The Galaxy Z Fold 8, Samsung's upcoming flagship foldable, won't be getting a key feature from the Galaxy S26 Ultra: the privacy screen. This feature, which uses a polarised filter layer to restrict viewing angles, was a major selling point for the S26 Ultra.
It's not hard to see why Samsung might have skipped it - the privacy screen works by adding another layer of complexity to the display hardware, which could be tricky to implement in a folding screen. Janhoi McGregor notes that the privacy screen's polarised filter layer is built directly into the display hardware, and it's what allows the display to black out when viewed from the side.
Samsung isn't slowing down, though. The company just announced three new wearables, including upgraded versions of the Galaxy Watch Active, Galaxy Fit, and Galaxy Buds. Samsung also launched its Intelligent Eyewear at Google I/O, which has got everyone talking. The smart glasses, developed in partnership with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, look like they could give Meta's Ray-Ban a run for their money.
According to Yash Rathore, Smart Analytics Global forecasts that AI smart glasses shipments will clear 15 million units globally in 2026. That's an 85% year-on-year increase, with audio models making up around 91% of total shipments. Samsung's Intelligent Eyewear is expected to ship over 2 million units in 2026, which would give it a market share of around 18%. This would be a significant achievement, as it would establish Samsung as a major player in the smart glasses market.
Anker also made headlines this week with the launch of its Liberty 5 Pro Max wireless earbuds. The earbuds come with a smart screen in the charger case and Anker's new Thus chipset, which offers on-device AI features for audio processing. David Carony got to test the earbuds and was impressed with the level of noise reduction and vocal clarity. He didn't expect the earbuds to perform so well, and they've definitely exceeded his expectations.
OnePlus is gearing up to release its new Ace 8 phone, which is expected to feature a 1.5K-resolution flat-screen with a 185 Hz refresh rate. The phone will also have an active cooling fan, which suggests that OnePlus is targeting gamers with this device. Huzefa Baloch notes that the phone will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. It will also have a battery capacity of around 9,000mAh with 100W fast charging, which is a significant improvement over previous models.
RedMagic, meanwhile, just released its 11S Pro and 11S Pro+ phones, which are designed specifically for gamers. The phones feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen5 Leading Version chipset, which has overclocked prime cores clocked at 4.74GHz. The 11S Pro comes with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. The Pro+ model has up to 16GB LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and 1TB UFS 4.1 storage, making it a powerful device for gaming and other resource-intensive tasks.
At the other end of the spectrum, Walmart just launched six new Android tablets under its Onn brand. The tablets start at just $97 for the 7-inch model and go up to $288 for the 13-inch Onn 13 Pro. The Onn 13 Pro has a 13-inch 2400×1600 IPS LCD display, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. It also comes with a stylus and a folio case, and has features like Extended Display Mode and face recognition, making it a great value for the price.
As Google continues to migrate the Fitbit brand to Google-branded services, the company just launched a new Google Health widget. The widget brings quick-access widgets to the table and can display up to six metrics, including steps, calories burned, and sleep patterns. Abner Li notes that the widget can be shrunk to show just one stat, and tapping on it takes you to the full stats page. This makes it easy to track your health and fitness goals without having to navigate through multiple menus.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 won't have a privacy screen. Samsung launched its Intelligent Eyewear at Google I/O. Anker launched its Liberty 5 Pro Max wireless earbuds. OnePlus is gearing up to release its new Ace 8 phone. RedMagic released its 11S Pro and 11S Pro+ phones. Walmart launched six new Android tablets under its Onn brand. Google launched a new Google Health widget. These are all significant developments in the world of tech.
The strength of the effect can be adjusted to suit the user's needs too, and it can also be set to activate only for specific apps or when a password is entered, says Janhoi McGregor. This feature is particularly useful for people who want to keep their personal data private. It's a significant improvement over previous models, and it's something that users won't want to live without.
So what does this mean for the world of smartphones and wearables? It's clear that companies are pushing the boundaries of what's possible with technology. Whether it's Samsung's Intelligent Eyewear or Anker's Liberty 5 Pro Max earbuds, there's no shortage of innovation in the tech space. Companies aren't slowing down, and they're constantly looking for new ways to improve their products.
As the market continues to evolve, it's likely that we'll see even more exciting developments in the world of smartphones and wearables. Whether you're a gamer, a fitness enthusiast, or just someone who loves staying connected, there's never been a more exciting time to be a part of the tech world. New products and features are being released all the time, and they're changing the way we live and interact with each other. It's an exciting time, and it won't be slowing down anytime soon.