I have mixed emotions about my phone

I wrote previously about how I have been flirting with the Samsung ecosystem after years of buying Pixel phones and Pixel Buds. My Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is really nice. I like it so much that I don’t see myself willingly going back to a traditional slab phone design. I do have some criticisms, though.

The Z Flip 7 has a 4,300 mAh battery, while the Pixel 9a has a 5,100mAh battery. Both phones have 120Hz adaptive screens and a reported battery life of over a day. In practice, I am seeing ~4-6 hours of battery life with the Z Flip 7. I don’t know if that is due to the Exynos processor that they use in it (instead of the Snapdragon that should be there).

I keep a Quad Lock case on my Pixel 9a. I knew when I bought the Z Flip 7 that I wouldn’t be able to use a Quad Lock mount, so I planned to keep the Pixel 9a around. Back when I first traveled internationally, I bought a “battery case” for my Pixel 2. It let me use my phone extensively all day by just adding A LOT of battery. It just adds A LOT of weight to the overall package, but it’s cool while traveling. Since then, Qi2 battery packs that magnetically connect to the back of your phone have become a thing. Those work with the Z Flip 7, but since they are meant for a slab phone, they stick out a lot. I wish I could find a stubbier one that could fit on the back of the phone.

What am I going to do about the battery issues? That’s a great question. For 99% of the time, a battery life of about 4 to 6 hours is sufficient. However, when I travel internationally, that won’t be enough. Do you really want to buy a phone for just 1 or 2 weeks out of the year? I probably wouldn’t. Instead, I’ll likely just make do with the Pixel 9a for those 1 or 2 weeks.

One UI 8.5 Beta Program for the Z Fold/Flip7 is now open!

One UI 8.5 has made a significant appearance, with new features, design improvements, and other improvements. We are very thrilled to announce that Samsung has recently opened the One UI 8.5 Beta Program for the Galaxy Z Fold/Flip7 in the following countries:

• Korea
• United States of America
• United Kingdom
• India

This gives us a hint that the Beta Program is now open. Users should be able to try out One UI 8.5 in its earliest shape and form on their Galaxy Z Fold/Flip7 devices.

Please note that Samsung might not have opened the Beta program in your country yet, even if your country is eligible for beta testing. In this case, you’ll have to wait for the beta banner.

To join the Beta Program, you must have the latest version of Samsung Members installed. You can get the latest version through either the Galaxy Store or the Play Store. Once done, you should be able to join the program if you have an eligible device.

Galaxy Z Fold/Flip 7 series One UI 8.5 beta forums and builds spotted!

One UI 8.5 is not an incremental version of One UI, but it’s a major overhaul of how you use your phone and how your phone looks. Fluent design, attractive looks, Now nudges, and new features are key changes to this version of One UI. The Galaxy S26 series, which is released this year, uses the full version of One UI 8.5, with software updates that improve the experience to come.

While the Galaxy S25 series is still being tested, the Beta forums for the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7 devices has been revealed, which means that they are now live, as Mohammed Khatri (via Sammy Guru) spotted in the Indian and the Korean community forums.

This means that there’s a high chance that those foldables will have their first beta of One UI 8.5 being released soon, thus pushing the stable release date to mid-April, starting from the Galaxy S25.

Also, further indication that Samsung was working on One UI 8.5 Beta for the Fold7 and the Flip7 foldables has been made, because beta builds for the foldables have been spotted, as Alfatürk mentioned that builds F966NKSU8ZZC4 and F766NKSU8ZZC4 have been discovered in the Korean model of the two foldables.

We expect that Samsung officially announce the first beta of One UI 8.5 for the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7 foldables in the middle of March, with the possibility that more devices may join the beta program before the stable release.

Samsung unveils Galaxy Z Flip7 Olympic Edition for Milano Cortina 2026, distributing devices to 3,800 Olympians starting Jan 30. Features Galaxy AI translation (22 languages), 100GB 5G eSIM & Italian-inspired blue-gold design.

#AdwaitX #TechNews #Olympics #News
#ZFlip7 #Samsung

https://www.adwaitx.com/samsung-galaxy-z-flip7-olympic-edition-milano-cortina-2026/

Samsung releases the January 2026 security patch for the Galaxy Z TriFold series

January 2026 is here, and Samsung have focused on releasing the January 2026 security patch for the majority of Galaxy users worldwide. As per their rollout schedule for security updates, Samsung have released the January 2026 security patch to the Galaxy Z TriFold users, starting from the Korean version.

Remember: your Galaxy Z TriFold is eligible for monthly updates due to the flagship nature of the device.

The following firmware information is found:

• SM-F968N: F968NKSS2AZA1 [KOO]

To update your Galaxy to this security update, follow these steps:

Make sure that you’re connected to a stable and fast Wi-Fi network to avoid high mobile data fees. Never interrupt the update in any way, or problems could occur later. Make sure that you apply all available updates once you update your phone for maximum stability. An update might take 5 to 10 minutes to apply, depending on the device and the type of the update being applied.

If you’re seeing “Your software is up to date,” this means that the update hasn’t reached your device yet. Keep checking for updates, as Samsung rolls it out gradually to all devices from country to country, usually starting from Korea.

#Android #Android16 #AndroidB #AndroidBaklava #Flip7 #Fold7 #GalaxyZFlip7 #GalaxyZFold7 #news #oneUi #Samsung #SamsungGalaxyZFlip7 #SamsungGalaxyZFold7 #smartphone #Tech #Technology #update #ZFlip7 #ZFold7

Samsung releases the January 2026 security patch for the Galaxy Z Fold/Flip7 series

January 2026 is here, and Samsung have focused on releasing the January 2026 security patch for the majority of Galaxy users worldwide. As per their rollout schedule for security updates, Samsung have released the January 2026 security patch to the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7 users, starting from the Korean version.

We apologize for the “childish” font that was in the pictures.

The following firmware information is found:

• SM-F966N: F966NKSS7AYLT [KOO, SKC, KTC, LUC]
• SM-F766N: F766NKSS7AYLT [KOO, SKC, KTC, LUC]
• SM-F761N: F761NKSS7AYLT [KOO, SKC, KTC, LUC]

To update your Galaxy to this security update, follow these steps:

Make sure that you’re connected to a stable and fast Wi-Fi network to avoid high mobile data fees. Never interrupt the update in any way, or problems could occur later. Make sure that you apply all available updates once you update your phone for maximum stability. An update might take 5 to 10 minutes to apply, depending on the device and the type of the update being applied.

If you’re seeing “Your software is up to date,” this means that the update hasn’t reached your device yet. Keep checking for updates, as Samsung rolls it out gradually to all devices from country to country, usually starting from Korea.

#Android #Android16 #AndroidB #AndroidBaklava #Flip7 #Fold7 #GalaxyZFlip7 #GalaxyZFold7 #news #oneUi #Samsung #SamsungGalaxyZFlip7 #SamsungGalaxyZFold7 #smartphone #Tech #Technology #update #ZFlip7 #ZFold7

Flirting with the Samsung ecosystem

I have been exclusively buying Google Pixel phones for a very long time. I replaced my OnePlus 3 in 2018 when I started using Project Fi (now called Google Fi) because at the time, they were doing something where as long as you were using a Pixel phone, your phone would look at the T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular networks and would switch to whichever one is stronger where you happen to be. I liked that. Of course, since then, T-Mobile bought both Sprint and US Cellular and Google neglected to make similar arrangements with Verizon or AT&T.

I finally decided to buy a non-Pixel phone because I wanted a flip phone and after a few years, I figured that they were never going to release a Pixel phone that folds that way. Back in July, I picked up a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I do.

Samsung has their own version of most of Google’s own apps and that includes Samsung Health (their alternative to Fitbit). I did a little of experimentation with it, connected it to my scale and blood pressure cuff, and I was impressed. It works better than Fitbit and instead of costing $80 per year, it is free. There are a lot of features that only seem to work if you have a Samsung-branded fitness tracker but that might be better than having to pay $80/yr.

So, back in November, I paid $160 for a Samsung Galaxy Ring and I paid $343 for a Galaxy Watch 8. I used $500 in FSA money for the purchase (which felt like an accomplishment). They not only let me track things like steps, vascular load, and blood oxygen more easily but also let me cancel my Fitbit subscription. I like that.

The next step would be to get myself a pair of “Galaxy Buds” and a “Galaxy Tab” but the earbuds can’t do multi-point pairing as well as the Shockz that I bought the last time I was in Tokyo and the Galaxy Tab doesn’t offer LTE (which is a non-starter for me). I do want to try out the Galaxy Fold at some point, though.

#PWdictos! 📱 ¿Te has preguntado hasta dónde puede llegar la innovación? #Samsung nos sorprende con cinco avances en ingeniería de teléfonos plegables que ya son una realidad. Desde bisagras invisibles hasta pantallas de durabilidad extrema, descubre cómo el #GalaxyZFold7 y el #ZFlip7 están empujando los límites de lo posible. 🚀🛡️

https://www.pawa.cl/samsung-hasta-donde-puede-llegar-la-ingenieria-de-telefonos-plegables-cinco-avances-que-ya-son-realidad/

#Tecnología #Innovación #Smartphones #NoticiasGeek Más detalles en @pawacl

#PWdictos! 📱 ¡El futuro plegable aterriza en Chile! 🇨🇱 Los nuevos #GalaxyZFold7 y #ZFlip7 llegan para redefinir el estándar de la industria. Descubre cómo #Samsung combina un diseño sofisticado con el poder de la #IA para transformar tu experiencia móvil. ¡Conoce todos los detalles del lanzamiento aquí! 🚀

https://www.pawa.cl/samsung-galaxy-z-fold7-y-z-flip7-redefiniendo-el-estandar-de-los-smartphones-plegables-en-chile/

#Tecnología #Chile #GalaxyAI #NoticiasGeek Más detalles en @pawacl