Along with announcing the Galaxy S22 lineup, Samsung has refreshed its range of tablets — which some folks already had an inkling about after earlierleaks. For the first time, Samsung is introducing an Ultra tablet, which aligns with the Ultra branding the company slaps on its highest-end phones.

Unsurprisingly, the Tab S8 Ultra has more tricked-out specs than the Tab S8 and S8+. The company says it's the first Android 2-in-1 with an 14.6-inch Super AMOLED screen. The 2,960 x 1,848 display has a 120 Hz refresh rate, which should make writing or drawing with the new S Pen feel more responsive. Samsung says it's employing a prediction algorithm to deliver its "smoothest writing experience yet." The new S Pen is also included with the S8 and S8+. 

The dual 12MP front-facing cameras — one wide, one ultra-wide — on the S8 Ultra will enable you to join conference calls with a 4K video feed, but there's a notch to accommodate them. Auto-framing tech is designed to keep you front and center on video calls, and it will zoom in and out to include other people who join you. On the audio front, there are a trio of precision microphones with noise reduction tech and four Dolby Atmos-compatible speakers. The Tab S8 and S8+ have the same speaker system.

All three devices boast a 4nm octa-core chip (which Samsung says is the fastest processor it has put in a Galaxy tablet to date), Android 12, Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 6E support and a microSD slot. The S8 and S8+ have 8GB of RAM and come with 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. As for the S8 Ultra, you can have up to 16GB of RAM with 512GB of onboard storage.

The three devices share the same rear camera system with a 13MP autofocus sensor, 6MP ultra-wide camera and a flash. The S8 and S8+ have a sole 12MP ultra-wide front-facing camera.

There's support for 45W fast charging that Samsung claims can fully charge the S8 Ultra battery in 90 minutes and the other two tablets in 80 minutes. You can expect all-day battery life on all three models, according to the company. It says that equates to 15 hours of video playback on Tab S8, 13 hours of video playback on the S8+ and 14 hours of video playback on the S8 Ultra. If one of your other devices (say, a Galaxy S22) is running low on power, you can connect it to the tablet via USB-C to juice it up.

The key difference between the Tab S8 and S8+ is the size. The S8 has a 11-inch LED Full HD, 2,560 x 1,600 display, while the S8+ has a 12.4-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2,800 x 1,752. Both have a refresh rate of 120Hz. A bigger display means the S8+ has a space for a larger battery. It has a capacity of 10,090mAh, compared with the Tab S8's 10,090mAh battery.

The tablets can connect to your Galaxy smartphone or Windows PC as well. You can share photos, files and notes between your phone and tablet, while the Galaxy Buds' Auto Switch function allows you to move between devices without having to pair them again. The DeX mode, which lets users extend their TV, PC or phone display onto a Tab S8 device, can now be used in vertical orientation — which might come in handy for monitoring Slack or Twitter on a second screen.

Meanwhile, Samsung Health will be available on Galaxy tablets for the first time. Users can view workouts and see health and fitness data from a Galaxy Watch on their Tab S8 device. 

As with the Galaxy S22 lineup, Galaxy Tab S8 tablets are partially made with plastic components that are repurposed from discarded fishing nets. Samsung also says the tablets will ship to customers in its slimmest packaging to date, which is made from sustainably sourced paper.

Pre-orders open today for all three models. The Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+ are available in pink gold, graphite and silver. They start at $700 and $900, respectively, and pre-ordering will net you a slim book cover keyboard at no extra cost. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, which is only available in graphite, starts at $1,100. If you pre-order, Samsung will toss in a backlit book cover keyboard.

Catch up on all of the news from Samsung’s February Unpacked event right here!

Today's Samsung event leaned heavily on new hardware, but Google's bringing some software updates to those new devices that will make it easier to view content with friends. The Galaxy S22 smartphones and the S8 laptops will support the new live sharing feature in Google Duo. Much like how SharePlay works in FaceTime calls on iOS devices, this feature will let you and whomever you're chatting with view the same notes, photos, videos and more at the same time.

According to Google, this will only work in Google Duo calls and will only work with certain apps. YouTube is included, so you'll be able to share and watch a video with friends and family while you're chatting with them. It'll also work with Google Maps with shared and searched-for locations, Samsung Notes and Gallery for documents and photos, and Jamboard, which is Google's interactive whiteboard app.

The catch is that this feature will only be fully supported on Galaxy smartphones and tablets, as well as Pixel smartphones. That means only those with Samsung and Pixel devices will be able to host live-sharing calls — those with other Android devices will only be able to join those calls, rather than host them.

Google

Google's new feature comes a few months after Apple launched SharePlay in iOS 15.1. Similarly, Apple's feature only works on iOS devices but there appears to be more support for it across different apps at the moment. For example, SharePlay lets you watch Apple TV+ shows as a group, take Fitness+ workouts at the same time and play a few games together. But Google currently does have the upper-hand when it comes to YouTube, as the video service is not currently SharePlay-compatible. Google has not yet stated when we could see more apps gain support for Duo live sharing.

In addition to live sharing in Duo, Samsung's latest devices will have access to a couple of other new Android features. YouTube previews are coming to Messages, which basically means that you can share previews of YouTube videos in Messages to help your contacts decide if they want to watch the video immediately or later. If they do want to check it out now, they can watch the full video without leaving the chat. Thankfully, unlike live sharing, the YouTube previews feature will eventually make its way onto all Android smartphones, with the exception of Android Go devices. Also, the Galaxy S22 and Tab S8 series have Voice Access built in, so rather than needing to download a separate app, you can use these prompts to tap, scroll and navigate without using your fingers.

Catch up on all of the news from Samsung’s February Unpacked event right here!

Samsung is about to hold its first Unpacked event of 2022, and it's easy to catch the event live. You can watch Engadget's livestream with commentary from our own Cherlynn Low and Mat Smith on our YouTube channel (below) starting at 10AM ET. The broadcast is also available through Samsung's YouTube channel and the company's website. It's likely to be a loaded presentation, so you'll want to tune in if you're determined to see everything the tech company has to offer.

The centerpiece of Unpacked is expected to be the Galaxy S22 family, led by the Galaxy S22 Ultra — a no-compromise phone that will effectively replace both the S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Note. Samsung might also introduce the Galaxy Tab S8 series, including a giant 14.6-inch Ultra variant. There haven't been any other big hardware leaks, but Samsung occasionally delivers a surprise or two during its livestreamed events.

Catch up on all of the news from Samsung’s February Unpacked event right here!

The operating system powering Apple's rumored virtual or augmented reality headset may be called realityOS, MacRumors has reported. The term was spotted by multiple sources in recent GitHub open source code and App Store upload logs. "What is Apple's realityOS doing in the App Store upload logs," tweeted iOS developer Rens Verhoeven. "This at least confirms [realityOS] 1) has its own OS & binaries and, 2) has a realityOS simulator," noted another well-known developer, Steve Troughton-Smith. 

The existence of such an OS was first reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman as rOS in 2017, and is reportedly known internally as "Oak" at Apple. The "OS" nomenclature would be logical, given the names of Apple's iOS, macOS, iPadOS, tvOS and watchOS operating systems. 

Apple's development of AR/VR headsets has been rumored for years. Apple purchased VR company VRvana in 2017, suggesting it was pursuing the technology. The Informationreported in 2019 that a mixed AR/VR headset would come in 2022, with AR glasses arriving by 2023. 

However, the most recent rumor from Bloomberg suggests that the headset will be delayed until 2023 due to development issues like overheating. They'll reportedly offer computing power on par with an M1 Mac and could be standalone without the need to tether, according to analyst Ming-chi Kuo.

If the references are real, they could suggest that developers are getting or will be getting access to the OS. As Troughton-Smith warned, however, they "could just be a remnant of somebody's pull request from a fake account," too — so take the leak with an appropriate dose of skepticism. 

One of the stars of the working-out-from-home boom is struggling. Peloton won’t go quietly though and is making some big changes. The company will replace the CEO and co-founder, John Foley, who will become executive chairman, with former Spotify COO Barry McCarthy reportedly set to step into his shoes. While Foley is sticking around, the company is cutting around 2,800 corporate positions — these won’t include Peloton’s instructors who lead its live classes. The company said in a press release about the lay-offs that its “monthly membership will be complimentary for impacted team members for an additional 12 months." I'm not sure how they feel about that.

This all means we're back to speculating whether Peloton might be bought and folded into a bigger entity. Reports have suggested that Amazon and Nike are both looking into the possibilities, while pundits and analysts have long suspected Apple might pick it up as part of its fitness push. It could be a cheap purchase: Peloton reached a market value of $50 billion in January 2021, but it’s currently circling a $8 billion valuation.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Spotify's problems are bigger than Joe Rogan

• NASA picks Lockheed Martin to build a rocket that will return from Mars

• What to expect from Samsung's Unpacked event

• Amazon more than doubles base pay for corporate and tech employees

• Lemondrop and Fireball review: Impossibly small, surprisingly powerful synths

• NVIDIA officially abandons its plans to purchase ARM

Samsung leak reveals some very big Galaxy S8 Tabs

Expect to see an Ultra model with a large 14.6-inch OLED screen.

Engadget

Just ahead of Samsung's Unpacked event set for tomorrow, Evan Blass revealed a press release for Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 lineup in his Substack newsletter. It confirms many key specs from earlier leaks, including the existence of an "Ultra model" — likely to be the most intriguing of the often straightforward, sometimes bland, tablet series. All the finer details will come later today: join us as we livestream everything Samsung reveals at Unpacked later today. It all kicks off at 10 AM ET (7 AM PT).

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Apple scores its first Oscar nomination for Best Picture

Netflix leads the streaming pack with 27 nods.

Apple

Apple’s TV+ films received six Oscar nods overall, up from two last year. Most significantly, Apple has broken through in the Best Picture category. CODA is the first Apple Original movie to receive a nomination for the top prize. Elsewhere, Netflix continued to push hard for plaudits, with a whopping 27 nominations across the board. Climate change satire Don’t Look Up, packed with Oscar winners like Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio, and Western The Power of the Dog both have nominations for Best Picture.

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Samsung is adding a load of new health features to the Galaxy Watch 4

Because it’s not got a busy enough week.

Today, Samsung is rolling out an update that enhances some of the Galaxy Watch 4's and Watch 4 Classic's health and wellness features. While the watches have long been able to perform body composition scans, the update adds insights about those results powered by Chris Hemsworth's fitness app, Centr. This includes a 30-day free trial to the app, which typically only lasts for seven days — and is pretty pricey after that. Other features include interval training for runners, sleep coaching and a load of new watch face colors and digital watch faces.

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What we bought: A lid that makes the Instant Pot good at slow cooking

The tempered glass and steam hole make a huge difference.

The Instant Pot does a lot of things well, but there are a few upgrades if you’re looking to maximize what the giant kitchen gadget is capable of. For a lot less than the air fryer companion, you can improve the Instant Pot’s slow-cooking potential with a very simple tweak: a fitted glass lid. Editor in Chief Dana Wollman dives a little deeper into the world of Instant Pot recipes.

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Tinder will stop charging older users more for premium features

A new report details just how drastically Tinder+ prices can fluctuate.

Tinder says it"ill no longer charge older users more to use Tinder+, following a new report questioning the dating app’s practice of charging older users “substantially more.”

Tinder+ pricing can vary a lot based on users’ age. The report relied on “mystery shoppers” in six countries — the United States, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Korea, India and Brazil — who signed up for Tinder+. According to the report, Tinder users between the ages of 30 and 49 were charged an average of 65.3 percent more than their younger counterparts in every country except Brazil. Tinder says it plans to abandon its age-based pricing altogether, having already halted it in the US, Australia and UK. (After a class-action lawsuit in California.)

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Apple's Tap to Pay lets iPhones accept contactless payments

Shops won't need dongles or terminals to take your money.

Apple has revealed Tap to Pay on iPhone, an upcoming feature that will let businesses accept payments just by bumping handsets (and the Apple Watch) — no extra hardware needed. The tech requires an iPhone XS or later and will also work with other digital wallets beyond the company’s own Apple Pay. Likewise, it’ll be compatible with contact-free credit and debit cards. Stripe is already planning to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to business customers. 

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Most Twitter users can only create videos up to 140 seconds in length, but even so, some people apparently still don't have time for that. Luckily, Twitter has announced that it's testing playback speeds varying from .25x to 2x on Android or the web, similar to what you can do on YouTube, Netflix and other platforms.

Folks like myself (in France, on Android) with access to the feature will see a gear at the top of a video, next to the closed caption option. Selecting that allowed me to choose from a fairly granular range of speeds with sound pitch adjusted so you don't get the "Chipmunks" effect. It could be useful to folks with short attention spans or if you need to slow down a video to hear a word, to name a couple of potential use cases.

Variable playback speeds will work for "tweet videos, amplify videos, voice tweets, videos in DMs and video live replays, depending on their platform," Twitter spokesperson Joseph Nunez told The Verge. Twitter plans to expand the feature to iOS down the road. It's now in testing for select users, but there's no word on when Twitter might roll it out more widely. 

Twitter has informed US Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) that it's transitioning away from using Mitto AG's services to deliver two-factor authentication codes to its users, according to Bloomberg. Swiss tech firm Mitto is an established provider of automated text messages that some big companies have been using to send out not just 2FA codes, but also sales promotions and appointment reminders. Bloombergreported in December, however, that one of its co-founders operated a secret surveillance operation that helped governments locate users through their phones.

Company COO Ilja Gorelik allegedly sold surveillance technology firms access to Mitto's networks, allowing them to track people using their mobile devices. Those companies, in turn, contracted with government agencies. Mitto told Bloomberg back then that it had no knowledge or involvement in Gorelik's surveillance operation and that it's launching an internal probe to determine if its technology and business had been compromised. The Wyden aide Bloomberg talked to said Twitter cited media reports as a major factor for its decision.

Aside from Twitter, Mitto's clients include Google, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, Tencent and Alibaba. Mitto has reportedly been telling customers that Gorelik is no longer with the firm. Still, the publication says several other clients have cut ties with Mitto since the report came out, though it's unclear if Google and the other well-known tech companies and services that it counts as customers are also parting ways with it. 

The next PlayStation 4 and PS5 system update will add a handful of new accessibility and quality of life features to Sony’s consoles. Among the additions is support for voice commands on PlayStation 5. Sony’s previous-generation console has had that feature since launching in 2013, but it’s now making its way to the company’s latest console too.

Starting with a beta Sony will make available to English-speaking users in the US and UK first, the company is adding a system option that will make the console respond to “Hey PlayStation.” It’s a feature you can turn off, but leaving it on will allow you to use your voice to launch games and other apps, as well as open the system menu and control media playback. The update will bring other new accessibility features, including one that makes headphones output mono sound. Sony notes that’s something that should be particularly helpful to players with unilateral hearing loss.

As part of the same update, Sony is also tweaking how group chats work. Moving forward, they’ll be known as parties, and you’ll have the option to decide whether they’re private or open to the public. Should you leave your party open, not only can your friends join without an invite, but so can their friends as well.

Another new PS5 feature will allow you to filter your games by genre, as well as keep up to five of them to your console’s home screen for quick access. Sony has also updated the design of trophy cards and added support for more screen reader languages, among other changes.

You can help Sony beta test the update by signing up to do so on the company’s website. Look for an email in your inbox on Wednesday to find out if you’ve been selected to take part. Sony will release both PlayStation 4 and PS5 system updates later this year.

Coco, a company that offers food deliveries by remote-controlled robot, has expanded beyond its home base of Los Angeles for the first time. The service is now available in Austin as it commences a nationwide rollout. Coco plans to bring its robots to Dallas, Houston and Miami in the next few months.

The company says its service, which debuted in 2020, now has hundreds of delivery robots on the streets of LA, covering all of the city's major neighborhoods. Coco claims to reduce costs and deliver food to customers 30 percent faster than traditional methods with an on-time delivery rate of 97 percent. It partnered with 10 Austin restaurants and chains at the outset, and will offer deliveries in the South Lamar, South Congress, South Austin, Downtown, Northside, North Loop and Domain neighborhoods from the jump.

Other robot delivery services — such as Yandex, Serve Robotics (a former division of Postmates) and Nuro — have adopted the self-driving approach. Coco's robots, on the other hand, are controlled by employees who work from home.

It can be a pain to time music with a video you're editing — you may spend ages trimming and slicing tracks to create an arrangement that matches your footage. Adobe thinks your computer can do the heavy lifting, though. It just updated Premiere Pro with a Remix feature that uses AI to re-time music to fit your video's duration. This probably won't be completely satisfying if you're exacting about your soundtracks, but it could save valuable hours if you were just looking for well-timed background audio.

The Premiere Pro update is also far more useful for transcriptions. Speech-to-text conversion is now available offline through downloadable language packs, leading to transcriptions up to three times faster on M1- and Core i9-based systems. English is included by default.

Adobe is providing some of its customary hardware optimizations. Windows users can now export 10-bit HDR videos up to 10 times faster with Intel- or NVIDIA-based graphics. Block Dissolve and Linear Wipe effects now use GPU acceleration, too. And if you own one of the latest 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pros, Premiere Pro now properly adapts to the display notch. These won't necessarily affect your workflows in the way Remix might, but they'll be appreciated if they help you finish projects that much sooner.