💸 $2,800 for a phone

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📬 Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here. Tomorrow: I break down which ID theft bucket actually pays for what, including the number most people get wrong.

It’s Monday, {{first_name | friend}}. Let’s get your day started with a scary headline you’ve probably already seen in the family group chat: “Your Apple Watch is bombarding your wrist with radiation 24/7!” 

And technically? It’s true. Your smartwatch and your smart ring both emit radiation. So does your phone, your Wi-Fi router, your TV remote and the sun. But it can’t be the same “glowing green goo and hazmat suit” type, right? 

🩻 What kind of radiation does your smartwatch or smart ring give off? A) Ionizing radiation, the DNA-damaging kind from X-rays and nuclear plants, B) Nonionizing radiation, the same low-energy kind as your Wi-Fi and TV remote, C) None at all, the whole thing is a myth or D) Just enough to give you a mild superpower if you wear it during a lightning storm? Keep reading, the answer’s waiting at the end, no hazmat suit required.

🎯 You’re a major target: Scammers don’t have to guess how to trick you anymore. They buy your phone number, home address and family details directly from data brokers. It’s why your phone keeps ringing with spam. I use Incogni to wipe my profile from their databases automatically. Take back your privacy and get 60% off with code KIM60. More below.*  — Kim

⚡ TL;DR

📖 Read time: 2 minutes

Your phone is about to learn a new party trick. It will fold in half.

On July 22, Samsung takes the stage in London to show off its next folding lineup: a Galaxy Z Fold that’s shorter and wider than before, plus a smaller flip-style model. The teaser says it flat out: “A new shape unfolds.” Then this fall, Apple crashes the party with its first folding iPhone. Two giants, one bendy idea. Suddenly, that slab in your hand looks a little flat.

So let’s break down what a foldable actually is and whether you want one.

Picture a phone that opens like a little book. Closed, it’s a normal phone in your pocket. Flip it open, and boom, a screen close to 8 inches. Basically a mini iPad you can slip in your bag.

Samsung’s been building these for years, so it’s the seasoned pro. Apple’s the new kid. Word is its version opens to a 7.8-inch screen, ditches Face ID for a fingerprint reader, packs two cameras with no zoom lens and starts north of $2,000, likely $2,800 with max storage. The priciest iPhone ever made. (Take a breath. I’ll wait.)

Every foldable until now had one ugly flaw: a crease down the middle. They spent a decade erasing one wrinkle. Meanwhile, my face has questions.

Here’s the deliciously petty part. That crease-free screen inside Apple’s iPhone? Built by Samsung. You can’t make this up. Apple’s fanciest part, made by the rival it roasts in its own ads. Talk about an awkward Thanksgiving.

Devour books and articles? That big page is a joy. Travel a lot? It’s your phone and your tablet in one, so you pack lighter. Imagine FaceTiming the grandkids on a screen that size. And if you’re forever squinting at tiny text, your eyes will send a thank-you note.

But if you just want a phone that makes calls and takes great photos, this is a mountain of cash for a party trick. Skip it. Foldables are also thicker, heavier and rougher on the battery than a slim phone.

Unless you’re in that sweet spot above, wait. Let them iron out the kinks, then grab a cheaper, better version in a year or two. 

First-generation anything is a beta test you pay full price for. Curious now? Samsung’s July 22 show is the one to watch. Those phones hit shelves while Apple’s is still warming up backstage.

Here’s the thing. You can already fold your current iPhone. Trouble is, you only get to do it once.

📩 Send this to someone who’s already raiding the piggy bank for a folding phone.

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(Starts at 1:11) Just left your job? An AI company might pay top dollar for your old work to use as chatbot training.

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🎧 Or search “Komando” wherever you get your podcasts. I’m everywhere.

🗣️ Siri is dumping ChatGPT for Google Gemini: In a plot twist nobody saw coming, Apple confirmed the new Siri launching this fall will run on Google's Gemini instead of ChatGPT. Yes, Apple and Google, frenemies forever, teaming up on the assistant in your pocket. For you, it should mean a smarter, less clueless Siri. Apple and Google, sharing custody of your assistant. The awkward part is Siri still calls them both “that guy.”

👻 The ghost tab: I didn’t expect the Bill Gates kid’s shopping app to make browser coupons feel like casino pit boss accounting. Phia, cofounded by Phoebe Gates, says it helps shoppers find cheaper clothes. Bloomberg found the extension quietly dropped Phia’s affiliate code at checkout even when someone else sent the shopper there (paywall link). Phia found a discount, all right. On somebody else's commission. It was a ripoff. Honey, the PayPal-owned browser extension, was accused of the same thing. 

📘 Stop feeling confused by AI: It’s moving fast. I see a lot of hype out there, but I only share resources that are worth your attention. For the first time ever, NetSuite is allowing business owners to test drive NetSuite Next for free. It’s what your company’s been missing. Download it for free.*

That “candidate” texting you back? It might be a bot: Campaigns are unleashing AI chatbots that text voters, chat like the candidate, and quietly vacuum up your opinions. One firm, Vector Political, says it fired off 2.5 million texts this year and had tens of thousands of back-and-forth conversations, with some folks trading 10-plus messages with a machine they thought was a person. Before you pour your heart out to a campaign volunteer at 9 p.m., remember, it may be a robot taking notes. Ask it who it really is. If it dodges, so should you.

📚 No bot left behind: Norway yanked the AI cord. This fall, kids 6 to 13 cannot use AI in school, and teens 14 to 16 need a teacher watching. Norway banned classroom phones in 2024 and saw bullying drop and grades climb. It's not alone. China bars grade schoolers from using AI tools. Sweden pulled tablets and bought printed textbooks. Australia locked under-16s out of social media. Pencils are back, friend. And why shouldn't you write with a broken one? It's pointless.

If you want to win the real estate game, head to the boring tabs. Here’s how to snoop on the homeowner’s mortgage history. Plus, we help Aaron decide if extra eBay fees are worth it to sell car parts.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or search “Komando” wherever you get your podcasts. I’m everywhere.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: You crank the volume to hear the whisper, then the car chase blows out your windows. Amazon Prime Video fixed it. Start any show, tap the speech-bubble icon, then Audio & Subtitles > English Dialogue Boost: High. It isolates the voices and raises them, so the mumbling gets louder and the explosions stay put. Netflix hides a similar option under Audio > English (Original). Your neighbors will thank you. Finally.

Stop overpaying: I have tested thousands of gadgets in my career. Raycon Everyday Earbuds are still a top pick. They offer incredible sound and a custom fit that actually stays in your ears. You get premium quality without the massive markup of other brands. Enjoy your summer with better music, podcasts and clearer calls. Use my link to save 20% sitewide.*

🛒 Organize your grocery list: Using Notes for groceries or to-dos? Super annoying when checked-off onions are sitting among the stuff you still need. On iPhone, open Settings > Notes > Sort Checked Items and switch it to Automatically. Completed tasks drop to the bottom, and your active list stays front and center.

Find your way back: Exploring a new town with your Apple Watch? Drop a pin before you wander off like a confident little tourist. Open Maps on your watch, tap the blue dot, then Mark My Location. To return, open Maps again, tap the magnifying glass, scroll to Recents and choose the pin for directions back.

🧹 Self-cleaning Windows: Your PC can automatically clear junk before your hard drive packs up. Open Settings > System > Storage and turn on Storage Sense. Click into it, check the cleanup options and set it to run weekly. It clears temporary files, old Recycle Bin stuff and downloads you haven’t opened in a while.

Be on the show! AI is reshaping the workforce. Worried? Or want to use it to get ahead? I want to hear your story. Tell me here.

China’s latest luxury SUV test is what Batman would use if he had to pick up the kids from soccer practice. 

XPeng/ARIDGE’s Land Aircraft Carrier is a six-wheel ground vehicle that carries a detachable two-seat eVTOL in its trunk. Translation? Mini-helicopter escape hatch for when traffic is so bad you want to ditch your car completely. 

The Cybertruck-size mothership fits standard parking spaces and can juice the aircraft for up to six 30-minute flights. The flying pod gets six rotors, a joystick and autopilot-style help.

Six wheels and a chopper in the trunk, because apparently merging was too hard. Props to XPeng. Literally.

Check it out in action.

🎓 What you learned today: Folding phones go mainstream with Samsung and Apple's iPhone this fall, Siri is dumping ChatGPT for Gemini, that "helpful" shopping extension was quietly pocketing somebody else's commission at checkout, the friendly campaign volunteer texting you at 9 p.m. may be a chatbot taking notes, Norway just banned AI for kids in school, and Windows will clean out its own junk drawer if you turn on Storage Sense. Not bad for one email. Tomorrow, I break down which identity monitoring services only warn you and which ones actually clean up the mess. Don't miss it.

⌚️ The answer: B) Nonionizing radiation, the harmless low-energy kind. Radiation comes in two flavors. 

Regulators measure absorption with something called SAR (specific absorption rate), which the FCC caps at 1.6 W/kg. The Apple Watch clocks in around 1.15, comfortably under. No study has ever established that it causes disease. Wear it in good health. Relax. Your watch isn’t nuking your wrist. The scariest thing it emits is another reminder to stand up.

In fantasy, if you’re exposed to radiation, you become Spider-Man. In reality, you just get visited by Spider-Man.

🛑 Stop the spam at the source: You could try to opt out of these creepy data broker lists yourself, but it takes hundreds of hours of frustrating paperwork. Incogni handles the entire legal battle for you. They force these companies to delete your data. You don’t have to lift a finger. I only partner with brands that I personally use, and this one is a game changer. Get 60% off with code KIM60 right now.*

Kim Komando • Komando.com • 510+ radio stations • Trusted by millions daily

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Photo credit(s): ChatGPT/Kim Komando, Astercook, @RafaGoesAround via YouTube

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