Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday his son is resigning as his executive policy secretary to take responsibility for using the prime minister’s residence for a private party at which the merrymaking was exposed in magazine photos that triggered public outrage. Shotaro Kishida, his […]
The Kerala Human Rights Commission (KHRC) on Monday issued a slew of directions, such as regulating the use of motorbikes with high-capacity engines, installing speed breakers and increasing police patrolling, to prevent speeding and the resulting accidents on roads in the State. KHRC chairman Justice […]
Papaya, an incredibly healthy tropical fruit, is full of antioxidants that can reduce inflammation, combat disease, and help you look younger. Studies suggest that the fruit helps promote digestion and provide relief from constipation as well as hyperacidity due to its laxative property. As papaya […]
Doctors’ associations have urged the State government to rectify the deficiencies in government medical colleges and improve faculty strength ahead of admission season. Medical education in government colleges is heavily subsidised and could hurt candidates who apply to these institutions if action is not taken immediately, […]
Doctors’ associations have urged the State government to rectify the deficiencies in government medical colleges and improve faculty strength ahead of admission season.
Medical education in government colleges is heavily subsidised and could hurt candidates who apply to these institutions if action is not taken immediately, they have pointed out. There are sufficient number of doctors in medical colleges, but apathy in conducting counselling and promoting doctors at the appropriate time had resulted in 450 vacancies for professors and 550 for associate professors, said G.R. Ravindranath, general secretary of the Doctor’s Association for Social Equality.
Representatives of the Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association and Tamil Nadu Dental Students Associations also participated in the press meet held on Monday. The Service Doctors and Postgraduates’ Association held an emergency meeting and demanded that the National Medical Commission, which is invested in streamlining medical education, should also ensure uniformity in medical faculties’ pay scales and work profile across the country.
The SDPGA pointed out that former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had increased the number of posts in medical colleges as per the number of patients in government hospitals in 2009, with a mandate that the requirement be revisited every five years.
Though the number of medical colleges and hospitals had increased since then, the audit was not conducted in 2017 or 2022, resulting in insufficient faculty strength, said A. Ramalingam, general secretary.
The president of Uganda signed a punitive anti-gay bill on Monday that includes the death penalty, enshrining into law an intensifying crackdown against L.G.B.T.Q. people in the conservative East African nation and dismissing widespread calls not to impose one of the world’s most restrictive anti-gay […]
The president of Uganda signed a punitive anti-gay bill on Monday that includes the death penalty, enshrining into law an intensifying crackdown against L.G.B.T.Q. people in the conservative East African nation and dismissing widespread calls not to impose one of the world’s most restrictive anti-gay measures.
The law, which was introduced in Parliament in March, calls for life imprisonment for anyone who engages in gay sex. Anyone who tries to have same-sex relations could be liable for up to a decade in prison.
The law also decrees the death penalty for anyone convicted of “aggravated homosexuality,” a term defined as acts of same-sex relations with children or disabled people, those carried out under threat or while someone is unconscious. The offense of “attempted aggravated homosexuality” carries a sentence of up to 14 years.
The legislation is a major blow to efforts by the United Nations, Western governments and civil society groups that had implored the president, Yoweri Museveni, not to sign it.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, has said the bill would “damage Uganda’s international reputation.”
But Mr. Museveni was unmoved, saying in a video released by the state broadcaster in April that the country had “rejected the pressure from the imperials,” a reference to Western nations.
On Monday, the speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Anita Annet Among, first announced on Twitter that the president had signed the bill into law. “I thank my colleagues the Members of Parliament for withstanding all the pressure from bullies and doomsday conspiracy theorists in the interest of our country,” she said.
The law, activists said, tramples the rights of L.G.B.T.Q. people and leaves them vulnerable to discrimination and violence. Homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda, but the new law calls for far more stringent punishment and broadens the list of offenses.
The law’s passage has stoked fear among L.G.B.T.Q. people, many of whom havebegun fleeing Uganda. Gay rights groups say hundreds of gay people — facing rejection from their families, discrimination at work or mob justice in the streets — have reached out to them in recent weeks seeking help.
“There’s fear that this law will embolden many Ugandans to take the law into their hands,” said Frank Mugisha, the most prominent openly gay rights activist in Uganda. “This law will put so many people at risk. And that creates anxiety and fear.”
The legislation also represents a major victory for many of the country’s religious groups, whose members had organized street protests urging lawmakers to protect children and what they portrayed as the sanctity of the traditional African family.
The Rev. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba, the archbishop of the Church of Uganda, said in February that gay groups were “recruiting our children into homosexuality.”
The sweeping anti-gay measure comes as a growing number of African countries — including Kenya and Ghana — consider passing similar or even stricter legislation.
The Ugandan legislation, known officially as the Anti-Homosexuality Act, was first passed by Parliament in March. But instead of signing it immediately, Mr. Museveni sent it back for amendments, seeking to make clear a distinction between being gay and engaging in gay sex.
Lawmakers did add language making clear that anyone suspected of being a homosexual would not be punished unless they engaged in same-sex relations, before adopting the bill again.
The rest of the law remained the same, including mandating a prison term of up to 20 years for anyone who promotes homosexuality, a vague provision that activists fear could be used to target agencies supporting L.G.B.T.Q. people, including those providing lifesaving AIDS treatment.
Anyone younger than 18 convicted of having gay sex faces up to three years in prison. The law, which also encourages the public to report any suspected acts of homosexuality, contains ambiguous language that makes it difficult to interpret.
Anyone who allows premises to be used for same-sex relations could face up to seven years in prison and a person convicted of homosexuality could be sent for “rehabilitation.”
A team of lawyers and activists is drafting a lawsuit, whose details have not been divulged, challenging the law in Uganda’s Constitutional Court.
The legislation follows a yearslong campaign in Uganda to criminalize L.G.B.T.Q. people and those who support them. Politicians first drew up a similar measure in 2009, but when it was signed into law in 2014, the court struck it down on procedural grounds.
But over the past few years, political leaders, along with domestic and international religious organizations, began ramping up anti-gay campaigns and warning about what they call a threat to family values.
Politicians also began making baseless claims about a plot to promote gay activities and lure children in schools to homosexuality. Last year, the authorities shut down Sexual Minorities Uganda, a leading gay rights advocacy group, claiming it had not been officially registered with the government.
“What’s so troubling about this moment is how swiftly the bill moved through Parliament and how thoroughly Uganda’s institutions beyond the legislature, like the judiciary and police, have absorbed and pushed anti-L.G.B.T.Q. sentiment,” said Gillian Kane, a senior analyst at Ipas, a nonprofit, who has studied anti-gay measures across Africa.
The swift passage of the Ugandan bill, she added, was partly driven by the support it received from organizations outside the country.
Those include Family Watch International, an Arizona-based organization that promotes the bogus practice of conversion therapy to change someone’s sexual orientation. Just days after the bill was first passed in March, the organization’s American founders helped organize a conference in Uganda among African lawmakers to promote anti-gay measures continentwide.
“The passage of this bill has implications beyond L.G.B.T.Q. rights,” Ms. Kane said. “By trampling on human rights and constitutional law, this bill is a political project for authoritarianism.”
Some analysts said the law was meant to scapegoat gay people and distract the public from mounting domestic challenges, including rising unemployment and skyrocketing food prices. Mr. Museveni, who has been in power for almost four decades, has also faced increased scrutiny for his crackdown on the opposition and human rights activists.
“Homosexuality remains highly politicized in Uganda,” said Helen Epstein, the author of a book exploring the president’s long hold on power. “It is very much a product of Museveni’s malevolent political genius.”
New Delhi: Scientists have developed a simple, low-cost clip that uses a smartphone’s camera and flash to monitor blood pressure at the user’s fingertip. The clip developed by researchers at the University of California (UC) San Diego, US, works with a custom smartphone app and […]
The researchers estimate that the cost could be as low as 10 cents (0.7 rupees) apiece when manufactured at scale. The technology, described in the journal Scientific Reports, could help make regular blood pressure monitoring easy, affordable and accessible to people in resource-poor communities, they said.
It could benefit older adults and pregnant women, for example, in managing conditions such as hypertension, according to the researchers.
“We have created an inexpensive solution to lower the barrier to blood pressure monitoring,” said study first author Yinan Xuan, a PhD student at UC San Diego.
“Because of their low cost, these clips could be handed out to anyone who needs them but cannot go to a clinic regularly,” said study senior author Edward Wang, a professor at UC San Diego and director of the Digital Health Lab.
Another key advantage of the clip is that it does not need to be calibrated to a cuff, the researchers said. “This is what distinguishes our device from other blood pressure monitors,” said Wang.
Other cuffless systems being developed for smartwatches and smartphones, he explained, require obtaining a separate set of measurements with a cuff so that their models can be tuned to fit these measurements.
“Our is a calibration-free system, meaning you can just use our device without touching another blood pressure monitor to get a trustworthy blood pressure reading,” Wang said.
To measure blood pressure, the user simply presses on the clip with a fingertip. A custom smartphone app guides the user on how hard and long to press during the measurement.
The clip is a 3D-printed plastic attachment that fits over a smartphone’s camera and flash. It features an optical design similar to that of a pinhole camera. When the user presses on the clip, the smartphone’s flash lights up the fingertip.
That light is then projected through a pinhole-sized channel to the camera as an image of a red circle. A spring inside the clip allows the user to press with different levels of force. The harder the user presses, the bigger the red circle appears on the camera.
The smartphone app extracts two main pieces of information from the red circle. By looking at the size of the circle, the app can measure the amount of pressure that the user’s fingertip applies.
By looking at the brightness of the circle, the app can measure the volume of blood going in and out of the fingertip. An algorithm converts this information into systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings.
The researchers tested the clip on 24 volunteers from the UC San Diego Medical Center. Results were comparable to those taken by a blood pressure cuff.
“Using a standard blood pressure cuff can be awkward to put on correctly, and this solution has the potential to make it easier for older adults to self-monitor blood pressure,” said study co-author Alison Moore, from UC San Diego School of Medicine.
Published On May 29, 2023 at 07:26 PM IST
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A better than expected economic activity in the fourth quarter and a strong services sector-led growth contributed to urban unemployment declining further to 6.8% from 7.2% in the previous quarter. The unemployment rate for both males and females aged 15 years and above declined to […]
A better than expected economic activity in the fourth quarter and a strong services sector-led growth contributed to urban unemployment declining further to 6.8% from 7.2% in the previous quarter.
The unemployment rate for both males and females aged 15 years and above declined to 6.8% in Q4FY23, way below 8.2% during a similar period last year, according to the periodic labour force survey released by the government on Monday.
Urban unemployment was nearly half from 12.6% witnessed during April-June 2021 when the Delta wave of Covid hit the country.
Unemployment rate had peaked at 20.8% in Q1 FY20, owing to the lockdowns announced by the government during Covid.
Separate data released by the government showed that formal employment had jumped to the highest levels since 2017-18, as both the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation witnessed a surge in net additions.
As per the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), job creation was marginal during this period.
Male-female divide The decline in male unemployment was much higher than female unemployment. Even as female labour force participation improved to 22.7% in Q4 from 22.3% in the previous quarter, the unemployment rate remained higher than 9%.
While male unemployment declined to 6% in Q4 from 6.5% in the previous quarter, female unemployment came down to 9.2% from 9.6% in October-December period.
There was further deterioration in the nature of work for women. The proportion of women in the self-employed category, which also includes unpaid helpers in household enterprises, increased to 38.5% from 37.9% in the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, their ratio as regular wage/salaried workers declined to 54.2% from 54.5% earlier. The number of men in regular wage/salaried workers increased to 47.3% from 46.9% during this period.
State-wise comparison Among the major states Chhattisgarh had the highest female labour force participation rate at 31.5%, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu at 30.5% and 27.4%, respectively. Uttar Pradesh was her worst performer with a FLFPR of 13.3%.
Overall, unemployment rate was the highest in Chhattisgarh at 12.5% rising from 10.6% in the previous quarter, followed by Rajasthan at 11.9%.
It was lowest for Delhi at 3.1%, followed by West Bengal at 4.2% and Karnataka at 5.1%.
Elections are due in both Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan by the end of this year.
The quarterly survey calculates labour force participation based on current weekly status.
“Labour force according to current weekly status (CWS) is the number of persons either employed or unemployed on an average in a week of 7 days preceding the date of survey,” the report stated.
The government collected samples from nearly 1.73 lakh persons from 44,982 households during this period.
Papaya, an incredibly healthy tropical fruit, is full of antioxidants that can reduce inflammation, combat disease, and help you look younger. Studies suggest that the fruit helps promote digestion and provide relief from constipation as well as hyperacidity due to its laxative property. As papaya […]
Papaya, an incredibly healthy tropical fruit, is full of antioxidants that can reduce inflammation, combat disease, and help you look younger. Studies suggest that the fruit helps promote digestion and provide relief from constipation as well as hyperacidity due to its laxative property.
As papaya has low calories, it is excellent for weight loss.
When is the right time to eat papaya?
According to experts, eating Papaya on an empty stomach is considered to be an ideal choice in the morning as it cleans the toxins from the body and promotes bowel movements.
Eating papaya on an empty stomach can also help in keeping your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day.
Moreover, consuming papaya first thing in the morning can also help in reducing your risk of heart disease, lower cholesterol levels, and prevent stroke. Additionally, eating papaya on an empty stomach can help to improve skin health, reduce acne, and prevent premature ageing.
Who should avoid eating papaya?
Even though papayas are extremely healthy, they might not be safe for consumption for all. These include:
Pregnant women should avoid eating papaya as it contains latex that may trigger uterine contractions, leading to early labour.
Although eating papayas can reduce the risk of heart-related ailments, if you are already suffering from the problem of irregular heartbeat, avoid eating the fruit. Studies suggest that contains a small amount of cyanogenic glycosides, an amino acid that can produce hydrogen cyanide in the human digestive system. This can worsen the symptoms of those suffering from irregular heartbeat.
People diagnosed with latex allergy may also be allergic to papaya. So, these people should avoid consuming papaya.
People suffering from low blood sugar or hypoglycemia should also avoid eating papaya.
New Delhi: The constant buzz in the ears be it listening to loud music or having never-ending conversations and attending constant office meetings, is pushing a lot of youngsters to sensorineural hearing loss. Nearly 1.1 billion, young people are at risk of potentially life-altering hearing […]
New Delhi: The constant buzz in the ears be it listening to loud music or having never-ending conversations and attending constant office meetings, is pushing a lot of youngsters to sensorineural hearing loss. Nearly 1.1 billion, young people are at risk of potentially life-altering hearing loss, due to increased noise exposure, inform experts. They warn that the Millenials and GenZ are prone to noise-induced hearing loss.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), by 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss and at least 700 million will require hearing rehabilitation. Over 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices. The sound waves from earphones reach our ears and cause the eardrum to vibrate. This vibration travels through the small bones into the inner ear and onto the cochlea, the fluid-filled chamber in the inner ear made up of thousands of tiny “hairs.” When this vibration reaches the cochlea, the fluid vibrates, causing the hair to move. The louder the sound, the stronger the vibration, and the more the hair moves it gets damaged.
Speaking to ETHealthworld, ENT specialists and audiologists inform that there is a drastic increase in patients with neural loss over the past two years, particularly post-COVID due to increased use of headphones and earphones.
Increased noise exposure can be in any form, but more so because of the constant use of headphones and earphones attached to smart devices leading to sensorineural hearing loss, informed Dr Prarthana Jagtap, ENT consultant, Global Hospitals, Parel. “WHO sets hearing limits. These devices can produce sounds up to 120 decibels, which is potentially severely damaging to the inner ear cells, and even an exposure of 10 to 15 minutes, anything more than five minutes can cause permanent hearing damage at those levels,” he added.
Speaking about how headphones damage the ear by causing auditory fatigue, Dr G Srinivas Reddy, Senior Consultant, ENT Surgeon, Apollo Hospital, Hyderguda, said, “Occupational noise is the most frequently studied type of noise exposure. A recent addition is the environmental noise from regular traffic and social noise exposure, like the use of Personal Listening Devices (PLD) from mobile phones or MP3 players which have become an inseparable part of our daily life it is leading to tinnitus (ringing sensation), and hearing loss. It also leads to non-auditory effects like cardiovascular disease and general well-being like headache, lack of focus; increased stress and anxiety; learning disabilities, annoyance, sleep disturbance, and inability to concentrate.”Elucidating further, Dr ChandraVeer Singh, Consultant Otorhinolaryngologist, Head Neck Onco Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals, said, “Basically, our ear is made of three compartments. The first is the external layer, the other one is the middle layer which contains cochlea and nerve and the third is the inner ear. These Bluetooth devices and headphones create sensorineural hearing loss. They damage the inner hair cells that are responsible for hearing. This is more in people aged 40 to 50 years earlier, but nowadays due to the earphone or earplugs, there is an increased incidence of hearing loss in people of much younger age.”
Dr Singh added that every week, three or four patients come with the complaint of noise-induced hearing loss or pain and it is the age group of younger generations. The inner ear which contains outer and inner hair cells gets harmed by gadgets.
Mentioning about the decibels which can lead to hearing loss, Dr Garima Vegivada, Audiologist, and Clinical Director, Hear ‘N’ Say clinic stated that exposure of 85 dB, for continued 8 hours per day can cause hearing loss and as sound levels increase to 90-95 dB, lesser time duration also causes hearing loss. A decibel ranging from 105 to 110 dB can cause damage in five minutes to the ears.
Many times to be secluded from the crowded and noisy world, many plug-in into these gadgets to fence around them, but they don’t realise that such relaxation for a prolonged amount of time is creating an irreparable loss to ears and even brain. ENT specialists inform that smart devices like AirPods, Bluetooth, headphones, or earphones have an irreversible impact.
Transition from smart hearing gadgets to hearing aid
Noting that there has been a drastic increase in patients with neural loss over the past two years, post COVID due to increased use of headphones and earphones, Dr Jagtap said, “As a device gets smaller it penetrates deep inside the ear and tends to have the propensity to produce larger amounts of damage. If it is more than 100 decibels even 15 minutes can damage the ears. Many to overcome environmental noise tend to increase the volume of the music they listen to, not realising that they’re crossing the dangerous threshold limit.”
Talking about Bluetooth devices, Dr Singh said, “The rays coming from the Bluetooth device that is known for electromagnetic field technology raise serious health concerns. Many say these rays can cause cancer but it is not proven yet. But these rays will definitely cause headaches, migraines, and bluetooth devices are more dangerous and headphones are less dangerous, they will produce less suffering over hearing loss in comparison to Airpods.”
Adding to it, Dr Vegivada informed that sharing AirPods can transfer bacteria, which can cause ear infections. Prolonged usage will cause ear pain and as AirPods come in standard size, not custom-made, wearing the wrong size of earbuds pushes this hard plastic to your skin and ear cartilage, causing unnecessary pressure and discomfort.
The doctors inform that the prolonged pressure to the ears will lead to noise-induced hearing loss — tinnitus (symptoms of tinnitus are a consistent buzzing, humming, or ringing in one or both ears), hyperacusis, hearing loss, or dizziness.
Turning down the noise clutter — the only option
Doctors inform that the rule is 60/60, you can listen to 60 decibels for 60 minutes, then one should give rest to the ears. According to experts, there can be both temporary and permanent damage.
“In temporary damage, medication can reverse the loss, but a larger percentage of people who have sustained exposure to these loud noises suffer a permanent threshold shift and that unfortunately is irreversible and eventually you have to move on to rehabilitation with hearing aids and other things,” Dr Jagtap said.
Dr Vegivada suggests using any ear-plug-in less than two hours a day with a sound level lesser than 70-80 dB, or asking to shift to speakers or far-off devices like Alexa to a considerable distance for preventing hearing loss.
“Most of the people who are using headphones are using it with their smart devices. And a lot of them have started coming with in-built controls. Now, you can go into your settings and alter that without exceeding the threshold. It can prevent inadvertent damage. Taking breaks from the headphone is a must. For people who have professional exposure and who cannot avoid using such gadgets, it is mandatory to go for regular auditory checkups,” Dr Jagtap added.
The ENT specialists and audiologists voice out that any personal listening device can create an oasis of privacy, but its prolonged incessant usage is harmful. They inform that only self-realization to limit the decibel levels and inculcating healthy listening habits will help them to prevent themselves from hearing loss in the long run.
Published On May 29, 2023 at 06:42 PM IST
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The Principals and Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) cell coordinators of nearly 100 educational institutions in the district attended a district-level orientation programme for colleges, organised by the Kerala State Higher Education Council at CMS college, Kottayam, on Monday. The event marked the preparatory step […]
The Principals and Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) cell coordinators of nearly 100 educational institutions in the district attended a district-level orientation programme for colleges, organised by the Kerala State Higher Education Council at CMS college, Kottayam, on Monday.
The event marked the preparatory step to operationalise the Kerala Institutional Ranking Framework (KIRF), which will rank higher education institutions and assess their readiness for accreditation. Modelled on the lines of the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF), the KIRF will rank universities, government and aided colleges, autonomous colleges, and self-financing institutions using a set of global, national, and State-specific parameters. The first set of rankings are likely be announced by the year-end.
Samsung already launched several new phones this year, including the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy A54 5G. But assuming the company sticks to the same launch schedule as previous years, there’s plenty more to come in 2023. Samsung typically introduces new foldables and wearables in August, […]
Samsung already launched several new phones this year, including the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy A54 5G. But assuming the company sticks to the same launch schedule as previous years, there’s plenty more to come in 2023. Samsung typically introduces new foldables and wearables in August, and the company also previewed new design concepts for bendable phones and tablets earlier this year.
Though Samsung regularly releases new products across many categories, including TVs, home appliances and monitors, I’m most interested in where its mobile devices are headed. Samsung is one of the world’s largest smartphone manufacturers by market share, meaning it has more influence than most other tech companies on the devices we carry in our pockets each day. Wearables have also become a large part of how Samsung intends to differentiate its phones from those of other Android device makers. It’s a strategy to create a web of products that keep people hooked, much like Apple’s range of devices.
Here are the rumored Samsung products I’m most excited to see this year, based on rumors, leaks and the company’s usual product launch schedule.
Galaxy Z Fold 5
The Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Samsung’s next phone-tablet hybrid will likely support the S Pen just like the current version. But the question is whether the S Pen will be included with the device, or if Samsung will continue to sell it separately.
A report from The Elec suggested the Galaxy Z Fold 5 could be the first to have an embedded S Pen. That not only means the stylus would be included free of charge, but the phone would also include a slot for storing it, just like on the Galaxy S23 Ultra and S22 Ultra. If you want to use an S Pen with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, you have to purchase it separately, and there’s no mechanism for attaching it to or storing it in the phone without buying a case.
It’s a seemingly small addition, but one that could make the Galaxy Z Fold 5 much more useful as a productivity device. It would also give the Galaxy Z Fold 5 a clearer purpose and could boost its appeal among early adopters, artists and notetakers. Samsung could target the same audience of shoppers that’s usually interested in the Galaxy Ultra or its previous Galaxy Note devices.
But a more recent report from ET News indicates the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will not include a storage slot for the S Pen.
Among the biggest changes, however, is expected to be a new hinge that could result in a thinner design. Korean news outlets The Elec and ET News, as well as prolific leaker Ice Universe, have reported that Samsung will implement a new water-drop-shaped hinge for the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Samsung typically releases new foldable phones in August, so we expect to hear more around that time frame. In addition to the rumors around an included S Pen, the Z Fold 5 will likely have the routine upgrades to the processor and camera. What I’m really hoping for, however, is new software that makes better use of the phone’s giant screen, along with a foldable display with a less noticeable crease. That’s especially true now that Google has announced the Pixel Fold, giving the Galaxy Z Fold some fresh competition.
Galaxy Z Flip 5
The cover screen is identical to the one on the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Samsung’s pocket-friendly foldable will also likely get an upgrade around August, just like the expected Z Fold 5. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 already gets a lot of things right, and it’s one of the most practical and affordable foldable phones available. Yet there are plenty of ways Samsung can and should improve the Z Flip. Samsung’s flip phone could benefit from a larger cover screen, longer battery life and an upgraded camera that brings it closer to those found on the Galaxy S series, for example.
But the biggest reason I’m interested in seeing what’s next for the Z Flip is because of its price. The phone starts at $1,000 and is often available for less with an eligible trade-in, making the price similar to that of a standard, non-foldable premium phone. Samsung also kept the Galaxy Z Flip 3 in its lineup and dropped its price by $100 following the Z Flip 4’s launch. That further suggests the Z Flip is shaping up to be Samsung’s more affordable foldable phone option.
A Galaxy Z Flip 5 with a newer processor, better camera and larger cover screen for the same price as the Z Flip 4 (or perhaps a little cheaper) could be one of the most compelling foldables yet.
Galaxy Buds 3
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2.
Lexy Savvides/CNET
If Samsung’s history is any indication, the Galaxy Buds 3 could arrive this August. Samsung released the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro in August 2022 while the standard Galaxy Buds 2 launched in August 2021. That timeline suggests Samsung’s regular, non-Pro earbuds may be due for an upgrade.
We haven’t seen many leaks about upcoming Galaxy Buds yet. However, given that the regular Galaxy Buds are meant to be a more affordable alternative to the Pro model, we can probably expect them to cost significantly less than the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Those earbuds are usually priced at $229 compared to the $150 Galaxy Buds 2. Although we don’t know what to expect, the Buds 3 could benefit from better water resistance and noise cancellation.
Galaxy VR headset
A photo of Samsung’s Gear VR headset, which required a smartphone to work, from 2017.
Sarah Tew/CNET
It’s already shaping up to be a big year for virtual and augmented reality headsets. Apple is expected to introduce a VR headset, and the PlayStation VR 2 just arrived in February. Samsung has been surprisingly absent from the VR space in recent years, but that could change soon.
Samsung announced in February that it’s working with Qualcomm and Google on a new mixed-reality platform. The company did not mention whether any specific products are in development, nor did it provide a timeline for future mixed-reality hardware or services.
“It’s more of a declarative announcement about how we are going to get it right in trying to build the XR ecosystem,” TM Roh, president of Samsung’s mobile division, said through a translator in an interview with CNET ahead of the announcement.
The reveal comes after a report from ETNews suggested Samsung would release an extended-reality headset for developers in 2023, according to an English translation of the story.
Since there aren’t many details, it’s difficult to know what to expect. But Sameer Samat, Google’s vice president of product management for Android, said during Google I/O 2023 that the company will share more about its “immersive XR” partnership later this year.
A new type of Galaxy foldable
Samsung showcased its display concepts at CES 2023.
David Katzmaier/CNET
Samsung hasn’t mentioned plans for future foldables beyond the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip series, but it certainly has plenty of ideas to choose from. At CES 2023, Samsung showcased its line of “Flex” display concepts, including the appropriately named Flex Hybrid. That device has a foldable, tablet-size screen that extends by sliding out when opened to provide even more screen space.
The Flex Hybrid caught my eye, though, because I can understand the potential behind foldable tablets. Tablets are inherently larger than phones, so the ability to make them more portable by folding them in half seems more necessary. Tablets are also usually used as secondary devices for tasks like watching movies, reading, or getting work done. Having a display that could morph to fit different circumstances seems interesting.
Samsung also showed off some concepts as part of SID Display Week in May, including the Rollable Flex, which expands up to five times its length when unfolded.
It’s unclear whether any of these will graduate into real products. But it’s important to remember the Galaxy Z Fold started as a concept, too.
Galaxy Watch 6
The Galaxy Watch 5.
Lexy Savvides/CNET
Samsung hasn’t said much about its future smartwatch plans, aside from revealing that its new One UI 5 Watch software will debut on new watches later this year. There also haven’t been many leaks or rumors about the Galaxy Watch 6 yet. But if the company follows its usual schedule, we should see new Galaxy Watches in August.
One of the few leaks to have surfaced so far comes from a well-known leaker who goes by the Twitter name of Ice Universe. According to this person, the beloved rotating bezel will return to the high-end version of the Galaxy Watch 6. Another, more recent leak, from Steve Hemmerstoffer, better known by the alias OnLeaks, also indicates there will be a rotating bezel. He shared renderings with the blog MySmartPrice that purport to show what one of the new Galaxy Watch models, reportedly called the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, will look like.
Otherwise, the upcoming watches will likely have the same health sensors found in the Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro, which include those for measuring body composition, blood oxygen and taking an ECG, among others. There’s also a skin temperature sensor that still isn’t active yet in the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro.
Samsung’s Exynos W920 chip that powers the Galaxy Watch 5, enabled better performance for faster app launches and for 3D graphics like emoji avatars. It’s unclear whether Samsung will develop a new chip for the Galaxy Watch 6, but I hope to see longer battery life regardless. Since Apple and Qualcomm have both made efforts to expand the functionality of smartwatches in low-power mode, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Samsung take this route too.
Samsung is already experimenting with different opportunities for its wearables and phones to work together in new ways. For example, it recently announced a software update for the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro that will enable the buds to capture 360-degree audio when recording video with a Galaxy phone. It also expanded the Camera Controller app for the Galaxy Watch 4 and 5 to include zooming support. Hopefully we’ll see more of this with the Galaxy Watch 6.
We’ll know more about Samsung’s future plans as August gets closer. But if Samsung’s 2023 launch cycle is anything like last year’s, we can expect to see new foldables and more.
