Windows Phone lives on… sort of
Windows Phone is dead and not coming back. Now that I’ve cut off that band-aid, it’s time to focus on pseudo-flashing the phone’s lost OS. YouTuber Mark Spurrell turned his Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 into a Windows Phone using a combination of Square Home and Win-X Android launchers. The end result was a Galaxy Z Fold 4 that looked like a device running Windows Phone 8.1 when it was closed and Windows 11 when it was open. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 can’t normally run two different launchers, but Spurrell overcame that limitation using Bixby Routines. In related news, executive editor Daniel Rubino shared five things he loves about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 (and five things he hates) as a Surface Duo 2 user.
Xbox won’t match PS5 price increase
(Image credit: Matt Brown | Windows Central) Sony has announced that the price of the PlayStation 5 will increase in several markets. While the United States is currently excluded from this list, the cost of the PS5 has increased or will increase soon in Europe, Japan, China, Australia, Mexico, and Canada. Naturally, people wondered if Microsoft would follow suit with increased prices for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Those concerns were put to rest, at least somewhat, by a statement from a Microsoft representative on Windows Central. “We are constantly evaluating our business to provide our fans with great gaming options. The suggested retail price of Xbox Series S remains at $299 (£250, €300) Xbox Series X is $499 (£450, €500),” they said. Microsoft didn’t promise that its console’s pricing will stay the same going forward, but it did confirm that the cost of the Series X and S will remain the same for now.
HP unveils Dragonfly Folio G3
(Image: Daniel Rubino) HP announced several devices this week, including the “world’s most powerful commercial AIO” and a 4K streaming webcam. The biggest news of the week, however, was the HP Dragonfly Folio G3. This professional 2-in-1 has a similar form factor to the HP Elite Folio, but packs much more powerful specs. The Dragonfly Folio G3 features a 12th generation Intel U-series processor, an OLED display and an 8MP AI camera. Our executive editor Daniel Rubino said he was “blown away by it” in his first look at the device. “So far, the Dragonfly Folio G3 is the most exciting laptop I’ve handled this year. Actually, there’s something else coming up that’s very interesting, but in terms of being realistic, functional, and likely something you’d buy, I think HP hit it out of the park,” Rubino said.
(Image credit: Windows Central) Gamescom 2022 took place this week in Cologne, Germany. There, Microsoft and many major companies across the industry showcased the best Xbox games. Senior Xbox Editor Jez Corden was on the show floor and the rest of our team covered the event remotely. The list of titles featured is huge, but the ones that got the most looks were Microsoft Flight Simulator, Sea of Thieves, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Age of Empires IV and Minecraft Legends. You can recap all the biggest news from the event by checking out our Gamescom 2022 live blog.
Collection review
(Image: Daniel Thorp-Lancaster / Windows Central) With plenty of gadgets constantly being released, our team of experts are always on the hunt for things to review. From routers to tablets and standing desks, see everything we reviewed this week:
