Page 12 - aruba-today-Sept 2 2020

A12 TECHNOLOGY
Wednesday 2 september 2020
Samsung touts $2,000 foldable phone as a 'VIP' experience

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE to their existing phones for
AP Technology Writer longer periods, dampening
SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — sales for Samsung, Apple
Samsung's second attempt and other manufacturers.
at a foldable smartphone The new phone will also be
will come with a $2,000 equipped with the tech-
price tag and a few elite nology required to work
perks aimed at affluent on new ultrafast wireless
consumers still able to af- networks known as 5G that
ford the finer things in life are rolling out. That's anoth-
during tough times. er advantage over older
The phone, dubbed the phones that Samsung be-
Z Fold2, will include a VIP lieves will prod more peo-
package that will provide ple to consider splurging on
access to fancy restaurants a new device.
and golf clubs to supple- Blackard cites another rea-
ment the device's multipur- son new phones are likely
pose design. to draw interest: Even as
When folded up, the de- more people work from
vice looks like most other home on laptop and desk-
phones. But when its interior top computers, they also
7.6-inch screen is opened have been using their mo-
up along its side hinges, it is bile devices more frequent-
quickly transformed into the ly. In some cases, the usage
equivalent of a mini-tablet. is up by 50%, he said, based
"It's definitely a luxury de- on the data that Samsung.
vice," said Drew Blackard, In this undated photo provided by Samsung, Samsung's foldable phone is displayed. Even so, Blackard conced-
Associated Press
Samsung's vice president of ed that the Z Fold2 is likely
mobile product manage- an order online beginning The Z Fold2 is supposed to care that Samsung will ex- to have limited appeal at
ment in the U.S. Wednesday. It will be avail- be sturdier than last year's plain in instructions accom- a time when the recession
Samsung provided a able in stores Sept. 18. inaugural model. That ini- panying the device. has caused the U.S. unem-
glimpse of the Z Fold2 last That will give the Z Fold2 a tial foldable device proved The South Korean technol- ployment rate to soar and
month while unveiling oth- slight jump on Apple's next to be far more fragile than ogy giant is hoping the ver- is forcing millions of house-
er new phones that cost wave of iPhones. Those are Samsung had hoped, even satility will infuse some ex- holds to pinch pennies just
at least $1,000, but waited expected to be released in after delaying its release citement in a smartphone to pay the monthly rent or
until Tuesday to provide October, a few weeks later by several months in an ef- market that hasn't seen mortgage.
details about how much than usual because of sup- fort to fix issues noticed by many breakthroughs aside In an effort to reach all
it will cost and when it will ply problems lingering from people who received re- from better cameras and ends of the market, Sam-
be in stores. Anyone will- overseas factories that shut view models. Even with this other minor tweaks. The lull sung recently introduced a
ing to pay the Z Fold2's lofty down during the early stag- year's improvements, the in innovation has caused 5G phone, the Galaxy A51,
price will be able to place es of the pandemic. Z Fold2 will require special more people to hold on that sells for $500.q

Apple, Google build virus-tracing tech directly into phones

By MATT O'BRIEN demic apps using the tech er they want to enable the They'll be prompted with though they expect a
AP Technology Writer companies' framework, Apple-Google system. a notification asking if they group of coordinating pub-
Apple and Google are try- which has seen somewhat If they do, iPhone users in consent to running the sys- lic health agencies to get a
ing to get more U.S. states wider adoption in Europe those states will automati- tem on their phones. national server up and run-
to adopt their phone- For people with Android ning before long so other
based approach for trac- phones, Google will auto- states can join in.
ing and curbing the spread matically generate an An- The technology relies on
of the coronavirus by build- droid app for public health Bluetooth wireless signals
ing more of the necessary agencies that phone users to determine whether an
technology directly into can then download. individual has spent time
phone software. The companies said they near anyone else who has
That could make it much expect Maryland, Nevada, tested positive for the virus.
easier for people to get it Virginia and Washington, Both people in this scenario
on their phone even if their D.C., to be the first in the must be using the Google-
local public health agency U.S. to launch the new ver- Apple app. Instead of geo-
hasn't built its own compat- sion of their tool. graphic location, the app
ible app. Virginia says nearly half relies on proximity.
The tech giants on Tues- a million residents have The companies say the app
day launched the second downloaded its app since won't reveal personal infor-
phase of their "exposure the state in August be- mation either to them or
notification" system, de- This March 19, 2018 file photo shows a Google app in Baltimore. came the first to launch a their public health agency.
signed to automatically Associated Press customized pandemic app Individuals who receive
alert people if they might using the Google-Apple such proximity alerts will
have been exposed to the framework. typically be offered test-
coronavirus. and other parts of the cally be able to opt into But state officials have said ing and health advice to
Until now, only a handful of world. the system without hav- their app doesn't work as prevent potential future
U.S. states have built pan- States must choose wheth- ing to download an app. well outside Virginia, al- spread.q