Phones are getting fun (and weird) again

Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold, referred to as the Fold 8 in a newsletter, is highlighted as part of a broader trend of smartphones becoming more enjoyable and unconventional, according to 9to5Google's Inbox newsletter. The newsletter also notes recent tensions between OpenAI and Anthropic, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, and a strategic partnership between Winamp and Deezer to power the next generation of Winamp's music player.

Hey, how’s it going? I hope you had a lovely weekend. I was off last week, relaxing by the water, trying to finish a harrowing Booker Prize-winning novel about Australian POWs during WWII https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17905709-the-narrow-road-to-the-deep-north , rekindling my love for Love & Basketball https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0199725/ , and playing far too much Lumines Remastered https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=games.sound.enhance.luminesremastered on my Fold 8. I also caught up on the latest drama between OpenAI and Anthropic https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/how-openai-lost-its-ai-crownand-the-fight-to-win-it-back-7d069695?st=b42mHw&reflink=desktopwebshare permalink and briefly considered switching to Deezer just so I could whip the llama’s ass https://newsroom-deezer.com/2026/07/winamp-announces-strategic-partnership-with-deezer-to-power-the-next-generation-of-its-iconic-music-player/ one more time. As a reminder, Inbox is the tech newsletter you should be able to read in around 95 seconds. We cover the most important 9to5Google stories from the last couple of days along with a few highlights from around the web. We publish every Tuesday and Thursday, and if you like what you read, please subscribe https://9to5google.beehiiv.com/subscribe .