The Vergecast
All eyes on Samsung's thin new foldable
· Summarized
Key takeaways
- Samsung launched its new foldable devices, the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 FE, but some devices may not have met high consumer expectations.
- There are significant changes occurring within major tech companies: Apple, Meta, and X, with implications for their futures.
- The newly introduced 'Thunder Round' format is meant to increase the pace of discussions about various tech developments.
Summary
Samsung's New Foldables
The Vergecast discusses Samsung's recent launch of several new devices, including the Z Fold 7 and the Z Flip 7 FE. Jake, Vee, and Allison analyze the design and features of Samsung's latest foldable smartphones, focusing on the Z Fold 7's thinner profile and the mixed feelings about the Z Flip 7 FE. Vee shares insights on the Galaxy Watch 8 lineup, known for its unique 'squircle' design. The hosts cover the overall reception of the devices, indicating that while advancements were made, certain features may not meet consumer expectations.
Big Tech Shake-Ups
The episode shifts to significant changes in leadership at major companies. Apple's COO Jeff Williams announced his retirement, leading to speculations about his successor among Apple's ranks. Mark Zuckerberg's aggressive hiring spree for his AI dream team and the subsequent formation of a powerhouse in AI research is discussed. Finally, Linda Yaccarino's departure from X is examined, alongside the chaotic behavior of the AI chatbot Grok, which has made headlines due to its controversial content.
The Rebranding of the Lightning Round
The hosts introduce a new format called the 'Thunder Round,' aiming to cover more topics swiftly. They delve into a range of stories including Lorde's transparent CD causing issues in most players, the FTC's failed click-to-cancel rule, and innovations like a laptop touchpad that doubles as an e-reader. The roundtable format allows the hosts to voice their quick reactions to assorted tech news, showcasing their diverse perspectives on updates from companies like Nvidia and changes at HBO Max.
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Show notes
Summer phone season kicks off with Samsung’s latest launch. Jake, Vee, and Allison talk about Samsung’s new lineup of foldables, including the very thin new Z Fold 7 and Allison’s disdain for the Z Flip 7 FE. Vee has impressions of Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch 8 lineup and its squircle-y new redesign. Then, it’s time to talk Big Tech shakeups. Apple’s COO is leaving, Zuckerberg is buying himself an AI dream team, X’s CEO is out — and its chatbot Grok is on a rampage. Finally, big things are in store for the Lightning Round… which shall henceforth be known as the THUNDER ROUND. Lots to talk about, including Lorde’s CD problems, Apple’s Liquid Glass changes, and HBO Max finally becoming HBO Max again.
Further reading:
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025: Everything announced at the July event
Galaxy Z Fold 7 hands-on: Samsung finally made the foldables we’ve been asking for
Samsung cuts price of its foldables with the Z Flip 7 FE
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 series hands-on: squircle squad
Samsung seems to have leaked its own trifold phone design
Samsung says its trifold phone should launch ‘this year’
Samsung snuck a trifold tease into (January) Unpacked
One of Tim Cook’s possible successors is leaving Apple
Sabih Khan
Apple’s design team will report to Tim Cook
A close look at who could succeed Tim Cook
Mark Zuckerberg announces his AI ‘superintelligence’ super-group
Meta is paying $14 billion to catch up in the AI race
Meta’s ‘superintelligence’ hiring spree adds an AI leader from Apple
Pay packages of up to $300 million over four years
Meta is trying to win the AI race with money — but not everyone can be bought
X CEO Linda Yaccarino is stepping down after two years
X’s CEO is out after failing at basically everything she claimed she wanted
Threads is catching up to X on mobile
X has a new head of product
Elon Musk’s xAI buys Elon Musk’s X for $33 billion on paper
xAI updated Grok to be more ‘politically incorrect’
Grok stops posting text after flood of antisemitism and Hitler praise
“In other posts it referred to itself as “MechaHitler”.
Musk makes grand promises about Grok 4 in the wake of a Nazi chatbot meltdown
Adobe’s new camera app is making me rethink phone photography
Ikea’s latest speaker lamp ditches Sonos for Spotify and inexpensive Bluetooth
Ikea ditches Zigbee for Thread going all in on Matter smart homes
Perplexity launches Comet web browser
OpenAI’s next big launch could be an AI web browser
E Ink is turning the laptop touchpad into an e-reader for AI apps
Lorde’s new CD is so transparent that stereos can’t even read it
I tried playing Lorde’s new CD
Appeals court strikes down ‘click-to-cancel’ rule
Nothing’s ‘first true flagship’ phone plays it a little safe
Adding calendar events with a screenshot is AI at its finest
The government’s Apple antitrust lawsuit is still on
Apple just added more frost to its Liquid Glass design
Apple’s second-generation Vision Pro might launch this year
Nvidia briefly became the first $4 trillion company on Wednesday
The makers of Cameo just launched... a birthday-tracking app?
Nintendo is ending its cost-saving Switch game vouchers
HBO Max is officially HBO Max again
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