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gizmobeast writes:

Imagine a smartwatch that fits perfectly on your wrist. Or a smartphone as slim as a credit card. That could soon be a reality. At least, that is what this new startup hopes.

Imprint Energy has developed a bendable, long lasting and rechargeable battery that will lead to new developments of wearable electronics. This California-based company has designed zinc-based batteries that can be printed on sheets and be customized based on product designs. This is a huge innovation that opens us endless possibilities.

Unfortunately, the article is short on technical details.

View the related press release here

takyon writes:

Samsung's 'unbreakable' display survives UL scrutiny

Phone makers have promised unbreakable phone screens for years, but they tend to involve awkward compromises like soft, scratchable surfaces. Samsung Display might just fulfill that promise, though. Underwriters Laboratories certified an "unbreakable" Samsung panel (not yet pictured) as capable of surviving military-grade durability tests without damage. This included dropping it 26 times from a height of four feet [1.2 meters] and subjecting it to extreme temperatures. It even survived a drop test at 6 feet [1.8 meters] without any battle scars.

Update: Samsung Display posted a video of its new screen [1m55s video], showing how its lightweight plastic cover compares to traditional glass. In the video it survives several strikes from a hammer with no damage to show for it.

Also at The Verge.

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for AndyTheAbsurd:

The most interesting prototype at IFA this year was the Nubia Alpha, an Android-based device the company bills as a "wearable smartphone." The Alpha tries to realize one of the enduring gadget dreams: having a smart device with a display that wraps around the user's wrist. I checked it out at IFA in Berlin this past week, and, well, it's still at the rough draft stage of development, but Nubia is confident it'll have it ready to go on sale in China before the end of this year. If things work out, global distribution might also happen around the same time.

The demo units at IFA were behind glass, and it took a lot of cajoling to convince Nubia to even let me touch one. I was able to lay it on my wrist, but I wasn't allowed to close it up entirely, hence the semi-open position in these photos. The surprising thing was that, as bulky as the Alpha looks, it's really quite light and tolerable on the wrist. I believe fans of big watches will find this chunky beast attractive, while the rest of us should definitely be paying attention to the technological advancement it represents.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/9/4/17817416/wearable-smartphone-nubia-alpha-flexible-oled-ifa-2018

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Google says Android will natively support 'foldables' to limit fragmentation

Google is officially announcing support for a category of Android devices it's decided to call "Foldables." Speaking today at the Android Developer Summit, VP of engineering Dave Burke said that Google is "enhancing Android to take advantage of this new form factor with as little work as necessary." But as of right now, those enhancements are mostly just guidance for developers to start using already-existing features that are built into Android.

If you haven't heard, devices with folding displays are about to become a thing. Today is the day when Samsung will stop teasing and start showing its phone with a folding display at its developer conference, which is happening at the same time as Google's summit. Google tells me that it's working closely with Samsung on how Android will develop foldables. But Google's focus is on making sure that it becomes a platform-level thing for Android that any OEM can use.

Samsung to Launch Foldable Phone in 2019

Samsung used its developer conference in San Francisco Wednesday to officially announce that it will launch a foldable smartphone some time in 2019. The phone is using the company's own new Infinity Flex display, which allows it to be folded and unfolded repeatedly without wear and tear.

"When it's open, it's a tablet, offering a big-screen experience," said Samsung vice president of mobile marketing Justin Denison. "When it's closed, it's a phone that fits neatly inside your pocket."

Denison showed off a phone featuring the new display technology on stage, which featured a 7.3-inch display when unfolded. However, the device itself was camouflaged to hide key design aspects. The company also didn't offer any branding for the new phone, and Denison didn't want to commit to a firm launch date, instead just saying that the company would begin mass production "in the coming months."

Also at Android Police.

Previously: Royole Beats Samsung and Others in Race to Create the First Foldable Smartphone

Original Submission

takyon writes:

A closer look at Royole's foldable display

The FlexPai's anticipated December release seemingly came out of nowhere. Like competitors, Royole had shown off its proprietary folding technology as part of a standalone demos, but it hadn't teased the arrival of a smartphone until the device was ready to ship. It's a far cry, certainly, from the not ready for prime time prototype Samsung marched out on stage last month.

At an event in Shenzhen, CEO Bill Liu told TechCrunch that the company was built around the desire to bring the technology to market. "We started from the flexible displays and flexible sensors," he explained. "We started the company with a focus on the flexible displays and sensors. And then along the way, we realized this could be a huge application for the technology."

[...] It's a difficult problem and Royole solved it with in-house technologies. No one can take that away from the company. I can't say my initial apprehensions were ultimately dissuaded, however. The FlexPai mostly works as desired, but the execution isn't what ultimately the kind of premium product one would expect, given the ultra-premium price tag (around $1,300 American).

Liu happily dropped the phone a couple of times on stage, in an attempt to put to rest any durability question. While the display ultimately didn't crack or scratch, the flexible material looks almost like cellophane and sports crinkles that catch the light — the clarity also leaves something to be desire.

As far as portability, it's true that you can fold it up and stuff it in your pocket, though it's pretty chunky when you do so. Ultimately, these are first generation products — and likely a result of a company pushing to be first to market, knowing full well that companies like Samsung were breathing down its neck.

Don't be an early adopter.

Previously: Royole Beats Samsung and Others in Race to Create the First Foldable Smartphone
Google Will Support Foldable Devices; Samsung Announces 2019 Foldable Phone

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Huawei Mate X vs. Samsung Galaxy Fold: Ask the Press

The folding hybrid phone-tablets are probably the biggest story to come out of Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019.

Smartphones

*SPOILER* (click to show) *SPOILER* (click to hide)

Energizer 'thick boi' phone gives 50 days of battery life

The F(x)tec Pro 1 is a love letter to your old QWERTY keyboard phones

Oppo Demonstrates 5G Smartphone at MWC 2019

The Sony Xperia 1: A Long 21:9 HDR 4K OLED Smartphone

People Say a Weird Aspect of Nokia's New Smartphone Is Triggering Their Trypophobia

(It's a spider.)

Other

*SPOILER* (click to show) *SPOILER* (click to hide)

Lenovo's New 595-Gram Portable Display: The ThinkVision M14 USB-C Monitor

Lenovo to Launch a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Laptop with 5G

Nubia at MWC 2019: Wearable OLED Smartphone Coming to a Wrist Near You

Related: Royole Beats Samsung and Others in Race to Create the First Foldable Smartphone
More on Royole's Foldable Smartphone, the FlexPai
Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 8cx, an ARM Chip Intended for Laptops
Samsung Announces the Galaxy Fold, a Phone-Tablet Hybrid Device
Micron and SanDisk (Western Digital) Announce 1 TB MicroSD Cards

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Pablo Escobar's brother launches a $349 folding phone

If you like the idea of owning a folding phone but find the $1,500+ price tags too rich, check out the Escobar Fold 1—a $349 foldable device that comes from the brother of deceased drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, really. Roberto Escobar, who already released a flamethrower this year inspired by Elon Musk's Not a Flamethrower, has now turned his attention to the folding smartphone market.

[...] While Samsung's Galaxy Fold was delayed for months due to its technical issues, Escobar says his device is much more durable. "My phone cannot break, because I did not have to make a glass screen like Samsung," he said. "Our screen is made of a special type of plastic, and we still have the best resolution. Our special plastic is very difficult to break." Escobar also lauded the phone's security features, saying that it is extremely secure, unlike Samsung and Apple devices that are "100% open to all governments in the world."

[...] [As] Gizmodo notes, the most telling aspect is that the phone is obviously a rebranded Royole FlexPai that even uses the same marketing graphics and specs.

See also: Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 to cost no more than $1,000, adopt a clamshell design
Samsung's clamshell foldable could be actually affordable

Related: Royole Beats Samsung and Others in Race to Create the First Foldable Smartphone
Samsung Announces the Galaxy Fold, a Phone-Tablet Hybrid Device
You're Folding It Wrong: Tech Reviewers Break Samsung Galaxy Fold after Just Days of Use

Original Submission