Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 launch details and other tech headlines today
I'm in Korea at Samsung Unpacked, and Adam and I are dishing out this week's tech headlines remotely
🐦 Ask Matt Swider on Twitter or Instagram for hand-picked deals from Walmart / Best Buy / B&H Photo / Amazon / GameStop / Xbox Game Pass / PlayStation Plus / Microsoft Office for Windows $39.99 / MS Office for Mac $39.99
Hello from the future! I’m in Seoul, South Korea this morning (where it’s already tomorrow) for the big Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, and a new smartwatch and tablet are heavily rumored, as we’ve previously reported.
🔐 I’ll have more exclusive Samsung content (first for paid subscribers who support me and my team), but…
🆓 Here’s something EVERYONE can enjoy: a $50 Samsung gift card offer with email sign-up
🔗 If the links to Samsung’s pre-orders are broken at launch (they were after the last two announcements), rely on me. I’ll alert you when they’re fixed.
No purchase necessary. This is also the first step of my big giveaway of a rare Halo Xbox Series X, PS5 and Zelda Collector’s Edition.
Big giveaway: rare Halo Xbox, PS5 & more
📆 Calendar
📱 TODAY: Samsung Unpacked - sign up via email for a $50 Samsung gift card
🕸️ July 28: Spider-Man 2 PS5 bundle preorder date
🆓 July 31: Deadline to claim 6 months of Apple TV+ for free on PS5
🦚 August 17: Peacock price increase
🏈 August 18: Madden NFL 24 release date - preorder it here
Let’s get on with this week’s newsletter ⤵️
Today’s tech 👍 winners & 👎 losers
Spider-Man 2 PS5 bundle: price, release date, restock alerts and preorder date
👍 🕷️ Winner: Use my ‘Swidey Sense’ alerts – don’t miss the Spider-Man PS5 bundle
Sony is releasing a Spider-Man 2 PS5 bundle to celebrate the upcoming release of the PlayStation 5 game. Thankfully you can also pick up the Spider-Man 2 PS5 controller and PS5 covers separately, but they’re bound to sell out fast. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming bundle including the preorder date, release date and how to sign up for restock alerts.
Spotify Premium's price has increased for the first time since 2008
👎 🤕 Loser: It had to happen eventually. Your Spotify payment just went up!
After 12 years, the price of Spotify Premium has increased, something which the company hinted could happen in October last year. Subscribers will now pay:
🧍$10.99 instead of $9.99 for a Premium Individual account
👫 $14.99 for a Premium Duo account
👨👩👧👦 $16.99 for a Premium Family account
👨🎓 $5.99 for a Premium Student account
Twitter becomes X as Elon Musk rebrands the social media platform
🤔 𝕏 Hmmm: Twitter's got a brand new name... well, a letter
This week marked the end of an era for Twitter, which was founded 17 years ago and has been synonymous with a little blue bird. It raises questions about how some of the common lexicon on the platform will change, such as tweeting and retweets.
The rebrand has already rolled out to the web version of Twitter (sorry, X), replacing the once iconic bird logo with an X logo. But why is Musk rebranding the popular social media platform after all these years?
One of the best Xbox Series X games is now on PS5
👍 👽 Winner: An FPS with Rick and Morty-inspired humor, now on PlayStation
After making its debut on Xbox Series X seven months ago, High on Life is now available on PS4 and PS5.
The first-person shooter game features talking guns and the off-the-wall comedy you’d expect from one of the creators of Rick and Morty. If you already own a new Xbox, you can play High on Life as part of your Xbox Game Pass subscription. Want to save money? See our Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 12-month discount code.
Threads user count falls dramatically and adds Twitter-like rate limits
👎 📉 Loser: The grass isn’t always greener on the other social media platform
Millions of people signed to Threads when it launched on July 7, but Mark Zuckerberg and Meta may have a problem retaining users. The app has seen a significant decline in daily active users and also introduced Twitter-like rate limits. 🙈
These Nintendo Switch 2 photos are fake – here's why
👎 📸 Loser: You might have seen these “Nintendo Switch 2” photos circulating online
With the Nintendo Switch 2 predicted to release at the end of 2024, get ready for an avalanche of leaks and rumors. First up out of the gate are these Nintendo Switch 2 official photos, which despite looking rather cool, are 100% fake. Find out why.
PS5 owners can get 6 months of Apple TV+ for free – but you'll need to act fast
👍 🆓 Winner: You’ve got until July 31 to claim six months of Apple TV+ on PS5
Apple is giving away six months of Apple TV+ for free to PS5 owners, but the offer ends on July 31, 2023. You can save almost $42 with this deal, but it’s only available to new subscribers in the US and sadly can’t be stacked. Still, if you haven’t tried Apple TV+ yet, this is a fantastic deal.
Pikmin 4 review roundup: 'a magical adventure'
👍 🌸 Winner: Pikmin 4 has received rave reviews from critics
Nintendo Switch fans can pick up another critically acclaimed game this month with Pikmin 4. The clever real-time strategy game features plant-like creatures, and you’ll need to use their unique abilities to defeat enemies, overcome obstacles and collect treasure. Check out the glowing reviews. ⬇️
Nintendo Switch 2 might include a replaceable battery after EU ruling
👍 🔋 Winner: Bringing even more meaning to the word ‘Switch’
Portable devices released in the European Union will have to include a replaceable battery by 2027, which could affect the design of the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo’s next console is tipped to release in 2024, but the company may want to get ahead of the ruling and include a replaceable battery to save itself a headache in the future.
Xbox Game Pass Core: price, benefits and every game included
👍 🆕 Winner: Say goodbye to Xbox Live Gold and hello to Xbox Game Pass Core
Microsoft is wishing Xbox Live Gold a fond farewell and replacing the long-running service with Xbox Game Pass Core. Subscribers will get access to online multiplayer, 25+ Xbox Game Pass titles, and member deals and discounts.
YouTube Premium cost set to increase, but only in the US
👎💰 Loser: You’ll have to pay more for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music
Bad news, YouTube Premium subscribers. Google has raised the price of its ad-free subscription service as well as YouTube Music. The price change comes into effect immediately for new subscribers, but YouTube Red members will get a three-month grace period before the new price hike.
Best DualSense Edge settings for Gran Turismo 7 on PS5
🔒 Paid subscribers: Get the most out of your PS5 DualSense Edge controller in Gran Turismo 7 with these settings
Gran Turismo 7 is one of the best PS5 games and the perfect fit for Sony’s DualSense Edge controller. If you’d like to shave a few seconds off your lap times and get a competitive advantage online, check out the best DualSense Edge settings for Gran Turismo 7. You can also read our PS5 DualSense Edge controller review if you still haven’t picked one up.
We also have a guide for Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy PS5 DualSense Edge controller settings:
PS5 Access controller: price, preorder and release date
👍 ♿️ Winner: Project Leonardo finally has an official name, price and release date
We’ve been waiting to hear more about Sony’s accessibility controller for PS5, and we now have a name, price, and release date. The PS5 Access controller is aimed at a peripheral designed to remove the physical barriers of gaming and help those with disabilities more easily and comfortably play the console.
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