Samsung Galaxy Note 20, Apple Watch Series 6 and more on sale today

As per usual, let’s begin today with deals and, you guessed it, the Samsung trade-in deals are still going so we’re still going to feature them. The Galaxy Note 20 is $550 off, meaning the regular variant for $450, or the Ultra for $750. The S20 FE now starts at $390, the regular S20 at $490, and it goes all the way up to the S20 Ultra for $890. Last but definitely not least, the Z Fold 2 is still basically half off, leaving it at $1000. So yeah, you can still grab these great deals but remember, you need an eligible device to trade in. If you want an Apple Watch, you can get the Series 6 for $49 off, leaving it at $380 for the 44mm variant. But alright, moving on to gaming, if you’re looking for a laptop, the Alienware m15 R3 is currently $277 off, leaving the 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD model for $1572, packing an RTX 2060 GPU. If you’re looking for peripherals, Razer is having another sale, leaving things like the Razer Black Widow Elite Keyboard for $85. We have more deals on other gaming peripherals, other Apple Watches and more, in the links in the description.

Apple plans 30% production surge for 2021’s first half expecting strong iPhone demand

Let’s keep talking iPhones but move on to future releases as we hear that the company plans to have a more of a normal year in 2021 and yet plans to be aggressive about it. Every single year we hear reports about how the company might have a Super Cycle but, despite the pandemic it looks like they might be looking at one right now. According to a new report from Nikkei Asia, Apple plans to produce up to 96M iPhones for the first half of 2021 on both old and new models, marking a 30% year-over-year increase. Now, when it comes to the full year forecast, we’re looking at 230M iPhones for next year which is a 20% increase over 2019 and it’s pretty on par with their record-breaking 231.5M shipped from 2015. The report also mentions that Cupertino is preparing an aggressive production schedule for their high-end computers, including the MacBook Pro and an iMac Pro for next year. It also mentions a new Apple TV for next year which other tipsters have mentioned as well. We’ll see if that super cycle actually happens this year, with analysts like Jeff Pu forecasting 220M shipments for Apple. It seems that regardless of how bad this pandemic has been, people have actually consumed more electronics than ever.

We could get an Apple Watch with Touch ID and under-display camera

Now how about if we talk Apple Watch. I find it interesting how Apple nailed security on that watch so well, having it lock itself instantly when you remove it from your wrist, and even serve as a Touch ID replacement for your Mac, which means if someone knows your PIN, you’re screwed. Seems Apple has decided to fix that with some new patent applications. The first one is titled “Electronic device having sealed button biometric sensing system,” AKA, let’s use that side button as a fingerprint scanner like we have with the iPad Air. The second is “Electronic devices with two-stage displays” which reportedly will allow for an under display camera. Why would you ever want a camera on the most awkward position ever is the weirdest thing, but it seems Apple finds a use for it. Whatever the case may be I’m excited to get Touch ID on the Apple Watch, but remember Apple is known for excessive prototyping, so we have no idea if and when this will happen.

Samsung could give us up to four new folding smartphones next year

And since the rumors hint to Samsung getting rid of the Note line next year, we know that they plan to bank big on their foldables. Well, according to an ETNews report, Samsung will be releasing 4 different foldables in 2021. These 4 foldables will consist of two Z Fold models and two Z Flip models. All of these phones are expected to arrive with 5G capabilities, with mass production beginning some time in August, a little late but in time for when usually get the Note event. And, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard that Samsung plans to do this so it might actually be the company’s strategy. Other reports hint that Samsung plans to include the S Pen in the Fold 3, because they’re planning to get rid of the Note line. ETNews also reports that Samsung might even plan to release a rollable smartphone sometime late next year or in 2022. So yeah, we should be getting two new Z Fold 3’s, hopefully one with a more affordable variant if it actually plans to replace the Note, and two Z Flip 3’s, yes, 3. I’ll admit I admire Samsung’s boldness in completely banking its efforts on foldables, but I seriously wonder if consumers will react the same way for the price.

Story of the day:

Samsung officially hints at S Pen support for more devices, likely the Galaxy S21 Ultra

And finally the hottest news today have everything to do with Samsung’s upcoming releases and their plans to get rid of the Note by extending some of its features to the Galaxy S. In typical Samsung fashion, we’re getting more official details. Multiple reports this year have hinted to the S21 bringing S Pen support, again for the fact that we might not get a Note. Well, the president and head of mobile communications business hinted on a Blogpost that stylus support “will make its way to more devices than just the Note portfolio” also hinting that the Note might not die after all. To quote him, he mentions that “they’ve also been paying attention to people’s favorite aspects of the Note experience, and they are excited to add some of the most well-loved features to other devices in their line-up”. He also said that limitations are for other brands and that Samsung wants to test the rules as they know no bounds. Of course, he didn’t explicitly say that the S Pen is coming to the S21 but, a TON of reports have alluded to this ever since the leaks started. Sadly, tipsters like Ice Universe and other reliable sources claim that the S Pen will be supported, but it won’t ship with the phone and it won’t be placed inside it, like we get with the Note. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/pocketnowsub http://pocketnow.com Follow us: http://flipboard.com/@Pocketnow http://facebook.com/pocketnow http://twitter.com/pocketnow

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