Pocket-lint daily - Steam Deck hits 4,000 games, Pixel 6a review, and more

Happy Friday! By Chris Hall | Friday July 22 2022 It's Friday! - If you're enjoying the email, why not get a friend to sign up too, so they can also be in the know? Get them to [sign up here.]( Valve's Steam Deck now supports over 4,000 games Pocket-lint What's happened? There are now [over 4,000 games]( deemed to be "playable" on the Steam Deck. That means a mix of both Steam Deck Verified and playable games that you can purchase from the Steam store. Why does it matter? At the time of launch there were just 100 games that were playable on the Steam Deck but that number has steadily and significantly climbed over time. What's my take? For many, Steam Deck has been seen as something of a holy grail for mobile gaming. It's a competitive space where you have the excellent Nintendo Switch and all those beloved characters, then you have mobile options with everyone wanting to offer game streaming services from Google, Nvidia or Xbox. While there's a lot of great stuff to be said about game streaming services running through your existing phone, it's clear that dedicated devices like the Switch and now the Steam Deck are winning fans, and quickly. The question is where Steam Deck goes from here. Supply has been in demand and while that helps build hype, Valve really needs to be able to serve orders, widen its distribution and get consoles in the hands of more customers. Could it be the must-have tech this Christmas? Maybe. The Galaxy Z Flip sells more than double the volume of the Z Fold Pocket-lint What's happened? Samsung has revealed [how many folding phones it sold in 2021]( thanks to an editorial by Dr TM Roh, the company's president and head of its MX Business. Why does it matter? The company revealed a 300 per cent increase over 2020 and that it shifted almost 10 million folding phones in 2021. Of these, 70 per cent of customers chose the Z Flip model. What's my take? The first folding phone models to appear were all about accessing a bigger display. Opening like a book, you could get more screen to browse or play on. For many people that was never a folding phone - it was a folding tablet. The downside is that you end up carrying something that's quite big, whereas what people wanted was to carry something quite small. It's no surprise then that the Z Flip model is the more desirable. You effectively get to fold your phone in half and slip it into your pocket or bag. The big push from Samsung - and others trying to get into the folding phone segment - is likely to be behind these smaller devices and I'm expecting to see a shift in emphasis towards the format that's selling the most volume. Google Pixel 6a initial review: Mid-range magic Pocket-lint What's happened? The Pixel 6a is Google's latest affordable phone, picking up on the design of the Pixel 6, keeping many of the same hardware points and landing with a price that's a lot more accessible. Our quick verdict The Google Pixel 6a delivers some flagship hardware at a mid-range price point. There's the widely-lauded Pixel camera on the rear which offers a great experience while not using the latest hardware from Google. This is a compact phone with a great display, albeit limited to 60Hz refresh rates. The inclusion of the IP67 protection is a great benefit in this price bracket. The Google Pixel 6a is an ideal phone for someone looking for a compact and powerful device offering good value for money - with the bonus of five years of software support. [Read our review](. In Case You Missed it [How to turn off]( the annoying Twitter 'chirp' refresh sound. --- Herman Miller has [partnered]( with G2 Esports. --- The JBL Clip 4 portable speaker has been [reduced by 39% to $49.95]( from $79.95. You'll save $30 on this waterproof and dustproof device, with up to 10 hours of playback. From The Gear Loop Decathlon Pump-up versus pop-up tents: Everything you need to know about pitching the popular easy-up shelters. [Read all about it](. And finally... NASA Here are 51 staggering images of Mars like you've never seen before. [See more here](. Have you checked out our weekly podcast that comes out every Friday? It's packed with news, interviews, and top things to get. You can subscribe to the Pocket-lint Podcast via [iTunes]( and [Spotify]( or access it on the web via [Acast](. This week, we dissect FIFA 23, talk to Qualcomm's head of wearables, and investigate the new Autel drone - does DJI need to be worried? [Listen to the new episode today.]( Thanks for reading , if you're enjoying the email, why not get a friend to sign up too, so they can also be in the know? 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