I tested astrophotography on the iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Pixel 9 Pro XL — here’s the winner

You don’t have to be a pro to get pro results

In the last year, I’ve taken up a new, rewarding hobby with astrophotography. Today’sbest phonesmake it easier than ever before to get breathtaking shots of the night sky, which is why I want to share my favorite shots from each of the flagship phones I’ve tested throughout the year.

These include theiPhone 16 Pro Max,Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra,Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, andOnePlus 12— many of which top batterymap’sbest camera phonesguide. They’re there for many reasons, but I will agree that the quality of images for astrophotography requires more than just the physical hardware. Plus, there’s a certain level of patience needed to get just the right images.

Most people don’t even know that these flagship phones are capable of capturing stuff besides the moon, stars, and constellations. As you’ll see, I’ve been able to image other deep space objects with their telephoto cameras — like nebulas and even some galaxies. Here’s all of my favorite shots.

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What you need to know

Before I dive into it, I captured all the astrophotography images with each phone on separate occasions. Since astrophotography requires the phones to be extremely still with their long exposure, often upwards of 30 seconds, it’s not feasible for me to capture the same targets with each device. That’s why the images are from different days.

Secondly, it’s worth investing in a tripod and phone holder to capture astrophotography with phones. I’d recommend keeping them as close to the ground as possible because sometimes a slight gust of wind can ruin a shot. And finally, you’ll want to use the timer function to eliminate any shake when you’re hitting the shutter button.

Once you master these techniques, you simply need to switch to their respective night modes and select the longest exposure time.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

If you’re going to shoot astrophotography with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, I’d recommend switching to its Pro Mode and manually setting the shutter speed and ISO. In the first shot of the gallery below, I do like how the overall image is brightened to see the details in the tree’s branches, but the sky itself is a bit overexposed given how dark it looks in real life. Still, I love all the twinkling stars it’s able to capture.

In the second astrophotography image with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, I used Pro Mode to try and capture M42: The Great Orion Nebula. This is one of my favorite shots because the night sky is properly exposed, with less of the banding effect of the night shot one. And since I used a longer exposure, it manages to keep the noise down by shooting at a lower ISO.

And finally, there’s the last closeup shot of the Great Orion Nebula with the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 50MP telephoto with 5x zoom. While I could’ve maxed it out 100x zoom, I chose not to in order to preserve the details. I think it does an excellent job of defining the gases that are coming from the nebula, which with the naked eye just looks like an ordinary twinkling star — but the S24 Ultra captures it in greater detail.

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Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Apple’s flagship is a low light beast, and these astrophotography snapshots I captured with the iPhone 16 Pro Max proves that. Starting with its 48MP main camera, it’s the only flagship phone I’ve tested this year that can capture a galaxy. With it pointed straight up into the air, I was able to capture M31 Andromeda Galaxy — complete with its wispy trails. You’ll have to look very close in the first image below, but it’s there.

Next up, I want to point out how it captures The Great Orion Nebula with its 12MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. I surmise that the clearer skies above me that evening attributed to what’s arguably my favorite astrophotography shot with these flagships, mainly because the nebula is better defined.

For my last pick, it’s the shot of M45 The Pleiades — which on that night was right above my garage. There’s a lot I love about this photo because not only are the seven main stars of the cluster visible with the main camera, but the colors of the leaves on the tree remain true-to-life.

OnePlus 12

Even though its flagships have often underperformed against its main rivals in the low light department, I will admit that the OnePlus 12 can get some respectable looking astrophotography images. The first one I tried getting of Jupiter in the night sky is a perfect example, especially when I was contending against the strong moonlight from the Moon. The overall shot may look underexposed compared to the brighter captures of the other phones here, but enough to give it a realistic look.

The second image in the gallery below is of M45 The Pleiades, which initially I thought was captured by its 64MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. But for some reason it stuck with the 50MP main camera, which I suspect is simply due to the low light conditions. Given how effective OnePlus leverages pixel binning here, I think it still pulls off an excellent shot.

Going back to M42 The Great Orion Nebula, the OnePlus 12’s main camera again captures an image that’s more underexposed, but it doesn’t have the banding effect that I tend to see with the night modes on other phones.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

There’s a reason why I saved the Pixel 9 Pro XL for last. Out of all the phones I’ve tested, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is my favorite for astrophotography. Not only does it have an excellent 48MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, but there’s a dedicated astrophotography mode that pushes the exposure to 4 minutes — resulting in a neat timelapse video to complement the image it captures. The first shot of M45 The Pleiades below shows a few rolling clouds overhead, while still showing the movement of M45.

With an unobstructed view of Jupiter, I love how this shot from the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s main camera also manages to expose some of the nearby stars. If you look to the south-east, there’s the Great Orion Nebula — while the seven stars of The Pleiades are visible to the north-east.

In order to better show off its telephoto capabilities with astrophotography, I pointed the Pixel 9 Pro XL towards the Great Orion Nebula and used its 5x optical zoom for a closer look. Needless to say that I’m astounded by what it sees, unlike my own eyes that merely see the famous star cluster as a smudgy blob in the sky. Not only is Orion’s Belt clearly captured in the 5x zoom photo, but I really love how the nebula itself is exposed.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus smiles for the camera in real-world images

An image of what looks like the Chinese version of the Galaxy S25 Plus has leaked online. It shows off a redesigned camera module and what looks like a capacitive camera button, but in reality is a mm Wave 5G radio.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus is tipped to arrive with minor design tweaks (image source: @Jukanlosreve on X)

Hands-on images of theSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultrahave shown up more than once, and they even gave us a glimpse at Samsung’s next major OS upgrade:One UI 7.0. As anticipated, the phone’s camera module gets a minor redesign. A new leak says that will trickle down to the Galaxy S25 Plus. It isn’t exactly a secret, as it was revealed byCAD rendersfrom earlier this year.

X leaker@Jukanlosrevehas shown off Samsung’s middle-of-the-pack offering via some real-world images. Here, we can see the vertically aligned (and slightly thicker) camera modules covered with masking tape. At the front, there appears to be a notch-like structure, which is, once again, likely masking tape. An image of the phone’s Settings app confirms it is indeed a Galaxy S25 Plus (SM-S936U).The ‘U’ in its name confirms the Galaxy S25 Plus will be powered by aSnapdragon 8 Elite, and not anExynos 2500as previously suggested by multipleGeekbench listings.

While Samsung still hasn’t abandoned its next-gen Exynos chip, it will only debut in thelatter half of 2025alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 7. Beneath the power button and volume rocker, we see an intriguing patch of metal that, at first glance, resembles a capacitive camera slider like the one found on Apple’siPhone 16series. However, the leaker says the Galaxy S25 Plus will sport no such feature, and that is instead a mm Wave radio.

As far as its internals are concerned, the Galaxy S25 Plus will offer largely incremental upgrades over theGalaxy S24 Plus. The 120 Hz 1440p screen is tipped to remain the same,maximum RAMstill caps out at 12 GB, and the battery capacityremains stagnant. Thankfully, a corresponding price increase isnot on the cards, at least in one market.

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Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus screen (image source: @Jukanlosreve on X)

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus mm Wave radio (image source: @Jukanlosreve on X)

Source(s)

@Jukanlosreveon X

One UI 7 Beta first impressions: An early Christmas present from Samsung

One UI 7 is a shiny new update making Samsung phones feel fresh and new again.

The Samsung One UI 7 beta program is fully underway, having justreleased its second betathat’s filled with bug fixes for all eligible Samsung Galaxy phones. I’ve been using it on my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and am already convinced this is the best version of One UI Samsung has made in a very long time.

The latest beta is all about fixing bugs, but there are so many new features in One UI 7 that it’s hard not to sift through them all to find my new favorites. Samsung is doing a lot to cater to long-time fans and folks who dislike One UI by doing what it does best: offering options for every imaginable preference.

So, what’s it like to use One UI 7? Exceptional in most ways, thankfully.

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A new UI

Right off the bat, seasoned Samsung users — and there are a lot of you out there — will immediately notice that Samsung has split the notification shade by default. This means that pulling down on the right side of the status bar brings up a full screen of quick toggle buttons and sliders while swiping down on the left side of the status bar brings up notifications. It’s exactly like an iPhone.

I can see a lot of people getting really frustrated with this new default behavior, and I’m not sure it’s my favorite decision ever. On the bright side, you can quickly move between the two panels with a horizontal swipe, so it doesn’t take much effort if muscle memory kicks in and you need to get to the other panel.

Thankfully, you can change it back to the original single-panel behavior, but you’ll need to hit the pencil button in the quick toggles pane and swap back over. It’s a little bit hidden, and I think Samsung needs to surface it a bit more. I tried the new split pane for a while, but I really don’t like it, so I made the switch back to the Android-style behavior.

Finally! A vertical app drawer by default!

The next thing you’ll likely notice is the vertical app drawer. Ironically, while Samsung is copying Apple with the default split notification pane, it’s going with a more Android-like experience with the default app drawer layout. If you don’t like this, you can switch back by choosing the “custom” sort order. It’s a weird wording choice and I think Samsung needs to just change it to “vertical” or “horizontal” to avoid confusion.

The new vertical drawer is wonderful, though, and even has a scroll bar on the right for quickly moving between apps, all sorted alphabetically by default. The vertical app drawer is a massive improvement that makes One UI instantly feel like it was developed in the 2020s rather than the 2000s.

The new multitasking UI is SO MUCH BETTER than Google’s awful default design in Android.

The third huge thing you’ll notice is the new multitasking UI, which finally lets you see more than one app tile at a time. Instead of spacing tiles out horizontally and making the middle one take up most space, Samsung now arranges tiles in a 3D carousel so you can peek behind and easily see apps ahead as you scroll through the list.

The active app immediately moves to the right of the screen so you can quickly juggle between multiple apps. Of course, this design is nearly identical to the iOS style of multitasking that has existed on iPhones for over a decade, and it’s about time, too.

Google launched the old horrendous layout with Android 9, and I never understood why the company kept it for as long as it did. It’s not a multitasking UI if you can only see one app at a time. This at least does a lot to fix that, even if it’s a blatant iOS ripoff.

Good Lock isn’t ready yet, so what you see is what you get until then.

If you want any of the other multitasking styles, you’ll have to wait until Good Lock’s Home Up module gets updated for One UI 7 compatibility, likely after the final OS launch, which is expected in January.

Other refreshes around the OS include new icons, updated fonts, a new battery indicator that looks super swanky, and plenty of new widgets you’ll definitely want to play around with. I particularly love the countdown widget, which lets you pick a specific date on the calendar and drop it on your home screen to build anticipation.

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Not quite nailing the feeling

While the new UI changes are mostly positive with a few controversial decisions, the “feeling” you get is something of a non-measurable category. If I compare One UI to something likeOxygenOS 15, for instance, Samsung’s user experience still doesn’t feel like the best of the best.

Haptics, for instance, still feel weak and are often missing in important places and it makes the experience feel so vacant compared to my OnePlus 12. Moving the brightness slider or clearing notifications on a OnePlus phone delivers satisfying haptics that make them feel like physical buttons or sliders, while Samsung’s UI doesn’t vibrate or feel responsive at all.

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Animations in One UI 7 aren’t anywhere near the caliber of OxygenOS 15 on the OnePlus 12. For instance, when you set a timer and swipe home on OnePlus’s OxygenOS 15, the app will “minimize” to the status bar in a super slick way. When you click the timer, it then warps and enlarges into the app when you click it. This is better shown in motion, which you can see below.

Samsung’s new animations still aren’t the same caliber that can be found in OxygenOS 15, and haptics in One UI 7 still feel vacant and hollow.

However, in One UI 7, the app just slides down and away without any pomp. Clicking the live notification timer in the status bar just opens the app in the standard way. No pizazz. Nothing fun is happening at all.

What I will say is that Samsung’s new Live Notifications are a great riff off of the iPhone’s Dynamic Islandthat I’ve been craving. But instead of just copying Apple, Samsung improved on the concept by making the notification “pill” appear at the bottom of the display where it’s most clickable.

You’ll see this new pill on the always-on display or the lock screen, making it easy to quickly pause that timer or take actionable information for a supported app. Otherwise, the little pill lives in the status bar on top, so you can see it at all times without it taking up any more room than the status bar ever does. Bravo, Samsung.

Ten thousand features

As you might expect from Samsung, the new features list for One UI 7 is a mile long. While some belovedfeatures were removed, the new OS version is packed full of things you might only use a handful of times but, ultimately, will find useful when you get the chance to use them.

There’s something here for everyone, even if you only find yourself using it once in a blue moon.

One example is moving all calendar entries to a new calendar instead of having to do it one by one. If you’re sharing a file over Quick Share and it fails, you’ll now be offered the option to transfer it using an internet connection instead of having to redo the transfer.

Notifications will also stack when an app gives you a bunch at a time. This is handy for when you have multiple Gmail accounts, for instance, as you’ll get one instance of Gmail in the notification shade but can easily swipe down on it to see everything.

Even the camera got some love, although I’m not super crazy about everything. The camera has a 2x zoom button right on the viewfinder, adding to the list of .6, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10x zoom options to instantly get where you want without having to scroll. Samsung even added fun new effects for live photos so you can quickly turn them into a Boomerang or slow-motion preview of your photo.

Still a work in progress

One UI 7 isn’t perfect, but I think it’s a huge step in the right direction for Samsung. One UI has felt a bit dated for a while now and needed some updating to feel modern again. I’m glad to see Samsung not only taking feedback but also being willing to make much-needed changes for UI elements that have been around for way too long, like that terrible horizontal app drawer.

This is only the second beta release for One UI 7, and the next release of the beta is expected to fix more bugs that’ll likely crop up; plus, it could make a few tweaks based on user feedback in the beta program. Most likely, we’ll see the next beta update pop up before the year ends.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 is getting the Wear OS 5 treatment, and you can download your free upgrade now

One UI 6 Watch is rolling out

Another Samsung Galaxy Watch is getting the Wear OS 5 treatment
One UI 6 Watch is rolling out to the Galaxy Watch 4 range
It comes with new AI fitness features, watch faces, and more

After a slow, gradual rollout of Wear OS 5 to its Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 5 models,Samsunghas confirmed that the Galaxy Watch 4 is now also receiving the free upgrade, as One UI 6 Watch rolls out to users.

It’s a major milestone for Samsung, as its entire Wear OS smartwatch range now supports the latest software, despite a fairly clunky and disjointed rollout.

Samsung has confirmedthat it’s now rolling out the One UI 6 Watch (Samsung’s skin for Wear OS 5) upgrade for its Galaxy Watch 4 range. So what’s new in the One UI 6 upgrade for 2024?

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Wear OS 5 comes to the Galaxy Watch 4

As with the Wear OS 5 updates for the Galaxy Watch 5 and 6, the new software brings a host of upgrades, tweaks, and improvements.

Galaxy Watch 4 owners will get new watch faces and visual improvements to the interface, with a new default font, buttons, and toggles. Tile graphics have also been upgraded to make things look better.

Under the hood, new health metrics and improvements bring Samsung’s AI-powered energy score, showing you your physical and mental condition based on your sleep and exercise, with advice to help you stay on top of your wellbeing.

There are also more detailed sleep insights, custom workout routines, and the new double-pinch gesture to make navigation easier.

There’s also a new power-saving mode that limits some health features and extends battery life.

First released in August 2021, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 marked the return of Wear OS to the Galaxy Watch lineup, but it’s possible that this year will be the last major software update the aging model gets.

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The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is the latest smartwatch to get Wear OS 5

All of Samsung’s Wear OS smartwatch models have now started receiving One UI 6 Watch in at least one region.

What you need to know

The last stage of Samsung’s One UI 6 Watch rollout appears to be underway, with users in Korea seeing the update become available for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
The move comes as Samsung has updated the Galaxy Watch 6 series, Galaxy Watch 5 series, and Galaxy Watch FE to Wear OS 5 in recent days and weeks.
The updates, beginning abroad, will eventually come to the US and North America at a later date.

Samsung is reaching the final stage of itslengthy One UI 6 Watch rollout, which brings Wear OS 5 to all the company’s Wear OS smartwatches. As of today, users in Korea started seeing the One UI 6 Watch update become available for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, according to aposton Samsung’s community forums. The update is currently available for only the Bluetooth models of theGalaxy Watch 4 series, and only in Korea — for now.

The company launched One UI 6 Watch alongside theGalaxy Watch Ultraand Galaxy Watch 7, released in July. It made its way to the Galaxy Watch 6 series late last month. Just yesterday, Dec. 3,Samsung brought the Wear OS 5 upgrade to the Galaxy Watch 5 series and the Galaxy Watch FE.

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That means all of Samsung’s Wear OS watches, from the oldest Galaxy Watch 4 to the cheapestGalaxy Watch FE, are beginning to get the boost to One UI 6 Watch. As is typically the case, Bluetooth models of the Galaxy Watch will receive the upgrade in a few regions to start. Then, over the coming days and weeks, LTE-equipped models will become eligible to upgrade, and it’ll arrive in more regions. North American units are often towards the end of the line when it comes to receiving One UI 6 Watch upgrades.

(Image credit: Samsung)

A core part of the One UI 6 Watch update are health-related feature additions. Samsung is banking on the combination of Samsung Health and Galaxy AI, aiming to use it to help wearers improve their fitness and health. Energy Score is like Samsung’s rendition of Garmin’s Body Battery, and Sleep Analysis aims to let you know how well you slept. These features were exclusive to newer Galaxy Watch models at first, but are making their way to older ones now.

Samsung initially promised up to four years of software updates for the Galaxy Watch 4, which isn’t much of a concrete guarantee. However, it appears that old smartwatch may be nearing the end of its software support.Wear OS 5.1looks like a minor update, based onAndroid 15, so the chances of the Galaxy Watch 4 making it to the eventual Wear OS 6 are slim.

Still, the first-generation of any product line typically receives poor software support, but that hasn’t been the case with the Galaxy Watch 4 (which is a first-gen product in the sense that it was Samsung’s first Wear OS watch). It’s had a great run with software upgrades, starting with Wear OS 3 and now supporting Wear OS 5.

Samsung’s first tri-fold smartphone launching much later globally than the Huawei Mate XT

According to a new report, Samsung has no plans to introduce its first-generation tri-fold smartphone next year. Nonetheless, a renowned display analyst has offered an insight into the device’s global availability.

Huawei stole a march on Samsung earlier this year with the Mate XT. (Image source: Huawei)

Samsung has not officially confirmed that it is working on a new type of foldable yet. Nonetheless, rumours have been flying around in recent weeks about the company’s plans to challenge theHuawei Mate XTwith its own version. Now, Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC)has offered insightsinto the state of Samsung’s first ‘tri-fold’ smartphone.

In short, it appears that the company’s foray into a new foldable form factor will not be ready in time for its 2025 hardware refresh. For reference, successors to theGalaxy Z Flip6andGalaxy Z Fold6are anticipated, as well as the so-called Galaxy Z Flip6 FE. Incidentally, Young has also disclosed new information about a new Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition too, details of which we have covered separately.

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While Samsung’s first-generation tri-fold will not be with us next year, Young expects it to arrive in ‘early 2026’. As it stands, the company is believed to have adopted the form factor that Samsung Display showcased a few years ago with theFlex Grather than theFlex Swraparound alternative that Huawei offers with theMate XT.

Samsung’s first tri-fold may look like the Flex G on the right. (Image source: Samsung Display)

Source(s)

Ross YoungviaGSMArena

Samsung might be working on the first foldable gaming handheld

We don’t expect this device to actually see the light of day.

What you need to know

Samsung has filed a patent for a foldable gaming handheld console.
Based on the included patent drawings, the handheld would be somewhat similar to the Galaxy Z Flip 6, but includes space for gaming controls.
The patent was originally filed in 2022 but was just granted on November 11.

It’s not all that often that we cover patents, but Samsung might be cooking up something rather exciting. As of November 11, Samsung was granted a patent for an “electronic games console,” as the91mobilesspotted a listing that appeared on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) website.

According to thelisting, Samsung Display Co., Ltd. filed for the patent in September 2022, and it was registered as of November 12. Unsurprisingly, there aren’t any other specifics about the internals of this handheld.

However, there are a variety of patent drawings that were published, giving us an idea of how it might work. At first glance, this handheld looks pretty similar to theGalaxy Z Flip 6, with a couple of major differences.

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(Image credit: WIPO / Samsung)

The first of which is that the screen faces outward, a concept that we have yet to see Samsung implement outside of some concept designs to showcase at various trade shows. In fact, the only companies to really venture down that path have been Huawei and Honor, as theHonor V Pursewas released in 2023, whileHuawei’s Mate XTtri-foldable phone was revealed in September.

Durability concerns likely play a big part in why we haven’t seen outward-folding phones, making this potential gaming handheld even more intriguing. Adding to the intrigue is how you interpret the patent drawings. On one hand, it looks like it features one screen, but a couple of the drawings indicate that there might actually be two different screens that join together when unfolded.

Then again, we could be looking at two differentgaming handhelds, with one that folds, and another one that doesn’t. If it is indeed two different handhelds, it would help explain the differences in controls when looking at Figure 2 and Figure 3.

While it’s easy to get excited about Samsung potentially releasing a gaming handheld, we have to take this with a massive grain of salt. For one, it’s only a patent, and we know that companies file patents for devices that never see the light of day.

Then, there’s the whole concern about what the future holds for Samsung’s current crop of foldable phones.Rumors suggestthat Samsung sold less than 300,000Galaxy Z Fold 6devices in the first two weeks, falling far short of the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

In October, the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition was released in South Korea,reportedly selling throughall three batches of pre-orders. While that might be the case, there’s no way of knowing how many devices Samsung actually manufactured for release, especially since it was limited to certain regions.

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(Image credit: Huawei)

On top of that, rumors continue to swirl around Samsung potentially releasing a tri-foldable competitor to the Mate XT. However, if sales are as bad as reports make it seem, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Samsung decided to cut its losses and dropfoldable phonesfor good.

Let’s hope that’s not the case, and that this newly-discovered foldable gaming handheld actually comes to fruition.

Samsung begins rolling out One UI 6 Watch for older Galaxy Watch models

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 series will be the first to get it.

What you need to know

Last week, Samsung announced plans to begin the rollout of One UI 6 Watch to older Galaxy Watch models.
The update began rolling out today for some Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic users in the U.S.
Following the Galaxy Watch 6 series, One UI 6 Watch will come to Galaxy Watch 5, Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, Galaxy Watch 4, Galaxy Watch 4 Classic and Galaxy Watch FE.

One UI 6 has some interesting features, including:

Sleep Apnea Tool: This could be a really helpful tool for people who suspect they might have sleep apnea.
Better Health Tracking: The update includes an “Energy Score” that’s calculated based on your sleep, activity, and other data. This could be a good way to get a better overall picture of your health.
New Watch Faces: Samsung is adding some new watch faces to its collection, giving users even more ways to customize their watch.

Who’s getting the update?
Right now, it seems like the update is mainly rolling out to Galaxy Watch 6 Classic users in the US. Hopefully, it won’t be long before other regions and models, like the base Galaxy Watch 6 and older Galaxy Watch 5 and 4 series, get the update too.

Thehighly-anticipated One UI 6 Watch updateis slowly making its way to older Samsung Galaxy Watch models. Users onRedditbegan reporting seeing updates for One UI 6 Watch become available for theirGalaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classicdevices today in the U.S. The rollout comes following Samsung’sannouncementof the One UI 6 Watch release schedule last week, which is based onWear OS 5.

One UI 6 Watch debuted on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra earlier this year, packing a few Samsung Health features powered by Galaxy AI. They includeEnergy Score, which is similar to Garmin’s Body Battery metric, andSleep Analysis. On top of that,RaceandWorkout Routinewill help athletes train for their next big event — or simply hit their personal goals. Now, these features and more are set to come to a slew of older Galaxy Watch models.

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It’s finally here…

(Image credit: Samsung)

The One UI 6 Watch update may arrive in a few different build numbers, including R965USQU1BXJ5 and R965UOYM1BXJ5. It’s nearly two gigabytes in size, and some users are reporting that the update takes hours to apply to their Galaxy Watch 6 or Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. The exact details and rollout timeline will depend on your device model, and whether you have the GPS or GPS + LTE versions of the Galaxy Watch.

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung warns that the included Galaxy AI features are only guaranteed for free until the end of 2025. After that, their future is up in the air. The idea of Samsung offering a subscription for Galaxy AI and/or Samsung Health features has been floated, but nothing is concrete at the moment.

For now, the One UI 6 Watch update is only available for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. Eventually, One UI 6 Watch will come to Galaxy Watch 5, Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, Galaxy Watch 4, Galaxy Watch 4 Classic and Galaxy Watch FE.

Samsung’s unusual foldable gaming handheld design receives approval in the US

Samsung Display has patented a rather strange gaming handheld. While the device resembles a Nintendo Switch in its default state, it can be folded into a clamshell form factor, much like the Galaxy Z Flip6.

Samsung Display may well showcase this design at future trade shows. (Image source: via WIPO)

In recent weeks, there has been plenty of discussion about Samsung possibly creating its first tri-fold smartphone as a rival to Huawei’s Mate XT. However, it seems that Samsung Display has something even stranger in the works. Please note that Samsung Display is a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics rather than a part of it.

As a result, the former has showcased prototypes like the Flex S and Flex G that have never been released in a retail capacity. By contrast, Samsung Electronics makes use of Samsung Display panels in devices like the Galaxy Z Fold6. At any rate, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has registered what Samsung Display describes as an ‘electronic games console’.

Filed over two years ago, the patent resembles a Nintendo Switch Lite until it folds in half. To achieve this, Samsung Display has included recessed buttons and what may well be removable joysticks. Ultimately, Samsung Display’s foldable gaming handheld resembles a Galaxy Z Flip6, although it remains to be seen whether such a design will ever reach mass production.

(Image source: via WIPO)

Forgot Your Wi-Fi Passwords? Here’s an Easy Way to Find Them Again

There’s nothing more annoying than forgetting your WiFi password.

Android Wi-Fi networksYour device remembers your Wi-Fi password even if you don’t.

We’ve all been there: You’ve got a fancy newphoneorlaptop, and it’s time to set it up, but you have no idea what the Wi-Fi password is. Maybe it’s a long string of characters on the back of your router in another room or written on a Post-It note somewhere in the house. Either way, there are some pretty easy ways to get yourself up and running without having to bug a friend, family member, or colleague to access it or add another of your own devices; here’s how to find the password.

Of course, this process won’t be much help if the Wi-Fi password has changed, which might explain why your connected devices are no longer getting online. In that case, you will have to get the new password from whoever is running the network.

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Android

The Android Wi-Fi password screen comes with a QR code.

If you’re using a Google Pixel phone, from Settings, tapNetwork and internetandInternet, then tap the gear icon next to the name of the wifi network you’re currently connected to. TapShareon the next screen, authenticate your identity, and you will get a QR code to share the login details. The Wi-Fi password will be listed underneath.

It’s a little different if you’re on a Samsung Galaxy phone. Open Settings, chooseConnectionsandWi-Fi,and tap the gear icon next to the current Wi-Fi network. The password field will be starred out, but if you tap the eye icon next to it and confirm your identity, you’ll see the password in plain text.

If you have any other type of Android phone, you should be able to find a similar Wi-Fi configuration page somewhere. Note the other useful options and features on the same screens: Telling Android whether or not to automatically reconnect to the network, for instance, and readings on the frequency and Wi-Fi standard you’re connected with.

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iOS

It only takes a couple of taps to find a password on iOS.

If you’re using an iPhone, head to the main Settings app, then chooseWi-Fito see the network you’re currently connected to. Tap the small blue information icon next to that network name (the small “i” inside a circle) to see how it’s configured—whether or not your iPhone is set to connect to it automatically.

Tap on thePasswordfield, and you’ll be asked to authenticate yourself using whatever method is set as the screen lock protection measure (Face ID or a PIN code, for example). After that, the password appears, and you even get a handyCopybubble on the screen in case you need to copy it somewhere else.

It’s worth familiarizing yourself with the other options on this screen, too, in case you ever need them—you can turn on a special low data mode if bandwidth is limited, for example, or ask your iPhone to forget the network (in which case you’ll have to enter the password again the next time you connect).

Windows

Bringing up the current Wi-Fi password on Windows.

When it comes to finding your Wi-Fi passwords on Windows, open up Settings from the Start menu, then chooseNetwork & internetandWi-Fi. You’ll see the network you’re currently connected to up at the top (you can see more by clickingShow available networks)—select the name of the network you’re on to view its properties.

On the next screen, you’ll get a wealth of information, including detailed readings for the network profile type and your DNS and IP settings. This is all handy information, but we just want the Wi-Fi password: Click View next to View Wi-Fi security key, and it pops up in a new dialog box.

Back on theNetwork & InternetandWi-Fiscreen, you can useManage known networksto add new networks, forget existing networks (so you’ll need to enter a password again to connect to them), and edit their various properties. If you’ve got a long history of wifi networks, use the filtering options at the top to get through them.

macOS

There are several ways to bring up the wi-fi password on macOS.

To find your stored wifi passwords on macOS, open theApplemenu, click onSystem Settings, and then chooseWi-Fi. The wifi network you’re currently connected to is listed at the top, but to get the password for it you don’t click theDetailsbox next to it—you need to scroll down to find it again underKnown Networks.

This second listing will have three dots next to it: Click this icon, thenCopy Password, and the password will be sent to the clipboard. To actually see it, you need to paste it into a different application like TextEdit or the Notes app (Cmd+V will do the job), and from there, you can send it anywhere else you need to know.

You can bring up an interesting little potted history of your Mac by scrolling further down the same screen and then choosing Advanced to bring up a dialog box showing some extra settings and all the Wi-Fi networks your computer has ever connected to. You can also click the three dots next to any of these to find the Copy Password option.