Welcome to Tech Bytes! In this series, we bring the biggest news hitting the Tech and Gaming fields, getting them into a simple brief for you to quickly catch up on, so you’re up to speed over dinner and drinks.
June brought lots of news and announcements from the gaming world through E3’s replacement showcases. For July, the spotlight is much more on Tech, with Samsung spearheading the news cycle with their event this month. Check out what has been revealed here!
Samsung Galaxy Fold5 and Flip5 revealed
The next generation of Samsung’s foldable line has arrived, and they are called the Samsung Galaxy Fold5 and Samsung Galaxy Flip5.
Samsung has opted to be iterative for the Fold5; much of the device remains the same as its predecessor. But there are some improvements. The Samsung Galaxy Fold5 is now equipped with a new hinge, making it much thinner than ever before. Its big screen has also been updated to give users a brighter 1,750-nit.
Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Flip5 is getting a more significant change. Users will now experience a larger 3.4-inch cover display, allowing them to see more visual information when using the phone folded. It likewise receives an updated hinge system that lets the phone fold completely flat. However, much of the physical specs remain the same as its predecessor.
Both phones will be available on 11 August 2023. You can read more about our experience with the devices through our hands-on coverage.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Series and Watch6 Series announced
Alongside the new foldable line, Samsung also announced the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Series and Watch6 Series for their tablet and smartwatch line, respectively.
For the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Series, all three models will be getting the same AMOLED display, and they are now also IP68-rated, meaning that they are more secure against dust and water.
The Galaxy Watch6 Series in the meantime, offers larger watch displays and updates to their sleep tracking capabilities. However, the Watch6 Classic model also brings back the rotating bezel users loved on Samsung’s previous smartwatches.
Like Samsung’s new foldable phones, this latest slate of devices will be widely available from 11 August 2023 onwards.
AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D processor to launch next month
This month, AMD was on hand to reveal their new AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D, a processor which the company says can handle the most demanding titles available today and will bring top-level performance for those looking at laptop gaming.
It will be the first mobile processor with AMD 3D V-Cache™ Technology, which enables it to deliver 144 MB of on-chip memory — making it the “world’s fastest mobile gaming processor”. In terms of performance, the tech will help to increase Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s performance by 11% at 70W TDP and 23% at 40W TDP.
The chip also has 16 cores and 32 threads with clock speeds of up to 5.4GHz, with a hyper-efficient 55W TDP package. Among the other processors within AMD’s laptop lineup, these specs put it at the top of the pack.
The AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D will be launched first in the ASUS ROG Scar 17 laptop, available from 22 August 2023.
Sony Unveils WF-1000XM5
Sony’s popular wireless earbuds line gets an update with the announcement of the WF-1000XM5.
The key thing about Sony’s fifth-generation wireless earbuds is that it receives a design update. Now the earbuds are noticeably smaller than before and offer a more comfortable experience, which is excellent for those who wear earbuds for long periods.
They’ve also included larger Dynamic Driver X drivers in the earbuds to provide improved sound quality, worked on delivering better call quality with its AI-based noise reduction algorithm, and more crucially, upgraded its noise cancellation performance.
You’ll be able to get the new Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds in mid-August, where they will retail at S$419 in Singapore.
Sony and Microsoft sign a 10-year Call of Duty deal
The battle between Sony and Microsoft over the latter’s Activision Blizzard acquisition has been an interesting watch, particularly in July, as the two faced each other in the FTC hearing. The conclusion of the hearing saw the court deny the FTC’s preliminary injunction request, paving the way for Microsoft to complete their merger.
In the wake of the decision, Sony has agreed to a 10-year Call of Duty deal with Microsoft, allowing the franchise to stay on PlayStation platforms even after the acquisition happens.
The kicker here is that this only applies to Call of Duty, so other Activision franchises might become exclusive in the future. Reports have stated that Sony was offered a 5-year deal with all the Activision properties and a 10-year one with just Call of Duty — Sony opted for the latter.
This closes the loop of a very long fight between the two companies, though Microsoft still has to complete the merger agreement on their end to fully complete the saga.
This marks July 2023’s edition of Tech Bytes, and we hope this round-up gives you insight into tech to be excited about. Check with us again in August 2023, as we bring you more byte-sized news every month!
Visuals courtesy of Samsung, Sony, and Activision.
