The S Pen might be coming to the next-gen Galaxy Fold

Embed from Getty Images

We’re not exactly counting on this rumour to be true, but the Korean media is buzzing with claims about Samsung’s next Galaxy Fold. Yes, the next one, even if the first one hasn’t even left Samsung’s gates. But we want to indulge the idea a bit and think about what Samsung might bring to the next-gen Galaxy Fold. Rumour has it the Galaxy Fold 2 will get a screen size upgrade, going from 7.3 inches to 8 inches, placing it in Samsung’s tablet territory (close to its own Galaxy Tab A, in fact).

On top of that, Samsung is reportedly toying with the idea of adding support for the S Pen stylus. As SlashGear points out, this raises an important question. For the Galaxy Fold to support the S Pen, it’ll need a Wacom digitizer, which doesn’t exist for foldable surfaces just yet. There have been Chinese digitizers that have been used on flexible drawing tablets, but we don’t think Samsung might head down that route. Or could they? Is there even a point to working on a second-generation one when the first-gen hasn’t even made its way to the public yet?

Google patent shows a foldable ‘smart book’ with multiple screens

A patent Google filed back in 2018 was recently discovered and it takes on the idea of foldable devices in a different direction. Instead of having just one internal screen, this patent toys with the idea of having multiple screens, making it look like a “smart book.” Perhaps, it’s trying to re-define the idea of an e-reader or giving you different screens for different tasks. For now, there isn’t any indication Google is developing this concept into a concrete product. But it’s interesting to see what a multi-screen device could look like.

When folded up, it would have solid, non-flexible screens for both the cover and the back to make it more rigid. The tech relies heavily on the hinge with it both anchoring the screens to the device and helping it move as well as having essential components hidden within it. The patent shows thick internal panels for the screens with these set very close together. Distances between the screens range from 1mm to only 0.005mm between each screen. However, this won’t be ideal to head into production, the weight alone would be prohibitive right from the start. Again, for now, this remains a concept. But with how foldable screen technology has been progressing, we won’t be surprised if this becomes an actual product. And we won’t be surprised if Google leads the charge.

Source: Digital Trends

Facebook tests out a feature that’ll let you mute notification dots

Matt Navarra/Twitter

Facebook’s notification system on mobile is broken, to say the least. You get duplicated or delayed notifications sometimes. Add to that the in-app indicators (those eye-catching red dots) that always seem to be calling for your attention. It seems Facebook has finally listened to its users and is testing out a feature that will let you disable in-app Notification Dots for category tabs. These include Groups, Marketplace, Profile, and Menu. As expected, the main Notifications tab won’t be disabled, since this is the main tab you’re getting all your notifications from.

First spotted by Android app reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong, the social network confirmed it started testing out the feature for a subset of iOS and Android users. Facebook’s well-being team spearheaded the release of this feature because they wanted users to spend their time more rationally on the app. If you want to check if you have it, you can head to Menu > Settings & Privacy > Settings > Notifications > Notification Dots. You can toggle the dots for each group separately.

Source: XDA Developers

Samsung’s Galaxy A90 gets leaked, might get two versions

Embed from Getty Images

What was rumoured to be part of a new Galaxy R series of devices is actually part of Samsung’s Galaxy A line, and we’re hearing more about it now. The Galaxy A90 will be the latest one out of the gate for Samsung’s mid-range devices with flagship-grade specs. It’ll reportedly have two versions. One is the SM-A905 which will have 4G, a 6.7-inch screen, an in-display fingerprint sensor, a triple rear camera setup (48MP + 12MP + 5MP sensors), and a mystery feature called “Tilt OIS.” The other version called SM-A908 will reportedly get 5G support, the same screen with an in-display fingerprint scanner, but will get a 48MP + 8MP + 5MP rear camera setup instead.

Both phones will reportedly run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, which will be a first for a Samsung Galaxy A-series phone to get the top-of-the-line processor. It’s going to be interesting how this will affect the sale of phones like Samsung’s own Galaxy S10e or the other affordable flagships from its competitors. Now, we just have to wait for this model to launch.

Source: GSMArena