TECH

Here's why NVIDIA chose GDDR6 for desktop RTX 5050 and GDDR7 for laptops

NVIDIA's newest budget gaming GPU is notable for a couple of reasons. For one, the freshly-minted GeForce RTX 5050 is the first xx50 model GPU since the GeForce RTX 3050 (NVIDIA never released a GeForce RTX 4050, and instead the GeForce RTX 4060 was the lowest end model in the Ada Lovelace family). And secondly, NVIDIA opted to equip the desktop GeForce RTX 5050 with GDDR6 memory chips and the laptop version with GDDR7. The looming question is why, and it doesn't sound like the cost savings was the sole factor for using slower VRAM on the desktop model.

So why did NVIDIA use two different types of memory on the same model GPU? Ben Berraondo, Director of Global PR at NVIDIA, offered some clarity on a couple of X posts. What it basically boils down to is that the laptop form factor is a better candidate for the power efficiency gains of GDDR7 compared to GDDR6.

"The RTX 5050 notebook GPU has been optimized for the best power efficiency for portable laptops with great battery life. Therefore G6 is the best choice for desktops an the more power efficient G7 is the best choice for laptops," Berraondo wrote.

His post prompted an X user to reply that since GDDR7 is faster than GDDR6, wouldn't it still make sense to use the same type of chips on the desktop models? To which Berraondo offered a little more context.

"In this case, benefits of G7 are for thermals and battery life, crucial for our OEM partners and hopefully you'll see some great laptop options," Berraondo wrote.

We received the same messaging in discussions with NVIDIA GeForce product management in regards to the GeForce RTX 5050 launch. There's undoubtedly a cost benefit for NVIDIA (and potentially consumers, if using GDDR6 helped set the MSRP at $249), but to NVIDIA's point, the GeForce RTX 5050 is an entry-level discrete GPU that doesn't necessarily need bleeding-edge memory.

Every other GeForce RTX 50 series product on the desktop employs GDDR7, but the argument can be made (and is made, essentially) that the faster VRAM has a bigger impact on higher-end GPUs starting with the GeForce RTX 5060 and on up, versus a budget card. Sort of like how racing tires are going to have a far bigger impact on a sports car than an economical grocery-getter.

That said, using GDDR7 could have given the destkop GeForce RTX 5050 more memory bandwidth. As it stands, the 8GB of GDDR6 on the desktop model offers up 320GB/s of bandwidth, versus 384GB/s for the laptop version (20% more). So it's a fair question to ask, though in the grand scheme of things, we can see why NVIDIA went the route that it did (the extra supply and lower cost likely outweighed a bump in memory bandwidth on a entry-level SKU).

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TECH

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 tipped to be even thinner than expected

Both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 will reportedly be much thinner than their predecessors. A leaker has now added weight to rumours about key upgrades to the flagship foldables and revealed the alleged final thickness of each device.

Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 will be officially unveiled at the next Galaxy Unpacked event on 9 July 2025. Whilst official promo images and specs-related information have gradually emerged over recent weeks, leaker Setsuna Digital now claims to have revealed the finalised details about the thickness of each device.

According to the leak, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will have a thickness of 4.2 mm (0.17 in) when unfolded and 8.9 mm (0.35 in) when folded, making it just 0.1 mm thicker than the Honor Magic V5 in its folded state and almost as thin when unfolded. By comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 (approx. $1,500 on Amazon) is more than 3 mm (0.12 in) thicker when closed. Setsuna Digital also supported earlier reports about the phone’s other specs, including its 215 g (7.58 oz) weight, 200 MP main shooter, 10 MP self camera, 8-inch main display, and 6.5-inch cover screen.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is expected to measure 13.7 mm (0.54 in) thick when folded and 6.5 mm (0.26 in) when unfolded, shaving off 1.2 mm (0.05 in) and 0.4 mm (0.02 in), respectively, compared to its predecessor. Despite the slimmer design, battery capacity is tipped to increase by 7.5% to 4,300 mAh, whilst the device weight is likely to remain largely unchanged at 188 g (6.63 oz).

The leaker also suggests that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will feature a 4.1-inch secondary screen – larger than previously assumed – alongside significantly narrower bezels measuring just 1.25 mm (0.05 in). Similarly, the main display could potentially grow to 6.9 inches and adopt a 21:9 aspect ratio. Both screens are rumoured to support 120 Hz and deliver peak HDR brightness of 2,600 nits.

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DIGITAL LIFE

Big tech's companies will have to comply with the law in Brazil: Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok are required to remove illegal content in Brazil even without a court ruling

The Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) ruled this Thursday(26/06) in favor of tougher regulation of social networks, in a country where the fight against disinformation is an important political issue.

Platforms such as X, TikTok, Instagram or Facebook must now immediately remove illegal content, such as that which advocates terrorism, child pornography or incites hatred, without waiting for a judge's decision. Technology companies may also be held liable for damages caused if they do not remove content after being informed by an internet user or notified by a judge.

Eight of the court's 11 judges voted in favor of the partial unconstitutionality of an article of a Brazilian law, according to which platforms can only be held liable when they ignore a court ruling. The Supreme Court was evaluating appeals that attempted to prevent the application of the ruling.

"We have preserved freedom of expression to the greatest extent possible, without, however, allowing the world to collapse into an abyss of incivility," said the president of the STF, Luis Roberto Barroso.

For magistrate Kássio Nunes, one of the three judges who voted against greater accountability for technology giants, "civil liability lies primarily with the agent who caused the damage" and not with the platforms.

In a note sent to the Agence France-Presse (AFP), Google expressed concern about the change in Brazilian regulations and warned that it could have "an impact on freedom of expression and the digital economy."

Debates on social media have been livening up Brazil's highest court for several months, gaining particular importance in 2024, when judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered access to platform X to be blocked for having ignored a series of court decisions related to the fight against disinformation.

X was blocked for 40 days in Brazil, with its owner, billionaire Elon Musk, calling Moraes a dictator who threatens freedom of speech, before giving in to the demands.

These deliberations took place alongside the trial of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro and several former collaborators for an attempted coup in 2022, following his election defeat to leftist candidate and current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, the alleged coup plotters used misinformation on social media to question the electronic voting system and justify a coup, which ultimately did not happen.

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TECH

Samsung Galaxy A55 5G tipped to get Android 16 beta soon

The Galaxy A55 5G is a mid-range, previous-generation Samsung smartphone. Despite that, it is now tipped to become eligible for the OEM's latest version of Android before the end of 2025. It has apparently been spotted on a benchmarking site with the new build in place of its official One UI 7 software.

The Galaxy A55 5G is a 2024 sub-flagship smartphone that can be found for $399.99 on Amazon today (June 29, 2025). It is listed with its original One UI 6.1 software on that page - however, it could upgrade to a newer version of that Android skin soon.

A device with the A55 5G's model number ("samsung SM-A556E") has surfaced on Geekbench with "Android 16" as its OS - even though its latest official update brings it up to One UI 7. 

The leak suggests that it will join the Galaxy S25 series in gaining access to One UI 8 soon - even if it will be at the public beta stage.

The new discovery closely follows reports that its successor the A56 5G has also exhibited leaked One UI 8 as of late.

We found the Galaxy A55 5G to be a decent Android mid-ranger in our testing, with a few potentially crucial drawbacks such as the hamstrung screen-to-body ratio (which was fixed somewhat in the A56) and lack of wireless charging (which wasn't).

Now, it seems the handset might be able to add the prospect of a timely major software upgrade to the ability to use microSD cards (subsequently taken away in its successor) to the list of its advantages as a long-term daily driver.

 

TECH

Minisforum launches UM690L Slim Mini PC with Ryzen 9 6900HX, LPDDR5 RAM & triple 4K output

Minisforum has introduced a new ultra-compact mini PC called the UM690L Slim. The device has a volume of just 0.8 liters and weighs 0.67 kilograms. The 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD version is priced at 2499 yuan ($348) in China.

The UM690L Slim features an 8-core, 16-thread Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU with a maximum boost clock of 4.9GHz. The processor has a configurable TDP of 65W and is paired with integrated Radeon 680M graphics. According to the company, the chip scores around 2621 points in 3DMark TimeSpy, putting its GPU performance close to a GTX 1050. The mini PC uses LPDDR5 memory running at 6400MT/s, with options for either 16GB or 32GB configurations. It supports dual M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 SSDs for storage, allowing a combined capacity of up to 4TB. According to Minisforum, the system can achieve read speeds as high as 7000MB/s, making it ideal for quick boot times and managing large file transfers efficiently.

The company has designed a dual-fan cooling system for this model. The system uses phase-change thermal materials and adds dedicated cooling for memory and storage components. Under full load, the noise levels remain under 35dB, based on internal lab tests.

In terms of connectivity, the UM690L Slim includes a 2.5G Ethernet port, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. The device supports triple 4K display output through USB4, HDMI 2.1, and DisplayPort 1.4. The USB4 port also supports up to 40Gbps data transfer and Power Delivery charging input between 65W and 100W. It also allows 15W output for reverse charging. The I/O layout includes two front-facing USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, two USB 2.0 ports at the rear, one USB4 port, a DP 1.4 port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm audio combo jack. The UM690L Slim runs Windows 11 Pro out of the box and measures 130 × 126.5 × 50.4mm.

In related news, Gmktec recently introduced the EVO-T1 Mini PC featuring a Core Ultra 9-285H processor, 64GB RAM, and support for quad 4K display output. Meanwhile, Geekom has launched the IT15 Mini PC with a desktop-grade Core Ultra processor, 64GB RAM, a 4TB SSD, and quad 4K output support.

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SAMSUNG

Samsung’s tri-fold leak: titanium frame, Snapdragon chip — but no under-display camera

Expected to debut later this year, Samsung‘s first tri-fold phone could feature a titanium frame and a Snapdragon flagship in all markets, though one commonly expected feature might be missing.

According to leaker @PandaFlashPro on X, the tri-fold phone will use a combination of titanium and aluminum for its frame and chassis. This blend should improve durability, a key concern for large foldable devices. The use of titanium, already seen in the recent Galaxy S Ultra flagships, suggests Samsung is looking to give its new foldable a premium, durable build.

Under the hood, the device is expected to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, the same flagship chip found in the Galaxy S25 series. That’ll reportedly be paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, helping the phone handle multitasking, gaming, and AI features with ease.

However, one feature users may notice missing is an under-display camera (UDC). Instead, the phone is expected to stick with a punch-hole camera, likely with a 12MP sensor. This aligns with rumors that Samsung is backing away from UDC tech due to its limitations — something also reflected in leaks around the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold7.

Battery specs are still under wraps, but early chatter suggests Samsung may use a conventional battery rather than a newer silicon-carbon cell, or its solid-state battery that’s still under development. The battery capacity is expected to be around 4,400 mAh. There’s speculation that the tri-fold might make a brief appearance during Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event on July 9 in New York, alongside the Z Fold7 and Z Flip7. A full launch is rumored for October, at least in select markets like China and South Korea.

With a rumored price tag of around $2,800, the Galaxy tri-fold is shaping up to be a strong contender in the ultra-premium foldable market, potentially taking on rivals like Huawei’s Mate XT with its innovative software features.

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TECH

Micron 2600 SSD touts adaptive write tech for big speed gains on budget storage

Micron's newly announced 2600 series of NVMe SSDs is a set of PCIe Gen4 drives the company says delivers TLC-like performance while retaining the cost efficiency of QLC NAND. The key to that claim? A new in-house caching approach dubbed Adaptive Write Technology (AWT), which Micron says significantly boosts write speeds—up to 63% faster sequential writes and 49% faster random writes—compared to competing value-tier QLC and TLC SSDs.

According to Micron, the 2600 SSD is the first to use its 9th-generation QLC NAND, a 2Tb die with a six-plane architecture. That internal design reportedly enables higher parallelism and better command throughput, helping the drive hit NAND I/O speeds of up to 3.6 GB/s. If accurate, that would make it the fastest client QLC SSD shipping to date. AWT itself is pitched as a multi-tiered caching system that dynamically shifts between SLC, TLC, and QLC modes to maintain performance across larger workloads. Micron claims the 2TB variant can sustain fast sequential writes even when continuously writing up to 800GB of data—something traditional QLC drives often struggle with once their small SLC caches fill up.

As always, some salt is warranted. Micron’s comparisons are based on internal testing and publicly available datasheets from top OEM SSD vendors, with caveats about SKU availability and test conditions. That said, the company cites PCMark 10 scores showing up to 44% better overall performance and 43% higher bandwidth versus “value TLC” competitors—solid numbers, if they hold up in independent reviews. The 2600 comes in a range of M.2 sizes—22x30mm, 22x42mm, and 22x80mm—with capacities from 512GB to 2TB. The smaller 2TB, 2230 model seems squarely aimed at handheld gaming devices and ultrathin laptops, where both performance and physical footprint are at a premium.

Micron's new drive is already shipping to OEMs and is featured on Intel’s Platform Component List, with endorsements from AMD, IBM, Intel, Phison, and Pure Storage peppered throughout Micron’s press release. Under the hood, the SSD uses a Phison E29T controller, which Phison CEO K.S. Pua says helps unlock the potential of the new G9 QLC NAND in both client and enterprise designs.

No word yet on retail availability or standalone pricing, but given the focus on OEMs, this may be one of those drives that starts life in prebuilt systems before hitting the DIY scene. Still, if Micron’s claims pan out, the 2600 could be a rare budget-tier SSD that doesn’t falter when pushed with sustained workloads—a welcome shift for folks looking for decent storage without coughing up TLC premiums.

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