Friday, January 15, 2021

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: Does stylus spell end of the Note?

 Samsung's new flagship Galaxy S smartphone works with its stylus for the first time.

The S Pen is an optional add-on for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. But the move will fuel speculation the firm will phase out its separate Note handset range.

Samsung told the BBC it had yet to make a decision about this.

The company's handset sales have declined more quickly than the wider market. One expert said a streamlined line-up might help address this.

media captionWATCH: First look at Samsung's S21 Ultra phone

"There's increasing logic for Samsung to converge the Galaxy S and Note platforms, because there's so little differentiation between the two kinds of devices now," said Ben Wood, from the CCS Insight consultancy.

"That would align them with Apple, which also has one big phone launch event a year.

"My concern is that every time Samsung has announced its Note products in the past, it has planted a seed in consumers' minds that the Galaxy S products have become kind of the old ones."

The benefit of having a stylus is that it is easier to write, draw or annotate notes than using a finger. But to work it requires special hardware under the glass of the phone's display to pass power to the stylus and to track its tip.

Smartphone shipments. October 2019 to September 2020.  .

'Expanded Note experience'

The Android-based Galaxy S21 Ultra has a 6.8in (17.3cm) display, which is only slightly smaller than the top-end 6.9in Note.

In years past, the Note phones were known as "phablets", and their size was the other key distinguishing factor with the S range.

Galaxy S21 Ultra caseIMAGE COPYRIGHTSAMSUNG
image captionUnlike the Note series, the S21 Ultra requires a special case to stow away the pen

Product manager Mark Notton said "we haven't decided", when asked whether Samsung planned to continue the Note family.

"It does not mean that Samsung is not committed to the Note category, but is expanding the Note experience across device categories," the firm said in a follow-up statement.

"We will actively listen to consumers' feedback and reflect it in our continued product innovation."

The S21 Ultra will start at £1,149 when it goes on sale on 29 January. The S Pen costs an extra £35 on its own, or £85 when bundled with a case that stores it.

That puts it in the ballpark of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra's £1,179 starting price, which comes with a stylus that slots into its body.

Ditched charger

There are also two other lower-cost models in the new range, neither of which works with the S-Pen stylus: the 6.2in S21 and 6.7in S21+.

All three models feature a redesigned camera module on their back.

Samsung Galaxy S21IMAGE COPYRIGHTSAMSUNG
image captionAll the Galaxy S21 phones feature a redesigned camera module on their back

But while the two lower-end models have three lenses - ultra-wide, wide and 3x-zoom telephoto - the S21 Ultra adds a further 10x-zoom telephoto lens, letting owners shoot action from even further away.

The handsets also benefit from a new Director's View facility. It lets users film video while getting thumbnail previews superimposed on-screen of what it would look like if they switched to another lens.

All three phones can film in 8K - double the maximum resolution of the competing iPhone 12 range's native video app.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
image captionThe Director's View mode lets users preview how the recorded shot will change in a video if they switch to a different lens while filming

Other benefits over Apple's latest phones include:

  • screens that can display up to 120 frames per second, to provide smoother visual effects
  • wi-fi 6E wireless connectivity, allowing use of extra radio bandwith with a compatible router
  • brighter screens - the S21 Ultra goes up to 1,500 nits, which should improve playback of HDR (high dynamic range) video

However, the handsets may be more notable for following Apple in two regards.

They have abandoned a slot for a microSD memory card.

And they will be sold without either a charger - a decision over which Samsung had mocked its rival. - or earphones.

Samsung charger adIMAGE COPYRIGHTSAMSUNG
image captionSamsung posted this ad in October on social media before deleting it

"We discovered that more and more Galaxy users are reusing accessories they already have," the firm said.

Early launch

Samsung typically unveils its Galaxy range in late February, but has brought forward this year's launch to coincide with the CES tech show.

"Samsung needs S21 to be a success given that S20 was launched in the middle of Covid first wave in Europe and didn't gain many fans," commented Marta Pinto, from research firm IDC.

She added the earlier launch date could help it compete in the "premium market" with Apple, whose iPhones were released later than normal last year.

The South Korean firm should also benefit from collapsing sales of Huawei's devices in the West, caused by US sanctions that prevent them offering the Google Play store and some of the search giant's other services.

Samsung GoogleIMAGE COPYRIGHTSAMSUNG
image captionSamsung dedicated a segment of its Unpacked launch presentation to its partnership with Google

But Mr Wood said Samsung was facing growing competition from other Chinese brands including Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo.

"Samsung's differentiator is going to be its ability to market its strong brand, and the fact it has a very wide product portfolio," he commented.

Smarter earbuds

Samsung also aims to widen its appeal with two further accessories.

It has a new pair of £219 wireless earbuds that monitor what the user is doing.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro earbudsIMAGE COPYRIGHTSAMSUNG
image captionSamsung's earbuds should automatically adapt their audio output according to what the user is doing

If they detect the wearer is talking, they automatically turn down the volume of music and amplify the sounds of the nearby environment picked up by their microphones, allowing the owner to have a brief conversation without needing to take them out or manually adjust their settings.

Samsung also is launching the £30 Galaxy SmartTag - a Bluetooth-enabled tracker that can be attached to belongings or pets.

It will allow an app to show their location, so long as the tag is in range of the owner or anyone else's compatible Samsung device.

The tracker will compete with similar products from the current market leader Tile.

Australia rebukes Google for blocking local content

 The Australian government has urged Google to focus on paying for Australian content instead of blocking it.


After media reports said Australian news websites were not showing up in searches, Google confirmed it was blocking the sites for a small number of users.


The search engine said it was conducting experiments to determine the value of its service to Australian news outlets.


Google, Facebook and other tech companies are fighting the Australian government over plans to make them pay for news content.

Google said the tests affect about 1% of Australian users, and will be finished by February.


“The digital giants should focus on paying for original content, not blocking it. That’s my message to those digital giants,” said Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.


The big tech firms have been resisting legislation which will force them to negotiate with Australian news outlets over payment for the content which appears on their platforms.


If the parties are unable to reach an agreement, a government-appointed arbitrator will decide for them.


The law is currently being debated by Australia’s Senate, and is expected to be voted on early this year.


Google and Facebook have called the rules unfair and suggested they would force them to limit their offerings in the country.



media captionWATCH: Timnit Gebru accuses Google and the wider tech sector of institutional racism

The bill also covers Australia's two public broadcasters ABC and SBS, and requires Google and Facebook to share user data of news stories with their publishers.


“That is a world-leading scheme that we are putting in place. It has been acknowledged not just by regulatory agencies but by other governments around the world,” said Mr Frydenberg.


Google argues that its search services would be worse under the change.


It has rolled out an extensive advertising campaign in Australia, arguing the laws would be damaging.


Australia’s media proprietors see things differently. Australian print media has seen a 75% decline in advertising revenue since 2005, the government said.


Many Australian news outlets have shut down or cut jobs in recent years as a result.

Saturday, January 9, 2021

Parler Suspended From Google Play

 Parler Suspended From Google Play, Apple Gives 24-Hour Warning Over US Capitol Violence-Inciting Posts

Alphabet's Google on Friday suspended the Parler social networking service from its app store, citing posts inciting violence and demanding “robust” content moderation from the app favored by many supporters of US President Donald Trump.


Apple on Friday also gave the service 24 hours to submit a detailed moderation plan, pointing to participants using the service to coordinate Wednesday's siege of the US Capitol building.


The actions by the two Silicon Valley companies mean that the network seen as a haven for people expelled from Twitter could become unavailable for new downloads on the world's main mobile phone app stores within a day. It would still be available in mobile browsers.

Right-leaning social media users in the United States have flocked to Parler, messaging app Telegram and hands-off social site Gab, citing the more aggressive policing of political comments on mainstream platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Twitter permanently suspended President Trump's account on Friday.

In suspending the service, Google, whose software powers Android phones, cited its policy against apps that promote violence and gave recent examples from Parler, including a Friday post that began "How do we take back our country? About 20 or so coordinated hits" and another promoting a "Million Militia March" on Washington.


Parler Chief Executive John Matze said in a post on Friday that Apple was applying standards to Parler that it did not apply to itself.

In a statement, Google said that "for us to distribute an app through Google Play, we do require that apps implement robust moderation for egregious content. In light of this ongoing and urgent public safety threat, we are suspending the app's listings from the Play Store until it addresses these issues."


In a letter from Apple's App Store review team to Parler seen by Reuters, Apple cited participants of the mob storming the US Capitol building on Wednesday.


"Content that threatens the well-being of others or is intended to incite violence or other lawless acts has never been acceptable on the App Store," Apple said in the letter.


Apple gave Parler 24 hours to "remove all objectionable content from your app ... as well as any content referring to harm to people or attacks on government facilities now or at any future date." The company also demanded that Parler submit a written plan "to moderate and filter this content" from the app.


Apple declined to comment.


Matze, who describes himself as libertarian, founded Parler in 2018 as a "free-speech driven" alternative to mainstream platforms but began courting right-leaning users as prominent supporters of Trump moved there.


Those who have joined include commentator Candace Owens, Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who handcuffed herself to the door of Twitter's New York office in November 2018 to protest a ban on her by the site. In November, conservative activist Rebekah Mercer confirmed that the she and her family, which includes her father and hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer, have provided funding to Parler.


"Apparently they believe Parler is responsible for ALL user generated content on Parler," Matze said. "Therefor (sic) by the same logic, Apple must be responsible for ALL actions taken by their phones. Every car bomb, every illegal cell phone conversation, every illegal crime committed on an iPhone, Apple must also be responsible for," he wrote. "Standards not applied to Twitter, Facebook or even Apple themselves, apply to Parler."

Monday, January 4, 2021

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 Event Set for January 14, Galaxy S21 Series Expected: All You Need to Know

 Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event will be held on January 14, the company has confirmed. Reports in the past have claimed that Samsung will be announcing its next-gen Samsung Galaxy ‘S' series flagship lineup on January 14, and now the company has officially announced it is hosting an event on the same day. While it hasn't really announced the monikers of the upcoming Samsung flagship, it did confirm that ‘new experiences' in mobile technology will be unveiled. As per reports, the flagship series will be called the Samsung Galaxy S21 range this year.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event details

The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event will be live streamed for all on Samsung.com at 10am EST (8.30pm IST) on January 14 i.e. next Thursday. Samsung has released an official invitation for the event and has published a teaser video that shows a blurry camera module of the Samsung Galaxy S21 series. There seems to be a triple camera setup on the module with the sensors sitting in one vertical line. As mentioned, the names of the phones have not been announced in the release.

Past reports indicate that the upcoming Galaxy ‘S' series will include three phones – Samsung Galaxy S21Samsung Galaxy S21+, and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. The phones have leaked massively in the past and this time around the camera module is said to be fused with the frame to give it a sleeker look than before.

Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+ price, availability details (expected)

The base model - Samsung Galaxy S21 – is reported to be priced starting at EUR 849 (roughly Rs. 76,000) for the base 128GB model, while its 256GB option was reported at EUR 899 (roughly Rs. 80,600). The Galaxy S21+, on the other hand, is expected to be available at EUR 1,049 (roughly Rs. 94,000) and EUR 1,099 (roughly Rs. 98,700) for the 128GB and 256GB storage options, respectively.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is expected to come in three storage options. The 128GB model will likely be priced at EUR 1,349 (roughly Rs. 1,21,400), whereas the 256GB storage model may be offered at EUR 1,399 (roughly Rs. 1,25,900). The most expensive will likely be the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 512GB model that will reportedly be priced at EUR 1,529 (roughly Rs. 1,37,600). Reports claim that the Galaxy S21 series would be available in South Korea on January 29.

Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra specifications (expected)

WinFuture.de, a popular German publication known for its accurate leaks, recently shared the specifications of all the three phones - Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra. According to the report, the three phones will come with dual-SIM (Nano) support and run on Android 11 with One UI 3.1 on top. All models are also expected to have an octa-core Exynos 2100 SoC in markets including Germany, though it could be the recently launched Snapdragon 888 in the US and select other markets. The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ are expected to have 8GB of RAM as standard, along with 128GB and 256GB of onboard storage. There could to be up to 12GB of RAM on board on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options. Storage is tipped to not be expandable in nature.

Coming to the display, Samsung Galaxy S21 is reported to have a 6.2-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,400 pixels) Infinity-O Display with Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen and 421ppi pixel density. The Galaxy S21+, on the other hand, could offer the same display in 6.7-inch size and 394ppi of pixel density. Both phones are also expected to have 60-120Hz refresh rate, 1,300 nits of peak brightness, and Gorilla Glass 7 protection on top.

The premium Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is expected to features a 6.8-inch (1,440x3,200 pixels) Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display with 20:9 aspect ratio and 515ppi pixel density. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is tipped to come with 120Hz refresh rate and offer Gorilla Glass 7 protection.

Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ are also expected to have a triple rear camera setup that houses a 64-megapixel primary sensor with a telephoto f/2.0 lens on top, 12-megapixel secondary sensor with an ultra-wide-angle f/2.2 lens, and a 12-megapixel tertiary sensor with a wide-angle f/1.8 lens. The primary and tertiary lenses of the setup could have optical image stabilisation (OIS) support. The camera setup is expected to offer 3x “hybrid” optical zoom.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is also expected to feature a multiple lens setup with a 108-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS), two additional zoom lenses on board with 10-megapixel resolution. One zoom lens has 35-degree field-of-view and f/2.4 aperture and the other has 10-degree field-of-view but comes with periscope optics to offer 240mm focal length. There is also a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with 120-degree field-of-view. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra also has a laser autofocus system at the back.

For selfies and video chats, the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ will come with a 10-megapixel camera sensor at the front along with an f/2.2 lens, according to the report. The lens may have 80-degree of field-of-view (FoV). The Ultra model at the front is likely to have a 40-megapixel 1/2.8-inch sensor has PDAF and laser autofocus features.

Samsung Galaxy S21 may have a 4,000mAh battery, while the battery pack of Galaxy S21+ may come with a capacity of 4,800mAh. Both phones are expected to have 25W fast charging support — alongside Qi wireless charging compatibility. There is expected to be a 5,000mAh battery on board with 45W fast charging support on Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. It may support wireless charging as well. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is also expected to support the S Pen as an optional accessory. Connectivity options on the three phones are tipped to include a USB Type-C port, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and 5G. The report says that users in Germany won't get an adapter or earphones bundled-in. The phones may not come bundled with a charger.

Samsung Tipped to Launch New Galaxy M-Series Smartphone in India Next Week, Could Be M12 or M62

 Samsung is tipped to launch a new Galaxy M-series smartphone in India next week. A tipster shared a poster of the upcoming phone on Twitter and claimed that it will launch next week. He also said that the phone could have a big screen. The smartphone will come with a waterdrop notch display, as per the leaked poster. While the name of the upcoming smartphone isn't given in the leak, it could be the Samsung Galaxy M12 or the Samsung Galaxy M62. Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S21 series at its Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event on January 14, but it seems like a Galaxy-M series smartphone could launch in India before that.

Tipster Mukul Sharma shared a poster of the upcoming Samsung smartphone on Twitter. It has the text #MAXUP, which hints at a large battery. The poster also suggests that the smartphone will have the volume and power buttons on the right side.

The Samsung Galaxy M12 is expected to feature a massive 7,000mAh battery. It is also tipped to sport a 6.7-inch display. The smartphone has been spotted on multiple certification sites in the last month and a support page for the smartphone also appears to have gone live in India. The Samsung Galaxy M12 has also reportedly gone into mass production at a Noida factory. All of this suggests that the smartphone is ready to be launched soon.

If not the Samsung Galaxy M12, the smartphone tipped to launch next week could also be the Galaxy M62, which was also reportedly in the works.

Meanwhile, Samsung is expected to launch the anticipated Galaxy S21 series on January 14. The lineup is rumoured to comprise of Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Metalenz could help flatten out huge smartphone camera bumps in the future

 It seems that a new company called Metalenz has recently been spotted, offering a new type of lens that could potentially reduce the size o...