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The Anker Nebula Mars 3 updates and improves on one of our favorite portable projectors, the Mars II Pro. It might as well have just renamed it, because it bears very little resemblance to its predecessor. The Mars 3 is bigger, brighter and has a serious (and seriously cool) design — plus it has Android TV 11 built in. There are LED lights galore, making it far more impressive to look at than a typical projector.

To go along with 1080p resolution and a claimed 1,000 lumens, there’s a 185-Wh battery which Anker says will give you around 5 hours of playtime in Eco mode. It can even double as a Bluetooth speaker.

Unfortunately, along with all the improved aesthetics and performance comes a corresponding price hike, and it’s significant — that is, it’s double. At $1,100 this puts the Mars 3 in direct competition with home projectors like the BenQ HT2060 and Epson HC2350. These don’t have a battery, but they do offer better performance. That doesn’t make the Mars 3 any less intriguing, however. Let’s have a look.

Lots of LEDs

• Resolution: 1,920×1,080 pixels
• HDR-compatible: Yes
• 4K-compatible: Yes
• 3D-compatible: No
• Lumens spec: 1,000
• Zoom: None
• Lens shift: None
• LED life: 25,000 hours

There are so many LEDs all over this thing it looks like a prop from Tron. That’s a good thing in my book. The back of the handle has a segmented circle that shows battery level, there’s a light bar on the back that can shed some illumination on a camp table, and, during bootup, there’s a red ring around the lens. The buttons on the top are backlit too.

Not accidentally, I’m sure, the Mars 3 has a strong familial resemblance to the Cosmos Laser 4K, for instance: Both have big, sturdy handles as an integral part of their design. The Mars 3 goes one step further by adding buttons and a joystick on top. I thought maybe I could trap ghosts with it but it turns out this resemblance is merely coincidental. Given how heavy the projector is (nearly 10 pounds), the handle is a good idea.

A claimed 1,000 ANSI lumens is a big jump from its predecessor, which had a light output somewhere around “OK.” I measured approximately 549 lumens in its most accurate mode, which is decent for a portable projector, but about half what you can get from other ~$1,000 projectors. In the less accurate Bright mode, I got 984 lumens, which is impressively close to the spec. However, it is visually quite green. That light is coming from LEDs, which Anker rates as having a lifespan of 25,000 hours. So basically the life of the projector.

There is no lens shift, which isn’t a surprise, and no zoom, which is. Few projectors in this price range have lens shift, but the lack of zoom means there’s exactly one place you can put the projector to fit a specific screen size. To fill a 100-inch screen, for example, it has to be 9.22 feet away. Like many recent projectors, the Mars 3 has automatic focus, which works well enough. It also has automatic keystone adjustment, which thankfully you can disable, as it is always bad in my experience.

One holdover from the Mars II Pro that I do like is the lens cover, which doubles as a power switch. Slide open the cover, the projector turns on. Slide it closed, it turns off. Simple and effective.

It’s got a handle!

• HDMI inputs: 1
• USB port: 1
• Audio input: 3.5mm
• Internet: 2.4GHz/5GHz
• Remote: Not backlit

With a HDMI and a USB for power, you can connect a streaming stick if you don’t want to use the Mars 3’s built-in apps. You might want to do this, as I’ll explain in a moment. Additionally, not only can you use the projector as a Bluetooth speaker, but there’s an analog aux-in if you want to connect an analog source.

On the back and sides are three drivers that share 40 watts of power. That’s a fair amount more than most projectors. There’s a surprising amount of bass, and the treble is quite clear. It’s one of the better “Bluetooth speakers” I’ve heard. It can play pretty loud, too, though it struggles a bit and overly accentuates highs at max volume.

Only in the Custom picture mode are there any basic settings. There is still no brightness control, i.e. the control to adjust the black level. This is something inexplicably missing on several recent projectors like this. There is contrast and a gamma control at least, so you can adjust the image to some degree. To be clear, there is a Brightness control, but it controls the total light output and not the black level. In Anker’s defense, that is a far better use of the word “brightness” for an image adjustment, but not having the traditional control at all is disappointing. You can turn off MEMC, aka the soap opera effect, thankfully.

Despite the price tag, installing Netflix takes some extra steps, just as it does on many budget projectors. You can’t download it from the Google Play Store. Instead, you have to download it via the Nebula Play app. Unfortunately, it’s the mobile version of the Netflix app, which means it’s not designed to work with a remote. Your best alternative is to use the Nebula app’s trackpad. You can’t cast a Netflix show from your phone to the projector either. It’s also standard definition only. This is an annoyance in a budget portable projector, but in a product with an $1,100 MSRP, it’s pretty much inexcusable. I’m sure there are valid reasons for it, but to the end user, those don’t matter. Perhaps most infuriating, if you exit out of Netflix it continues playing in a window and there doesn’t seem to be any way to stop it playing other than restarting the projector. Adding your own streaming stick will obviously curtail this problem.

Picture quality comparisons

• BenQ HT2060
• Epson HC 2350

I’d initially thought I’d compare the Mars 3 to the Mars II Pro. Seemed logical, until I looked at the price. So I skipped that. The Mars 3 performs way better than the II Pro, no surprise there. Instead, I compared it to two of our favorite recent projectors. The BenQ HT2060 is basically the same price as the Mars 3 while the Epson HC 2350 is about $100 more expensive. I connected all of them to a Monoprice 1×4 distribution amplifier and viewed them side-by-side on a 102-inch 1.0-gain screen.

The differences were readily apparent. The contrast on the BenQ is noticeably better, 1,380:1 vs the Epson’s 348 and Anker’s 258. The BenQ looks like it has more depth than the other two, which looked fairly washed out by comparison. Black letterbox bars were more gray with the Anker and Epson, and especially so in the latter’s case, due to its bright image.

The Epson’s brightness is in a league of its own, one of the brightest projectors I’ve ever tested and easily its main strength. The BenQ is half as bright, while the Anker is a little more than half again. As such, it looked dim. It also means you can create a much larger, more watchable image with the Epson, even the BenQ, compared to the Anker. Though, of course, you’ll need to run an extension cord with the first two if using it outside.

The Anker has some strong colors, though it’s not as accurate as the other two. Green and red are a little oversaturated, and secondary colors like magenta and cyan are a little off. On its own, the Anker looks colorful, but the others just look a little more realistic.

The detail is good, though. The Mars 3 uses a DLP chip, like the BenQ, so it’s extremely sharp and has no motion blur.

Where does this leave us? Well, I think the BenQ is best for videophiles and film purists. It’s the most natural by far. Someone looking for the biggest, brightest image possible, while still having decent color and resolution should go for the Epson. The Anker is best for people who absolutely need a battery. If you’re going to use this near a plug, the other two are far better options.

Movin’ on up

Back in the ’90s, my family loved Volkswagens. We had three at one point. Then that was it. None since. I remember my parents scoffing as VW moved upmarket. “That much? For a Volkswagen?” They’d owned several in the ’70s when they were some of the cheapest cars you could buy. When companies try to shake off their budget roots, they run the risk of losing their current fans, just in the hope for new, more well-heeled ones. Is that Anker’s intention? It sure seems that way with the Mars 3. I loved the Mars II Pro as it had a fantastic size and it was easy to use. While not the best performer, it did well enough and nothing was overly wrong. Compared to the Mars 3, it seems like another company’s product entirely.

The Mars 3 is an impressively polished product. It feels luxurious, has a stellar design, and the myriad LEDs make it look like a spaceship compared to most traditional projectors. The price has inflated with this move upmarket and it’s double the cost of the Mars II Pro. Does it perform twice as well? Pretty much, yes. Does it perform as well as something like the BenQ HT2060 or Epson HC2350? Nope. But it has a battery instead.

Which brings me back to the question I always ask with these expensive, highly portable projectors. Who is this for, exactly? Are there really that many people willing to spend over $1,000 on a projector just because it has a battery? Is it so hard to run an extension cord for outdoor movie nights? If it’s for camping or something far from an outlet, wouldn’t something smaller be better? With the sheer number of projectors like this, I guess I’m missing something. Apparently there’s a market for them. I still think most people would be better off getting a “real” projector, either saving money or getting better, brighter performance. But if you do need that battery for reasons that I can’t see, the Mars 3 is one the best options currently.

Over the last four years, Samsung has been trying to convince consumers that foldable phones are the future. Now, almost half a decade after Samsung launched its first Galaxy Fold device, the company’s mobile chief says sales of foldables could outdo those of its once-popular Galaxy Note.

It would be an important milestone indicating foldables are indeed gaining traction.

“As we speak, they are almost on par,” T.M. Roh, the president and head of Samsung’s mobile experience division, said through a translatorin an interview with CNET at the company’s headquarters in Suwon, South Korea. “And the expectation [is] that with the Flip and Fold 5, we will be able to finally surpass that.”

See also: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Hands-On: Bigger Display, More Personal Customizations

Shipments of foldable phones still pale in comparison to those of regular smartphones. But the market is growing, with International Data Corporation estimating that worldwide shipments could reach 21.4 million units in 2023. Exceeding Galaxy Note sales would be an important benchmark because it would signal that foldables are inching closer to their breakout moment.

When the Galaxy Note debuted in 2011, it was largely seen as a niche device much like today’s foldables. The Galaxy Note was initially for those willing to pay a high price for a screen that was notably larger than those offered on standard smartphones at the time. But it eventually became a fan favorite and set the stage for Samsung’s more mainstream Galaxy S Ultra series. Not only did it influence Samsung’s own product lineup, but the Galaxy Note ushered in the era of large-screened phones we carry around today.

See also: Galaxy Z Fold 5 Hands-On: Same Phone, New Hinge

With the newly announced Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5, Roh hopes foldables will take a similar route and surpass Galaxy Note sales this year. That follows comments from Samsung’s second-quarter earnings call in 2022, during which the company said its goal was to have sales of its foldables overtake those of the Note series. Samsung shipped about 12 million of its most recent Galaxy Note 20 phones, which launched in 2020, according to CNBC, while the company said last July that almost 10 million foldable phones were shipped worldwide.

Samsung established itself as a leader in the nascent but growing foldable phone space early on. But in 2023, it faces more competition than ever. Google released its first foldable phone, the $1,799 Pixel Fold, last month to rival Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series. Motorola, meanwhile, launched a new version of its Razr flip phone in June.

While Samsung accounts for most of the foldable phone market share, both of its new devices include physical improvements that were missing from Samsung’s previous-generation foldables, such as a gapless hinge that enables a slimmer design and a larger flip phone cover screen. Samsung has caught up on both fronts with the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5, both of which include the company’s new flex hinge.

Roh sees the increased competition as a sign that Samsung was correct in its vision to pursue foldable phones.

“Consumers will always judge which product is better, so I do not believe the competition is negative,” he said. “Rather, I believe that for foldables especially, competition will serve to expand the market and in the end bring even better value to the consumers.”

In addition to the redesigned hinge, Samsung’s new foldables have a more advanced processor that matches those found in the Galaxy S23 series, which should improve performance, battery life and camera quality. But one aspect that hasn’t changed is the price. The Galaxy Z Fold 5, like last year’s device, starts at $1,800, likely putting it out of most consumers’ reach. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 also remains priced at $1,000, although Samsung did add more storage to the cheapest model.

Roh says Samsung has been discussing the challenge of making foldables more accessible by reducing their prices both internally and with its partners. But it remains difficult due to the cost of materials, market demand and other factors.

That’s why Samsung decided to make the products more competitive by improving performance and adding new features at the same price rather than making a more affordable model. Motorola, however, has said that it plans to launch a cheaper version of the Razr Plus later this year.

“And given the materials cost today … it is probably not going to be easy for us to offer a less than $1,000 foldable in the very near future,” Roh said. “But we will keep trying.”

As Samsung works toward cheaper versions of its current foldables, it’s also already thinking about what could be next. At the CES conference in Las Vegas earlier this year, Samsung showed off various concept devices with slidable screens, including the Flex Hybrid tablet concept. When asked when ideas like these would graduate to real products, Roh explained that the company’s philosophy is to wait until both the hardware and software are ready for prime time before introducing new products.

But he did tease that Samsung has a lot more in its pipeline.

“We are preparing many different products and technologies until they are ready to be revealed to the consumers,” he said. “And also aside from the concepts and products that you have seen at CES, there are actually many more concepts and many other designs and technologies that are underway.”

Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 5 gains a significantly larger cover screen, an upgraded hinge and a new processor that should improve performance and photography, addressing some of the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s biggest shortcomings. It launches on Aug. 11 starting at $1,000 ( 1,049, AU$1,649), showing that consumers still have to pay a high price to get their hands on phones that fold in half.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s biggest upgrade is its new cover display, which I found compelling during my brief time using the device. With this upgrade, the external display actually feels functional and useful rather than just cosmetic, helping Samsung’s flip phone catch up to those made by Motorola and Chinese tech giant Oppo.

Samsung introduced the new flip phone at its Galaxy Unpacked event in Seoul on Wednesday, alongside a bevy of other products such as the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Watch 6 series and Galaxy Tab S9 family. The launch underscores Samsung’s bet that foldable designs are the future of high-end smartphones, especially as a differentiator to Apple just ahead of iPhone launch season.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s cover display, which Samsung now calls the Flex Window, measures 3.4 inches compared to the Z Flip 4’s 1.9-inch external display. That makes it just slightly smaller than the 3.6-inch front screen on the Motorola Razr Plus.

Most people will still use the Z Flip 5’s 6.7-inch internal screen for tasks like reading the news, playing games and browsing social media. But the bigger cover display could make the Z Flip more useful in other ways. When I reviewed the Razr Plus, for example, I was enamored with the phone’s spacious cover screen. I loved propping it open like a tent while playing music, and even typing to quickly respond to a text message.

Samsung is attempting to provide a similar experience with the Z Flip 5. During my brief time with it, I scrolled through Google Maps, typed in the messages app and even watched the Barbie movie trailer on YouTube without opening the phone. You can’t do any of that on the Z Flip 4’s cover screen. Although you can on the Razr Plus.

But you won’t be able to use every app on the front display. For the most part, Samsung limits cover screen apps to ones it believes have a good reason to be there, like Google Maps, YouTube and WhatsApp. Samsung wants to focus on use cases that make sense for the cover screen, like quickly checking directions or replying to a text, which is why only about 10 apps will be available on the Flex Window at launch. That differs from the Razr Plus, which can run just about any app (including TikTok) on the front screen.

If you want to try other apps on the cover screen you can install Good Lock, an app for Samsung devices that lets people customize their phones’ interface.

Cover screen apps seamlessly transition to the 6.7-inch internal display when you open the phone. But this doesn’t work the other way around, as it does on the Motorola Razr.

The cover screen feels like it was primarily designed to run widgets more than full apps. These widgets are the first thing you see when turning on the cover screen, and they provide a larger view of the weather, your calendar, alarms, connected device controls and other tidbits of information compared to the Z Flip 4’s minuscule screen. You can remove or reorder these widgets, either on the cover screen or in the phone’s settings menu.

The Z Flip 5 also has a new hinge, which Samsung calls the Flex Hinge. This enables the device to fold completely closed, like the Razr Plus, without the wedge-shaped gap found on previous Galaxy Z Flip and Fold devices.

This not only makes the phone feel more compact, but it should improve durability, according to Samsung. The new hinge has fewer moving parts compared to the previous version, which should make it less susceptible to damage. Both of Samsung’s new foldables have an IPX8 water resistance rating, which should allow them to withstand submersion in 1.5 meters (roughly five feet) of water for up to 30 minutes. That’s the same durability rating as last year’s devices.

The cover screen and hinge are the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s biggest upgrades. Otherwise, the phone gets a routine processor upgrade to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. It’s the same chip that powers the Galaxy S23 lineup, which helped improve the battery life and image processing. I’m looking forward to seeing whether that holds true for the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Samsung is leaning on this chip to shoulder the burden of extending the Z Flip 5’s battery life since it has the same 3,700-mAh battery capacity as the Z Flip 4. The base storage is also increasing from 128GB to 256GB on the Z Flip 5 compared to the Z Flip 4, a change that Samsung also made to the Galaxy S23 Plus earlier this year.

Cameras have always been an important part of the Galaxy Z Flip series, but the Z Flip 5 has similar camera hardware compared to last year’s model. That includes a 12-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 10-megapixel selfie camera. The difference this year is that the cameras have a new lens coating that should reduce lens flare. Hopefully this, combined with the new processor, will improve the Galaxy Z Flip’s cameras from what my colleague Patrick Holland called “B-grade cameras” in his review last year. And of course, the Z Flip 5’s enlarged cover screen also means you’ll have a roomier viewfinder for taking selfies when the phone is closed.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s software experience is largely the same as that of the Z Flip 4, but Samsung added more integrations with its new Galaxy Watch 6. For example, when the camera app is open and you fold the Flip 5 halfway to put it in Flex Mode and you’ll see the icon for the camera controller app pop up on your Galaxy Watch 6’s watch face. This lets you see a preview of what you’re shooting and change angles from your wrist. The app itself isn’t new, but the watch’s ability to surface it when it detects that you’re taking a photo in Flex Mode is.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 feels like Samsung’s attempt to address the previous generation’s biggest compromises: A cover screen that felt too tiny to be useful, a relatively short battery life and a hinge that didn’t fold as flat as some competitors. Whether I’ll recommend this phone depends on how well Samsung executes on that goal.

But most importantly, I hope the cover screen gives the Z Flip 5 a clearer purpose. Having a phone with a built-in tripod that can fit in your pocket more easily is helpful, but it’s not enough to convince most people to switch to a $1,000 flip phone for. The Razr Plus’ larger external display proved that flip phones can be about more than just portability. With the Z Flip 5, I’ll be expecting Samsung to push that idea further.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 specs vs. Motorola Razr Plus, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, Motorola Razr 2023

	Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5	Motorola Razr Plus	Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 5G	Motorola Razr 2023
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness	Cover: 3.4-inch AMOLED (728 x 720 pixels); internal: 6.7-inch AMOLED (2,640 x 1,080 pixels), 1-120Hz	Cover: 3.6-inch OLED (1,066 x 1,056 pixels); internal: 6.9-inch (2,640 pixels x 1,080)	Cover: 1.9-inch AMOLED (512 x 260 pixels); internal: 6.7-inch (2,640 x 1,080 pixels)	Cover: 1.5-inch, OLED (194 x 368 pixels); internal: 6.9-inch (2,640 pixels x 1,080)
Pixel density	Cover: 306 ppi, Internal: 425 ppi	Cover: 413 ppi, internal: 413ppi	Cover: 302 ppi, internal: 425 ppi	Cover: 282 ppi, internal: 413 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	Open: 6.5 x 2.83 x 0.27 in; closed: 3.35 x 2.83 x 0.59 in	Open: 2.91 x 6.73 x 0.28 in; closed: 2.91 x 3.48 x 0.59 in	Open: 2.83 x 3.3 x 0.67 in; closed: 2.83 x 6.5 x 0.27 in; hinge: 0.59 in (sagging)	Open: 2.91 x 6.73 x 0.29 in; closed: 2.91 x 3.47 x 0.62 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	Open: 71.88 x 165.1 x 6.89 mm; closed: 71.88 x 85.09 x 14.99 mm	Open: 73.95 x 170.83 x 6.99 mm; closed: 73.95 x 88.42 x 15.1 mm	Open: 71.9 x 165.2 x 6.9 mm; closed: 71.9 x 84.9 x 17.1 mm; hinge: 15.9 mm (sagging);	Open: 73.95 x 170.82 x 7.35 mm; closed: 73.95 x 88.24 x 15.8 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	187 g (6.6 oz)	189 g (6.64 oz)	187 g (6.59 oz)	189 g (6.65 oz)
Mobile software	Android 13	Android 13	Android 12/13	Android 13
Camera	12-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (main), 13-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	64-megapixel (main), 13-megapixel (ultrawide)
Front-facing camera	10-megapixel	32-megapixel	10-megapixel	32-megapixel
Video capture	TBD	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Snapdragon 8 Gen 1	Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1	Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
RAM/storage	8GB + 256GB/512GB	8GB + 256GB	8GB+ 128GB/256GB/512GB	8GB + 128GB
Expandable storage	None	None	None	None
Battery	3,700 mAh (dual-battery)	3,800 mAh	3,700 mAh	4,200 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Side	Side	Side	Side
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None
Special features	5G-enabled, IPX8 water resistance, 25W wired charging, wireless charging, wireless power share, dual SIM	IP52, 5G-enabled, foldable display, 30W wired charging, wireless charging	IPX8, 5G enabled, foldable display, wireless charging, 25W fast charging	IP52, 5G-enabled, foldable display, 30W wired charging, 5W wireless charging
US price off-contract	$1,000	$1,000	$999	TBA
UK price	1,049	Converts to 780	999	TBA
Australia price	AU$1,649	Converts to AU$1,475	AU$1,499	TBA

Samsung’s latest Galaxy Watch 6 received its official introduction at Wednesday’s Galaxy Unpacked event. With a host of features to track your health and fitness and communicate digitally, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 aims to take on industry leader Apple and its latest Apple Watch Series 8. But how do the two smartwatches compare on specs and price? Let’s take a look.

The big physical difference is that Samsung uses a round face for its watches, while Apple continues with a square look. But both can be had in two sizes that are only a millimeter in difference, so there’s little to go on here. Both are waterproof to around 50 meters (roughly 165 feet), feature aluminum in their construction, and both have interchangeable bands.

And the features are closely matched too, with both models offering GPS tracking, heart-rate sensing, fall detection, sleep tracking, automatic workout detection and more. Both also offer contactless payments using either Samsung Pay or Apple Pay. The Galaxy Watch offers 16GB of onboard storage for saving songs locally to work out with, while the Apple Watch doubles that to 32GB. Samsung reckons its watch will last up to 40 hours between charges however, while Apple only promises 18. How that stacks up in real-world testing remains to be seen.

One of the biggest differences, though, is the price: the Apple Watch Series 8 costs nearly $100 more than Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6, in both sizes. We’ll be putting these through their paces in the full review soon to see whether it’s worth savingthat money, but you can check out the full specs comparison below.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 vs. Apple Watch Series 8

	Samsung Galaxy Watch 6	Apple Watch Series 8
Shape	Round	Square
Watch size	40mm, 44mm	41mm, 45mm
Materials/Finishes	Aluminum	Aluminum, Stainless steel, Ceramic, Sapphire glass
Display size, resolution	40mm: 1.3-inch, 432×432 Super AMOLED; 44mm: 1.5-inch, 480×480 Super AMOLED	41mm: 1.7-inch, 352×430 45mm: 1.9-inch, 396×484
Dimensions	40mm: 38.8 x 40.4 x 9.0 mm; 44mm: 42.8 x 44.4 x 9.0 mm	41mm: 41 x 35 x 10.7mm 45mm: 45 x 38 x 10.7mm
Weight	40mm: 28.7g; 44mm: 33.3g	41mm: 31.9g (aluminum, GPS) 45mm: 38.8g (aluminum, GPS)
Colors	40mm: Graphite, Gold; 44mm: Graphite, Silver	Midnight, Starlight, Silver, Red
Always On	Yes	Yes
Interchangable bands	Yes	Yes
GPS	Yes	Yes
Automatic workout detection	Yes (running, walking, rowing)	Yes
Compass	Yes	Yes
Altimeter	Yes	Yes
Water resistance	5ATM, IP68	50 meters
Calls	Yes	Yes
Microphone	Yes	Yes
Speaker	Yes	Yes
Voice assistant	Yes (Google Assistant, Bixby)	Siri
Mobile Payments	Yes (Samsung Wallet)	Yes (Apple Pay)
Sleep tracking	Yes	Yes
Period tracking	Yes	Yes
Sensors	Optical Heart Rate + Electrical Heart Signal + Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor	Electrical heart sensor, Blood oxygen sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, light sensor,
Emergency features	Emergency SOS, fall detection	Emergency SOS, fall and crash detection
Compatibility	Android 10 and above	iOS
Software	WearOS 4	Watch OS 9
Processor	Exynos W930 Dual-Core 1.4GHz	Apple S8
Connectivity	LTE6, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 2.4+5GHz, NFC, GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo	LTE, UMTS, Wi-Fi 2.4+5GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, GPS/Glonass, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou
Memory and storage	2GB memory + 16GB storage	1GB memory + 32GB storage
Power	Faster wireless charging over USB-C	Faster wireless charging over USB-C
Battery life	Up to 40 hours (Always On Display off) / Up to 30 hours (Always On Display on)	Up to 18 hours
Battery capacity	40mm: 300 mAh; 44mm: 425 mAh	308 mAh
US price	40mm: $300 (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth); 44mm: $330 (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth)	41mm: $399 (GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) 45mm: $429 (GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth)
UK price	From 289	From 419
Australian price	From AU$549	From AU$629

With Samsung revealing the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 on Wednesday, analyst firm Counterpoint Research has estimated that the popularity of foldable phones will boom over the next five years.

Around 18.6 million foldable phones will be shipped this year, and will almost double to 35.7 million next year before rising dramatically to 55 million in 2025, 79 million in 2026 and finally 101.5 million in 2027, Counterpoint estimates.

Samsung’s next-generation foldable phones were unveiled in South Korea during the tech giant’s Galaxy Unpacked event Wednesday morning, alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 and Galaxy Watch 6.

Counterpoint predicts Samsung and Apple will dominate the foldable phones market, even though Apple has not announced a foldable phone yet. Apple’s rumored iPhone Flip is not expected until 2025.

“In the long term, we are waiting to see what Apple does,” said Counterpoint Senior Analyst Jene Park. “We are looking at 2025 as the possible year of iPhone’s foldable debut, which could provide another growth spurt for the segment.”

Here are the best Galaxy Z Fold 5 preorder deals.

Arguably the pick of this second round of group phase matches at the 2023 Women’s World Cup sees the USA take on the Netherlands in an intriguing Group E match-up.

The USWNT lived up to their billing as tournament favorites with a dominant 3-0 win over Vietnam in their opening match of the tournament, in a game which saw Sophia Smith score a brace and captain Lindsey Horan add a third.

The Netherlands, meanwhile, edged out Portgual 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from Stefanie van der Gragt to also leave them in a strong position for qualification to the knockout stage.

The last meeting between these two sides came during the quarterfinals of the Olympics in 2021, with USA coming out on top on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch USA vs. Vietnam, no matter where you are in the world.

USA vs. Netherlands: When and where?

This Group E clash takes place at Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, on Thursday, July 22, at 1 p.m. NZST local time.

That makes it a 9 p.m. ET or 6 p.m. PT start in the US and Canada on Wednesday evening. Kickoff in UK time, meanwhile, is at 2 a.m. BST on Thursday morning, while it’s an 11 a.m. AEST start for viewers in Australia.

How to watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the tournament locally, you may need a different way to watch this match — 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 sports 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.

Livestream USA vs. Netherlands in the US

Women’s World Cup matches are being broadcast on Fox in the US. If you’re already a subscriber, you can livestream games via the Fox website. if you’re not, you’ll need a live TV streaming service that carries Fox, the least expensive being Sling TV Blue.

Numerous other live TV streaming services carry local Fox stations as well, namely YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, DirecTV Stream and Fubo. They all cost more than Sling TV, but they also carry more channels. Check out our live TV streaming channel guide for details.

NBC-owned Telemundo, meanwhile, offers all the games in Spanish, and can also be viewed via NBC’s streaming platform Peacock Premium.

One further option in the US for watching matches comes with Tubi TV, which is offering full-length replays of the games in English minutes after they end on the free ad-supported streaming service. You’ll have to sign up for a Tubi account in order to get the games, but you won’t need a credit card or subscription.

Watch USA vs. Netherlands for free in the UK

Football fans in the UK are among the luckiest in the world, as all matches of the FIFA Women’s World Cup being shown live on free-to-air channels, with the BBC and ITV sharing broadcast duties. This game will be shown live on BBC1, which means viewers in the UK will be able to stream the game for free on BBC iPlayer. Coverage starts at 1:45 a.m. BST in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Stream USA vs. Netherlands in Australia

Stream USA vs. Netherlands in Canada

Comprehensive live coverage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup is available in Canada via TSN. Cord cutters can watch via the network’s streaming service TSN Plus.

Stream USA vs. Netherlands in New Zealand

Live coverage of 2023 Women’s World Cup for the co-host nation is with free-to-air channel Prime. Kick-off for this match is at 1 p.m. NZST.

Quick tips for streaming the 2023 Women’s World Cup using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming the Women’s World Cup action 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.

Earlier this year, Samsung, Google and Qualcomm announced they’re partnering to create a new mixed reality platform. While none of them have announced details on what that platform will entail just yet, Samsung’s mobile chief provided more context about the company’s general vision for mixed reality.

And it will all likely start with our phones.

“So for the short term, perhaps many features or experiences [in] mixed reality would be in connection with [the] smartphone,” T.M. Roh, the president and head of Samsung’s mobile experience business, said through a translator in an interview at the company’s headquarters in Suwon, South Korea.

It’s been a busy year for virtual and augmented reality. Apple announced the Vision Pro, its $3,499 premium standalone headset, while Sony launched the second-gen PlayStation VR and Meta introduced the Quest 3. Samsung, Google and Qualcomm’s upcoming initiative is another sign that tech giants see head-mounted computers as being an important part of where personal computing is headed.

Roh couldn’t share much about the company’s specific plans, but did say the project with Google and Qualcomm is “moving as planned.” Speaking more generally about mixed reality, he said there are two avenues for mixed reality: one that’s linked to smartphones, and another that’s an “ecosystem that can be generated independently by mixed reality.”

He sees the latter standalone category, which is the approach Apple and Meta have taken with their respective Vision Pro and Quest Pro headsets, as being a mid- to long-term play. But there are several technical challenges to overcome before that happens.

“With our senses, we can understand location without feeling dizzy, but then to implement them on a device, that is still quite challenging,” he said. “And that is what consumers expect out of mixed reality as well. So I believe that we have some way to go until we can reach that point.”

The goal with Samsung’s forthcoming mixed reality collaboration will be to establish an open platform for mixed reality, said Roh. When asked, he said the approach is similar to the way Samsung and Google have partnered on Wear OS software for Android-powered smartwatches. As my colleague Scott Stein recently pointed out, that’s one reason why phone-based mixed reality seems like a sensible option for this partnership.

“And for us, the [mixed reality] vision that we are pursuing is where there is an open ecosystem, open platform where many third parties can participate in the MR or the XR ecosystem,” he said.

Although Samsung and its partners have yet to discuss details about this new platform, Roh has some ideas about the types of apps and services that would work well in mixed reality. He thinks there’s an opportunity for mixed reality to improve everyday experiences we already use our phones for, like communication and viewing content on a larger screen. That approach is similar to what we’ve seen in Apple’s promotional videos for the Vision Pro.

Samsung’s entry into mixed reality, especially as part of a partnership with Google, sounds like an opportunity to build up from the devices Samsung already has in its portfolio. If that’s a smaller set of glasses, it could be a phone-connected device rather than something truly standalone. But if that’s the case, it could also mean a smaller form than something like Apple’s Vision Pro.

Samsung isn’t new to VR and AR. Its smartphone-driven Gear VR headset, introduced in 2014 as the Gear VR Innovator Edition, was one of the first gadgets to popularize the technology. It provided simpler VR experiences at a cheaper price than early PC-bound headsets like the Oculus Rift. Google took a similar approach with its Cardboard VR headsets, which like the Gear VR provided phone-based VR experiences at affordable prices. Samsung’s also had several AR features on its phones for years, and manufactured PC VR headsets.

But both company’s have been relatively quiet about their mixed reality ambitions until the announcement of this partnership, with Google’s former head of VR departing the company earlier this year.

It’s unclear when Samsung and its partners will discuss more details about their mixed reality partnership. But at Google’s I/O developer conference in May, Sameer Samat, Google’s vice president of product management for Android, said the company will share more about its “immersive XR” partnership later this year.

ChatGPT maker Open AI , startup Anthropic and tech giants Google and Microsoft have forged an alliance to create a framework for safety standards and the responsible development of what they’re calling “frontier AI” models.

The four tech companies on Wednesday announced the formation of the Frontier Model Forum in a blog post and shared the group’s main areas of focus. The announcement comes less than a week after top executives of those four companies, along with others including Meta and Amazon, met with President Biden and pledged to reduce the dangers that unrestrained artificial intelligence may pose and to abide by AI safety measures which prioritize the public’s security and trust.

The Frontier Model Forum has outlined its blueprint for the coming year with three areas of priority. They include determining best practices for developing and launching AI applications, furthering AI safety research, and having transparent discussions on vulnerability, risks and security with lawmakers, academic institutions and industry peers.

As part of its larger strategy, the group is open to other organizations joining as members if they meet the criteria regarding frontier models, which they defined as “large-scale machine-learning models that exceed the capabilities currently present in the most advanced existing models.” The founding companies plan to assemble an advisory board in the coming months as well.

“Companies creating AI technology have a responsibility to ensure that it is safe, secure, and remains under human control,” said Microsoft’s president and vice chair, Brad Smith, said in a statement. “This initiative is a vital step to bring the tech sector together in advancing AI responsibly and tackling the challenges so that it benefits all of humanity.”

Concerns about AI safety and security risks have prompted calls for multilateral oversight and the establishment of guardrails for consumers and enterprises. Tech firms are being asked to address issues around deepfakes, cybersecurity threats, discrimination and data collection.

Read more: Amazon Web Services Wants to Teach You How to Use Generative AI

Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.

At its Galaxy Unpacked event Wednesday, Samsung showed off the latest version of its flagship foldable phone — the Galaxy Z Fold 5. It features a new, gapless hinge and a speedier processor, but it keeps the same $1,800 price tag as last year’s model, the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

The new Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes in the lighter and slimmer design teased by T.M. Roh, the president of Samsung’s mobile division. The Z Fold 5 weighs 253 grams (8.92 ounces), which represents a 10-gram decrease from last year’s Z Fold 4 and a 18-gram decrease from the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

The Z Fold 5 is 13.46 mm thick when folded closed, making it 2.44mm slimmer than its predecessor. Despite Samsung’s progress, the world’s thinnest foldable phone is the Honor V2, made by Huawei’s former subsidiary Honor. The Honor V2 is 9.9mm thick when in phone mode. However, that foldable is only available in China.

The key to the Fold 5’s more portable design is what Samsung calls the flex hinge, which allows for a more streamlined construction with fewer moving parts. The new hinge also makes way for both displays to fold completely flat.

Apart from this, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 received a series of incremental improvements such as the newest Snapdragon processor and a brighter internal screen (1,750 nits). It’s the brightest screen on any Z Fold. There’s also support for three SIMs, and the upgraded hinge. For more specifics, feel free to check out the details in CNET’s specs chart below for a side-by-side comparison.

Z Fold 5 vs. Z Fold 4 vs. Z Fold 3

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 5G	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G
Cover: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,316 x 904 pixels), 1-120Hz; internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,176 x 1,812 pixels), 1-120Hz	Cover: 6.2-inch (2,316 x 904; internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,176 x 1,812 pixels)	Cover: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,268 x 832 pixels); internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,208 x 1,768 pixels)
Cover: 402 ppi, internal: 374 ppi	Cover: 402 ppi, internal: 374 ppi	Cover: 387 ppi, internal: 374 ppi
Open: 6.1 x 5.11 x 0.24 in; closed: 6.1 x 2.64 x 0.53 in	Open: 6.11 x 5.12 x 0.25 in; closed: 6.11 x 2.64 x 0.62 in	Open: 5.04 x 6.22 x 0.25 mm; Closed: 2.64 x 6.22 x 0.63 in; hinge ~0.57in (sagging)
Open: 154.94 x 129.79 x 6.1 mm; closed: 154.94 x 67.06 x 13.46 mm	Open: 155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3 mm; closed: 155.1 x 67.1 x 15.8 mm	Open:128 x 158 x 6.4 mm; closed:158 x 67 x 16 mm; hinge: ~14.4mm (sagging)
253 g (8.92 oz)	263 g (9.27 oz)	271 g (9.56 oz)
Android 13	Android 12L	Android 11
50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (telephoto)
4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (cover screen)	4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (cover screen)	4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (front cover)
TBD	4K	4K
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Snapdragon 8 Gen Plus 1	Snapdragon 888
12GB + 256GB/512GB/1TB	12GB +256GB/512GB/1TB	12GB + 256GB/512GB
None	None	None
4,400 mAh (dual-battery)	4,400 mAh	4,400 mAh
Side	Side	Side
USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
None	None	None
5G-enabled, IPX8 water-resistance, S Pen support, 25W wired charging, wireless charging, wireless power share, triple SIM	5G, 30x space zoom camera, IPX8, 25-watt fast-charging (no in-box charger)	5G-enabled; Foldable display, 120Hz refresh rate (front cover and main display), water-resistance, S Pen support
$1,800 (256GB)	$1,800	$1,800 (256GB); $1,900 (512GB)
1,749	1,549	1,599 (256GB); 1,699 (512GB)
AU$2,559	Converts to AU$2,970	AU$2,499 (256GB); AU$2,649 (512GB)

With the new Galaxy Z Fold 5 and recently launched Pixel Fold, Samsung and Google are both trying to combine the phone and tablet experience. But that convenience comes at a sky-high price of $1,800, which is more expensive than buying a phone and a tablet separately in most situations.

Despite their similarities in price and shape, Samsung and Google’s approaches differ slightly. Samsung has given the Z Fold 5 a skinnier cover display that’s easier to use with one hand but feels less like a regular phone when closed. Google’s Pixel Fold has a wider cover screen that makes apps look more natural, but the internal tablet-size screen didn’t look as immersive or bright as Samsung’s in my testing.

Read more: Samsung Unpacked: Everything You Need to Know

Otherwise, both devices run on the same new processors found in other premium phones in each company’s lineup. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has the same custom Qualcomm chip as the Galaxy S23 series, while the Pixel Fold has the Pixel 7 family’s Tensor G2 processor. The cameras on each phone are a step down from those found on Galaxy S23 Ultra or Pixel 7 Pro, but still fall into what’s typically expected of a high-end phone.

Since they both cost the same, the biggest factor to consider when deciding between the two comes down to display preferences. If you’d rather have a wider cover screen and a design that feels more like a notebook when closed, the Pixel Fold might be the better choice. Although I haven’t tested the Galaxy Z Fold 5 extensively yet, the Galaxy Z Fold 4‘s internal screen looked sleeker and more enveloping than the Pixel Fold’s, thanks to its slimmer borders.

We’ll have more advice once we’ve had a chance to review the Galaxy Z Fold 5. But in the meantime, check out the table below to see how the two phones compare on paper.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 specs vs. Google Pixel Fold

	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5	Google Pixel Fold
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness	Cover: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,316 x 904 pixels), 1-120Hz; internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,176 x 1,812 pixels), 1-120Hz	Cover: 5.8-inch (2,092 x 1,080 pixels) 60-120 Hz; internal: 7.6-inch OLED (2,208 x 1,840 pixels)
Pixel density	Cover: 402 ppi; internal: 374 ppi	Cover: 408 ppi; internal: 380 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	Open: 6.1 x 5.11 x 0.24 in.; closed: 6.1 x 2.64 x 0.53 in.	Open: 5.5 x 6.2 x 0.2 in.; closed: 5.5 x 3.1 x 0.5 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	Open: 154.94 x 129.79 x 6.1 mm; closed: 154.94 x 67.06 x 13.46 mm	Closed: 139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1 mm; closed: 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	253 g (8.92 oz.)	283 g (9.98 oz.)
Mobile software	Android 13	Android 13
Camera	50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	48-megapixel (main), 10.8-megapixel (ultrawide), 10.8-megapixel (telephoto)
Front-facing camera	4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (cover screen)	8-megapixel (inner screen); 9.5-megapixel (cover screen)
Video capture	TBD	4K
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Tensor G2
RAM/storage	12GB + 256GB/512GB/1TB	12GB + 256GB, 12GB + 512GB (US, UK, Germany)
Expandable storage	None	None
Battery	4,400 mAh (dual-battery)	4,821 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Side	Side
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	5G-enabled, IPX8 water resistance, S Pen support, 25W wired charging, wireless charging, wireless power share, triple SIM	5G (mmw/Sub6), IPX8 rating, 5x optical zoom, dual SIM, estimated 24-33 hours battery life
US price off-contract	$1,800	$1,799
UK price	1,749	1,749
Australia price	AU$2,559	Converts to AU$3,340