☀️ Good Morning, readers. Another Android flagship phone lands today in the form of the OnePlus 10T. While we await that launch, here’s what happened in the world of tech while you were snoozing.

Samsung kickstarts self-repair program in the US

Following in Apple and Google’s footsteps, Samsung has finally revealed its self-repair program for Galaxy phones and tablets in the US. So yes, if you don’t want to leave your Samsung phone at the repair center for whatever reason, you can now fix it up right at home. That said, don’t get too excited just yet. The self-repair program Samsung is offering supports limited devices for now. Let’s dive in and tell you more.

• Samsung is partnering with the well-known repair guide and gadget teardown company iFixit for this new self-repair program.
• At first, the program will support the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S21 family of smartphones, along with the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus tablet.
• Owners can buy self-repair parts and tools to replace the screen, back glass, and charging ports for all those devices.
• If you’re repairing a phone screen, assemblies include the screen, the phone’s metal frame, the bezel, and the battery.
• However, if your phone’s battery is swollen, Samsung recommends you shouldn’t try to repair it yourself.
• On that note, if you want a phone with a removable battery, so you don’t have to struggle with repairs, here are our recommendations.

How does it work?

• Samsung will provide step-by-step guides to help customers through the process.
• The company will also give customers shipping labels to return the broken parts for recycling.
• That reminds me of an article we wrote about 10 ways to recycle your phone.
• If you want to repair your Samsung devices mentioned above, you can purchase genuine device parts and tools, available through iFixit, Samsung 837, and Samsung retail and service locations.

How much does it cost?

• You can buy just the replacement parts or the complete fix kit with all the tools needed for repairs.
• A screen and battery replacement kit costs $167.99 for the Galaxy S21, topping out at $239.99 for the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
• Strangely, the vanilla Galaxy S20’s screen and battery kit is more expensive at $206 than that of the standard Galaxy S21.
• Other replacement parts like the charging ports and rear glass are much cheaper, ranging from $67 to $77 depending on the part and the phone.

On a related note, Samsung has a pretty cool new repair mode for its phones in Korea. We hope it comes to other markets too. It’ll really take away the anxiety of data theft when you have to leave your phone at the repair center.

Roundup

📵 Something’s up with smartphone launches in China. Motorola canceled the August 2 Razr 2022 and X30 Pro launch. OnePlus also canned its Ace Pro launch (Android Authority).

🔟 Don’t worry. The OnePlus 10T is still launching on time (Android Authority).

🕹️ Speaking of launches, Logitech will launch a handheld cloud gaming device in 2022. It’ll support Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA’s GeForce Now services (Android Authority).

📺 From a gaming device to a seven-year-old streaming device. Here’s how well the NVIDIA Shield TV has held up for one of our own (Android Authority).

🔥 Raise your banners. The first Game of Thrones fan convention is happening this December, and GOT stars will be in attendance! (Creation Entertainment).

🔊 Looking for a new pair of true wireless earbuds? Check out our HUAWEI Freebuds Pro 2 review (Android Authority).

⌚ The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series is coming in hot, and we have some good news about its charging speeds (Android Authority).

🤨 Now raise your eyebrows. A man made millions unlocking T-Mobile phones with stolen passwords (PCMag).

🚴 Bolt Mobility, the e-bike sharing company co-founded by Usain Bolt, appears to have shut down (Engadget).

🎮 While we’re talking about things shutting down, Sony is already retiring a PS5 feature. But did you really care about, or even know about this one? (TechRadar)

🎦 Confused between Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and IMAX Enhanced? Here’s what they all mean and how they differ from each other (Android Authority).

⚽ Manchester City made a smart football scarf to track those big match feels (Wareable).

💰 Billions more for US science: how the landmark spending plan will boost research (Nature).

Wednesday Weirdness

A man created a gaming PC inside… wait for it… a toilet🚽! Now that’s a lot of water next to computer parts!

• YouTuber Basically Homeless turned his toilet into a full-fledged gaming PC.
• He installed gaming-grade PC components into his toilet’s tank to do “sweaty, try-hard FPS gaming from his toilet seat.”
• He even got paid for doing this!
• Nevertheless, it looks like converting your toilet into a gaming rig takes a lot of time and effort.
• And if a toilet seat ain’t your thing while gaming? We recommend these gaming chairs to treat your tush.

Have a fantastic day!

Adamya Sharma, Editor.