It's been a great quarter for Apple. The company just dropped its earnings report for the first quarter of 2022 (which for Apple ended December 25, 2021), and it's broken revenue records all across the board. Not only is its overall revenue at an all-time high of $123.9 billion, it's also made more money selling iPhones, Macs and wearables than ever before. This time last year, the company reported a revenue of $111 billion, which itself was a new record then. Just last quarter, too, it made all kinds of money selling Macs, even without the release of new Macbooks at that time.

Apple's revenue from iPhones of $71.6 billion this year, despite global supply constraints, is a notable jump from $65.6 billion last year. Driven by its transition to its own M1 silicon, Mac revenues also rose by more than $2 billion from the year before, hitting a record $10.9 billion. Chief financial officer Luca Maestri said on the company's earnings call that the last six quarters were "the best six quarters ever for Mac," and that M1-powered devices made up the vast majority of sales, thanks to a "record number of upgraders."

Sales of iPads made Apple $7.2 billion this year, while "Wearables, Home and Accessories" brought in $14.7 billion. That includes things like the Apple Watch, AirPods and HomePods. Both categories of products also broke revenue records. Apple's services also contributed to its overall revenue, with products like TV+ and Fitness+ raking in a total of $19.5 billion — an increase of 24 percent from last year. Maestri noted that paid subscriptions continue to grow, with recent developments in Fitness+, Arcade and Apple Music contributing to the growth.

Investors will be happy to know that Apple's board of directors have declared "a cash dividend of 22 cents per share of common stock, payable on February 10th 2022."

Near the end of TikTok, Boom, content creator and beatboxer Spencer X chokes up. “TikTok has really changed my entire life,” he says while fighting back tears. He’s one of a few influencers profiled in the 90-minute documentary, which premiered at Sundance 2022 this weekend. It also features activist Feroza Aziz, best known for her viral video that slipped criticism of China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims into what initially appeared to be a makeup tutorial. Other subjects include reproductive rights activist Deja Foxx and Douyin content creator Jason Zhang, whose experiences with the app are all fascinating and moving.

Directed by Shalini Kantayya, TikTok, Boom is meant to “[dissect] one of the most influential platforms of the contemporary social media landscape." The film’s description on the Sundance festival portal says it “examines the algorithmic, sociopolitical, economic and cultural influences and impact of the history-making app.” Unfortunately, if you were hoping to learn anything new about why the For You algorithm is so creepily intuitive, why its parent company ByteDance collects so much data or what exactly are the app's ties to the Chinese government, you'll be disappointed.

In general, the documentary tries to cover too much. It jumped from Aziz finding a community of Afghan-Americans on the app, to X defying his parent’s expectations to make a career out of beatboxing, to sexism, racism, child predators, body image issues, TikTok’s creation and ByteDance’s history, all within the first 40 minutes. There’s discussion of the impact on creators’ mental health, Facebook’s interest in buying TikTok, the reinforcement of social disparities, China’s control and censorship, Trump’s rallies in Tulsa, the subsequent ban of the app and more. In the second half, there’s even a random dramatic reenactment of “a statement made by a former ByteDance employee” during the COVID-19 outbreak.

If TikTok, Boom was trying to catalog every time TikTok made the news, it did an admirable job. But in its effort to recap history, the film fails to deliver any insight. I could have easily Googled “TikTok timeline” and gotten all the same information without having to sit in front of my TV for 90 minutes. Had the documentary narrowed its focus, I suspect I would have learned more.

But in its effort to recap history, the film fails to deliver any insight.

I also have a small, but important gripe. The film needs more careful editors. It features B-roll and expert interviews correctly pronouncing and spelling the app Douyin that predated TikTok. Mere seconds later, the narrator and an onscreen graphic both mispronounce and misspell Douyin as “Duoyin.” Another spelling error: a list of so-called “Sensored words” in a graphic as opposed to “censored.”

Maybe I’m nit-picking, but mistakes like this affect the credibility of any documentary, which should be a well-researched piece of video journalism.

That leads me to my biggest problem with TikTok, Boom: It makes some dangerous assumptions. At one point in the film, an animated rendering insinuates that TikTok scans a user’s face while they’re watching videos and determines if they’re smiling or not. The film posits that this information is then fed into the algorithm that lets ByteDance recommend more content on your For You page.

There is no evidence that TikTok does this. In fact, unless Apple and Google’s privacy indicators (which show when your phone’s cameras are being used) are malfunctioning, people would know if an app was watching them. It’s more likely that the TikTok, Boom team misinterpreted terms in the app’s privacy policy that states it’s collecting “faceprints and voiceprints.”

Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

That’s not to say ByteDance is completely in the clear here; it’s never explicitly explained why it’s gathering that data. Other parts of its privacy policy are even more alarming, like the fact that ByteDance collects information about users’ "keystroke patterns or rhythms." In 2020, the company had to publicly admit wrongdoing and agree to stop accessing users’ clipboard data every few keystrokes. Back then, it claimed this was part of an anti-spam feature. Now, the latest versions of iOS and Android will alert you if an app has accessed or pasted content from your clipboard, so you can be aware of unnecessary data collection.

Look, I get it. The For You algorithm can be so uncanny that people scramble to find nefarious reasons for its effectiveness. It’s just like when we all wondered if Instagram and Facebook were listening to our conversations to serve us eerily timely ads. But it’s one thing for individuals to wonder if your phone is spying on you and a whole other problem if a documentary recklessly claims it’s happening. The filmmakers don’t seem to realize the responsibility it has to its viewers.

In fact, had TikTok, Boom just focused on breaking down the For You algorithm or studying exactly what data the app is collecting (and in that context its ties to China), the film might have unearthed something illuminating. Instead, it ends up being a mostly redundant recap with a catchy title.

After its president TM Roh teased "the most noteworthy S series device we've ever created", Samsung is announcing today when we can learn more. The next Galaxy Unpacked event, which is the company's first this year, will happen virtually on Wednesday, February 9th at 10am ET (7am PT). You'll be able to watch the event on Samsung's website, though Engadget will also have our own livestream with a pre- and post-show Q&A to discuss the news. 

Samsung is expected to unveil the next S-series flagship then, and if it doesn't drastically change the naming standard it's been using for the last few years, we should be seeing the Galaxy S22. Based on the rumor mill, there might not be many huge upgrades in the next-gen product. The most significant improvement could be an onboard slot for the S Pen and a blockier design, which would spell the death of the Note line. 

Other reports suggest the new Ultra variant might start out with less RAM than last year's model, offering 8GB at the base level compared to the S21 Ultra's 12GB. There could also be a 50-megapixel camera on the regular S22s, up from the S21's 12-megapixel sensors. 

We won't know the full details until Samsung officially confirms them come February 9th. You can tune in to the company's stream directly, but if you want to chat and react live with us before and after the show, come join us on the Engadget YouTube channel instead. It should be an illuminating time. 

With the demise of third-party cookies on the horizon, advertisers and the internet's gatekeepers are scrambling to come up with better ways to serve users relevant ads. Google launched its Privacy Sandbox in 2019 to look into suitable alternatives, announcing FLoC (or Federated Learning of Cohorts) last year. The plan to roll out FLoC was delayed, and Privacy Sandbox faced regulatory scrutiny in the UK and the US. Today, the company announced it's testing out a new approach called Topics API, which will replace FLoC. 

Topics API relies on the Chrome browser to determine a list of top five topics a user is interested in, based on their surfing history. It'll determine what the topics are by comparing known websites (that you visit) against a list of about 350 topics drawn from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Google's own data. Then, when partner publishers need to know what topics a viewer is into, they can use Topics API to ping the browser for that data and serve relevant ads based on that. 

Say, for example, you've visited a lot of sites for hiking or working out. Chrome will count those towards your top interests for that particular week and share them with participating publishers who can then show you ads for, say, athleisure or camping gear. Topics will select one area of interest from each of the past three weeks to share with each site and its advertising partners. Google says topics are "kept for only three weeks and old topics are deleted." The data and processing happens on your device "without involving any external servers, including Google servers." 

There will also be options in Chrome for users to see the topics assigned to you, remove those you don't like or disable the feature altogether. At the moment, since Google has only just announced Topics and hasn't started user tests, it hasn't shared whether Topics will be opt-in or opt-out for users.  

The list of topics is pre-set, and Google says it "will not include potentially sensitive categories, such as gender or race." This should theoretically prevent unwanted browsing history from counting towards and showing up in your interests. 

Google is targeting the end of the first quarter this year to launch its trial, and after publishing the explainer on how it expects to use Topics API today, it'll be accepting feedback from partners, interest groups and regulatory authorities. Based on that, the company may adjust Topics API before its first trial, and if all goes well it could launch the feature by the third quarter of the year. 

After introducing S Pen support to the Galaxy S21 Ultra and not launching a new version of the Note series last year, Samsung's next Unpacked event would be a timely opportunity to address concerned fans. Though the company has yet to confirm an exact date beyond the month of February (rumors suggest it might take place Feb. 8th), president TM Roh has written a blog post on what we can expect at the launch. Samsung has also shared a teaser trailer.

"We know many of you were surprised when Samsung didn’t release a new Galaxy Note last year," he wrote. "At Unpacked in February 2022, we'll introduce to you the most noteworthy S series device we've ever created." The company is expected to unveil the Galaxy S22 series this year.

Roh also said "the next generation of Galaxy S... [brings] together the greatest experiences of our Samsung Galaxy into one ultimate device." He teased nighttime photography, power and performance as some areas to look out for, ending his post with "Get ready for the ultimate Ultra experience." That could mean the best upgrades could be limited to the Ultra model again, as in previous years.

The rest of Roh's post is mostly recap of its S and Note series, as well as vague allusions like "we haven't about these [Galaxy Note] experiences you love." There aren't any details on what exact Note-esque features we might see in the next S flagship, and our biggest clue is the use of the word "noteworthy" to describe the upcoming product.  

Finally, Samsung also announced today that tomorrow (Jan. 21st) at 10am ET, it'll open its Reserve Now offers ahead of time like it's done for previous launches. If you want to guarantee you can get whatever Samsung announces in February, you can reserve early and get perks like a $50 Samsung credit towards other Galaxy products during pre-order, as well as more deals when it's time to pre-order.

In October, roboticist and software engineer Allison Liemhetcharat announced that she had been working on a game that would use a smart vibrator as a controller. Specifically, the Lioness smart vibrator, which gathers bio-data like body temperature and pelvic pressure. Liemhetcharat said she was partly inspired by the Perifit kegel exerciser, which also uses games and a device to help people strengthen their pelvic floor. The game, an endless runner called You Are What You Eat, has been in beta since then. Today, Liemhetcharat has released the Android version, which you can now download from the Google Play Store. 

Liemhetcharat told Engadget that You Are What You Eat is based on her family's favorite activity. "Our running joke is that we eat everything," she said. By itself, the game is an endless runner, with the objective of eating as many creatures as possible before dying. You begin as a blob, then grow and morph depending on what you ingest. That will also affect what you can continue to consume, as some creatures will subsequently become "inedible" based on what you've become. A WebGL version of the game is available. 

But for those who own the Lioness smart vibrator, you can use it to control your slimeball. Squeeze the dildo's head (where the pressure sensors are) to jump, and do that twice to fly or jump twice. The device will also vibrate in response when you do those things or eat something.

Those on iOS won't be left out — Liemhetcharat told Engadget that a version for the iPhone is coming soon, too. So far, the game itself is simple, but the most intriguing aspect is its use of the bio-sensing vibrator as a controller. As a proof of concept, YAWYE is fairly straightforward, though we'll have to wait for medical professionals to weigh in before we can say with any certainty if it can be helpful in strengthening pelvic floor muscles. 

Google wants to do for Android and Chrome users what Apple does for people in its ecosystem. It's announcing a set of news today at CES 2022 that are designed to help those using non-Apple devices easily set up, connect and share seamlessly across platforms. That involves expanding its existing Fast Pair and Chromecast capabilities to more products, as well as improving the sharing of data between Android phones and laptops. In fact, Google said that "for the first time with Android, we're also focused on building for other platforms, like Windows."

First, Fast Pair. Google is working with Acer, HP and Intel to bring Fast Pair to Windows PCs so you can quickly connect your Android phone to your laptop. You can then set up Bluetooth accessories, sync your text messages and easily share files via Nearby Share. This feature will arrive on select Windows PCs later this year. 

Meanwhile, Google is also bringing Fast Pair to devices beyond wearables, cars and Bluetooth audio accessories, to include things like TVs and smart devices. It already works with the Pixel Buds and some Fitbit watches, enabling easier setup on those devices. In a few weeks, your Chromebook can automatically detect your Fast Pair-enabled headphones when you turn them on, allowing you to connect to them in a single click. New Chromebooks arriving later this year will be easier to set up, too. You can connect your Android phone and port over saved data like your Google account and Wi-Fi password.

Google

The company said it'll let you connect headphones to Google TV or Android TV in the coming months, and that Fast Pair will work with new Matter-enabled smart home devices as well. That should make adding connected appliances to your home network easier than before. It doesn't sound as simple as Apple's HomePod setup where you can just hold your iPhone near your speaker to trigger the installation process, but we'll have to wait to see Google's solution in action to know for sure.

After your gadgets are all set up and synced with each other, Google also wants to enable convenient connections a la Apple's AirPlay or AirDrop. It's bringing Cast support to more brands, starting with all Bose smart speakers and soundbars, so you can stream music and audio from your Android phone to compatible speakers. 

The company is also "building a technology for Bluetooth-enabled headphones" that will let them automatically switch audio output depending on what device you're using. Say you're wearing earbuds while watching a show on your Android tablet and a call comes in on your phone. The system will pause your movie and the headphones will switch over to your phone, then go right back to your tablet when your conversation is over. This will work for all audio playing through your devices at a system level, rather than on a supported-app-only basis. For Apple users, this is similar to how AirPods can automatically switch between iPads, iPhones and Macs. 

Google

Google says compatible headphones will also get spatial audio support so you can hear directional sound based on your head's movements for more immersive experiences. These features are coming in the next few months.

Later this year, Phone Hub on Chromebooks is also getting new features to make it more useful. For example, you won't have to install separate apps like Signal or WhatsApp on your laptop to message your friends via your phone anymore. Messages from chat apps will show up on your Chromebook and you can reply to them from there. Google is also adding Camera Roll to the Phone Hub so you can view your media without opening photos.google.com. 

Locking and unlocking devices and vehicles is also getting easier. Just like you can with Apple Watch (and some Samsung devices), in the coming months you'll be able to use your paired Wear OS 3 watch to keep your Chromebook and Android devices unlocked when you're close by.

Google

Cars are also getting an Android update. Compatible Samsung or Pixel phones will now be able to lock, unlock and start supported BMW vehicles. Later this year, too, phones with ultra wideband support can open car doors without leaving your pocket or purse. Google is also adding support for key sharing, in compliance with the Connected Car Consortium interoperable standard, so you can remotely share access to your vehicle right from your phone. The company said it's "working to bring digital car keys to more Android phones and vehicles later this year."

Finally, you'll also be able to tell the Google Assistant to warm up, cool down, lock and unlock your car and ask it for the amount of battery left in your EV. This is coming first to Volvo Cars vehicles in the coming months, "with more to follow," according to Google. 

Everything Google announced today fits in with the vision of ambient computing the company has talked about for years. "This is sort of a foundational element for us to achieve the vision of ambient computing," vice president of multi-device experiences Erik Kay told Engadget. It does seem like when these updates do roll out, non-Apple users may have less reason to envy the seamless ecosystem that iPhone or Mac users enjoy.

Follow all of the latest news from CES 2022 right here!

Razer seems to treat each CES as its personal carnival, using the show as a chance to show off things like wild-looking masks and insane triple-screen notebooks. This year, in addition to launching new laptops, it’s also teamed up with smartwatch maker Fossil to launch a special edition wearable. The two companies are announcing the Razer x Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch at CES 2022 and it’s basically what you think: A themed version of an existing Wear OS device with straps and faces that reflect the gaming company’s identity.

But the Razer edition of the Gen 6 has some small differences. It only comes in the 44mm size (while the original is also available in 42mm) and also features some unique interface elements. I’ve had a sample to play with for awhile, and frankly, this feels like most Fossil smartwatches, just with an aesthetic nod to Razer.

The Fossil Gen 6 was the first to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 4100+ chip, and like the original series, the Razer edition will be updated to the new Wear OS 3 later this year. So far, the existing software on the watch felt familiar and performed quickly. I swiped through cards and changed watch faces with no delay, though that’s par for the course for Wear OS watches these days. The three custom watch faces for the Razer-branded wearable were what I expected — that is, they had matching color schemes and displayed the time in "fun" fonts. The Wellness face shows your daily stats, but doesn’t look very Razer-esque.

There’s not much else different about the device, and most other elements like battery life and system performance require me spending much more time with it to test.

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

What I can say now is that as a person with smaller wrists, the Razer watch is a bit too big for me. Are most Razer fans people more big-boned, or do they prefer a chunky aesthetic? I don’t know, but it sure seems like that assumption is being made.

One thing I do believe Razer’s loyalists love is the company’s distinct acid green color that permeates their products. The special edition Gen 6 comes in a black finish with a black 22mm band with no pops of green on the case itself. But it does come with a bright green strap that you can swap out. Both silicone bands were pliable and comfortable, though, again, I’d prefer a narrower style.

The larger size does allow for a roomier screen (though the 42mm Gen 6 has the same display dimensions), and I enjoyed how easy it was to read app titles and notifications.

Razer and Fossil are only selling 1,337 units of this special edition device, because Leet, get it? Anyway, you can get one for $329. For comparison, the Fossil Gen 6 costs between $299 and $319. With its higher price and limited quantity, the Razer watch is clearly meant to be a collectible for the most loyal of the company’s fans.

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

If you don’t manage to get one of the Razer watches or are intrigued by Fossil’s other brands, you could also consider the new Skagen Gen 6. The Skagen Falster is my favorite of Fossil’s smartwatches, and the company is launching an updated version that offers its latest suite of features like the Snapdragon Wear 4100 processor, faster battery charging and upgraded sensors. It’ll be available in six styles and cost $295.

Fossil also told Engadget that the Gen 6 series will be getting Alexa support early this year, so those who use Amazon’s assistant for smart home device control can do that from their wrists.

The Razer x Fossil watch represents an intriguing expansion of Fossil’s lineup, though we might see the company team up with other brands in future. Fossil told me it’s open to the idea, so who knows? Maybe one day we’ll see collabs with the likes of Tesla, McDonalds or, oh God, White Castle.

Follow all of the latest news from CES 2022 right here!

Lenovo always unveils a cornucopia of gadgets at CES and this year is no different. In addition to smart home products and various laptops, the company is showing off an unconventional approach to PCs. Since introducing the ThinkBook Plus series in 2020, Lenovo has used it as a platform to roll out unusual form factors, like the previous iteration with an e-ink screen on its lid.

Now that the laptop is in its third generation, Lenovo is moving its second panel down to the keyboard deck and making it a full-color LCD instead. Not only is this approach more useful, it’s also potentially more power-intensive. At a recent hands-on in New York (held in accordance with COVID-19 regulations), I checked out the ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 and, in spite of some bugs, I’m intrigued by the premise.

The laptop’s main screen is a 17.3 inch IPS display that runs at a 3K resolution. It’s accompanied by an 8-inch 800 x 1,280 LCD to the right of the keyboard and features an integrated digitizer layer to enable stylus support. The machine runs an interesting version of Windows 11 that offers several more orientations, in addition to the typical snap shortcuts that you see when you hover over an app’s title bar.

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

On the ThinkBook Plus, when you drag an app, a small dialog box pops up with two suggested layouts (and five more appear when you hover over an arrow here). Windows 11 will just see the 8-inch LCD as an external screen and push out content the way it would to your connected monitors. You can choose to snap a window to take up the whole bottom panel, half of it, cover the entire top display, take up only two thirds of it and more. The most unconventional of these layouts is something Lenovo called “waterfall” where an app can spill over the top screen into the bottom, which could be nifty for extra long lists.

I dragged a long spreadsheet into waterfall mode, for example, and could see entire columns at a glance. Or say you’re watching a live-changing Ted Talk up top and want to jot down notes by hand. Writing on the demo unit was surprisingly smooth with satisfying latency. I also appreciated the position of the pad because it felt more intuitive than trying to draw on a laptop’s display.

During my hands-on, the ThinkBook Plus was responsive at snapping apps where I wanted them to go and did so quickly. But it struggled when launching some other functions that Lenovo built into the lower display.

There’s a whiteboard tool that turns the panel into a notepad, as well as a digital numpad. With supported apps like Adobe Lightroom, you can also have a dedicated dashboard of shortcuts or a magnified view sitting next to the keyboard. Lenovo made a “Magic Launcher,” which is a row of buttons at the bottom of this screen for quick access to the whiteboard, numpad and other specialized software.

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

This was the most buggy part of my hands-on experience. Sometimes, tapping the buttons wouldn’t work (or would take more than a few seconds before anything happened). The demo unit crashed at least once, too. But we’re at least a few months away from May, when Lenovo expects to sell these machines, so it has some time to iron out these kinks.

The rest of the system performed as expected. The main 17.3-inch IPS display runs at 3,072 x 1,440, which is an aspect ratio of 21:10. It’s easy enough to split three apps on that roomy screen, though if you want to use all of it for editing pictures in Lightroom, at least you can keep an eye on Slack or Twitter with the bottom display.

Keeping all this running is a 12th-generation Intel Core processor with up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM. It uses Intel’s Xe graphics with Unified Memory Architecture, which should be powerful enough for some photo editing. There's also a Full HD IR camera with a privacy shutter and an array of ports including an HDMI socket, two USB A jacks and a Thunderbolt 4 connection.

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

It’s worth noting that the battery size here is 69 Whr, which is pretty typical for most laptops this size. But most laptops this size don't also have a secondary monitor to power, so we'll have to wait till we can test one out for ourselves to get a sense for real-world endurance. You'll only be able to get these in May, and they'll start at $1,399.

Lenovo also announced a slew of other products in its ThinkBook and ThinkCentre family of business-minded devices. There’s the updated ThinkBook 13x Gen 2, which can work with a “Wireless Multi-Device Charging Mat” that recharges Qi-compatible gadgets while also powering the laptop itself. The company also debuted a new ThinkCentre Neo line comprising three desktop systems for small and medium businesses. Finally, the new ThinkBook 14 and 16 Gen 4+ i (yes, that’s part of the name, not a stray letter) sport 16:10 screens running at 90Hz and 120Hz respectively, among other updates.

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 is one of the most eye-catching things I've seen this CES, though that’s not to say Lenovo is breaking new ground. ASUS has already made several dual-screen laptops in its ZenBook Pro Duo series, and Lenovo itself also tried before with the ill-fated Yoga Book line. Dell and Intel have shown off some concepts, too and I'm very intrigued by the premise here. With Windows 11’s release last year, it seems like more PC makers could be ready to deliver real dual-screen laptops and we could see more of them in 2022. As a taste of what’s to come, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 is tantalizing and I applaud Lenovo for continuing to try and innovate.

Follow all of the latest news from CES 2022 right here!

At CES 2022 today, Samsung has finally unveiled the Galaxy S21 FE (or “Fan Edition”) phone. This is basically a tweaked version of last year’s S21 that the company is selling for $700 starting January 11th. That’s $100 less than the regular S21, and for the price this year’s model offers the same 5nm processors, same 120Hz refresh rate (in a slightly bigger screen) and a similar triple camera system. The S21 FE has a larger battery, though, and comes with Android 12. We’ll have a full review coming soon, but based on our brief hands-on with a test unit, the S21 FE appears to be a well-rounded device.

At first glance, the S21 FE isn’t as eye-catching as last year’s flagship. While it features a similar bump on the top left corner for its camera module, its housing doesn’t have a shiny finish like the original S21. I prefer the previous style — this one’s kind of bland. But the S21 FE feels sturdy and its matte finish helps it resist fingerprints, too

The S21 FE is also available in a different set of colors than the original: This time, you get to choose from lavender, olive, silver or black (which is the color of my sample unit).

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

At 177 grams (or 6.2 ounces), the S21 FE is slightly heavier than the S21, which is reasonable given the newer model’s bigger 6.4-inch screen. The display still runs at Full HD+, and looks bright and sharp. But don’t expect S Pen support here like you’d get on the S21+ and Ultra. Like the S21, the Fan Edition doesn’t support Samsung’s stylus.

Aside from size, the biggest difference between the S21 FE and the original model lie in their rear cameras. While both versions have a similar 12-megapixel main camera with a f/1.8 aperture, the FE’s ultra-wide lens has a slightly wider field of view of 123 degrees. Also, the FE’s telephoto camera uses an 8-megapixel sensor while the S21’s is 64 megapixels, though they both offer 30x Space Zoom.

During my hands-on period with the S21 FE, I haven’t really put its cameras through rigorous testing and so far I haven’t noticed any major issues with picture quality. Images came out colorful and clear. Oddly, the FE’s front camera is 32 megapixels sharp while the original’s is just 10 megapixels. The selfies I’ve shot with it so far were indeed tack sharp and individual strands of my damaged hair were painfully clear.

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

These tweaks are similar to how the S20 FE varied from the S20. Samsung said it sold 10 million units of the S20 FE in just over a year since the phone’s launch in Q4 2020, making that model one of the best-selling Galaxy smartphones over the past year.

Since this is just a brief hands-on and not our full review, I can't yet tell how the S21 FE will stack up to other phones in this price range. But already it faces stiff competition from the Pixel 6, which offers excellent cameras and software at the same cost, although it has a polarizing design.

Though the combination of features for the relatively lower price might make the S21 FE an appealing phone to many Samsung fans, the company picked an awkward time to release this device. With next-gen flagships presumably on the horizon, Galaxy shoppers might be inclined to wait and see what the company might bring at that launch. Even if you’re dying to buy a new Galaxy S series handset already though, at least wait till we can test the S21 FE out more comprehensively before spending your money.

Follow all of the latest news from CES 2022 right here!