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 Unfortunately, all that doesn't solve the S21 FE's problem of it feeling outdated essentially on day one.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

I’ve never been a fan of Valentine’s Day. Or rather, I’m not a fan of the traditional gifts given on Valentine’s Day, like chocolates and flowers. Flowers die, and you may get sick of yet another box of so-so candy from Russell Stover or Whitman’s. And I’m not alone; lots of people would prefer a PlayStation 5 to a parcel of purple pansies. If your loved one is a gamer, why not show them your affection with something that actually makes their hobby more enjoyable (and won’t need to be watered)?

8BitDo Pro 2

Mat Smith, Engadget

Maybe you love playing games together on a Nintendo Switch, but you’re far less fond about having to split the teeny tiny Joy-Con controllers. Why not upgrade the experience with 8BitDo’s Pro 2 controller, shaped to fit comfortably in most hands, highly customizable and available in a few colors to fit a few gamer styles. It also works with PC, macOS and even the Raspberry Pi if your gamer likes to tinker.

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2

Microsoft

When you really want to pamper your Xbox player, why not upgrade them from the standard gamepad to the Elite Controller? This premium accessory looks classy and feels great in the hand, thanks to its rubberized grips and interchangeable thumbsticks. The paddles on the back add yet another control scheme for your player to take advantage of, and the dual triggers are even adjustable for the type of game being played.

Scuf Instinct Pro

Kris Naudus / Engadget

If you’re not a fan of the paddle style of the Elite Controller, know that the Scuf Instinct Pro offers a lot of the same features with a different twist. The back features two horizontal paddles that fit nicely under the fingers, and the hex pattern on the grips is great at wicking away sweat. Pro gamers will especially love the Instant Triggers, which can switch to a mouse-like click at the flip of a switch.

SteelSeries Arctis 1

SteelSeries

Wireless headsets are a dime a dozen these days, but one that can work seamlessly with the Nintendo Switch and Android phones are still somewhat rare. Of those, the SteelSeries Arctis 1 is probably still the best. It’s sleek, comfortable and highly portable, connecting to devices via the easy USB-C dongle. Even if your loved one already has a wireless gaming headset in their arsenal, this is one that’s made to travel and makes a great buy.

Razer Kraken Kitty

Razer

Not every gamer accessory has to be intimidating and hardcore. Razer makes a great line of products aimed at gamers who don’t want all-black everything – or those that really like pink – and they don’t compromise on quality. The Kraken Kitty is famous for its kawaii design that looks great and feels great, making it ideal for long hours streaming on Twitch or YouTube. If you’re not into the cotton candy look, the headset is also available in black for a grimmer style.

Logitech Litra Glow

Mark Anthony Reyes/Logitech

Streaming is the hot thing for a lot of players right now, whether they do it for fun or profit. But it can take a bit of an investment to get started, so gifting them some of that gear is a great idea. Sure, a camera is an obvious necessity, but good lighting is also key and Logitech’s new Litra Glow will create bright, even light that’s easy to hook up thanks to the company’s expertise and software.

Logitech StreamCam

Valentina Palladino / Engadget

If your gamer is in the market for a new webcam, preferably one that can stream for both PC and mobile, the Logitech StreamCam is right up their alley. It’s easy to use, sure, but the real appeal is that it can film in either landscape or portrait mode, making it ideal to create content for not just YouTube and Twitch, but also TikTok and Instagram.

Elgato Stream Deck Mini

Elgato

Beyond a webcam and a mic, one tool that’s becoming increasingly common for streamers is an Elgato Stream Deck. The sheer amount of customization options might seem a bit intimidating at first, but the company makes a smaller “mini” version with six buttons for triggering various actions, set up via the incredibly easy software. If your gamer is already streaming with ease, you can step up to the larger and more expensive Stream Deck MK.2 instead, which features more buttons and a customizable faceplate.

Animal Crossing Winter Collector’s Box

GameStop

Not every gamer gift has to be one used to play games with — some can just be an expression of style, like this adorable Animal Crossing Collector’s Box. For only $40, your player gets an adorable winter-themed tote bag, a heat-reactive mug and coasters for their favorite hot drink and, of course, a fuzzy blanket for curling up on the couch.

Danielle Nicole Zelda Wallet

Danielle Nicole / GameStop

Forget the expensive jewelry, give your gamer a bit of Zelda bling this Valentine’s Day with this new Zelda-themed wallet from Danielle Nicole. The bag features 12 card slots, a coin purse and plenty of room for cash as well. Best of all is how subtle it is in gold and white, so your player can get their geek on even at the fanciest functions.

It didn't take long for Team17 to cancel its NFT plans after they were announced. The British video game developer and publisher has released a statement that it's no longer working on the MetaWorms NFT project after listening to "Teamsters, development partners, and [its] games' communities, and the concerns they've expressed." It added that it has "taken the decision to step back from the NFT space." 

As EuroGamer notes, the MetaWorms project was supposed to produce "limited edition" computer-generated collectibles of the company's Worms IP. They were supposed to be sold by the Reality Gaming Group that claims the ability to mint NFTs in an environmentally friendly way. One of the biggest controversies surrounding NFTs is their environmental impact due to the energy needed to sustain their blockchain activity. Team17 said that if it sold 100,000 Worm NFTs, the energy used to register them would equal "the average annual kettle usage of just 11 households."

The backlash against the project came swiftly regardless — because, really, environmental impact is just one of the many issues surrounding non-fungible tokens — and from developers Team17 had worked with in the past. Among the developers that published statements distancing themselves from NFTs are Playtonic, which published Yooka-Laylee titles under Team17, and Overcooked developer Ghost Town Games. Aggro Crab, developer of roguelike game Going Under, released a scathing statement saying it'll never work with Team17 again.

The statement did, however, implore fans not to harass Team17 employees, because they were most likely caught off guard, as well. According to Eurogamer, that's indeed the case. Several teams within the company reportedly didn't know that it had plans to release NFT collectibles, and those who did know voiced their opposition. 

After a years-long process, data protection officials across the European Union have ruled that Europe’s ad tech industry has been operating unlawfully. The decision, handed down by Belgium’s APD (.PDF) and agreed by regulators across the EU, found that the system underpinning the industry violated a number of principles of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has declared victory in its protracted battle against the authority which administers much of the advertising industry on the continent: IAB Europe.

At the heart of this story is the use of the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF), a standardized process to enable publishers to sell ad-space on their websites. This framework, set by IAB Europe, is meant to provide legal cover — in the form of those consent pop-ups which blight websites — enabling a silent, digital auction system known-as Real-Time Bidding (RTB). But both the nature of the consent given when you click a pop-up, and the data collected as part of the RTB process have now been deemed to violate the GDPR, which governs privacy rights in the bloc.

Back in December, I wrote a deep (deep) dive on this situation*, and the potential privacy violations that the RTB process caused. After all, ad-tech companies working across a number of different platforms can collect real data about you, marry that to your browsing habits and create a detailed portrait of your life, which is known as a TC String. Dr. Johnny Ryan, who lead the legal campaign on behalf of the ICCL, called this the “world’s biggest data breach,” since these Strings are broadcast online to a wide number of recipients without direct oversight.

The APD has ruled that any and all data collected as part of this Real-Time Bidding process must now be deleted. This could have fairly substantial implications for many big tech companies with their own ad businesses, including Google and Facebook, as well as big data companies. It may also have a large impact on many media platforms and publishers on the continent who will now need to address the fallout from the finding.

Regulators have also handed down an initial fine of €250,000 to IAB Europe and ordered the body to effectively rebuild the ad-tech framework it currently uses. This includes making the system GDPR compliant (if such a thing is possible) and appoint a dedicated Data Protection Officer. Until now, IAB Europe has maintained that it did not create any personal data, and said in December that it was a standards setter and trade association, rather than a data processor in its own right.

In its own statement, IAB Europe says that the ruling did not ban the use of Transparency and Consent Frameworks. It added that it is looking to reform the process and “submit the Framework for approval as a GDPR transnational Code of Conduct.” It has said, however, that it may launch a legal challenge to fight the accusation that it is a data controller, a decision it says will “have major unintended negative consequences going well beyond the digital advertising industry.”

* Honestly, even though the subject is dense, it’s very easy to read.

Wordle, the once-a-day word game without ads, subscriptions or even a mobile app, has been purchased by The New York Times. If you haven’t played it, you have six chances to guess a five-letter word, with clues offered for correct letter guesses. In an interview with The Times earlier this month, creator Josh Wardle admitted the project was inspired in part by Spelling Bee, one of the paper's subscription games, which Wordle will likely appear alongside shortly.

The Times didn’t disclose the exact terms of the Wordle acquisition, though the press release says it paid "in the low seven figures." Play it while you can — or find a workaround like this, spotted by Vice.

—Mat Smith

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DICE delays 'Battlefield 2042' season one to fix 'Battlefield 2042'

The core game part.

Battlefield 2042 is rough. To address some of those shortcomings, DICE and EA have officially delayed the game's first season to early summer and will use the extra time to fix the core experience. The next BF2042 update will bring a revamped, easier-to-digest scoreboard, while better player profiles and long-awaited voice chat functionality are coming "as soon as possible."

Continue reading.

Google Messages begins displaying iMessage reactions as emoji

But only for beta users.

Google has started rolling out a feature for Messages that translates iMessaging Tapbacks as emoji, according to 9to5Google. The publication first discovered the experimental feature in a deep dive of the Google Messages beta app last year. It's unclear whether the feature will come out for the stable version that most of us use, but if you're using the beta app, you'll get the update that enables it soon enough.

Continue reading.

Peloton's $90 armband offers more comfortable heart rate tracking

It costs a little more though.

Peloton

Peloton is once again expanding its fitness equipment range with a new heart rate tracker. Its $90 Heart Rate Band straps to your arm, which could make it more comfortable and easier to use than a chest strap, which normally needs to be placed in a specific location and often needs moistened contacts to work properly. The Heart Rate Band works with Peloton's app and devices, including all Bike and Tread models as well as the Guide camera. The armband should work with other products that recognize common Bluetooth heart rate monitors, but there’s no ANT+ support — a standard in many gyms and fitness studios.

Continue reading.

Spotify's 'Science VS' podcast will only fact-check misinformation spread on Spotify

The creators said Spotify's support of Joe Rogan 'felt like a slap in the face.'

The host and editor of Science VS, a podcast owned by Spotify, are no longer making episodes of the show — save for those "intended to counteract misinformation being spread on Spotify." In a letter to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, Wendy Zukerman and Blythe Terrell said their policy would remain in place until "Spotify implements stronger methods to stop the spread of misinformation on the platform."

Continue reading.

Meta is winding down its low-cost Wi-Fi program for developing countries

Express Wi-Fi launched five years ago and is available in 30 countries.

Meta is ending its Express Wi-Fi program designed to provide low-cost internet in developing countries through partnerships with local communities, mobile operators and businesses. Designed to be inexpensive, starting at around 15 cents for 100MB or $5 for 20GB, Facebook partnered with satellite companies, ISPs and others in places like India, South Africa and the Philippines. 

Recently, The Wall Street Journal reported glitches in Meta's free internet services were creating unwanted charges for users in Pakistan. Meta also reportedly favored its own content on its free-data Discover service to the detriment of other sites. Meta said it plans to focus on other projects around internet access.

Continue reading.

Yelp is sharing new stats on the backlash some businesses have faced due to pandemic safety measures like mask requirements. The company says it took down more than 15,500 reviews for violating the company’s COVID-19 guidelines in 2021. That’s a 161 percent increase compared with the same period (March through December) in 2020, when the company first implemented new policies regarding COVID-19 related content.

The stats, which the company published in its 2021 Trust and Safety report, offer a glimpse into how the pandemic has affected the review site. Since the start of the pandemic, the company has implemented rules to mitigate COVID misinformation and encourage businesses to follow public health requirements. For example, reviewers are prohibited from criticizing businesses for implementing pandemic safety measures, like mask and vaccine requirements. The company also allows businesses to indicate vaccine requirements and other safety precautions.

At the same time, though, Yelp has had to navigate a big spike in “review bombing” due to pandemic-related restrictions. In all, nearly 25 percent of all “unusual activity alerts” — when a business’ page sees a sudden influx of reviews that "appear motivated by a recent news event rather than actual consumer experiences" — in 2021 were related to the pandemic, according to the company.

The pandemic wasn’t the only source of review bombing Yelp dealt with over the last year. The report notes the company placed alerts on more than 80 businesses, and removed more than 2,800 reviews, for “incidents related to the Capitol insurrection,” after reviewers targeted businesses owned by alleged rioters. The company also placed alerts on 90 businesses due to review bombing stemming from TikTok.

SpaceX has revealed a new tier for its Starlink satellite internet service with higher performance but pricing that might make your eyes water, The Verge has reported. Called Starlink Premium, it offers speeds between 150 and 500Mbps with 20 to 40 milliseconds of latency, up from 50 to 250Mbps with the same latency. Upload speeds are also up, from 10 to 20Mbps on the standard plan to 20 to 40Mbps on Premium.

For a performance boost of roughly double, you'll pay five times more, however. Starlink Premium will cost $500 a month compared to $99 per month for the standard plan. You'll also pay $2,500 for the antenna and other hardware, compared to $499 for base plan, and will need to leave a $500 deposit to reserve the Premium dish.

SpaceX said the new service will work better in "extreme weather conditions" and customers will get priority 24/7 support. It's likely to be the only high-speed internet option available in many remote places, where the extra weatherproofing could come in handy. 

SpaceX announced that Starlink would come out of beta last October, and recently unveiled a new rectangular satellite dish that's much smaller and thinner than the original round one. The new Premium antenna is apparently larger than that and it supposedly "helps ensure bandwidth for critical operations even during times of peak network usage," SpaceX said. 

Starlink has launched over 2,000 satellites as of mid-January, with around 1,500 in operational orbit. The current system is authorized for up to 4,408 satellites, around triple the current number. If you're interested in the Premium tier, orders are now open with deliveries set to start in Q2 2022. 

YouTube has started rolling out a redesigned interface for mobile that includes quick access to Like buttons and other controls. In the past, when you watch full-screen on Android and iOS, you'd have to exit landscape mode to be able to see the thumbs up and down buttons, the option to share the video and the option to add it to your playlist. It was pretty troublesome having minimize what you're watching to see those controls. As The Verge has noticed, though, you can now simply tap on the screen for all those buttons to show up at the bottom of the full-screen video. What you're watching wouldn't stop playing either.

The new controls at the bottom also give you an easy easy way to access the comments section. There's now no need to go back to portrait mode and to scroll down — just tap the comments button and the section will pop up right next to the video in landscape view. You can keep watching while scrolling viewers' comments, as well. 

Engadget

Google spokesperson Allison Toh told The Verge that the new user interface started making its way to Android and iOS devices on Monday, so it'll likely hit your phones soon if it hasn't yet.

Sony is still struggling to make enough PlayStation 5 consoles to keep up with demand. During its key holiday fiscal quarter, it shipped 3.3 million units for a total of 17.3 million since launch, the company said in its earnings report. That's considerably behind the 20.2 million units the PS4 had managed at the same point in its life cycle.

Because of that, Sony reported 813.3 billion yen ($7.09 billion) in revenue for its gaming division, down from 883.2 billion yen ($7.703 billion) over the same quarter last year. However, operating profit rose 12.1 percent to $810 million, because Sony actually loses money on each PS5 console sold. 

Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki said in an analyst webcast that people want to buy PS5 consoles, but partners can't supply components due to the ongoing chip shortage. Sony expects that situation to continue during the coming year, meaning PS5s may not be any easier to find, particularly in the first half of 2022. 

Sony lowered its forecast for PS5 shipments for the fiscal year to 11.5 million units, down from 14.8 million. As such, it dropped its full year revenue estimate for its Game & Network Services (G&NS) division by 170 million yen ($1.48 billion). At the same time, it expects 6 percent more profit despite lower game sales, thanks to the aforementioned unprofitable consoles.

Sony's gaming division is its biggest money maker, accounting for around a quarter of its overall revenue and profits this quarter. However, its imaging division also fared well in fiscal Q3, with a 22 percent increase in revenue year-over-year, thanks to sales of its premium smartphone image sensors. Its movie division, meanwhile, saw a large jump in revenue to $4.02 billion due in large part to the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

Withings is today announcing that it is buying 8fit, a personalized fitness and nutrition-planning app for an undisclosed fee. The deal will enable Withings, which makes a broad ecosystem of devices, to build a subscription revenue product that ties into its ecosystem. In a statement, the company said that it will now be able to develop “personalized programs” combining data, collected from its hardware, “with actionable insights that empower users to modify behavior.” CEO Mathieu Letombe added that it was time for the company to “enter the era of the ‘product-service-data’, combining personal health data with personalized wellness plans.”

It is the second acquisition that Withings has made in recent months, after Impeto Medical, which has built a method for detecting peripheral neuropathies. This technology has already been incorporated into the new Body Scan, with the promise that the device can identify poor nerve function and offer remedial advice. Withings has also pledged to invest more than $30 million over the next three years to develop its ability to offer customized, tailored support to enable users to get healthier and achieve their fitness goals.

The acquisition also reiterates the gravity of the current situation for pretty much every wearables business in the space. Selling single pieces of hardware, or devices on a multi-year cycle, does not provide the revenue necessary to keep the business’ operating long term. Apple, Fitbit, Oura, and many others, have pivoted to a device-and-recurring-revenue model, offering a subscription service to unlock the full power of the devices you have bought. It’s likely that we’ll see many of 8fit’s features integrated into Withings’ class-leading Health Mate app over time, for a cost. Speaking of which, 8fit presently costs $80 a year after an initial free trial.