We know that the OnePlus Nord CE 2 is officially on the way, and that OnePlus is going to unveil the budget handset on February 17. Now we've also got a new look at the device, as well as confirmation of one of the most important specs.
The image, which is a leaked and unofficial render at this stage, comes from well-known tipster Ishan Agarwal, and shows off the handset in what's known as Bahamas Blue. It would seem that the picture is lurking somewhere on the OnePlus website, but we don't know exactly where.
Agarwal also fills us in on some of the specs we can expect to see from the OnePlus Nord CE 2, including a 6.43-inch AMOLED display, a dual-lens 64MP+8MP rear camera with ultrawide capabilities, and 1TB of expandable storage on board. There's also mention of a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset running the show.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G "Bahamas Blue" color option spotted on official website#OnePlus #OnePlusNordCE2 https://t.co/FG0lnZd0BE pic.twitter.com/9pJveVUtqjFebruary 10, 2022
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Chipset confirmed
We know at least one of those spec predictions is right, because OnePlus itself has taken to social media to let everyone know that the OnePlus Nord CE 2 will indeed be running the MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset, with 5G support on board.
That means the phone will let you "multitask like a pro" in the words of OnePlus. While the processor is a budget one, it should prove the Nord CE 2 with enough oomph to get through day-to-day smartphone tasks without breaking a sweat – though it will of course be a long way behind the flagship phones in terms of benchmarks.
OnePlus may well reveal more about this phone in the coming days, ahead of the big February 17 reveal, and we will of course bring you everything you need to know about the affordable handset before, during, and after its launch.
Analysis: OnePlus is serious about budget phones
OnePlus originally made its name by offering smartphones with flagship-level specs and selling them at distinctly mid-range prices. Take a look at the recently unveiled OnePlus 10 Pro and you'll see it's something that the company remains very good at.
However, in recent years OnePlus has been exploring mid-range and budget phones too – most of which we've been very impressed by. The OnePlus Nord started everything off in 2020, and that was of course followed by other affordable handsets, including last year's original OnePlus Nord CE.
While it's fair to say there are plenty of brilliant budget phones around at the moment, that doesn't seem to be deterring OnePlus in terms of trying to get market share in this particular market segment. On paper at least, it looks as though the OnePlus Nord CE 2 is going to be an appealing, value-for-money handset.
We'll have to wait and see how the merger between Oppo and OnePlus affects this strategy going forward – it's possible that we're going to see fewer phones released overall – but in the meantime we're looking forward to seeing what the OnePlus Nord CE 2 has to offer.
February is a wonderful (or horrible, depending on how you view it) month for smartphone launches, with absolutely loads of unveilings and releases crammed into the year's shortest month.
After the Samsung launch, some phone fans might be ready to hibernate until the Xiaomi 12 and OnePlus 10 launches sometime in March or April, but there's a lot more coming this month that you might want to pay attention to.
We'll run you through all the big mobiles coming soon, so you can clear spaces in your calendar. Note: these are confirmed launches, not rumored ones, so we could see even more pop up with limited notice.
Realme 9 Pro - February 16
(Image credit: Realme)
Realme has confirmed that the next members of its budget numbered series are coming on February 16. We're expecting the Realme 9 Pro and Pro Plus, likely without a non-Pro version for now.
Since we haven't seen a Pro Plus Realme phone before, we don't exactly know what to expect, especially in the pricing department - so there's lots to find out at the launch event.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G - February 17
(Image credit: OnePlus)
We know the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G, the successor to the Nord CE 5G from 2021, is coming on February 17. This is expected to be a budget Android mobile that slots into OnePlus' rapidly-growing Nord family.
We know a few details about the phone, including its 65W charging, the fact it has a headphone jack and microSD card slot, and obviously the name tells us that it's compatible with 5G networks.
Leaks have told us quite a lot more, painting the picture of your standard Android mobile that straddles the mid-range and low-end segments, but we'll have to wait until the 17th to know for sure.
Nubia Red Magic 7 - February 17
February 17 is going to be a busy day for smartphones! As well as OnePlus' launch, ZTE's Nubia arm of smartphones is unveiling the Red Magic 7, the newest entry in its line of gaming phones.
Red Magic mobiles are generally mid-range phones that are good for gaming, but we've heard that for the first time a Pro version is coming too, and we don't know what to expect from that one.
The company has confirmed that one or both of the phones will have 165W charging, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, and three rear cameras, and beyond that we're hoping they'll have physical gaming triggers and an efficient cooling system.
The event is only happening in China, but Nubia usually brings its gaming phones to international markets including the US and UK quickly after its launches.
New Motorola Edge phone - February 24
(Image credit: Motorola)
There's a new Motorola Edge phone coming on February 24, the brand has confirmed, but we don't know exactly what - odds are it's the Motorola Edge 30 series.
The above teaser is literally all we know about the launch, which at least confirms the date and the fact it's an Edge smartphone (as per the tiny hashtag at the bottom), so it's speculation alone that makes us think it's the launch of the new generation of Edge device.
If it is the new Edge series, we're expecting three or four new Android mobiles ranging from a budget to a pricey Ultra version, though unlike some of the other brands on this list, Motorola has had its lips tightly shut regarding features and specs.
More so than the Realme, OnePlus or Red Magic launches, there are lots of question marks surrounding this event, so we'll definitely be tuning in to see what gets announced.
Mobile World Congress - beginning February 28
(Image credit: TechRadar)
The big phone event is right at the end - annual phone event Mobile World Congress, shortened to MWC 2022, is taking place from February 28 until March 3.
In previous years, MWC was a hotbed of new phone launches and announcements - we're not too sure what it'll look like in 2022, as Covid caused the 2020 version to be canceled and the 2021 one to be downsized and postponed until the summer.
But several companies have pledged to attend, including Honor, Xiaomi and Huawei, so it definitely won't be a quiet few days.
Smartphones are pocket-friendly computers that have far more features and depth than the communications equipment your grandparents favored. One day isn’t enough time for a full assessment of the big, powerful Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G Android 12 smartphone. But first impressions count.
Here’s a diary of my early journey full of fun discoveries, tiny disappointments, and eye-popping capabilities.
10:30 AM ET: It’s here! My Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G has arrived in a shockingly svelte black box.
10:32 AM ET: Unboxed! Gosh, there’s so little packaging in here. We have the cardboard box and the glued-in frame that holds the phone in place. Under the phone is a slim cardboard box that holds the USB-C Cable. Another cardboard band holds the cable in neat loops. That’s it.
There are no earphones (wired or unwired), and no charging brick. The phone itself has two ultra-thin pieces of plastic protecting the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front and back of the phone.
I kind of love this minimalist approach. We don’t need reams of tiny paper manuals we’ll never read. Most of us probably already have our own favorite wireless earbuds, so I don’t really miss those, either. As for the missing charging brick, I’m torn. As a tech reviewer, I have boxes of these things, but average consumers? They might be frustrated at its omission.
There's not much inside Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra inside the box.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
10:45 AM ET: Setup is unremarkable. It’s a combination of adding your Google credentials – I have two sets – and logging back into Samsung’s own account system and accepting various permissions. What I like about Samsung’s OneUI 4 is that the overall system feels increasingly like pure Android. Even so, I am looking forward to checking out Samsung Pay.
I can’t seem to log into my corporate Wi-Fi (an us problem, not a Samsung one). The good news is that this S22 Ultra already has a T-Mobile 5G SIM inside. The signal at my desk is pretty darn good.
11:00 AM ET: So many security choices, including Pin, Face Recognition, Fingerprints, Pattern, Password. Always interesting to me how Samsung really doesn’t recommend Face Recognition for maximum security. I start by registering my face. The set-up asks me to take off my glasses, and I immediately feel naked.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra face recognition asks you to remove your glasses to complete the setup.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
11:02 AM ET: The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra feels cool, slick, and substantial in my hand. I love how shiny it is and appreciate the satin back that does a decent job of hiding fingerprints. The black is killer.
Noticing how its 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display dwarfs my 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro. Later, I’ll compare it to the more comparable 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max.
It’s a weighty bugger but turns out to be slightly lighter than the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The S22 Ultra is so slippery – the long-curved edges don’t help with grippiness. I really wish I had a case.
11:56 AM ET: I always like to get a full charge before testing. So, I plug the phone into a USB-C cable. It’s currently at about 86%. Wishing I had a 45W fast-charging brick.
I could charge faster if I had a 45W fast-charging brick.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
12:38 PM ET: Fully charged!
12:47 PM ET: Realized I almost forgot that the S Pen now lives inside the Galaxy S22 Ultra (granted, it looks so much like a Galaxy Note device). Press the butt end of the pen until it clicks and then pops partially out. I removed the S Pen and held it. It’s quite thin and light. My hand almost feels too large to use it.
I got distracted and left the S-Pen out, sitting next to the phone. The Galaxy S22 Ultra noticed and displayed a message asking if I had inadvertently left the pen behind. That’s a nice little feature.
12:49 PM ET: Does the phone’s back feel a little warm? I swear I detect a bit of warmth on the back of the phone.
1:40 PM ET: Spent an hour outside taking photos. The zoom, especially 3x-to-10x optical, is impressive. The 30x to 100x space zoom is intriguing. It’s powerful and you can almost feel the stabilization kicking in, as the lens doesn’t really move with your hands - it tries to lock in. In 100X zoom, this can make it hard to fix on a subject without, say, a tripod. Even so, the results were so good I had to share them with you right away.
I did use the 40MP front-facing camera (portrait and regular mode). The shots look good, but why am I starting to look so much like my father?
A Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra front camera portrait photo of the author.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
1:50 PM ET: Smartphones don’t arrive fully baked – at least on the software side. There were, I found, a handful of software updates. I took a moment to make sure everything was as fresh as could be. Thank goodness T-Mobile’s 5G network is solid here (not as fast as Verizon’s 5G UWB, but still decent) and I’m able to download the updates and, later, apps.
1:53 PM ET: I’m a little surprised to see the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 5,000 mAh battery is already down to 81%. This is most likely because I’m relying entirely on power-hungry 5G.
2:15 AM ET: Benchmark time! I installed Geekbench 5 to run some preliminary benchmarks. The app also gives me an opportunity to dig in a bit on the spec details. Samsung told me that they’re using a 4nm CPU that promises better base and graphics performance but didn’t tell us much else.
Geekbench tells me that the phone is running an ARM CPU with:
There’s a listed 9.94 GB of RAM, which is a bit confusing since Samsung lists the devices as starting with 8GB of RAM but also being offered in a 12GB of RAM variety.
On the graphics side, Geekbench 5 lists an Adreno 730 GPU.
As for the scores, on the CPU side:
Single Core: 1236
Multi-Core: 3417
On the graphics side:
OpenCL Score: 5866
For kicks, I quickly compared this to my Apple iPhone 13 Pro running Apple’s A15 Bionic. On pure CPU scores, Apple’s silicon still wins:
1681 Single Core
4551 multi-core
The picture is slightly less clear on the graphics side because Geekbench returns a Metal score for the iPhone:
Metal score 14283
My early takeaway here is that Apple still maintains the mobile CPU lead over what is likely a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip.
2:28 PM ET: I finally added a fingerprint. Samsung told me the under-the-screen fingerprint reader is larger, thereby making it easier to use. Registration was fast and, yes, it’s pretty effective, fast,-- and even easy to reach on this big-screen phone.
2:50 PM ET: Almost all the images and video that I’ve captured thus far on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra looks great. The colors pop and the action is smooth – most of it. It looks like the 8K video might have a tiny frame-rate stutter. It just doesn’t look as silky as the 1080 and 4K video I shot of Bryant Park ice skaters.
3:50 PM ET: I spend some time installing utility, social, and entertainment apps. I still remember older Android phones that made me search for Google Play (and the ones before that, which didn’t even have Google Play). Now it’s right on the home screen. Added Twitter, Instagram, and some games, like Asphalt 9, that I hope to try later.
4:43 PM ET: Oh, look, I’m down to 71% battery life. I think 5G might be eating up the battery.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra zoom photo of the Empire State Building.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
5:20 PM ET: Racing through the city to catch the train, but I’m carrying the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra in one hand in case I want to snap a photo. I’m also gripped with fear that I might drop it – it’s so slippery. I pause on 34th Street to capture some photos of the Empire State Building. Once again, the zoom is blowing my mind.
Did I mention that Battery life is now at 68%?
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra screen off memo mode includes a very realistic sound.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
5:45 PM ET: Sitting in on the train, I pop out the S Pen without unlocking the device. This enables the Screen Off Memo mode where I’m writing in a thin white line on a black background. As I’m scribbling, I hear a sound coming from the phone. It sounds like pencil on paper. Yup, each stoke is accompanied by the pencil-to-paper sound. How cool is that?
Next, I unlock the phone and start drawing in Sketchbook. The S Pen glides across the screen with every single stroke and motion captured. It’s recognizing my pressure (which is light). Not a fan of styli with physical buttons because I keep inadvertently hitting it when using the S Pen. I also wish the back end was a digital eraser, but not even Apple does that with its Apple Pencil.
The S Pen is almost too thin and light for me to comfortably draw, but then I have big hands.
I spend a little time checking and responding to email. Even with a larger virtual keyboard, I’m still a terrible thumb typist.
It also occurs to me that I’ve been using the phone with two hands. Is it really that big or am I just nervous I’ll drop it?
Drawing on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
6:06 PM ET: Wow, the left side of the phone is noticeably warm. Sure, I’m working the phone hard -- but isn’t the new vapor chamber and heat-dissipation system supposed to keep the whole thing cool? Maybe it’s really about protecting the CPU and battery from the heat as it shunts it to the body of the Samsung Gallery S22 Ultra.
6:15 PM ET: I run a cellular speed test. The 5G performance is good: I’m getting 120 Mbps down and 67.2 Mbps upload speeds. Nice job, T-Mobile.
6:45 PM ET: It’s dark when I get home and a partial moon is directly overhead. Inspiration strikes and I snap 30x and 100x space zoom photos of the moon. The 30 in particular is kind of amazing; the 100 reminds me that digital tricks are pulling our lunar neighbor closer.
Naturally, I used the phone to post the 30x Space Zoom image on Instagram.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 30x and 100x Space Zoom moon shots(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
7:55 PM ET: I’m playing Wordle because, how could I not? The big screen is nice for games.
8:15PM ET: Discover that pressing the button on the S Pen wakes up the phone.
8:39 PM ET: I realize that there’s no macro lens and wonder why. Of course, I haven’t checked the macro capabilities of the existing 12MP Ultra-wide, 10 MP (left and right), and 108MP Wide. I’m sure a couple of those lenses can work together to give me some macro-like capabilities.
8:50 PM ET: I’m watching Elon Musk’s SpaceX spacecraft starship update on YouTube. I love the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra's big screen and also how I can have the picture-in-picture play on top of other apps. It made it easy to keep watching the presentation while I live-tweeted it on the same screen.
Yes, I connected a pair of Bluetooth headphones (OnePlus Buds) to spare my family.
9:56 PM ET: Been watching the live stream for the last hour. Now the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s power is down to 25% power.
10:14 PM ET: Bedtime, but first a few “Nightography” shots! I step outside, select “Night” from under the Camera App’s “More” menu and aim the phone at the night sky. I hold still as the long exposure captures the photos. The result is that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra turned night into day. Shame there were so many clouds.
10:30 PM ET: Bedtime and the phone is ending the night with 20% battery life.
Day 1 Verdict
This was a good first day. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is a peppy and capable device that feels more like a Note than it does an S series handset. The cameras are already a highlight. Concerns remain over battery life, heat, and how easily it might slip from my hands. More to come.
You may have heard of Wi-Fi 6E recently, and that may seem strange since it feels like we all just got Wi-Fi 6 just a few months ago. But it's actually been about two years now since the late 2019 rollout of the last wireless networking standard.
And even though Wi-Fi 6E isn't so big an advance that it represents a whole new generation of wireless networking technology, it's still a pretty big advancement for the users.
Wi-Fi 6E offers better speeds, more connection capacity, and lower latency, especially if you haven't made the jump to Wi-Fi 6 yet.
So what is Wi-Fi 6E? Why is it faster? And how and when can you get it? Read on to find out all you need to know about this exciting new networking standard.
Wi-Fi 6E: cut to the chase
What is it? Wi-Fi 6E is a wireless technology that boosts Wi-Fi 6 into the 6GHz spectrum
When is it out? It is currently available now in the US, but still needs regulatory approval in many countries
What will it cost? The cost will depend on the router you buy, which can range from those provided by your internet service provider to over $1,000/£1,000 for Wi-Fi 6E Mesh routers
Wi-Fi 6E release date
The Wi-Fi Alliance, the organization which drafts new wireless technology standards, won FCC regulatory approval to open up the 6GHz band for unlicensed Wi-Fi broadcasting in 2020, but the process of certifying devices for Wi-Fi 6E started in early 2021.
In 2022, many more Wi-Fi 6E devices are being sold and other regulatory agencies around the world are considering opening up the 6GHz band to Wi-Fi 6E devices, so availability will steadily increase globally. When exactly it will be available though is up to government regulatory bodies, not industry, however.
The Asus RT-AX88U router is one of the early Wi-Fi 6 contenders around at the moment (Image credit: Asus)
Wi-Fi 6E routers and pricing
Wi-Fi 6E routers are already available from major manufacturers like Netgear, Orbi, Linksys, and Asus. Their prices range from ISP rental charges around $20/£20 a month to over $1,000/£1,000 to purchase yourself.
The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500, for example, will cost you about $579/£449/AU$900. The best mesh Wi-Fi routers will obviously me more pricey, depending on how many extenders you get. The Orbi mesh Wi-Fi system, for example, offers a three-pack system that costs $999/£899/AU$1,699.
The underlying technology of Wi-Fi 6E isn't all that different from Wi-Fi 6, but what it does is open up the 6GHz band of the radio spectrum to Wi-Fi signals.
This means more available networking channels for devices to use at Wi-Fi 6 speeds. The biggest drag on Wi-Fi 6 connections isn't that its slower, but that too many connections over the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands (including from neighboring Wi-Fi routers other than your own) leads to interference that can reduce speeds or even drop connections.
With the much wider 6GHz band, the same number of devices each have more bandwidth to work with, which means that they will all be getting much closer to the maximum speeds allowable under Wi-Fi 6.
In most cases, opening up the 6GHz band opens up as many as four times as many channels for Wi-Fi networks to use, meaning better and faster connections for more devices.
This includes greater than 1Gbps connections in the future for many homeowners and businesses, and more connected devices that can achieve those speeds.
One issue though is that 6GHz signals use a shorter wavelength than the current 5GHz or 2.4GHz signals, and so are more susceptible to actual physical interference from walls and other physical obstructions in your home or office.
As such, mesh network devices will most likely communicate with each other using the lower bands that offer better signal penetration, but broadcast in the 6GHz band to the end users.
Dell's Presidents' Day sale is live, and if you're looking to pick up a cheap laptop deal, then you're in luck. We've just spotted Dell's powerful XPS 13 laptop on sale for just $685.99 (was $949.99). That's a massive $264 discount and a fantastic price for the versatile 13-inch laptop.
The Dell XPS 13 laptop features a 13.3-inch InfinityEdge non-touch display and packs 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and an 11th generation intel core i5-1135G7 processor. The 2019 laptop received an upgraded battery life of up to 19 hours, and the new webcam is now placed above the display. Perfect for students, the lightweight XPS 13 is Dell's smallest 13-inch laptop to date and weighs just 2.7 pounds.
This is the best deal we've seen for this particular model and a fantastic price if you're looking to pick up a powerful 13-inch laptop. If you're interested in more bargains, you can see our main Presidents' Day sales guide for all of today's best early deals.
Dell XPS 13, Intel Core i5:$949.99$685.99 at Dell
Save $218 - Dell's Presidents' Day sale has the powerful XPS 13 laptop on sale for just $685.99. You're getting an 11th gen Intel i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD - fantastic components for a laptop under $700.
