Losing access to your iPhone’s GPS because you’re going through a no-signal zone is super-stressful when you don’t know where you’re going. But don’t worry — the iOS 17 update will let you use the Apple Maps app offline, as long as you have a compatible iPhone. This much-anticipated feature has been available on Google Maps for years and will finally be available for iPhone users later this year.
This isn’t the only update coming with Apple’s newest software, which the company announced at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Electric vehicle owners will also soon be able to see real-time charging availability via Apple Maps.
The iPhone is getting offline maps for its Maps app this year. That means you’ll be able to access any map you’ve downloaded, even if you don’t have Wi-Fi or a cell signal. For instance, if you’re going on a trip, you can download the route and access it without using cellular data. This is helpful if you’re low on data or if your route takes you through an area with little to no signal that would cause the Maps app to stop navigating correctly, potentially causing you to veer off course.
What can you do with Apple Maps offline?
When iOS 17 becomes available later this year, you’ll be able to download designated areas and access turn-by-turn navigation while using Maps offline. Also, you’ll be able to see your estimated time of arrival and find places in Maps, among other things.
When will iPhone’s offline maps be available?
Offline maps will be available on iPhone with the launch of iOS 17, which is coming this fall. (It usually arrives in late September with the new iPhone.) You’ll want to make sure your iPhone is compatible with Apple’s latest software. If it isn’t, you won’t have access to this new feature.
What else is changing with Apple Maps?
Maps will make it easier to find thousands of trails in parks across the US. The app will also support drivers of electric vehicles with real-time charging availability information. This can be filtered by charging network and plug type, among other things. EV owners with compatible vehicles will also be able to designate a preferred charging network.
What else did Apple announce at WWDC? The company unveiled MacOS Sonoma, as well as the new 15-inch MacBook Air and the Vision Pro VR headset. Apple showed off a feature that will let you turn your photos into stickers with its Messages app in iOS 17. Also, changes are coming to the autocorrect feature in iOS 17, and Apple unveiled iPadOS 17 and WatchOS 10.
The Samsung S95C is an amazingly high-performance television that uses cutting-edge QD-OLED display technology, but if you’re lucky enough to be TV shopping in this price range, I’d recommend the LG G3 OLED TV instead. They’re the two highest-performing televisions I’ve ever tested and both deliver spectacular images. In my side-by-side comparisons I ended up preferring the image of the G3 in most scenes, but the S95C was a close second.
The S95C is the best Samsung TV I’ve ever reviewed. It showed a better picture during testing than less-expensive OLED models like the LG C3, which in turn beat any non-OLED TVs in my experience, including Samsung’s own QLED TVs. The Samsung QD-OLED is exceedingly bright with vibrant color and the perfect contrast of OLED, and in brightly colored scenes its quantum dot-infused color is a notch above that of LG’s OLEDs. But the G3’s image was brighter still and a bit more accurate and realistic, and its superior anti-reflective screen makes it the winner in bright rooms too.
If price is an object for you, however, I don’t think the S95C or the G3 are worth the extra money compared to TVs like the LG C3 and the Sony A80L, which I also used in my comparison. Those less-expensive OLED TVs are still plenty bright and if you’re not comparing them all side-by-side, you won’t miss the extra pop and color. But if you’re a Samsung fan or just want those colors and can afford to pay for them, the S95C is an excellent choice.
S95C sizes, series comparison
I performed a hands-on evaluation of the 65-inch Samsung S95C, but this review also applies to the other screen sizes in the series. All three have similar specifications and should perform the same.
Samsung QN77S95C, 77 inches
Samsung QN65S95C, 65 inches
Samsung QN55S95C, 55 inches
Samsung is also selling the less-expensive S90C series of QD-OLED TV. The main picture quality difference is that the S95C has a brighter panel, according to Samsung, although the company didn’t specify how much brighter. Another difference is the inclusion of a One Connect box with the S95C. The S95C also has better audio, extra USB ports and a thinner cabinet (11mm on the 65-inch model, for example, compared to 40mm on the 65-inch S90C). Samsung also sells a larger 83-inch OLED TV in the S90C series but unlike the others, it does not use QD-OLED technology.
Samsung puts HDMI in a box
The most interesting part of the S95C’s design is that One Connect box. It’s a big external slab (11.5 by 13 by 1 inch HWD) that houses all of the TV’s inputs as well as its lone power plug. It connects to the TV itself via an 8-foot silver cord that had me checking over my shoulder for Githyanki. You connect your devices, like a cable box or game console, to the box instead of directly to the TV, allowing the sources and box to be stashed in a cabinet and deliver a one-cable installation to the panel.
With no need for inputs on the back, the TV itself is super thin at just 11mm deep. The front is clean and minimalist and the rear is marked by circular pods that help augment the built-in speakers. It’s obvious to me that Samsung is targeting the wall-friendly “gallery” design of the LG G3 with this TV, and yes, the Samsung is thinner.
I like Samsung’s remote a lot better than LG’s too. Smaller than last year’s and plastic instead of metallic, it’s still excellent. The keys are well-placed, pleasantly sparse and lack garish colors, while the raised volume and channel bars are a nice change from standard buttons. I love that it’s rechargeable rather than reliant on batteries, and you can top it off via USB-C or the solar cell on the back.
Complex, annoying menus
Unfortunately Samsung did nothing to improve its home page design from last year. Again, too much screen real estate is wasted with a big promo area at the top, the rest is mostly clutter and items I don’t care about, while many useful functions are buried deep in sub-menus. All the options can be fun to explore, but overall the menu looks dated and feels less personal than Google TV on Sony, for example. I’m still partial to Roku TV for its simplicity, and this iteration of Samsung’s TV menus is the opposite.
Like most new Samsung TVs the S95C has the company’s gaming hub, which connects to cloud gaming services including Xbox Game Pass, Nvidia GeForce Now and Amazon Luna. I didn’t test it this time around because, frankly, on a TV this expensive I’d expect any gamer to connect a real console rather than rely on cloud gaming. The system worked well enough when I tested it last year on the QN90B, but it requires a fast Internet connection (preferably wired, not Wi-Fi) and doesn’t look as good as a standard console.
You can choose between Alexa and Samsung’s own Bixby for your voice assistant — Google Assistant is no longer an option. You access voice control by talking into the remote or speaking the wake word (“Alexa,” for example) into thin air, and the always-listening mic can be disabled if you want. The TV also works with Apple AirPlay.
QD-OLED, burn-in and 144Hz, oh my
The S95C is as packed with next-gen extras as any TV. Chief is its QD-OLED panel, which adds quantum dots to the image quality of OLED to deliver better color. Samsung also says the S95C is brighter than last year and according to my tests the color and brightness claims check out. For more on the tech behind QD-OLED and how it differs from WOLED, the tech used in LG’s OLED TVs, check out our in-depth QD-OLED explainer.
Like all OLED TVs, the S95C is more subject to both temporary and permanent image retention, also known as burn-in, than LCD-based TVs. As a much newer technology, it’s still unclear whether QD-OLED is more prone to burn-in than WOLED. I don’t test for burn-in at CNET but one site that does, rtings, found that last year’s Samsung QD-OLED TV (the S95B) evinced more burn-in than LG models. Since that test Samsung has updated the TV’s software and rtings found that the update was “very effective at reducing the appearance of permanent image retention, but it doesn’t remove it entirely” in the S95B. Samsung confirmed in an email to CNET that the S95C shares that updated software.
My take? I’m not worried about burn-in on any OLED TV used for normal viewing. For situations that experience “abnormal” viewing, for example, if I kept a TV tuned to CNN, ESPN or another channel with static image elements all day, I wouldn’t get any OLED-based TV. Check out our guide to OLED burn-in for more.
Other S95C features are in line with other high-end TVs, with the exception of Dolby Vision HDR — Samsung remains the only TV manufacturer to not embrace Dolby’s high dynamic range format, which isn’t a huge knock in my book — and 144Hz refresh rate input capability. This latter extra is also no big deal in my opinion, since you need a PC gaming card to take advantage of it. Even then, it likely won’t provide a big boost over 120Hz input from an Xbox Series X or a PlayStation 5.
Connectivity, found on the external One Connect box, is as solid as I’d expect.
Four HDMI inputs with HDMI 2.1, HDCP 2.2
Two USB 2.0 ports
Optical digital audio output
RF (antenna) input
RS-232 port (minijack, for service only)
Ethernet (LAN) port
High-end OLED comparison: Samsung Q95C vs. LG G3
For my image quality comparison I lined the Samsung S95C up against three other OLED TVs: the LG G3, the LG C3 and the Sony A80K. The Samsung looked better than the C3 and the Sony, but not quite as impressive overall as the G3.
TV and movies: In my lineup the S95C and the LG G3 were definitely the best, standing out even above the other two spectacular-looking 2023 OLED TVs. Watching the montage of nature scenes and cityscapes from the Spears and Munsil benchmark, for example, both looked brighter and more dynamic, in particular in highlights like the setting sun or large patches of snow.
Between the two I got the impression that the G3 was slightly brighter, which I confirmed with spot measurements of my luminance meter. At times the LG was quite a bit brighter, leading to a feeling of more pop and dynamics.
The Samsung has an advantage, meanwhile, in color saturation. Its reds in particular, for example in the fields of tulips, a pile of strawberries or the bulb of a cactus, looked richer than those of the G3 and the other OLED TVs. Not to say that the G3’s color looked undersaturated by any means, but next to the QD-OLED the difference was clear, and in very colorful scenes, especially ones with lots of red, I preferred the look of the Samsung.
In mixed bright and dark scenes, however, the extra brightness of the G3 and its handling of shadows beat the Samsung. A scene of Seattle at night, for example, showed more detail in the dark trees and realism in the shadows that was missing from the S95C.
Switching over to Netflix — whose red logo provided another example of the QD-OLED’s color advantage — the story was similar. Altered Carbon remains a great HDR demo and in the first scene of season 2, the S95C showed slightly richer reds in the lantern shades and the gold dress of the singer. It also delivered a bit less detail in the shadows and a less impactful image overall. It’s a tough call and both TVs looked mind-blowingly good, but I’d prefer the image of the G3 day-in and day-out.
Note that the above comparisons were made using Samsung’s Filmmaker picture mode, which measured best. Movie mode, despite being less accurate according to my measurements, delivered an image that some viewers might prefer, with a bit more detail in shadows and brighter midtones. Unfortunately Movie introduces some smoothing by default, so I recommend disabling it (Picture menu > Expert Settings > Picture Clarity Settings > Off).
Gaming: The S95C is an excellent gaming TV. It doesn’t have quite the level of adjustments as the LG models but its game menus are still packed with options and games looked good in my tests. When I played Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla in the TVs’ standard picture modes, the colors on the Samsung popped more than on the others although the grass and other “natural” objects looked more neon and less realistic. Sports mode delivered the most natural color, although I could also choose the “original” setting. This seemed to leverage the non-gaming modes (like Filmmaker), which made colors look comparatively dull.
I liked the design of Samsung’s game bar menu better than that of the LG, however, and it presented more information at a glance without having to delve deep into menus. Samsung also gives you an option to introduce more smoothing into games (“Game Motion Plus”) although I don’t see why you’d want that. And unlike LG you can also toggle on a virtual crosshair option, which I appreciated.
Input lag was superb at around 9ms in game mode, basically the same as the LGs. According to my Xbox’s details screen the Samsung supported 4K/120Hz and VRR, but not Dolby Vision (which LG does support).
Bright lighting: The Samsung S95C is excellent in bright rooms, thanks in part to its high light output, but it’s not quite as bright as the G3 and its screen doesn’t handle reflections quite as well.
Light output in nits
TV
Brightest mode (HDR)
Accurate mode (HDR)
Brightest mode (SDR)
Accurate mode (SDR)
Hisense U8H
1,867
1,867
1,605
1,605
TCL 65R655
1,387
1,194
1,292
624
LG OLED65G3
1,378
1,378
725
724
Samsung QN65S95C
1,348
1,326
238
648
LG OLED65C3
861
817
501
464
LG OLED65C2
812
759
413
389
As usual the Samsung’s brighter picture modes, Standard and Dynamic respectively for SDR and HDR, were quite inaccurate. For the accurate results listed above, I used Movie for SDR and Filmmaker mode for HDR. I recommend S95C owners do the same to get good color in bright rooms, although they might want to increase brightness with SDR sources.
The S95C has an excellent anti-reflective screen but it didn’t handle ambient light quite as well as the G3. Reflections appeared very slightly brighter and more obvious on the Samsung, and the screen of the LG was just a bit darker, leading to slightly less impressive contrast in dark scenes.
Uniformity and viewing angle: Like most other OLED TVs I’ve tested the S95C looked excellent from off-angle and showed a uniform image across the screen, matching the G3 in both respects.
Picture setting notes and test results
In HDR mode the Filmmaker picture preset is the most accurate, with an EOTF that tracked the target much more closely than Movie mode (which, as mentioned above, was too bright in the middle range). Standard was slightly brighter than either but much less accurate and exceedingly blue. In SDR mode Filmmaker was too dim, however, so I ended up choosing Movie instead. Both were accurate to the BT.1886 target gamma Samsung used as default, but note for my Geek Box results below I tweaked to target a 2.2 gamma instead since it’s my standard.
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to buying a new TV, including the display type, resolution, operating system and more. But the most important factor is the size. And here at CNET, our general advice is that bigger is usually better, especially if you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck. To help you find the right big-screen TV for your needs and your budget, we’ve rounded up some of the best 75-inch TVs on the market right now.
The list below represents the best TVs I’ve reviewed in CNET’s test lab, where I’ve compared them side by side to see which is most worth purchasing. I’ve actually reviewed the 65-inch sizes in the series for most of the models listed below, but the 75- and 77-inch versions are basically identical beyond screen size.
What is the best 75-inch TV right now?
The TCL 6-Series Roku TV sits at the top of our list of best TVs for a number of reasons. It offers superb picture quality, an affordable price tag and Roku, the best smart TV system. It also includes gaming features like 4K/120Hz input and variable refresh rate that can get the most out of consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. When a friend asks me what TV to buy from 55 to 85 inches, and money is still an object, I tell them to get the TCL 6-Series.
There are plenty of other excellent choices out there, however, so even though the 6-Series is my current favorite for most people, it might not be right for your preferences or budget.
Best 75-inch TVs of 2023
How CNET tests TVs
Our TV reviews follow a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process honed over nearly two decades of television reviews. Our primary TV test lab has specialized equipment for measuring light and color, including a Konica Minolta CS-2000 spectroradiometer, a Murideo Sig-G 4K HDR signal generator and an AVPro Connect 8×8 4K HDR distribution matrix. We use Portrait Displays CalMan Ultimate software to evaluate every television we review. In every CNET TV review, three or more similar TVs are compared side by side in various lighting conditions, playing different media, including movies, TV shows and games, and across a variety of test categories, from color to video processing to gaming to HDR. Our reviews also account for design, features, smart TV performance, HDMI input and gaming compatibility, and other factors.
One important aspect of image quality we test is overall brightness. Here’s how it compares in nits across select TVs listed above.
Light output in nits
TV
Brightest mode (HDR)
Accurate mode (HDR)
Brightest mode (SDR)
Accurate mode (SDR)
Samsung QN65Q90B
3,316
1,981
2,625
974
Hisense U8H
1,867
1,867
1,605
1,605
TCL 65R655
1,387
1,194
1,292
624
Vizio M65QXM-K03
939
742
958
608
LG OLED65C2
812
759
413
389
Roku TV Plus (65-inch)
514
455
579
404
Check out How We Test TVs for more details.
How to choose a TV
With all the TVs available today, and all the technical terms and jargon associated with television technology, it can be tough to figure out what’s important. Here’s a quick guide to help cut through the confusion.
Price: TVs range in price from $100 to more than $2,000. Smaller screens are cheaper, well-known brands are more expensive, and spending more money can also get you better image quality. Most entry-level TVs have a good enough picture for most people, but TVs last a long time, so it might be worth spending more to get a better picture. It’s also best to shop for a TV in the fall, when prices are lower.
Screen size: Bigger is better in our book. We recommend a size of at least 43 inches for a bedroom TV and at least 55 inches for a living room or main TV — and 65 inches or larger is best. More than any other “feature,” stepping up in TV screen size is the best use of your money. One of the most common post-TV-purchase complaints we’ve heard is from people who didn’t go big enough. And we almost never hear people complain that their TV is too large.
Capability: When it comes to entry-level TVs, the most important feature is what kind of smart TV system the TV uses. Among midrange models, look for a feature including full-array local dimming, mini-LED and 120Hz refresh rate, which (unlike some other extras) do help improve the picture, in our experience. And among high-end TVs, OLED technology is your best bet.
For more TV buying advice, check out How to Buy a TV.
The PlayStation 5 has been out for almost three years, and it will go on sale, which is rare for the console.
Target will drop the price of the PS5 to $450 starting Sunday, according to the store’s weekly ad as first spotted by Comicbook.com. This is the standard PS5 that has a regular price of $500.
The discounted console comes just in time before some of the biggest games of the year launch. Spider-Man 2, Lies of P and Baldur’s Gate 3 are coming to the PS5 in the coming months.
The PS5 is not the only thing going on sale Sunday. DualSense wireless controllers that go for $70 to $75 will drop to $50 on Sunday.
Sure, you can spend a small fortune on a tablet like the 11-inch iPad Pro, but right now you can get an Amazon Fire HD 10 with a similarly sized display for just $90. And you can even trade in your old tablet, too.
This deal, available via Best Buy, also comes with some freebies thrown in as well. You’ll get six months of Norton antivirus included, as well as three months of YouTube Premium. In addition to that, there’s a four-month free trial for Amazon Music Unlimited included for those who need another music streaming service in their lives. And all while saving $100 on the tablet itself.
For your $90 you’ll get a 10.1-inch tablet with 64GB of expandable storage and 3GB of RAM. It’s powered by an octa-core CPU and can run for around 12 hours on a single charge, too. And thanks to the Amazon Appstore, you’ll have quick and easy access to all of your favorite apps including Netflix, Facebook, Hulu, Instagram, TikTok and more.
We consider the Amazon Fire HD 10 to be one of the best tablets around right now, and this price makes it an impossibly good value for people who just need a 10-inch tablet for watching content and browsing the web. You can, of course, also read your books using the Kindle app, if that’s how you roll.
Note that we don’t yet know when this deal is going to end, so your best bet of locking this deal in is to get your tablet ordered today while the getting’s good.
Lionel Messi arrived on these shores amid huge expectations. And the soccer icon has somehow exceeded them, leading his new team, Inter Miami, to three straight wins and netting five goals in the process. Next up for Messi and Miami is a Leagues Cup Round of 16 game against FC Dallas on Sunday. The Leagues Cup is a 47-team knockout tournament that includes every club from both the MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX.
After playing his first three games on his home field in Miami, Messi will get his first road test during Sunday’s game. FC Dallas will host Inter Miami on its home field in Frisco, Texas, for the Leagues Cup knockout game.
The kickoff time for Sunday’s contest hasn’t yet been announced. The game is scheduled to stream on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass. Here’s what you need to know to watch.
Lionel Messi’s next game: Where and when is Inter Miami CF vs. FC Dallas?
This Leagues Cup fixture is set to take place at Toyota Stadium in the Dallas suburbs on Sunday, Aug. 6. We’ll update this story as soon as a start time for the game is announced.
How can I watch Messi’s MLS games?
Apple TV now has a 10-year deal with Major League Soccer and is the exclusive broadcaster of every MLS game in the 2023 season plus Leagues Cup fixtures in most parts of the world via its MLS Season Pass service.
That means that, unlike Messi’s unveiling event last weekend and his first match, which also aired on Univision, you’ll need an Apple TV Plus or MLS Season Pass subscription to watch this game live.
In the US, MLS Season Pass costs $13 a month or $79 for the season if you’re already a subscriber to the Apple TV Plus streaming service. If you don’t subscribe to Apple TV Plus, the MLS Season Pass costs $15 a month or $99 for the season.
MLS Season Pass subscriptions are also available in over 100 other countries, including Canada, Mexico, the UK and Australia. For prices outside of the US, check here.
Read more: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV: How to Watch Major League Soccer in 2023
You can watch the games on any device that has the Apple TV app, including TVs, phones, tablets and computers. This includes iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs and Macs, as well as smart TVs and streaming devices that run the Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Google TV platforms.
If you have a game console, there’s an Apple TV app for Microsoft’s Xbox One and Xbox Series S and X, and Sony’s PlayStation 4 and PS5. Recent TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio also have Apple TV apps. More details on supported devices can be found on Apple’s site.
Although Apple does not have Apple TV apps for Android phones and tablets or Windows computers, it does let you stream its shows and MLS games using a web browser by going to tv.apple.com.
How to watch Inter Miami CF vs. FC Dallas online from anywhere using a VPN
While MLS Season Pass is available in most parts of the world, there are some exceptions. If you find yourself in a country where you’re unable to view either service locally, you may need a different way to watch Messi play — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream live sports events is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Australia, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Quick tips for streaming Inter Miami CF vs. FC Dallas using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming this match live may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
Your Samsung phone breaks — maybe your screen cracks after a drop, or your battery doesn’t hold a charge no matter what cable you use. Whatever the issue, you need to get it fixed ASAP — so where should you get it repaired?
On Thursday, Samsung announced it’s designating 50 existing uBreakiFix stores as flagship Samsung repair locations. These flagship stores — which the company has quietly opened in Houston, Los Angeles and several other major cities — will feature specialized repair equipment and expanded parts inventory to provide faster fixes and take on more repairs of Samsung Galaxy mobile devices, like the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Here’s what this all means for you, especially if you live near one of these specialized Samsung repair locations and need to get your device fixed. And here’s what you need to know about protecting the personal information on your phone when you hand it over to a repair tech and how you can even get a repair person to come to you.
For more, check out the best Samsung phones of 2023 and what to expect from the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
What are these specialized Galaxy repair shops?
Back in 2018, Samsung first partnered with repair service uBreakiFix to provide one-day, in-person care of damaged and broken Galaxy devices. A couple years later, in 2020, uBreakiFix launched its We Come to You service, which is exactly what it sounds like: A technician drives over to where you are, whether it’s at home or work or a coffee shop, and fixes your phone for you in a mobile repair van.
The new Samsung flagship repair centers announced Thursday are intended to build on this partnership and help technicians repair Galaxy smartphones faster, as well as broaden the range of repairs they can perform. These specialized locations are hosted at uBreakiFix by Asurian stores. Asurion, the device insurance and warranty provider, acquired uBreakiFix in August 2019.
Each flagship location will receive specialized equipment, parts and training from Samsung, to help improve the repair process for all Galaxy smartphones, like the Galaxy S23 series, upcoming foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold5 and Z Flip5 and even special edition devices like the Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition. Mark Williams, the head of Samsung Care, told me that the flagship locations will feature increased inventory to provide care for all devices, even the rare ones.
Williams also mentioned these flagship stores will feature pilot initiatives, like new repair types, before they roll out nationwide to other Samsung authorized repair providers.
Worried about your personal data if you get your Samsung phone repaired?
As if breaking your phone and dealing with getting it repaired isn’t enough of a headache, you may be worried about all the data on your phone when you hand your device off to a repair person.
If you’re getting your phone fixed at a mom-and-pop phone repair shop, they may ask for your PIN or account password to run diagnostics or make a repair. With your credentials in someone else’s hands, there’s always the possibility of your personal information — like credit card numbers and personal photos — getting accessed by a stranger.
And that’s why Samsung rolled out Maintenance Mode, which lets you create a separate profile on your phone that excludes all of your photos, videos and notes. It’s pretty much like your phone when you set it up for the first time, with only basic access to pre-installed apps.
If you hand over your phone with Maintenance Mode enabled to a repair person, they can access the settings needed to make their repairs, without requiring your password or PIN. Once they’re done, they hand the phone back to you, and you can enter your PIN to go back to your normal profile, with your photos, videos, apps and more.
To enable Maintenance mode, go to Settings > Battery and device care > Maintenance mode and turn on the feature. Your phone will restart and a new profile will appear, without any of your personal information, in only a couple minutes. Once it’s finished, you can give your device to the repair person. To disable Maintenance mode, go to the same setting, but this time hit Exit.
If you’re too busy, Samsung repair tech can come too you
But what if you don’t want to go outside and, instead, have the repair tech come to you? I got to find out first hand, because as part of Samsung’s partnership with uBreakiFix by Asurian, you can request an appointment for phone repair at your home, at work or even at a coffee shop — directly from your Samsung account or the Samsung website.
The We Come To You repair service costs $30 (not including repair), and with the service a technician who specializes in Samsung phones comes to your home. All you need to do is request a repair, hand your phone off to a technician when they arrive and then wait a bit — most repairs are done in less than an hour. If you’re covered under warranty or by insurance, you may not have to pay much — if anything at all — for fixes.
To test it out, Samsung and uBreakiFix previewed the service to me at my home. The service van that showed up at my place was equipped with the parts and tools the techs would need for most repairs of a Samsung device. The techs walked me through the process of running an initial quality check to diagnose what’s wrong with a phone, followed by specialized tests to determine camera quality, potential water damage and more.
I got to hang out in the van for a bit, look around and chat up the techs about what they do. I can’t guarantee that’s included in the regular $30 service fee.
If the repair techs can’t repair the phone in the van, you have the option of allowing the repair person take your phone to one of the uBreakiFix locations or taking the phone in yourself. I’m not one for sending my phone via mail to have it fixed, I don’t have much time before and after work to go into a repair shop to get a phone fixed in person, and I’m honestly not that handy to do the repair myself. The We Come to You service fills that void.
If you want to learn more about other Samsung devices, check out Lexy Savvides’ review of the Galaxy Watch 6 and 6 Classic, as well as Mike Sorrentino’s review of the affordable $200 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G.
I used the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 for a week as a replacement for my phone and my work laptop. Though apps like Slack aren’t exactly optimized for the new $1,800 foldable, the phone proved more than capable of handling the majority of my daily tasks. But it did have its quirks.
For example, Zoom calls over the main screen’s under-display camera were awkward, and not because of the poor image quality. Truth is, most people on the call had no idea I was on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 aside from the strange camera angle, which looked up my nose (unless I put the phone on a pile of cookbooks).
Last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 had the same issue when I reviewed it. I share all this because it’s easy to dismiss the Z Fold 5 as a minor upgrade. Yes, it’s definitely an incremental improvement, but it’s a tweak to an already solid and well-established foldable: the Z Fold 4. And when the Z Fold 4 came out last year, it proved how far ahead Samsung was in terms of phones that fold open into a tablet.
The problem is that the Z Fold 5 keeps not only the Z Fold 4 features I enjoyed, but also most of its shortcomings, like that poorly placed low resolution under-display camera. When the Z Fold 5 has its screen bent at a 90 degree angle, the hidden camera sits off to the left side of the screen, which is really only good for checking out my nose hair situation (luckily that’s pretty tidy).
Read more: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Event: Everything Announced
The other problem is that over the past year, competitors like Google launched their own versions of the Fold, or teased them, like OnePlus has. In my tests, Google’s Pixel Fold had better cameras than the Z Fold 4, though it didn’t beat Samsung’s device overall as “this is as good as it gets right now” for foldables. And that’s where the new Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes in.
It doesn’t bring sweeping design changes but instead tries to improve on the Z Fold 4 in three areas: durability, battery life and cameras. And the Galaxy Z Fold 5 gets two out of those three right… mostly.
Galaxy Z Fold 5 design
The basics of the Z Fold 5 are essentially the same as the Z Fold 4 in terms of the overall design, screen sizes, buttons, USB-C port, software support, S Pen support and, of course, that $1,800 price. The camera bump is less bulky this time around, but the individual lenses stick out more. The main screen is brighter and easier to see outdoors, which is a significant upgrade even if it seems minor.
Like the previous Z Fold, the main screen supports the S Pen Fold Edition but the cover screen doesn’t. This still bums me out. Beyond the lack of an included S Pen in the box, the Z Fold 5 still doesn’t have a built-in pocket or magnetic side to store it. You can buy a new case that includes a notch on the side that the stylus magnetically snaps into, which is slimmer overall than the same case from last year, but it’s pricey and less ideal than an in-device option.
The Z Fold 5’s new hinge changes things. With previous Z Folds, the main screen experience was excellent as a mini tablet, but when closed, it was an awkward phone. It was bulky, and the previous hinge didn’t allow it to close completely flat, leaving an actual wedge-shaped gap between the folded sides.
The Z Fold 5 can close completely shut thanks to that new hinge. Well, the review unit I tested has a thinner-than-paper air gap that you can see through when it’s closed. I imagine it’s much less susceptible to having dust or debris accumulate on the folded screen, but only time will tell. Looking back at how Samsung described the way the Fold 5 closes at the Galaxy Unpacked event, it adds up.
Samsung’s director of product and technology planning, Nils Dahl, said the new hinge “reduces the Fold’s gap to almost nothing.” And that’s almost something.
In my time with the Z Fold 5, it’s much less awkward to hold when it’s folded closed and more enjoyable to use as a “phone.” It still has the same tall thin Sony Xperia 1 V phone aspect ratio that will still be hit or miss for some.
Samsung said the new hinge has fewer mechanical parts and is more durable than previous Z Folds. It’s hard for me to tell if that’s true from just holding it. Though, the Z Fold 5 has an air of being more solid, but that might be because it closes flat now.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Flexes Its Foldable Beauty
The Z Fold 5 is 10 grams lighter than the Z Fold 4, according to Samsung’s specs, and about 12 grams lighter, according to my coffee scale. And that’s definitely something I noticed every time I picked it up.
When I used the Z Fold 5 for work I was amazed by how much I could do. Granted it’s largely the same software experience as the Z Fold 4, but there are some welcome refinements, like the better drag and drop functionality between apps. I also had a much easier time than I did with the Z Fold 4 when it came to pairing Bluetooth headphones and a keyboard and having them reconnect instantly.
Galaxy Z Fold 5 processor and battery
We’ve seen the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in a lot of phones this year and it’s excellent in terms of performance and efficiency. The Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, a customized version of the chip that debuted in the Galaxy S23 series. Its CPU and GPU get slightly higher speeds than the regular chip, but it’s the efficiency gains that are welcome here.
In use the Z Fold 5 was peppy, and it easily handled having three apps open and active at the same time, even when I made the ultimate time waster and had TikTok, Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) open side-by-side on the screen.
In benchmark tests, the Z Fold 5 easily bested the Pixel Fold, the Z Fold 4 and even the Galaxy S23 Ultra in Geekbench 6.
Benchmark testing results
Phone
Geekbench 6 single-core
Geekbench 6 multi-core
3D Mark Wild Life Extreme
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
2,014
5,419
3,708; 22.20 fps
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
1,892
5,009
3,802; 22.8 fps
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
1,842
4,508
2,777; 16.60 fps
Google Pixel Fold
1,458
3,540
1,733; 10.4 fps
Higher scores are better.
The Z Fold 5 has the same 4,400mAh battery setup as the Z Fold 3 and Z Fold 4. In order to get better battery life with the same battery, and account for that brighter main screen, we need all the efficiency that customized Qualcomm chip can offer. And I’m proud to say that the Z Fold 5’s battery life, so far, has been great.
Over my week with the Z Fold 5, I found it lasts about an hour or two longer on a single charge than the Z Fold 4. The day I used the phone the most was during a video and photo shoot. At 7 a.m. it had a full battery and by 9 p.m. it still had 14% left. And that was with the screen set to 120Hz and being at full brightness most of the day. Over a weekend of medium use, it made it a day and a half on a single charge.
I ran the Z Fold 5 through CNET’s arsenal of battery drain tests. First up was a 45-minute endurance test, during which I made a Zoom video call, raced one course in Mario Kart, played PUBG Mobile for 10 minutes, browsed TikTok, and streamed a video over YouTube. The Z Fold 5 went from 96% to 84%. As you can see below, that’s better than the Z Fold 4, but well behind the Pixel Fold.
45-minute battery endurance test
Phone
Battery loss over 45 minutes
Google Pixel Fold
5%
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
6%
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
12%
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
18%
Lower percentages are better.
For the next test, I charged the Z Fold 5 up to 100% and streamed a video over Wi-Fi on the phone’s interior screen, checking in hourly to see how much charge it lost. The Z Fold 5 did better than the Z Fold 4, the Pixel Fold and even the Galaxy S23 Ultra. See the results below.
Streaming video test with full battery
Phone
After 1 hour
After 2 hours
After 3 hours
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
96%
91%
86%
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
95%
89%
82%
Google Pixel Fold
93%
81%
69%
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
89%
80%
69%
Higher percentages are better.
Obviously, how you use the Z Fold 5 and whether you set the main screen at full brightness is going to change how long the battery lasts. For example, I had back-to-back Zoom calls over Wi-Fi on the Z Fold 5 and the battery dropped from 100% to 76% over 75 minutes. This definitely won’t outlast a regular slab phone, but it’s better than its predecessor, even if by just a little bit.
In terms of charging, the Z Fold 5 supports up to 25W (lower than the 45W maximum for the Samsung Galaxy S23 series), but it doesn’t come with a power brick in the box. Over 30 minutes, I charged it with the included USB-C cable and an old 25W charger I had. The battery percent rose from 12% to 68%. The phone also supports wireless charging, and over 30 minutes on a Qi charger the battery recharged from 19% to 38% Both results are better than the Pixel Fold and Z Fold 4.
Galaxy Z Fold 5 cameras
When the Z Fold 5 was announced, I was disappointed to learn that the cameras, lenses and sensors were the same as the previous Z Fold. But at this point, camera hardware upgrades are only half the equation — new processors and CPUs may improve images, too. The Z Fold 5 has a new image sensor processor, or ISP, which in my testing didn’t really change the image quality.
On the whole, photos in bright light look good, but colors are oversaturated. Images taken under medium and low light have soft details and tend to suffer from aggressive noise reduction. The Z Fold 5 isn’t a camera-first phone, but I do wish the cameras took a step forward to meet what Google was able to accomplish with the Pixel Fold’s cameras.
Below are some of my favorite photos and videos that I took with the Z Fold 5.
Z Fold 5 photos and videos look identical to those from the Z Fold 4. It’s hard to spot any meaningful differences aside from arbitrary changes in brightness or color temperature. Z Fold 5 photos look a skosh crisper, and that might be because the new ISP allows the cameras to have longer shutter speeds under mixed and medium light, as well as shorter shutter speeds under bright light, compared with the Fold 4. I also noticed that night mode capture times were faster than the Z Fold 4.
A couple of weeks ago, I did a camera comparison between the Z Fold 4 and Google Pixel Fold and found that the Pixel’s cameras were better all around. And though I plan to do another comparison with the Pixel Fold and Fold 5, I don’t see anything to suggest that the Z Fold 5’s cameras have made up any ground on the Pixel.
At the end of the day, the camera performance to dollar ratio is not what you’d expect for $1,800. But this phone isn’t Samsung’s camera gem, that’s the $1,200 Galaxy S23 Ultra. Instead, the Z Fold 5’s price is all about having a phone that can fold open into a tablet.
Is the Z Fold 5 worth upgrading from the Z Fold 4? Nope — maybe from the Z Fold 3. But if you’re contemplating upgrading from the original Fold or Z Fold 2, this is a substantial upgrade. You get better cameras, a faster processor, longer battery life, better durability, IPX8 water-resistance, S Pen support and a phone that weighs nearly 30 grams lighter. At this point, the original Fold and Z Fold 2 are also hitting the end of Samsung’s promised software and security updates. I don’t expect people who have an older Fold to upgrade to the Z Fold 5, but Samsung and carriers make it tempting with aggressive discounts for trade-ins.
If you were going to buy a Z Fold 4 a couple of weeks ago, and waited until now and got a Z Fold 5 instead, you’d basically get a better version now for the same price. And like other expensive phones that offer niche appeal, like the $1,400 Sony Xperia 1 V, there are people willing to pay a premium to have a phone that is unique and in this case turns into an amazing mini-tablet. And even if it isn’t for most people, that’s where the Galaxy Z Fold 5 still leads the pack.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 specs vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, Google Pixel Fold
Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes using both standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using the phone daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
We take into account additional features that can be useful, like support for 5G; satellite connectivity; fingerprint and face sensors; stylus support; fast charging speeds; and foldable displays, among others. And we balance all this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value.
The Steam Deck is the king of portable PC gaming devices, and Baldur’s Gate 3 is the RPG to play on it. I’ve spent time playing the game on both desktop and Steam Deck. What makes Baldur’s Gate 3 a great game for Steam Deck is the option to play an hour here and there wherever you are, whether you’re on the go or just away from your desk.
Developed by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a long-awaited entry in the series that started in the late ’90s. There hasn’t been a proper sequel since 2000. After being in early access for three years on Steam, the game launches Thursday for $60. If you love RPGs like I do, you’ll find plenty of reasons to love the game.
Baldur’s Gate is based on the Dungeons & Dragons pen-and-paper RPG. The story goes that your character, along with several companions, has been abducted by mind flayers (you know, like from Stranger Things), and they’ve implanted parasites into your brain. It’s now up to the group to get these little monsters out of their heads before it turns them into mind flayers.
The game uses turn-based gameplay where characters use weapons, magic and other skills in combat. To give an experience resembling a Dungeons & Dragons game, there are a lot of choices available in Baldur’s Gate 3. While this is a pretty common aspect of role-playing games today, what isn’t is the inclusion of a 20-sided die.
Decisions such as using intimidation, searching around an area or even petting an animal are all determined by the roll of the dice. It’s this uncertainty of these choices that make Baldur’s Gate 3 so thrilling. In one instance, a child was trying to scam me into buying a “magical” trinket, and I had the choice to point out his lies. Since I was playing as a rogue, I was able to win all the rolls to prove that the kid was lying. This led to an interesting interaction that could change things further in the game.
This freedom to make so many choices and to have them change the game slightly is what gives Baldur’s Gate 3 an incredible amount of replay value. The developer says there are more than a thousand endings.
There’s also a surprising amount to explore. A dried-up well seems innocent enough, but if you explore it, you can find a giant nest of magical spiders ready to destroy your party. You’ll also come across a wealth of characters with their own problems that you can help with or just ignore. Or if you want to go the evil route, there’s the option to just steal from and kill many of the characters in the game. I spent most of my time being the good guy, but there were times that I did something bad, like when I accidentally looted a merchant’s chest. Some actions will just get people upset at you, while others can land you in jail.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s visuals are both stylish and detailed, and come off looking great on the Steam Deck. It takes a little tweaking of the display options to get the right settings to keep the game running smoothly while still showing off all the beautiful graphics. For me, this meant keeping the frames per second at 30, bringing down the resolution from its max setting of 1,280 x 800 and putting the overall quality preset to medium. Also, expect to get your hands warm as the Steam Deck’s fans will be blowing hot air to keep it cool while playing, but the lowered setting should be able to get about two hours of gameplay.
I did also have an issue getting the game to launch on Steam Deck, requiring me to go into the game’s settings on Steam and force it to launch. It’s likely this will not be needed with the game’s official release.
Baldur’s Gate 3 launches on Steam on Thursday. It’ll head to the PS5 in September and eventually to the Xbox Series X|S.
LG’s massive wireless OLED finally has a price tag outside of South Korea. LG is rolling out its 97-inch Signature OLED M TV (model 97M3) to markets, including North America and Europe later this year, the company said Thursday.
In the UK, the 97-inch TV will cost 27,999.99 (about $35,600) and be available in September, according to multiplereports. LG didn’t immediately confirm this price to CNET but said US pricing and availability will be revealed within the next week.
The 97M3 OLED debuted at CES in January and LG touted it as the “world’s first wireless OLED TV.” The device has a 97-inch OLED screen and is cable-free besides having a power cord. A transmitter box located up to 30 feet away beams video and audio to the TV. CNET’s David Katzmaier noted how “wireless connectivity allows the TV to stand alone, which looks impressive on one of LG’s easel-like stands… and it can greatly simplify a wall-mount installation.” CNET also selected the 97-inch TV as one of the best products of CES 2023.
The 97-inch Signature OLED M will be accompanied by 83- and 77-inch OLED evo M models that share its Zero Connect technology, LG said Thursday. The former model will cost 7,999.99 (about $10,200) and the latter will cost 5,999.99 (about $7,600) in the UK, according to reports.
