The Matrix is one of the most iconic sci-fi movies of all time. This dystopian action film changed how we think about the future, technology, and the increasingly blurred lines between the real and virtual worlds.
In this blockbuster from 1999, intelligent machines have won the war against humans, who pay the ultimate price. Their bodies are enslaved for their energy while their minds are occupied within the Matrix, a simulated reality designed to make them believe everything is as it always was.
The Matrix raises a thought-provoking question: would you rather stay in the comfort of an artificial world or face the harsh truths of an unknown reality?
As a result of recent technological developments, this may be a question humanity is forced to answer sooner rather than later. Many experts have warned about the dangers posed by artificial intelligence, and the popularization of blockchain, NFTs and the metaverse add fuel to the debate. Will these technologies help us better our lives? Or are they guiding us towards a darker, more Matrix-esque world, wherein we spend more and more time in a virtual space we can’t escape?
Our evil overlords aren’t running the show just yet. However, our increased dependence on technology for working, living, and connecting with others does raise important questions about how much time is ‘too much’ to spend in a virtual world and what risks and dangers are associated with virtual reality and technology.
Looking through the lens of three of the most high-profile tech concepts in recent years - NFTs, blockchain, and the metaverse - here’s what we need to consider.
NFTs
Walking through any art gallery, you’ll see priceless works of art by famous painters throughout history. But could a digital file ever be thought of as a piece of artwork, equal in value to masterpieces by Cézanne or Van Gogh?
Enter the NFT, or non-fungible token. In simple terms, an NFT is an individual unit of data, recorded and stored on a digital ledger known as a blockchain. Non-fungible means the item is one-of-a-kind, unable to be copied or substituted — just like the Mona Lisa.
The NFT contains unique ownership data, so NFTs aren’t the artwork itself but rather a method used to record the ownership of digital art — otherwise, anyone can claim to own the original of a digital art file.
They first appeared in 2017 with the launch of CryptoPunks but didn’t take off until early last year. Now, NFTs have taken the art world by storm.
NFT technology allows artists and collectors to connect directly, but NFTs also give us a way to verify ownership of digital art, rare in-game items, virtual spaces, and domain names. In a virtual world, NFTs will become increasingly important. You’ll not only display your digital art within the metaverse, but NFTs will also represent ownership of digital items, such as the clothes and accessories worn by your avatar and the purchases you make within the digital world you spend time in.
The logo of Ethereum, the blockchain on which the majority of NFTs reside.(Image credit: Shutterstock / Overearth)
Will digital art ever replace that priceless watercolor hanging on your wall? It’s doubtful, as physical arts such as paintings, sculptures, and photography will always hold value to collectors, whether it’s sentimental or monetary.
There is also a dark side to the world of NFTs, which is currently subject to no direct regulatory guidance, although it’s possible the US government could categorize NFTs as securities or commodities in the future. Like fine art, NFTs are only worth what people will pay for them and the level of volatility in the NFT (and cryptocurrency) space is extreme. No investment is ever a guaranteed success and the NFT field is purely speculative, so it’s easy to lose money with NFTs if you’re not careful.
Artists are also at risk of art theft, plagiarism, and fraud, with the virtual world giving users anonymity that unscrupulous art thieves can use to their advantage. NFTs also raise some concerning environmental issues, as the Ethereum blockchain on which most of them sit demands a huge amount of energy to sustain itself.
As with any unregulated space, there’s plenty that can go wrong, with concerns that the NFT market can be used as a type of pyramid scheme, which sees early investors making huge gains but newcomers struggling to recoup their losses.
The allure of digital art investing is appealing to many and can be a lucrative and fun way to support the creative arts, but as with any new investment, caveat emptor.
Blockchain
If you’ve ever dabbled in Bitcoin, you will have utilized blockchain technology - only probably without knowing it. A blockchain is a digital ledger of transactions that provides a high-level of security and transparency. While blockchain has many uses, it plays an essential role as the ledger behind most cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ether.
In the future, however, the role of blockchain is likely to expand, as it can also be used to verify digital identity, store and protect data, and allow for secure digital voting — all essential elements in keeping people safe in a digital world.
With companies increasingly accepting cryptocurrency as payment and El Salvador becoming the first country to make Bitcoin legal tender, more and more of us are investing in digital currencies and therefore becoming dependent on the security of blockchains to protect our finances.
But just like the Matrix itself, the long-term importance of cryptocurrency may turn out to be an illusion that we’ve bought into. As with NFTs, the crypto market is decentralized and speculative, and it’s also the largest unregulated market in the world. While investors have been lured in by the lucrative growth in Bitcoin, as well as the opportunity for disintermediation and higher levels of financial privacy it affords, cryptocurrencies aren’t backed by any government or bank or FDIC insurance, making them riskier than traditional currencies.
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Wit Olszewksi)
The lack of regulatory oversight and anonymity associated with crypto also makes it attractive to the nefarious characters of the digital world. It’s harder to track and trace so it appeals to criminals, with digital currencies used for ransomware attacks, money laundering, dark web transactions, terrorism, and illegal drugs on an international scale.
While a recent study estimated that only 3% of Bitcoin transactions involve illegal activity and authorities are becoming better at analyzing transactions on a blockchain, that’s not to say the technology isn't still problematic.
Many investors, especially younger ones new to the market, turned to crypto during the pandemic as a new hobby — it’s thought that 16% of American adults owned or invested in crypto in 2021. While it’s clear demand is higher than ever before, do we, as a society, want to be moving our investments and finances into an unregulated, digital world?
Increased governmental oversight is one way to manage the risks of crypto — the Federal Reserve and US banking regulatory bodies have officially added cryptocurrency to the agenda for 2022, with plans to discuss regulatory standards, crypto-backed loans, and liquidity requirements for banks. As crypto becomes more mainstream, some form of regulation seems inevitable, giving authorities more power to curb illegal activity.
But how can you effectively regulate a currency that’s completely decentralized and doesn’t fall under any particular jurisdiction? While governments around the world are working on it, there are more questions than answers at this point.
The metaverse
In The Matrix, Neo is offered a red pill or a blue pill. The blue will send him back to the familiar comfort of the Matrix, while the red will bring him into a harsh and uncertain reality. Today, this iconic set piece feels more relevant than ever, with the emergence of the concept of the metaverse.
The metaverse is imagined as a place where users connect online, in virtual spaces, with the help of virtual reality headsets and other technology. Represented by your avatar, you will be able to move through the metaverse just as you would in real-life. In the metaverse, you can attend virtual meetings, go to concerts, shop, and attend conferences, all from the comfort of your home. And yes, you’ll be able to display your NFT purchases within the metaverse — that you purchased with blockchain-based cryptocurrencies.
It’ll be an important part of Web 3.0, the latest imagining of the internet as a decentralized space where users have more autonomy, control, and connection opportunities without a central authority.
When Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg announced in October that the company was changing its holding company name from Facebook to Meta, signaling an increased focus on the metaverse, millions wondered what that meant for the future and how intertwined our lives might become with virtual reality. But it’s not just a Zuckerberg pipedream; scores of corporate giants have already invested serious resources into the metaverse.
Tech heavyweights like Sony and Microsoft see huge value in a fully-realized metaverse, but even retail companies like Chipotle and Nike are ready to sell their virtual products in this new virtual world, and investment funds are springing up to help investors get a piece of the pie.
(Image credit: Shutterstock / is.a.bella)
It might sound appealing, but the metaverse is also fraught with potential issues, including identity theft, fraud, and security concerns — all legal landmines yet to be sorted out.
Living our lives in a virtual reality world would bring other risks too. We already know how addictive screen time can be, especially for developing minds, so how much worse would an immersive 3D online world be for internet addiction, compared to Facebook and the social media platforms we already use?
Spending more and more hours online can contribute to many serious issues, including a sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, depression, withdrawal from society, and confusion as to what’s real and what isn’t. If our children come of age in a predominantly virtual world, what does that mean for their future and wellbeing?
So, would you prefer the blue pill of the metaverse or the red pill of the real world? Luckily, no one is asking us to make that decision just yet. The metaverse is still years from being fully realized as per Meta’s dreams, but it does raise the important question: how much of our working and personal lives are we comfortable spending in virtual spaces?
Yes, the metaverse offers entertainment, immersive remote work opportunities, and new ways to socialize, but it’s also important to consider both the physical and mental health risks of spending too much time online, especially for our kids and teens.
Is technology for us, or against us?
One of the underlying messages of The Matrix is one of personal responsibility — we all have free will to choose between virtual and real worlds. The same applies to our increasingly digital lifestyles, with all of us having at least some ability to determine how much of our time, interests, and finances we’re investing into new technologies and virtual platforms.
In recent years, technological developments have offered so many benefits and conveniences, allowing us to connect, work, shop, game and access healthcare in ways we never have before. These advances have been all the more meaningful during the pandemic, which forced people into isolation.
On an individual level, many of us have also been captivated by cryptocurrencies and NFTs, and are excited about the possibilities the metaverse can bring. Technology has a long history of improving our lives and connections to others, and these new developments may be no different.
However, it’s always worth taking time to understand the dangers of any new type of technology, ensuring you don’t risk detrimental impacts to your finances, wellbeing and health.
Technology is also created by humans, of course, which means we have the power to build and shape it to meet our needs. Even if you don’t work in tech yourself, you can always vote with your wallet, choosing to support tech companies and investments you believe are ethical and safe.
As Morpheus states in The Matrix, “What is real? How do you define 'real'? If you're talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then 'real' is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain”.
As an increasingly virtual world leaves us wondering what’s real and what isn’t, remember that technology is there to enhance our lives, not to dominate them.
Today is the last day to score epic bargains at the Best Buy 3-day sale, and we're rounding up all the top Fitbit deals, including price cuts on the Fitbit Luxe, Versa 2, Charge 5, and the Fitbit Sense smartwatch.
See more of the best Fitbit deals from Best Buy's 3-day sale below, and keep in mind today's offers end tonight, so you should take advantage now before it's too late
Fitbit Luxe:$149.95$99.95 at Fitbit Save $50 - Our favorite Fitbit deal is the best-selling Fitbit Luxe that was named Techradar's best fitness tracker of 2021, thanks to its stylish design and excellent activity tracking. It's now on sale for $99.95 at Best Buy's 3-day sale.
Fitbit Versa 2 Smartwatch:$179.95$129.95 at Best Buy
Save $50 - Best Buy has the feature-packed Fitbit Versa 2 smartwatch on sale for $129.95. The smartwatch provides a remarkable six-day battery life and allows you to store 300 or so songs on your wrist.
Fitbit Charge 5:$179.95$149.95 at Best Buy Save $30 - While we've seen a lower price before, Best Buy's 3-day sale has a $30 discount on the all-new Fitbit Charge 5. The powerful fitness tracker is well suited to anyone who's starting to get serious about working out but doesn't yet need a fully-fledged smartwatch.
Fitbit Sense:$299.95$199.95 at Best Buy Save $100 - The Fitbit Sense is a smart, feature-packed smartwatch that not only offers all-day heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, smartphone notifications, contactless payments, and sleep tracking but also tracks your stress levels by measuring changes in your skin's conductivity. Today's deal from Best Buy brings the price down to $199.95.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 series could land soon, with a January or February 2022 launch date looking highly likely, and the leaks and rumors have been coming in thick and fast for all three devices in the line.
Rumored Samsung Galaxy S22 features
- Announcement in January or February
- Similar designs for the S22 and S22 Plus
- A new, Galaxy Note-like design for the S22 Ultra
- A glass back for all models
- An S-Pen slot for the Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Slightly different screen sizes to the S21 range
- Big camera changes planned
- Smaller batteries for all except the Ultra
- Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 chipset
- 1TB internal storage option for the Ultra
The Galaxy S22 is therefore the next big flagship from Samsung, and since the Samsung Galaxy Note 21 was cancelled, it will be the first big traditional phone from the company to come out in a year. We did see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 come out with S Pen stylus support, and the clamshell Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 launch at the same price as flagship phones – but for most consumers, the Galaxy S22 is the next big Android phone.
Below is where we’ll be collating all the leaks, rumors and news we hear about the Samsung Galaxy S22 until its launch, likely in early 2022. We’ll be keeping track of details of the Galaxy S22 release date, price, features and much more, from rumors about its new features to leaked images of what the phone could look like.
Latest Samsung Galaxy S22 news
Updated January 9: The Galaxy S22 Ultra is rumored to be coming with support for an S Pen that's better than ever before.
Samsung Galaxy S22: what you need to know
Samsung Galaxy S22 release date: Rumors point to a February release for the Samsung Galaxy S22, with an announcement possibly on February 9. It'd then go on sale on February 25. That's not been confirmed, but we'd be surprised if it didn't land in early 2022.
Samsung Galaxy S22 price: Pricing is unknown, but for reference the Samsung Galaxy S21 started at $799 / £769 / AU$1,249, and we may be looking at a similar price again.
Design: The Samsung Galaxy S22 and Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus will probably look similar to their predecessors, with the S22 Ultra rumored to be getting a more angular design reminiscent of the Galaxy Note range.
Colors: A leak suggests the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus may come in white, black, pink gold, and green shades, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra might come in black, white, green and dark red.
Display: The Samsung Galaxy S22 is rumored to have a 6.06-inch screen, the S22 Plus a 6.55-inch one, and the S22 Ultra a 6.81-inch one. All three models are expected to have a 120Hz refresh rate, but that's likely to be paired with a FHD+ resolution for the cheaper two and a QHD+ resolution for the Ultra.
Camera: 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide and 12MP telephoto cameras have been rumored for the S22 and S22 Plus. Things are less clear for the Ultra, but it may have a 108MP main snapper, a 12MP ultra-wide, and two 10MP telephotos.
Specs: Expect either the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 chipset depending on region, coupled possibly with the same RAM and storage amounts as the S21 range. That would mean up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage in the Ultra model, or 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage in the other models. We've seen a recent report hinting at as much as 1TB of storage for the S22 Ultra, mind.
Battery: Leaks point to a 3,700mAh battery in the S22, 4,500mAh in the S22 Plus, and 5,000mAh in the S22 Ultra. Other than the Ultra those would all be smaller than the batteries in the S21 range. Charging speed on the S22 Ultra might be improved though, possibly coming in at 45W.
Samsung Galaxy S22 release date
Most early Samsung Galaxy S22 release date rumors pointed to January 2022, but it would now appear that a February launch is more likely.
Multiple sources have now pointed to February, with leaker Jon Prosser saying the phone will be unveiled on February 9, then sold on February 25. That's updated information as he intitally believed it would arrive on February 8.
That rough time frame makes sense, as we’d expect Samsung to follow a similar schedule to its 2021 plans where the company pulled forward its launch compared to previous years and revealed the phone in mid-January.
Does that mean we’ll see the Samsung Galaxy S22 series in January or February 2022? There’s no guarantee, and another leak suggested that the company pushed back its reveal to ensure it could reveal the Galaxy S21 FE on January 3.
Samsung could decide to default back to its usual flagship release window and push the phone out in March. That said, the company may even bring the launch forward and announce the handsets even earlier.
So while no-one knows yet what to expect from Samsung, our best guess for now is a February launch.
Samsung Galaxy S22 price
So far we don't know anything for sure about the price of the Samsung Galaxy S22 range, but we’d expect it will be around the same price as the Galaxy S21 range when it launched.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 started at $799 / £769 / AU$1,249, the S21 Plus started at $999 / £949 / AU$1,549, and the S21 Ultra started at $1,199 / £1,149 / AU$1,849.
Samsung Galaxy S22 design
The overall design of the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus might be very similar to the current range, according to one leak, so don't expect big visual changes - other than for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which might be significantly different.
A leaked press image of the upcoming phones shows us the Galaxy S22 Ultra next to either the Galaxy S22 or Galaxy S22 Plus. It's our best look at the upcoming handsets, and you can see it below.
(Image credit: LetsGoDigital)
This heavily suggests the Galaxy S22 Ultra (the phone in red) will come with a more Note-like design that has square edges as well as an S Pen and five rear cameras. The S22 or S22 Plus looks to come in white, it'll have a similar design to the Galaxy S21 with rounded edges and it has three cameras on the rear.
The whole Galaxy S22 range has been spotted in the form of dummy units thanks to case retailer Mobile Fun. The below photos show us what we can expect from the design of the each of the handsets.
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(Image credit: Mobile Fun / GSMArena)
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(Image credit: Mobile Fun / GSMArena)
We've also seen unofficial renders of all three handsets, from a reliable source, that shows the S22 and the S22 Plus will likely stick with the conventional look of their predecessors, while the S22 Ultra goes for something a little bit different. We've also seen a leaked backplate for the S22 Ultra showing a similar design to what you've seen above.
These renders also come with whispers that these phones will actually be called the Samsung Galaxy S22, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 22 Ultra. The talk so far has been that the S22 Ultra might replace the Note 22, and if these leaks are right, that's going to come to pass. Another source has chimed in saying the biggest phone will be called the S22 Note.
Based on these renders, the S22 Ultra (or Note 22 Ultra) has a look that's distinctly different from the S22 and the S22 Plus (or S22 Pro) – and it's very reminiscent of what we've seen from Note handsets in the past. Last year's S21 Ultra supported the S Pen stylus, and so should its follow-up.
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(Image credit: LetsGoDigital / Snoreyn)
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(Image credit: LetsGoDigital / Snoreyn)
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(Image credit: LetsGoDigital / Snoreyn)
We've also now seen additional unofficial renders of the Samsung Galaxy S22, which show a camera block with slightly less rounded corners than the Galaxy S21, and a flatter back to the phone, but an otherwise similar design. You can see some of these above.
And we've even now seen hands-on photos that seem to show the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, as you can see below. These match some of the leaks above, complete with an S Pen slot, a curved screen, and cameras that individually jut out from the rear, rather than being housed in a block. Meanwhile, the S Pen is rumored to be more responsive than ever.
(Image credit: FrontPageTech.com)
Since then, leaked photos of the other S22 models have also emerged. You can see these below and they only show the back, but details include a new glossy finish for the S22 and S22 Plus, along with camera lenses that stick out.
These come from reputable sources too, so while we'd take them with a pinch of salt, they may well be accurate.
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(Image credit: Yogesh Brar)
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(Image credit: Yogesh Brar)
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(Image credit: UniverseIce)
These photos were also quickly followed by a video of what might be the same units, but this time we glimpse the front too.
Case renders for the three phones have also now leaked, and these show a similar design to the images above, complete with a Note-like overhaul for the S22 Ultra, and even an S Pen slot. A second set of case images for the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra have also emerged, sporting the same design but with a purple color scheme.
Breaking：Samsung phone protective case manufacturer has begun to build S22 series protective case . We can see that the camera area is just like our rendered drawing, but unfortunately, It just knows the shape of this area, whether it is “P”or “11” , and he does not know. pic.twitter.com/yYtZF8lZXlSeptember 30, 2021
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Leaked images of tempered glass screen protectors meanwhile suggest that the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus might be slightly thicker and more rounded than their predecessors, but again should otherwise be similar - though one leak points to them having flatter backs.
Speaking of the backs, one source says that all three models will use glass, which would be a change from the S21 range, where the basic model had a plastic rear.
We've even heard possible dimensions and weights for the Galaxy S22 range. These come from leaker Ice Universe, who claims that the Samsung Galaxy S22 is 146 x 70 x 7.6mm and 167g, the Galaxy S22 Plus is 157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6mm and 195g, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra is 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm and 228g. For the most part that would make these phones marginally smaller than their predecessors.
Samsung Galaxy S22 display
We might see slightly different screen sizes with the Samsung Galaxy S22 range to the Galaxy S21, with multiplesources claiming that the Galaxy S22 will have a 6.06-inch screen (down from 6.2 inches on the S21), the Galaxy S22 Plus will have a 6.55-inch one (down from 6.7) and the S22 Ultra might have a 6.81-inch one (up from 6.8).
This matches with a leak from UniverseIce that shows off screen protectors for all three new devices, with similar sizes to what we've heard about above.
Additionally, this source claims that only the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will have an LTPO display, meaning it's likely to be the only model with a variable refresh rate.
We've heard the same screen sizes from another source, complete with 120Hz refresh rates paired with a FHD+ resolution on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus, and a QHD+ one on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
More specifically, a source claims that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus have a 1080 x 2340 display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a 1440 x 3088 one with a 19.3:9 aspect ratio. That would actually make for slight resolution downgrades from their predecessors.
Elsewhere, a leaker has said that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will have the brightest screen Samsung has ever put on a phone.
The range might not have particularly curved screens though, with leaks suggesting that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus will have flat displays, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra might only have a very slight curve.
Samsung Galaxy S22 colors
(Image credit: LetsGoDigital)
If you weren't fond of the colors offered by the Galaxy S21 range you might be in luck, as one source claims that the colors might be different for the upcoming models.
They say that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus will come in white, black, rose gold, and green colors, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will come in a choice of black, white or dark red, with another source adding green to the mix.
Another source has helped to back up that green rumor for all these handsets, and you can see the Galaxy S22 in that leaked color below.
(Image credit: 91Mobiles)
We've since heard that exact selection of colors (including green for the S22 Ultra) again, so these colors are looking likely. Leaks also suggest that the specific green offered by the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra could be the one shown in the image above, created by LetsGoDigital.
Another source speaking to LetsGoDigital has claimed that the rose gold color on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus may be more pink than in previous iterations. You can see what they believe the shade will look like below:
(Image credit: LetsGoDigital)
For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S21 comes in violet, grey, white and pink, the S21 Plus in black, silver, gold, violet and red, and the S21 Ultra comes in black, silver, titanium, navy and brown.
So the green Samsung Galaxy S22 shade could be quite different to anything we've seen from the current models if this leak is right.
Samsung Galaxy S22 camera
On the camera front we've heard from one leaker that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus will have a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 12MP telephoto (capable of 3x optical zoom), That would be quite a change from the 12MP main, 12MP ultra-wide and 64MP telephoto of their predecessors, and we've heard a similar claim from another source too.
That idea isn't unanimous though, as various leakers have had slightly different ideas about the cameras. Case in point, a popular one has echoed the above specs but suggested the telephoto will be 10MP.
It also sounds very much like the Galaxy S22 won't have a 3D time-of-flight (ToF) sensor on its rear camera setup. That's no real surprise – it wasn't on the Galaxy S21 either – but it might disappoint those who wanted it to make a return.
That said, several reports since then have suggested that Samsung won't be including a 200MP sensor, and instead it will go for a 108MP sensor with a "polish" that we haven't seen on previous versions.
We've heard a similar report elsewhere, suggesting that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will have a 108MP main camera, two 12MP telephoto ones, and a 12MP ultra-wide, while the other two models will have the camera configurations leaked above (a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 12MP telephoto).
That report has been backed up in another leak that we heard in January 2022, which also suggested the Ultra will come with a feature called Super Clear Lens. It's thought this will use Gorilla Glass technology on the phone's main camera to reduce glare and reflections when using it.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)
The zoom potential of these phones might be the same as the S21 range as well, with the S22 and S22 Plus said to offer 3x optical zoom, and the S22 Ultra both 3x and 10x. That's a claim we've now heard multiple times, though one source points to the Ultra's zoom snappers being 10MP rather than 12MP.
In fact, another source now points to all the megapixel counts on the Galaxy S22 Ultra's cameras being the same as the S21 Ultra, albeit with slightly different pixel and sensor sizes. That source has since reiterated the claim, so they seem confident of it.
However, while the core specs might be similar, some of the camera abilities might be new or improved, with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra rumored to have a macro mode, improvements to night mode, and - thanks to AI - better general shots.
The rumored under-display selfie camera is looking in doubt though, as a source has since said that the Galaxy S22 won't have this, because the quality apparently isn't high enough, the camera itself is still supposedly slightly visible under the screen, and Samsung simply can't build enough of them right now.
One source also says to expect continuous optical zoom, meaning that all of the zoom levels up to its maximum optical (likely 10x) would be optical, where most phones have to fall back on digital or hybrid zoom for the middle zoom ranges.
However, given that multiple sources point to the S22 Ultra having two zoom cameras, we're not convinced it would also sport continuous optical zoom, as having two shouldn't be so necessary if it did.
You can see how the camera modules for all three phones might look in the leaked image below.
(Image credit: 8090 Digital Beauty / Weibo)
We've also now heard about the front-facing cameras of the range, with the three phones apparently having the same ones as their predecessors, namely 10MP on the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus, and 40MP on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S22 specs and features
One source says to expect an Exynos 2200 chipset that would be paired with an AMD GPU. This is something we've heard before, as one much older leak suggested Samsung was working on a new chipset in collaboration with AMD.
This AMD partnership has since been confirmed, and we now know that it will bring ray tracing and variable rate shading capabilities to the chipset, and therefore presumably to the Samsung Galaxy S22.
Most recently we've heard that the production problems are great enough that all regions might get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. This chipset has been revealed by Qualcomm, and promises a 20% faster CPU, 30% less power use (for better battery life), and more.
A Samsung Galaxy S21(Image credit: TechRadar)
Other spec leaks include claims that the RAM and storage amounts won't change from the Galaxy S21 range, with one source saying to expect 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus, and 12GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage in the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Indeed, a benchmark for the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus lists 8GB of RAM, like its predecessor. This is for the Exynos 2200 model, and the scores achieved are worryingly low - but it seems the phone might have been in a power-saving mode for some reason, which would explain it.
That being said, another report has suggested the Galaxy S22 Ultra will come equipped with an iPhone 13-matching 1TB of internal storage. With the high-end device likely to be able to capture 8K video, a 1TB storage option makes a lot of sense - it just remains to be seen whether this will be the only model to offer it.
What's more, while the RAM might stay the same in terms of quantities, Samsung might use higher speed RAM, as it's announced RAM that's over 1.3x faster while consuming almost 20% less power - though the company hasn't confirmed whether this RAM will be used in the Galaxy S22 range.
We've also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S22 range might have vapor chambers to keep them cool. This is a feature that Samsung has used before, but not in every recent flagship. However, the company is reportedly considering bringing them back for its 2022 flagships, likely including the Galaxy S22 range.
While keeping the internals of phones cool is vital to maintaining optimal performance though, vapor chambers aren't the only way to achieve this, so it's not necessarily a loss if the Galaxy S22 range doesn't end up with one.
Finally, it's also rumored that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will support Samsung's S Pen stylus, which is likely given that the S21 Ultra does. However, the upcoming phone will probably go so far as to have a slot for it, which the S21 Ultra doesn't.
Samsung Galaxy S22 battery
As for the battery, one leak suggests a 3,800mAh one in the Samsung Galaxy S22, a 4,600mAh one in the Galaxy S22 Plus, and a 5,000mAh one in the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Those sizes would all be slight downgrades on the Galaxy S21 range, except the S22 Ultra, which would have the same size battery if this is right.
Elsewhere we've heard that the battery in the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus might be even smaller, at 4,500mAh. That size has been spotted multiple times now, as has 5,000mAh for the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 meanwhile could get an even smaller 3,700mAh battery according to more than one source – that would be the 'typical' capacity (which is what tends to be advertised), while the 'rated' capacity would apparently be 3,590mAh, and it's a claim we've now heard three times.
Beyond that, Samsung itself has confirmed that it won’t be including chargers in the box with future smartphones, so you should expect to buy a separate charger alongside your Samsung flagship if you’re not already equipped with one.
And one piece of information has also emerged about the charging speed, as apparently Samsung is testing 45W or 65W powering. Either would be a big improvement on the 25W of the S21 series, though the S20 Ultra had 45W.
In particular, 45W powering has been rumored manytimesnow, but apparently only on the S22 Ultra. That figure is still quite a bit below the competition, with other mid-range and premium Android handsets ranging from 65W to 120W.
However, whether wired charging gets a boost or note, wireless might, with evidence of a 25W wireless charger being in the works - that would be up from 15W on the Galaxy S21 range.
What we want to see from Samsung S22
While we wait to hear more about the Samsung Galaxy S22, we've put our heads together to think of some improvements we'd like to see the company make in its next flagship series.
1. Bring back microSD support
This is a simple one, and it's a clear step down from Samsung, as the company has almost always offered microSD support in its smartphones. For those unclear on the situation, the Samsung Galaxy S21 range doesn't feature a microSD card slot, meaning you won't be able to expand the storage.
Bought the 128GB Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra? You're stuck with that amount of storage no matter how long you use the phone. This is the case from other brands such as Apple, but we preferred it when Samsung offered the option to expand your storage.
2. Include better storage options
The Samsung Galaxy S21(Image credit: TechRadar)
On the topic of storage, the Galaxy S22 range should offer further storage options for people to choose from. That's especially true if the company does decide it doesn't want to offer microSD card support again.
The Galaxy S21, for example, is just available in 128GB and 256GB storage sizes. If you want more space, you've got to opt for the larger Galaxy S21 Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 range dropped in price compared to 2020's smartphones, and that's an admirable feat from the company, but we'd like to see the prices drop even further in 2022.
Of course, this is a big ask. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is full of top-end tech, and it's unlikely the company will be able to drop the price down any further than it did with 2021's phone.
That said, there were a lot of spec drops when comparing the Galaxy S21 to the Galaxy S20. If the company continues to offer slightly lower specs than we're used to, we'd like to see the price drop down further to reflect that.
4. Make the standard editions more exciting
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus(Image credit: Future)
The Samsung Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus may not be the most exciting smartphones, but they're still a great choice. We gave each of them four stars on TechRadar, and we went up to four and a half stars for the slightly more innovative Galaxy S21 Ultra.
We don't know how, but we'd like to see some more features trickle down to those two cheaper handsets that are almost certain to launch in 2022. We'd like to see the company bring top-end features like S Pen stylus support or the 100x digital zoom telephoto camera.
The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus were a bit of a downgrade on their predecessors, so we'd like to see Samsung make the next models a touch more exciting when they arrive in 2022.
5. Avoid Glasstic
This isn't something that everyone cares about, but the Galaxy S21 moved away from a glass rear and switched to a Glasstic back. That's Samsung's own name for a plastic and glass hybrid, and it doesn't feel as premium.
Both the Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra stuck with glass, and we'd like to see the company opt for that material on every Samsung Galaxy S22 model considering the price of these smartphones.
6. Increased stylus support on the Ultra
An S Pen working with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra(Image credit: Samsung)
You no longer have to buy a Galaxy Note smartphone to experience the benefits of a Samsung stylus; you can now opt for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. We found the stylus experience to be helpful, and for those who want to have the accessory it's a great option.
That said, the S Pen support isn't as extensive as it is on the Galaxy Note range. You have to opt for the S Pen Pro, for example, to be able to get some features, but that isn't yet available. We're hoping in 2022 that Samsung's S Pen functionality for its S series will be more fully formed.
There is a pleasing circularity to the recent career of Pip White, who in November took on the role of SVP & General Manager EMEA at collaboration software company Slack.
Previously, White had spent a number of years running the sales operation at CRM titan Salesforce, before departing for a job at Google’s cloud arm. In the summer of 2021, Salesforce finalized an acquisition of Slack worth $28 billion, and now White finds herself in familiar company.
A few months into her new role, TechRadarPro spoke to White about Slack’s ambitions for the coming year, with the pandemic continuing to confine many workers to their home offices.
The official party line goes a little something like this: Slack is the only viable digital headquarters for the hybrid working era, wherein we will all work in a fluid and asynchronous manner from a variety of locations. It’s a message we’ve heard many times over by now.
However, White also offered insight into the nature of the company’s relationship with its new parent organization, as well as the way it perceives its competition in the collaboration sector.
Slackforce
Asked why she traded in her position at Google Cloud for one at Slack, White explained that the acquisition by Salesforce played a large part, as did the platform’s role in the evolution of work.
“The opportunity to lead Slack in EMEA was a compelling one, especially in the context of the integration into Salesforce and the doors that has opened from an existing customer and growth perspective,” she explained.
“It was also about where we are in the world right now, in terms of the way people are thinking about different ways of working. Slack presents a really interesting opportunity at the forefront of that transformation.”
Having rolled out Slack internally prior to the acquisition, Salesforce was already equipped with a “really good feel for the technology”, White told us. And in future, the new parent company will help guide product development, as well as pursuing opportunities relating to the integration of Slack and Salesforce products.
(Image credit: Slack)
Slack founder and CEO Stuart Butterfield now reports in to Bret Taylor, who was recently appointed co-CEO at Salesforce. White describes this relationship as a “tight connection and collaboration” from a product perspective.
“It’s a case of collaboration, not of Salesforce taking over, or vice versa,” said White. “It’s about what’s in the best interests of our customers and how we can help them on this hybrid working journey.”
“Slack will be central to minimizing disruption and accelerating the opportunity for collaboration in this new digital economy, and even more so as a result of the new use cases we’ve been exploring since the acquisition.”
This may well prove to be the case, but Slack will first have to see off increasingly stiff competition from a number of directions.
What competition?
As a result of the pandemic and shift to remote working, the collaboration and video conferencing market has never been hotter, nor more competitive. According to a recent survey from Gartner, there has been a 44% rise in the use of collaboration tools since 2019.
These kinds of services have also become increasingly amorphous over the last couple of years, as the largest players continue to borrow features and design concepts from one another. In a venn diagram that maps out functionality, platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Slack and others would overlap significantly.
However, White doesn’t accept the notion that Slack can be easily compared with other services, nor that the platform faces serious competition. Asked specifically about the rivalry between Slack and Microsoft Teams, she told us: “it’s not necessarily an apples to apples comparison”.
This felt a touch disingenuous, given the commonalities between the two services; both offer text chat, group channels, audio calls, file sharing and integrations with third-party apps. In our mind, someone could be forgiven for thinking Slack and Teams are fruit of much the same tree.
"It's not necessarily an apples to apples comparison."
Pip White, Slack
In 2020, Slack also filed an antitrust complaint against Microsoft over the bundling together of Teams and Office 365 services, which the company says amounts to an unfair advantage. Both White and Slack’s communications agency refused to be drawn into discussing the legal dispute, which is yet to be resolved, but its existence implies there is rivalry there.
Nonetheless, White is ardent that Slack offers a unique value proposition, courtesy of its push towards asynchronous collaboration, short and spontaneous huddles in place of time-hungry meetings, and rich third-party integrations.
“We will continue to innovate around these themes,” she told us. “All employers are thinking about how to approach cultural shifts and flux in the working environment; a lot of employees want different things.”
“The situation is going to continue to evolve, so it’s about anticipating change and being supremely flexible. Technologies that allow for asynchronous working away from the physical office will enable that journey.”
An automated future
Regardless of whether Slack faces direct opposition from services like Teams, however, the company obviously has a clear vision for the future of its software.
As announced in mid-November, Slack has “rebuilt and reengineered” large parts of the platform from the ground up. The main improvement is the introduction of a library of “building blocks” to the Slack Workflow Builder, which make it simpler to develop automations that eliminate the need to juggle many different business apps.
Building these automations requires no coding whatsoever; the Lego-like blocks can be chained together via a simple drag-and-drop mechanism, which means workers don’t have to rely on overburdened developer teams to code-in new functionality.
(Image credit: Slack)
If there is no available building block that fulfils a particular task, a developer can step in to create one on an employee’s behalf. This new block will then become available across the organization and can be “remixed” into various other workflows.
According to White, customers are beginning to utilize this and other new functionality to great effect, in ways that are not possible on any other platform.
“We see the ability to bring work into channel as a key differentiator for us. The way in which most of our customers are starting to use Slack in anger, so to speak, is all about the ability to collaborate endlessly from one process to another,” she said.
“We’re only beginning to see the start of changes to ways of working. A lot has changed in some sectors and digital transformation has undoubtedly been accelerated, but we’re still at the start of this journey. I think it’s a great opportunity for all of us to reconsider the ways in which we work.”
Over the last couple of years, the Moto G Stylus has been the phone to go to if you're after a cheap Android handset with a stylus attached – and thanks to a new specs leak, we now know quite a bit more about the 2022 edition of the smartphone.
As per sources in contact with XDA Developers, the phone is going to come with a 6.78-inch IPS LCD display, with a resolution of 2460 x 1080 pixels and a refresh rate of 90Hz. The screen is just a touch smaller than on its predecessor, but Lenovo has managed to pack a few more pixels in this time.
Under the hood there will apparently be the reasonably capable MediaTek Helio G85 chipset, paired with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM. The phone is reportedly going to come with 128GB of internal storage, with support for extra storage added via memory card.
Camera and software
Around the back of the Moto G Stylus 2022, we're being told, there will be a triple-lens 50MP+8MP+2MP camera with ultrawide capabilities, with a single-lens 16MP megapixel camera on the front taking care of selfie duties.
The battery reportedly has a capacity of 5,000mAh and supports 10W charging, and there will of course be the integrated stylus as usual, with its own dock on the phone. Considering the Moto G Stylus 2021 launched in January of last year, the new model could get its official unveiling any day now.
It seems as though the software will be lagging behind, however: the rumor is that the phone will come with Android 11, launched in 2020, and will only be given one major version upgrade to Android 12 at some point in the future.
Analysis: check the software small print
The software version that a phone arrives with out of the box may not be all that high on your list of priorities – but it's worth double-checking this detail when shopping around for a new device, because otherwise you risk getting left behind in terms of new features.
Android 12 brings with it dynamic theming, a special gaming mode, an improved privacy dashboard, and a better range of gesture shortcuts, among other changes – although it seems as though none of these features will be on the Moto G Stylus at launch.
However, that's perhaps no surprise considering the Moto G Stylus that launched in January 2021 only showed up with Android 10 on board. That too is only due for one major upgrade, to Android 11, though it hasn't rolled out yet.
If you're keen on an affordable, large screen phone with a stylus then the Moto G Stylus 2022 could certainly be ideal for you – you might be willing to put up with slightly older hardware as a trade-off. Just make sure you know what you're getting into software-wise whenever you pick up a new device.
CES 2022 wasn't a bust. It was strange, slightly disassociating (like having your head floating a few inches off your body) but not unpleasant (also like your head floating over your body).
We all got through it and, while only a fraction of the normal number of attendees and exhibitors were there in person, the event was still filled with wild new products, silly and awesome ideas, and even star power.
To be honest, the Metaverse story at CES wasn't even all that compelling -- but the urge to make this unreality a reality in our consumer electronics lifetime was pervasive.
Battle of the buzzwords
Metaverse competed for the most-talked-about tech-term pole position with NFTs, but unlike that ungraspable crypto-craze, the Metaverse is an old idea that many of the companies at CES have been toying with for years -- though not by that name.
Sony presented its own compelling argument for the Metaverse without ever actually saying the words. Its upcoming PlayStation VR 2 and PSVR 2 Sense controllers with eye-tracking could lead to one of the more immersive Metaverse experiences on the market.
Hyundai's (and Microsoft Azure's) Digital Twin Concept might have offered the most compelling Metaverse vision of all of CES 2022. Instead of you engaging with others in a virtual world, you use Microsoft's Azure Cloud and its knowledge of connected systems and a Boston Dynamics' (now owned by Hyundai) robot to be the physical you in the space. Maybe the robot is working inventory or helping you remotely fix a system, or, just maybe, it's "you" on the real floor of the next CES.
Gadget FOMO
CES, and its parent (the non-profit CTA) did not come out unscathed from its controversial decision to hold a large, in-person event in Las Vegas, Nevada, during a pandemic. Personally, I felt for them. So much planning and care went into this year's event. They thought they had all the right health protocols, but could not prepare (really, none of us could) for the Omicron surge.
I along with countless others chose to stay home but suffered severe FOMO for the gadgets, experiences, and robots I could not see in person.
Now imagine if I could have connected to a remote Boston Dynamics Spot robot, one that knew the show floor layout and was equipped with a high-res camera, microphones, and speakers. I could remotely walk the show floor. And because Spot is a robot with some autonomy, it would know how to avoid other people, obstacles, and move on when there's no one to talk to or nothing to see. It could, essentially, walk all around and let me know when there's something cool to check out.
That's a Metaverse Phase 1 I could get behind.
A Metaverse CES
Even so, the success of this partially digital CES proves a point I made a few weeks back: CES does not have to be in person, at all. The streamed keynotes were interesting and engaging. I do not know if I would have been any more excited about Sony bringing out Spider-Man star Tom Holland if I'd been there in person.
The conference sessions I attended virtually were interesting (Pete Buttigieg made a compelling case for a tech-and common-sense-focused transportation future). What some of the virtual engagement lacked was a connection with other attendees.
CES has a decent mobile app that tries to encourage virtual and in-person engagement, but that seemed mostly a bust this year.
The Metaverse could help by putting the streaming keynotes on the digital stage and us VR headset-wearing attendees virtually milling around in the audience.
Granted, this won't' be possible (or advisable for sessions that last longer than 15 minutes) until we get much lighter head gear and more immerse bodywear that can help us feel the entire CES experience.
The Metaverse won't happen right away - or really any time soon - but it's a kernel of an idea that could save CES for generations to come.
Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2022 coverage. We're bringing you all the breaking tech news and launches, everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.
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