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Google Launches Flow And Gemini Photo-To-Video In MENA
Creators in the Middle East and North Africa can now use Gemini to turn photos into short videos, and access Google’s new AI filmmaking tool, Flow.
Google has rolled out new AI-powered creative tools across the Middle East and North Africa, including a photo-to-video feature in Gemini and the regional launch of its AI filmmaking platform, Flow.
The photo-to-video tool is available to Gemini Advanced users on Pro and Ultra plans. It allows users to transform still images into animated, sound-enhanced video clips up to eight seconds long. To use the feature, users select “Videos” from the Gemini prompt menu, upload an image, and describe the desired animation and audio. The tool then generates a short video that can be shared or downloaded directly from the interface.
Designed to animate static moments, the feature supports a range of creative use cases — from bringing illustrations and paintings to life to adding movement to everyday scenes or natural landscapes.
Alongside this, Google is launching Flow: a more advanced platform for AI-assisted video creation. Built on Google’s Veo, Imagen, and Gemini models, Flow is designed for both professional filmmakers and beginners looking to build scenes, experiment with visuals, or explore new storytelling formats.
Flow includes tools such as:
- Camera Controls for setting motion paths, angles, and perspectives.
- Scenebuilder for extending or linking shots with smooth transitions and consistent subjects.
- Asset Management for organizing prompts and generated material.
Also Read: Getting Started With Google Gemini: A Beginner’s Guide
Flow is now accessible in Arabic and across MENA markets. Google reports over 40 million Veo 3 video generations have been made across Gemini and Flow in the past seven weeks alone. All content includes a visible AI watermark and an invisible SynthID marker to ensure traceability.
Both Flow and Gemini’s photo-to-video tools are available through Google’s subscription-based AI tiers.
News
Samsung’s Fold Goes Wide, And The Whole Galaxy Range Gets Pricier
A new titanium build and a first-of-its-kind AI chip for wearables anchor the range, yet native Qi2 charging still isn’t part of the deal.
Samsung has run its Galaxy foldable and smartwatch reveals in July for several years now, which is likely a deliberate way of jumping early on the autumn hardware calendar. The 2026 event stuck to the same timings, though prices climbed too, albeit unevenly: $100 on the Flip, a new $2,100 Ultra tier above last year’s flagship, and $30 to $50 on the watches.
At the top sits the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra at $2,100, a slab that measures just 4.1mm open and carries a 200MP main sensor, a 5,000mAh battery and an 8-inch interior display. Beneath it, the $1,900 Galaxy Z Fold 8 makes the more interesting bet. Samsung has stepped away from the tall, narrow shape it spent recent generations refining: the Fold 8 folds horizontally, so it’s wider than it is tall, with a 4:3 interior screen that sits about 9mm wider than the Ultra when closed. It drops the telephoto lens but gains battery, at 4,800mAh.
The clamshell Galaxy Z Flip 8 rounds out the phones at $1,200, up from the Flip 7’s $1,100, which was itself up from the $1,000 Flip 5.
All three devices run the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy and share a new Flex Titanium construction, a titanium alloy layer set beneath the flexible OLED that Samsung says strengthens display support, absorbs impact and reduces crease visibility. The progress has limits: none of the phones support Qi2 charging natively, 18 months after the Qi2-ready Galaxy S25. That means buyers will still need a magnetic case to get the most from a Qi2 charger.
The wearables move in the same upward direction. The Galaxy Watch 9 ($380 Bluetooth, $430 LTE) and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 ($700) both run Qualcomm’s 3nm Snapdragon Wear Elite, the first wearable chip with a dedicated Hexagon NPU capable of supporting AI models with two billion parameters. The Ultra 2 is 12 percent thinner than its predecessor despite an 800mAh battery and a display reaching 5,000 nits.
Also Read: Dubai Police Finishes 65 Projects, Says AI Is The Next Priority
Pre-orders open today. The devices are set to reach shelves on August 7.
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