It's been two years since Apple launched the last iPhone SE and finally, a new model is here. At its "Peek performance" event today, Apple unveiled the new iPhone SE, which like its predecessors is a more affordable version of the flagship range. As expected, the budget-friendly phone has an updated quad-core A15 Bionic processor. Surprisingly, though, it still retains a home button below the screen for Touch ID, and has a single rear camera.
The new iPhone SE will be available in midnight, starlight and red colors, and has a 4.7 inch Retina HD screen. It's covered in glass, offering IP67 dust and water resistance.
This story is developing, please refresh for updates.
Catch up on all of the news from Apple’s Peek Performance event right here!
Apple is holding its latest hardware event today (March 8th) and you'll be able to watch it right here. The event gets under way at 1PM ET. The stream is also available on Apple's website and the Apple TV app
As for what to expect, it's highly likely that Apple will reveal a new iPhone SE with the A15 Bionic chip used in iPhone 13 devices as well as 5G support. There are also rumors about a refreshed iPad Air with the same features. Elsewhere, tied into the "Peek Performance" tagline Apple is using for the event, it's believed the company will update the 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 Apple silicon chip after its larger siblings got CPU upgrades late last year.
Although those seem like the surer bets, there are some other devices Apple's said to be working on that could make an appearance, such as an external 7K monitor, a Mac Studio desktop (i.e. a souped-up Mac mini) or other Macs. In any case, we won't have to wait long to find out.
After the event, be sure to join deputy editor Cherlynn Low and senior writer Sam Rutherford for Engadget's post-show livestream. They'll break down Apple's announcements and share their thoughts on all the news. You can check out the post-event stream below or on Engadget's YouTube channel.
Catch up on all of the news from Apple’s Peek Performance event right here!
Samsung may be in legal trouble following worries that it's throttling app performance. Sources for The Korea Herald claim South Korea's Fair Trade Commission is "expected" to investigate Samsung over allegations it violated advertising law when marketing the Galaxy S22 phone series. While the company claims the S22 has the "best performance ever," its Game Optimizing Service limits speed to both preserve battery life and prevent overheating — and you can't currently override it.
The regulatory crackdown might not be Samsung's only problem. Yonhap News Agencyclaims Galaxy S22 owners in South Korea are preparing a class action lawsuit against the company for distorting the phone's capabilities. They feel "cheated" and are asking for 300,000 won (about $243) in compensation per person, according to the news outlet.
Recently, Samsung promised a GOS update that will give users control over throttling. However, the tech firm has denied reports it's slowing down general apps like Netflix and TikTok, not just games. Some also say it's removing speed caps for benchmarks like 3DMark and GeekBench, providing an unrealistic view of the Galaxy S22 in synthetic tests.
We've asked Samsung for comment. Performance throttling is a common practice for smartphones, as mobile processors can't always run at full speed for sustained periods. The concern, however, is that Samsung is throttling more aggressively while giving users no say in the matter, much like Apple did during its "batterygate" scandal. There's no guarantee Samsung will face penalties or do more than release its planned update, but the story is a familiar one so far.
When it announced the Android 12L beta in October, Google promised the software for larger screens would be ready early this year. Today, the company is officially introducing Android 12L, which it's describing as "an update to Android 12 with features that will make tablets and foldables simpler and easier to use." In a blog post sharing the news, Android's vice president of engineering said 12L is coming later this year, "with planned updates from Samsung, Lenovo and Microsoft." But the company did not get more specific about timing than that.
That could mean devices like the Galaxy Z Fold, Z Flip and Surface Duo would be getting the new interface, which is supposed to bring features like home and lock screens optimized for larger displays. There will also be a two-column notification shade, a new taskbar for easier multitasking and other tweaks that make better use of the greater space on tablets and foldables.
As senior writer Sam Rutherford pointed out when he tested the Android 12L beta, though some of these additions are compelling, some, like the taskbar, have limitations. It can only contain five apps at once, for example, despite having plenty of room on either side for more icons. Based on a screenshot Google shared with today's news, though, there are six icons on the taskbar, so that might be something the company has changed before 12L's public release.
Google
Android has long faced criticism for being an unintuitive system for tablets, leading to a dearth in real competition for Apple's iPads. Though we can't say for certain yet whether 12L will make Android tablets substantively better, at least Google is trying to make it better so non-Apple users might have options to consider in future.
iPhone 12 and 13 owners take note, Amazon has launched a one-day Anker sale that includes a handful of products from the company’s MagGo line of MagSafe-compatible accessories. To start, you can pick up Anker’s 622 magnetic battery in Interstellar Gray, Dolomite White and Misty Blue for $45, instead of $60. As far as battery packs go, this 5,000mAh model has a handful of nifty features. It includes a built-in foldable kickstand that allows you to stand your iPhone 12 or 13 upright. It also comes with a USB-C port, so you can charge your iPhone without a Lightning cable.
Another accessory that’s on sale is the 633 wireless charger. The Interstellar Gray model is currently priced at $84, down from $120. The 633 is perfect for those who own both a recent iPhone and a pair of AirPods Pro since it can charge both devices simultaneously. It also comes with a 5,000mAh battery pack that attaches to your iPhone 12 or 13. Anker claims the power cell will extend the battery life of your phone by up to 17 hours. The magnet that attaches the two together is strong enough that you can orient the device horizontally and it will stay in place.
Lastly, also on sale is the 637 desktop charging station. If you’ve read our iPhone accessory guide, you know all about this monster of a dock. Not only can it wirelessly charge an iPhone, but it also comes with two USB-A ports, two USB-C connections and three AC outlets. It also looks pretty adorable with its spherical design. You can currently pick up the Anker 637 MagGo dock for $75, instead of $100. What’s more, you don’t have to skip the model you most want since all three available colors are included in the sale.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
Samsung has stopped shipping its products to Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine, the company told Bloomberg News. The tech giant said it's monitoring the "complex situation," and that it's donating $6 million, which includes $1 million worth of consumer electronics, to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. According to the publication, the shipment suspension affects all Samsung products, including its smartphones, chips and other consumer electronic devices.
By halting all exports of its products to Russia, Samsung has joined the growing list of companies that had paused sales of products and services in the country. Apple halted all product sales in response to the invasion and after receiving a request from Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The company also limited Apple Pay, pulled the apps for Russian state-backed media outlets from its store and disabled traffic data for Maps in Ukraine to avoid putting residents in danger. Microsoft suspended all new sales of products and services in Russia, as well.
The Korean tech giant is the top smartphone brand in the country and has a 30 percent market share, according to Counterpoint Research data. That's much higher than Apple's 13 percent market share, as of the fourth quarter of 2021. In addition, Samsung has a TV plant in Russia, though it's unclear if it has also stopped production in the factory.
Its decision to halt shipments to Russia comes after Fedorov sent Jong Hee Han, the CEO for Samsung's SET division, a letter similar to what he sent Tim Cook. In it, he asked the Korean tech giant to stop supplying the country with its products, as well as to block Samsung Pay, Samsung Galaxy Store and Samsung Shop.
@Samsung, I urge you to take a step towards world peace! As long as Russian tanks and missiles bomb kindergartens and hospitals in Ukraine, your cool equipment cannot be used by Russians! pic.twitter.com/xjOInduclD
As Bloomberg notes, South Korean smartphones were an exemption to the export bans recently imposed by the US government. But even if Samsung did want to continue shipping products to Russia, it would have a hard time sending products to the country anyway due to airlines and shipping services halting their activities in the region.
To the surprise of almost no one, Apple is holding its first virtual event of the year on March 8th to show off its latest hardware. We heard rumors about this date for weeks, and the date isn’t the only thing that leaked – as is so often the case, we have a pretty good idea what Apple will be announcing. Of course, nothing is official until Apple shows it off on its livestream, but here’s what the rumors are pointing to this time.
iPhone SE with 5G
While this new iPhone won’t be nearly as exciting as the flagship models that Apple introduces in the fall, the iPhone SE remains an important product for the company. Starting at $400, the iPhone SE is a way to get Apple’s most powerful mobile processor in a “classic” (old) design. It sounds like that is the case with the 2022 iPhone SE: rumors indicate it will be physically identical to the current iPhone SE, which itself is identical to 2017’s iPhone 8.
But while the design may be dated, the internals should be fresh: The phone will likely include the same A15 Bionic chip found in the iPhone 13 lineup. Giving its $400 phone flagship performance is a trick Apple has been pulling since it released the original iPhone SE back in 2016, and we expect more of the same in 2022.
Chris Velazco / Engadget
The other notable change is that this phone will probably include 5G connectivity, just like Apple’s more expensive phones. Carriers will certainly like the idea of a $400, 5G-capable iPhone as they try to get more and more subscribers using their more advanced networks. Both the A15 processor and 5G connectivity mean the new iPhone SE should be well supported for years to come.
As for everything else, the 2022 iPhone SE will likely retain its dated design, including a relatively low-resolution 4.7-inch LCD display with large bezels above and below it. It’ll also certainly keep the classic iPhone home button and Touch ID, something that might be a point in its favor for people who don’t like Face ID. The cameras could get a modest bump, but don’t expect anything more than a single shooter on the back.
iPad Air
The iPad Air is currently the oldest iPad in Apple’s lineup; it was completely redesigned when Apple released it in the fall of 2020. It’s still a pretty great tablet, sitting comfortably between the extremely basic entry-level iPad and the wildly expensive and powerful iPad Pro.
Dana Wollman / Engadget
The rumor mill, lead by the reliable Mark German at Bloomberg indicates that the iPad Air will still get a few tweaks for 2022. In fact, they’re the same updates that we expect to see in the iPhone SE: an A15 Bionic chip and support for 5G networks. Neither of these things will fundamentally change the iPad Air; the current A14 processor (which was first released in Apple’s iPhone 12 lineup) is already plenty powerful. But given that the redesigned iPad mini from last fall has the A15 chip, it makes sense that Apple will want to make performance identical between the two devices.
5G is another feature that Apple added to the iPad mini last fall, so bringing it to the Air makes sense. To that end, it’s also possible that the iPad Air will get a new front-facing camera. Both the iPad mini and basic iPad that were refreshed last fall have an ultra-wide, 12-megapixel front camera with a “Center Stage” feature. That means the camera uses that ultra-wide field of view to continuously crop and adjust the focus of the video feed so your face stays, well, in the center of the screen.
Everything else about the iPad Air is expected to stay the same, including its 10.9-inch LCD display, single back camera and Touch ID on the power button. It’s a fairly modest set of updates, but that’s OK. The iPad Air offers the most important parts of the iPad Pro experience at a much more affordable price, and we expect that’ll continue with this update.
An updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 processor
Devindra Hardawar / Engadget
Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro is looking long in the tooth. There’s nothing wrong with the M1 processor inside it, but compared to the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models Apple released last fall, the chip is quite pedestrian. As such, we’re expecting a new M2 Apple silicon chip to power the refreshed laptop. It won’t be as powerful as the M1 Pro or M1 Max, but it should be a nice upgrade for a device that’s almost a year and a half old now.
Unfortunately, other changes are expected to be minimal. Apple might finally get rid of the Touch Bar for good, replacing it with a standard row of function keys like those found on the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Other than that, it’ll probably keep the same display, form factor and paltry port selection. We’re really hoping it gets a better front-facing camera, but it’s not clear if that will happen.
It’s certainly not shaping up to be the most exciting Mac upgrade, but given how expensive Apple’s larger MacBook Pro laptops are, the 13-inch MacBook Pro should provide a bit of an upgrade over the MacBook Air without at a more affordable price.
More Macs?
Like the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air and Mac mini haven’t been updated since they were released with the M1 processor back in the fall of 2020. It seems likely that both computers will also get updated with the M2 processor before long. That said, the rumor mill hasn’t been too solid on exactly which Macs will show up for Tuesday’s event. There’s even a chance that Apple might re-introduce an iMac Pro with the M1 Pro or M1 Max inside – but right now, a new Mac mini or MacBook Air feels more likely.
Samsung will at least partly address complaints that it's throttling the performance of apps on some Galaxy phones. As The Vergereports, the company has promised an update to its Game Optimizing Service to give users more control over throttling. In a statement to Engadget, Samsung said the option was coming at an unspecified point in the future in response to both feedback and "careful consideration." You can read the full statement at the end of this article.
However, Samsung disputed claims GOS was throttling as many as 10,000 apps across numerous categories. The service "does not manage" apps beyond games, the company said. Users have accused Samsung of throttling the performance of non-gaming software like Netflix and TikTok while disabling the restrictions for benchmarks like 3DMark and GeekBench, skewing expectations for real-world speed.
GOS is now known to be present on the Galaxy S22 series. While the exact range of phones with GOS isn't clear, the software is known to exist on older phones like the Galaxy S21 lineup and S20 FE.
Samsung isn't alone. In 2021, OnePlus admitted that it throttled the OnePlus 9 while popular apps were in use. This was ostensibly meant to preserve battery life, but didn't include benchmarks. Huawei, Oppo and other phone makers have been caught cheating on benchmarks in the past, but those methods relied on ramping up performance when a test app was in use, not slowing down for other apps.
It's difficult for phone vendors to completely avoid throttling. Chips like the Galaxy S22's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200 can run hot, and Samsung even introduced vapor chamber cooling to the S22 to manage that heat. As Apple learned years ago, though, at least some users want more control and transparency for throttling — they're willing to sacrifice battery life and heat to see devices reach their full potential.
"Our priority is to deliver the best mobile experience for consumers. The Game Optimizing Service (GOS) has been designed to help game apps achieve a great performance while managing device temperature effectively. GOS does not manage the performance of non-gaming apps. We value the feedback we receive about our products and after careful consideration, we plan to roll out a software update soon so users can control the performance while running game apps."
We’ve come to the end of Mobile World Congress 2022, which, despite the pandemic and a war in Europe, went on as planned. While it’s typically a show full of phone launches from companies like Sony, Huawei, TCL, Xiaomi, Oppo and more, this year there were surprisingly few of those. Instead, we saw lots of laptops and tablets, as well as some foldable concepts. Plus, with major players like Sony choosing to sit out the event, MWC 2022 was generally quieter than years past. Still, if you feel like you’ve missed out on the news from the show, here’s a recap of everything interesting out of the convention this week.
Oppo kicked things off early, unveiling one of the few phones announced at the show: the Find X5 Pro. It’s a beautiful device with a ceramic body and a pair of 50-megapixel cameras using Hasselblad-infused software. In addition to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, the Find X5 Pro also carries the company’s own Marisilicon neural processor for faster processing when you’re recording content in high-res or low light. Like many phones unveiled at MWC, the Find X5 Pro’s availability in the US is unconfirmed, so don’t get too excited if you’re based in America.
Meanwhile, there was so much Huawei news out of PR Newswire’s daily MWC recaps that this year’s event should really be called the Huawei Show 2022. In addition to big speeches about global strategies and 5G, the company unveiled a new MateBook laptop, a MateStation all-in-one PC, a PixLab laser printer, new speakers and a tablet called the MatePad Paper.
The most intriguing of these is the MatePad Paper, a 10.3-inch e-ink tablet with some particularly thin bezels. Its texturized paper-like screen is easy to read in both sunlight and lowlight, and displays not only text and still images, but videos as well. It also works with Huawei’s M-Pencil so you can write on it, and the company’s custom software allows you to simultaneously read and write in a split-screen view. An onboard mic lets you record audio while taking notes, while a fingerprint sensor in the power button enables convenient logins.
Huawei
On standby, Huawei says the MatePad Paper can last up to four weeks. It’ll be available in Europe for 499 Euros and that price includes an M-Pencil. Honestly this might be the most modern e-ink device yet, and I’m quite taken by the sky blue and khaki color options.
Of course, Huawei continues to battle US restrictions that keep it from selling its devices stateside. This is likely part of the reason former Huawei sub-brand Honor left its parent company in 2020. At MWC this year, Honor debuted the Magic 4 series — a pair of flagship-level phones meant to contend with Samsung’s Galaxy S22s. They have triple rear cameras with 50-megapixel primary sensors, 120Hz LTPO screens and are equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chips. But all the specs comparisons might be moot, because despite promises of a global rollout, last year’s Magic 3 never made it outside of China. For now Honor has shared initial European prices on its newly announced devices, which include new earbuds and a smartwatch, but US availability remains unknown.
Though Samsung already unveiled the Galaxy S22s and Tab S8 tablets, it still had products to show off in Barcelona — namely, a new line of laptops. The new Galaxy Book 2 series iterates on last year’s models with a trio of configurations, which include a pair of convertibles and a clamshell. All three flavors are available in 13- and 15-inch sizes, with upgraded webcams and 12th-gen Intel Core processors.
As with previous Samsung laptops, these also feature beautiful AMOLED displays and are impressively thin and light. The Book 2 Pro 360 and the Book 2 360 both support the S Pen, though only the former comes with the stylus in the box. I’ve been a fan of Samsung’s PCs for awhile, and though this year’s generation doesn’t seem to bring major improvements, I’m still curious to see how they stack up against the competition. Plus, Samsung added a burgundy color option that has me kind of mesmerized.
I didn’t even include the new ThinkPad X13s, which is the first ThinkPad powered by a Snapdragon chip. It’s also the first in the series to run Windows 11 on ARM, and the company says it’s the first time the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 has been used in a commercial device. The biggest draw here is the estimated 28-hour battery life, in addition to support for sub-6 and mmWave 5G and WiFi 6E. Sure, Windows on ARM has struggled to appeal to a mainstream audience, but with more OEM support and increasing app compatibility, 2022 could be the year Microsoft and its partners turn things around.
One of the best things about events like MWC is seeing the wilder concepts some companies showcase alongside their more traditional products. For the last few years, TCL has teased us with various concept devices at these shows, and this time around, it brought us the “Ultra Flex.” This is a prototype foldable phone that can bend both inward and outward — meaning its hinge and screen have to be extremely durable and carefully designed. The idea is intriguing, but in reality we never saw the display turn on during a demo session ahead of MWC. We did get to see the company’s “Fold n’ Roll” prototype that it announced last April, though, and while it had a technically “working” screen, it was still incredibly janky.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
TCL didn’t just show us experimental products it doesn’t intend to sell. The company also launched five new phones in its 30-series, as well as two new tablets, including the NXTPAPER Max 10. That’s a bigger version of last year’s 8.8-inch slate with a reflective LCD screen that enables a full-color paper-like display.
There’s still more news from MWC 2022 that might pique your interest, like Qualcomm’s new X70 5G modem and former Xiaomi sub-brand Poco’s new X4 Pro 5G phone with a 108-megapixel camera. OnePlus also confirmed that the OnePlus 10 Pro is headed to the US, Europe and India this month.
Of course, since this is a mobile show, we learned about new developments in 5G. Specifically, FCC chairperson Jessica Rosenworcel announced that the US will hold an auction in July for 2.5GHz mid-band spectrum. Finally, we also couldn’t escape everyone’s favorite buzzwords: NFTs and the metaverse. FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta said in a keynote that there’s been “a lot of attention [on] blockchain products and services such as NFTs and metaverse.” During the same speech, he said the football club “should be able to offer digital products” to its members and fans that will “generate a very interesting emotional experience.”
Although we couldn’t be on the ground in Barcelona, team Engadget was still able to check out many of these new products first-hand at various preview events. Check out our hands-on videos and reports to get all the details.
Catch up on all of the news from MWC 2022 right here!
It’s another cryptic graphic from Apple for fans to obsess over. Yep, it’s time for more new products from Apple, and rumors suggest an updated iPhone SE could be on the horizon. The text accompanying the invite, “Peek performance,” could mean more news from Apple’s silicon arm. Maybe we’ll get a glimpse at its M2 processor for future Macs.
The iPhone SE deserves a refresh to bring it in line with the rest of Apple’s phone lineup. It still has a home button! In 2022! This year's model may get Face ID and 5G support, with a design similar to 2018's iPhone XR. As Apple’s cheapest iPhone, the most interesting part will be where the price lands. How much cheaper than the iPhone mini?
Following economic sanctions and financial constraints from the US, EU and the UK, Russia issued retaliatory sanctions of its own against Western companies. On Wednesday, Roscosmos announced it will not launch the next round of 36 OneWeb internet satellites scheduled for liftoff on March 4th from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, NASA remains optimistic the sanctions will not adversely impact ongoing collaborative space programs, like the running of the ISS, which has been a joint US–Russian effort from the start. But that could change.
'It’s time to demand tech companies stop collecting personal data on our children.'
In his first State of the Union address, President Biden asked Congress to implement new laws to increase child safety on Facebook, TikTok and other social media platforms. Much of the motivation for change appears to have come from the Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who attended the address as a guest of Jill Biden. Haugen recently testified before Congress, accusing Facebook parent, Meta, of disregarding child safety on the platform. The White House will ask for funding to study the question of child safety on social media.
The treaty could end up being as important as the Paris Climate Accord.
After a week of negotiations in Nairobi, the United Nations has agreed to start working on the first-ever global plastic pollution treaty. It's not likely to be ready before 2024, but according to the UN, it could end up being as important as the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. In 2019, the organization found plastic pollution is 10 times worse than it was in 1980.
Capturing the spirit of ‘80s and ‘90s kids' toys, Polestar’s new concept car is the O2. “Polestar O2 is our vision of a new era for sports cars," Polestar’s Head of Design, Maximilian Missoni, said in a press statement. "By mixing the joy of open-top driving with the purity of electric mobility, it unlocks a new mix of emotions in a car."
Drivers will also be able to film their top-down adventures with the O2's integrated cinematography drone. Developed in collaboration with Hoco Flow, this autonomous camera drone rides in an area of negative pressure generated from an airfoil. The drone can follow along at speeds up to 56MPH, and owners can edit and share the captured footage from the central infotainment system.
The Galaxy Tab S8+ has a brilliant OLED display, class-leading performance, a speedy fingerprint sensor and a premium design. Throw in an S-Pen and Samsung’s recipe makes for a high-end Android tablet that's hard to beat. And there aren’t many rivals around to beat it. In his review, Sam Rutherford puts it best: “There are two kinds of Android tablets: Samsung's Galaxy Tab S line and everything else.”
The EV part is getting increasingly more important.
Ford is splitting its car manufacturing business into separate EV-only and internal combustion engine (ICE) divisions to help it fight both "new EV competitors" and conventional challengers. Its electric part, Model e, is meant to speed up large-scale development of EVs while producing connected vehicle technology for all of Ford’s vehicles.
The latest patch is here to save a bit of your sanity.
Guerrilla Games’ new patch for Horizon Forbidden West addresses a number of issues that have been part of the game since launch. This includes a major bug that prevented players from completing the “Reach for the Stars” main quest. For instance, Aloy’s ally Varl won’t get stuck swimming anymore. But perhaps the best improvement is Aloy won’t mention her stash as frequently. Until now, any time she picked up resources she couldn’t carry, they’d be spirited away to her stash box, and she would let you know. Almost. Every. Darn. Time.
