Nintendo's Animal Crossing Switch is still more than a month away, but that isn't stopping the gaming giant from teasing would-be buyers. It recently posted an unboxing video that shows you what to expect if you pick up the special edition console. There aren't too many surprises, although it helps point out little touches like the color-matching Joy-Con straps and the ever-so-slightly textured pattern on the back of the system. This probably won't convince you to buy the Switch if you weren't already inclined, but it could whet your appetite if you were just waiting for Tom Nook and crew to reach the hybrid system before jumping in.
There are some caveats attached. North American and European buyers shouldn't have to worry about the coronavirus outbreak affecting their orders, but March 13th is still relatively distant. And that's assuming that stores haven't run out of pre-orders by the time you read this. There's also some not-so-small print mentioning that this doesn't include the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. If you're going to show your devotion, you'll have to pay another $60 for the title itself on top of the $300 for the matching hardware.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Nintendo's Animal Crossing Switch is still more than a month away, but that isn't stopping the gaming giant from teasing would-be buyers. It recently posted an unboxing video that shows you what to expect if you pick up the special edition console. There aren't too many surprises, although it helps point out little touches like the color-matching Joy-Con straps and the ever-so-slightly textured pattern on the back of the system. This probably won't convince you to buy the Switch if you weren't already inclined, but it could whet your appetite if you were just waiting for Tom Nook and crew to reach the hybrid system before jumping in.
There are some caveats attached. North American and European buyers shouldn't have to worry about the coronavirus outbreak affecting their orders, but March 13th is still relatively distant. And that's assuming that stores haven't run out of pre-orders by the time you read this. There's also some not-so-small print mentioning that this doesn't include the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. If you're going to show your devotion, you'll have to pay another $60 for the title itself on top of the $300 for the matching hardware.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Apple is planning to price its rumored low-cost iPhone at $399, according to a new report out this week from Fast Company.
The site was told by an unspecified source that the iPhone will "likely" sell for $399, backing up a previous report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who said in October that the iPhone would be available at that price point.
At $399, the new low-cost iPhone will have the same starting price as the 2016 iPhone SE, which is why some people have referred to it as an "iPhone SE 2." Others have been calling it the "iPhone 9," but we don't yet know what Apple will name it.
We do know quite a bit about its specs, though, thanks to numerous leaks. The upcoming low-cost iPhone will be similar in design to the iPhone 8, with thicker top and bottom bezels and a Touch ID Home button.
It will be equipped with the same A13 chip that's available in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, and it is said to have 3GB RAM. To keep costs low, it will use a single-lens rear camera, though it's not known if the camera will be the same as the wide-angle camera in the iPhone 11. It could be available in 64 and 128GB size options, and colors are expected include Space Gray, Silver, and Red.
Production on the new low-cost iPhone was supposed to begin in February, but Apple's supplier factories are shut down at the current time due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in China. It's not clear if this will affect production plans and if the launch date of the iPhone will be delayed.
Prior rumors suggested we could see the new low-cost iPhone in the first half of 2020, perhaps in March. Apple often holds its first event of the year in March, and if there is indeed a March event in the works this year, we should be hearing about it soon.
The new low-cost iPhone is expected to be a popular iPhone upgrade option for those who are coming from an iPhone 6s or iPhone 7, as the design will be similar. It should also appeal to those who want an affordable iPhone option, those who like Touch ID, and those who prefer smaller form factors, even though it won't be as small as the iPhone SE, Apple's original low-cost iPhone.
Foldable phones, at least for the moment, are significantly more fragile than more common types of smartphones. The screens are plastic to allow folding, not glass, and the gap between the screen and phone body can allow dirt to get inside — something Samsung learned very quickly with the first batch of Galaxy Folds. We already have a general idea of how durable the Motorola Razr is, but now Zack from JerryRigEverything has given us a better picture.
The video doesn't start out particularly well, with the screen scratching very easily. The rest of the phone fares better, with most of the other components covered in metal and glass. The fingerprint sensor even still works after being scratched and dented.
Zack later tries pushing sand and rubble into the middle screen gap, and even though the sound of the display opening makes me physically recoil like I'm watching Scott's Tots, the display continues to work. Pocket sand can't hurt the Razr (at least within a few minutes).
Finally comes the bend test, where Zack tries to fold the phone backwards. Surprisingly, the Razer never snaps in half, even with immense pressure and rubble inside the mechanical components. The screen is eventually pulled out of its retaining brackets, though.
The video seems to paint the Razer in a positive light; I certainly didn't expect the touchscreen to continue functioning after dirt was shoved underneath the display. Let's hope the Galaxy Z Flip is just as (or more) durable.
Durability concerns are rife for the first-generation of foldable phones, and the Razr is no exception as emphasized by one folding test in particular. JerryRig has hands-on with with the Motorola Razr and subjects it to his usual torture test to the expected outcome.
This JerryRig durability video starts with the clever box that features a rubber stand and doubles as a sound amplifier. Moving on, he notes how the OLED screen lifting above the hinge is “slightly unnerving” in person, while this particular unit has a gap despite the touted “zero-gap hinge.”
The most interesting test conducted looks at the “dust situation” by literally pouring gravel over an open Razr and letting it “shift around into every possible surface crack and crevice.” This is an extreme amount of pocket sand, but might be comparable to a lifetime of usage.
After taking compressed air, we see one notable piece getting wedged in on the side, but the screen survives. However, the hinge — audibly and physically — does not close as smoothly as when it was first unboxed. One speck of dust/rock rather easily made its way under the screen and resulted in a bulge. For its part, Motorola does say that “bumps and lumps are normal,” but this video does a good job of emphasizing how the ensuing reflection will make it obvious — if touch doesn’t.
The standard JerryRig tests show the plastic screen scratching quite easily, even with your nails. It’s interesting how the bottom bulge, where the fingerprint sensor lies, is made of plastic rather than metal. Of course, it ends with the Razr being bended as if the phone was accidentally placed on a couch screen-down and somebody sits on top.
A “considerable amount of force” is required, but it results with two rows of pixels featuring white streaks and the screen becoming unresponsive to touch input. A second round of pressure physically upends and slides the screen from the bottom edge. The Motorola Razr results are not surprising, but torture tests are more important than ever for foldables.
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Samsung’s first attempt at foldables was at the receiving end of a lot of criticism, mainly due to a fragile build, which even catalyzed the recall of review units, as well as a luxury price tag that deterred potential buyers. Despite some initial hiccups, Samsung got very close to the half-a-million worldwide sales figure—a milestone to marvel at for a first-gen novelty. This bumpy ride taught Samsung some critical lessons and helped it double down its efforts on the follow-up Fold. The result, rumors say, is a foldable phone that better fits your pocket—both physically and pecuniarily.
With its unveiling expected less than a month from now, the rumor mills have picked up the pace. We’ve compiled all the leaks and rumors that have surfaced around the Galaxy Fold2 so far in this easy to parse roundup. Let’s begin!
What’s with the name?
To get it out of the way, the upcoming foldable phone from Samsung will carry the model number SM-F700F (international, likely) versus SM-F900F of the original Fold, indicating its lower position in the hierarchy. One of Samsung’s African sites (via GalaxyClub) restated the model number on a support page that has since been taken down. The Bloom codename is being thrown around for internal use, including at a recent closed-door meeting at CES (pictured above).
According to a not-so-cryptic tweet from noted leaker @UniverseIce, the Galaxy Fold2 that we’ve been talking about may end up coming out as the Galaxy Z Flip—also spotted on an Indonesian certification site. The new branding actually makes sense for Samsung, which seems resolute at blending the foldable handset into its mainstream lineup while still maintaining the Fold’s distinct top-shelf footing with a visibly premier Z label. ‘Flip’ in the rumored name suggests a redesigned form factor that we’ll discuss in the following section.
Are we getting a flip phone from Samsung? Like the Moto-Razr flip?
Yes, and yes, but with a Samsung-esque physique, of course. With this design pick, the company is making a normal-sized smartphone that folds into a pocketable square, instead of a flexible tablet that can only fit a jacket pocket. ET News reported back in June that such a device is indeed underway, to which Bloomberg later added that Samsung has partnered with American designer Thom Browne to get the design right. The South Korean giant didn’t take long to make the upcoming clamshell form factor kind of official in a developer-oriented video.
Around mid-December, the Galaxy Z Flip leaked in a bunch of photos that reiterated what we had already heard, including a display that folds horizontally along the X-axis. What caught our eye was the lack of a headphone jack (unsurprising at this point) and more importantly the absence of a fingerprint scanner. Chances are we may get to see a capacitive sensor embedded in the recessed lock key yet again, as opposed to an in-display one that last year’s $2,000 Fold also eschewed. Other than that, these images, and the set of new renders, give away quite a bit about the unannounced foldable, which we’ll dive deep into in the sections below.
Samsung will also equip its second-gen Fold with a “Hideaway Hinge,” as pointed out in a trademark filing spotted by LetsGoDigital. Max Weinbach of XDA remarked that the new hinge is designed to hold the Z Flip at any angle you leave it at, instead of just two—wide open and closed, enabling a variety of use cases. He separately said that Samsung hasn’t made strides in hiding the crease, which shall remain as noticeable as ever. You can see the hinge in action as it snaps the phone shut in the video below.
If you'd like to cover your flexible possession, Samsung may also bring a £100 ($130) premium leather case for the clamshell phone, which is expected to come in a new purple color, apart from the standard black and white options, and a couple of glaring finishes—gold and silver.
Will the display fold? Oh, wait.
All the criticism and release delays that the Galaxy Fold faced were nothing but a result of its display failing left and right. Samsung may have taken a more cautious approach this time to address at least a few of the initial concerns, if not all. The Galaxy Z Flip may ditch the plastic layer, which made the Fold’s display prone to scratches, in favor of a more resistant glass material. Working closely with its partners for developing an ultra-thin glass, Samsung should soon have the first-ever foldable glass display—something Ice Universe also corroborates.
Left: Foldable main screen. Right: Secondary display on the back.
We know that the handset’s 1080p screen will measure 6.7 inches with the 22:9 aspect ratio when unfolded, apart from the fact that it’s a flexible Dynamic AMOLED panel. In the leaked images, the display stretches from edge to edge, albeit with a noticeable bezels. If you look closely, the bezels are sitting over the display, possibly for additional reinforcement, so you won’t be getting that seamless feel of 2.5D glass melting into the metal frame we’ve come to expect. Neither should you await fancy stuff like a higher refresh rate.
Charging animation for the second display.
Much like the Motorola Razr, the Galaxy Z Flip will also have a secondary display, although a tinier one, as shown in one of the leaked images. The one-inch external display sits right next to the rear cameras allowing you to glance at time and notifications without having to flip the phone open. Weinbachspotted a couple of charging animations designed for the capsule-shaped (hopefully color) mini screen. In the renders above, the display camouflages itself by matching the device color, also shown in the video Ben Geskin tweeted (above).
What kind of performance is in store for us?
It should be pretty good, actually. The Snapdragon 855 processor (or the 855+), which still holds up well, is expected to power the device in all markets, if MySmartPrice’s sources are to be believed. Though not the latest one around, the high-end Qualcomm chip should handle most tasks without effort, at least through a couple of years. Nevertheless, Samsung’s choice appears to be a cost-cutting measure, unless a design constraint forced it to opt for that particular SoC. Either way, the phone is expected to ship with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, down from 512GB on the 2019 Fold. It may even get a pair of stereo speakers, according to a known tipster.
Mocked up interface: A screenshot from the Samsung video above
In terms of software, you should expect nothing short of Android 10-based One UI 2.0, although the OS should be much less taxing on the hardware this time around. App Continuity—a feature that enables the seamless app experience when switching between screens on the Galaxy Fold—shouldn’t be required on the Z Flip, considering its secondary display will have far limited functionality. Moreover, developers will find it easier to adapt their apps for this clamshell form factor than for a phone with two functional screens—both with different resolutions and aspect ratios.
How does the camera roll?
Once bitten, twice shy: That’s perhaps the present state of Samsung, which is playing safe with its cut-price foldable. The Galaxy Z Flip will get a pair of rear-facing sensors, as shown in the leaked photos above, in lieu of going overboard with a quad-cam setup like the S20 line. The two cameras were previously said to match the S20 Ultra’s main 108MP and 5x zoom sensors, but a new reportclaims lower-res 12MP sensors instead, possibly the ones found on 2019 Samsung flagships. Given the whole cost-cutting situation here, the latter fits the picture better.
Over at the front, you’ll get a hole-punch selfie camera—also visible in the leaked shots—brushing off some early reports of Samsung introducing an under-display cam with the clamshell model. When last we checked, the cutting-edge tech hadn’t matured enough to debut on a mass-market handset, at least in early 2020. MySmartPrice believes that the front camera will have a more traditional 10MP sensor borrowed from the Note10 series.
Adaptable camera UI: A screenshot from the Samsung video above
What’s the battery status?
The flip phone will come with a pair of battery packs, one of which weighs a measly 900mAh, totaling a middling 3,300mAh capacity. With this lopsided battery arrangement, weight distribution may be a bit of a challenge, especially on a phone that will be flipped tens of times a day. Apart from that, the Z Flip was first said to support charging speeds of up to 45W, but a Chinese certification site leads us to believe that Samsung may cap it at 15W, most likely to either cut costs or better handle heat dissipation on this compact form factor. Hopefully, the company won’t skimp on wireless (and reverse wireless) charging, given the predecessor supported it.
The 900mAh battery pack.
When can I grab one and flip over it?
For its unveiling, we’re looking at the Unpacked event set for February 11, where the Galaxy S20 series will also go official. Reports say that the Z Flip will see a much wider availability than the first Fold, though Samsung might kick off the rollout process from its home market. It’s safe to assume that major markets, including the US and those in Europe and Asia, will be a part of the initial sales phases, considering it has already bagged the FCC certificate (via SamMobile). Samsung is looking to combine this global availability with a more approachable price tag to push 6 million units of the Flip before 2020 ends.
Speaking of approachable, the Galaxy Z Flip was originally thought to be more of a bargain with a popular price of around 1 million won (~$860), which is remarkably lower than the original Fold’s $1,980 tag. But our hopes of getting an affordable foldable were soon dashed when the amount of €1,400 (~$1,550) was floated around, bringing the Samsung handset closer to the Motorola Razr. If you ask us, we’d put our money on a figure somewhere between these two.
At this point, it should be plenty clear that the Galaxy Z Flip wouldn't be a direct follow-up to last year’s Galaxy Fold, but a cost-effective alternative to a novel device that has remained out of reach for most. This also means that both Folds can co-exist without stepping on each other’s toes, and we might even get to see a more premium foldable from Samsung to cater to the niche market at the upper end of the spectrum.
We could be just around a month away from the official announcement of Apple’s long-rumored iPhone 9. Ahead of that unveil, rumors continue to circle around the device’s pricing and how it will fit into Apple’s lineup. This week, a new report from Fast Company corroborates that the iPhone 9 price will start at $399.
iPhone 9 price:
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had previously predicted that the iPhone 9 will start at $399, following the precedent set by the iPhone SE in 2016. Fast Company’s report this week doubles down on that starting price, citing its own sources near the iPhone supply chain.
The iPhone SE was positioned at the low-end of Apple’s iPhone lineup, starting at $399 with 16GB of storage. It was unique at the time for offering specifications of the then-modern iPhone lineup, but in a smaller form factor. Apple now appears to be mimicking that strategy this year with the rumored iPhone 9.
The iPhone 9 is expected to feature a 4.7-inch display, which is bigger than the iPhone SE, but smaller than the flagship iPhone 11 lineup. It’s also expected to be powered by Apple’s latest A13 processor, which guarantees iOS updates for many years down the line. In terms of design, we expect an iPhone 8-style body with Touch ID.
For that $399 iPhone 9 starting price, Kuo has predicted that you’ll get 64GB of storage. For comparison’s sake, Apple still sells the 64GB iPhone 8 for $449. Essentially, the iPhone 9 will get improved performance and the same amount of storage, but for $50 cheaper. This week’s report from Fast Company doesn’t detail storage capacities.
What’s Apple’s logic behind the iPhone 9? With its new focus on Services, such as Apple Arcade and Apple TV+, Apple has a major incentive to keep as many iPhone users on the latest version of iOS as possible. An iPhone 9 priced at $399 could be a major incentive for those still using devices like iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to upgrade to a device capable of running iOS 13.
