In the context of getting an 8 Gen 3 device.
FragmentedChicken
Notably mentions 5 OS updates for Google, which may end up being the policy for the Pixel 8 series (so far we only know in general 7 years of updates).
Noticed a few things here:
-They're still advertising UPC Plus which means there probably hasn't been any changes from the Fold4. Software processing for the camera might be different though.
-They're not advertising Eco² OLED which means it's probably still using an Eco² OLED Plus display. I was hoping for a third generation since they announced a brighter inner display. That probably means it's the same panel found in the Fold4 which was likely artificially limited, similar to what Samsung did with the S21 Ultra and S22 Ultra.
-The fold testing numbers are the same compared to the Fold4 found here. They did manage to maintain the same durability with a new waterdrop hinge at least.
Also if you were wondering, the Flip5 crease is similar to the Flip4, while the Fold5 crease feels a lot more subtle compared to the Fold4. I had hands-on with the Flip5 for a few days, and currently have a Fold5 review unit, all provided by Samsung.
It looks like it's just as durable in terms of fold testing (150k at 60°C, 200k at 25°C, and 30k at -20°C). No improvement, but passing the same tests as the Fold4 with a different hinge is notable.
The screen protector feels like glass. It's been improved ever since the Fold4. I used the Fold3 and Fold4 for around 6 months, and managed to keep the screen protector pristine. You can probably indent it if you try hard enough, but something like fingernail scrolling is fine.
We mostly focused on the foldables, but I imagine the switch from 8 Gen 1 to 8 Gen 2 will make a big difference. The 8 Gen 1 is a hot inefficient mess of a chip, while the 8 Gen 2 is an ideal cool efficient chip. It will definitely do wonders for performance and battery life. The peak brightness for all the tablets have improved as well. They're advertised with 750/650/930 nits for the Tab S9/S9+/S9 Ultra.
The S23 Ultra. It definitely proved itself in the battery department these past few days.
Personally, I like the form factor because you can use the phone folded easily with one hand. It took some adjusting when I switched from the Fold4 to the S23U.
Here are some of my observations:
-The crease on the Fold5 has improved a lot. The Fold4 crease had noticeable depth, while the Fold5 is subtle. That being said, I wouldn't let the crease be the deciding factor in purchasing any foldable. It really does disappear while you're looking at it straight on.
-The Samsung logo that was previously carved out on the hinge has been replaced with no carving at all. That's an improvement since the letters can collect dust, dirt, and oil, and actually also had stickers that could fall out, revealing what was left after they carved out the letters on the hinge.
Going to need to check it out further, but the zoom nightography they demonstrated in the keynote looks crazy.