Samsung’s Foldable Revolution, Apple’s Next Big Leaks, and the AI Arms Race: The Hottest Tech News of July 2025 / Updated: 2025, July 12th, 00:02 CET
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 & Z Flip7: Foldables Finally Get Competitive
Samsung has officially unveiled its seventh-generation foldables—the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7—at Galaxy Unpacked 2024, signaling a renewed push to reclaim dominance in the foldable smartphone market. After losing ground to aggressive Chinese competitors like Huawei and Oppo, Samsung’s latest devices are slimmer, more durable, and packed with AI features that aim to set a new standard for the segment.
Key Upgrades:
- Slimmer Design: The Fold7 is now just 8.9mm thick when closed and 4.2mm when open, weighing only 215g. This is a 48% reduction in thickness compared to the original 2019 Fold, making it almost as thin as a standard smartphone and far more pocketable.
- Improved Displays: Both cover and main screens are larger and higher-resolution, with the Fold7 sporting a practical 6.5-inch cover display that finally feels usable for everyday tasks.
- Durability: Enhanced hinge technology and a titanium-based internal structure boost robustness, addressing a long-standing pain point for foldables.
- Camera Upgrades: The Fold7 features a new 200MP main camera sensor, and rumors suggest the upcoming S26 Ultra may debut a 200MP Sony sensor, marking the first time Samsung uses a non-ISOCELL sensor in its Ultra line.
- AI Integration: Galaxy AI features like Generative Edit, Call Transcription, and Circle to Search are now core to the experience, with Samsung confirming these will remain free forever on its devices.
Competitive Pricing and Market Position:
- The Fold7 debuts at 10,599 zł, a price hike over last year, but Samsung absorbed some production cost increases to keep the devices accessible. The Flip7, meanwhile, is actually cheaper than its predecessor.
- PKO Bank Polski is offering a 10% discount for customers, and pre-orders are open in regions like Russia with special installment plans.
Promo details | Russian launch
AI as a Differentiator:
- Samsung is betting big on AI, aiming for 400 million Galaxy AI users by the end of 2025. Usage stats show 70% of Galaxy S25 owners actively use AI features, with tools like Circle to Search and Photo Assist seeing surging adoption.
DeX Desktop Mode and Limitations:
- The Z Flip7 supports DeX desktop mode both wired and wirelessly, but only when the phone is open—a limitation compared to some rivals.
Benchmarks and Performance:
- Early benchmarks of the Exynos 2500 in the Z Flip7 are underwhelming, matching older chips like the Dimensity 9300 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. However, the Xclipse 950 GPU may still compete with top rivals.
Outlook:
Samsung’s foldables are finally competitive again, but the innovation race is heating up. Chinese brands, especially Honor, are pushing even thinner and more advanced foldables, challenging Samsung’s hardware leadership.
China’s innovation lead
Apple’s 2025–2026 Roadmap: iPhone 17, Foldables, and AI-Powered Support
Apple is preparing for a massive product refresh over the next 18 months, with leaks and rumors painting a picture of bold design changes, new AI features, and a possible entry into the foldable phone market.
iPhone 17 Series: Redesign, Dynamic Island Evolution, and More
What’s Coming:
- Major Redesign: The iPhone 17 series, expected in September 2025, will feature a horizontal camera layout, a redesigned MagSafe ring, and a switch from titanium to aluminum for the Pro model. The Apple logo is being relocated, and the camera bar now spans the top with ergonomic, rounded edges.
- Display Upgrades: All models will have 120Hz displays, with prices starting at $1,090.
- Dynamic Island Evolution: A trusted leaker hints at a significant evolution for Dynamic Island, making it more functional and integrated.
- Color Lineup: New color options include Black, Blue, Green, Purple, and Silver for the base model, and Light Blue, Light Gold, and Silver for the Air variant.
Camera Evolution:
- A visual comparison from the 11 Pro Max to the 17 Pro Max shows larger lenses, advanced layouts, and possible AI-powered imaging.
Foldable iPhone: Apple’s Next Disruption?
- Apple is reportedly developing two foldable iPhone prototypes—a clamshell and a book-style device—working with LG and Samsung on flexible OLED panels. Features may include a crease-less screen, under-display Face ID, and Apple Pencil support.
iPad and MacBook Roadmap
- iPad 12 with A17, iPad Air with M4, iPadOS 26: Major updates are planned for spring 2026, with Stage Manager 2 promising better multitasking and productivity.
- M5 Chip Delays: The M5 MacBook Pro is delayed to 2026, breaking Apple’s annual update cycle. The M5 chip may debut first in the iPad Pro this fall, continuing the trend of iPads getting new silicon before Macs.
Delay details | More analysis | Further confirmation
- OLED MacBooks: Not expected until 2027, as Apple slows its MacBook release cadence amid Intel’s decline and confidence in its own hardware.
Apple Vision Pro 2 and AI Support Assistant
- Vision Pro 2: Launching by the end of 2025, featuring the M4 chip, advanced neural engine, redesigned strap, and visionOS 26. Price remains at $3,499, targeting the premium market.
Vision Pro 2 details | Comfort upgrades
- AI-Powered Support Assistant: Apple is developing a generative AI-based assistant for its Support app, potentially rivaling ChatGPT and allowing users to chat directly with AI for product help.
Outlook:
Apple’s next 18 months are packed with hardware and software innovation, but the company is also showing signs of a more measured, less frantic release cycle. The iPhone 17’s design overhaul and the rumored foldable iPhone could spark a new upgrade supercycle, while the delayed M5 MacBooks and Vision Pro 2 reflect a focus on quality and differentiation over speed.
Google, Microsoft, and Amazon: The Cloud Wars and AI Expansion
Cloud Computing Market Booms
- The global cloud computing market is projected to reach $2.28 trillion by 2030, growing at a 12% CAGR. Key players—Microsoft, AWS, Google, and Alibaba Cloud—are driving innovation with IaaS compute and AI-driven SaaS solutions.
Google’s Cloud Discounts for US Government
- Google is offering significant cloud service discounts to the US government, joining Microsoft, Oracle, and Amazon in a race to support federal IT modernization and cost reduction. This move is part of a broader trend of tech giants bidding for public sector deals with attractive pricing.
Discount details | Industry trend | Further coverage
Amazon’s AI Push with Anthropic
- Amazon’s alliance with Anthropic is boosting AWS’s cloud business, enhancing AI capabilities and attracting more enterprise customers.
Google’s AI Video Generator and Android Canary
- Veo 3: Google’s AI-powered video generator now lets users turn photos into dynamic 8-second video clips with sound, available to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
- Android Canary: Google is revamping its Android beta program with a permanent Canary channel, providing earlier and more frequent access to new features for developers and advanced testers.
Canary launch | More details | Developer update
The AI Arms Race: Security, Surgery, and Browsers
AI-Powered Malware and Security
- Researchers at Outflank developed AI-powered malware using the Qwen 2.5 model that bypassed Microsoft Defender in 8% of tests—far outperforming other models. This highlights the growing threat of AI-driven cybersecurity attacks and the need for advanced defenses.
- NVIDIA recommends enabling ECC on GDDR6 GPUs to defend against Rowhammer attacks, as recent research shows vulnerabilities in GPUs like the A6000 if ECC is disabled.
AI in Medicine: Autonomous Surgery Milestones
- An AI-driven robot, SRT-H, has autonomously performed gallbladder removal steps on pig organs, adapting in real time and correcting errors without human aid—a major advance toward autonomous surgery in real-world settings.
- At Johns Hopkins, a robot guided by AI performed its first surgery on a human, achieving 100% precision.
AI Browsers: Revolution or Bubble?
- AI-powered browsers like Perplexity’s Comet promise a more intuitive web experience but face skepticism over high subscription costs, privacy, and reliability. The jury is out on whether this is a true revolution or a fleeting tech bubble.
Gaming: Remasters, Legal Battles, and Hardware Upgrades
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4: Remaster and Music Discovery
- The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 remake on Nintendo Switch 2 delivers nostalgia-fueled gameplay with modern upgrades, slick controls, and a curated soundtrack that doubles as a superior music discovery platform compared to Spotify.
Review | Music analysis | Time capsule review
- The success of this remaster signals hope for more technically demanding game ports on the Switch 2, which has already impressed with its performance in running Cyberpunk 2077 at medium-to-high settings.
Switch 2 analysis | Port outlook
Subnautica 2: Legal Dispute Threatens Game’s Future
- The founders of Unknown Worlds, creators of Subnautica, are suing parent company Krafton after being ousted from Subnautica 2’s leadership. The dispute centers on a $250 million bonus tied to revenue targets, now jeopardized by a game delay to 2026.
Legal battle | More coverage | Industry impact
Game Server Shutdowns and Preservation
- Anthem’s servers are shutting down, highlighting the challenges of live-service games and sparking debate over game preservation and digital ownership.
- Need for Speed: Rivals will lose online support in October 2024, fueling campaigns like Stop Killing Games.
Free Games and Deals
- Steam is offering four paid strategy games for free until July 17, including Field of Glory II: Medieval and Battlestar Galactica Deadlock.
- Epic Games Store is giving away Figment 2 and Civilization VI (Platinum Edition) next week.
Space and Science: Webb, Parker Probe, and Interstellar Visitors
James Webb Space Telescope: Cat’s Paw Nebula and Stellar Nurseries
- The JWST celebrates its third anniversary by capturing the Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334) in unprecedented detail, revealing hidden young stars and intricate structures of stellar formation.
JWST anniversary | More images | Infrared breakthrough
Parker Solar Probe: Closest-Ever Images of the Sun
- NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has captured the closest-ever images of the Sun, revealing new details about the solar corona and solar wind, crucial for improving space weather forecasts and protecting technology on Earth.
Parker Probe images | More coverage
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: Oldest Known Visitor
- Oxford researchers have detected comet 3I/ATLAS, possibly the oldest known interstellar object—about 3 billion years older than our Solar System. The comet likely originated in the Milky Way’s thick disk and offers new insights into cosmic evolution and interstellar visitors.
Discovery details | More science | Trajectory analysis
Tesla, Nvidia, and the Electric/AI Economy
Tesla: India Expansion, Robotaxi Skepticism, and Market Volatility
- Tesla is opening its first showroom in Mumbai, India, with sales possibly starting by August. The company faces high import duties and competition from BYD and Tata Motors.
- Elon Musk claims Tesla’s Robotaxi will launch in California within months, but skepticism abounds as the company hasn’t applied for necessary permits and prediction markets rate the odds at just 18.5%.
- Tesla’s stock remains volatile, with experts divided on its long-term prospects. Some predict shares could double by 2035, but warn of turbulence ahead.
Stock analysis | Cramer’s take
Nvidia: $4 Trillion Milestone, AI Chip Boom, and Employee Millionaires
- Nvidia’s market cap has hit $4 trillion, surpassing Apple and Microsoft. Wall Street analysts have raised price targets to $175–$190 amid surging demand for AI chips.
- CEO Jensen Huang’s share sales are seen as standard tax planning, not panic, and the company’s AI and GPU momentum remains strong.
- Nvidia’s meteoric rise is minting millionaires among employees, thanks to stock options and equity.
- Nvidia’s Helix Parallelism is a breakthrough for AI, enabling chatbots and assistants to handle millions of words instantly, transforming real-time AI performance.
- New copper tariffs could impact Nvidia’s supply chain, potentially increasing reliance on suppliers like Navitas.
Quickfire Tech Highlights
- HMD/Nokia Exits US Market: HMD Global is downsizing US operations, citing Trump’s tariffs and shifting production to India.
- Windows 11 Updates: The 25H2 update will allow users to uninstall preinstalled Microsoft apps. The classic Blue Screen of Death is being replaced by a Black Screen, streamlining crash recovery.
- IKEA Smart Home: IKEA is launching a Matter-compatible smart home line with new audio products, aiming for seamless integration and user-friendly tech.
- Mini John Cooper Works: The lineup expands with five high-performance models, including two full-electric options, highlighting Mini’s commitment to performance and electrification.
- Xiaomi 15T Pro: Nearing launch with up to 1TB storage, 12GB RAM, Dimensity 9400+, and 90W charging, targeting the budget flagship segment.
- Amazon Prime Day: Massive deals on flagship smartphones, smartwatches, and home tech, with record-breaking online sales forecasted.
Prime Day details | Best deals
Recap: The Big Picture
- Samsung’s foldables are finally competitive, but face fierce competition from China.
- Apple is prepping a major iPhone redesign, exploring foldables, and slowing its MacBook update cycle.
- Cloud computing is booming, with tech giants offering deep discounts to win government contracts.
- AI is transforming everything from malware to surgery, but also raising new security and privacy concerns.
- Gaming is in flux, with remasters, legal disputes, and preservation debates dominating headlines.
- Space science is thriving, with JWST and Parker Solar Probe delivering unprecedented cosmic insights.
- Tesla and Nvidia remain at the center of the electric and AI economies, but face new regulatory and market challenges.
Outlook: What’s Next?
- Foldables will continue to get thinner, more durable, and more affordable, but the innovation race is global.
- Apple’s rumored foldable and iPhone 17 redesign could trigger a new upgrade supercycle.
- AI will further permeate consumer and enterprise tech, but the arms race between attackers and defenders is just beginning.
- Cloud and AI infrastructure will be the battleground for tech giants, with government and enterprise contracts as the prize.
- Gaming will see more remasters, but also more scrutiny over digital ownership and monetization.
- Space exploration and astronomy will keep delivering jaw-dropping discoveries, inspiring the next generation of tech and science.
Stay tuned for more as the tech world continues to accelerate into the future.
Sources:
- Samsung foldables get competitive
- Samsung Z Fold7 first impressions
- Samsung AI usage stats
- Apple iPhone 17 design leaks
- Apple foldable iPhone rumors
- Cloud computing market trends
- Google cloud discounts
- AI-powered malware bypasses Defender
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 review
- JWST Cat’s Paw Nebula image
- Tesla India launch
- Nvidia $4 trillion milestone
- [And many more as linked above.]
