Gear News of the Week: Samsung’s Trifold Promise, Ikea’s Sonos Split, and Hugging Face’s New Robot Leave a comment
Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked occasion in Brooklyn earlier this week debuted seven new units, from the Galaxy Z Fold7 to the Galaxy Watch8 sequence. However there weren’t any surprises on the finish, regardless of rumors that Samsung would unveil a trifold cellphone. Sensing disappointment, the corporate later confirmed that the cellphone is anticipated to land in 2025.
“I anticipate we will launch the trifold cellphone inside this yr,” TM Roh, head of Samsung’s cell enterprise, informed The Korea Times. The trifold cellphone, rumored to be referred to as the Galaxy G Fold, would have a traditional display screen on the entrance and two hinges that allow you to open it up as a tablet-sized display screen.
Huawei first unveiled its trifold, the Mate XT, in China final yr, with an eye-watering value of three,499 euros ($4,090~), and Samsung confirmed off an idea model at Cellular World Congress 2025. Contemplating it has upped the worth of its Galaxy Z Fold7 flagship to $2,000, anticipate a excessive value. Samsung can be anticipated to launch its Android XR blended actuality headset within the fall, so the trifold may land alongside it.
Hugging Face Has a New Robotic
AI startup Hugging Face has introduced a brand new coding robotic referred to as Reachy Mini, mere months after buying Pollen Robotics, the corporate behind the Reachy 2 humanoid robotic. The Reachy Mini is open for preorder for $449 (although there is a Lite model for $299), and it is an open supply robotic designed round AI experimentation and coding.
Consider it like a STEM toy or a Raspberry Pi (actually, the Robotic is powered by a Raspberry Pi 5 minicomputer)—it’s important to construct it your self, and there are greater than 15 “robotic behaviors” so you possibly can discover ways to use it out of the field. Reachy Mini can make use of the most recent AI fashions, and you’ll program it to behave in sure methods. The pinnacle is motorized, and the antennas transfer round, too. It has a digicam, microphone, and audio system for interacting with its environment.
Reachy Mini house owners will have the ability to add and share these robotic behaviors with the Hugging Face neighborhood, and obtain different ones too. It will ship this fall, although the Reachy Mini Lite, which is not wi-fi, will arrive first, late summer season. We will solely hope this cute little robotic will not have the identical destiny because the Jibo.
Apple’s iOS 26 Beta Drama
The general public beta for Apple’s iOS 26, macOS 26, and iPadOS 26 is anticipated to launch subsequent week, however some drama has been brewing after the latest developer beta 3 for iOS 26. The corporate has diminished the transparency of its Liquid Glass design language, making the interface seem extra like frosted glass. That is drawn criticism on-line that Apple has modified it an excessive amount of, although there was loads of backlash and readability issues when Apple debuted the design at WWDC 2025.
In additional Apple information, the corporate is expected to debut a brand new Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional later this yr, powered by the M4 chipset that is in some MacBooks and iPads. The {hardware} itself will not look any completely different, although Bloomberg experiences there will probably be a extra snug strap. The rumored cheaper model of the Imaginative and prescient Professional remains to be a number of years away.
Ikea Ditches Sonos and Zigbee for Matter and Spotify
Courtesy of Ikea
It’s a brand new day for sensible residence technique at in style Swedish furnishings purveyor Ikea, as the corporate introduced greater than 20 new Matter sensible lights, sensors, and remotes utilizing the Thread protocol. Which means you possibly can snag a few of Ikea’s reasonably priced wares and use them straight along with your Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Residence, or Samsung SmartThings setup, with out having to buy an Ikea hub. And Ikea’s David Granath informed The Verge there are “extra new product sorts and type elements to return.” Of us with Ikea’s Dirigera hub will even be happy to study that Ikea is activating the built-in Thread radio and including Matter help. Which means it could actually function a Matter Controller and a Thread Border Router, enabling it to hook up and management any Matter units in your house. Sadly for some, this indicators the tip for Zigbee help, as Ikea plans to interchange its Zigbee devices with Matter units.
Ikea additionally unveiled two new Bluetooth audio system this week—one that appears like a retro radio and one other that doubles as a lamp. Each have a devoted Spotify Faucet button that permits you to bounce straight again into no matter you had been final listening to on Spotify. It’s one other nail within the coffin for Ikea’s partnership with Sonos, as Ikea strives for simplicity, accessibility, and affordability. —Simon Hill
OnePlus Has 5 New Gadgets, however Solely 2 for US
It was 5 plus for OnePlus this week, as the corporate unveiled a slew of recent units. A smaller, 43 mm, model of the Watch 3 that’s way more snug, however has much less stamina than its bigger sibling, is now out there from OnePlus for $300 (a full $100 lower than the 47 mm mannequin). The very reasonably priced wi-fi Buds 4 are additionally touchdown within the US at $130.
