GoKawiil
Tech News
Samsung officially unveiled the W27, a China-exclusive luxury version of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra with a gold-toned textured frame and dark red or blue rear covers. It shares the same core specs—an 8-inch folding OLED display, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 5,000mAh battery, and 200MP main camera—but is only offered in 16GB/512GB and 16GB/1TB configurations, priced at roughly $2,852 and $3,303 respectively.
Reddit users report that Google support replaced their malfunctioning Pixel 9 Pro Fold devices, which had issues like dead front cameras, with the newer 512GB Pixel 11 Pro Fold. One user said Google also offered a three-year extended warranty despite their device being out of standard coverage and uninsured. Multiple reports over the past year have flagged similar front-camera failures on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Market research firm TrendForce reiterated its forecast that Apple's iPhone Duo will capture 29.8% of global foldable smartphone shipments in 2027, up from an earlier 24.8% projection for 2026. The firm expects the overall foldable market to reach 23.5 million units shipped in 2027, a 16.3% increase, with Samsung projected to lead at 31.9% and Huawei falling to 21.3%.
Google announced at its Android Dev Summit that the Play Store will begin evaluating how well apps and games perform on foldable devices starting next year, with better-adapted apps receiving increased visibility and prominent store placement. Detailed Play Store requirements for this evaluation will be released later this year. Alongside this, Google is rolling out updated developer tools, including Compose adaptive capabilities, to help apps adjust across foldables, laptops, and other form factors.
Apple's chief hardware officer Johny Srouji said the company uses AI algorithms during manufacturing to match each hinge to its housing and to 3D-print micro layers that smooth out imperfections in the foldable iPhone Duo. Despite this process, a number of the $2,000-plus device's inner screens are reportedly cracking near the hinge, with early assessments pointing to the hinge design as the likely cause.
According to leaker Lanzuk citing display supply chain sources, Samsung is internally evaluating two additional versions of its wide foldable successor: a larger 'Plus'-style model and a cheaper, spec-reduced 'FE'-style model. Only one of these is expected to actually launch alongside the previously reported Galaxy Z Fold 9 Wide, with an internal decision reportedly pending. The plans are still in early testing and wouldn't reach the market until mid-2027 at the earliest.
Days after the iPhone Duo's launch, multiple users reported cracks and lines appearing on the foldable's inner screen near the hinge. Apple acknowledged the problem on Monday and said it is replacing affected units, though it has not disclosed how many devices are involved. iFixit's teardown technician Shahram Mokhtari said the damage likely stems from a hinge component that presses against the sensitive inner display as it folds.
Reports indicate that prototype or early units of Apple's rumored foldable iPhone models have shown screens cracking during testing. The issue has surfaced ahead of any official product announcement from Apple.
A comparison outlines how Apple's reported iPhone Duo and Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold differ in foldable design, with the Duo using a wider passport-style shape featuring a 5.4-inch outer and 7.6-inch inner screen, versus the Pixel's 6.5-inch outer and 8-inch inner displays. The two also diverge in weight, thickness, materials, and screen brightness, with the Pixel reaching 3,600 nits versus the Duo's 3,000 nits, though the Duo adds a nano-texture anti-glare layer. Both devices reportedly carry IP68 water and dust resistance.
Apple has acknowledged that the internal folding display on a small number of its new $2,000 iPhone Duo devices is breaking shortly after purchase. Customers have reported the screens failing almost immediately after unboxing the foldable phone.
Apple has released the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, priced from $1,999. The device features a redesigned hinge that nearly eliminates the visible crease common to other foldables, along with software changes to support its dual-screen format.
Leaker Evan Blass has posted images showing the Samsung W27 foldable in an Aura Blue colorway with extensive gold trim, visible from nearly every angle. The device is expected to launch this week exclusively in China, following Samsung's pattern of releasing a W-series variant alongside its global Galaxy Z Fold lineup.