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• Sony's Sophy racing AI beats Gran Turismo's top talent
• Here’s everything Samsung announced in its Galaxy S22 Unpacked event
• Dark Souls multiplayer features won’t return until after the release of ‘Elden Ring’
• Estates of Robin Williams, George Carlin sue Pandora over comedy rights
• Microsoft promises to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation
• Watch the February Nintendo Direct here at 5PM ET
• Grindr restricts location features at the Beijing Olympic Village
• Samsung promises four years of Android upgrades for its flagship devices
• Samsung's Galaxy S22 and S22+ vs. the competition: Even more camera options
• Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. the competition: Bring on the S-Pen
• Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra isn’t the end of the Note line (not really, anyway)
• How to pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra hands-on: The Galaxy Note reincarnated
• Samsung Galaxy S22 hands-on: It's more interesting on the inside
• Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra hands-on: Samsung put Android on a big screen
• Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra features a familiar design and built-in S Pen
• Samsung reveals the Galaxy S22 and S22+: Improved cameras and more durable designs
• Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 line is going big with a new 14.6-inch Ultra model
• Samsung's Galaxy S22 smartphones support live sharing with Google Duo
• SpaceX aims to restore Tonga's internet using Starlink satellites
• Watch Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event here at 10AM ET
• Apple source code references 'realityOS' for potential VR/AR headsets
• The Morning After: What's going to happen to Peloton?
• Garmin Instinct 2 Solar smartwatches may never need charging
• SpaceX loses 40 Starlink satellites to a geomagnetic storm

Sony's Sophy racing AI beats Gran Turismo's top talent Posted: 09 Feb 2022 10:36 AM PST Hyper-capable AIs have been beating us at our own games for years. Whether it's Go or Jeopardy, DOTA 2 or Nethack, artificial intelligences have routinely proven themselves superior competitors, helping advance not only the state of gaming arts but also those of machine learning and computational science as well. On Wednesday, Sony announced its latest addition to the field, GT Sophy, an AI racer capable of taking on — and beating — some of the world's best Gran Turismo players. GT Sophy (the GT stands for "Gran Turismo") is the result of a collaboration between Sony AI, Polyphony Digital (PDI) and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), as well as more than half a decade of research and development. "Gran Turismo Sophy is a significant development in AI whose purpose is not simply to be better than human players, but to offer players a stimulating opponent that can accelerate and elevate the players' techniques and creativity to the next level," Sony AI CEO, Hiroaki Kitano, said in a statement Wednesday. "In addition to making contributions to the gaming community, we believe this breakthrough presents new opportunities in areas such as autonomous racing, autonomous driving, high-speed robotics and control." Utilizing as novel deep reinforcement learning method, the research team taught its AI agent how to control a digital race car within the structure of the GT game, helping Sophy to understand vehicle dynamics and capabilities, as well as racing tactics like slipstreaming, passing and blocking overtakers and basic track etiquette. "To drive competitively GT Sophy had to learn to control the car at the physical limit, optimize for braking and acceleration points, as well as find the right lines that squeeze the last tenth of a second out of the track," Michael Spranger, COO of Sony AI, said during the presentation. "But raising also means that you're not alone on the track, so Sophie has to find lines to pass opponents, taking into account the opponent's reaction, as well as complex, aerodynamic interactions between cars." Sony trained its AI using deep reinforcement learning to optimize its ability to stay on track. "Sophy observes the environment, such as the car speed and acceleration, the relative position, of course borders and opponents, as well as the progress of the car along the track," Spranger explained. "Based on these inputs, GT Sophy learns to take actions, such as using a throttle steering or braking." "To learn," he continued, "Sophy gets a positive signal — a reward — when things are going well, when it is making focus on the track and overtaking other cars. [Sophy receives] a negative signal when things are not going well through continuous interaction with the game." The initial results were impressive, with Sophy beating 95 percent of the humans pitted against her within the first two days of training. What's more, the AI continued to shave time off of her splits throughout the following week. In an exhibition race Wednesday against some of Japan's top Gran Turismo drivers — with four Sophy variants going up against a quartet of humans — the AI took the checkered flag and two of the top four positions on the game's Lago Maggiore circuit. The winning AI agent began the race in pole position and stayed there through all three laps, eventually beating the pack by more than five seconds. The AIs were not running on rails, however, as evidenced by one agent misjudging a passing attempt then understeering through a turn and promptly running head on into the wall and out of competition. "This is not just a technical breakthrough project," Sony Group CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida, said during Wednesday's press event. "It really is about bringing AI into the hands of the game developers who are going to build new experiences for the players." Players will be able to pit themselves against Sophy in the near term. Gran Turismo 7 for the PS4 and PS5 is being released on March 4th and Sony executives expect the AI will be added in a future update.

Here’s everything Samsung announced in its Galaxy S22 Unpacked event Posted: 09 Feb 2022 10:16 AM PST On Wednesday, Samsung held its first Unpacked of 2022. The event saw the company spend approximately an hour talking about updates to its Galaxy S and Tab S product lines. While it was mostly a by-the-numbers affair spoiled by pre-release leaks, Samsung still came out swinging with one of its strongest device lineups in recent memory. Here's everything the company announced at Unpacked. Galaxy S22 Ultra Samsung After skipping a year, the Galaxy Note is back in all but name. The S22 Ultra is the successor to the Note 20 we never got in 2021. All the things that made the Note stand out are accounted for in the S22 Ultra. Not only does it come with Samsung's S Pen, but there's a space for the stylus built right into the phone. It's also the company's most capable phone to date. It features a 108-megapixel primary camera, the latest 4-nanometer chips from both Samsung and Qualcomm and up to 12GB of RAM. The phone is available to pre-order today, starting at $1,200. Samsung will ship the S22 Ultra and everything else it announced on Wednesday on February 25th. Galaxy S22 and S22+ Samsung Samsung's Galaxy S22 and S22+ may not look that much different from the phones they're about to replace, but the company has included a handful of notable upgrades in both devices. To start, they feature a new 50-megapixel main camera that has a sensor that is 23 percent larger than the one found on the S21 and S21+'s 12-megapixel shooter. Samsung has also made the phones more resilient with Corning's new Gorilla Glass Victus+. At the same time, the company is attempting to reduce its environmental impact by making some parts of the phone from recycled fishing nets. The S22 and S22+ will start at $800 and $999 when they go on sale later this month. Galaxy Tab S8, Tab S8+ and Tab S8 Ultra Samsung Alongside new phones, Samsung announced a fresh slate of high-end tablets. The new Tab S8 and Tab S8+ come with the fastest processors Samsung has ever included in its slate devices. For the first time, Samsung is also introducing an Ultra variant of one of its tablets. The Tab S8 Ultra features a massive 14.6-inch AMOLED display with 2,960 x 1,848 resolution and a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate. Oh, it also has a notch to accommodate its dual front-facing cameras. Pre-orders for all three models open today. They start at $700, $900 and $1,100, respectively. Everything else Samsung For much of Unpacked, hardware took center stage, but Samsung also had some software-related surprise up its sleeve. To start, the company announced its Galaxy phones and tablets would support the new live sharing feature in Google Duo. That's a tool that allows you and whomever you're chatting with to view the same notes, photos, videos and more at the same time. The only catch is that live sharing is currently only supported by Galaxy and Pixel devices, so it's not something that will work if your friend or a family member has an iPhone or a different make of Android device. Samsung also said it would support its new devices, as well as the Galaxy S21 family, with up to four years of Android updates.  Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

Dark Souls multiplayer features won’t return until after the release of ‘Elden Ring’ Posted: 09 Feb 2022 09:39 AM PST Dark Souls fans on PC will have to wait until after the release of Elden Ring before developer FromSoftware reactivates player-versus-player servers. The announcement comes after a hacker identified a vulnerability within Dark Souls 3 that allowed them to access the computers of multiple streamers remotely. When news of the exploit first broke, FromSoftware and Dark Souls series publisher Bandai Namco shut down the multiplayer servers of Dark Souls 3, Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls to investigate the issue. At the time, they didn't say how long it would take to resolve the problem. #DarkSoulspic.twitter.com/ZRhX9OcvQe — Dark Souls (@DarkSoulsGame) February 9, 2022 "Thanks to [the community], we have identified the cause and are working on fixing the issue," the two companies said in an update posted to Twitter on Wednesday. According to From, multiplayer servers for the Dark Souls series won't be back online until after February 25th due to the time needed to create a proper testing environment for each game. The studio promised to share more information as soon as it could. "We will continue to do everything we can to bring back these services as possible," it said. If you're a fan of PvP combat in Dark Souls, it's not great that you have to wait to enjoy that aspect of the game again. But if there's a silver lining to the news, it's that From and Bandai Namco say they're working to address the vulnerability in Elden Ring ahead of the game's release later this month. Hopefully, that means the highly-anticipated title won't have any launch day issues.

Estates of Robin Williams, George Carlin sue Pandora over comedy rights Posted: 09 Feb 2022 09:30 AM PST Spotify isn't the only streaming service to face a dispute with comedians. Both Puck and The Verge have learned the estates of Robin Williams and George Carlin have sued SiriusXM's Pandora for allegedly streaming the comedy legends' jokes without full licenses. The late comedians' representatives claim Pandora only has the licenses to stream the recordings, not the jokes themselves — and it supposedly doesn't have "any copyright." Williams' estate wants $4.1 million in damages for copyright infringement, while Carlin's is seeking $8.4 million. Comedians Andrew Dice Clay, Bill Engvall and Ron White have also made complaints, asserting Pandora hasn't provided a "fraction of a penny" for their work. The estates claim Pandora confessed to having improper licenses in SEC filings between 2011 and 2017, predating SiriusXM's acquisition. In those filings, the service warned investors it couldn't guarantee the company would avoid "additional licensing costs" from rights groups for spoken-word comedy. Companies frequently include risk alerts like this in filings regardless of their licensing intentions, however. We've asked SiriusXM for comment. Pandora isn't a stranger to license battles. It paid $90 million in 2015 to settle a fight over allegations it used a loophole to play pre-1972 songs without paying labels, and was sued in 2019 for supposedly displaying lyrics from Rage Against the Machine and Tom Petty without permission. But comedy licensing problems haven't had a firm test in court, according to Puck, and the outcome of the Pandora case could affect how Spotify and other services pay comedians for their work.

Microsoft promises to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation Posted: 09 Feb 2022 09:20 AM PST Call of Duty fans who've been worried what Microsoft's pending $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard means for the future of that franchise on PlayStation can breathe easy. That series and other popular Activision Blizzard games won't be exclusive to Xbox — even after Sony's existing agreements with the publisher expire.  "Microsoft will continue to make Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard titles available on PlayStation through the term of any existing agreement with Activision," Microsoft president Brad Smith wrote in a blog post. "And we have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love. We are also interested in taking similar steps to support Nintendo's successful platform. We believe this is the right thing for the industry, for gamers and for our business." According to Bloomberg, Sony struck a deal with Activision Blizzard before the blockbuster merger was announced to bring the next two mainline Call of Duty games and a sequel to Warzone to PlayStation. Until now, it was unclear whether subsequent Call of Duty games would be released on PlayStation or if Microsoft planned to keep them on Xbox and PC only. Smith made the announcement while revealing a set of Open App Store Principles that Microsoft is establishing for Windows and future gaming marketplaces it's building for games. He wrote that the company is bringing in the measures as it seeks regulatory approval for the Activision Blizzard deal and as governments "move forward with new laws to promote competition in app markets and beyond. We want regulators and the public to know that as a company, Microsoft is committed to adapting to these new laws, and with these principles, we're moving to do so." Dado Ruvic / reuters The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly reviewing the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard buyout rather than the Department of Justice (the FTC doesn't comment on investigations). The deal could face more scrutiny than in would have from the DOJ. The FTC last year said it would take a more aggressive approach toward merger and acquisition investigations under chair Lina Khan, a noted critic of Big Tech. Smith said that Microsoft wants to address every potential question regulators have in relation to the acqusition. Microsoft is establishing its new principles in line with app store legislation that jurisdictions such as the US, European Union, the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea are considering. Smith said that Microsoft's tenets will "ensure we're providing the best possible experience for creators and customers of all sizes."  The Open App Store Principles relate to commitments in four key areas. In terms of Quality, Safety, Security and Privacy, Microsoft says it will let all developers use its app store as long as they meet certain levels of quality and safety; ensure developers meet certain levels of security; and respect customer privacy. Under a section on Accountability, Microsoft pledged to make sure it holds its own apps to the same standards as those built by other companies and to refrain from using non-public information and its app store data to compete with other apps. As part of its Fairness and Transparency commitments, the company says it will treat all apps equally in its store (i.e. "without unreasonable referencing or ranking of our apps or our business partners' apps over others") and be transparent, consistent and objective about app store promotion and marketing rules and how it applies them. Smith said that, partly due to app store legislation not being written specifically for gaming consoles, only the first three sections of the principles will apply to Xbox in the immediate future. "Beginning today, we will move forward to apply Principles 1 through 7 to the store on the Xbox console," Smith wrote. "We're committed to closing the gap on the remaining principles over time." The fourth section is called Developer Choice. The company says it won't force developers to use its payment system for in-app payments or to make them offer more favorable terms on the Microsoft Store than other platforms. Microsoft claims it won't "disadvantage developers if they choose to use a payment processing system other than ours or if they offer different terms and conditions in other app stores." Finally, developers will be allowed to communicate with customers through their apps "for legitimate business purposes, such as pricing terms and product or service offerings." Other commitments include enabling Windows users to have access to whichever app stores and third-party they like, and to select default apps for various purposes. These tenets will have a far-reaching impact on Microsoft beyond the scope of its gaming division, and potentially the tech industry at large. The Developer Choice section, for one thing, addresses concerns in a bill called the Open App Markets Act that's set to go to a vote on the Senate floor. The bill aims to block app marketplace owners with more than 50 million users from forcing developers to use their built-in payment systems for in-app payments (which Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store currently both do). The legislation would, among other things, require app store operators to let developers contact users with "legitimate business offers, such as pricing terms and product or service offerings" — Microsoft used almost identical wording in its new principles.

Watch the February Nintendo Direct here at 5PM ET Posted: 09 Feb 2022 08:30 AM PST In a few short hours, Nintendo will host its first Direct of 2022, and it's one you won't want to miss. The company has promised to spend approximately 40 minutes talking about games that will debut on the Switch throughout the first half of 2022. You can watch the entire presentation starting at 5PM ET through YouTube and Twitch, as well as right here. As for what to expect from the company, Nintendo is likely to provide updates on upcoming games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, as both titles are slated to arrive both the second half of the year. The company could also share updates on highly anticipated releases like Bayonetta 3 and the sequel to Breath of the Wild. Lastly, will we finally get a release date for Silksong? Whatever happens, make sure to visit Engadget later in the day, as we'll have stories on all of the company's biggest announcements.

Grindr restricts location features at the Beijing Olympic Village Posted: 09 Feb 2022 08:18 AM PST Grindr is tightening privacy controls for the Olympic Village in Beijing. Bloomberg has learned the gay dating app is blocking people outside the Village from using the location-based Explore feature to find athletes in or near the area. The move is meant to protect athletes from harassment or persecution so they can "feel confident" connecting with each other during the Winter Olympic Games, Grindr for Equality director Jack Harrison-Quintana said. Anyone who uses Grindr inside the Village will see a pop-up telling them people outside the area can't browse the locale using Explore. "Your privacy is important to us," Grindr says in the alert. This is the first time Grindr has provided such a notice. Previously, Grindr users anywhere could find Olympians through Explore. The openness created a serious problem for athletes from countries that either criminalize LGBTQ sexuality or have strong cultural prejudices against it. The issue is more than just hypothetical — Insidernotes TikTok and Twitter users found numerous athlete dating profiles during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and an American news site retracted an article that found LGBTQ athletes during the 2016 summer games in Rio de Janeiro. The potential for abuse was already slightly limited after Grindr pulled its client from Apple's App Store in China due to concerns about cross-border data regulations (the app itself remains functional). If all goes well, though, the measure will let gay athletes connect during the Beijing Olympics without fearing what happens when they return home.

Samsung promises four years of Android upgrades for its flagship devices Posted: 09 Feb 2022 07:40 AM PST The Galaxy S22, S22 Ultra and Tab S8 aren't just hardware upgrades — they'll also represent improvements to Samsung's update policy. The company has promised the whole S22 and Tab S8 families will receive "up to four generations" of Android OS updates — not just security patches, as announced last year. S21, Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 owners are eligible, too. The exact number of upgrades will depend on the combination of model and market, but this could mean the S22 you buy now will remain current by early 2026. The expansion gives Samsung one of the longest update policies among Android manufacturers. Even Google is only promising three years of Android version updates for the Pixel 6 series, with security updates lasting five years. While this won't match Apple's update policy (typically five to six years of OS upgrades), it could give you a reason to pick the S22 if you either prefer Android or upgrade relatively frequently — you might not have to worry about falling behind during your phone's practical lifespan. Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

Samsung's Galaxy S22 and S22+ vs. the competition: Even more camera options Posted: 09 Feb 2022 07:37 AM PST Today Samsung showed off its latest large flagship phone, the S22 Ultra. But users with smaller hands and smaller pockets need not fear being left out, as the company also debuted two smaller phones with the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip and triple-camera array. These 6.1- and 6.6-inch handsets will be facing off against powerful phones from Apple and Google — check out all the specs below to see how they stack up, and be sure to check out our hands-on! Galaxy S22 Galaxy S22+ iPhone 13 Pixel 6 Pricing Starts at $800 Starts at $1,000 $799 / $899 / $1,099 $599 Dimensions 146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm (6.43 x 2.78 x 0.3 inches) 157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6 (6.2 x 2.98 x 0.3 inches) 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65 mm (5.78 x 2.82 x 0.3 inches) 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9 mm (6.2 x 2.9 x 0.4 inches) Weight 168g (5.92 ounces) 196g (6.91 ounces) 174g (6.14 ounces) 207g (7.3 ounces) Screen size 6.1 inches (154.94 mm) 6.6 inches (167.64 mm) 6.1 inches (154.94 mm) 6.4 inches (163 mm) Screen resolution 2,340 x 1,080 (422 ppi) 2,340 x 1,080 (390 ppi) 2,532 x 1,170 (460 ppi) 2,400 x 1,080 (411 ppi) Screen type AMOLED AMOLED Super Retina XDR OLED Battery 3,700 mAh 4,500 mAh 3,240 mAh 4,614 mAh Internal storage 128 / 256 GB 128 / 256 GB 128 / 256 / 512 GB 128 / 256 GB External storage None None None None Rear camera(s) Three cameras: Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.2 Wide, 50MP, f/1.8 Telephoto, 10MP, f/2.4 Three cameras: Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.2 Wide, 50MP, f/1.8 Telephoto, 10MP, f/2.4 Dual cameras: Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.4 Wide, 12MP, f/1.6 Dual cameras: Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.2 Wide, 50MP, f/1.9 Front camera(s) 10MP, f/2.2 10MP, f/2.2 12MP, f/2.2 8MP, f/2.2 Video capture 4K at 60 fps 4K at 60 fps 4K at 60 fps 4K at 60 fps SoC Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Apple A15 Bionic Google Tensor CPU 3.0 GHz octa-core 3.0 GHz octa-core 3.22 GHz hexa-core 2.8 GHz octa-core GPU Adreno 730 Adreno 730 Apple hexa-core GPU ARM Mali G78 RAM 8 GB 8 GB 4 GB 8 GB WiFi 802.11ax 802.11ax 802.11ax 802.11ax Bluetooth v5.2 v5.2 v5.0 v5.2 NFC Yes Yes Yes Yes Operating system Android 12 Android 12 iOS 15 Android 12 Other features USB-C, Qi wireless charging USB-C, Qi wireless charging IP68 certified, Lightning connector, MagSafe and Qi wireless charging USB-C, Qi wireless charging Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. the competition: Bring on the S-Pen Posted: 09 Feb 2022 07:27 AM PST It's February, which means it's time for Samsung to drop its new flagship phones for the year. This time we're looking at three handsets, all powered by the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. The biggest of the lineup is the massive 6.8-inch Ultra, which packs in two telephoto cameras in addition to the now-standard wide and ultra-wide. But is that enough to raise it above a rarified pack that includes 6.7-inch devices from Apple, Google and OnePlus? Check out the specs below for a sneak peek of what the Ultra has to offer against the competition, and take a peep at our hands-on for even more info. Galaxy S22 Ultra Pixel 6 Pro iPhone 13 Pro Max OnePlus 10 Pro Pricing Starts at $1,200 $899 / $999 $1,099 / $1,199 / $1,399 / $1,599 $1,060 Dimensions 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches) 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 3 x 0.4 inches) 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.65 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.3 inches) 163 x 73.9 x 8.6 mm (6.42 x 2.91 x 0.34 inches) Weight 229g (8.08 ounces) 210g (7.41 ounces) 240g (8.46 ounces) 201g (7.09 ounces) Screen size 6.8 inches (173 mm) 6.7 inches (170 mm) 6.7 inches (170 mm) 6.7 inches (170 mm) Screen resolution 3,088 x 1,440 (501 ppi) 3,120 x 1,440 (512 ppi) 2,778 x 1,284 (458 ppi) 3,216 x 1,440 (525 ppi) Screen type AMOLED LTPO OLED Super Retina XDR AMOLED Battery 5,000 mAh 5,003 mAh 4,352 mAh 5,000 mAh Internal storage 128 / 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB 128 / 256 / 512 GB 128 / 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB 128 / 256 GB External storage None None None None Rear camera(s) Four cameras: Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.2 Wide, 108MP, f/2.2 Right telephoto, 10MP, f/2.4 Left telephoto, 10MP, f/4.9 Three cameras: Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.2 Wide, 50 MP, f/1.85 Telephoto, 48MP, f/3.5 Three cameras: Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/1.8 Wide, 12MP, f/1.5 Telephoto, 12MP, f/2.8 Three cameras: Ultra-wide, 50MP, f/2.2 Wide, 48MP, f/1.8 Telephoto, 8MP, f/2.4 Front camera(s) 40MP, f/2.2 11.1MP, f/2.2 12MP, f/2.2 32MP, f/2.2 Video capture 4K at 60 fps 4K at 30 fps 4K at 60 fps 8K at 30 fps SoC Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Google Tensor Apple A15 Bionic Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU 3.0 GHz octa-core 2.8 GHz octa-core 3.23 GHz hexa-core 3 GHz octa-core GPU Adreno 730 ARM Mali G78 Apple hexa-core GPU Adreno 730 RAM 8 / 12 GB 12 GB 6 GB 8 / 12 GB WiFi 802.11ax 802.11ax 802.11ax 802.11ax Bluetooth v5.2 v5.2 v5.0 v5.2 Operating system Android 12 Android 12 iOS 15 Android 12 Other features USB-C, Qi wireless charging USB-C, Qi wireless charging IP68 certified, Lightning connector, MagSafe and Qi wireless charging USB-C, AirVOOC and Qi wireless charging Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra isn’t the end of the Note line (not really, anyway) Posted: 09 Feb 2022 07:10 AM PST Don't say goodbye to the Galaxy Note yet. When Samsung launched the Galaxy S22 Ultra today, it said the new flagship merges "the best of two smartphone legacies," bringing together the S Pen, camera and other power-user features into one device. With its onboard S Pen slot, distinct rectangular shape and premium specs, it's easy to think of the S22 Ultra as a Note replacement. And in many ways it is. But does that mean Samsung is done with the Note altogether? According to Samsung's vice president of product management Drew Blackard, the short answer is no. The longer answer is a little more complicated. Setting aside the fact that you can never say never, Samsung (along with many other companies) says it makes decisions about its product roadmap based on customer feedback. That means if enough people clamor for a new Note, Samsung might bring it back. Still, though he won't rule out anything for the future, Blackard told Engadget that in the near term there are no plans for a new Note device. "There's not going to be a new product in the current portfolio with Note in its name," he said. Cherlynn Low / Engadget But the Note branding isn't completely going away. "I can't be clear enough, this is just an evolution of Note for us," Blackard said. "It's not the end of the Note." He pointed out that the S22 launch event alone will reference Note-like features several times. "It just happens there's not a device called Note right now," he said. What that means is features that were hallmarks of the Note line, particularly the S Pen, will continue to be embedded into Samsung's other products. The company's stylus has already shown up in its tablets, laptops and foldables in some form. Now that the S22 Ultra has an onboard slot, it's like a Pokemon that has completed its evolution into the Note. "We're going to be telling Note users that S22 Ultra is the device for them," Blackard said. "It's the natural step up." "We would argue we don't make too many damn phones." Consolidating the Note and Ultra series makes sense. There was already a ton of overlap between them, and Samsung was, in my humble opinion, already making too many damn phones. Blackard himself acknowledged that there was "a lot of commonality" between Note and Ultra users. But he also said, "We would argue we don't make too many damn phones." Blackard believes "we make a breadth of choice for a very diverse market." To him, the challenge is in communicating clearly to consumers so they have the information to choose the right phone for them. To be fair, the Note series did offer an onboard S Pen in a tinier, cheaper handset. (Remember the Note 10 Lite?) Having a dedicated series allowed Samsung to offer more configurations, like a smaller version of the Note. But according to Blackard, when different versions were offered, a disproportionately large portion of people bought the Note's Ultra variants. With foldable phones joining the annual launch lineup over the last few years, Samsung's calendar was starting to look stacked. Substituting the usual Note event in the fall with something dedicated to the Z-series foldables also makes things easier. Plus, Samsung is expected to eventually add an onboard S Pen slot to the Z Fold series, so who knows, the Note name might resurface there. A Galaxy Note Fold? That would make sense to me. Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

How to pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Posted: 09 Feb 2022 07:10 AM PST Samsung spent the morning revealing its latest smartphones and tablets, and all of those new devices are available for pre-order today. The top-of-the-line Galaxy S22 Ultra combines the flagship features of the company's S-lineup and its Note family, while the Galaxy S22+ and S22 look similar to last year's models and come in at slightly more affordable prices. The latest Android tablets from Samsung include the premium Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, a 14.6-inch slab with WiFi 6E support and an included S Pen, and the Galaxy Tab S8+ and Tab S8. Here's how you can pre-order all of Samsung's latest devices. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Samsung The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra starts at $1,199 and is available for pre-order today. It will be widely available starting February 25th and comes in Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green and Burgundy. Those who pre-order now through February 24th have the chance to upgrade to the next storage tier when purchasing the 128GB or 256GB models. Plus, if you pre-order any Galaxy S22 handset, you can also get 25 percent off any Tab S8 model. Pre-order Galaxy S22 Ultra at Samsung - $1,199Pre-order Galaxy S22 Ultra at Amazon - $1,199Pre-order Galaxy S22 Ultra at Best Buy - $1,199 The most powerful handset in the S22 lineup has the look and feel of Samsung's previous Note smartphones, including a built-in S Pen. It has a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,750 nits. There's also a feature called Vision Booster, which dynamically adjusts the screen's brightness throughout the day. The S Pen has 70 percent lower latency and software improvements now allow the device to anticipate which direction you're writing in for faster response times. In addition to an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, WiFi 6E and 5G, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a battery that should last more than one full day on a single charge, plus it supports 45W fast charging. The Galaxy S22 Ultra one of the first smartphones to run on a 4nm processor and has the most capable camera Samsung has ever put in a handset. The rear array includes a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 108MP wide shooter and two 10MP telephoto lenses, while the selfie cam is a 40MP shooter with an 80-degree field of view. The phone has what Samsung's calling "Advanced Nightography," which means that, thanks to its large pixel sensor, the camera can capture more light and data to help optimize lighting in both photos and video. It also supports the Expert RAW app, allowing you to save in the RAW format up to 16bit. Samsung Galaxy S22+ and S22 Samsung The Galaxy S22+ and S22 start at $999 and $799, respectively, and are available for pre-order today. They will be widely available February 25th and come in Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, and Pink Gold. Those who pre-order now through February 24th have the chance to upgrade to the next storage tier when purchasing the 128GB or 256GB models. Plus, if you pre-order any Galaxy S22 handset, you can also get 25 percent off any Tab S8 model. Pre-order Galaxy S22+ at Samsung - $999Pre-order Galaxy S22 at Samsung - $799Pre-order Galaxy S22+ at Amazon - $999Pre-order Galaxy S22 at Amazon - $799Pre-order Galaxy S22+ at Best Buy - $999Pre-order Galaxy S22 at Best Buy - $799 Let's start with the big differences between the S22+ and the S22. The S22+ has a 6.6-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a max brightness of 1,750 nits. The S22 has a 6.1-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED panel with the same 120Hz refresh rate but a max brightness of 1,300 nits. That also means the Galaxy S22+ is larger than the S22, and it also has a slightly longer battery life. Both should last an entire day, though, and the S22+ supports 45W fast charging which the S22 supports 25W fast charging. Otherwise, the two handsets share many of the same features. Both feature Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ glass on the front and back for extra durability, plus an ultrasonic fingerprint reader for security and 5G support. The S22+ has WiFi 6E, while the S22 only has WiFi 6. Both run on 4nm processors and they share the same camera array with a bunch of new features. The main shooter is a 50MP camera, and it's accompanied by a 1MP telephoto lens and a 12MP wide camera as well as a 10MP selfie cam. New "Nightogrpahy" features are made possible by the larger sensors and Adaptive Pixel technology in both handsets, which draw in more light and capture more details even when you're shooting in the dark. There's also a new Auto Framing feature that can detect and track up to 10 people in a video, adjusting the camera's focus as you shoot. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Samsung The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra starts at $1,099 and is available for pre-order today. Those who pre-order from Samsung will receive a free Backlit Book Cover Keyboard. Pre-order Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra at Samsung - $1,099 Samsung's new, flagship Android tablet has a 14.6-inch AMOLED display with a 2,960 x 1,848 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It runs on a 4nm processor and can be outfitted with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage; Samsung is clearly positioning this to be its competitor to Apple's iPad Pro. Not only is the S8 Ultra the most powerful tablet Samsung announced today, but it's also the one with the biggest battery — a 11,200mAh cell to be exact, and the slab as a USB-C port for charging. The Tab S8 Ultra also supports WiFi 6E and S Pen input, and you get the S Pen in the box, which is a nice touch. The tablet also has added security thanks to facial recognition and an on-display fingerprint reader. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ and S8 Samsung The Galaxy Tab S8+ and Tab S8 start at $899 and $699, respectively, and are available for pre-order today in Graphite, Pink Gold and Silver. Those who pre-order from Samsung will receive a free Slim Book Cover Keyboard. Pre-order Galaxy Tab S8+ at Samsung - $899Pre-order Galaxy Tab S8 at Samsung - $699Pre-order Galaxy Tab S8+ at Amazon - $899Pre-order Galaxy Tab S8 at Amazon - $699 The two smaller Galaxy tablets have a few things in common with the premium Ultra. They both run on 4nm processor, have USB-C ports, support for WiFi 6E and an included S Pen in the box. These models also support up to 1TB of onboard storage with a microSD card, but they only come with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage. Otherwise, the differences between the S8+ and the S8 are mostly in size. The S8+ has a 12.4-inch. Super AMOLED screen with a 2,800 x 1752 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, while the S8 has an 11-inch LED display with 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The plus model also has a slightly larger battery than the Tab S8, and it includes the same on-display fingerprint reader that the Ultra does. The S8 has a fingerprint reader, but it's on the power button instead. Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra hands-on: The Galaxy Note reincarnated Posted: 09 Feb 2022 07:02 AM PST The brand new Galaxy S22 Ultra looks like a Note. It has a built-in S-Pen like a Note. It even has a huge, high-res display like a Note. And after I went hands-on with this thing, even though it doesn't say Galaxy Note anywhere on the box, make no mistake, the S22 Ultra is the Note reborn. Now I admit Samsung's naming scheme might seem confusing at first, but it's clear Samsung has embedded the Note's DNA throughout the $1,200 S22 Ultra's design and software. And with Samsung having added S-Pen support to various Galaxy S, Z Fold and Tab S devices in recent years, it makes sense that it's now expanding the Note brand from a single device into more of an experience. Cherlynn Low/Engadget But most importantly, aside from the super-premium Z Fold 3, the S22 Ultra very much feels like the huge over-the-top handset that power users have been looking for since the Note 20 Ultra came out a year and a half ago. For starters, its angular body separates the S22 Ultra from its smaller, curvier siblings–a theme that continues to the backside of the phone. Instead of Samsung's typical Contour Cut design, the S22 Ultra has four distinct rear cameras (wide, ultra-wide, a 3x telephoto and a 10x telephoto), not to mention a dedicated laser autofocus module. From a pure hardware perspective, it's a brawny camera array with Samsung once again offering its 100x Space Zoom tech (10x optical zoom plus 10x digital zoom). And when it comes to processing, the S22 Ultra steps up from the tetra-binning technique used on the standard S22 and S22+ to a nona-binning system (which Samsung first explored on the S20 series) for its 108-megapixel main cam, which combines nine adjacent pixels into one giant pixel for even more powerful low-light performance. Cherlynn Low/Engadget And while my short time with the S22 Ultra didn't really let me evaluate the phone's image quality in full, I was definitely impressed by Samsung's upgraded OIS and its new Auto Framing video feature, which was able to track my colleague Cherlynn's face, despite her best efforts to duck in and out of the frame. Additionally, for people who love Portrait mode shots, the S22 Ultra gets a new AI Stereo Depth Map feature that helps separate your subject from the background, which provides even more freedom to play around with bokeh and various studio lighting effects. And for both the S22 and S22 Ultra, there's even a new Expert RAW app that supports 16-bit photos while giving you more control over settings like white balance, exposure compensation and more. Unfortunately, because the Expert RAW app isn't available yet, we'll have to wait until our review to test it out for real. Sam Rutherford/Engadget Meanwhile, the addition of a built-in storage slot for the S Pen really completes the transition Samsung started last year on the S21 Ultra. All your traditional S Pen apps are there, and when you're in a rush, you can simply pop out the stylus and get to writing thanks to Samsung's Screen Off Memo feature. And, to my surprise, Samsung has managed to make writing on the S22 Ultra feel even smoother than before, thanks to a new predictive AI system that lowers the stylus' response time from 9ms to just 2.8ms. At this point, any semblance of input lag has been completely obliterated, and I also noticed that Samsung's palm rejection seems to have gotten smarter too. For me, a Z Fold3 owner, even though it's nice having S Pen support baked in on a device with an even larger display, the S22 Ultra still feels like the superior sketching and note taking device. The S Pen is always there when you need it, and you don't have to fumble around opening the device anytime you want to jot down or sketch a random idea. And let's not forget the display, because instead of the FHD+ panel you get on an S22 or S22+, the S22 Ultra features a 6.8-inch QHD+ OLED screen with a variable 120Hz refresh rate. And honestly, it's just mesmerizing to look at. Colors look almost effervescent, with peak brightness now going up to 1,750 nits in the right conditions (like outdoors in direct sunlight). And by decreasing the display's minimum refresh rate to just 1Hz, we should see some benefits to battery life too. Finally, in keeping with the Note line's historically lofty specs, the S22 Ultra is packed with practically every high-end component you can think of, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 1 chip (or an Exynos 2200 throughout most of Europe and Asia), 8GB or 12GB of RAM, up to 1TB on onboard storage and IP 68 dust and water resistance. But no headphone jack or microSD slot. Even the S22 Ultra's battery and charging is maxed out, with Samsung including a 5,000 mAh power pack, support for 45-watt wired charging and 15-watt wireless charging, in addition to Wi-Fi 6E, 5G connectivity and an ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor. Cherlynn Low/Engadget But for me, the most encouraging thing about the S22 Ultra is that after not getting a new Galaxy Note last year, Samsung's latest top-of-the-line handset combines the best of both the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lines. You get a massive 10x optical zoom paired with a built-in S Pen and basically non-existent input lag in a refreshingly boxy body. Not only does the S22 Ultra have the specs you want, but it looks the part too. Sure, Samsung may have skipped a year, and the name might seem a bit awkward at first, but in the S22 Ultra, the spirit of the Note is very much alive. The Galaxy S22 Ultra starts at $1,200 and is available for pre-order today with official sales slated for February 25th. And for those who pre-order, Samsung is offering a free upgrade to the next storage tier, $200 of credit on Samsung.com, and a 25 percent discount towards the purchase of a new Galaxy Tab S8. Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

Samsung Galaxy S22 hands-on: It's more interesting on the inside Posted: 09 Feb 2022 07:01 AM PST You'd be forgiven for thinking the newly announced Galaxy S22 looks a lot like last year's phone. It does. But after being able to go hands-on with the S22 and S22+, it's clear that, as with many things, it's what's inside that counts. And for 2022, Samsung has packed in some major upgrades for the S22's display, performance and cameras that really separate it from last year's device. Now, before we move onto the new tech, some of the S22's design tweaks include an updated range of colors (black, white, green, and pink) and the use of a new material created from recycled fishnets–which Samsung employed to make the phone's key bracket, with additional post-consumer recycled material also used in the S22's speaker module and side buttons. Sam Rutherford/Engadget Elsewhere, both the S22 and S22+ feature flat–not rounded–displays made from Gorilla Glass Victus+, a chassis constructed out of Samsung's Armor Aluminum alloy, a 40-megapixel center-mounted selfie shooter and three rear cameras: a 50MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide and a 10MP telephoto with a 3x zoom. So not a huge change, but it's not like the S21 needed a complete revamp anyway. At the same time, it's important to note that at 6.1 and 6.6 inches, respectively, both the S22 and S22+ have slightly smaller screens than their predecessors. And before you get your hopes up, none of the new S22s have a headphone jack or an SD card reader. Instead, Samsung concentrated on improving a number of the S22's most important components. So while the S22 and S22+'s FHD+ screens still top out at 120Hz, Samsung decreased the lower limit of their refresh rates to just 1Hz (down from 10Hz) to help save on power even more. Meanwhile, both phones got significant brightness upgrades, with the S22 capable of hitting 1,300 nits in direct sunlight, while the S22+ goes even higher, peaking at 1,750 nits. Frankly, Samsung has been making the best mobile displays on the market for years, and even though I only had a short time with the new S22s thus far, the S22's brightness is quite impressive even compared to other premium handsets like the iPhone 13. Sam Rutherford/Engadget That said, perhaps the biggest display innovation on the S22 is Samsung's new Vision Booster feature. By using the ambient light sensors built into the phone, Vision Booster adjusts screen settings like contrast and color saturation to make content easier to see both outdoors and in low-light environments (like watching a movie on your phone before bed). But I should mention that because Samsung's demo area didn't have a lot of super bright or dark environments, Vision Booster is something that's definitely going to require some more in-depth testing to properly evaluate. On the inside, in addition to 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage, the S22 also features Qualcomm's 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip (or an Exynos 2200 for most folks outside of North America). That said, there are some important differences in specs between the S22 and S22+, as the S22 tops out with 25-watt wired charging, a 3,700 mAh battery and Wi-Fi 6, while the S22+ gets 45-watt wired charging, a 4,500 mAh battery, slightly faster Wi-Fi 6E, and UWB (ultra wideband) communications. Both phones feature 5G, 15-watt wireless charging, ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint readers, IP 68 dust and water resistance and the same resolution cameras in front and back. But the phone's cameras are clearly where Samsung invested much of its resources, which makes sense now that the Galaxy S line is facing increased competition from handsets like the iPhone 13 and Pixel 6. On the S22, the most important camera upgrade is the phone's new 50 MP wide-angle camera, which Samsung claims features pixels that are 23 percent larger than before to draw in more light in dark environments. Then, to boost its "Nightography" features even further, the S22 uses a four-to-one pixel binning technique that combines four adjacent pixels into one big pixel for additional low-light sensitivity. And for those who want extra help capturing crisp videos, Samsung also added a new Auto Framing feature that can track up to 10 subjects at the same time while adjusting the camera's focus and framing, with a new Advanced OIS tossed in to help iron out any bumps or shaking. During my hands-on session, while I didn't have multiple people to stick in front of the S22's cameras, the phone still did an impressive job of locking onto my colleague Cherlynn's face, even as she bobbed and weaved throughout the frame. And I didn't even have to tap the phone's screen to lock on to her face. Sam Rutherford/Engadget Alternatively, if you love shooting portraits, the S22 also employs a new AI Stereo Depth Map process that can more easily distinguish the difference between your subject and the background for enhanced bokeh and studio lighting effects. And new on the S22, Samsung's Portrait Mode works on pets too. When it comes to software, the S22 comes pre-loaded with One UI 4.0, which is based on Android 12. This means you get all of Google's recent security upgrades including notifications when apps use the phone's mics or cameras and the new Privacy Dashboard, along with extra home screen customization options and more. And to make storing things like digital IDs, credit card info, and travel documents on your phone a bit easier, the S22 has a new secure storage feature called the Samsung Wallet. There's even a new live sharing feature in Google Duo that lets S22 owners stream videos to other people on the call similar to Apple's SharePlay feature in iOS 15. Unfortunately, neither the Samsung Wallet or live sharing in Google Duo were available for testing, so stay tuned for more updates on those. Sam Rutherford/Engadget On top of that, for the entire S22 line (including the S22 Ultra), Samsung is stepping up the length of its software support to four generations of Android updates. So while Samsung's software support still isn't quite as extensive as what you'd get with an iPhone, it's longer than basically anything else in the Android world. But what might be the best part about all of this, is that despite all the software and hardware upgrades, starting at $800 and $1000, the S22 and S22+ will cost the same as last year's Galaxy S phones. Sam Rutherford/Engadget In a lot of ways, the S22 feels like the "tock" to the S21's "tick." Last year, Samsung rolled out a fresh new design, and now Samsung is following that up with a bunch of upgraded tech. Sure, the outside of the phone may have not changed a ton, but the updated colors look good, and coming from someone with a Phantom Green Z Fold3 that actually looks gray 99 percent of the time, the new green on the S22 is much richer and way more satisfying. And while we'll need time to put the S22 through its paces, Samsung investing so much time and effort in the phone's new cameras really shores up the biggest weakness of last year's device. So even though it's too early to hand anyone the crown for the best phone of 2022, the S22 feels like a thoughtful sequel to an already strong base. Pre-orders for the Galaxy S22 and S22+ start today with official sales beginning on February 25th. And for those who do pre-order, Samsung is including a free upgrade to the next storage tier and $100 worth of Samsung credit (or $150 for the S22+). Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra hands-on: Samsung put Android on a big screen Posted: 09 Feb 2022 07:00 AM PST A new Note wasn't the only thing missing from Samsung's lineup last year. The company also didn't release an update to its Galaxy Tab S series, which is a shame because it's arguably the best premium Android tablet line around. (Or rather, the only one left standing.) The Tab S7 was launched in 2020, and it featured impressive hardware that was held back by limited software. With Android 12L on the horizon promising to improve the tablet experience, though, it seems Samsung is ready to deliver a capable 2-in-1 again: Today the company unveiled the Galaxy Tab S8 series today, which includes the Tab S8, S8+ and the Tab S8 Ultra. This is the first time Samsung is making a tablet with the "Ultra" name; that branding is normally reserved for its S-series phones and accordingly, the S8 Ultra has some high-end specs to match. According to Samsung, it features the "world's only 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display on an Android 2-in-1" as well as "our smoothest writing experience yet," courtesy of an upgraded S Pen. At a recent demo session in New York (held in accordance with COVID 19 protocols), I was able to briefly check out the three tablets. The S8 and S8+ are very similar to their predecessors, with smooth metal bodies, slim bezels and attractive matte finishes. They're thin, light and well-built, and at first glance reminded me of the iPad Pro. Both models come in about the same sizes as the S7 series, with the S8 sporting an 11-inch LCD and the larger model using a 12.4-inch AMOLED panel. Cherlynn Low / Engadget I was particularly impressed that the Ultra model was as sleek as it is despite having such a big screen. As is usually the case with Samsung devices, the displays are bright and colorful. All three Tab S8s also have panels that refresh at 120Hz, and come with improved selfie cameras. The S8 and S8+ now feature 12-megapixel sensors up front, while the Ultra model gets an additional wide-angle camera. With that setup, the Ultra also offers some new camera features that Samsung debuted on the S22 phones today. There's what Samsung calls "intelligent framing," which is basically like Apple's Center Stage. When enabled, the Tab S8 Ultra can detect people in the scene and adjust framing or the level of zoom to keep them in the shot. It automatically accommodates more people when it recognizes more faces, or tries to keep the subject you select in the middle. During my hands-on session, the S8 Ultra was as adept as the S22 Ultra at keeping my coworker Sam in the shot as he moved around the space. The Ultra also has an "enhanced mic mode" that lets you choose between three types of noise cancellation, thanks to its three-way microphone. Samsung also said it added AI that will distinguish between human voices and background sounds to help with minimizing distracting noise in your calls. None of the demo tablets were set up for calls, so I didn't get to test either of these features during our hands-on. I'd rather check out these (and the camera updates) in the real world for a better idea of their performance, anyway. Cherlynn Low / Engadget The S8+ and S8 Ultra also come with upgraded S Pens that Samsung says "uses a prediction algorithm for ultra-low latency." During my brief time with the S Pen on an S8 Ultra, I found the writing experience smooth and responsive. But without a side-by-side comparison with an older model, I can't say for sure if there's a significant improvement. I did notice that the palm rejection seems much better, at least in Samsung's Notes app. I deliberately left my palm on the screen while writing, and that no longer left little marks all over the page like it would on previous Galaxy tablets. Thanks to its larger size, the S8 Ultra's companion keyboard case (which costs extra) has more room for a nicely spaced layout. I quickly typed a few short messages and URLs, and had no issue with oddly sized or ill-placed keys. I did struggle to keep the Ultra propped up on my lap with the case's built-in kickstand, though, but at least it was sturdy enough to offer various viewing angles on a desk. When a product is as mature as the Tab S series, it's hard to imagine what else Samsung could bring to the table. There are the typical incremental updates, like a new 4nm processor here for all three Tab S8s (the same as the one in the S22 phones). But the best hardware and specs in the world would mean nothing if the Tab S8s continued to be held back by Android's flaws. The good news is, not only is Google working on improving the tablet experience with 12L, but Samsung is also making its own tweaks. Cherlynn Low / Engadget The Tab S8s feature "an improved multi-window mode," offering new layout options for up to three windows at once. The company also worked with Microsoft to simplify the process of setting the Tab S8s up as a second screen for your PC, so you can case your laptop's content over, which can be handy if you want to use a pen to quickly sign PDFs, for example. The new tablets will also support live sharing in Google's Duo video chat app, making it easier to collaborate with your teammates. And because these are Samsung devices, sharing things like photos and files from your Galaxy smartphone to the Tab S8s is simple as well. With my limited hands-on time , I wasn't able to check out all these features (things like Duo and the second-screen for Windows weren't available, either). So we'll need to get these devices in our hands for more in-depth testing to know if a Samsung-meets-Google version of Android on a 14.6-inch tablet will make a good laptop substitute. If you're already sure you want a Tab S8, you can pre-order them today. The S8 starts at $700, the S8+ at $900 and the Ultra at $1,100, and those who pre-order will get free keyboard cases thrown in. But as always, I'd suggest waiting until we can do a full review before spending hundreds of dollars on an Android tablet. Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra features a familiar design and built-in S Pen Posted: 09 Feb 2022 07:00 AM PST On Wednesday, Samsung finally took the wrapping off the industry's worst-kept secret and announced the S22 Ultra at its first Unpacked of 2022. And in all but name, it's the successor to the Note 20. Compared to its S22 siblings, it features a flat design that comes complete with built-in storage for Samsung's S Pen stylus. And of the three phones the company announced today, the S22 Ultra is the only one that includes that feature. Outside of that and a design that will be nostalgic for some, the primary reason to buy the S22 Ultra over its more affordable counterparts is the fact the phone comes with a 108-megapixel camera with an f/1.8 aperture lens. Like its predecessor, the S21 Ultra, the company's latest flagship features a 2.4um main sensor, making it the best of Samsung's phones at capturing photos in low light. The phone also includes a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and two 10-megapixel telephoto cameras that come with the company's 100x Space Zoom feature.   Samsung Internally, the S22 Ultra features a 4-nanometer system-on-a-chip. If the past is any indication, the North American version of the phone will ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, while in Europe and other parts of the world it will come with Samsung's own Exynos 2200. In addition to being faster and more efficient than their predecessors, both chips support the latest connectivity standards, including WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. The S22 Ultra features a 6.8-inch adaptive AMOLED display with a QHD+ resolution, dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, a 240Hz touch sampling rate and a built-in fingerprint sensor. It also covers the full DCI-P3 color gamut and can reach a peak brightness of 1,750 nits.  Powering everything is a 5,000mAh battery Samsung claims can go a full day on a single charge. With 45W fast charging supported, the company notes you can record a 50-minute video after just 10 minutes at the outlet. However, you'll need to buy the adapter separately as it doesn't come supplied in the box. Samsung The phone will ship with Android 12 and One UI 4.1 out of the box. Building on the software policy it announced in 2020, Samsung said it would support the S22 Ultra with up to "four generations of Android OS upgrades." Previously, the company only offered up to three full years of platform updates on its flagship phones. Samsung said it would scale that effort across its product lineup. In the immediate future, that means the rest of the S22 line and entire S21 series, as well as the Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3 and the newly announced Tab S8 series, will get similar support. Samsung will release the Galaxy S22 Ultra on February 25th. Pre-orders for the device open today with pricing beginning at $1,200 for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Samsung will also offer variants of the S22 Ultra with 12GB of memory and up to 1TB of space. Should you decide to pre-order the phone, you can upgrade to a higher storage tier, and Samsung will provide you with a $200 credit you can use toward the purchase of a Galaxy Watch 4 or Freestyle projector. You'll also get 25 percent off any Galaxy Tab S8 device. Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

Samsung reveals the Galaxy S22 and S22+: Improved cameras and more durable designs Posted: 09 Feb 2022 07:00 AM PST The Galaxy S22 Ultra might be the star of Samsung's Unpacked event, but the regular models will be the company's bread and butter — and it's good to see they've received substantial upgrades of their own. The 6.1-inch Galaxy S22 and 6.6-inch S22+ may look similar to the S21 family they replace, but they include a 50MP main rear camera with a sensor 23 percent larger than in the 12MP shooter from their predecessors. Your night photos should fare much better, to put it another way. You can also expect a 10MP telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom (no cropping like with the S21's 64MP sensor), although the 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP front cameras will seem familiar. Both phones sport a handful of new software-based camera tricks, including Auto Framing to keep up to 10 people in focus. Portrait mode photos should look more natural thanks to an AI-based stereo depth map, and pet hair won't inadvertently blend into the background. You can also expect a more resilient design. The Galaxy S22 and S22+ are Samsung's first S phones with a more durable "Armor Aluminum" frame, and they're the first phones anywhere to use Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ to reduce drop damage. The backing is still plastic, although 20 percent of the "component, key bracket" is made from recycled fishing nets. There's some recycled material in the speakers, too. The design isn't quite as eye-catching as the two-tone look of some S21 models, but it probably won't raise many objections — particularly in the new green colorway that joins black, white and "pink gold" (really, pink) shades. It won't surprise you to hear that the rest of the improvements are more subtle, but still welcome. You'll find a 4-nanometer processor inside (likely the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in places like North America, and Exynos 2200 elsewhere) paired with 8GB of RAM. They're still using 120Hz adaptive AMOLED displays with an FHD+ resolution, but the improved peak brightnesses of 1,300 nits for the base S22 and 1,750 nits for the S22+ should help with outdoor viewing and HDR. The batteries are smaller than their predecessors at 3,700mAh and 4,500mAh respectively, but you might not mind quite so much when the Galaxy S22+ supports 45W wired charging (the regular S22 stops at 'just' 25W). Samsung releases both devices on February 25th, starting at $800 for a Galaxy S22 with 128GB of (non-expandable) storage and $999 for the S22+ variant. Both will have 256GB editions in some markets. As is often the case, though, Samsung is offering perks for early adopters. Anyone who pre-orders by February 24th can upgrade to a higher storage tier, and they'll get either $100 or $150 in credit toward the Galaxy Watch 4 or Freestyle projector. You can also receive up to 25 percent off the Galaxy Tab S8 family. Whatever deal you get, the entry S22 is arguably a better deal in some cases than the Galaxy S21 FE. You're paying $100 more for a slightly smaller screen, but you'll get considerably newer cameras, more processing power, a sturdier body and more RAM. We'd still consider the S21 FE, particularly if you can find a good deal, but the S22 may represent a better long-term value. Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 line is going big with a new 14.6-inch Ultra model Posted: 09 Feb 2022 07:00 AM PST Along with announcing the Galaxy S22 lineup, Samsung has refreshed its range of tablets — which some folks already had an inkling about after earlierleaks. For the first time, Samsung is introducing an Ultra tablet, which aligns with the Ultra branding the company slaps on its highest-end phones. Unsurprisingly, the Tab S8 Ultra has more tricked-out specs than the Tab S8 and S8+. The company says it's the first Android 2-in-1 with an 14.6-inch Super AMOLED screen. The 2,960 x 1,848 display has a 120 Hz refresh rate, which should make writing or drawing with the new S Pen feel more responsive. Samsung says it's employing a prediction algorithm to deliver its "smoothest writing experience yet." The new S Pen is also included with the S8 and S8+.  The dual 12MP front-facing cameras — one wide, one ultra-wide — on the S8 Ultra will enable you to join conference calls with a 4K video feed, but there's a notch to accommodate them. Auto-framing tech is designed to keep you front and center on video calls, and it will zoom in and out to include other people who join you. On the audio front, there are a trio of precision microphones with noise reduction tech and four Dolby Atmos-compatible speakers. The Tab S8 and S8+ have the same speaker system. All three devices boast a 4nm octa-core chip (which Samsung says is the fastest processor it has put in a Galaxy tablet to date), Android 12, Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 6E support and a microSD slot. The S8 and S8+ have 8GB of RAM and come with 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. As for the S8 Ultra, you can have up to 16GB of RAM with 512GB of onboard storage. The three devices share the same rear camera system with a 13MP autofocus sensor, 6MP ultra-wide camera and a flash. The S8 and S8+ have a sole 12MP ultra-wide front-facing camera. There's support for 45W fast charging that Samsung claims can fully charge the S8 Ultra battery in 90 minutes and the other two tablets in 80 minutes. You can expect all-day battery life on all three models, according to the company. It says that equates to 15 hours of video playback on Tab S8, 13 hours of video playback on the S8+ and 14 hours of video playback on the S8 Ultra. If one of your other devices (say, a Galaxy S22) is running low on power, you can connect it to the tablet via USB-C to juice it up. The key difference between the Tab S8 and S8+ is the size. The S8 has a 11-inch LED Full HD, 2,560 x 1,600 display, while the S8+ has a 12.4-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2,800 x 1,752. Both have a refresh rate of 120Hz. A bigger display means the S8+ has a space for a larger battery. It has a capacity of 10,090mAh, compared with the Tab S8's 10,090mAh battery. The tablets can connect to your Galaxy smartphone or Windows PC as well. You can share photos, files and notes between your phone and tablet, while the Galaxy Buds' Auto Switch function allows you to move between devices without having to pair them again. The DeX mode, which lets users extend their TV, PC or phone display onto a Tab S8 device, can now be used in vertical orientation — which might come in handy for monitoring Slack or Twitter on a second screen. Meanwhile, Samsung Health will be available on Galaxy tablets for the first time. Users can view workouts and see health and fitness data from a Galaxy Watch on their Tab S8 device.  As with the Galaxy S22 lineup, Galaxy Tab S8 tablets are partially made with plastic components that are repurposed from discarded fishing nets. Samsung also says the tablets will ship to customers in its slimmest packaging to date, which is made from sustainably sourced paper. Pre-orders open today for all three models. The Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+ are available in pink gold, graphite and silver. They start at $700 and $900, respectively, and pre-ordering will net you a slim book cover keyboard at no extra cost. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, which is only available in graphite, starts at $1,100. If you pre-order, Samsung will toss in a backlit book cover keyboard. Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

Samsung's Galaxy S22 smartphones support live sharing with Google Duo Posted: 09 Feb 2022 07:00 AM PST Today's Samsung event leaned heavily on new hardware, but Google's bringing some software updates to those new devices that will make it easier to view content with friends. The Galaxy S22 smartphones and the S8 laptops will support the new live sharing feature in Google Duo. Much like how SharePlay works in FaceTime calls on iOS devices, this feature will let you and whomever you're chatting with view the same notes, photos, videos and more at the same time. According to Google, this will only work in Google Duo calls and will only work with certain apps. YouTube is included, so you'll be able to share and watch a video with friends and family while you're chatting with them. It'll also work with Google Maps with shared and searched-for locations, Samsung Notes and Gallery for documents and photos, and Jamboard, which is Google's interactive whiteboard app. The catch is that this feature will only be fully supported on Galaxy smartphones and tablets, as well as Pixel smartphones. That means only those with Samsung and Pixel devices will be able to host live-sharing calls — those with other Android devices will only be able to join those calls, rather than host them. Live sharing in Google Duo Google Google's new feature comes a few months after Apple launched SharePlay in iOS 15.1. Similarly, Apple's feature only works on iOS devices but there appears to be more support for it across different apps at the moment. For example, SharePlay lets you watch Apple TV+ shows as a group, take Fitness+ workouts at the same time and play a few games together. But Google currently does have the upper-hand when it comes to YouTube, as the video service is not currently SharePlay-compatible. Google has not yet stated when we could see more apps gain support for Duo live sharing. In addition to live sharing in Duo, Samsung's latest devices will have access to a couple of other new Android features. YouTube previews are coming to Messages, which basically means that you can share previews of YouTube videos in Messages to help your contacts decide if they want to watch the video immediately or later. If they do want to check it out now, they can watch the full video without leaving the chat. Thankfully, unlike live sharing, the YouTube previews feature will eventually make its way onto all Android smartphones, with the exception of Android Go devices. Also, the Galaxy S22 and Tab S8 series have Voice Access built in, so rather than needing to download a separate app, you can use these prompts to tap, scroll and navigate without using your fingers. Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

SpaceX aims to restore Tonga's internet using Starlink satellites Posted: 09 Feb 2022 06:45 AM PST Tonga is still struggling to get back online following the January 15th volcano eruption, and SpaceX might offer some help. According to The Wall Street Journal, Fiji communications minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum understands SpaceX is looking to reconnect Tonga using its Starlink satellite broadband service. The company has a team in Fiji building a station that would serve as an internet bridge, the official said. We've asked SpaceX for comment. It's not clear just what kind of service Tongans could expect, but connectivity in Fiji or Tonga would be new to the company. Starlink's public beta is only available in 25 countries as of this writing, and the closest neighbors with active service are Australia and New Zealand. There are roughly 1,800 satellites in service, but more are on the way as SpaceX seeks to fill out coverage. A reconnection effort like this may be more complicated than it seems. Tonga authorized Kacific to provide satellite internet service to the country in late January, ending a long-running dispute. It's not certain how this will affect SpaceX's plans, but it would clearly ramp up competition. At the same time, the Pacific nation is still without access to the undersea cable that usually delivers internet service, and isn't expected to regain that access for weeks. It might not have much choice but to invite additional help if it wants to recover quickly, and SpaceX's involvement could give Tonga a useful backup for any future disruptions.

Watch Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event here at 10AM ET Posted: 09 Feb 2022 06:03 AM PST Samsung is about to hold its first Unpacked event of 2022, and it's easy to catch the event live. You can watch Engadget's livestream with commentary from our own Cherlynn Low and Mat Smith on our YouTube channel (below) starting at 10AM ET. The broadcast is also available through Samsung's YouTube channel and the company's website. It's likely to be a loaded presentation, so you'll want to tune in if you're determined to see everything the tech company has to offer. The centerpiece of Unpacked is expected to be the Galaxy S22 family, led by the Galaxy S22 Ultra — a no-compromise phone that will effectively replace both the S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Note. Samsung might also introduce the Galaxy Tab S8 series, including a giant 14.6-inch Ultra variant. There haven't been any other big hardware leaks, but Samsung occasionally delivers a surprise or two during its livestreamed events. Catch up on all of the news from Samsung's February Unpacked event right here!

Apple source code references 'realityOS' for potential VR/AR headsets Posted: 09 Feb 2022 05:10 AM PST The operating system powering Apple's rumored virtual or augmented reality headset may be called realityOS, MacRumors has reported. The term was spotted by multiple sources in recent GitHub open source code and App Store upload logs. "What is Apple's realityOS doing in the App Store upload logs," tweeted iOS developer Rens Verhoeven. "This at least confirms [realityOS] 1) has its own OS & binaries and, 2) has a realityOS simulator," noted another well-known developer, Steve Troughton-Smith.  "#if TARGET_FEATURE_REALITYOS" Well then. This at least confirms it 1) has its own OS & binaries, and 2) has a realityOS Simulator https://t.co/6a25kWshXRpic.twitter.com/RyF5O5gFjg — Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) February 9, 2022 The existence of such an OS was first reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman as rOS in 2017, and is reportedly known internally as "Oak" at Apple. The "OS" nomenclature would be logical, given the names of Apple's iOS, macOS, iPadOS, tvOS and watchOS operating systems.  Apple's development of AR/VR headsets has been rumored for years. Apple purchased VR company VRvana in 2017, suggesting it was pursuing the technology. The Informationreported in 2019 that a mixed AR/VR headset would come in 2022, with AR glasses arriving by 2023.  However, the most recent rumor from Bloomberg suggests that the headset will be delayed until 2023 due to development issues like overheating. They'll reportedly offer computing power on par with an M1 Mac and could be standalone without the need to tether, according to analyst Ming-chi Kuo. If the references are real, they could suggest that developers are getting or will be getting access to the OS. As Troughton-Smith warned, however, they "could just be a remnant of somebody's pull request from a fake account," too — so take the leak with an appropriate dose of skepticism.

The Morning After: What's going to happen to Peloton? Posted: 09 Feb 2022 04:15 AM PST One of the stars of the working-out-from-home boom is struggling. Peloton won't go quietly, though, and is making some big changes. The company will replace the CEO and co-founder, John Foley, who will become executive chairman, with former Spotify COO Barry McCarthy reportedly set to step into his shoes. While Foley is sticking around, the company is cutting around 2,800 corporate positions — these won't include Peloton's instructors who lead its live classes. The company said in a press release about the lay-offs that its "monthly membership will be complimentary for impacted team members for an additional 12 months." I'm not sure how they feel about that. This all means we're back to speculating whether Peloton might be bought and folded into a bigger entity. Reports have suggested that Amazon and Nike are both looking into the possibilities, while pundits and analysts have long suspected Apple might pick it up as part of its fitness push. It could be a cheap purchase: Peloton reached a market value of $50 billion in January 2021, but it's currently circling a $8 billion valuation. — Mat Smith The biggest stories you might have missed Spotify's problems are bigger than Joe Rogan NASA picks Lockheed Martin to build a rocket that will return from Mars What to expect from Samsung's Unpacked event Amazon more than doubles base pay for corporate and tech employees Lemondrop and Fireball review: Impossibly small, surprisingly powerful synths NVIDIA officially abandons its plans to purchase ARM Samsung leak reveals some very big Galaxy S8 Tabs Expect to see an Ultra model with a large 14.6-inch OLED screen. Engadget Just ahead of Samsung's Unpacked event set for tomorrow, Evan Blass revealed a press release for Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 lineup in his Substack newsletter. It confirms many key specs from earlier leaks, including the existence of an "Ultra model" — likely to be the most intriguing of the often straightforward, sometimes bland, tablet series. All the finer details will come later today: join us as we livestream everything Samsung reveals at Unpacked later today. It all kicks off at 10 AM ET (7 AM PT). Continue reading. Apple scores its first Oscar nomination for Best Picture Netflix leads the streaming pack with 27 nods. Apple Apple's TV+ films received six Oscar nods overall, up from two last year. Most significantly, Apple has broken through in the Best Picture category. CODA is the first Apple Original movie to receive a nomination for the top prize. Elsewhere, Netflix continued to push hard for plaudits, with a whopping 27 nominations across the board. Climate change satire Don't Look Up, packed with Oscar winners like Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio, and Western The Power of the Dog both have nominations for Best Picture. Continue reading. Samsung is adding a load of new health features to the Galaxy Watch 4 Because it's not got a busy enough week. Today, Samsung is rolling out an update that enhances some of the Galaxy Watch 4's and Watch 4 Classic's health and wellness features. While the watches have long been able to perform body composition scans, the update adds insights about those results powered by Chris Hemsworth's fitness app, Centr. This includes a 30-day free trial to the app, which typically only lasts for seven days — and is pretty pricey after that. Other features include interval training for runners, sleep coaching and a load of new watch face colors and digital watch faces. Continue reading. What we bought: A lid that makes the Instant Pot good at slow cooking The tempered glass and steam hole make a huge difference. The Instant Pot does a lot of things well, but there are a few upgrades if you're looking to maximize what the giant kitchen gadget is capable of. For a lot less than the air fryer companion, you can improve the Instant Pot's slow-cooking potential with a very simple tweak: a fitted glass lid. Editor in Chief Dana Wollman dives a little deeper into the world of Instant Pot recipes. Continue reading. Tinder will stop charging older users more for premium features A new report details just how drastically Tinder+ prices can fluctuate. Tinder says it will no longer charge older users more to use Tinder+, following a new report questioning the dating app's practice of charging older users "substantially more." Tinder+ pricing can vary a lot based on users' age. The report relied on "mystery shoppers" in six countries — the United States, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Korea, India and Brazil — who signed up for Tinder+. According to the report, Tinder users between the ages of 30 and 49 were charged an average of 65.3 percent more than their younger counterparts in every country except Brazil. Tinder says it plans to abandon its age-based pricing altogether, having already halted it in the US, Australia and UK. (After a class-action lawsuit in California.) Continue reading. Apple's Tap to Pay lets iPhones accept contactless payments Shops won't need dongles or terminals to take your money. Apple has revealed Tap to Pay on iPhone, an upcoming feature that will let businesses accept payments just by bumping handsets (and the Apple Watch) — no extra hardware needed. The tech requires an iPhone XS or later and will also work with other digital wallets beyond the company's own Apple Pay. Likewise, it'll be compatible with contact-free credit and debit cards. Stripe is already planning to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to business customers.  Continue reading.

Garmin Instinct 2 Solar smartwatches may never need charging Posted: 09 Feb 2022 04:00 AM PST Garmin has revealed its latest lineup of smartwatches, including models you might never need to plug in to charge. The Instinct 2 Series includes 45mm Instinct 2 Solar models, which are said to be able to run continuously on smartwatch mode (i.e. with features like heart-rate monitoring, sleep tracking, activity tracking and 24/7 health monitoring turned on). The previous Instinct Solar was only able to meet Garmin's "unlimited" battery life claim while in battery saver mode. As the name suggests, 45mm Instinct 2 Solar models draw energy from the sun. But it seems you'll need to be outdoors a lot for one of those smartwatches to obtain enough solar energy.  Garmin says the device needs to be outside in 50,000 lux conditions for an average of three hours a day to maintain the "unlimited" battery life. The company suggests a normal sunny day should satisfy those conditions. For example, one Engadget editor achieved 30,000 lux in about two hours with a Fenix solar pointed directly at the sun for two hours. So, it's likely not unrealistic but will heavily depend on local conditions. Thus the Instinct 2 Solar might need to be outside for longer than three hours on a given day to attain "unlimited" battery life.  Beyond the Solar and standard models, there are a number of Instinct 2 Series editions. The lineup has a slimmer profile and two sizes, the regular 45mm bezel and the 40mm Instinct 2S format. Surf editions are available in either size and with or without solar. They'll track watersports activities including surfing, windsurfing and kiteboarding, and there's a tide widget to keep users in the know about ocean conditions. Tactical editions are geared toward military personnel. These watches, which are only available in the solar format, offer features including night vision goggles compatibility, stealth mode, kill switch and dual format position coordinates. They're available in black or coyote tan. In addition, there are Camo editions designed to help the watch blend in or stand out via graphite and mist camo patterns. Garmin Garmin says smartwatches in the lineup come with a new high-res, easy-to-read display with scratch-resistant glass. They're water rated to 100 meters and built to military standard 810 for thermal and shock resistance. Between the bezel and band, you can mix and match your way to one of more than 240 design choices. You can expect to access Garmin's swathe of wellness and health features, such as sleep score, VO2 max, HIIT workouts and Body Battery. Instinct 2 Series devices can access the Garmin Connect IQTM (CIQ) store, from which you can download apps, widgets, watch faces and more. Some sports apps and activities are pre-installed, including a new Multisport option that'll continue tracking your time and distance when you switch between activities. There's also an incident detection feature that can automatically get in touch with your emergency contacts if the device suspects something's gone wrong and it's paired with a compatible smartphone. Instinct 2 Solar models include Garmin Pay support as well. As for the battery life in the non-solar models, Garmin says they'll run for up to four weeks with smartwatch mode activated. Instinct 2 Series devices will start at $350.

SpaceX loses 40 Starlink satellites to a geomagnetic storm Posted: 09 Feb 2022 03:20 AM PST Almost all of the Starlink internet satellites that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried beyond the atmosphere on February 3rd won't reach their intended orbit. SpaceX has revealed that a geomagnetic storm that took place a day after the liftoff had a severe impact on the satellites, and up to 40 of them will re-enter or have already entered Earth's atmosphere. United States Geological Survey describes geomagnetic storms as periods of "rapid magnetic field variation" typically caused by a strong surge of solar winds.  These storms can be damaging to electronics and satellites in orbit. In this particular case, it warmed up the atmosphere and caused atmospheric drag — or the friction acting against the satellites' movement — to increase up to 50 percent higher compared to previous launches. SpaceX explained that its Starlink team tried to save the newly deployed satellites by putting them in safe mode, which adjusts their movement so they'd fly edge on like a sheet of paper, to minimize drag. Unfortunately, the increased drag prevented the satellites from leaving safe mode.  The deorbiting satellites pose no collision risk, SpaceX said, will completely burn up as they re-enter the atmosphere and will create no orbital debris. No satellite parts are expected to hit the ground. "This unique situation demonstrates the great lengths the Starlink team has gone to ensure the system is on the leading edge of on-orbit debris mitigation," the company wrote in its announcement.  SpaceX has launched over 2,000 Starlink satellites as of January this year for its first-gen constellation. Launches with Starlink satellites as payload have become a routine for the company, and they'll become even more common if it gets approval to form a second constellation with up to 30,000 satellites meant to provide global internet coverage.  While Starlink could provide internet connection even to people in far-flung locations, astronomers said megaconstellations have become a worse threat to their studies than urban light pollution. In fact, the International Astronomical Union has just formed the Center for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference. Since the main issue is that telescopes will pick up the light reflected by these satellite constellations, making it difficult to observe the rest of the universe, the center will focus on software and technical mitigation solutions that observatories can implement. SpaceX added "sunshades" to its Starlink satellites in 2020 to make them look less bright. According to Sky & Telescope, they do look fainter now, but they're still visible to telescopes.

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