The forthcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7 is Samsung’s thinnest foldable yet. Our own Allison Johnson just published her full review ahead of the phone’s launch on July 25th, and while there’s certainly no denying it’s a spendy device, know that various carriers and retailers are offering a host of preorder incentives, many of which will expire at launch.

Although the Z Fold 7 isn’t miles ahead of last-gen Z Fold 6 in terms of performance, it measures just 8.9mm thick when folded, making it look and feel like something of a next-gen foldable. The outer screen has also increased in size from 6.3 inches to 6.5 inches, which, when taken into account alongside its thickness, makes the Z Fold 7 feel more akin to a normal phone when folded. Alas, if only it had a “normal phone” price tag instead of an exuberant starting price of $1,999.

That being said, it’s still possible to save on a preorder purchase, or at the very least receive some credit you can then spend on accessories like the Galaxy Watch 8. Whether you plan to shop directly through Samsung, your carrier, or a traditional retailer, here are the biggest promotions along with the key details you’ll want to keep in mind.

You can get up to $1,100 in trade-in credit

The current trade-in savings are big enough to chop the Z Fold 7’s $1,999.99 price tag in half. Ahead of its release on July 25th, Samsung is offering up to $1,000 in credit for the last-gen Z Fold 6 and S25 Ultra — or less, if you’re trading in an older phone. Samsung will give you an instant discount based on the estimated value of your trade-in, which lowers the out-of-pocket cost to $999.99. That’s great, and thankfully, you can get instant trade-in credit even if you’re activating the phone on Verizon or AT&T through Samsung’s site. But that’s not how trade-in credit works if you’re buying directly through carriers.

Carriers across the board are currently offering a $1,100 trade-in credit toward the Z Fold 7, which will be paid back in the form of monthly installments. AT&T will provide $1,100 in credits over 36 months to customers on postpaid unlimited plans who purchase the new phone with an installment plan. As for the phones that AT&T is currently accepting, they include any Galaxy S, Note, and S-series phone, regardless of its age or condition.

Verizon is also offering up to $1,100 in monthly credits over 36 months with an eligible trade-in in “any condition,” although the carrier doesn’t list or even mention any eligible phones. You must also be on an Unlimited Ultimate plan to get that much credit.

T-Mobile is offering up to $1,100 in monthly credits for those auto-paying for a plan that costs $85 or more per month — no trade-in required.

Samsung is offering a lot of bonus credit, with a small catch

If you’re preordering directly through Samsung, you will receive a $50 Samsung credit to use on accessories as an extra perk. Those who aren’t trading in a device will get an extra $300 to spend, totaling $350. However, the credit is “use it or lose it,” so to speak; you’ll forfeit it all if you don’t use it at checkout. So, if you do go this route, you’ll want to pick up a pair of earbuds, a case, a Galaxy Watch 8, etc etc.

Keep in mind that the aforementioned credit is exclusive to Samsung’s online storefront and isn’t available when purchasing the Galaxy Z Fold 7 through a carrier, Best Buy, Amazon, or any other retailer.

Not all carriers are offering a free storage upgrade right now

Some retailers, but not all, are offering the 512GB Z Fold 7 for no extra charge through July 24th. This includes Samsung, T-Mobile, Best Buy, and Amazon, the latter of which is also throwing in a $300 Amazon gift card with each purchase. However, AT&T and Verizon aren’t, at least through their respective sites. They each are offering the 256GB model at the same $1,999 price that you can get the 512GB model for elsewhere. That said, activating the Z Fold 7 via Best Buy will allow you to purchase the 512GB variant for $1,899.99 as a one-time payment (or as a $55.55-a-month payment for 36 months).

When you crack open your mailbox, it's almost as if your letters just appear. Long before the days of speedy, overnight mail deliveries, postal service workers meticulously sorted through letters by hand and transported mail on horseback. For more than 250 years, the US Postal Service has worked behind the scenes to build a faster delivery network, and this mission has quietly pushed it to the forefront of technology.

"Most people treat the Postal Service like a black box," USPS spokesperson Jim McKean tells The Verge. "You take your letter, you put it in a mailbox, and then it shows up somewhere in a couple of days. The truth is that that …

Read the full story at The Verge.

"I'm probably the only architect who created a final home," Bob Hendrikx tells The Verge. Tombs and catacombs aside, Hendrikx might be the only one to make a final home using mushrooms.

Hendrikx is the founder and CEO of Loop Biotech, a company that makes caskets out of mycelium, the fibrous root structure of mushrooms. This June, the first burial in North America to use one of Loop Biotech's caskets took place in Maine.

The mushroom casket gives people one more option to leave the living with a gentler impact, part of a growing array of what are supposed to be more sustainable …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Nothing says that the Phone 3 is its "first true flagship phone," and it has put its money where its mouth is. The phone is getting a full US launch, and at $799, it costs exactly the same as a Pixel 9, Galaxy S25, or iPhone 16.

That makes reviewing the Phone 3 refreshingly simple, because there are only two real questions that matter: is this as good as those three? And will it be as good as what we're expecting from the new Pixel and iPhone models that are right around the corner?

The answer is going to come down to how much you like its unique look. The bad news for Nothing is that the Phone 3's design is more divisive than any out the …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The Switch 2 technically launched with an F-Zero game, as F-Zero GX was available on Nintendo Switch Online's premium tier as part of the GameCube lineup. But if you're looking for a new F-Zero or Wipeout, the console has a spiritual successor that costs just $14.99: Shin'en's Fast Fusion.

Fast Fusion pits you in futuristic sci-fi hovercraft races where you fly forward at hundreds of miles per hour. Races are all about managing boosts by collecting coins to build your boost meter and driving over boost zones on the tracks themselves. (You can boost into opponents to make them spin out to earn some extra coins, which never gets old.)

The ga …

Read the full story at The Verge.

I've been using the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for a week, and I've run out of ways to say "It's so nice." It's not essential, or life-changing; it's nice.

It's an understatement, though. Samsung joins the likes of Honor and Oppo in making a folding phone that's almost as thin as a regular phone, and it's a trend with real benefits. Compared to the previous six generations of Samsung folding phones, the Z Fold 7's inner screen feels like a bonus - one that doesn't require the sacrifice of carrying a bigger, bulkier device to get. It is thin. It is luxurious. Also: it is two thousand dollars.

It's so nice. It's two thousand dollars. Somewhere in betwe …

Read the full story at The Verge.

After 40 years and six generations, 2025 marks the beginning of a new generation of the BMW M5: the G90 chassis. Featuring a ground-up redesign and a new plug-in hybrid powertrain, the specs are impressive. It's not just its horsepower and torque numbers but its curb weight of 5,390 pounds, too. That's no small figure, but the German brand's never held back in this department, and it has never greatly impeded the badge.

Well, until now. There's a lot to like about the newest M5, especially in its corner-carving competence and how it acts around town solely propelled by electrons. But in other areas, this $123,275 super sedan lacks some nece …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Flash floods have wrought more havoc in the US this week, from the Northeast to the Midwest, just weeks after swollen rivers took more than 130 lives across central Texas earlier this month. Frustrations have grown in the aftermath of that catastrophe over why more wasn't done to warn people in advance.

Local officials face mounting questions over whether they sent too many or sent too few mobile phone alerts to people. Some Texans have accused the state of sending out too many alerts for injured police officers in the months leading up to the floods, which may have led to residents opting out of receiving warnings. And hard-hit Kerr County …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Happy Friday. I'm back from vacation and still getting caught up on everything I missed. AI researchers moving jobs is getting covered like NBA trades now, apparently.

Before I get into this week's issue, I want to make sure you check out my interview with Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas on Decoder this week. It's a good deep dive on the main topic of today's newsletter. Keep reading for a scoop on Substack and more from this week in AI news.

From chatbots to browsers

So far, when most people think of the modern AI boom, they think of a chatbot like ChatGPT. Now, it's becoming increasingly clear that the web browser is where the next p …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Keeping multiple devices charged while traveling usually means packing several wall warts and cables. Thanks to the clever design of the Twelve South Butterfly SE 2-in-1 Qi2 Charger, however, you can power two devices with a single, compact accessory. Best of all, the foldable charger is now on sale at Amazon and Best Buy starting at $40.99 ($59 off), which is the lowest price we’ve seen.

Twelve South Butterfly SE 2-in-1 Qi2 Charger

Where to Buy:

• $99.99 $40.99 at Amazon
• $99.99 $40.99 at Best Buy

The Butterfly SE features two soft-touch charging discs, one that delivers up to 15W for your phone and another that provides up to 5W for your smartwatch. The two discs are connected by a flexible strap, and they snap together magnetically for travel, folding down to roughly the size of an AirPods Pro case. The versatile charger can also fold into a stand, allowing you to display the iPhone in StandBy mode, which transforms the device into a bedside clock or photo frame.

Each purchase comes with a color-coordinated woven USB-C cable, though it doesn’t include a wall adapter. For this kit to work, you’ll need a 30W charger (this one from Anker is currently down to $12.29 at Amazon). Twelve South also offers an aluminum version of the Butterfly, which is also on sale for $79.99 ($50 off) at Amazon. Build quality aside, the so-called Butterfly 2-in-1 MagSafe Charger is essentially the same thing, but it includes the necessary 30W power adapter and four international adapters.

More weekend discounts

• For those unaware, Belkin offers a variety of great accessories, from cases to audio gear. And now through July 31st, you can get free shipping and save 20 percent sitewide on orders over $75 with promo code VERGE20. It’s a good opportunity to save on Belkin’s charging case for the Nintendo Switch 2 and the excellent BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand with Qi2 15W, which can charge three devices simultaneously.
• If you’re obsessed with karaoke or frequently host outdoor parties, you can pick up the Soundcore Rave 3S AI Party Speaker from Amazon and Soundcore (with code WS7DV2HKQOYP) for $279.99 ($70 off), its best price to date. The wireless Bluetooth party speaker comes with two microphones and an AI vocal removal feature that can remove vocals from “any song from any app,” giving you endless karaoke fodder. It also features light effects, which you can further customize via the Soundcore app.
• The Nothing Phone 3 recently launched in the US, and the configuration with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage is already available for $799 ($100 off) from Amazon and Nothing. The device replaces the patented light strips found on prior models with a small dot-matrix LED display, which can show notifications, battery percentages, and helpful information. Read our hands-on impressions.

Correction, July 18th: An earlier version of this article misstated that the Twelve South Butterfly SE can power two Qi2-compatible devices at once. Only the main charging pad is Qi2-compatible.

In a landmark victory for the crypto industry, President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law, establishing a regulatory framework for a type of digital currency known as stablecoins.

The GENIUS Act creates rules for entities that issue stablecoins, whose value is tied to an asset like the US dollar. Those rules govern who’s allowed to issue stablecoins, how they need to maintain reserves, what happens in the case of bankruptcy, and an obligation to prevent money laundering. 

Trump congratulated members of the crypto industry who attended the signing ceremony at the White House, including the CEOs of Coinbase and Tether. He drew a stark contrast between the Biden administration, which he called “a vicious group of people” who were “trying to crush your industry,” and himself. “I got you guys out of so much trouble,” Trump said.

“The entire crypto community, for years, you were mocked and dismissed and counted out,” Trump said. “But this signing is a massive validation of your hard work and your pioneering spirit.” He added that he chose to back crypto “at an early stage” because it will make the US dollar stronger. “And I also did it for the votes,” he said to a round of laughter from the audience, “because you did come out and vote.”

The bill passed through both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support, with backers saying it creates necessary safeguards for the industry and keeps the US competitive in the space. But it also saw opposition from other members on both sides. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) criticized the bill as “a huge giveaway to Big Tech,” citing concerns it would incentivize companies that issue stablecoins to collect more financial data on consumers. In a speech on the Senate floor, Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), said that the bill “is riddled with loopholes and contains weak safeguards for consumers, national security, and financial stability.”

Warren and other Democrats have also warned that legitimizing the stablecoin industry through the legislation could bolster a potential avenue of corruption for Trump. Trump’s family is involved in crypto firm World Liberty Financial that launched its own stablecoin, USD1. The White House has said the venture creates no conflicts for the president as his assets are in a trust managed by his kids. 

“Through his crypto businesses, President Trump has created an efficient means to trade presidential favors like tariff exemptions, pardons, and government appointments for hundreds of millions—perhaps billions—of dollars from foreign governments, from billionaires, and from large corporations,” Warren said. “This is the single greatest corruption scandal in American history and, by passing the GENIUS Act, the Senate is about to not only bless this corruption, but to actively facilitate its expansion.”

As Trump signed the GENIUS Act, he tried to steer attention to what he’s billed as “a big scandal” for his predecessor. “This is not an autopen, by the way.” Trump quipped.

Think of OpenAI's new ChatGPT Agent as a day-one intern who's incredibly slow at every task but will eventually get the job done.

Well… most of the job. Or… at least part of it. Usually.

It's been one day since OpenAI debuted ChatGPT Agent, which it bills as a tool that can complete a wide range of complex, multi-step tasks on your behalf using its own "virtual computer." It's a combination of two of the company's prior releases, Operator and Deep Research. The Verge forked over the $200 for a one-month subscription to ChatGPT Pro, since OpenAI announced that higher-than-expected demand for ChatGPT Agent will delay its rollout to Plus an …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Personally, I think electric scooters are a little goofy, but I’m glad they exist. I know a lot of people who don’t want to drop a couple thousand dollars on an electric bike, but still want the joy and freedom of zipping around town at a modest 18mph, while being able to hop on a subway or bus if needed. They want something you can carry with one hand, but that still has the stability to carry you around town.

This is not one of those scooters. The Bo Turbo was designed by a team of ex-Formula One engineers, and glancing at the spec sheet, it would appear that these folks brought some of that manic energy from F1 to this scooter project.

The Bo Turbo will out-accelerate a Tesla Model 3, thanks to 24,000W dual motor propulsion system and an 1,800Wh battery. It has a top speed of 100 mph (!) and can travel up to 150 miles on a single charge. It aims to break the current scooter speed record under official supervision of the Guinness World Records folks.

The company makes a number of wild claims here, including a higher power-t0-weight ratio than a Bugatti Veyron. They also claim that the scooter’s battery can deliver enough energy to fast-charge 1,500 iPhones at the same time — which, like, cool. But why?

Look, I get it. This is not for me, a suburban dad of two that enjoys biking with my kids to our town pool. That’s totally cool. I don’t need to be the target demographic of every product we report on. And scooters can and should go as fast as the scooter people want them to. But I am struggling a bit with the question of who exactly this is for. A scooter that goes 100 mph? Like, this isn’t legal, right?

Bo’s CEO seems to acknowledge that it’s in a bit of a legal gray area with this scooter. In an interview with The Autopian, Oscar Morgan basically says no one was going to tell them not to build this scooter, so why not?

His point was simple: This is a mostly unregulated market in a lot of places, so why not build the wildest scooter you possibly can?

“Our passion is elite vehicle engineering, and we are firm believers in the human spirit of adventure. The UK already has a proud history in this pursuit with the first car to pass 100mph, then Thrust SSC taking the Land Speed record in Nevada,” explained Morgan. “I guess you could say the UK has a proud history of crazy Brits constructing vehicles that ought not be possible.”

Bo’s engineering team, some of whom hail from the UK’s Williams Racing, based the Turbo’s monocoque chassis tech on its Bo Model-M scooter, which is the scooter it actually intends to sell to real people. (Available August 2025.) The Turbo is more of a crazy science experiment. Let’s build the world’s fastest scooter!

Which is not to say you can’t buy one. Bo says it’s working on a limited run of Turbo scooters on commission, with an estimated price tag of $29,500. Yes, that’s about the same price of a used Tesla Model 3 — a little pricier in some markets. And certainly more than your average Amazon scooter. You want the speed? You gotta pay for it.

Bo is building these things made to order, with the first delivery expected to an unnamed collector in Madrid at the inaugural Formula One race there in 2026. And if you want one for yourself, you’ll need to submit a resume of prior racing experience to Bo through its website. Basically you’re auditioning for the right to ride one of these things. Considering the stakes involved, that seems like a fair trade-off.

Would you ride one of these things? I wouldn’t, but I have too much to live for. (Aforementioned children.) But I salute the risk takers. Please wear all the safety equipment.

RealPage, the algorithmic rent-setting software company, has announced plans to acquire Livble, a service that lets people pay their monthly rent in installments.

Livble describes itself as a “flexible” rent payment solution. Renters can split payments into up to four installments throughout the month. The service bills itself as helping tenants “avoid late fees and credit card fees” as well as “build credit through rent,” but it charges $30 to $40 per loan. RealPage didn’t disclose the terms of the deal.

Under the deal, RealPage will integrate Livble into its property management software and will handle “all collections.” Last year, the US Department of Justice and several states sued RealPage over claims that it monopolized the market for commercial revenue management software used to set the price of apartments. The lawsuit alleges RealPage used nonpublic rental prices from competing landlords to inform its algorithm, which provides rental price recommendations for property owners.

George Slover, senior counsel for competition and policy at the Center for Democracy and Technology, calls RealPage’s latest acquisition a “bold move” given its existing antitrust battle. “I think it’s going to have to be reviewed by the Justice Department,” Slover told The Verge. “It’s really a question of whether they’re buying a potential competitor.”

In May, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and others asked RealPage whether it had “potential involvement” in Republicans’ now-scrapped AI moratorium. They argued that RealPage would’ve benefited from a 10-year ban preventing states from regulating algorithms, as several local governments have already enacted laws regulating rent-setting software.

Update, July 18th: Added a statement from the CDT.

Four months after President Donald Trump defied Supreme Court precedent to remove two Democratic commissioners from the Federal Trade Commission without cause, one of those commissioners is returning to work.

US District Court Judge Loren AliKhan called the attempted firing unlawful, finding that Rebecca Kelly Slaughter "remains a rightful member of the Federal Trade Commission" and that the president can only remove her for "inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office." AliKhan ordered Republican FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson to provide Slaughter with "access to any government facilities, resources, and equipment necessary for her …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Netflix used generative AI to create a scene in the sci-fi series The Eternaut — a first for one of the streamer’s original shows or films. During an earnings call on Thursday, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the use of AI was faster than using traditional visual effects tools and helped cut costs.

“That VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster than it could have been completed with traditional VFX tools and workflows,” Sarandos said during the call. “Also, the cost of it just wouldn’t have been feasible for a show in that budget.”

Sarandos said the creative team behind The Eternaut used AI to generate a scene of a building collapsing in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper,” he added.

In May, Netflix revealed a new AI-powered search feature on mobile that lets users find shows or movies using conversational phrases, like “something funny and upbeat” or “stories about dancers.” Netflix also said that it will use AI to blend ad breaks with the platform’s shows and movies — for example, allowing advertisers to display their product in front of a Stranger Things-inspired background.

Ring has once again started letting police request footage from users. Axon, a law enforcement technology company and maker of Taser, announced in April that it’s partnering with Ring to allow customers to share “relevant video with law enforcement to help solve crimes faster and safeguard neighborhoods,” as spotted earlier by Business Insider.

The move reverses Ring’s plan to step away from sharing video with police. Last year, the company discontinued “Request for Assistance,” a feature that allowed law enforcement officers to ask people for camera footage through Ring’s Neighbors app. At the time, the company said it would only let police request footage during “emergencies,” which still allowed law enforcement to obtain footage without a warrant, raising privacy concerns

Now, Ring’s partnership with Axon will allow police to solicit footage from Ring users through Axon’s digital evidence management system, though it’s unclear whether this will surface in the Neighbors app. Once the request is sent, Ring users can decide whether or not to send the footage, and if they do, it will be “encrypted and securely added to the case file,” according to Axon. Axon also claims Ring won’t share information about the users who declined to share footage. A source tells Business Insider that Ring is “exploring a new integration with Axon that would enable livestreaming from Ring devices” if customers give permission. 

Ring founder Jamie Siminoff, who returned to Amazon in April to head up the teams dedicated to Ring, Blink, Amazon Key, and Sidewalk, said the integration will help further Ring’s mission to “make neighborhoods safer.” 

Ring has come under fire in the past for allegedly helping police convince users to share their video footage, Motherboard reported in 2019. In 2023, Ring agreed to pay $5.8 million to settle a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission that claimed its cameras enabled Ring workers and hackers to illegally spy on users.

Siminoff said in the April announcement, “This integration with Axon will foster a vital connection between our neighbors and public safety agencies in their communities, giving them a way to work together to keep their neighborhoods safe.”

By 2021, Ring had partnered with over 2,000 police and fire departments in almost every US state.

Spotify has launched two new Audiobooks Plus add-on subscriptions that allow Premium users to double their audiobook listening limit to 30 hours. They’re available to individual Premium subscribers and users who manage Family and Duo plans. Other users on Premium accounts can now also request 15 hours of audiobook access from their plan manager. However, the new plans are still too short for those who prefer to listen to longer books.

The 30-hour limit won’t get you through titles like George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones or Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings, for example. You could listen to two or three smaller novels instead, but if you want to re-listen to them in the future, you’ll have to sacrifice those hours again. I recently listened to the almost 33-hour-long audiobook for The Eye of the World, the first book in Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series, in a single weekend, which I would be unable to even finish with Spotify’s add-on. If you listen to books of a similar length over a few days, you’d have nothing left for the rest of the month.

And you can forget about buying books to get around these issues — any audiobook included in Premium isn’t available for Premium subscribers to purchase. I scoured through Spotify’s audiobook listings to find anything I could buy as a Premium subscriber and came up with nothing. By comparison, Audible’s $14.95 premium plan gives users an entire free book each month that they can keep forever, and frequently has titles on sale for far less than the price of Spotify’s time-based top-ups. The payouts that Spotify gives to authors are reportedly better than what Audible pays, but it sucks that Spotify makes it so difficult to support authors directly with purchases.

These add-ons are currently only available for Spotify Premium users in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Netherlands, following initial tests in Ireland and Canada. Pricing will vary by region. In the UK, both Audiobook add-ons are priced at £8.99 (about $12, which could double the $11.99 individual Premium plan pricing in the US). 

Spotify will eventually introduce similar plans to the US, according to TechCrunch, though users in that region already have the option to purchase 10-hour audiobook top-ups for $12.99. The main perk here is convenience — these rolling add-on subscriptions will automatically allow Premium users to listen to 30 hours of audiobooks each month without needing to buy top-ups.

“Since the launch of Audiobooks in Premium, we’ve introduced millions to audiobooks and given them the flexibility to discover even more titles and authors, which the credit model limits,” Spotify’s Director of Audiobooks Strategy and Operations, Shaela Greenfield, told The Verge. “We know book fans on Spotify crave more opportunities to listen, and we’re excited to make that possible with Audiobooks Plus.”

“The feedback from our early tests in Canada and Ireland is positive, and now even more users around the world can take advantage, ” said Greenfield. “We will continue to unlock more offerings that bring optionality to users and drive growth for authors and the entire publishing industry.”

The 15 hours provided to Premium subscribers is a “nice to have” if you also stream music on the platform, especially if you only listen to a handful of shorter book titles every month. Spotify also has a $9.99 audiobook-only Premium plan that provides 15 hours of listening with no music perks if you prefer to listen to your tunes elsewhere.

Update, July 18th: added a statement from Spotify’s Shaela Greenfield.

The US federal government's consumer watchdog has issued a recall for "about 24,000" batteries sold with cheap VIVI e-bikes at retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and AliExpress for prices between $365 and $950. At least 14 incidents of overheating batteries have been reported, with three reported fires. No injuries have been reported, but owners are urged to stop using the e-bikes immediately because the lithium-ion batteries pose a "risk of serious injury or death."

The VIVI e-bikes and batteries in question - models listed here - were likely not certified to UL safety standards. That's not stated in the US Consumer Product Safety Commission …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Microsoft has suddenly shut its movies and TV store on Xbox consoles and Windows PCs. As of today, you can no longer purchase new movies or TV shows from the Microsoft Store on Xbox or Windows, but you will still be able to access previously purchased content on your devices.

“Downloads will continue to be available on Windows and in HD max resolution,” Microsoft says, but you’ll have to continue using the Movies & TV app on Windows or Xbox to play the content you own, rather than accessing it from another service — unless your purchased movies are part of Movies Anywhere in the US. Microsoft is not offering a refund for purchases, either.

The closure has been nervously anticipated by Xbox and Windows users ever since Microsoft shut down its Groove Music service in 2017. Microsoft originally launched a movies and TV storefront with the Zune Marketplace in 2006, before it was replaced by Xbox Video in 2012. That then morphed into the Movies & TV app and store in 2015, and now, a decade later, it’s going away.

Microsoft is now leaving it up to Amazon, Netflix, Apple TV, and the many other streaming video services to cater for movies and TV content on Windows and Xbox. Microsoft will continue to provide support for any issues with previously purchased content, and users will be hoping the company keeps its servers online for many years to come.