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, expanding the Note brand from a single device into more of an experience makes sense.

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!

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!

Despite Google being on the twelfth generation of its ubiquitous mobile OS, recently it’s felt like Android has left tablets behind. Hell, even Google gave up making its own tablets years ago, while some other device makers began favoring Chrome OS over Android on larger gaadgets. But with Android 12L, Google is trying to address some of the OS’s shortcomings while also paving the way for emerging types of gadgets like foldables.

Why Android 12L?

In contrast to Google’s typical once-a-year release cadence, Android 12L is a timely callback to older versions of Android that got one (or more) mid-cycle updates. One big advantage of Android 12L is that because Google doesn’t have to worry about including larger overarching changes as it does with its big yearly update, the company can be more targeted about what kind of features should (or should not) be included.

Who is it for?

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Google says Android 12L is a special update primarily meant to support larger-screen devices, though all the new features will still make their way into Android as a whole. Currently, Android 12L can be installed on a range of Pixel phones (the Pixel 3 and up, but not the Pixel 6 or 6 Pro yet), Google’s Android Emulator, and critically, Lenovo’s P12 Pro tablet–which is the only tablet and third-party device that’s been officially approved to run Android 12L so far. (It’s also the main device I’ve been using to test 12L.)

When will Android 12L be ready for release?

Google

Right now, Google is mid-way through its testing and development cycle. Android 12L has already gotten two beta releases to date (depending on the device), with a third beta planned for sometime later this month prior to an eventual release sometime by the end of Q1 2022 (which ends in March).

The big changes in Android 12L

A new taskbar and improved multitasking

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The most important addition in Android 12L is the new taskbar. Similar to taskbars on desktop OSes, Android 12L’s taskbar sits at the bottom of the screen and holds a selection of apps for easy access (though I should note that on smaller devices like phones, the taskbar may not be there by default).

Unlike many Android launchers, the taskbar is pinned in place, so it’ll always be there unless you’re playing a fullscreen video or game. That said, you can make it disappear when you want by pressing and holding. But where things get really interesting is that you can also open up apps directly into split-screen mode simply by dragging the app icon up from the taskbar into the middle of your screen. From there, you can easily adjust the size of the app’s window however you want.

Google

This far into Android’s development cycle, the addition of a taskbar and the ability to drag and drop apps into split-screen mode is as close to a “game-changer” as we’re going to get. It makes the process of multitasking so much faster and easier—particularly for larger devices like tablets and smartphones which often feel like they have more screen real estate than they can actually utilize.

That said, there are some important limitations because unlike Samsung’s One UI, there isn’t an easy way to open up three apps in split-screen at the same time or create permanent app pairs. But even more than that, the taskbar maxes out at five apps, which feels a bit limited. I mean just look at all the extra room on the left and right where more apps could go. I’m really hoping that for the final build, Google increases the number of apps that can live down there, especially when existing foldables like the Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold3 have a similar taskbar that supports up to eight icons (plus a launcher) with ease.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

For people who like to watch videos, Google recently added a new split-screen icon to the second Android 12L beta’s picture-in-picture mode, so you can more easily go from the mini player to multitasking with just a couple taps.

UI improvements

The other big area of improvement in Android 12L are changes to the OS’s UI for larger screens. So instead of the single-column notification tray we’re used to seeing on phones, Android 12L features a two-column layout that puts notifications on the right alongside your usual quick settings icons on the left. It’s a straightforward change, but it really does make the extra display area on bigger devices feel more worthwhile. And it’s a similar situation for the Settings menu, though once again I should point out that Samsung’s OneUI has had this for some time on larger foldables. Sadly on the P12 Pro, I noticed that the two-column notification layout only works in landscape mode, which hopefully Google can address in a future update.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Another clever quality-of-life update is the ability for Android 12L to move the PIN or pattern-entry menu on a device’s lock screen to left or right, based on where you most recently touched the screen. It makes getting into your device just a bit faster and easier. Though once again, Google still needs to tweak things a bit. On the P12 Pro, the field showing your pin appears at the top of the screen, which looks a bit awkward (and also quite hilarious) in portrait mode. Google also updated the Recent Apps screen with a new layout that retains the existing card-based system while better utilizing the space on the sides of your display.

Finally, while it’s not available on the P12 Pro just yet, Google also added a new “double line” clock option to the lock screen. So instead of getting a giant clock smack dab in the middle of your display, you can choose a more compact timepiece that’s tucked up in the top left corner.

Even more under-the-hood big screen optimizations

Elsewhere, Android 12L has even more subtle enhancements designed to make apps look better on bigger screens, even if those apps haven’t been updated in a while. For apps that haven’t been already optimized by their developers, Google upgraded Android 12L’s compatibility mode to make apps automatically look and respond better across various screen resolutions and orientations. And for apps that don’t take up the entire screen, Google added new letterboxing options including new overlays and background settings. There’s even a new tool to apply rounded corners to app windows, though as you can see by the squared-off apps from our Android 12L test device, it’s up to device makers to implement them as they see fit.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

In the future, Google will also add ratings to Play Store to help point out which apps have been optimized for large screen devices and support things like adaptive layouts and scaling options, which is especially important for foldables that can switch between various screen resolutions and aspect ratios on the fly.

Then there are more niche changes like updated M3 buttons (the ones that look like little pills) that should help call attention to important permissions, some new animations (like the one for power in quick settings) and more intuitive labels for important multitasking functions (like renaming “pin to top” to “split top”).

What Android 12L means for future devices

Google has been very clear thus far saying Android 12L is intended to support “the next wave of Android 12 tablets, Chromebooks and foldables.” So while you may see some improvements on phones, Android 12L is really setting the table for the next batch of big-screen mobile devices. However, if we’re reading between the lines, perhaps the bigger takeaway is that Android 12L could herald the arrival of the long-rumored Pixel Fold or possibly the return of a first-party Google tablet. Google hasn’t done a mid-cycle Android update since Android 8.1 in late 2017, which suggests Google might have some upcoming hardware designed to really showcase all the new features in Android 12L.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

But has it worked? Compared to vanilla Android 12, the new taskbar in Android 12L makes an immediate impact on how you use and multitask on a tablet or other big screen device. With so many people working and learning from home, the days when a tablet could be a simple video watching or social media machine are over, and with Android 12L is Google acknowledging that shift.

However, it isn’t a clear win, because when compared to Chrome OS which already has a dedicated taskbar and the ability to run Android apps, Chrome OS-based devices often feel like they’re better suited to handle everyday productivity or education needs, particularly on gadgets with built-in or optional keyboards. But for mobile-first hybrid devices like foldables, Android 12L makes a lot of sense, even if many of these new features are already available in other variations of Android like One UI.

I've never really understood Samsung's Fan Edition branding. To me, fans are the people who are first in line, first to read all the related news and rumors, and most importantly, the first to check out the latest products from their favorite device makers. So when Samsung announced the $700 Galaxy S21 Fan Edition almost a full year after the original S21 came out, it felt long overdue. What we're looking at here is less of a phone for die-hard enthusiasts and more of a remix featuring some of the S21's best traits for a lower price. Unfortunately, all that doesn't solve the S21 FE's problem of it feeling outdated essentially on day one.

Design

Look, the S21 FE might technically be a new phone, but let's not pretend we haven't seen it before. It's got essentially the same shape and design queues as previous S21s, just with a slightly different size. Featuring a 6.4-inch screen, the S21 FE lands squarely between the 6.2-inch S21 and the 6.7-inch S21+. That said, at around six ounces the S21 FE feels slightly lighter than its siblings thanks to some streamlined design changes.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Around back, the S21 FE still features Samsung's Contour Cut design, but instead of having a camera bump with a metal shroud, the phone's back is made from a single piece of matte plastic. (Samsung calls it glastic because it's plastic that kind of feels kind of like glass.) And instead of a two-toned color scheme, the S21 FE is monotone throughout, with a color choice of blue, lavender, bronze, white, red and graphite (shown above).

Elsewhere, the S21 FE essentially has the same design as its forebears, featuring a centrally located selfie cam in front, a power button and volume rocker on the right, and a USB-C port on bottom for data and charging. There's a speaker grille down below that works with the phone's earpiece to provide stereo audio, which sounds fine even if it's a little light on bass for my taste.

Display

Samsung makes the best phone displays in the industry, and even though the screen on the S21 FE isn't quite as big or high-res as the S21 Ultra's, there's not much to complain about. You get strong brightness that tops out at over 700 nits, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 2,400 x 1,080 screen resolution — the same as what you get on the S21+.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

In front, the S21 FE’s display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. It also houses a handy fingerprint sensor beneath its screen. And while the S21 FE's optical in-screen fingerprint sensor isn't as sophisticated as the ultrasonic sensors Samsung used in the original S21 models, in my experience, it's fast and dependable.

Android 12

While Samsung (and carriers) continue rolling out Android 12 to older S21 devices, the S21 FE comes with One UI 4.0 (which is based on Android 12) pre-installed. Visually, this doesn't have a big impact on the S21 FE's overall UI and layout, though the extra personalization options do make it easier to customize your home and lock screens. And because Samsung's spin on Android has long included support for features like scrolling screenshots, the most important upgrade in One UI 4.0 is the new Privacy Dashboard. In addition to new notifications that call attention to when apps are accessing the phone's mics or cameras, the Privacy Dashboard provides a simple and easily accessible way of managing things like permissions, data and tracking settings and more. At a time when digital privacy remains a constant concern, more control over your data is definitely a good thing.

Cameras

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The S21 FE's cameras are another area where Samsung's spec shuffle really comes into effect. The phone has a familiar wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto camera setup on its back, but with a lower-res 8-megapixel sensor compared to the 64MP sensor you get on its predecessors. You still get a 3x optical zoom, but from a camera that produces pictures that just aren't quite as sharp or as detailed as a standard S21.

The wide and ultra-wide cameras take great photos, though the S21 FE still lags behind the Pixel 6. For example, in a shot of some toys taken outside, the Pixel 6 preserved highlights on one toy's face, while keeping the toy sitting in the shade from looking too underexposed. In contrast, the S21 FE blew out the sunlit face and eyes without providing much in the way of extra sharpness or detail. Google’s Night Sight also consistently outperformed Samsung’s Night Mode for low-light shots, even though the S21 FE often wasn’t far behind. That said, the S21 FE's cameras aren’t bad; they’re just not as good as the Pixel 6. And let’s not forget the Pixel 6 only has two rear cameras, lacking any sort of dedicated telephoto option like you get from Samsung.

On the flip side, Samsung actually increased the resolution of S21 FE's front cam to 32-MP (up from 10MP on the S21), which is nice if you like a lot of selfies or videos for social media. But at the same time, I don't really think this one upgrade is enough to change the overall impact of the device, leaving it feeling more like a nice bonus and less like a notable improvement.

Performance

At this point, the Snapdragon 888 chip inside the S21 FE is a pretty well-known quantity. It delivers speedy performance and helps support features like 4K video capture across all of the phone's cameras (at 60 frames per second on the main wide-angle and front selfie cams and 30 fps for the rest). However, because the base S21 FE only comes with 6GB of RAM as opposed to 8GB on a normal S21, I noticed the FE felt slower at times, including when it was processing Night Mode photos.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Granted, it's a pretty minor difference, and you might not even notice unless you use the two phones side by side. But for people who do a lot of memory-intensive tasks like gaming or video editing, the FE's lower base RAM is probably the biggest reason to pay $70 to upgrade to the 8GB model or just opt for a standard S21 or S21+.

Battery life

Another bonus of the S21 FE's larger body is that it provides extra room for a bigger battery. So instead of a 4,000 mAh cell like you get in the S21, the S21 FE features a 4,500 mAh power pack, which provides a noticeable improvement in longevity. On our battery test, the S21 FE lasted 16 hours and 55 minutes, or a little more than an hour and a half longer than the S21's time of 15:17. And in the real world, the S21 FE's battery life often feels even more prodigious than that, as I often finished the day with upwards of 40 percent battery still left in the tank.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

It's also worth noting that, like the standard model, the S21 FE doesn't come with a power adapter in the box. So if you want to take advantage of the phone's 25-watt wired charging, you'll probably have to shell out for a separate charging brick. It's annoying for sure, but like Apple, Google and others, Samsung says not including a power adapter with its phones should help cut down on e-waste.

Wrap-up

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

With the supply of standard S21 models starting to dry up, the S21 FE isn't really competing against the originals. It's a replacement that's sadly way past due. It's still a solid phone, but the standard Pixel 6 shoots better photos, has a more attractive design, and if you get the unlocked model directly from Google, it costs $100 less, too. The Pixel 6 is simply the better buy unless you really care about mmWave 5G (which the unlocked Pixel 6 doesn’t support) or having access to a telephoto camera.

Hell, the S21 FE is so late Samsung is already planning to release its next big flagship in the coming weeks. So even if you're a huge fan of Samsung's latest FE handset, at the very least, you should wait to see what the S22 has to offer before purchasing what is essentially a year-old phone. Plus, the arrival of a brand new Galaxy S phone often means discounts are coming soon to older devices.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Oh, and if Samsung wants to keep this whole Fan Edition thing going, what I'd really like to see is a device that better lives up to the branding. Instead of a repackaged year-old phone, why not make a premium remixed version sporting a microSD card slot and headphone jack? Not only would this be a welcome alternative to a lot of today's flagships with minimal ports, but it'd also be a considerate nod to old-school Galaxy phone fans who may have felt betrayed when Samsung removed those features from the S20 in 2019. That's the kind of customer appreciation I can really get behind.

Key specs

Despite an already crowded market featuring big names like Airbnb and Vrbo, travel app Hopper is now expanding its services to include short-term home rentals.

Featuring more than two million properties spread across the world, Hopper Homes (which is available inside the Hopper app) should make it a bit easier to book airfare, car rentals and lodging (hotel or short-term) in a single place.

Hopper says users will be able to apply filters to help narrow down their options based on criteria like location, number of bedrooms, amenities and price. And over the next few months, the company says it will add support for some of its other booking features like Price Prediction and Cancel for Any Reason to the new service to help give its customers more flexibility over their travel plans.

That last part might end up being one of the biggest differentiators between Hopper Homes and its competitors. Other services such as Airbnb allow hosts to select from a range of cancellation policies including “flexible” plans that allow guests to cancel as late as 24 hours before check-in without penalty to “firm” plans that require guests to cancel at least 30 days before check-in.

By adding home rentals to its list of services, the company is hoping to attract a growing number of travelers who prefer staying in rental homes instead of hotels. Hopper claims Zoomers and millennials are especially keen, with more than four in 10 rental travelers being younger than 35.

Similar to its airfare and hotel bookings, Hopper also plans to integrate its Carrot Cash system in order to help customers save money, with credit earned from booking rentals homes able to be applied to other forms of travel.

It’s been almost 15 years since the original Crysis brought even the most powerful PCs to their knees, and close to a decade since the last brand new installment in the franchise. And while there’s no planned release date just yet, today Crytek confirmed that Crysis 4 is currently in development.

In a new blog post, Crytek CEO Avni Yerli says that while Crysis 4 is still “in the early stages of development,” the studio wanted to alert fans early about the next title in the franchise as the team works to create a “truly next-gen shooter.” Unfortunately, there’s no info yet regarding a development roadmap or even a projected release year, though Yerli says the studio will release more details“when we can.”

Alongside the blog, Crytek also dropped a short teaser trailer featuring some apocalyptic imagery and a tagline that says “Join the journey. Become the hero.” However, as it’s too early for the trailer to show much in the way of gameplay or story, it’s difficult to say if Crysis 4 will pick up after the events of the original Crysis trilogy, or if the new game will go in a different direction.

But perhaps the bigger question about Crysis 4 is if Crytek will put the same focus on delivering super high-quality graphics. Despite a successful trio of previous games, the Crysis series is often best remembered as being more of a torture test for high-end PCs than for any of its gameplay or story beats. For a number of years after its release, the original Crysis was routinely used as a benchmark to test the performance of new CPUs and GPUs, with Crytek even releasing a remastered version of Crysis last year featuring support for ray tracing, HDR, and 8K resolutions.

So while it might tempting to start dreaming up a system that might be able to play Crysis 4 at max settings, with the global chip shortage expected to persist throughout 2022 and no firm release date in sight, it’s probably best to hold off for now.

To help support artists during the pandemic in 2020, Bandcamp began waiving commissions for purchases made on the first Friday of every month. And after supporting Bandcamp Fridays throughout 2021, Bandcamp’s next commission-free shopping day is returning on February 4th.

In total, the company says its 17 Bandcamp Fridays to date have paid out more than $70 million to artists and labels during the pandemic, with more than 800,000 customers participating since its start in March 2020. Following the first Bandcamp Friday in 2022, the next slate of commission-free sales days will take place on March 4th, April 1st and May 6th. And in case there’s any doubt if it’s a Bandcamp Friday or not, there’s even a helpful website that can quickly sort things out.

Bandcamp says that during its commission-free sales days an average of 93 percent of revenue makes its way to musicians, with the remaining 7 percent being reserved for payment processors. Meanwhile, on a regular day, around 82 percent of sales get passed on to artists and labels, resulting in around a 10 to 11 percent cut for Bandcamp (which is still significantly lower than the standard 30 percent commission tech giants like Apple and Google receive from their app stores).

Sadly, because there’s no clear end in sight to the pandemic, it remains to be seen what happens to Bandcamp Fridays going into the summer and fall. And with COVID-19 infections peaking right now in several parts of the world, it’s really anyone’s guess how long these no-commission sales days might have to continue before we can safely return to large in-person events.

Following the activation of its C-band 5G network last week, AT&T is now upgrading its fiber-based broadband service with two new plans that top out at 2Gbps and 5Gbps, respectively. The company says its new multi-gig fiber broadband will be available in more than 70 metro areas including Dallas, LA and Atlanta. Currently, AT&T’s fiber broadband covers around 15 million customers across 90 markets, with the ISP looking to expand its network to reach more than 30 million customers by 2025.

While AT&T’s new 5 GIG plan is almost certainly overkill for a typical household (even with a bunch of people making Zoom calls at the same time), the ongoing pandemic and shift towards working and schooling from home continues to put a strain on families with more limited internet.

The new 2 GIG plan is set to start at $110 per month plus tax (or $225 a month for a business fiber), while the faster 5 GIG plan will cost $180 per month (or $395 a month for businesses). Notably, AT&T describes both plans as offering “symmetrical” speeds, which means customers should see equally fast download and upload speeds. That last part is important for anyone who has to move large files around, especially when a lot of older internet plans often featuring upload speeds that are significantly lower than download speeds.

In addition to its new multi-gig fiber plans, AT&T is updating its fiber internet plans with more straightforward pricing. AT&T says this means new customers won’t get hit with any equipment fees, data caps or annual contracts, with initial pricing locked in for at least 12 months. So your bill should just be the price of the service plus tax, with AT&T throwing in perks such as its ActiveArmor internet security, speedy Wi-Fi 6 routers, and a free HBO Max subscription for customers with top-tier plans (either the gigabit, 2 GIG or 5 GIG plans).

So, while AT&T’s new fiber plans aren’t cheap, they should supply ample bandwidth for data-hungry people like content creators and stream video enthusiasts. To find out if you live in an area covered by AT&T’s new multi-gig plans, you can check availability on AT&T’s fiber landing page here.

Legendary Pictures has been trying to make the MonsterVerse a thing for a while now, and following Godzilla and King Kong’s return to the movie theaters back in 2014, kaiju are now heading to the small screen in an upcoming series on Apple TV+.

Not content to simply feature the King of Monsters, the still-untitled show is set after a battle between Godzilla and other Titans reveals new info linking the monsters’ attacks to a secretive organization called Monarch. In case you haven’t kept up with the MonsterVerse, Monarch has made an appearance in a number of recent Godzilla and King Kong movies dating back to 2014’s Godzilla, with Monarch typically serving as the multi-national organization overseeing the research and tracking of MUTOs (massive unidentified terrestrial organisms).

While neither Apple nor Legendary has yet to provide a cast list or release date for its upcoming Godzilla series, the show will be helmed by showrunner Chris Black (Outcast, Star Trek: Enterprise) and Matt Fraction, who is best known for his writing on the 2012 run of Marvel’s Hawkeye comics. However, the big deal for kaiju-lovers is that the upcoming Godzilla show on Apple TV+ will be the first live-action series set in the MonsterVerse, and only the second TV show following the upcoming Skull Island anime on Netflix.

Currently, it’s unclear how the new Apple TV+ series will tie into existing MonsterVerse movies – particularly last year’s Godzilla vs. Kong which saw the big green dino team up with King Kong to battle a range of foes both ancient and modern. And despite 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters sometimes being deemed a disappointment due to middling ticket sales, Godzilla vs. Kong still managed to become one of the top 10 box office draws of 2021 while in the midst of a pandemic, which looks like a good sign ahead of Godzilla’s upcoming move to the small screen.

After a hiatus of more than a decade, the world’s favorite fictitious British inventor (or possibly second after Q from James Bond) and his lovable canine sidekick are making a comeback. Today as part of its ongoing partnership with Aardman Animations Netflix announced the arrival of a new Wallace & Gromit movie and the long-awaited sequel to Chicken Run.

Due out sometime in 2023, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget picks up after Ginger and Rocky’s daring escape with the hatching of the couple’s new chick Molly at their new island sanctuary home. And while Julia Sawalha and Mel Gibson won’t be reprising their roles as the leading chickens, Dawn of the Nugget’s cast will still feature some big-name stars including Thandie Newton (Ginger), Zachary Levi (Rocky) and Bella Ramsey (Molly), the latter of whom is also set to play Ellie in HBO’s upcoming live-action TV adaptation of The Last of Us.

As for the still-untitled Wallace & Gromit movie, original series creator Nick Park will be returning as director featuring a story written by Park and Mark Burton (Madagascar, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Shaun of the Sheep Movie). Slated to arrive almost two decades after The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Wallace and Gromit’s second feature-length film revolves around Wallace’s latest invention: a “smart gnome” that has developed a mind of its own. Queue the hijinx.

Notably, unlike Dawn of the Nugget which will be a worldwide exclusive on Netflix when it starts streaming sometime next year, the new Wallace & Gromit movie will debut first on the BBC in the UK before becoming available on Netflix in all other regions sometime in 2024.

With Aardman and Netlix’s stop-motion musical Robin Robin having been recently shortlisted for the Oscar’s in the animated short film category, it’s nice to see even more claymation movies get the green light–especially after the bomb that was 2018’s Early Man. That said, with the original Chicken Run and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit having already claimed the number one and two spots as the highest-grossing stop-motion animated films of all time, Aardman Studios might have a hard time competing for attention in a time when traditional computer-animated films have dominated the box office.