Gear News of the Week: Samsung’s Trifold Promise, Ikea’s Sonos Split, and Hugging Face’s New Robot
Gear News of the Week: Samsung’s Trifold Promise, Ikea’s Sonos Split, and Hugging Face’s New Robot
Samsung’s recent event highlighted the industry’s gradual shift toward advanced, albeit expensive, foldable form factors, with the highly anticipated trifold phone delayed until 2025. This timeline reflects the complex engineering challenges inherent in multi-hinge designs and the high price points associated with cutting-edge mobile hardware, signaling that while innovation continues, accessibility remains limited for mainstream consumers. Simultaneously, the rise of open-source hardware like Hugging Face’s Reachy Mini demonstrates a growing trend toward democratizing AI experimentation. By providing affordable, buildable robots that leverage open ecosystems and community-shared behaviors, the company lowers the barrier to entry for developers and educators, fostering a collaborative environment where AI capabilities are accessible beyond large corporate labs. The most significant shift for open data and interoperability is IKEA’s strategic pivot to Matter and Thread protocols, effectively abandoning proprietary standards like Zigbee. This move eliminates the need for specific hubs, allowing smart home devices to communicate seamlessly across major platforms like Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa. By prioritizing open standards, IKEA is accelerating the adoption of universal connectivity, reducing vendor lock-in, and empowering users with greater control over their data and device ecosystems.
Source: wired.comPublished on 2025-07-13