Pixel 9 Pro buyers to get a limited pre-order gift in some regions

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Pixel 9 Pro buyers to get a limited pre-order gift in some regions
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Google will launch the Pixel 9 Pro in August, and some lucky people will get a special pre-order gift. However, it seems that the promo will be available in just a few regions. The Google Store describes the gift as a “limited-edition collectible.”

The Pixel 9 Pro special pre-order gift will not only be limited in terms of regions but also in available units. For starters, only buyers based in Australia, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan will be able to try to get it. Also, the Google Store says it will be a “special gift for our first orders.” It seems that just pre-ordering the device won’t be enough, so interested parties must act quickly.

Some regions will get a Pixel 9 Pro with gift and a special box for the first pre-orders

The Google Stores in Australia, Japan, and Singapore try to keep the gift a bit mysterious. They say it is a “piece of Google Pixel design history.” However, the one from Taiwan “ruins” the surprise a bit by saying that it could be a set of “original Google Pixel design posters.” Anyway, there may still be more surprises in the box.

Regarding the box, it will also be different from the normal one. According to the image, the box has a thicker cardboard cover, similar to a book. The cover is engraved with the multicolored “G” Google logo in the center and “Google Store” just below. Its interior is black, and it also appears to use a thick material. In general, the box is quite elegant and even decorative.

It seems that vanilla Pixel 9 buyers will not receive something similar. Google Stores say the gift is “exclusively for the first orders of our new Pixel 9 Pro phones.” Also, there is no news yet on special pre-order gifts for other markets. The company is likely to offer promotions such as discounts on Google products or even free accessories in multiple markets. However, it would be great if this special Pixel 9 Pro with a more elegant box and limited edition posters reaches more regions.

pixel 9 pro pre order gift box
Source: 9to5Google

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Google Pixel 9 series may include two years of Satellite SOS

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Google Pixel 9 series may include two years of Satellite SOS
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In recent years, terms like “AI” and “satellite connectivity” have taken the smartphone industry by storm. Apple popularized the latter by implementing support in the iPhone 14 series. Now, it seems that Google will enter the segment by offering a Satellite SOS feature in the Pixel 9 series.

The Android 15 beta 4 arrived recently, and its code is revealing potential new features that Pixel phones or Android devices in general will get. Android Authority found direct references to Satellite SOS telecommunications that would be present in the Pixel 9 series, which is expected to include the necessary hardware to support it. A leak from mid-April showed what the UI would look like while showing instructions to establish a connection with a satellite.

The Satellite SOS feature would be free for two years on the Pixel 9 series

According to the report, strings in the Android 15 beta 4 code mention the name “Pixel Satellite SOS.” This suggests that Google is working on support for emergency satellite telecommunications on Pixel devices. However, it will probably only be available on the Pixel 9 series and future models. This is because current and older models do not integrate the required hardware.

In addition, the strings suggest that Google would offer a period of free use similar to that of iPhone devices. That is, the Pixel Satellite SOS service would be free for two years. After the term expires, people would have to start paying a fee to continue using it. More specifically, the string says that “Satellite SOS is included at no charge for {two} years.”

The source suggests that “{two}” could be just a placeholder, so the actual free trial time could differ. However, it seems certain that the company will offer a time of use without having to pay.

The feature could arrive later with an update

Interestingly, another string mentions that “Your Pixel has been updated to support satellite communication.” So, the feature may not be available on the Pixel 9 series for launch. Instead, it would arrive later through an update.

Android 15 is just getting full support for satellite telecommunications. This means that the OS natively includes the tools necessary to use it and for other apps to detect it. However, it is up to each manufacturer to implement their own solution on their devices. They need to reach deals with telecommunications carriers to enable the service.


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Google teases Pixel 9 Pro Fold availability in 11 countries

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Google teases Pixel 9 Pro Fold availability in 11 countries
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Google has hinted it would expand Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s availability. Specifically speaking, the Pixel-branded foldable from Google could be available in 11 countries starting next month.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold to be available in multiple new regions

Google has a rather complex distribution strategy for its Pixel smartphones. The company doesn’t offer its Pixel devices across the globe.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold could be one of the few series to have substantially wider availability than the Pixel Fold, which launched last year. Google restricted the availability of the Pixel Fold to Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Google has reportedly started teasing about the launch and availability of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. According to the teasers posted on the Google Store, the upcoming foldable Android smartphone will be available in the following 11 countries. This includes Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and India.

Will all the variants of the Google Pixel 9 Pro be available in the new markets?

Google is gradually expanding in new markets. In other words, the Pixel-branded Android smartphones are officially entering new territories.

Google is allowing its Pixel line to be sold in new markets in Asia, Europe, and North America. However, not all the devices from the upcoming Pixel 9 series will be available in the 11 new markets, Google has hinted.

The Google Store in Italy and Spain is reportedly teasing the Pixel 9 Pro. In other words, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold appears to be missing. The Google Store page for Singapore does tease the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. However, it showcases just the Obsidian model. Several other regional Google Store pages, except India, are promoting the Porcelain Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

One of the biggest highlights of the upcoming Pixel 9 series of devices appears to be Gemini, Google’s Generative Artificial (Gen AI) engine. Google is hinting that the “Pro” variants of the Pixel 9 series would have a year’s subscription to “Gemini Advanced”, which is competing with the ChatGPT Plus Gen AI.


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July update lands on Galaxy A54, A34 and more Galaxy models

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July update lands on Galaxy A54, A34 and more Galaxy models
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Samsung marches on with its July security update rollout. Having already updated all eligible flagships and foldables in most parts of the world, the company is rapidly sweeping through the mid-range lineup. It recently released the new security patch for the Galaxy A54, Galaxy A34, Galaxy A15, Galaxy A14, and a few other models.

Galaxy A54, A34, and more Samsung devices get the July security update

The July security update for Galaxy devices, aka July SMR (Security Maintenance Release), contains over 60 patches. These include fixes for Android OS vulnerabilities from Google and partners and fixes for Galaxy vulnerabilities from Samsung. At least six security flaws patched this month are confirmed to be critical vulnerabilities, potentially allowing a threat actor to gain remote access to an infected Galaxy smartphone or tablet.

Samsung has already pushed the new SMR to dozens of Galaxy devices, including some mid-range models. A few more models recently joined the party. The Galaxy A54 is picking up the update in Samsung’s home country South Korea and the US. The new firmware build numbers for the phone are A546SKSS6CXG1 (Korean units) and S546VLUDS9CXG2 (US units on Tracfone’s network). A global rollout should be just around the corner.

The Galaxy A34, a 2023 mid-range phone Samsung didn’t release in the US, is receiving the July update in Latin America. The new SMR is available widely in the region with the build number A346MUBS8CXF1 or A346MUBS8CXF2. The official changelog from Samsung says the device is getting some system stability improvements along with the latest security patches. Don’t expect any major new features, though.

The Galaxy A15 and Galaxy A14 are the other two Samsung smartphones that recently started getting the July security update. The update is available in various international markets but with similar changelogs. It’s only a security patch with no additional goodies. These budget and mid-range phones are unlikely to receive major new feature updates before Android 15 and One UI 7.0, which may arrive in early 2025.

Wider rollout for other models

Alongside these Galaxy A phones, Samsung is widely rolling out the July SMR to the Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy S20 FE, and Galaxy A53. The last Note phones first picked up the update in the US. It’s now available in other markets, including Europe. The latter two phones, meanwhile, initially received the July update in international markets. Samsung recently rolled it out to the US units. You can check for new updates from the Settings app.


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CrowdStrike update at center of Windows “Blue Screen of Death” outage

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CrowdStrike update at center of Windows “Blue Screen of Death” outage
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A faulty update from the cybersecurity vendor CrowdStrike crashed countless Windows computers and sent them into a “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD), grinding to a halt the global operations of airlines, hospitals, news broadcasters, transportation agencies, and more.

The incident itself is not the result of a cyberattack. There is no evidence of a breach or of any cybercriminal involvement.

But, as Malwarebytes Labs has reported before, many major events can lead to follow-on threats of phishing and scams, and this global outage is no different. On July 19, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an advisory on this same risk:

“CISA has observed threat actors taking advantage of this incident for phishing and other malicious activity. CISA urges organizations and individuals to remain vigilant and only follow instructions from legitimate sources. CISA recommends organizations to remind their employees to avoid clicking on phishing emails or suspicious links.”

As of reporting, CrowdStrike has already issued a fix.

What happened

On July 19, businesses in Australia began reporting that their Windows computers were restarting automatically into a BSOD, making them inaccessible to users. The reports were limited only to Windows machines and, as verified later by CrowdStrike, computers running Mac OS or Linux were not affected.

As IT admins in Australia scrambled to get their organizations back online, the same BSOD issue began greeting workers across Europe. The problem, it became clear, was becoming global, with reports of similar problems in Germany, Japan, India, and, eventually, the United States.

Hundreds of businesses were immediately impacted. Flights were grounded. Delays are being warned for package delivery provider UPS. Hospitals in the state of Maryland began cancelling procedures. And The Washington Post reported that, while many retailers were unscathed, coffee giant Starbucks was experiencing difficulties with its mobile ordering system.

What every affected business had in common was their use of Windows computers running CrowdStrike’s cybersecurity platform.

In the past 24 hours, CrowdStrike issued a faulty software update for Windows devices that included a problematic “channel file.” Windows devices that installed this update were then sent into a boot loop back into the “Blue Screen of Death” which kept users from accessing their own computers.

The fix

As of 05:27 AM UTC, CrowdStrike had identified the faulty channel file and issued a new, safe channel file for use. Deleting the channel file and installing the correct channel file, however, could require direct, physical access to a computer—a particularly time-intensive task as increasingly more businesses have adopted hybrid and Work From Home models.

CrowdStrike has a full statement on hox to fix Windows machines that are still stuck in the BSOD loop here.

Everyday users who are affected by this outage on their work machines or personal machines are not at heightened risk of a cybersecurity attack. Instead, people should simply remain vigilant about malicious emails and websites that promise fixes for the problem. For any and all maintenance, rely on CrowdStrike’s official statements and, if experiencing problems at work, rely on your IT admin.

Summer mega sale

Go into your vacation knowing you’re much more secure: This summer you can get a huge 50% off a Malwarebytes Standard subscription or Malwarebytes Identity bundle. Run, don’t walk!


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Xiaomi launches Mix Flip, its first attempt at flip foldables

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Xiaomi launches Mix Flip, its first attempt at flip foldables
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Xiaomi is here with its Galaxy Z Flip 6 challenger. The company just launched its first clamshell foldable, the Mix Flip, and it is already turning heads. With a big cover display, a zoom camera, and a massive battery, it looks like an impressive first attempt at a new device category from the Chinese firm.

Xiaomi Mix Flip arrives with a massive battery and zoom camera

Equipped with a 4.01-inch AMOLED panel on the outside, the Xiaomi Mix Flip has an industry-leading cover display. It has a 1392 x 1208 pixels resolution and boasts a 120Hz refresh rate with Dolby Vision, HDR10+ support, and 3,000 nits of peak brightness. The so-called All Around Liquid cover display offers a 16:9 functioning area to run full apps without distortion or blank spaces. The 6.86-inch LTPO AMOLED foldable display has similar specs with a 1224 x 2912 pixels resolution.

The Mix Flip has a glass back, aluminum frame, and stainless steel hinge. It seemingly lacks an IP rating for water resistance (the Mix Fold 4 has an IPX8 rating). The Flip gets the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor with up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. Its 50MP primary rear camera offers OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and 8K video recording. It is flanked by a 50MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom capabilities. The Fold has 2x and 5x zoom cameras.

On the inside, Xiaomi has included a 32MP selfie camera that can record 4K videos. Both front and rear cameras support Dolby Vision HDR. The Mix Flip offers stereo speakers with 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio. It also has Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v5.4, GPS, NFC, infrared port, and USB Type-C 2.0. There is a side-mounted fingerprint scanner embedded into the power button.  Xiaomi also touts a 3,500 square mm vapor chamber for effective cooling during heavy tasks like gaming and AI processing.

Xiaomi Mix Flip official 2

Packaged in a 167.5 x 74 x 7.6 mm housing (74 x 74 x 16 mm when folded), the Xiaomi Mix Flip gives us a massive 4,780mAh battery with 67W wired charging support. However, unlike the Fold model, the phone lacks wireless charging. Xiaomi ships the new flip with Android 14-based HyperOS. As it’s a norm today, you will find AI features baked into the system. The foldable is generally available in Black, White, and Purple colors, along with a special Nylon fiber edition.

Price and availability

The Xiaomi Mix Flip was announced in China and is currently only available in the country. It costs CNY 5,999 (approx. $825) for the base model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The 12GB+512GB variant carries a price tag of CNY 6,499 (approx. $894), while the 16GB+1TB variant costs CNY 7,299 (approx. $1,004). General sales will begin in China on July 23. There is no word yet on the foldable’s global availability.

 

Xiaomi Mix Flip official 1


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Android 15 final beta enables “Device diagnostics” tool for everyone

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Android 15 final beta enables “Device diagnostics” tool for everyone
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Android 15 integrates a Device diagnostics tool that allows you to check things like the current battery cycle count, screen operation, and more. The option was spotted in the Android 15 beta 3 update from June. Now, the latest beta 4 update makes it visible and functional for everyone.

In Android 15 beta 3, the tool was in an earlier stage of development. So, it was not available by default, but it could be enabled. Also, some options still did not work correctly. Now, the beta 4 update includes the option in the device’s settings without you having to force its appearance.

Android 15’s Device diagnostics tool lets you know your battery cycle count and more

As reported by Android Authority, all Pixel devices running the latest Android 15 beta 4 update will show a new “Device diagnostics” option under Settings > System. It is located at the end of the list, just above “Reset options.” The tool has two main sections: Component health and Evaluation mode.

Component health allows you to verify that everything is fine with key components on your device. For instance, the screen test shows layers of multiple colors, so you can check both color reproduction and the possible presence of dead pixels. It also allows you to test if the touch input works correctly. Likewise, this Android 15′ Device diagnostics section lets you know the cycle count of the battery and the health of the storage chip.

On the other hand, Evaluation mode enables you to check the operation of a secondary device. It works by scanning a QR code from the other device. After scanning it, it will run the same tests mentioned above. The Evaluation mode also allows you to “validate” the tests done on your main device. In both modes, the tool will provide a report on the general status of your phone’s key hardware.

A useful complement to the Pixel diagnostics tool

The option is ideal if you want to rule out any hardware problems on your device without going to a technical service. If you want to do more in-depth tests, you can still use the Pixel diagnostics tool by dialing *#*#7287#*#*.


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Number of data breach victims goes up 1,000%

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Number of data breach victims goes up 1,000%
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Nope, that headline’s not a typo. Over one thousand percent.

The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) tracked 1,041,312,601 data breach victims in Q2 2024, an increase of 1,170% over Q2 2023 (81,958,874 victims).

The ITRC is a national non-profit organization set up with the goal of minimizing the risk and mitigating the impact of identity compromise. Through public and private support, it provides no-cost victim assistance and consumer education.

The vast majority of that rise in numbers in due to a few very large compromises. The ITRC mentions Prudential (2.5 million people) and Infosys McCamish Systems (6 million people) as main contributors.

Because both of these breaches were announced/updated in the second quarter of 2024 they have a huge impact on the numbers. When we compare the number of data breach victims in the first half of 2024 (H1 2024) then we see an increase of 490 percent compared to the first half of 2023. Which is still significant and worrying.

The ITRC broke down some of the numbers to show them in an infographic.

ITRC infographic
Infographic by ITRC

Some notable statistics we can derive from the infographic:

  • Almost 90% of the compromises in H1 2024 are due to data breaches.
  • Financial services had the most breaches, followed by healthcare.
  • The largest data breaches in number of victims are Ticketmaster, Advance Auto Parts, and Dell.
  • 80 supply chain attacks accounted for 446 affected entities and over 10 million victims.

Another trend the ITRC highlights is the increase in stolen driver’s license information. Mostly caused by a post pandemic trend to use driver’s license information for identity confirmation. This has increased both the chances of this information being included in a breach, and increased the value of that information to thieves.

The number of data breaches where driver’s license data was stolen totaled 198 instances in pre-pandemic, full-year 2019 compared to 636 in full-year 2023 and 308 through June 30, 2024.

Most of the data breaches are not the result of negligence but of targeted cyberattacks. This explains the rising demand for data deletion services. Not only does it play a significant role in safeguarding privacy rights on the business side, it also helps avoid or lessen the legal consequences of a breach.

ITRC president and CEO Eva Velasquez summarized the report like this:

“The takeaway from this report is simple. Every person, business, institution and government agency must view data and identity protection with a greater sense of urgency.”

Protecting yourself after a data breach

There are some actions you can take if you are, or suspect you may have been, the victim of a data breach.

  • Check the vendor’s advice. Every breach is different, so check with the vendor to find out what’s happened and follow any specific advice they offer.
  • Change your password. You can make a stolen password useless to thieves by changing it. Choose a strong password that you don’t use for anything else. Better yet, let a password manager choose one for you.
  • Enable two-factor authentication (2FA). If you can, use a FIDO2-compliant hardware key, laptop or phone as your second factor. Some forms of two-factor authentication (2FA) can be phished just as easily as a password. 2FA that relies on a FIDO2 device can’t be phished.
  • Watch out for fake vendors. The thieves may contact you posing as the vendor. Check the vendor website to see if they are contacting victims and verify the identity of anyone who contacts you using a different communication channel.
  • Take your time. Phishing attacks often impersonate people or brands you know, and use themes that require urgent attention, such as missed deliveries, account suspensions, and security alerts.
  • Consider not storing your card details. It’s definitely more convenient to get sites to remember your card details for you, but we highly recommend not storing that information on websites.
  • Set up identity monitoring. Identity monitoring alerts you if your personal information is found being traded illegally online, and helps you recover after.

Check your exposure

Looking at the numbers in the ITRC report, it’s likely you’ve had other personal information exposed online in previous data breaches. You can check what personal information of yours has been exposed with our Digital Footprint portal. Just enter your email address (it’s best to submit the one you most frequently use) to our free Digital Footprint scan, and we’ll give you a report.

We don’t just report on threats – we help safeguard your entire digital identity

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Protect your—and your family’s—personal information by using identity protection.

Summer mega sale

Go into your vacation knowing you’re much more secure: This summer you can get a huge 50% off a Malwarebytes Standard subscription or Malwarebytes Identity bundle. Run, don’t walk!


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Don’t miss out on the Galaxy S24 Ultra for $1,100 ($320 off)

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Don’t miss out on the Galaxy S24 Ultra for $1,100 ($320 off)
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Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra is currently available for $1,100 over at Amazon, and that’s a deal worth considering if you’re looking for a really nice phone upgrade. This is Samsung’s current flagship smartphone and it has a lot of great features on offer. The price of this phone was lower during Prime Day but only by about $25, so this is still a really good price because it’s $320 off the regular full retail price.

It is worth noting that this is the 512GB model of the phone. So you have a lot of storage space to work with here. If 512GB is more than you’ll ever need you can get the 256GB model on sale as well for $1,030. But for $70 more you may as well just go for the larger storage size.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, and it has 12GB of RAM. This means it’s a powerful device that will have no problem running all of your tasks or activities. It’s great for everyday stuff like web browsing and social media, in addition to more intensive stuff like work or gaming. Plus, you have the S Pen that comes with it so you can write or draw or take notes.

The phone really shines in the camera department too. Thanks to features like the 200MP main camera on the back and the AI-powered features. And if you like simplicity, then you’ll love the Circle to Search feature which makes finding stuff super easy. Just circle something in an image and let Google find what the object is. There’s also a 6.8-inch 120Hz screen so no matter what you’re doing on the phone it’ll look good.

Buy at Amazon


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Xiaomi launches Mix Fold 4 with dual zoom cameras, slim body

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Xiaomi launches Mix Fold 4 with dual zoom cameras, slim body
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Xiaomi has launched its latest big foldable, the Mix Fold 4. It’s a super-slim foldable with impressive specs and a premium design. The foldable has a big display, a big battery, the latest flagship chipset, a large amount of RAM and storage, and two zoom cameras. Let’s dive deeper into its specs.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 specifications

The Mix Fold 4 is an incredibly slim book-style foldable, measuring just 9.47mm when folded and 4.59mm when unfolded. Not quite as slim as HONOR’s Magic V3 at 9.2mm and 4.35mm, but substantially slimmer than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 (12.1mm/5.6mm). The device sports a big 7.98-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 2224 x 2488 pixels resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and 3000 nits of peak brightness. It features an Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) panel on top.

Its 6.56-inch cover display boasts the same specs with a 1080 x 2520 pixels resolution. Xiaomi has slapped a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protective layer on the cover screen. The phone has an aluminum frame and comes in glass back and aramid fiber back variants. Depending on which variant you pick, the foldable weighs 226 grams or 228 grams, thanks to Xiaomi’s T800H high-strength carbon fiber. With an IPX8 rating, the Mix Fold 4 is water resistant but isn’t protected against dust.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 official 3

Under the hood, Xiaomi’s new foldable has Quamcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 flagship processor paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. There’s no micro SD card slot for expandable storage. You do get stereo speakers with 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio, powered by Snapdragon Sound with Harman Kardon tuning. The Mix Fold 4 also offers Wi-Fi 7. However, tri-band support will be added via a software update later (dual-band support out of the box).

The cameras include a 50MP primary rear shooter, a Sonly LYT-800 sensor with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), and an f/1.7 aperture. It’s flanked by a 50MP telephoto camera with 2x zoom, a 10MP periscope camera with 5x zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. There are also two 16MP selfie cameras, one each on the cover and main display. While the rear camera supports Dolby Vision HDR and records 8K videos, Xiaomi has limited the selfie shooters to just 1080p video recording.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 official 1

A big battery in a slim profile

This slim Xiaomi foldable packs a 5,100mAh battery with support for 67W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. Other highlights of the Mix Fold 4 include Bluetooth v5.4, NFC, an infrared port, satellite connectivity, and GPS. The device runs Android 14-based HyperOS out of the box with on-device and cloud-based AI features. It has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a USB Type-C 3.2 port with OTG support.

Xiaomi offers its new foldable in Black, White, and Blue colors. The device will be available in China starting at CNY 8,999 (approx. $1,237) for the 12+256GB variant. The 16GB+512GB variant costs CNY 9,999 (approx. $1,375), while the top tier 16GB+1TB model will set you back by CNY 10,999 (approx. $1,513). Xiaomi hasn’t said anything about the global availability of the Mix Fold 4 foldable.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 official 4


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