Samsung Electronics is in a position to develop a portless smartphone, but is keeping tabs on the progress of necessary technology such as wireless charging before taking action, a senior executive has said.
Such a device would eliminate physical connectivity, making it dependent on wireless transfers and charging, meaning it needs to be prevalent and reliable for the new category to grow, Minseok Kang, vice president of product planning at the Suwon-based company, told The National.
“If we want to launch it, I think right now we can prepare the device, but we should consider the normal user situations for using the device,” he said at the Galaxy Unpacked in Brooklyn on Wednesday. “Definitely wireless charging should be essential for the device.”
Wireless charging is slower and less common compared to the use of wires, with USB-C ports the current standard.
The idea of portless smartphones is not new, with a patent for it filed by HZO Inc in the US in 2014, according to the US Patent and Trademark Office. It has since been abandoned.
Issues include the slow pace of wireless charging, and the reliability and incompatibility of Bluetooth transfers – Apple has its own Airdrop technology exclusive to its devices, for instance.
Apple is said to have considered a portless design for the unconfirmed and purportedly slimmer iPhone 17 Air, Bloomberg has reported.
Wireless charging stations – even though they are increasingly found in public spaces, most notably coffee shops – are still much less common than wired and power bank rentals.
It could leave users in need of a charger unable to find one, Mr Kang said.
Portless smartphones can be “good options” because of their unique design, he added. The move could also lead to slimmer devices, as USB-C ports are among the thickest components.
“This is one of the candidates for a future device, but engineering readiness can also be possible in short term,” he said. “We need to think about what users want and what are the real convenience for them.”
Meanwhile, Samsung hopes to launch its tri-fold smartphone – said to be called the Galaxy G Fold – by the end of the year, Mr Kang said, in what is the first official confirmation on the record.
The company is keeping its expectations for the launch date flexible as it continues to fine-tune the long-rumoured device, he added.
“Definitely the device is developing internally in Samsung … but when we launch a new device or new form factor, one important thing is its completeness [for] user satisfaction and readiness for mass production,” he said.
“We are checking the key points for the final decision to commercialise the device. I can say current target is by end of this year, so we will try to launch the device to the market [by then].”
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Look north
BBC business reporters, like a new raft of government officials, are being removed from the national and international hub of London and surely the quality of their work must suffer.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Scoreline
Bournemouth 2
Wilson 70', Ibe 74'
Arsenal 1
Bellerin 52'
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
Titan Sports Academy:
Programmes: Judo, wrestling, kick-boxing, muay thai, taekwondo and various summer camps
Location: Inside Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Telephone: 971 50 220 0326
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
'Ashkal'
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THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
Biog:
Age: 34
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite sport: anything extreme
Favourite person: Muhammad Ali
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
