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    Your Galaxy Watch is getting a big upgrade. The best features coming out of Galaxy Watch8

    Kerry Wan/ZDNETSamsung announced its eighth-generation Galaxy Watch lineup at its summer event in New York City on Wednesday. The Galaxy Watch8 lineup includes the base model smartwatch as well as the Galaxy Watch8 Classic with a rotating bezel. The Galaxy Watch8 is the thinnest smartwatch made by Samsung yet, with an 11% thinner design than previous devices, and brighter than its predecessors with a 3000-nit display. The smartwatches are built with Gemini AI for the first time, for handling more complex tasks and requests. Not every Galaxy Watch8 update is about hardware. There’s a few feature updates earlier Galaxy smartwatches will get coming from the One UI 8 software update. From a running coach feature that appears to take notes from Apple Watch’s “Workout Buddy” to a bedtime suggestion feature that calibrates your optimized sleep time based on activity and historical rest, here are some of the features Samsung will roll out on its next smartwatch (and which will come to earlier devices). Also: The best smartwatches you can buy right nowFor those interested in trying out these new features ahead of Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch8 shipment, Samsung says they can access them through Samsung’s beta program, which is available to users with the Galaxy Watch5 series or later. However, users who have received this update on their devices report that the features will only apply to Galaxy Watches 8 or higher.  More

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    The best Sam’s Club deals to compete with Prime Day: TVs, speakers, laptops, and appliances

    When is Amazon Prime Day 2025? Amazon Prime Day began on July 8, 2025, and ends on July 11, 2025. During Amazon’s sale event, many other retailers will activate their own sales to compete for your business.Is tech really cheaper on Prime Day? Yes, you can find lots of tech for cheaper prices during Amazon Prime Day. Sometimes, you can find tech for cheaper at other retailers, since they’re all competing with one another. During this sale, some companies will offer bundles, freebies, or lower prices to entice you to buy directly from them instead of Amazon.We’re monitoring everyone’s sale prices leading up to the sale to update you on the most worthwhile ones.How did we choose these Sam’s Club deals?ZDNET only writes about deals we want to buy — devices and products we desire, need, or would recommend. We scour the sale offerings from Sam’s Club but also Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and more to let you decide where you’d rather purchase from.We also keep an eye on deals from brands and manufacturers of our favorite products, as sometimes they offer free gifts and bundle sales during Amazon’s sale event. We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we’re recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing — in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter. What are the best Prime Day deals right now?ZDNET’s experts are searching through Prime Day sales to find the best discounts by category. These are the best deals so far:You can also find the best deals from other retailers competing with Prime Day sales: More

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    Your Android device is getting a big AI upgrade for free – here’s what’s new

    Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETSamsung Unpacked is here, and in addition to new device announcements and other updates, Google is rolling out some serious AI upgrades across the whole Android ecosystem, and Samsung devices will be the first to see them. Wearables are seeing the biggest upgrade, but almost all devices are getting something new.Also: Gemini can access your Android phone’s other apps, unless you stop it – here’s howHere’s a look at several new AI integrations coming to Android. 1. Gemini on Wear OSStarting today, supported Wear OS watches, including those from Samsung, Pixel, OnePlus, Oppo, and Xiaomi, are getting the same Gemini integration that’s on your phone. This means you’ll have a more natural, hands-free way to get the information you need. All you have to do is say, “Hey Google” to activate it, press and hold the side button on your watch, or tap the Gemini icon on your screen. For example, Google says you might ask for recipe help while you’re busy cooking, for a quick weather check as you head out the door, or for an update on your schedule in between meetings. Also: 8 ways Google’s Gemini AI assistant is getting more powerful and helpfulYou can also chain complex tasks like “Send a message to Nadja apologizing for running late,” while you’re working out, or “What is the address for my dentist appointment today? Navigate there.” Gemini on your watch can remember the little details, too, like “Remember I’m using locker 43 today,” or “Remember I parked on level 4, spot 27.” More

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    Samsung Galaxy Watch8 vs Pixel Watch 3: Which Android smartwatch is right for you?

    Kerry Wan/ZDNETSamsung announced its newest lineup of Samsung Galaxy smartwatches on Wednesday at its annual summer Unpacked event. The Galaxy Watch8 and Watch8 Classic are the brand’s thinnest and lightest smartwatches yet, and they feature a wide array of health features aimed at continuous wellness capture. Right around the time of Samsung’s hardware announcements, Google stole some of Samsung’s thunder when it announced its Pixel Watches would also be getting Google’s Gemini in a latest software update. Also: What to expect from Samsung Unpacked today: Galaxy Z Fold 7, Watch 8 Classic, tri-foldable, moreAlongside the Gemini integration, both smartwatches include an ECG for heart rate monitoring purposes, a cardiovascular load feature that takes into account your activity strain to optimize training, emergency health features like loss of pulse, and more. The question remains: if both Android smartwatches will have the same AI integration and similar functionalities, which is the better buy? I break several aspects of both smartwatches down for you as you make the buying decision.  Specifications Galaxy Watch8Pixel Watch 3Display 3,000 nits2,000 nits2,Weight 40mm watch: 30g; 44mm watch: 40g.41mm watch: 31g; 45mm watch: 37gProcessor Exynos Core 1000Snapdragon W5 Gen 1Storage2GB memory and 32GB storage2GB memory and 32GB storageBattery30 hours with always-on, 40 hours without always-on 24 hours with always-on, 36 hours without always-on Sizes40mm, 44mm41mm, 45mmColorwaysGraphite, SilverMatte Black, Polished Silver, Champagne Gold, and Matte HazelPrice Starting at $350 Starting at $400 (but on sale) You should buy the Galaxy Watch8 if… More

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    I went hands-on with Samsung’s Z Flip 7 FE, and it left me with more questions than answers

    Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is a big upgrade over its predecessor. It features an edge-to-edge cover-screen display, a bigger battery, and more polished AI features. It retains the $1,099 price tag, but Samsung needed a flip phone under $1,000 to address the increasing competition from Motorola Razr. Enter the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. Also: Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked: Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, Watch 8 Series, moreThe new entrant in Samsung’s flip lineup isn’t as affordable as the Motorola Razr, nor does it share many of the upgrades from the Galaxy Z Flip 7. However, at $900, it is the only Samsung foldable phone available under a thousand bucks. It retains many of the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s features and pairs them with the smarts of Android 16-based One UI 8. I went hands-on with the new flip phone at Galaxy Unpacked. While I appreciate Samsung for adding a more affordable Flip to the lineup, it might have missed the mark with pricing. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE looks a generation-old More