new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 have just as many moving parts as previous generations. Phones have been resistant to spills and short dunks for some time, but folding phones add an entirely new level of complication to waterproofing. There are many more ways for water to get in, and some of those ingress points move.

Samsung's solutions for sealing up those ports are clever, but they're above and beyond what Samsung's folding phones really needed: stronger screens. Samsung says that's happening, too. In fact, in a call with some of Samsung …

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]]> Jon Porter <![CDATA[WhatsApp to allow chat history transfers between iOS and Android]]> https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/11/22619664/whatsapp-android-ios-chat-history-transfer-cross-platform 2021-08-11T11:00:00-04:00 2021-08-11T11:00:00-04:00
The transfer process. | Image: WhatsApp

WhatsApp is adding the ability to bring your chat history with you when you switch from iOS to Android - including all voice notes, photos, and conversations. The long-rumored feature was announced during Samsung's launch event today and will initially cover transfers from iOS to the company's new Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 and other Samsung phones "in the coming weeks." Eventually, the feature will cover all transfers between iOS and Android phones, though it's unclear when it'll be available for all devices.

The new feature should help address one of WhatsApp's most frustrating elements, which is that it's never been officially possible to tra …

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]]> Chris Welch <![CDATA[Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 review: nailing the basics with style]]> https://www.theverge.com/22619305/samsung-galaxy-buds-2-review-specs-price-features 2021-08-11T11:00:00-04:00 2021-08-11T11:00:00-04:00

Alongside the new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3, Samsung is also introducing the Galaxy Buds 2. The $149 earbuds replace the Galaxy Buds Plus as the entry-level position in the company's lineup. That family now consists of the Galaxy Buds Pro, bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live, and the Galaxy Buds 2.

The Buds 2 improve upon their predecessors by adding active noise cancellation. But in the few days I've spent with them so far, I'd say the bigger, most impressive progress Samsung has made is with their design and fit. These are the company's smallest and lightest true wireless earbuds yet. And in my ears, the Buds 2 provide a flush, discreet fit t …

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]]> Chris Welch <![CDATA[Samsung announces Galaxy Buds 2 with active noise cancellation]]> https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/11/22619796/samsung-galaxy-buds-2-features-price 2021-08-11T10:00:00-04:00 2021-08-11T10:00:00-04:00

In addition to launching two new foldable phones and a pair of smartwatches, Samsung today announced its latest set of wireless earbuds. The Galaxy Buds 2 cost $149.99 and will replace the Galaxy Buds Plus in the company's lineup. (It's still possible to find remaining stock of the Buds Plus at some retailers, but they'll be gone once that inventory runs dry.) Preorders start today in a range of colors that include dark gray, white, purple, and green, and the Buds 2 will be available on August 27th.

They've got a design that's similar to the more expensive Galaxy Buds Pro, only smaller. In fact, Samsung says these are the smallest and light …

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]]> Dieter Bohn <![CDATA[Google is bringing Samsung to the Apple Watch fight]]> https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/10/22617462/galaxy-watch-4-classic-samsung-apple-watch-google-ecosystem 2021-08-10T09:00:00-04:00 2021-08-10T09:00:00-04:00
Rumored Galaxy Watches | Image: Android Headlines

On Wednesday, August 11th Samsung is expected to announce a couple new smartwatches: the widely rumored Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. The company that has the most to gain - or lose - from the success of these watches isn't Samsung, however, it's Google.

For many years now, I have decried the lack of good smartwatch options for Android phones. There's nothing in the Android ecosystem that matches the quality and utility of the Apple Watch. As the pace of development in phones seems to slow, the pace of development on wearables still has a chance of growing. And without a viable alternative for Android users, it's ever more lik …

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]]> Sam Byford <![CDATA[Samsung details new smartwatch chip ahead of Galaxy Watch 4 launch]]> https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/10/22617873/samsung-exynos-w920-chip-announced-galaxy-watch-4 2021-08-10T00:32:02-04:00 2021-08-10T00:32:02-04:00

Samsung has announced the Exynos W920, a new processor designed for smartwatches and other wearables. The company says it's the world's first wearable-specific chip to be built on a 5nm process, helping improve performance and efficiency.

The Exynos 920 has two Cortex-A55 cores and a Mali-G68 GPU. (For context, Qualcomm's high-end Snapdragon 888 has four Cortex-A55 cores that are used for low-power tasks.) Samsung is claiming 20 percent better CPU performance and ten times better GPU performance than its previous wearable chip. The W920 also includes a Cortex-M55 processor that's dedicated to driving an always-on display, further reducing …

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