Look, it bends

[Bloomberg] [Fully Charged]( From [Bloomberg](   [FOLLOW US [Facebook Share]]( [Twitter Share]( [SUBSCRIBE [Subscribe]](  Hi all, it's Eric. At long last, Samsung Electronics Co. says it is going to release the Galaxy Fold in September, months after early versions of the folding smartphone frustrated and confused tech reviewers. Some of the critics peeled off the protective plastic thinking it was optional. Others saw their phones break down within days of receiving them. But the real issue looming over the launch isn't whether Samsung can fix all the Galaxy Fold’s myriad problems. The bigger question is, even assuming a flawless rollout, will anyone care? It’s hard to get too excited about any new phone these days. My colleagues report that Apple Inc.'s suppliers are planning to produce parts for up to [75 million phones in the second half of 2019](—about the same number as they put out in the first half. That might reflect that, for Apple users, there hasn’t been much reason to get an iPhone upgrade since the iPhone X. At this point, Apple should probably be happy there hasn’t been a drop-off. The next flashy phone coming out of Cupertino will be the iPhone 11. According to reports, the new technology will mostly revolve around upgrades to the phone’s multiple cameras. But cell phone pictures have been amazing for years. Apple convinced the world of that back in 2015 when it created advertisements with the words “Shot on iPhone 6” affixed to beautiful photos. Now, Apple seems to be toiling around the edges—literally. The company is reportedly working on a feature that [captures the area around an image]( in case you want to tweak the photo’s frame in editing. A lull in smartphones’ rapid progress isn’t necessarily bad news for most consumers. The slowdown in innovation at the highest end has allowed cheaper phones to catch up. So, you can buy a phone packed with great cameras and processors that were once technological marvels for about $400. Google’s Pixel 3a is the [trusty review site Wirecutter’s top recommended Android phone](, even though it’s Google’s plastic discount version of the Pixel. And overseas, “smart feature phones,” lower-tech versions of smartphones [as cheap as $25](, have seen huge sales growth. At this point, the iPhone is looking more and more like the Mac. It’s cool, pricey and has similar features to other devices on the market. That’s left customers wondering less about what the next version will look like, and more about whether Apple’s managers can churn out innovation like they used to. Meanwhile, promised progress in the form of mobile virtual reality and augmented reality has yet to materialize. Change can be sudden. Many people didn’t appreciate how transformative the iPhone was when it first launched. And the true game changer—the App Store—didn’t come until a year later. But I think we can say with confidence that a bending phone won’t birth an entire generation of software companies from its crease. Here's hoping the next great mobile computing advancement is just around the corner, and that it does more than fold. —[Eric Newcomer](mailto:enewcomer@bloomberg.net)  And here’s what you need to know in global technology news Meanwhile, Apple is making moves in 5G. The company is [buying Intel's cellular modem unit](.  Get ready for Vision Fund 2. SoftBank officially announced its [new megafund]( on Thursday, with a $108 billion target.  State antitrust action looms. It's [not just the Department of Justice that's looking at big tech](.  LOL. Now Elon Musk wants to sell Teslas out of stores again. [Here's a look]( at the company's schizophrenic retail strategy pronouncements.  And there's more Elon Musk News. The Boring Company [has raised $120 million]( at a $920 million valuation, while taking its first outside investment.    You received this message because you are subscribed to the Bloomberg Technology newsletter Fully Charged. You can tell your friends to [sign up here](.  [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022