ABI Research whitepaper identifies the short-and long-term impacts the global pandemic will have on 5G and Mobile Network Infrastructure
OYSTER BAY, New York, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The outbreak of COVID-19 has created a crippling effect, not only on service industries, but also on manufacturing enterprises, including 5G infrastructure vendors. Despite the current ongoing discussion on OpenRAN and open networks, most advanced 5G networks still rely on Tier One infrastructure vendors and their supply chain has been disrupted. The shortages of component manufacturing and/or network workforce deployment, such as integration engineers, are the main reasons of this disruption. These disruptions will cause 2020 5G network infrastructure revenue to fall as much as 10% of the forecasted US$2.1 billion, states global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research.
“The current virus outbreak will likely delay the deployment of advanced 5G NR systems, including Massive Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MIMO) and active antennas that several operators have already started deploying,” explains Jiancao Hou, Senior Analyst at ABI Research. This may mean that operators that have already deployed a significant number of base stations will be in a better position to become early adopters and benefit from an earlier transition from previous generations to 5G, but this will rely on the availability of relevant handsets. In the short term, 5G radio deployments will be delayed further due to geopolitical constraints and COVID-19.
“In the longer term, while 5G’s momentum will be slowed, new use cases will emerge,” says Hou. It is important for mobile operators to broaden their supply chain and avoid a single-vendor infrastructure market. Apart from that, the effects of the virus outbreak will likely accelerate more innovative use cases and services. “For example, considering a 5G Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC) scenario, if surgery and health monitoring can be done remotely, the doctor will not need to physically meet the patient infected with the virus.”
A great lesson has been provided by the virus breakout to both network operators and related authorities. “The former should be able to manage the risk of relying on a few vendors dominating the infrastructure market. The latter should embrace new technologies and understand how these can be used in turbulent times to improve business and society,” Hou recommends.
About ABI Research ABI Research provides strategic guidance to visionaries, delivering actionable intelligence on the transformative technologies that are dramatically reshaping industries, economies, and workforces across the world. ABI Research’s global team of analysts publish groundbreaking studies often years ahead of other technology advisory firms, empowering our clients to stay ahead of their markets and their competitors.
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SEOUL, South Korea, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — In mid-March, GSIL, a member company of the Born2Global Centre, signed a new contract with the Korean conglomerate Samsung Engineering for the supply of GSIL’s smart safety management system to the construction site of Samsung Engineering’s Motor Control Center (MCC) at Green Building in Pyeong-taek, South Korea. The purpose of the contract is to implement safety policies and systems for employees who work in stuffy, airtight environments.
GSIL CI
GSIL independently developed a smart safety management system for the prevention of safety accidents and the elimination of safety “gray areas” at construction sites. The system features a function that can ascertain a worker’s current location as well as an SOS-enabled emergency rescue system.
The system that GSIL will be providing not only tracks worker locations but also uses a large-screen tablet PC, installed at the water tank at each work site, to allow workers to exchange information about their work environment and receive alarms in the event of an accident or other problem. The system collects data and transmits real-time updates on the work environment, providing information on oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, combustible gas, and hydrogen sulfide levels in the water tank. This quick information system makes it possible to prevent injury and fatal accidents related to low oxygen levels or the influx of harmful gases into an airtight setting.
GSIL’s system also provides a timeline of workers entering and exiting the water tank that can be viewed anytime and maintains records on individual workers, indicating whether each worker has completed safety training and has received his/her annual health check-up. The system also features a well-organized rescue system for emergency situations that only requires the worker to press the SOS button on his/her sensor, which then immediately sounds an SOS alarm on all connected mobile and web devices, ensuring that everyone can quickly be made aware of the situation.
On March 20, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) promulgated a revised version of the Enforcement Rule of the Construction Technology Promotion Act that expanded the list of safety management fees that are required for the introduction of smart safety equipment. The revised rule’s addition of establishment/operation fees for safety management systems that utilize wireless communications/equipment to the list of official safety management expenses creates the necessary foundations for the use of cutting-edge technology at construction sites, namely through the application of smart safety equipment (based on IoT, big data, etc.). When passing the revised legislation, the MOLIT stressed its commitment to prioritizing the safety of on-site personnel by establishing a “quick response” basis for the early detection and removal of construction site dangers. The revised enforcement rule is expected to diversify the environments that can be equipped with GSIL’s smart safety management system.
Lee Jung-woo, CEO of GSIL, said, “The Pyeongtaek-Godeok construction site is a very important location in terms of Samsung Electronics’ enlargement of its new semiconductor facilities, which are expected to increase in number over the next ten years. GSIL is anticipating that the construction site will expand through Green building 1 and 2, which are the targets of this most recent contract.” GSIL is preparing the safety management system which can be applied to the confined area, such as the Samsung Engineering Tangjeong site and Samsung Electronics’ wastewater treatment facility.
Founded in 2016, GSIL has established and is operating smart construction management systems for work sites affiliated with the Korea Rail Network Authority (Gangwon branch), Korea Midland Power, and Samsung Engineering. It is also preparing to enter the Middle Eastern market and has already signed an agent contract with a subsidiary of the Bayan National Construction Contracting Company, a general construction company that is based in Kuwait. GSIL is also currently involved in negotiations for the application of its safety system and/or collaborative endeavors related to the F1 circuit (Kuwait Motor Town) and a smart city in Kuwait, PEPCO in the USA, Long Son Petrochemical in Vietnam, and a power plant in Indonesia.
SANTA CLARA, California, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Based on its recent analysis of the global communications testing market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes California-based Keysight Technologies (NYSE: KEYS) with the 2019 Global Growth, Innovation & Leadership Frost Radar Award. The company has been recognized for its end-to-end testing solutions, particularly for 5G, to a range of vendors that manufacture 5G compliant chipsets and devices, and network operators.
Keysight
“Keysight Technologies has made substantial investments in R&D, especially in 5G test and measurement equipment that can validate evolving standards and faster data rates,” said Rohan Joy Thomas, Industry Analyst. “It leverages its expertise in aerospace and defense to offer stakeholders in the 5G ecosystem highly cost-effective test solutions.”
A leader in the test and measurement space, Keysight Technologies caters to approximately 32,000 customers worldwide, with no single customer representing more than 10.0% of any reporting unit’s net revenue. Already a leading provider of radio frequency (RF) and digital testing solutions, its acquisitions of Anite, Ixia, and Prisma have significantly enhanced its communication testing capabilities for chipsets, devices, and network infrastructure.
Software is being increasingly integrated into Keysight’s testing portfolio, as it offers a framework for advanced analytics and enhanced test scalability. Keysight’s current and future market position will depend heavily on the success of its PathWave platform.
“Keysight is also making rapid strides in the automotive industry, having set up innovation hubs in Novi, Michigan (US), Boeblingen (Germany), Nagoya (Japan), and Shanghai (China),” noted Rohan Joy Thomas Industry Analyst. “Similarly, its acquisitions of Signadyne and Labber Quantum have given it a firm foothold in the rapidly evolving technology field of quantum computing, while the evolution of data centers will further accelerate its growth, positioning Keysight for long-term success.”
The Growth Innovation Leadership (GIL) best practice is bestowed upon companies that are market leaders that are at the forefront of innovation. These companies consolidate or grow their leadership position by continuously innovating and creating new products and solutions that serve the evolving needs of the customer base. These companies are also best positioned to expand the market by strategically broadening their product portfolio.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.
About Frost & Sullivan
For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion.
XIAMEN, China, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Blue Hat Interactive Entertainment Technology (“Blue Hat” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BHAT), a producer, developer and operator of augmented reality (“AR”) interactive entertainment games, toys and educational materials in China, today announced that principals from 20 preschools in Xiamen were invited for a tour of the Company in which they were able to experience Blue Hat’s new range of smart AR immersive educational products first hand and participate in an in-depth information sharing session.
The event, organized by the Blue Hat Preschool Education Research Institute, also marked the opening of Blue Hat’s new Smart Immersive Education Classes Experience Center at Blue Hat’s headquarters, used to demonstrate Blue Hat’s new product range to potential clients.
At the event preschool principals had the opportunity to experience the products, including Blue Hat’s “Smart Immersive Cognitive Education Classes,” “Smart Screen Immersive Education Classes” and “Smart Immersive Physical Education Classes” firsthand, with a discussion session also held in which participants gave suggestions regarding future product iterations and applications.
“The application and use of AR technology, in terms of both hardware and software, is just beginning in the education industry,” said Mr. Xiaodong Chen, Chief Executive Officer of Blue Hat. “AR technology combines the physical with the virtual, and is a perfect complement for leading educational approaches such as situational learning and constructivism. Blue Hat is delighted with the success of this latest event, which confirms the market recognition and acceptance of our Smart Immersive Education Classes, and has significantly increased the profile of our products in Xiamen. In the future we intend to hold more of these events across China to enhance market recognition and promote a new data-based, smart and immersive style of preschool education.”
About Blue Hat
Blue Hat Interactive Entertainment Technology is a producer, developer and operator of AR interactive entertainment games and toys in China, including interactive educational materials, mobile games, and toys with mobile game features. The Company’s interactive entertainment platform creates unique user experiences by connecting physical items to mobile devices, which creates a rich visual and interactive environment for users through the integration of real objects and virtual scenery. Distinguished by its own proprietary technology, Blue Hat aims to create an engaging, interactive and immersive community for its users. For more information, please visit the Company’s investor relations website at http://ir.bluehatgroup.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should review carefully various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters set in the Company’s SEC filings. These risks and uncertainties could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.
Contacts:
Lexie Zhang Blue Hat Interactive Entertainment Technology Phone: +86 (592) 228-0010 Email: ir@bluehatgroup.net
OnePlus 8 Series Tops DisplayMate A+ Rating, Establishes New Standard of Visual Quality with Dual MotionEngine, Always HDR and Adaptive Display Innovations from Pixelworks
SAN JOSE, California and SHENZHEN, China, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Pixelworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: PXLW), a leading provider of innovative video and display processing solutions, and OnePlus, a premium global smartphone manufacturer, today announced that the new OnePlus 8 Pro flagship smartphone incorporates the fifth generation Pixelworks® visual processor with unique, industry leading features, including MotionEngine® technology with Dual MIPI processing, Always HDR Experience, also known as “HDR Boost,” and Tone Adaptive Display. In addition, the new flagship series phones – OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro – incorporate Pixelworks visual processing software running on the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 865 Mobile Platform with Pixelworks industry-leading color accuracy, flesh tone reproduction, flicker-free screen dimming and ultra-smooth adaptive brightness.
The OnePlus 8 series smartphones utilize the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 865 5G Mobile Platform and have top-of-the-line flagship specifications, culminating with the OnePlus 8 Pro, which features a dynamic 120 Hz AMOLED display at 6.78″, 19.8:9 aspect ratio, QHD+ resolution (1440 x 3168 pixels), yielding a pixel density of 513 ppi and up to 1300 nits of peak brightness, supporting an infinite contrast ratio. The breathtaking OnePlus 8 Pro Fluid Display is the industry’s first 120 Hz with the patented MotionEngine® solution with Dual MIPI from Pixelworks, optimized for high refresh rate displays to ensure superior visual quality across the widest range of video use cases, including those with graphics, text or a GUI (graphical user interface).
“We designed our flagship OnePlus 8 series smartphones to have the best display you will lay your eyes on in 2020. The OnePlus 8 Pro Fluid Display is a standout among 120 Hz smartphones, with some of the industry’s most advanced visual processing technologies from Pixelworks to make your 5G enabled entertainment truly unforgettable,” said Pete Lau, Founder and CEO of OnePlus. “We are pleased to partner with Pixelworks in this ongoing collaboration to push the boundaries of the smartphone visual experience for consumers.”
“We are excited to team with OnePlus to enable cinematic big screen technology in the OnePlus 8 series with our most advanced technologies that harness our 22 years of video and display innovation,” said Todd DeBonis, President and CEO of Pixelworks. “As an industry leader, OnePlus continues to redefine the market with a compelling technology vision aimed at exceeding expectations for flagship phones, and Pixelworks technology helps them take that vision to the next level. We look forward to continuing to advance the quality of 5G video, gaming and entertainment in future OnePlus models.”
In independent testing by DisplayMate, the new OnePlus 8 series 120 Hz Fluid Display shattered 13 industry records for visual quality, taking mobile entertainment to a whole new level with the most advanced suite of technologies from Pixelworks.
The following Pixelworks features are only available in the OnePlus 8 Pro smartphone:
Dual MotionEngine® Technology – Not all 120 Hz screens are created equal. The OnePlus 8 Pro leverages patented Pixelworks MotionEngine technology with Dual MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) support. This improves overall visual quality while preserving the intended motion appearance for movies, live TV, sports, shared video and other dynamic multimedia content.
Always HDR Experience – Not all HDR-capable mobile displays are created equal, either. Today, an estimated 98% of available global video and gaming content is in SDR format1. The OnePlus 8 Pro leverages Always-HDR technology to upconvert all content for a cinematic experience that is visibly superior to the original SDR content.
Tone Adaptive Display – Pixelworks adaptive display technology in the OnePlus 8 Pro utilizes the phone’s RGB sensor to automatically adapt the color tone of the display to match the color temperature of the ambient light and reduce blue light. This provides superior eye comfort for sustained gaming, movie watching or reading in a wide range of lighting conditions.
The following Pixelworks features are included in the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro smartphones:
Absolute Color Accuracy – Every OnePlus 8 series smartphone is factory tuned with Pixelworks’ patented, high-efficiency calibration software and runs Pixelworks color management software on the display processing unit of the Snapdragon 865 to optimize power while delivering a smartphone industry-record color accuracy for all apps and content spanning the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts.
True Flesh Tones – A calibrated flesh tone solution ensures accuracy across all display modes to convey true-to-life skin tones for all content involving real people, whether photos, video captured on the phone or popular movies.
Brightness Smoothing – Finely tuned, automatic luminance control enables ultra-smooth display brightness transitions and mitigates screen flashing as ambient lighting changes, particularly in dimly lit viewing environments.
DC Dimming 2.0 solves a key eye strain and visual sensitivity issue that can occur at low brightness on AMOLED screens. To dim the screen, the Pixelworks solution dynamically adjusts the display’s current to mitigate the screen flickering associated with conventional Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) dimming. This feature is enabled on both OnePlus 8 models.
As a Hollywood award-winning industry leader in motion processing, Pixelworks has evolved its patented Motion Estimation Motion Compensation (MEMC) technology for smartphones with multiple levels of content-specific optimization and a new Dual MIPI architecture with parallel processing that produces superior visual quality across a very wide range of content, video formats, frame rates and multimedia apps. As part of the Pixelworks fifth generation visual processor, the new Dual MotionEngine® technology featured in the OnePlus 8 Pro smartphone is mobile-optimized for high refresh rate displays and reduces power consumption by up to 50% as compared to the previous generation motion processing solution from Pixelworks.
About Pixelworks Pixelworks provides industry-leading content creation, video delivery and display processing solutions and technology that enable highly authentic viewing experiences with superior visual quality, across all screens – from cinema to smartphone and beyond. The Company has a 20-year history of delivering image processing innovation to leading providers of consumer electronics, professional displays and video streaming services. Pixelworks is headquartered in San Jose, CA. For more information, please visit the company’s web site at www.pixelworks.com.
About OnePlus OnePlus is a global mobile technology company challenging conventional concepts of technology. Created around the “Never Settle” mantra, OnePlus creates exquisitely designed devices with premium build quality and high-performance hardware. OnePlus thrives on cultivating strong bonds and growing together with its community of users and fans. For more information, please visit OnePlus.com.
Note: Pixelworks, MotionEngine and the Pixelworks logo are registered trademarks of Pixelworks, Inc. Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Qualcomm Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. DisplayMate is a registered trademark of DisplayMate Technologies Corporation.
1Sources: Streaming Observer (2019), Trusted Reviews (2019) and Pixelworks research and analysis. 2Source: Average color accuracy based on independent testing by DisplayMate. Just Noticeable Color Difference (JNCD) is a measure of absolute color accuracy where lower is better and a value of less than 1 means indistinguishable from the reference color by the human eye.
CHONGQING, China, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — According to Chongqing Liangjiang New Area Administrative Committee, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area ranked the first among all 14 regional new areas in the third-party evaluation on China Demonstration Base for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in 2019. At present, Liangjiang New Area is vigorously implementing strategic innovation-driven action plans led by big data and intelligence. Enterprises that carried out intelligent transformation have hedged against the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and some even have achieved bounce-back development.
Located in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, Lianchuang Electronics Co., Ltd., which mainly provides integrated touch display products for enterprises such as BOE, Tianma, and Vivo, has seen a surge of orders recently. What makes the electronics industry “go up against the trend”? One important factor is the high-end development in the industry. In recent years, the Liangjiang New Area has been focusing on the upgrading of the entire electronics industrial chain (Chips, LCD panels, intelligent terminals, core components and Internet of Things) towards the intellectual industry. Enterprises that focus on innovation and transformation achieves higher flexibility against market risks.
As the first national development and opening-up new area in inland China, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area welcomes its tenth anniversary of establishment in 2020. Now it is embracing the opportunities emerging from the initiative of the National Digital Economy Innovation Development Pilot Zone and the National New Generation of Artificial Intelligence Innovation Development Pilot Zone. By boosting the integration of high-end, high-quality and high-tech industries and “cloud computing” components, it has become a pillar in the development of the western region in the new era, a driver in the Belt and Road initiative as well as a model in advancing the sustainable development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
The electronics industry is one of the pillar industries of the Liangjiang New Area, home to a large number of electronic terminal and supporting industrial chain enterprises. By planning and carrying out the epidemic prevention and control of COVID-19, as well as economic and social development, Liangjiang New Area takes the strategic opportunity through leading enterprises, resuming the entire industry chain production and the national and global supply systems integration, ensuring smooth operation of the supply chain. The enterprise above designated size in the electronics industry have resumed in full operation and seen an increase of orders.
Thanks to a high degree of smart development, Chongqing Laibao Technology Co., Ltd has seen its production capacity recovered in a short time. As the world’s leading manufacturer of medium-and-large-size capacitive touch screen shipments, its current output has exceeded 20% over the same period with only 70% employee returning to work. Thanks to its highly automated production line, it has maintained the normal operation with improved quality and efficiency.
Chongqing Liangjiang New Area provides enterprises with tax exemptions, talent training and other industrial preferential policies. To tackle the difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic, a series of policies have been implemented to help local enterprises, including labour transportation service, subsidies and “cloud promotion”. The new area hopes to become a major investment destination with sound business environment and stable development of foreign trade.
LOS ANGELES, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — There have been many firsts for Southern California based Tukatech Inc. Today, the leader in fashion technology announced the first ever virtual digitizing and home plotting/printing system to the apparel industry. These new features, accessible through TUKAcad subscription, allow users to digitize patterns on any flat screen and print them in the comfort of their home, no need for a clunky station with large digitizing and plotting equipment.
Tukatech Introduces Industry’s First Virtual Digitizing and Home Printing
Users can access the Virtual Digitizer in TUKAdesign (pattern making and grading system) to trace physical patterns using a flat screen monitor in place of a digitizing board. Digital photos or scans of patterns can also be imported for a more flexible workspace.
Plotting is now possible with any home printer. The new printing tool breaks the pattern pieces across a grid of standard-sized pages. A simple layout guide shows where to join the pages, at which point the pattern pieces can be cut out with scissors. Watch an overview of Virtual Digitizing and Home Printing.
“As people continue to work from home due to COVID-19, these new features become significant for designers and pattern makers. They can easily equip themselves with a complete end-to-end solution without the bulk. One CAD system, a monitor and a printer are all you need,” says Sean Kim, Director of Technical Services at Tukatech.
Earlier in January, Tukatech disrupted the industry with the first ever Automatic Pattern Making solution, TUKA-APM. With TUKA-APM, a person of any skill level can complete a graded pattern in seconds. “Since the start of Tukatech in 1995, my focus has and remains to simplify the product development process. Tukatech is known to be the innovators of fashion technology and the first to introduce many new features and solutions,” says Ram Sareen, Founder and CEO of Tukatech. “The virtual digitizer and home plotting features not only simplify the process but put less strain on those strapped with cash and do not have a digitizer or a plotter in their current budget. This is an affordable and quality option for home businesses to help run their business,” continues Sareen.
About Tukatech – Tukatech was founded in 1995 with the objective to have pattern makers create patterns digitally on the computer. On their silver anniversary, Tukatech is an influentialfashion technology company known worldwide for innovative solutions and superior technical support. They are the industry’s leading provider offashion software and machinery for product development, cloud collaboration, andgarment manufacturing.Visit us at:https://tukatech.com/.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold made a triumphant debut last year at Galaxy Unpacked along side the Samsung Galaxy S10 series. It’s announcement and eventual roll out to consumers has made it one of the first commercially available foldable smartphone. Packing a unique form factor and multiple screens, the foldable has the unique ability to provide even larger visual real estate when unfolded.
Being one of the first on the market has its merits, however, does its form factor show promise? Is it worth buying? Is it a must have? Or are we still in early days when it comes to foldables?
Those are the questions we’re looking at as we unfold the Galaxy Fold and its many features in this review.
Design
It comes as no surprise that the Galaxy Fold’s design would be the talk of the town. In the past decade, we’ve not seen a smartphone come with a design that allows it to bend the same way. In fact, the combination of Samsung’s design, the multiple displays and the design materials used, make the smartphone truly unique.
Let’s start off with the aesthetics. The Galaxy Fold is undoubtedly a looker. It’s a smartphone cum tablet that is designed from the bottom up to be a premium device. The outer later of the Galaxy Fold is made of a combination of metal and glass, like many Samsung flagships before it. The outer shell of the smartphone feels sturdy and well built. The shimmer and reflective nature of the outer glass layer gives it a sense of allure and prestige. The hinge’s outer design complements this quite perfectly.
Since we’ve mentioned the hinge, it was one of the problem areas for Samsung when it initially sent out review samples. However, the company was quick to delay its commercial launch and improve the hinge design. It capped the sides of the hinges with plastic T-caps to prevent dust getting into the hinge and wreaking havoc. Personally, I think the tighter design of the hinge lent to more sturdy build of the device.
That said, one thing that stood out like a sore thumb to me was the gap between the two halves of the screen when the smartphone is folded. The Galaxy Fold leaves a gap of about half a centimetre at the hinge and tapers down to the edges when folded. While I know that Samsung designed the hinge as such to prevent creasing, some people are definitely going to find this a little aesthetically unpleasing.
Let’s move on over to the inside of the Fold, where the 7.6-inch display of the Galaxy Fold lies. Samsung should design their tablets like this! The sides of the screen are flanked with a raised plastic bezel which prevents the screen from getting scratched should you place it on the table face down. The plastic bezel also elegantly frames the dual camera sensors on the inside of the Fold. The outlook of the Fold’s insides scream premium and are pretty nice to use and interact with. I’d go so far as to say that it was made for pudgy fingers like myself!
The location of the volume rocker, power button and the fingerprint sensor make so much sense on the Galaxy Fold. Everything is in reach. You don’t have to struggle to power on or scan your fingerprint to unlock your phone. In fact, the smaller form factor of the Fold when folded makes for some of the most ergonomic placements for the buttons. But, it also lends to a display that I found a little bit of a let down. We’ll dive into that in the display section of this review.
Hardware
Samsung didn’t compromise much when it came to hardware in their first foldable flagship. They’ve packed a top of the line Snapdragon 855 paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal memory. You’ll definitely have more than enough performance to go around. With these specifications, you can expect smooth sailing when it comes to doing performance intensive tasks or running larger apps.
That said, Samsung’s approach to the multiple displays on the Fold leaves a little bit to be desired when it comes to practicality. That said, the company didn’t hold back when it comes to display quality – well, at least for the foldable screen. We’ll dive into the nitty gritty later on.
Aside from the screen, the hardware on the Galaxy Fold is commendable. Everything from having wireless charging, a unique battery design, supporting eSIM and even having HDR10+ all lend itself to an overall experience I can grow to like – with time and refinement.
The User Interface on the Galaxy Fold is your run-of-the-mill Samsung OneUI interface. That said, Samsung has introduced some optimisations specifically for the Galaxy Fold. These optimisations make the overall experience of the Fold truly cohesive and more productive compared to any of their other flagships out there.
The first is multiwindow. Yes. I know, any Android device out there can do multiwindow. However, the way Samsung has made optimizations for the Galaxy Fold allows you to be more effective with your work and productivity with the increased screen space. Naturally, I really couldn’t be effective using multiwindow in the smaller screen. There simply isn’t enough screen.
The second is app continuity. Samsung has made so that some applications are able to seamlessly move between the two screen environments of the Galaxy Fold. They automatically go from a the normal experience we’re used to on any phone to a tablet optimized one on the 7.3-inch foldable screen. That said, not every app is able to do this with some apps getting stuck in a 4.6-inch window. These apps end up as 4.6-inch letterboxes in the middle of the 7.3-inch display. The only way to get out of the app is to go back to the smaller screen and relaunch the app from the 7.3-inch display. This was particularly apparent with high intensity apps such as games.
The biggest difference between the Galaxy Fold and the other Samsung and Android devices is that there are two environments which you interact with. The smaller, 4.6-inch display on the outside and the foldable 7.3-inch screen. The optimisations are great – individually. However, when it comes to how Samsung has dealt with the experience, it feels disjointed and bridged. What I mean is, the spaces on the 4.6-inch screen and the 7.3-inch screen feel like they are two separate spaces. The home screens have to be set up individually. While I can appreciate the fact that some of us may customize our home screens differently with the two experiences, others may just want to setup a home screen that works on both displays. The experience feels like a scaled back version of Samsung’s KNOX. I would have much preferred if the home screen experience was more cohesive. Even if it was an option to turn on, it would have made the user experience a little better overall.
Other than that, the UI and user experience (UX) on the Galaxy Fold is pretty well optimized – as is expected from a Samsung device. The UI is similar on both screens which makes sense. You wouldn’t want to learn two different UIs on a single device. However, the let down when it came to UX is the poorly optimized apps when it comes to the larger display. Android’s lack of native tablet or large screen optimizations is glaring in the Fold but that’s not something that Samsung has control over. They are limited to the offerings and backbone that is provided by Google’s Android development.
Performance
The Galaxy Fold was no slouch when it came to performance. The device was pretty consistent and was able to take quite a beating when it came to high performance apps. The processor and software optimizations lent themselves to one of the most delightful smartphone experiences I’ve had to date.
Call Quality & Connectivity
Call quality on the Galaxy Fold was pretty good as is expected. The Fold was able to provide consistent call quality. The person on the other end sounded really clear and warm. There wasn’t any tinny resonance or distortion when it came to the speaker. People on the other end also noted that the audio was clear. In fact, I jumped from the smaller screen to the larger one during a call and the person on the other end couldn’t tell the difference between the two modes. This was literally a jump from an earpiece to speaker. This was a pleasant surprise for me.
The Galaxy Fold was pretty consistent when it came to connectivity over WiFi and even on cellular (4G). The smartphone was able to pick up line where my S9 was struggling to. This was a welcomed surprise. It is also most probably due to the updated antennae that come with an update processor. Even when I was getting no signal on the S9, the Fold was able to register one to two bars. That aside, there were no dropped calls or sudden drop in cell and WiFi signal when I was using the Fold. Even when it came to using Bluetooth headphones on the Galaxy Fold, the connection was pretty stable and was able to be maintained even when I left the room.
Multitasking
Multitasking on the Galaxy Fold is a truly enjoyable experience – especially when it came to the larger screen. With the added display real estate and Samsung’s optimisations, I was able to get more done with more windows. As mentioned before this, the smaller screen was a little too small when it came to multitasking.
Samsung enhanced the multiwindow multitasking on larger display of the Fold. I was able to use 3 – 4 apps simultaneously which allowed me to be more productive. I was constantly using my email, note taking and to do apps simultaneously when I was working on the Fold. Even with the keyboard activated, there was still ample display to read and reply emails while taking notes. I was also using apps like Spotify for music in the background.
During these multitasking sessions, I rarely experienced any lag or stuttering. In fact, the experience was pretty smooth. I’d go so far as to say it was a lot smoother than the experience I’ve had on many other flagship class smartphones. The optimizations that Samsung has put into the Fold are a boon to the smartphone’s uniqueness.
Gaming
Gaming on the Galaxy Fold was a rather mixed bag. This was mainly due to the poorly optimized apps on Android itself rather than a problem with the device itself. Many gaming apps couldn’t use the extra display real estate afforded to it by the larger screen of the Fold effectively. Many, if not all, of them simply stretched the smartphone layout which really didn’t do justice to the Fold’s extra real estate. However, gaming on the smaller screen was not too bad as it was more native for the apps.
That said, when it came to performance, the Galaxy Fold wasn’t hindered. Games such as PlayerUnknown’s Battle Grounds (PUBG) ran well on both displays and this was at the maximum settings afforded by the game. There wasn’t much tearing or lag and the gameplay was as good as it could get. Other, less intensive games, were able to run smoothly and games such as Candy Crush, Two Dots and even Angry Birds managed to retain a pretty good user experience even on the larger display.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy Fold had really good battery life especially considering that it had two displays – one larger than most smartphones. I managed to get about one and a half days usage on average during my time with the foldable. However, when I was doing more intensive tasks, this was a lot lower at about 10 hours. That said, the inclusion of fast charge both through wired and wireless charging allowed me to quickly top off charge if battery levels dropped too low. This managed to get me through whatever I was doing until I could charge it properly.
Benchmarks
The Benchmarks for the Galaxy Fold are commendable. However, as with all our mobile reviews, we reiterate that benchmarks only tell part of the story. In fact, in the previous sections, it has been highlighted that the hardware of the Fold isn’t the main drawback. It has more to do with software optimizations and app support.
Displays
The Samsung Galaxy Fold comes with two displays: a 7.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED display and a 4.6-inch Super AMOLED Display. Both are good displays but there may be a few things that put the smaller screen at a disadvantage.
7.3-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED Display
The foldable display is one of the first of its kind in the world. Samsung wasn’t fooling around when it was designing the fold. The company decided to go with one of their best displays on the Fold and this definitely bolstered the viewing experience on the device.
The Dynamic AMOLED display is definitely one which allows content to shine. The colour reproduction and accuracy is one of the best when it comes to smartphone displays. The larger size of the display also lent to content being more immersive. The display was sharp and crisp. It had no problems when it came to performing under bright light. I was able to use and interact with the display without problems.
There is, however, one major issue with the display – the crease. Given that it’s a first generation foldable, I’ll cut it a bit of slack; But, to be honest, the display experience of the Galaxy Fold is disrupted, quite literally, by the crease. It is especially jarring when you’re viewing content that’s bright. Even when you’re using apps like Amazon’s Kindle app or reading a piece on a website, it’s hard not to notice the crease. In fact, you’re reminded of it every time you run your finger to swipe on the display.
The screen is also pretty fragile. Samsung had to repeated remind us to not press or interact with the screen recklessly. In fact, they reminded us that even putting your credit card in the middle of the fold could lead to the credit card number being permanently indented into the screen. While I didn’t have much issues with the screen getting scratched or indented during my time with the device, it was always in the corner of my mind. This also meant that I was constantly walking on eggshells when I was using the smartphone.
4.6-inch Super AMOLED Display
The cover screen is a run-of-the-mill Super AMOLED Display. The details were crisp and sharp and the lower resolution was really not noticeable cause of the screen size. Colour reproduction and accuracy left a little bit to be desired and, to be honest, it was constantly highlighted by the Dynamic AMOLED display underneath.
While I understand prioritizing the larger display, the smaller screen essentially became the one I was interacting more with since I would answer calls and texts with it. I was constantly looking for more display real estate when it came to the front screen. The elongated display and design of the screen made it so that things felt cramped which led me to do most of my typing on the larger display. I was also beginning to realise the flaws in colour reproduction and accuracy more and more as I used the Fold cause of the immediate availability of the larger Dynamic AMOLED Display in the Fold. Samsung could have opted to have a lower resolution Dynamic AMOLED Display for the cover display to have a more cohesive experience.
That said, the displays aren’t a deal breaker though. They serve their purpose and, to be very honest, I wasn’t consuming much media when I was using the front display. Instead, I found myself spending more time on the larger display as it was easier on the eyes, had more screen real estate and it was also more functional.
Cameras
The Galaxy Fold has six cameras in total. That’s more than a lot of smartphones when it first released. Samsung’s design sees a triple camera array as the main camera, a single camera on the cover and a dual camera setup in the Fold. It’s smart, but I think a bit of an overkill when it comes to cameras.
I found myself favouring the back camera array. The pictures taken with the main 12-megapixel sensor was always crisp and had really good details. This was the same for the 12-megapixel telephoto and the 16-megapixel ultrawide sensors. It was a really easy to use experience with photos turning out really detailed (with the right conditions). Samsung’s AI features also bolstered the camera experience giving suggestions and activating relevant modes seamlessly when I was in shutterbug mode.
The front, cover camera is a single 10-megapixel sensor and it became my go to camera when it came to selfies. The details and crispness of the photos were comparable to any other Samsung flagship. While the dual sensors would have allowed for more modes to shoot in, the convenience of having this camera on the outside made it a default for selfies.
The cameras I used the least were the ones in the Fold: the 10-megapixel and 8-megapixel dual sensor setup. Perhaps it’s cause I was rarely in video calls, but it felt more seamless taking pictures with the front, cover camera. However, when I did use it, the pictures and video were really good. I could see a lot of detail and even when I was in video calls, people on the other side remarked that the image was a lot clearer compared to other smartphone cameras.
So Much Potential, Let Down by Software that Feels Like a Work in Progress
All in all, the Galaxy Fold is a device I would get – in the future. The smartphone is definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to foldables, the Fold still feels like a work-in-progress. It feels like a collection of ideas which need a little bit more tweaking to be ready for prime time. The form factor has a lot of potential but it feels like Samsung was a bit rushed with the Fold. It doesn’t have that Samsung finesse we’re used to seeing with their flagships and higher end devices.
That said, the Galaxy Fold is in no way a bad device. It’s actually one of the best devices that Samsung has designed to date. It’s a breath of fresh air in an increasingly stale smartphone market. Samsung was able to excite a market that had grown to become routine with minimal design updates. In fact, if you do have the cash to spare, it can be a valuable investment especially if you’re the type of person that is always looking to be productive on the go.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation) is kicking off a new initiative called Play At Home for their PlayStation community. The new initiative comes in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing number of countries going into lockdown to curb the spread of the disease. Play At Home is an initiative from the company to reward their players for staying indoors and also to ensure the sustainability of a vibrant, growing indie gaming development.
The first part of the new initiative is to keep gamers entertained indoors – in the most literal way, to encourage gamers to Play At Home. To this end, PlayStation is making Unchartered: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey available for free on the PlayStation Store.
Unchartered: The Nathan Drake Collection collects three entries from the acclaimed Unchartered series from Naughty Dog – Unchartered: Drake’s Fortune, Unchartered 2: Among Thieves and Unchartered 3: Drake’s Deception which have been remastered for the PlayStation 4. Journey, on the other hand, is an indie adventure game by Thatgamecompany which conveys a simple, yet profound message as gamers travel towards a mountain in the distance. The critically acclaimed game brought a new dimension to game play with players able to interact with each other but without words.
The games will be available to download for free starting 15 April, 2020 at 8PM (PDT) until May 5, 2020 at 8PM (PDT). Once redeemed the games will become part of the players game library.
However, Sony Interactive Entertainment isn’t just stopping there. Play At Home is also the company’s commitment to Indie Gaming. As such, Sony is earmarking USD$10 million to support its indie developers. The fund looks to help indie developers in a time when a lot of the world’s economy is being disrupted. The company is looking to use the earmarked fund to help maintain and support indie studios who may be more affected by the disruptions. The company will make more details for the fund available soon.
Apple has announced the latest addition to their iPhone line up, the new iPhone SE. Yep. It’s not the iPhone SE 2 or the iPhone SE 2020, the company has simplified things by just naming it the iPhone SE. The new affordable iPhone will be replacing the iPhone 8 which will be halting sales after the new smartphone hits stores.
Apple hasn’t compromised much when it comes to the new iPhone SE. The company is packing it with some of the latest technology that comes with iPhone 11 series; making the new SE one of the most feature packed offerings in the market for its price point.
The iPhone SE comes with the new A13 Bionic processor that the company launched with its iPhone 11. The SE also comes in a familiar package retaining the iPhone 8’s design and chassis. That’s not all that it retains, it also brings back the home button and Touch ID sensor that Apple’s iPhone flagships have done away with since the iPhone X. The iPhone SE is also smaller overall. It comes with 4.7-inch Retina HD display with True Tone which allows for a more comfortable experience with the smartphone. It has a resolution of 750 x 1334 pixels in a familiar 16:9 aspect ratio. The phone also comes with Haptic Touch which enables the Quick Actions functionality in iOS.
On the camera front, the iPhone SE comes with a single 12-megapixel sensor. The sensor has an f/1.8 aperture and is equipped with a wide angle lens. Apple is touting the SE’s single sensor camera as one of the best on an iPhone yet. It enables some of the most used camera features nowadays such as Portrait mode with Apple’s six Portrait Lighting effects and Depth Control using the Neural Engine of A13 Bionic processor. This also translates to the front camera of the iPhone SE. The single, 7-megapixel sensor is able to take portrait pictures using machine learning and also what Apple calls monocular depth estimation. The main camera supports 4K UHD video recording of up to 60 frames per second (fps) while the front facing camera supports up to 1080p.
The SE will be running iOS 13 out of the box and will also be able to support augmented reality (AR) experiences available on apps in the Apple App Store. It also supports eSIM and dual SIM functionality.
Pricing & Availability
The iPhone SE will be go on pre-order starting from 5 a.m. on April 17, 2020. It will be available in stores and via carrier partners starting April 24, 2020 in the U.S. an in 40 other countries.
Source: Apple
It will be retailing at USD$399 for the 64GB version, USD$449 for the 128GB version and USD$549 for the 256GB version. The iPhone SE will be available in White, Black and (PRODUCT)RED. Proceeds from the sale of the (PRODUCT)RED version of the iPhone SE will contribute directly to the Global Fund to combat COVID-19.
No official availability has been announced for Malaysia just yet. However, the iPhone SE is listed on Apple Malaysia’s Website. The official Pricing in Malaysia is as follows:
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