The Weird Phone Future

The Weird Phone Future

Samsung's mobile phone design philosophy could best be described as "if it ain't broke, bend it." The company—one of the top smartphone manufacturers in the world—announced some new foldable devices this week, and they don't exactly break the mold. Even the Galaxy Z Fold, once Samsung's flagship showcase of wacky innovation, looks and bends more or less the same as last year’s model. But while the designs may not be the most exciting, they do mean interesting things for Android, the mobile software that powers them.

This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu joins us to talk about everything Samsung announced this week, plus what it all means for the next versions of Android.

Show Notes

Here’s everything Samsung announced at its Unpacked event this week. Here’s Julian’s review of last year’s Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3.

Recommendations

Julian recommends the Ampere Shower Power Pro, a speaker for your shower. Lauren recommends oatmeal and not watching The Northman. Mike recommends the book The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman.

Julian Chokkattu can be found on Twitter @JulianChokkattu. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jaksot(432)

LegalEagle, the Internet’s Favorite Lawyer, Makes Sense of ‘Multiple Watergates per Week’

LegalEagle, the Internet’s Favorite Lawyer, Makes Sense of ‘Multiple Watergates per Week’

Devin Stone, the lawyer better known as LegalEagle on YouTube, has been breaking down legal cases - and assessing the accuracy of legal procedurals in film and television -- for years. He talks to Kat...

21 Huhti 36min

Artemis II Astronaut Reflects Upon Return

Artemis II Astronaut Reflects Upon Return

This week, WIRED's Brian Barrett checked in with Artemis II astronaut Victor Glover to know how he feels now that he's back home — and how he and the rest of the crew experienced some of the mission's...

17 Huhti 6min

Kara Swisher Is Trying To Live Forever

Kara Swisher Is Trying To Live Forever

This week, we’re bringing you an exclusive conversation between WIRED’s Katie Drummond and tech journalist Kara Swisher. Kara is no stranger to fads in the tech space but the longevity industry  — the...

16 Huhti 31min

Silicon Valley Is Spending Millions to Stop One of Its Own

Silicon Valley Is Spending Millions to Stop One of Its Own

New York Assemblyman Alex Bores is running in a crowded race to replace longtime Democratic Congressman Jerry Nadler. Pro-AI PACs have targeted Bores, a former Palantir employee who spearheaded an AI ...

14 Huhti 40min

OpenAI and Musk Fight Again; DOJ Mishandles Voter Data; Artemis II Comes Home

OpenAI and Musk Fight Again; DOJ Mishandles Voter Data; Artemis II Comes Home

This week, we discuss why OpenAI and Elon Musk’s legal feud is heating up once again — and happening alongside SpaceX’s IPO filing. We also dive into how a Department of Justice lawyer misled a judge ...

9 Huhti 31min

Can UpScrolled Keep Up With a Surge in Users?

Can UpScrolled Keep Up With a Surge in Users?

Last year, Issam Hijazi launched UpScrolled after users decried censorship and shadow-banning on other platforms. When TikTok transferred ownership of its US operations to American investors, UpScroll...

7 Huhti 39min

Iran Targets U.S. Tech; Polymarket’s Bar Flop; Trump's Plans for Midterms

Iran Targets U.S. Tech; Polymarket’s Bar Flop; Trump's Plans for Midterms

The team is back this week to discuss how top U.S tech companies are increasingly finding themselves as targets in the ongoing war with Iran. We also get an inside view into how Polymarket’s pop-up ba...

2 Huhti 27min

The Myth That AI Will Replace Language Learning

The Myth That AI Will Replace Language Learning

Luis von Ahn, Duolingo’s co-founder and CEO, joins Katie to discuss why we should still learn languages in the age of AI translation. He also talks about how Duolingo is dealing with falling share pri...

31 Maalis 47min