The Friday Checkout: OnePlus Ban Threat, Linux Rise, and Samsung’s Trifold Surprise

This week in tech was packed with controversy, exciting leaks, and a few surprising developments. From political scrutiny on OnePlus to leaked details of Samsung’s much-rumored trifold phone and even the quiet rise of Linux desktops, here’s everything that happened.

OnePlus Under U.S. Scrutiny

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has asked the Commerce Department to investigate OnePlus for potential national security risks. The concern? That the Chinese smartphone brand may be collecting and transmitting user data to servers under China’s jurisdiction without user consent.

While no concrete evidence has been made public, a commercial third party claimed the devices could be capturing sensitive personal information and screenshots. The request remains in its early stages, but if the probe gains traction, it could lead to serious consequences for OnePlus, which has maintained a strong presence in the budget flagship category in the U.S.

Critics point out the lack of transparency and the seemingly arbitrary targeting of Chinese brands. With the U.S. smartphone market already lacking competition, banning OnePlus could worsen consumer choice.

The Quiet Rise of the Linux Desktop

In other news, Linux has quietly crossed a significant milestone. According to Statcounter, Linux desktops have surpassed 5% market share in the U.S. for the first time ever. It’s a modest number, but the growth is consistent and notable.

This surge is being helped by Microsoft’s unpopular Windows 10 end-of-life policy. As of June, a huge chunk of the global user base still uses Windows 10, despite Microsoft pushing hard for upgrades to Windows 11. The barriers to upgrading—like TPM chip requirements—have left many users stuck.

Linux communities have capitalized on this with targeted campaigns encouraging users to switch. And with growing support from SteamOS, hardware vendors, and the gaming industry, Linux adoption is accelerating.

Microsoft, feeling the pressure, has introduced extended support plans for Windows 10 users, including options to sync with Microsoft, redeem reward points, or pay a small fee. Still, many users are exploring Linux as a real alternative.

Samsung Trifold Phone Leak

One of the most exciting developments this week came from Samsung’s camp. A trifold phone codenamed “Multifold 7” (possibly to be marketed as the Galaxy G-Fold 7) appeared in animations found within One UI 8 by Android Authority’s AssembleDebug.

The design includes an outer display on the middle panel, with two side panels folding inward. It resembles Samsung Display’s Flex G prototype and avoids the vulnerability of outward-folding displays like Huawei’s.

Specs are also promising: a 10-inch OLED inner display, a 200MP main camera, and a potential price tag of $3,000. Unfortunately, the initial release may be limited to Korea and China, with production starting in September and a launch expected in Q4 2025.

Other Headlines

• Nothing Launched Headphone One and Phone 3: The Nothing Phone 3 brings a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, three 50MP cameras, and a quirky matrix dot display. The $799 device also includes a 5,150 mAh battery with advanced silicon carbon anode tech.
• Honor Debuts Magic V5: The thinnest foldable yet (if you don’t count the camera bump), with full flagship specs. Expect to see it at IFA later this year.
• Microsoft Layoffs Continue: Up to 9,000 jobs cut, impacting Xbox and Blizzard. The company is also killing off its Warcraft Rumble mobile game.
• Proton Sues Apple: The Swiss company is challenging Apple over its 30% App Store commission and in-app purchase rules in a U.S. antitrust lawsuit.
• Spotify Updates Discovery Weekly: Users can now tweak their music recommendations by genre, a big update after a decade.
• Cloudflare Pushes Back Against AI Crawlers: The company introduced Paper Crawl, which lets sites charge AI crawlers and blocks them by default unless explicitly allowed.
• Nintendo Blocks USB-C Compatibility: An investigation by The Verge reveals that Nintendo has deliberately restricted USB-C functionality, but workarounds already exist.

Deal of the Week: Insta360 Ace Pro 2 on Sale

The Insta360 Ace Pro 2, a flagship action camera praised for its large sensor, superb stabilization, and underwater performance, is now on sale through Prime Days. Buyers can get 18% off until July 15. Plus, the first 20 purchases through a special link receive a free mini tripod.

Whether you’re into vlogging, action sports, or underwater photography, this camera’s large sensor and 8K resolution make it a standout in the category.

That’s it for this week’s Friday Checkout. Stay tuned and subscribe for more updates, and let’s see what the tech world brings us next Friday.