Samsung just launched the Galaxy S23 Ultra, with a 200 MP camera, and here is everything you need to know about its latest flagship smartphone!
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra : Everything You Need To Know!
Samsung just launched the Galaxy S23 Ultra, with a 200 MP camera, and here is everything you need to know about its latest flagship smartphone!
Boosted Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will use a specially-boosted variant of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile SoC, which features a quad-cluster architecture:
1 x Arm Cortex-X3 core (3.36 GHz, instead of 3.2 GHz)
2 x Arm Cortex-A715 cores (2.8 GHz)
2 x Arm Cortex-A710 cores (2.8 GHz)
3 x Arm Cortex-A510 cores (2.0 GHz)
Here is a quick comparison between the boosted Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile SoC used in the Galaxy S22 Ultra:
Specifications
Galaxy S23 Ultra
Galaxy S22 Ultra
Mobile SoC
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
CPU Clusters
4
3
CPU Cores
1 x Cortex-X3 (3.36 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A715 (2.8 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A710 (2.8 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A510 (2.0 GHz)
1 x Cortex-X2 (3.0 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A710 (2.5 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A510 (1.8 GHz)
GPU
Qualcomm Adreno 740
Qualcomm Adreno 730
200 MP Main Camera
Arguably the biggest upgrade in the Galaxy S23 Ultra is its new main camera, which is built around the 200 MP Samsung ISOCELL HP2 (S5KHP2) sensor, and features a slightly wider f/1.7 aperture.
This is a large 1/1.3-inch sensor with 200 million pixels, each of which is 0.6 μm in size. The Galaxy S23 Ultra camera will be able to combine up to 16 pixels to form a single large pixel – a pixel binning technique called Tetra2pixel.
The number of pixels binned will vary according to the photography conditions. In low-light conditions, up to 16 pixels can be combined to create a large 2.4 μm pixel, for a 12.5 MP photo. Samsung is calling this sensor an Adaptive Pixel sensor.
This new Adaptive Pixel sensor also offers better auto-focus performance in low-light conditions through Super QPD autofocus. By using all 200 million pixels, which are physically grouped as four pixels under a single microns, the sensor can detect patterns in both vertical and horizontal directions for faster low-light focusing.
I had the opportunity to test its 200 MP camera’s Nightography capabilities before the launch, and came away very impressed. Forget about the 200 MP number. Its night photography capabilities is where it really shines!
Video capabilities also got an upgrade, thanks to this new sensor. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra can now record 8K videos at 30 frames per second, instead of just 24 fps previously.
It also boasts better Adaptive VDIS capability, and improved optical image stabilisation (OIS), delivering silky smooth videos by doubling the angle to ±3°, from the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s camera‘s ±1.5°.
Similar Telephoto + Wide-Angle Cameras
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra reuses the same 3X and 10X zoom cameras from the Galaxy S22 Ultra, right down to their Sony IMX754 sensors.
The ultra-wide angle camera gets a newer sensor – the Sony IMX564, which appears to be an incremental upgrade of the S22 Ultra’s IMX563.
12 MP Selfie Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra also features another camera upgrade in the front. Instead of a 40 MP sensor in the Galaxy S22 Ultra, it now features a new 12 MP camera, with the same f/2.2 aperture.
While this may seem to be a downgrade, it is actually an upgrade as the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 40 MP sensor defaults to 10 MP.
On top of that, I just tested the front camera in an exclusive media preview session in Singapore, and found it to be significantly better than the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s front camera!
Colour Options
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphones will come in four colour options:
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is protected in the front and in the back by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
Gorilla Glass Victus 2 is not just tougher, it is also made from 22% pre-consumer recycled content!
5,000 mAh Fast-Charging Battery
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a large 5,000 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, which supports 45 watt fast wired charging, and 15 watt fast wireless charging.
While the increased price may be disappointing, Samsung is offering some great pre-order offers:
you get a free upgrade to the next storage option!
if you buy from the Samsung Online Store, you get an RM400 e-Voucher
you get 30% off Samsung accessories, Samsung Care+, Galaxy tablets, Watch, and Buds earphones!
you get to save up to RM600 more when you trade in!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Samsung just launched the Galaxy S23 Plus, and here is everything you need to know about its latest flagship smartphone!
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus : Everything You Need To Know!
Samsung just launched the Galaxy S23 Plus, and here is everything you need to know about its latest flagship smartphone!
Boosted Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus will use a specially-boosted variant of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile SoC, which features a quad-cluster architecture:
1 x Arm Cortex-X3 core (3.36 GHz, instead of 3.2 GHz)
2 x Arm Cortex-A715 cores (2.8 GHz)
2 x Arm Cortex-A710 cores (2.8 GHz)
3 x Arm Cortex-A510 cores (2.0 GHz)
Here is a quick comparison between the boosted Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile SoC used in the Galaxy S22 Plus:
Specifications
Galaxy S23+
Galaxy S22+
Mobile SoC
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
CPU Clusters
4
3
CPU Cores
1 x Cortex-X3 (3.36 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A715 (2.8 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A710 (2.8 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A510 (2.0 GHz)
1 x Cortex-X2 (3.0 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A710 (2.5 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A510 (1.8 GHz)
GPU
Qualcomm Adreno 740
Qualcomm Adreno 730
Same Rear Cameras From Galaxy S22 Plus
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus uses the same rear cameras as last year’s Galaxy S22 Plus.
a 50 MP Dual Pixel camera, f/1.8 aperture,
a 12 MP ultra-wide angle camera, f/2.2 aperture, and
a 10 MP telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom, f/2.4 aperture
12 MP Selfie Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, however, gets an upgrade in the front, with a new 12 MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture.
This should be the same 12 MP front camera used in the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which I managed to test in an exclusive media preview session in Singapore, and found to be significantly better than the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s front camera!
Colour Options
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus smartphones will come in four colour options:
While the increased price may be disappointing, Samsung is offering some great pre-order offers:
you get a free upgrade to the next storage option!
if you buy from the Samsung Online Store, you get an RM400 e-Voucher
you get 30% off Samsung accessories, Samsung Care+, Galaxy tablets, Watch, and Buds earphones!
you get to save up to RM600 more when you trade in!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Samsung just launched the Galaxy S23, and here is everything you need to know about its latest compact flagship smartphone!
Samsung Galaxy S23 : Everything You Need To Know!
Samsung just launched the Galaxy S23 smartphone, and here is everything you need to know about its latest flagship smartphone!
Boosted Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
The Samsung Galaxy S23 will use a specially-boosted variant of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile SoC, which features a quad-cluster architecture:
1 x Arm Cortex-X3 core (3.36 GHz, instead of 3.2 GHz)
2 x Arm Cortex-A715 cores (2.8 GHz)
2 x Arm Cortex-A710 cores (2.8 GHz)
3 x Arm Cortex-A510 cores (2.0 GHz)
Here is a quick comparison between the boosted Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile SoC used in the Galaxy S22:
Specifications
Galaxy S23
Galaxy S22
Mobile SoC
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
CPU Clusters
4
3
CPU Cores
1 x Cortex-X3 (3.36 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A715 (2.8 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A710 (2.8 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A510 (2.0 GHz)
1 x Cortex-X2 (3.0 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A710 (2.5 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A510 (1.8 GHz)
GPU
Qualcomm Adreno 740
Qualcomm Adreno 730
Same Rear Cameras From Galaxy S22
The Samsung Galaxy S23 uses the same rear cameras as last year’s Galaxy S22.
a 50 MP Dual Pixel camera, f/1.8 aperture,
a 12 MP ultra-wide angle camera, f/2.2 aperture, and
a 10 MP telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom, f/2.4 aperture
12 MP Selfie Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S23, however, gets an upgrade in the front, with a new 12 MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture.
This should be the same 12 MP front camera used in the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which I managed to test in an exclusive media preview session in Singapore, and found to be significantly better than the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s front camera!
Colour Options
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus smartphones will come in four colour options:
While the increased price may be disappointing, Samsung is offering some great pre-order offers:
you get a free upgrade to the next storage option!
if you buy from the Samsung Online Store, you get an RM400 e-Voucher
you get 30% off Samsung accessories, Samsung Care+, Galaxy tablets, Watch, and Buds earphones!
you get to save up to RM600 more when you trade in!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Take a look at the key details and specifications that has leaked ahead of the official launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23 series smartphones!
Samsung Galaxy S23 Series : All The Leaks So Far!
Ahead of the official launch of the Galaxy S23 series, key details and specifications of Samsung’s upcoming flagship smartphones have leaked!
Boosted Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
The Samsung Galaxy S23 smartphones will use a specially-boosted variant of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile SoC, which features a quad-cluster architecture:
1 x Arm Cortex-X3 core (3.36 GHz, instead of 3.2 GHz)
2 x Arm Cortex-A715 cores (2.8 GHz)
2 x Arm Cortex-A710 cores (2.8 GHz)
3 x Arm Cortex-A510 cores (2.0 GHz)
Here is a quick comparison between the boosted Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile SoC used in the Galaxy S22 series:
Specifications
Galaxy S23 Series
Galaxy S22 Series
Mobile SoC
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
CPU Clusters
4
3
CPU Cores
1 x Cortex-X3 (3.36 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A715 (2.8 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A710 (2.8 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A510 (2.0 GHz)
1 x Cortex-X2 (3.0 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A710 (2.5 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A510 (1.8 GHz)
GPU
Qualcomm Adreno 740
Qualcomm Adreno 730
200 MP Main Camera
Arguably the biggest upgrade in the Galaxy S23 Ultra is its new main camera, which is built around the 200 MP Samsung ISOCELL HP2 (S5KHP2) sensor, and features a slightly wider f/1.7 aperture.
This is a large 1/1.3-inch sensor with 200 million pixels, each of which is 0.6 μm in size. The Galaxy S23 Ultra camera will be able to combine up to 16 pixels to form a single large pixel – a pixel binning technique called Tetra2pixel.
The number of pixels binned will vary according to the photography conditions. In low-light conditions, up to 16 pixels can be combined to create a large 2.4 μm pixel, for a 12.5 MP photo.
On top of that, the new Samsung ISOCELL HP2 sensor also offers better auto-focus performance in low-light conditions through Super QPD autofocus. By using all 200 million pixels, which are physically grouped as four pixels under a single microns, the sensor can detect patterns in both vertical and horizontal directions for faster low-light focusing.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Series : Prices + Offers Leaked So Far!
Higher Prices
This is the only dampener amongst the leaks – be prepared to pay more for the Galaxy S23 smartphones! Here are the leaked prices for Europe:
Models
Variant
Launch
Prices
Premium Over
S22 Models
Galaxy S23
8 GB + 128 GB
8 GB + 256 GB
€949/959
€1019
+ €99/109
+ €119
Galaxy S23+
8 GB + 256 GB
8 GB + 512 GB
€1209
€1329
+ €159
+ €229
Galaxy S23 Ultra
8 GB + 256 GB
12 GB + 512 GB
€1399/1409
€1589
NA
+ €139
Pre-Order Offer
While the increased price may be disappointing, Samsung will potentially boost pre-order sales by offering a free upgrade to the next storage variant.
For example, if you pre-order the Galaxy S23 with 128 GB storage, you will get the 256 GB variant instead. This is based on a leak on the Samsung UK Business portal that states:
Pre-order from Samsung.com by 16.02.23. Operates as a price discount:
Pre-order the larger storage variant (S23 256GB, 523+ 512GB, 523 Ultra 512GB) by 16.02.23 and pay the future price of the smaller storage variant (523 128GB, S23+ 256GB, S23 Ultra 256GB).
This free upgrade will only be offered for the pre-order period, and is essentially a 10% discount on the price of the higher-capacity model.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Take a look at the key details and specifications that has leaked ahead of the official launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra!
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra : Everything Leaked So Far!
Ahead of the official launch of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, key details and specifications of Samsung’s upcoming flagship smartphone have leaked!
Boosted Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will use a specially-boosted variant of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile SoC, which features a quad-cluster architecture:
1 x Arm Cortex-X3 core (3.36 GHz, instead of 3.2 GHz)
2 x Arm Cortex-A715 cores (2.8 GHz)
2 x Arm Cortex-A710 cores (2.8 GHz)
3 x Arm Cortex-A510 cores (2.0 GHz)
Here is a quick comparison between the boosted Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile SoC used in the Galaxy S22 Ultra:
Specifications
Galaxy S23 Ultra
Galaxy S22 Ultra
Mobile SoC
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
CPU Clusters
4
3
CPU Cores
1 x Cortex-X3 (3.36 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A715 (2.8 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A710 (2.8 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A510 (2.0 GHz)
1 x Cortex-X2 (3.0 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A710 (2.5 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A510 (1.8 GHz)
GPU
Qualcomm Adreno 740
Qualcomm Adreno 730
200 MP Main Camera
Arguably the biggest upgrade in the Galaxy S23 Ultra is its new main camera, which is built around the 200 MP Samsung ISOCELL HP2 (S5KHP2) sensor, and features a slightly wider f/1.7 aperture.
This is a large 1/1.3-inch sensor with 200 million pixels, each of which is 0.6 μm in size. The Galaxy S23 Ultra camera will be able to combine up to 16 pixels to form a single large pixel – a pixel binning technique called Tetra2pixel.
The number of pixels binned will vary according to the photography conditions. In low-light conditions, up to 16 pixels can be combined to create a large 2.4 μm pixel, for a 12.5 MP photo.
On top of that, the new Samsung ISOCELL HP2 sensor also offers better auto-focus performance in low-light conditions through Super QPD autofocus. By using all 200 million pixels, which are physically grouped as four pixels under a single microns, the sensor can detect patterns in both vertical and horizontal directions for faster low-light focusing.
Similar Telephoto + Wide-Angle Cameras
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will reuse the same 3X and 10X zoom cameras from the Galaxy S22 Ultra, right down to their Sony IMX754 sensors.
The ultra-wide angle camera gets a newer sensor – the Sony IMX564, which appears to be an incremental upgrade of the S22 Ultra’s IMX563.
Colour Options
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphones will come in four colour options:
The specifications for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-918B) smartphone have leaked, and in this table, we compare it to last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra!
Sadly, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will be significantly more expensive than last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra!. Here are the leaked prices for Europe:
Models
Variant
Launch
Prices
Premium Over
S22 Models
Galaxy S23 Ultra
8 GB + 256 GB
12 GB + 512 GB
€1399/1409
€1589
NA
+ €139
While the increased price may be disappointing, Samsung will potentially boost pre-order sales by offering a free upgrade to the next storage variant.
For example, if you pre-order the Galaxy S23 Ultra with 256 GB storage, you will get the 512 GB variant instead. This is based on a leak on the Samsung UK Business portal that states:
Pre-order from Samsung.com by 16.02.23. Operates as a price discount:
Pre-order the larger storage variant (S23 256GB, 523+ 512GB, 523 Ultra 512GB) by 16.02.23 and pay the future price of the smaller storage variant (523 128GB, S23+ 256GB, S23 Ultra 256GB).
This free upgrade will only be offered for the pre-order period, and is essentially a 10% discount on the price of the higher-capacity model.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Galaxy Buds2 Pro is the latest AKG-tune TWS earbuds with active noise cancellation from Samsung!
Find out just how good it really is, and why its 24-bit audio support is something audiophiles will love!
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro : What’s In The Box?
First, let’s take a quick look at what’s inside the box.
Samsung kindly provided us with a better unboxing video than we could have done ourselves.
Inside, you will find the following items :
A pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro storage + charging case
Guide Start Guide
USB-C to USB-C charging cable
Two sets of extra ear tips (small and large)
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro : Key Features
The Galaxy Buds 2 is the latest AKG-tuned TWS earbuds from Samsung, with a slew of improvements.
Despite its name, it is the second generation version of the ultra-premium Galaxy Buds Pro, and not an improved version of the Galaxy Buds2 we reviewed last year.
Comfort
These are amongst the lightest and smallest earbuds I ever tried. Each earbud weighs just 5.5 grams and are 15% smaller.
They feel less intrusive, and are also more discreet than the last generation Buds Pro – fitting snugly into your ear.
The earbuds come with medium ear tips fitted, but the package includes small and large ear tips, allowing you to swap them out for a snug fit.
IPX7 Water Resistant
Unlike the Galaxy Buds2, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro are IPX7 water-resistant, so you can carry on using them even in the rain!
While they are officially rated to withstand submersion in up to 1 metre of fresh water for up to 30 minutes, Samsung do not advise you use them at the beach or in the pool.
I should also point out that the charging case itself is NOT water-resistant, so please make sure you keep it dry. In addition, you must dry the Galaxy Buds2 Pro before you put them back into the charging case.
Even so, water-resistance is one of the things I love about Samsung wearables and smartphones. As a rather clumsy person, I’ve dropped my fair share of gadgets, and more often than not – into pools of rainwater, or even swimming pools!
Active Noise Cancellation
Budget ANC earbuds use one microphone, with mid-range ANC earbuds like the Galaxy Buds2 use up to two microphones to receive ambient noise for cancellation.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro uses three microphones with high signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio to expand the amount of ambient noise it can cancel, and you can tell the difference. Its ANC performance is markedly improved from the last generation.
I managed to test them out on two turboprop flights which are noticeably louder than your typical airliner, and they worked great! The noise outside the planes was greatly muted, and once onboard, it’s like you are in your own oasis of peace and quiet.
If you need to listen to someone speak, there is an Ambient mode that temporarily disables ANC and lets you listen to the outside world. When you take out one earbud, the other earbud cleverly switches to Ambient mode so you don’t get disorientated, and switches back to ANC when you put the earbud back on.
You don’t even have to turn Ambient mode manually like with the Galaxy Buds2. The Galaxy Buds2 Pro comes with the Voice Detect feature, which automatically activates Ambient mode when you start talking! Just make sure you enable it in your Galaxy Wearable app first!
24-bit Audio
If you are an audiophile, you will love the 24-bit audio support in the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro.
24-bit audio has been around for a while, offering higher audio resolution and fidelity. However, adoption has been limited so far to expensive music players and audio devices.
After all, the entire chain – from the music file to the music player (software or hardware) and the earphones / headphones, plus the connectivity between them – must support 24-bit audio.
So it’s great to see Samsung driving the 24-bit audio effort forward by making sure that its mobile devices support 24-bit audio. Just make sure you upgrade to the One UI 4.0 or higher, to enable its proprietary Samsung Seamless Hi-Fi codec.
Built on the Scalable Codec it introduced several years ago, the Samsung Seamless codec is able to encode full 24-bit audio to transmit to the Galaxy Buds2 Pro wirelessly.
The only downside is that it’s proprietary, and will only work with Samsung Galaxy devices running One UI 4.0 or higher.
360 Audio
The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro also supports 360 Audio, which is basically their version of the spatial audio feature in Apple AirPods. It’s not enabled by default, because you may not want to turn it on all the time.
The 360 Audio feature only works with apps and content that support Dolby Atmos surround sound. When enabled, it delivers a 360-degree surround sound effect for a more immersive experience.
On top of that, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro supports head tracking, so the 360 audio you hear will actually change with your head movement!
While it doesn’t do much for music (very few are encoded for Dolby Atmos), you should enable it for movies and games.
Connectivity
The Galaxy Buds2 Pro connects wirelessly to your devices using Bluetooth 5.3, with support for AAC, SBC and Samsung’s new Seamless codec, but not aptX, LDAC or LHDC. Again, please note that the Samsung Seamless codec is proprietary, and will only work with their devices running on One UI 4.0 and above.
These earbuds do not offer Bluetooth multipoint connectivity, which means they can only be connected to one device at any one time.
They support automatic switching between Samsung Galaxy devices using the same Samsung account, but if you want to switch from your Samsung Galaxy smartphone to your laptops you need to manually switch using the Bluetooth menu.
Battery Life
The biggest problem I have with the Buds2 Pro though is its short battery life of about 5 hours with ANC enabled. I can get about 8 hours with ANC disabled, but that’s still on the low side for premium earbuds.
This is really a trade off – a larger battery (and consequently, longer battery life) would mean a heavier and more obtrusive earbuds. There is only so much Samsung can squeeze out of the tiny 61 mAh battery in each earbud.
The charging case with an internal 515 mAh battery provides another 13 hours of extra battery life (ANC enabled), or 21 hours (ANC disabled) – roughly 2.5 full charges.
They support quick charging though – a 5 minute charge will get you about an hour of battery life.
Pro Tip : Get into the habit of popping these earbuds into their case whenever you are not using, and you will never run out of battery life.
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro : Our Verdict
If you want the very best TWS earbuds with active noise cancellation technology from Samsung, there can be no doubt – the Galaxy Buds2 Pro is it.
It is amazing that such a small package comes with so many great features – 24-bit audio with 360 Audio, active noise cancellation with three SNR microphones, and IPX7 water resistance.
While the Galaxy Buds2 Pro is not cheap, those features do really make a real difference in the enjoyment of your music, videos and games.
For those reasons, I think it deserves no less than our Reviewer’s Choice Award!
Just be aware of its relatively short battery life, lack of Bluetooth multipoint connectivity, and reliance on a proprietary codec which limits 24-bit audio to Samsung devices.
If you are in the Samsung ecosystem and would like to enjoy 24-bit audio and/or surround sound, you can’t go wrong with the Galaxy Buds2 Pro.
But if you are not using a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, or do not need 24-bit audio support, then these are not the earbuds you are looking for. You are better off buying the cheaper Galaxy Buds2!
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro : Where To Buy?
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is priced at RM899 / S$328 / US$229 / £189 / A$349.
Here are some online purchase options (prices accurate as of 11 November 2022) :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Take a look at the performance of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4, and find out how well it is a foldable computing + gaming powerhouse!
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 : Flagship Class Performance!
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 runs on the most powerful mobile SoC available for Android devices – the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.
Fabricated on the latest 4nm Samsung process technology, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 boasts a powerful Adreno 730 GPU as well as eight processor cores in a triple-tier architecture :
a Cortex-X2 prime core running at up to 3.2 GHz,
three sustained-performance Cortex-A710 cores running at up to 2.5 GHz, and
four energy-efficient Cortex-A510 cores running at 1.8 GHz.
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is a higher-binned version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC that powers the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Its Cortex-X2 prime core runs at 3.2 GHz, instead of 3 GHz, while its Adreno 730 GPU runs at 800 MHz, instead of 720 MHz.
On paper, this is about as powerful as it gets in 2022, but let’s take a look at how it actually performs!
We first tested the Galaxy Z Flip4 using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browsing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
Work 3.0
Z Flip 4
Z Flip 3
S22 Ultra
S21 Ultra
Note20
Ultra
Mobile Platform
SD 8+ Gen 1
SD 888
SD 8
Gen 1
Exynos
2100
Exynos
990
Performance Score
14429
13317
12860
12535
10523
Web Browsing
12097
11637
10442
10185
8865
Video Editing
7387
7762
7444
6336
6232
Writing
17593
15316
15471
15247
11112
Photo Editing
31762
25357
30177
37847
30789
Data Manipulation
12523
11938
9691
8310
6825
Unsurprisingly, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is about 8% faster than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 used in the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and the Snapdragon 888 used by the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
It’s a nice boost, but you won’t actually notice the difference. For certain, it will easily handle anything you throw at it, whether it’s just posting your latest Instagram pictures or editing a 4K video.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 : Gaming Performance
For gaming, we tested the Galaxy Z Flip4 using 3DMark, with these results :
3DMark
Z Flip 4
S22
Ultra
Z Flip 3
Note20
Ultra
Note
10+
Device
SD 8+
Gen 1
SD 8
Gen 1
SD 888
Exynos
990
Exynos
9825
Sling Shot Unlimited
10690
11094
9248
8026
3327
Wild Life Unlimited
11144
9106
3952
4504
3288
Wild Life
Extreme
Unlimited
2636
2220
1174
1387
528
When it comes to less strenuous games (Sling Shot), the higher-clocked Adreno 730 GPU had no effect, but when we switched to Wild Life, we saw a 19% to 22% boost in performance.
For certain, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 will crush any game you throw at it, but the Galaxy Z Flip4’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 gives you more performance headroom.
It also shows that you don’t really need expensive “gaming smartphones”. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 will easily handle any game you want to play.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 : Overall Performance
We then tested the Galaxy Z Flip4 using AnTuTu, yielding these results :
AnTuTu
S22 Ultra
Z Flip 4
Z Flip 3
S21 Ultra
Note20
Ultra
Device
SD 8 Gen 1
SD 8+ Gen 1
SD
888
Exynos
2100
Exynos
990
AnTuTu Score
889167
856357
696767
624411
522735
CPU
203090
205939
206228
166290
146783
GPU
402617
362669
242573
258995
215205
Memory
146002
135707
133586
120805
89376
UX
137458
152042
114380
78321
71371
The AnTuTu benchmark tells a slightly different story. The higher-clocked Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 pretty much performs as fast as the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 – with a slight 3.7% performance difference.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 is about 23% faster than the Galaxy Z Flip 3, and a whopping 37% faster than the Galaxy S21 Ultra!
But note that its temperature jumped by over 10°C! At peak performance, the Galaxy Z Flip4 can get quite toasty!
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 : Performance Summary
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 is a svelte smartphone when unfolded, and yet super compact when folded. You would not expect performance to be a key selling point.
In fact, I expect Samsung to tune down the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 for better battery life. But somehow, Samsung kept its performance high, while improving its battery life in the Z Flip4!
In other words – you can have your cake and eat it too. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 is not just a fashion statement in your hands, it’s a computing and gaming powerhouse in a compact form factor.
It is no surprise why the Galaxy Z Flip4 is arguably the hottest smartphone Samsung introduced in 2022!
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 : Price + Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 comes in four colour options, as well as a special Bespoke Edition :
Graphite – legacy colour
Pink Gold – new colour
Blue – new colour
Bora Purple – their signature colour this year
These are the available models and launch prices for the Z Flip 4 :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 comes with a larger 3,700 mAh battery, which is 400 mAh (12%) larger than last year’s Galaxy Z Flip3.
To test its battery life, we turned off Automatic Brightness, and set its display brightness to 50%.
Why 50%? That is actually slightly higher than the average indoor brightness level of 40% during the day, and is what we usually use in all our mobile battery life tests.
It is important to fix the brightness level, to make sure the screen brightness does not change as the ambient brightness changes.
We then ran the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life test until its battery capacity dropped to 20% several times, and this was the best result we obtained with the Standard and Adaptive refresh rates :
Will you look at that! The battery life for both options are now much closer than with the Z Flip3!
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 has a battery life of just over 9 hours with Adaptive refresh rate enabled, and 10.25 hours with the Standard refresh rate!
Let’s compare its battery life at 60 Hz and 120 Hz, against the S22 Ultra, S21 Ultra and Z Flip 3 smartphones.
Standard Refresh Rate (60 Hz)
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 naturally has the best battery life with the refresh rate set to 60 Hz.
But what’s really important to note here is that it is as power-efficient as the Galaxy S22 Ultra, about 10% more efficient than the Z Flip3, and 18% more efficient than the S21 Ultra!
Work 3.0
S22 Ultra
Z Flip4
Z Flip 3
S21 Ultra
Battery Capacity
5,000 mAh
3,700 mAh
3,300 mAh
5,000 mAh
Battery Life
14 hrs 15 mins
10 hrs
14 mins
8 hrs 11 mins
11 hrs 22 mins
Utilisation
per min.
4.68 mAh
4.82 mAh
5.38 mAh
5.87 mAh
Adaptive Refresh Rate (120 Hz)
While the Galaxy Z Flip4 looks like the Z Flip 3, its energy efficiency was greatly improved to the point that the Adaptive refresh rate is really usable for most people!
Turning on adaptive refresh increase the Z Flip4’s power consumption by just 11%, giving you a very usable battery life of 9 hours 12 minutes!
That makes the Galaxy Z Flip4 about 14.5% more efficient than the S22 Ultra, 16% more efficient than the S21 Ultra, and 18% more efficient than the Z Flip3.
Work 3.0
Z Flip4
S22 Ultra
S21 Ultra
Z Flip 3
Battery Capacity
3,700 mAh
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
3,300 mAh
Battery Life
9 hrs
12 mins
10 hrs
38 mins
10 hrs
26 mins
6 hrs
44 mins
Utilisation
per min.
5.36 mAh
6.27 mAh
6.39 mAh
6.53 mAh
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 : Battery Recharging Speed!
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 supports up to 20 watts of wired fast charging, but unfortunately, does not come with the charger in-the-box.
So we relied on the standard 15 watt Samsung fast charger than shipped with their previous smartphones – something we believe most users will end up doing.
But we used the 25 watt charger for the S21 Ultra, because it came with that charger.
Work 3.0
S21 Ultra
S22 Ultra
Z Flip 3
Z Flip 4
Battery Capacity
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
3,300 mAh
3,700 mAh
Charger Output
25 watts
15 watts
15 watts
15 watts
Battery Life
64 minutes
64.5 minutes
88.5 minutes
98.75 minutes
Recharging Speed
(per minute)
62.5 mAh
62.0 mAh
29.8 mAh
30.0 mAh
Samsung appears to intentionally reduce the charging speed for their foldable Z Flip3 and Z Flip4 smartphones, probably to avoid producing excessive heat.
Hence they both recharge twice as slowly as the S22 Ultra, even using the same 15 watt charger!
Because of its larger battery, the Galaxy Z Flip4 fully recharges from 20% to 100% in just over 1.5 hours with the standard 15 watt Samsung charger.
That gives us a battery life to recharging time ratio of about 6.22:1, which is pretty decent. You get about an hour’s worth of battery life for every 10 minutes of recharge.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 : Price + Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 comes in four colour options, as well as a special Bespoke Edition :
Graphite – legacy colour
Pink Gold – new colour
Blue – new colour
Bora Purple – their signature colour this year
These are the available models and launch prices for the Z Flip 4 :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Samsung sent me their new Galaxy Z Flip4 foldable smartphone, and here is my unboxing and first impressions!
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 Unboxing : What’s In The Box?
Unfortunately, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 launch happened just as I was going to fly to the UK, so I only received it when I got back.
First up – here is my unboxing video of Samsung’s new compact foldable smartphone!
Once you unbox it, you will only find these items :
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 smartphone
Set of documents – quick start guide in two languages, a warranty card, and a Samsung Pay pamphlet
USB Type C to Type C cable
SIM card extractor pin
It does not come with any charger, or earphones. Not even a TPU case to hold you over until you get a better case.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 : My First Impressions!
Just before the launch, I was one of the few who had the rare opportunity to get my hands on not one, but four Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 smartphones, which allowed us to do a proper colour comparison.
And now, I present to you – my own hands-on experience with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 smartphone.
I apologise for the shaky video – Samsung still insists that I do not take photos or record videos with a smartphone, even though it’s their own Galaxy S22 Ultra!
Samsung maintained the same design from last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 3, so you will probably not be able to distinguish between the two models.
Like the Galaxy Z Flip 3, the Flip 4 has a large 6.7-inch display that folds in half, turning the Z Flip 4 into a really compact device.
Incredibly, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is water-resistant, even though it is not dust-resistant due to its hinge mechanism. And it is protected on all sides by a tough Armour Aluminium frame.
When folded, you can use the 1.9 inch Cover Display to view notifications and messages, as well as make quick replies and actions.
When unfolded, you can just about see the folding crease in the display, but it’s something that you learn to ignore after using it for some time.
On the left side, you will find the SIM card tray. At the bottom, you will find the USB port, as well as the speaker and microphone ports.
On the right side are the Power button with a built-in fingerprint sensor, and the Volume control buttons. At the top, you will only find another microphone port.
In the front, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a 10 megapixel camera with an f/2.4 aperture. You can see a row of speaker ports just above this camera.
At the back are two 12 megapixel cameras – a main camera with f/1.8 aperture, and an ultra-wide angle camera. Samsung also made the bezels just a tiny bit thinner, although you may not notice.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 : Specifications
Here are the key specifications for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 smartphone :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
In my review of the EBL lithium-ion AA batteries and 8-bay charger, I will share with you why this is the future of AA batteries!
EBL 8-Bay Lithium-Ion Charger + AA Batteries Review!
The future of AA batteries is here, and it comes in the form of EBL lithium-ion AA batteries, and the 8-bay Li-Ion battery charger!
Most of us have long relied on rechargeable AA batteries using NiCad (Nickel-Cadmium) and NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) technologies which were developed in the 1980s.
They are set to be replaced by AA batteries built on lithium-ion technology – the same kind of battery used in your smartphone and laptops.
So I was most excited when EBL said that they would send me their latest lithium-ion AA batteries and 8-bay Li-Ion battery charger to try out.
EBL 8-Bay Lithium-Ion Charger + AA Batteries : What’s In The Box?
EBL sent me their most popular AA battery bundle, which consists of an 8-bay Li-Ion battery charger, and eight of their lithium-ion AA batteries. They also offer them for sale as separate items.
The package arrived in a simple black plastic bag – there is no special bundle packaging. EBL would do well to add bubble wrapping to prevent damage to the box, and pilfering from the package.
There are the items that you will receive if you purchase the EBL 8-bay Li-Ion battery charger and 8-battery bundle :
1 x EBL 8-bay Lithium-Ion Battery Charger
1 set of EBL Lithium-Ion Battery Charger + Lithium Ion Battery manuals
1 x USB Type A to micro-USB Type B power cable
8 x EBL Lithium-Ion AA batteries
2 x AA battery storage cases
EBL 8-Bay Lithium-Ion Charger Review!
The EBL 8-Bay lithium-ion charger has a pretty simple design. It has 8 battery bays, supporting up to eight AA or AAA lithium-ion batteries, or a mix of them.
However, please note that this charger only supports lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Please do not use it to recharge your NiCd / NiMH rechargeable batteries!
Every bay has a separate circuit, allowing for optimal charging according to each battery’s condition. It is also smart enough to prevent over-charging, over-voltage, over-current and overheating while charging.
That said, EBL recommends that you take out the batteries once they are fully-charged, and do not leave them in the charger. Trickle-charging lithium-ion batteries is not good for their lifespan.
I would also recommend that you disconnect the charger after use, because it will use up to 0.3 watts of power even when it’s not charging any battery. That “vampire power loss” may seem little, but it is still a waste of power.
Power input comes through the very common Type A to micro-USB cable. In 2022, I would have very much preferred a bidirectional USB Type C connector. But this is a minor inconvenience – you won’t generally remove the cable unless you are travelling.
The 8-bay charger has a 10 watt power input, delivering up to 1.25 watts per bay when fully-loaded with eight batteries, and up to 1.5 watt per bay with fewer batteries.
However, EBL does not provide a 10 watt USB power adaptor to actually power this 8-bay lithium-ion battery charger. So you will need to purchase a separate USB power adaptor, or use the one that came with your smartphone.
Just make sure the USB power adaptor can deliver 10 watts or more. Otherwise, charging will be much slower.
Specifications
EBL 8-Bay Lithium-Ion Charger
Model
EBL M7012
Type
USB Charger
Battery Size
AA / AAA
Battery Type
Only 1.5V Lithium-Ion
Input Voltage
DC 5V @ 2A
Input Power
10 W
No-Load Input Power
0.3 W max.
Output Voltage
DC 1.5 V @ 1 A
Output Current
AA : 1000 mA max.
AAA : 500 mA max.
Dimensions
126.4 mm wide
75.4 mm high
25.2 mm thick
Weight
94.9 grams
EBL 8-Bay Lithium-Ion AA Batteries Review!
The EBL lithium-ion AA batteries work like any other rechargeable AA batteries. Just plug them into any device that requires AA batteries, and they just work.
These lithium-ion batteries have a capacity of 3,000 mWh, which is equivalent to 2,000 mAh. So they are equivalent in capacity to many NiMH batteries, but about 18% lower than top-shelf Eneloop Pro batteries.
EBL claims that they have a low self-discharge like Eneloop batteries, and will retain up to 80% of its capacity 3 years after it’s fully-charged. But they do not come pre-charged, because so you will need to charge them for 6-8 hours before using them.
The biggest advantage of the EBL lithium-ion AA battery though is its ability to deliver 1.5 volts of constant current. This beats NiCad and NiMH batteries which are limited to just 1.2-1.4 volts.
Even though these batteries have similar capacities to NiCad/NiMH batteries, their higher voltage means they deliver 7% to 25% more power.
That extra power is useful when it comes to certain devices, like Nerf guns or electric toothbrushes for example. You will get higher performance with these 1.5 volt lithium-ion batteries than you would with NiCad / NiMH batteries.
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Samsung just launched the Galaxy Z Flip 4, and here is my hands-on experience of its latest compact foldable smartphone!
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : My Hands-On Experience!
I was one of the few who had the rare opportunity to get my hands on not one, but four Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 smartphones, which allowed us to do a proper colour comparison.
And now, I present to you – my own hands-on experience with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 smartphone.
I apologise for the shaky video – Samsung still insists that I do not take photos or record videos with a smartphone, even though it’s their own Galaxy S22 Ultra!
Samsung maintained the same design from last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 3, so you will probably not be able to distinguish between the two models.
Like the Galaxy Z Flip 3, the Flip 4 has a large 6.7-inch display that folds in half, turning the Z Flip 4 into a really compact device.
Incredibly, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is water-resistant, even though it is not dust-resistant due to its hinge mechanism. And it is protected on all sides by a tough Armour Aluminium frame.
When folded, you can use the 1.9 inch Cover Display to view notifications and messages, as well as make quick replies and actions.
When unfolded, you can just about see the folding crease in the display, but it’s something that you learn to ignore after using it for some time.
On the left side, you will find the SIM card tray. At the bottom, you will find the USB port, as well as the speaker and microphone ports.
On the right side are the Power button with a built-in fingerprint sensor, and the Volume control buttons. At the top, you will only find another microphone port.
In the front, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a 10 megapixel camera with an f/2.4 aperture. You can see a row of speaker ports just above this camera.
At the back are two 12 megapixel cameras – a main camera with f/1.8 aperture, and an ultra-wide angle camera. Samsung also made the bezels just a tiny bit thinner, although you may not notice.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : Specifications
Here are the key specifications for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 smartphone :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Samsung just launched the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and here is my hands-on experience of its latest foldable behemoth!
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 : My Hands-On Experience!
I was one of the few who had the rare opportunity to get my hands on not one, but three Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 smartphones, which allowed us to do a proper colour comparison.
And now, I present to you – my own hands-on experience with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 smartphone.
I apologise for the shaky video – Samsung still insists that I do not take photos or record videos with a smartphone, even though it’s their own Galaxy S22 Ultra!
When folded, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 looks like a rather tall and chunky smartphone.
Its cover display is large, at 6.2-inch, and you can use it like any regular smartphone. But what you will notice right away is the folding hinge mechanism which occupies its entire left side.
At the bottom, you will find the USB port, together with a row of speaker ports and a microphone port; while at the top are another row of speaker ports with what looks like three more microphone ports.
On the right side, you will find the Power button, with a built-in fingerprint sensor; and the volume buttons. You will also find the SIM card slot near the top.
The Cover Display itself features a 10 megapixel punch hole camera with an f/2.2 aperture, while at the back, it features a triple camera setup, which consists of:
a 50 megapixels Dual Pixel camera
a 10 megapixel telephoto camera, and
a 12 megapixel ultra wide angle camera
When unfolded, you will get a massive 7.6-inch display with a squarish 5 by 4 ratio, which offers about twice the screen space as a regular smartphone.
This super large display is what makes the Galaxy Z Fold 4 such a productivity powerhouse. It also features a hidden 4 megapixel camera under this large main display.
When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is about as thick as a regular smartphone, like the Galaxy S22. And from the back, it actually looks like two smartphones welded together!
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is protected all around by a tough Armour Aluminium frame. Incredibly, it is water-resistant, even though it is not dust-resistant due to its hinge mechanism.
What may put some people off is how tall and thick it is when folded. It is quite hard to fit the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in most pockets. That’s probably why the Z Flip design is more popular, despite having a much smaller display.
But what people who have tried it out will realise – its large display is incredibly hard to give up, because you can do so much more on it.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 : Specifications
Here are the key specifications for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 smartphone :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Samsung just launched the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and here is everything you need to know about its latest foldable smartphone!
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 : Evolution Of A Matured Design
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 builds upon the excellent Galaxy Z Fold 3 from last year, offering an improved version of the multitasking powerhouse.
Most of the changes are internal – a more powerful processor and an upgraded 50 MP camera. Externally, it looks very similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
Hence, Samsung is focused on highlighting what you can do with its foldable design and its massive 7.6-inch Infinity Flex display, and its large 6.2-inch Cover Display.
7.6-inch Foldable Display
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 retains the Z Fold 3‘s excellent 7.6-inch Infinity Flex display, with a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel that has a 120 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1812 x 2176 pixels.
This display has an adaptive refresh rate of 1 to 120 Hz, offering a balance between silky-smooth graphics and longer battery life.
6.2-inch Cover Display
In the front, it has the same 6.2-inch Cover Display with a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a resolution of 904 x 2316 pixels.
This Cover Display allows you to use the Galaxy Z Fold 4 like a regular candy bar device, without flipping open its large foldable display.
Performance + Storage
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is built around the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 5G mobile platform, which makes it one of the most powerful smartphones in the world.
It comes with 12 GB of memory, and internal storage options of 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB. It only supports a single SIM card and an eSIM, with no microSD card tray, so there is no option to increase storage.
Cameras
Samsung retained the same cover camera and under-display camera as the Z Fold 3:
10 MP cover camera with f/2.2 aperture
4 MP under display camera with f/1.8 aperture
However, they changed the triple camera system at the back, which now consists of :
50 MP wide angle camera, f/1.8 aperture
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2 aperture
10 MP telephoto camera, f/2.4 aperture
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 : Specifications
Here are the key specifications for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 smartphone :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Samsung just launched the Galaxy Z Flip 4 smartphone in four main colour options, and a Bespoke Edition!
Take a look at all four colour options, and the special customisable Bespoke Edition!
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : A Quick Primer!
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 smartphone builds upon the excellent Galaxy Z Flip 3 from last year, offering a more powerful processor and a larger battery.
It also features a slimmer hinge with straightened edges, with contrasting hazed back glass and a glossy metal frame.
Its headlining feature is naturally its large 6.7-inch Infinity Flex display that literally folds into half, turning the Galaxy Flip 4 into an incredibly compact device.
Samsung is offering the Galaxy Z Flip 4 in four main colour options. Four colours for the 4th gen, get it? 🙂
Two are legacy colours from the Galaxy Z Flip 3, and two are new colours for the Z Flip 4 :
Graphite – legacy colour
Pink Gold – new colour
Blue – new colour
Bora Purple – their signature colour this year
I was amongst the few to get an early hands-on look at all four Galaxy Z Flip 4 colour options, and here is my comparison video.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Bespoke Edition : Customisable Colour
Samsung is also offering the Galaxy Z Flip 4 in the Bespoke Edition, which offers you the opportunity to customise the glass colours and frame options.
With 75 combinations to choose from, you can personalise the look of your Galaxy Z Flip 4 colour to suit your unique personality and lifestyle… for a price, of course.
Frame Options : Black / Silver / Gold
Front Colour Options : Yellow, White, Navy, Khaki or Red
Back Colour Options : Yellow, White, Navy, Khaki or Red
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : Colour Options + Price
Samsung is making all four colours options, including the Bespoke Edition, available for purchase at launch, at these price points :
The Bespoke Edition is only available on the Samsung website, and requires 3-4 weeks to deliver, as each unit is custom-made.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Samsung just launched the Galaxy Z Flip 4, and here is everything you need to know about its latest foldable smartphone!
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : Evolution Of A Matured Design
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 builds upon the excellent Galaxy Z Flip 3 from last year, offering an improved version of the popular foldable clamshell form factor.
Most of the changes are internal – a more powerful processor and a larger battery. Externally, it looks very similar to the Galaxy Z Flip3, albeit with a slimmer hinge and straightened edges, as well as contrasting hazed back glass and a glossy metal frame.
Hence, Samsung is focused on highlighting what you can do with its foldable design and its large 6.7-inch Infinity Flex display.
6.7-inch Foldable Display
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 retains the Z Flip3‘s excellent 6.7-inch Infinity Flex display, with a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel that has a 120 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1080 x 2640 pixels.
This display has an adaptive refresh rate of 1 to 120 Hz, offering a balance between silky-smooth graphics and longer battery life.
1.9-inch Cover Display
In the front, it has the same 1.9-inch Cover Display with a Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 260 x 512 pixels.
This Cover Display allows you to view notifications and messages without opening the Galaxy Z Flip 4. You will be able to check your schedule, the weather, and your daily step count with the Cover Screen widgets.
Performance + Storage
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is built around the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 5G mobile platform, which makes it one of the most powerful smartphones in the world.
It comes with 8 GB of memory, and internal storage options of 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB. It only supports a single SIM card and an eSIM, with no microSD card tray, so there is no option to increase storage.
Cameras
Samsung retained the same cameras from the Z Flip 3 :
In the front, it has a 10 MP camera, with an f/2.4 aperture
In the back, it has a 12 MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture, and a 12 MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : Specifications
Here are the key specifications for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 smartphone :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 will soon be available in the Bora Purple colour option! Here is what you need to know!
Samsung Galaxy S22 Bora Purple : What You Need To Know!
Samsung is introducing a new colour option called Bora Purple for the Samsung Galaxy S22 – its baby flagship of the Galaxy S family!
Bora is Korean for purple, and Samsung chose to introduce this pastel colour to “evoke joy, spark creativity and embrace individuality”
6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Bora Purple comes with a large 6.1-inch display, with a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel.
Its wide colour gamut of 100% DCI-P3, a peak brightness of 1300 nits, and a contrast ratio of 2 million:1 will guarantee the best possible image quality, whether indoors or outdoors.
Gamers will love its high dynamic refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, with a touch sampling rate of up to 240 Hz.
4nm Flagship Mobile Platform
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Bora Purple is built around the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile SoC, which is fabricated on the latest 4nm Samsung process technology.
Together with a powerful Adreno 730 GPU, it has eight processor cores in a triple-tier architecture :
a Cortex-X2 prime core running at up to 3 GHz,
three sustained-performance Cortex-A710 cores running at up to 2.5 GHz, and
four energy-efficient Cortex-A510 cores running at 1.8 GHz.
Memory + Storage Options
Samsung will be offering just two memory and storage options :
8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage
8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage
Cameras Galore!
As a Samsung flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S22 comes with a smorgasbord of cameras!
In the front, it has a 10 MP camera, with a wide f/2.2 aperture.
In the back, it has a triple-camera system that consists of :
a 50 MP Dual Pixel camera, f/1.8 aperture,
a 12 MP ultra-wide angle camera, f/2.2 aperture, and
a 10 MP telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom, f/2.4 aperture
Built To Last
The Samsung Galaxy S22 has a tough Armor Aluminium frame, and is protected in the back and front by the latest Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+.
On top of that, it is IP68-rated against dust and water ingress. That means it can withstand immersion in up to 1.5 metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.
Battery + Charging
The Samsung Galaxy S22 comes with a 3,700 mAh battery, which supports wired charging at up to 25 watts, and wireless charging at up to 15 watts.
It also supports Wireless PowerShare, allowing you to recharge other smartphones and wearables like the Galaxy Buds2.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Bora Purple : Price + Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Bora Purple will be available globally starting August 10, 2022.
We do not have a hands-on video of the Bora Purple, but here is our hands-on video of the earlier four colour options – Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Green and Pink Gold.
Note : Samsung only allowed us to use digital cameras, so the video is not stabilised as it would be with smartphones that I generally use.
Samsung did not reveal the price for the Galaxy S22 Bora Purple, but it should be priced the same as earlier colour options :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Dell just introduced a slew of new S Series monitors, as well as its first 14-inch Portable Monitor!
Dell Introduces 14-inch Portable Monitor + S Series Displays!
Thanks to the pandemic, the workplace has changed globally, with many companies now adopting a hybrid workplace policy.
Dell just introduced a slew of new S Series monitors, as well as its first 14-inch Portable Monitor, to address the need for employees to work between home and the office.
Dell 14 Portable Monitor (C1422H)
Built to be the ultimate laptop companion, the C1422H is Dell’s first ever 14-inch portable monitor, designed to deliver dual-screen productivity to work, present and collaborate anywhere.
Professionals working in the office, at home or on the go will appreciate the Dell Portable Monitor’s lightweight design. It weighs just over half a kilogram, and is less than a quarter-inch thick at its slimmest, making it extremely easy to travel with.
With an IPS panel that offers a Full HD display resolution, with an 16:9 aspect ratio, the Dell C1422H Portable Monitor offers easy plug and play with USB-C connectivity. Simply press the quick access buttons to adjust brightness (up to 300 nits) and the ComfortView feature that reduces harmful blue light emissions.
This sleek yet practical portable monitor complements all workstyles and productivity demands with a small continuous tilt stand that bends from 10 to 90 degrees. It also features Energy Star and EPEAT GOLD certification.
Dell 24 and 27 Video Conferencing Monitor (S2422HZ and S2722DZ)
Hanging out virtually with friends, family and co-workers will be easier with the new 27-inch QHD / 23.8-inch FHD monitors that are specifically designed for video calls.
For an easy out-of-box experience, these monitors come with a built-in 5 MP privacy pop-up camera, noise-cancelling microphones and dual 5 watt speakers. The pop-up camera stays hidden until you’re ready for video chatting, for privacy.
These video conferencing monitors feature Dell’s TÜV-certified ComfortView Plus – an always-on low blue light reduction technology that optimises eye comfort while retaining colour accuracy. Other features include USB-C connectivity, AMD FreeSync technology and a 75 Hz refresh rate for smoother graphics.
These two USB-C monitors offer the convenience of a single cable solution with USB Type Connectivity, to deliver video, audio, and data; while charging your laptop with up to 65 watts of power.
These monitors are great for those who want a clutter-free workspace, with a single-cable monitor to complement their laptops.
Dell 14-inch Portable Monitor + S Series Displays : Price + Availability!
These monitors are available with immediate effect from Dell online and authorised stores, at these starting price points :
Dell 27 Video Conferencing Monitor (S2722DZ) : A$915
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
In our in-depth review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, we will share with you everything you need to know about this premium tablet.
Find out why we are so impressed with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet, that we gave it our Editor’s Choice Award!
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Flagship Tablet
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a premium tablet built around the most powerful mobile SoC available for Android devices – the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
It boasts a massive 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display, quad AKG speakers and a large 11,200 mAh battery – all packed into a compact chassis that weighs just 726 grams!
In this review, we will check out its key features, and show you why it is really the best Android tablet you can buy in 2022!
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Unboxing : A Complete Package
What we really like about the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 tablet is that it comes as a complete package.
Unlike competing tablets, it comes with an awesome keyboard cover and S Pen in the package. There is no need to pay extra for either. Everything you need is in the box. Well, almost everything.
Once you fully unbox it, this is what you will find inside the box :
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Book Cover Keyboard
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra S Pen
Set of Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 documents
USB Type A to Type A data and power cable
microSD tray ejector pin
The only thing missing is the charger. The package does not include the 45 watt power adaptor. Not even a standard 15 watt Samsung charger.
But that’s how most of the brands are rolling these days, in the name of reducing digital waste, so we won’t hold it against them.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is arguably the largest and most powerful tablet you can buy in 2022, so let’s take a closer look at its key features.
14.6-inch Super AMOLED Display
This first thing that you will notice when you see the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra for the first time, is just how large and beautiful its display really is.
That is a 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display you are looking at – larger than the display on most laptops; with a WQXGA+resolution of 2960 x 1848 pixels, and support for two fixed refresh rates :
High : Get smoother animations and scrolling with a 120 Hz screen refresh rate
Standard : Get longer battery life with a 60 Hz screen refresh rate
This large, high-resolution display allows you to fit multiple windows, and open different apps at the same time, for greater productivity.
This display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and also by the bundled Keyboard Cover when it’s not in use.
Flagship Class Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 runs on the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile platform, which boasts a powerful Adreno 730 GPU, as well as eight processor cores in a triple-tier architecture :
a Cortex-X2 prime core running at up to 3 GHz,
three sustained-performance Cortex-A710 cores running at up to 2.4 GHz, and
four energy-efficient Cortex-A510 cores running at 1.7 GHz.
Those eight processor cores are paired with a powerful Qualcomm Adreno 730 graphics processor.
Performance is not only the key advantage of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Built on the latest 4 nm process technology, it also offers lower battery consumption.
We will show you just how fast it runs in the benchmarks, and how efficient it is, later in this review.
RAM + Storage Options
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with a variety of RAM and storage options :
8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage
12 GB RAM + 256 GB / 512 GB storage
16 GB RAM + 256 GB / 512 GB storage
You don’t have to worry too much about running out of storage, as it comes with a microSD card slot, allowing you to add up to 1 TB of additional storage.
Two Front Cameras
Catering to the new hybrid workspace reality today, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with two cameras in the front.
Both 12 MP cameras, one has a wider f/2.2 aperture for better low-light performance, while the other supports a wider angle – to fit more people in the same photo / video call.
Two Rear Cameras
This is a really large and hefty tablet, so you wouldn’t expect photography to be a focus. However, it still comes with two cameras at the back.
The main camera has a 12 MP sensor, with a wide f/2.0 aperture for better low-light performance.
It also comes with an ultra-wide camera at the back, but oddly enough, only with a 6 MP sensor.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : S Pen, Book Cover, Speakers, Battery
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is more than just a tablet, because it comes with both an S Pen stylus, and a Book Cover Keyboard.
Ultra-Low Latency S Pen
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with a new S Pen with ultra-low latency of just 2.8 milliseconds!
This is a full-size stylus that feels like a typical pen or pencil, letting you draw and doodle with up to 4,096 pressure levels!
You can also write naturally with the S Pen, and turn your handwriting into text in Samsung Notes.
The S Pen magnetically locks onto a glass strip at the back, which acts as a recharging dock. The S Pen automatically recharges whenever you place it on this glass strip.
Don’t worry about losing it with the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, because it comes with a Book Cover Keyboard that has a special cover for the S Pen!
Book Cover Keyboard
This year, Samsung included the really awesome Book Cover Keyboard with every Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet.
This cover not only provides really solid protection for the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, it also converts it into a 2-in-1 tablet with a kickstand!
You don’t just get a full-size keyboard with the Book Cover Keyboard, you also get a large touch pad! This really gives you a laptop-like working experience.
In addition, the Book Cover Keyboard has a special S Pen cover that prevents your precious S Pen from falling and getting lost.
As I shared in my Galaxy Tab S7 Book Cover Keyboard review last year, this is a must-have accessory, and I’m really glad Samsung included it as part of the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra package.
Quad AKG-Tuned Speakers
Another premium Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra feature that Samsung does not really speak much of is the quad speaker system tuned by AKG.
They are not only powerful, they deliver really crisp sound from this tablet. They are also positioned to radiate from both sides with the Book Cover Keyboard installed.
Large Battery
To power all that, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with a large 11,200 mAh lithium-ion battery.
It supports 45 watt fast recharging, but as pointed out earlier – it doesn’t come with any charger, so your mileage in this sense really depends on the charger you have.
In the next section, we will show you just how long this battery lasts, and how long it takes to recharge this massive battery!
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Battery Life Comparison!
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with a massive 11,200 mAh battery, which is more than the size of the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s battery!
To test its battery life, we turned off Automatic Brightness, and set its display brightness to 50%.
Why 50%? That is actually slightly higher than the average indoor brightness level of 40% during the day, and is what we usually use in all our mobile battery life tests.
It is important to fix the brightness level, to make sure the screen brightness does not change as the ambient brightness changes.
We then ran the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life test until its battery capacity dropped to 20% several times, and this was the best result we obtained with 60 Hz and 120 Hz refresh rates :
Astoundingly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra only has a battery life of 6.5 hours with High refresh rate enabled, and a more acceptable 8 hours with the Standard refresh rate!
This is a slight improvement over last year’s Galaxy Tab S7 Plus. There is no doubt that its much larger 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display is a significant drain on battery life.
Let’s compare its battery life against the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra smartphone which uses the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile SoC.
Standard Refresh Rate (60 Hz)
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra delivers the best battery life with the Standard refresh rate of 60 Hz.
The Tab S8 Ultra appears to use 9% more power than the Tab S7 Plus, but I have to point out that it has a 39% larger display.
Fortunately, the battery life deficit is “covered” by its 11% larger battery.
Work 3.0
S22 Ultra
(60 Hz)
Tab S7 Plus
(60 Hz)
Tab S8 Ultra
(60 Hz)
Display Size
6.8-inch
12.4-inch
14.6-inch
Battery Capacity
5,000 mAh
10,090 mAh
11,200 mAh
Battery Life
14 hrs 15 mins
7 hrs 55 mins
8 hrs
3 mins
Utilisation
per min.
4.68 mAh
16.99 mAh
18.55 mAh
High Refresh Rate (120 Hz)
Switching on the High refresh rate of 120 Hz cut its battery life by 17.6% – almost 1.5 hours!
But the data shows that its larger 14.6-inch display only used 3.4% more power than the Tab S7 Plus.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra supports up to 45 watts of wired fast charging, but unfortunately, does not come with the charger in-the-box.
So we relied on the standard 15 watt Samsung fast charger than shipped with their previous smartphones and tablets – something we believe most users will end up doing.
Recharging Speed
Tab S8 Ultra
Tab S7 Plus
S22 Ultra
Display Size
14.6-inch
12.4-inch
6.8-inch
Battery Capacity
11,200 mAh
10,090 mAh
5,000 mAh
Charger Output
15 watts
15 watts
15 watts
Battery Life
86.5 mins
86 mins
64.5 mins
Recharging Speed
(per minute)
103.6 mAh
93.9 mAh
62.0 mAh
Interestingly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra recharged faster with a standard 15 watt charger, than the Tab S7 Plus or even the Galaxy S22 Ultra!
This is really good news. It means that Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra owners need not worry too much about its recharging speed with the older 15 watt chargers.
In fact, you don’t need to splurge on a new 45 watt fast charger. The Tab S8 Ultra fully recharges its massive battery from 20% to 100% in just under 1.5 hours with the standard 15 watt Samsung charger!
We first tested the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browsing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
Work 3.0
Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy Tab
S8 Ultra
Galaxy
Tab S7+
Galaxy Tab
S7 FE
Mobile Platform
SD 888
SD 8 Gen 1
SD 8
Gen 1
SD 865+
SD
778G
Performance Score
13317
12860
12351
12348
9747
Web Browsing
11637
10442
9696
11864
7355
Video Editing
7762
7444
6194
7664
6028
Writing
15316
15471
14411
12659
10512
Photo Editing
25357
30177
31774
26230
22188
Data Manipulation
11938
9691
10449
9511
8505
Surprisingly, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Get 1 was slightly slower than the Snapdragon 888 used by the Galaxy Z Flip 3, but the difference was just 7%, which means you won’t actually notice the difference.
For certainly, it will easily handle anything you throw at it, whether it’s just posting your latest Instagram pictures or editing a 4K video.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Gaming Performance
For gaming, we tested the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra using 3DMark, with these results :
3DMark
Galaxy
Tab
S8 Ultra
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Galaxy
Tab S7+
Galaxy
Tab S7 FE
Device
SD 8
Gen 1
SD 8 Gen 1
SD 888
SD 865+
SD 778G
Sling Shot Unlimited
10728
11094
9248
8793
6688
Wild Life Unlimited
9838
9106
3952
–
–
Wild Life
Extreme
Unlimited
2221
2220
1174
–
–
Look at that! The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 was a head above the competition when it comes to gaming!
It was 16% to 150% faster than the Snapdragon 888, and 22% faster than the Snadragon 865+!
For certain, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 will crush any game you throw at it.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Overall Performance
We then tested the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra using AnTuTu, yielding these results :
AnTuTu
Galaxy Tab
S8 Ultra
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Galaxy
Tab S7+
Galaxy
Tab S7 FE
Device
SD 8 Gen 1
SD 8 Gen 1
SD 888
SD 865+
SD 778G
AnTuTu Score
950630
889167
696767
577726
508008
CPU
213689
203090
206228
161243
157465
GPU
417669
402617
242573
230859
155115
Memory
161903
146002
133586
98269
79972
UX
157369
137458
114380
87355
115456
The AnTuTu benchmark confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a veritable beast of a performer, beating even the very fast Galaxy Z Flip 3 by 36%.
Its GPU performance was, in particular, spectacular, delivering 72% better performance than the Galaxy Z Flip 3, and 81% better performance than the Galaxy Tab S7+!
Interestingly, it was 7% faster than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which uses the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. This is likely due to better cooling – its temperature only increased by 0.3°C, whereas the S22 Ultra’s temperature spiked by over 10°C!
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra was meant to be the ultimate Samsung tablet for 2022, and it does not disappoint.
The display is a magnificently large and beautiful 14.6-inch Super AMOLED panel, which offers an expansive amount of space to play and work with.
Built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 – the fastest mobile SoC that exists for Android devices – you can count on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra to easily handle anything and everything you throw at it.
It also has surprisingly good battery life – delivering over 8 hours of non-stop use at 60 Hz, and over 6.5 hours at 120 Hz; despite sporting such a large display.
It also offers very good recharging speed, even using the standard 15 watt fast charger. So you don’t really need to invest in expensive 45 watt chargers.
But beyond those hardware features, what I really like is how the Samsung offer a complete experience by bundling the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra with not just the S Pen, but also the Book Cover Keyboard.
The ultra-low latency S Pen gives you the premium pen-on-paper like experience working on a tablet, while the Book Cover Keyboard gives you a laptop experience. You literally have the best of both worlds in a single box!
If you want the best-possible Android tablet money can buy, you can’t do wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.
In fact, we like this premium tablet so much, we are giving it our Editor’s Choice Award!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Take a look at the performance of the Samsung Galaxy A73, and find out how well it performs against the competition!
Samsung Galaxy A73 : How Fast Is It?
The Samsung Galaxy A73 Ultra runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G – a premium mid-range mobile SoC announced on May 19, 2021.
Fabricated on the 6 nm process technology, the Snapdragon 778G boasts a powerful Adreno 642L GPU, as well as eight processor cores in a triple-tier architecture :
a Kryo 670 Prime core running at up to 2.4 GHz,
three sustained-performance Kryo 670 Gold cores running at up to 2.2 GHz, and
four energy-efficient Kryo 670 Silver cores running at 1.8 GHz
While the Snapdragon 778G isn’t a new mobile SoC, you will be surprised by how fast it is in the Galaxy A73…
Samsung Galaxy A73 : Work Performance
We first tested the Galaxy A73 using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browsing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
Work 3.0
Galaxy Z
Flip 3
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy
A73
Note20
Ultra
Galaxy
A52
Mobile Platform
SD 888
SD 8
Gen 1
SD 778G
Exynos
990
SD
750G
Performance Score
13317
12860
12522
10523
7874
Web Browsing
11637
10442
11736
8865
7021
Video Editing
7762
7444
7082
6232
5693
Writing
15316
15471
14796
11112
7454
Photo Editing
25357
30177
26340
30789
15812
Data Manipulation
11938
9691
9502
6825
6424
Amazingly, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G is as fast as the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in work applications!
When it comes to basic stuff like web browsing, video and photo editing, the Galaxy A73 is as fast as the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and 19% faster than the Galaxy Note20 Ultra!
Samsung Galaxy A73 : Gaming Performance
For gaming, we tested the Galaxy A73 using 3DMark, with these results :
3DMark
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy Z
Flip 3
Note20
Ultra
Galaxy
A73
Galaxy
Note10+
Device
SD 8
Gen 1
SD 888
Exynos
990
SD 778G
Exynos
9825
Sling Shot Unlimited
11094
9248
8026
6620
3327
Wild Life Unlimited
9106
3952
4504
2487
3288
Wild Life
Extreme
Unlimited
2220
1174
1387
689
528
For older / simpler 3D games, the Sling Shot benchmark showed that the Snapdragon 778G was only 17.5% slower than the Exynos 990, but 40% slower than the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
But when it came to more strenuous games, flagship smartphones like Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 were 2X to 3X faster than the Galaxy A73.
Samsung Galaxy A73 : Overall Performance
We then tested the Galaxy A73 using AnTuTu, yielding these results :
AnTuTu
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Galaxy A73
Note20
Ultra
Galaxy
A52
Device
SD 8 Gen 1
SD 888
SD 778G
Exynos
990
SD 750G
AnTuTu Score
889167
696767
523209
522735
341908
CPU
203090
206228
159238
146783
105098
GPU
402617
242573
159364
215205
88068
Memory
146002
133586
88705
89376
60642
UX
137458
114380
115902
71371
88100
The AnTuTu benchmark confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy A73 is really quite a powerful smartphone, matching the performance of the Galaxy Note20 Ultra.
Even though Galaxy A73 costs less than half that of the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Flip 3, it was only 41% and 25% slower.
The Snapdragon 778G also ran cool, increasing its temperature by just 1.2°C. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, in comparison, saw its temperature jumped by over 10°C in the same test!
Samsung Galaxy A73 : Performance Summary
The Galaxy A73 is the premium mid-range Samsung smartphone for 2022, and it does not disappoint.
Built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G, it offers excellent work performance, equivalent to the best flagship smartphones for basic tasks as well as photo and video editing.
Its gaming performance is not flagship-class, as the benchmarks show, but it was no slouch. It will readily handle most games just fine, even AAA games.
Samsung Galaxy A73 Colour + Availability!
Here in Malaysia, the Galaxy A73 smartphone is available in three colour options :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Samsung just launched their 2022 Neo QLED 8K televisions, with a new 2022 Ultra Slim Soundbar to complement them!
Take a look at both of them in our video showcase!
2022 Samsung Neo QLED 8K TV + Soundbar Showcase!
We were given the opportunity to view Samsung’s new 2022 Neo QLED 8K televisions, as well as the new 2022 Ultra Slim Soundbar that complements them.
The 2022 Samsung Neo QLED 8K televisions come in a variety of sizes, from 55 inches all the way to 85 inches. Take a look!
Every model is built around a new Neural Quantum Processor 8K, which has 20 independent neural AI networks, each analysing the content’s characteristics to deliver the best picture quality, regardless of the source.
It also powers a new feature called Real Depth Enhancer. Real Depth Enhancer scans each frame, and maximises the object’s contrast with the background.
The new processor also uses Shape Adaptive Light Control technology to create precise lighting and pure blacks using Samsung’s best Quantum mini LED display panel.
In fact, the 2022 Neo QLED 8K televisions are the world’s first Pantone-validated displays, which mean they will authentically reproduce more than 2000 colours, as well as 110 new skin tone shades.
These new models also use AI technology to automatically adjust the brightness and colour temperature of the display to match the room’s lighting condition.
The 2022 Neo QLED 8K televisions boast Samsung’s new Smart Hub user interface, powered by Tizen. They are also designed to provide the ultimate gaming experience through features like :
four HDMI 2.1 ports
Motion Xcelerator Turbo Pro 4K 144 Hz gaming
Super Ultrawite GameView, and
Game Bar
These televisions are also more eco-friendly, featuring eco-packaging and a more efficient SolarCell Remote that is completely battery-free, and can recharge through 2.4 GHz radio frequency harvesting – drawing power from your WiFi router’s signals!
The Neural Quantum Processor 8K also uses artificial intelligence to create a truly immersive soundscape by analysing the picture in real time, to deliver positional audio cues through the Adaptive Sound technology.
The flagship QN900B model even features a 90 watt 6.2.4 channel audio system, featuring Dolby Atmos with Object Tracking Sound Pro.
Finally, Samsung added Wireless Dolby Atmos to these models, ensuring that you can connect them to the new 2022 Ultra Slim Soundbar without using a HDMI cable!
The new Ultra Slim Soundbar delivers true 3.1.2 sound with two up-firing channels, and is now much thinner and smaller.
2022 Samsung Neo QLED 8K TV : Price + Models
The 2022 Samsung Neo QLED 8K televisions are available in a variety of sizes, at these price points :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Take a look at the performance of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, and find out how well this ultra-premium tablet performs!
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Flagship Class Performance!
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra runs on the most powerful mobile SoC available for Android devices – the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
Fabricated on the latest 4nm Samsung process technology, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 boasts a powerful Adreno 730 GPU as well as eight processor cores in a triple-tier architecture :
a Cortex-X2 prime core running at up to 3 GHz,
three sustained-performance Cortex-A710 cores running at up to 2.5 GHz, and
four energy-efficient Cortex-A510 cores running at 1.8 GHz.
On paper, this is about as powerful as it gets in 2022, but let’s take a look at how it actually performs!
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Work Performance
We first tested the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browsing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
Work 3.0
Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy Tab
S8 Ultra
Galaxy
Tab S7+
Galaxy Tab
S7 FE
Mobile Platform
SD 888
SD 8 Gen 1
SD 8
Gen 1
SD 865+
SD
778G
Performance Score
13317
12860
12351
12348
9747
Web Browsing
11637
10442
9696
11864
7355
Video Editing
7762
7444
6194
7664
6028
Writing
15316
15471
14411
12659
10512
Photo Editing
25357
30177
31774
26230
22188
Data Manipulation
11938
9691
10449
9511
8505
Surprisingly, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Get 1 was slightly slower than the Snapdragon 888 used by the Galaxy Z Flip 3, but the difference was just 7%, which means you won’t actually notice the difference.
For certainly, it will easily handle anything you throw at it, whether it’s just posting your latest Instagram pictures or editing a 4K video.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Gaming Performance
For gaming, we tested the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra using 3DMark, with these results :
3DMark
Galaxy
Tab
S8 Ultra
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Galaxy
Tab S7+
Galaxy
Tab S7 FE
Device
SD 8
Gen 1
SD 8 Gen 1
SD 888
SD 865+
SD 778G
Sling Shot Unlimited
10728
11094
9248
8793
6688
Wild Life Unlimited
9838
9106
3952
–
–
Wild Life
Extreme
Unlimited
2221
2220
1174
–
–
Look at that! The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 was a head above the competition when it comes to gaming!
It was 16% to 150% faster than the Snapdragon 888, and 22% faster than the Snadragon 865+!
For certain, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 will crush any game you throw at it.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Overall Performance
We then tested the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra using AnTuTu, yielding these results :
AnTuTu
Galaxy Tab
S8 Ultra
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Galaxy
Tab S7+
Galaxy
Tab S7 FE
Device
SD 8 Gen 1
SD 8 Gen 1
SD 888
SD 865+
SD 778G
AnTuTu Score
950630
889167
696767
577726
508008
CPU
213689
203090
206228
161243
157465
GPU
417669
402617
242573
230859
155115
Memory
161903
146002
133586
98269
79972
UX
157369
137458
114380
87355
115456
The AnTuTu benchmark confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a veritable beast of a performer, beating even the very fast Galaxy Z Flip 3 by 36%.
Its GPU performance was, in particular, spectacular, delivering 72% better performance than the Galaxy Z Flip 3, and 81% better performance than the Galaxy Tab S7+!
Interestingly, it was 7% faster than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which uses the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. This is likely due to better cooling – its temperature only increased by 0.3°C, whereas the S22 Ultra’s temperature spiked by over 10°C!
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Performance Summary
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra was meant to be the ultimate Samsung tablet for 2022, and it does not disappoint.
Built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 – the fastest mobile SoC that exists for Android devices – it offers a tremendous boost in GPU performance, which should make gamers and mobile content creators happy.
The benchmark results amply demonstrates, you can count on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra to easily handle anything and everything you throw at it.
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has an Adaptive mode that dynamically refreshes between 1 Hz and 120 Hz for better battery life.
The 120 Hz refresh rate option in the Galaxy A73 is fixed at 120 Hz. This guarantees you an ultra-smooth 120 Hz refresh rate all the time, at the expense of battery life.
In the next section, we will look at how the two refresh rate options affect the Galaxy A73 smartphone’s battery life.
The Samsung Galaxy A73 comes with a large 5,000 mAh battery, which is the same size as the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s battery!
To test its battery life, we turned off Automatic Brightness, and set its display brightness to 50%.
Why 50%? That is actually slightly higher than the average indoor brightness level of 40% during the day, and is what we usually use in all our mobile battery life tests.
It is important to fix the brightness level, to make sure the screen brightness does not change as the ambient brightness changes.
We then ran the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life test until its battery capacity dropped to 20% several times, and this was the best result we obtained with 60 Hz and 120 Hz refresh rates :
Look at that! The Samsung Galaxy A73 has a long battery life of 10.75 hours with High refresh rate enabled, and lasts 13 hours with the Standard refresh rate!
That means it has the same battery life as the Galaxy S22 Ultra with the 120 Hz refresh rate, but one hour shorter battery life at 60 Hz.
That’s the advantage of the S22 Ultra’s more efficient 4nm processor, but then again – the S22 Ultra costs a lot more than the A73!
Standard Refresh Rate (60 Hz)
The Samsung Galaxy A73 delivers the best battery life with the Standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, offering just over 13 hours of non-stop use.
The Galaxy A73 consumed 13% less power than the S21 Ultra, but 9% more power than the S22 Ultra.
Work 3.0
S22 Ultra
(60 Hz)
A73 (60 Hz)
S21 Ultra
(60 Hz)
Display Size
6.8-inch
6.7-inch
6.8-inch
Battery Capacity
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
Battery Life
14 hrs 15 mins
13 hrs 4 mins
11 hrs 22 mins
Utilisation
per min.
4.68 mAh
5.10 mAh
5.87 mAh
High Refresh Rate (120 Hz)
Switching on the High refresh rate of 120 Hz cut its battery life by 18% – almost 2.5 hours!
But Galaxy A73 has pretty much the same battery life as the S22 Ultra, and last year’s S21 Ultra.
Work 3.0
A73 (120 Hz)
S22 Ultra
(120 Hz)
S21 Ultra
(120 Hz)
Display Size
6.7-inch
6.8-inch
6.8-inch
Battery Capacity
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
Battery Life
10 hrs 42 mins
10 hrs 38 mins
10 hrs 26 mins
Utilisation
per min.
6.23 mAh
6.27 mAh
6.39 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A73 : Battery Recharging Speed!
The Samsung Galaxy A73 supports up to 25 watts of wired fast charging, but unfortunately, does not come with the charger in-the-box.
So we relied on the standard 15 watt Samsung fast charger than shipped with their previous smartphones and tablets – something we believe most users will end up doing.
Recharging Speed
S21 Ultra
S22 Ultra
A73
Battery Capacity
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
Charger Output
25 watts
15 watts
15 watts
Battery Life
64 minutes
64.5 minutes
85 minutes
Recharging Speed
(per minute)
62.5 mAh
62.0 mAh
47.0 mAh
Despite having the same capacity battery as the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and using the same recycled 15 watt charger, the Galaxy A73 recharged about 25% slower.
That shows that even though their batteries have the same capacities, they are built differently, allowing for faster charging on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
That said – the Galaxy A73 was no slouch, taking less than 1.5 hours to fully recharge from 20% to 100%.
Samsung Galaxy A73 Colour + Availability!
Here in Malaysia, the Galaxy A73 smartphone is available in three colour options :
Awesome White
Awesome Mint
Awesome Gray
It will be offered in only one variant, at this price point :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The HUAWEI P50 is now available for pre-order in Malaysia, and the P50 Pro is now cheaper!
Take a look at the HUAWEI P50 and P50 Pro deals for Malaysia!
HUAWEI P50 + P50 Pro : Ultimate Photography Smartphones
The P50 and P50 Pro are HUAWEI’s latest photography-oriented P-series flagship smartphones. Let’s take a quick look at their key features!
True-Chroma Displays
The HUAWEI P50 Pro comes with a large 6.6-inch True-Chroma display, with a resolution of 1228 x 2700 pixels. The P50 has a slightly smaller 6.5-inch True-Chroma display, with the same resolution.
They both use an OLED panel with a wide P3 colour gamut, with a higher maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz (P50 Pro) or 90 Hz (P50), and a maximum touch sampling rate of 300 MHz.
These True-Chroma displays also boast a 1440 Hz PWM dimming control, to reduce eyestrain, and allow for comfortable viewing experience in low-light conditions.
Protected From Water!
Both HUAWEI P50 and P50 Pro smartphones are IP68 water-resistant, so they are safe from water splashes and immersion in up to 1.5 metres of water for up to 30 minutes.
Flagship Performance!
Both HUAWEI P50 and P50 Pro smartphones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 4G mobile SoC, which is kept cool by a 3D Graphene Liquid Cooling System.
Cameras Delight!
Both HUAWEI P50 and P50 Pro smartphones come with a 13 MP punch hole camera in the front. It has a decent f/2.4 aperture.
The HUAWEI P50 Pro’s key selling point is its massive quad camera setup that consists of :
a 50 MP main camera, with f/1.8 aperture,
a 40 MP monochrome camera, with f/1.6 aperture,
a 64 MP 3.5X periscope telephoto camera, with f/3.5 aperture, and
a 13 MP wide-angle camera, with f/2.2 aperture.
The 40 MP monochrome camera complements the 50 MP camera by adding detail to the images it captures – what HUAWEI calls XD Optics with enhanced XD Fusion Pro technology.
The HUAWEI P50 has a triple camera setup that consists of :
a 50 MP main camera, with f/1.8 aperture,
a 12 MP 3.5X periscope telephoto camera, with f/3.4 aperture, and
a 13 MP wide-angle camera, with f/2.2 aperture.
66W HUAWEI SuperCharge Capable Battery!
Both smartphones support 66W HUAWEI SuperCharge technology for really fast charging, while the Pro version also supports 50 watt wireless charging, as well as Wireless PowerShare.
Stereo Speakers With Histen Technology
Both smartphones come with stereo speakers, with HUAWEI Histen technology which allows you to customise sound effects for different scenarios.
The HUAWEI P50 is available in the Golden Black and Cocoa Gold colours, while the Pro version is available in Silver Blue, Golden Black and Cocoa Gold colours.
Prior to launch, HUAWEI only provided us access to the Golden Black and Cocoa Gold colour options. Take a look at this colour comparison, and tell us which colour you prefer!
HUAWEI P50 + P50 Pro : Price + Deals
The HUAWEI P50 is priced at RM 2,999 (about US$682 / £546 / A$962 / S$935), with pre-order freebies of worth RM1,000 :
HUAWEI FreeBuds Lipstick
HUAWEI Mobile Services (HMS) Rewards
The HUAWEI P50 Pro was originally priced at RM 4,199, but was just reduced to RM 3,699 (about US$842 / £674 / A$1,186 / S$1,153). Every purchase will come with a free HUAWEI Band 6 worth RM219!
Here are some online purchase options for your convenience :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
HUAWEI just launched the Mate Xs 2 foldable smartphone in Malaysia! Here is what you need to know!
HUAWEI Mate Xs 2 Coming Soon To Malaysia!
The HUAWEI Mate Xs 2 was just launched in Malaysia, and will be here shortly! Here is what you need to know about HUAWEI’s latest flagship foldable smartphone!
Ultra-Thin, Ultra-Flat Foldable Device!
The HUAWEI Mate Xs 2 uses industry-first lightweight materials to achieve a lighter and thinner body that only weighs 255 g and just 5.4 mm thick.
Thanks to its New Falcon Wing Design, the HUAWEI Mate Xs 2 offers an ultra-flat form factor for a foldable smartphone. Using the industry’s first Double-rotating Falcon Wing Hinge, the hinge’s movement and screen are precisely synchronised through the fixed-length linkage control.
Tougher Foldable Smartphone!
The HUAWEI Mate Xs 2 employs their first 3D Fibreglass Design, giving it excellent strength and fracture toughness.
It also adopts the industry’s first Composite Screen, as well as unspecified high-performance materials, offering a shock absorption barrier that protects against drops, crushing or impact.
True-Chroma Camera System
The HUAWEI Mate Xs 2 features a new True-Chroma Camera System that comprises of :
a 50MP True-Chroma camera,
a 13 MP ultra-wide angle camera, and
an 8 MP telephoto camera.
Its cameras uses the HUAWEI XD Fusion Pro True-Chroma Image Engine to capture true-to-life colours in P3 full colour gamut, together with the 10-channel Multi-Spectrum Sensor.
Smart Multi-Window
The HUAWEI Mate Xs 2 offers an improved interactive experience, thanks to the new dynamic folding visual effect and upgraded Smart Multi-Window capability.
Its Split-screen Function lets you maximise its large display with multitasking capabilities, enabling collaboration and interaction between different apps.
You can use two apps in parallel, and it even comes with a Swipe Gesture for easier access and control of floating windows.
66W HUAWEI SuperCharge!
The HUAWEI Mate Xs 2 features the new 66W HUAWEI SuperCharge capability, letting you recharge its battery to 90% in just 30 minutes!
In addition to the higher power input, its battery has a parallel charging structure to allow for 15% faster charging speed for its slim 4600 mAh battery!
HUAWEI Mate Xs 2 Specifications In Malaysia
Specifications
HUAWEI Mate Xs 2
Display
OLED panel
– 6.5 inches folded, 1176 x 2480 pixels
– 7.8 inches unfolded, 2200 x 2480 pixels
– up to 120 Hz refresh rate
– up to 240 Hz touch sampling rate
– 1440 Hz PWM dimming
Protection
NA
OS
EMUI 12
Platform
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 4G
CPU
1 x Kryo 680 Prime core (2.84 GHz)
3 x Kryo 680 Gold cores (2.42 GHz)
4 x Kryo 680 Silver cores (1.8 GHz)
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Unboxing Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : What’s Inside Its Box?
Samsung just combined their Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series into the Galaxy S22 Ultra – their latest flagship smartphone.
Not only does it adopt the blockier industrial design language of the Galaxy Note series, it also comes with the S Pen built-in!
Despite being the biggest model in the Galaxy S22 family, the S22 Ultra comes in a slim cardboard box. Here’s an interesting fact – the colour of the S on the box shows you the colour of the Galaxy S22 Ultra inside!
In this video, we take a quick look at the box, before showing you exactly what you will find inside!
Here is everything you will find inside the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s box :
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra smartphone
Set of Galaxy S22 series documents
USB data and power cable (Type C to Type C)
SIM card tray extraction pin
Sadly, the Galaxy S22 Ultra does not come with a 45 watt charger in-the-box. You can reuse your old 15 watt charger, but you would be losing out on a key S22 Ultra feature.
Now, let us go through its key features, and show you why the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is worthy of our Editor’s Choice Award!
6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with a massive 6.8-inch display, with a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel.
Its wide colour gamut of 100% DCI-P3, a peak brightness of 1750 nits, and a contrast ratio of 3 million:1 will guarantee the best possible image quality, whether indoors or outdoors.
Gamers will love its high dynamic refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, with a touch sampling rate of up to 240 Hz.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra offers two refresh rate options (Settings > Display > Motion smoothness) :
Adaptive : Get smoother animation and scrolling by automatically adjusting your screen refresh rate up to 120 Hz
Standard : Get longer battery life with a 60 Hz screen refresh rate
Last year’s Galaxy S21 Ultra also has an Adaptive mode, which dynamically refreshes between 10 Hz and 120 Hz
The new Galaxy S22 Ultra improves on that, with an Adaptive mode that dynamically refreshes between 1 Hz and 120 Hz.
By default, the Galaxy S22 Ultra uses the Adaptive mode, for smoother graphics, but you can choose to switch to the Standard mode for longer battery.
4nm Flagship Mobile Platform
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is built around the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile SoC, which is fabricated on the latest 4nm Samsung process technology.
Together with a powerful Adreno 730 GPU, it has eight processor cores in a triple-tier architecture :
a Cortex-X2 prime core running at up to 3 GHz,
three sustained-performance Cortex-A710 cores running at up to 2.5 GHz, and
four energy-efficient Cortex-A510 cores running at 1.8 GHz.
Memory + Storage Options
Samsung will be offering four memory and storage options, but not all of them are available globally :
8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage
12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage
12 GB RAM + 512 GB storage
12 GB RAM + 1 TB storage
Cameras Galore!
As the premiere Samsung smartphone, the Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with a smorgasbord of cameras!
In the front, it has a 40 MP camera, with a wide f/2.2 aperture, and the ability to combine pixels for better low-light performance.
In the back, it has a quad-camera system that consists of :
a 108 MP Dual Pixel camera, f/1.8 aperture
a 12 MP ultra-wide angle camera, f/2.2 aperture
a 10 MP telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom, f/2.4 aperture, and
a 10 MP periscope camera with 10X optical zoom, f/4.9
Ultra-Low Latency S Pen
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the only model in the Galaxy S22 family to come with the S Pen.
Just like the Galaxy Note series, it has a dedicated S Pen slot, so you will never have to worry about dropping the S Pen.
This is an improved S Pen, with ultra-low latency of just 2.8 ms – down from 9 ms in the previous generation. This gives it an instantaneous feel, just like writing an actual pen on paper.
Built To Last
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is protected in the back and front by the latest Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+.
On top of that, it is IP68-rated against dust and water ingress. That means it can withstand immersion in up to 1.5 metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.
Battery + Charging
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with a large 5,000 mAh battery, which offers a very long battery life.
On top of that, it can support wired charging at up to 45 watts, with wireless charging supported at up to 15 watts.
It also supports Wireless PowerShare, allowing you to recharge other smartphones and wearables like the Galaxy Buds2.
The only downside – Samsung is not providing the 45 watt charger in-the-box.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Battery Life Comparison!
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with a larger 5,000 mAh battery, which is the same size as last year’s Galaxy S21 Ultra.
To test its battery life, we turned off Automatic Brightness, and set its display brightness to 50%.
Why 50%? That is actually slightly higher than the average indoor brightness level of 40% during the day, and is what we usually use in all our mobile battery life tests.
It is important to fix the brightness level, to make sure the screen brightness does not change as the ambient brightness changes.
We then ran the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life test until its battery capacity dropped to 20% several times, and this was the best result we obtained with 60 Hz and 120 Hz refresh rates :
Will you look at that!
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a battery life of 10.5 hours with Adaptive refresh rate enabled, and a whopping 14.25 hours with the Standard refresh rate!
But let’s compare its battery life at 60 Hz and 120 Hz, against the S21 Ultra and Z Flip 3 smartphones.
Standard Refresh Rate (60 Hz)
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra really shines with the refresh rate set to 60 Hz.
The S22 Ultra used 20% less power per minute, which delivered 25% longer battery life than the S21 Ultra.
Work 3.0
S22 Ultra
(60 Hz)
Z Flip 3
(60 Hz)
S21 Ultra
(60 Hz)
Battery Capacity
5,000 mAh
3,300 mAh
5,000 mAh
Battery Life
14 hrs
15 mins
8 hrs 11 mins
11 hrs 22 mins
Utilisation
per min.
4.68 mAh
5.38 mAh
5.87 mAh
Adaptive Refresh Rate (120 Hz)
While the Galaxy S22 Ultra certainly used less power than the S21 Ultra, that advantage was greatly diminished with the Adaptive refresh rate enabled.
The S22 Ultra used just 2% less power per minute, which delivered 2% (12 minutes) longer battery life than the S21 Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra supports up to 45 watts of wired fast charging, but unfortunately, does not come with the charger in-the-box.
So we relied on the standard 15 watt Samsung fast charger than shipped with their previous smartphones – something we believe most users will end up doing.
But we used the 25 watt charger for the S21 Ultra, because it came with that charger.
Work 3.0
S21 Ultra
S22 Ultra
Z Flip 3
Battery Capacity
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
3,300 mAh
Charger Output
25 watts
15 watts
15 watts
Battery Life
64 minutes
64.5 minutes
88.5 minutes
Recharging Speed
(per minute)
62.5 mAh
62.0 mAh
29.8 mAh
Interestingly, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra recharged as quickly with a standard 15 watt charger, as the S21 Ultra with its more powerful 25 watt charger!
In fact, the Galaxy S22 Ultra recharged itself twice as fast as the Galaxy Z Flip 3, even though they both used the same 15 watt charger!
This is really good news. It means that Galaxy S22 Ultra owners need not worry too much about its recharging speed with the older 15 watt chargers.
In fact, you don’t really need to splurge on a new 45 watt fast charger. The Galaxy S22 Ultra fully recharges from 20% to 100% in just over an hour with the standard 15 watt Samsung charger!
We first tested the Galaxy S22 Ultra using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browsing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
Work 3.0
Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy
S21 Ultra
Note20
Ultra
Galaxy
A52
Mobile Platform
SD 888
SD 8
Gen 1
Exynos
2100
Exynos
990
SD
750G
Performance Score
13317
12860
12535
10523
7874
Web Browsing
11637
10442
10185
8865
7021
Video Editing
7762
7444
6336
6232
5693
Writing
15316
15471
15247
11112
7454
Photo Editing
25357
30177
37847
30789
15812
Data Manipulation
11938
9691
8310
6825
6424
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Get 1 was surprisingly slightly slower than the Snapdragon 888 used by the Galaxy Z Flip 3, but the difference is just 5%, which means you won’t actually notice the difference.
For certainly, it will easily handle anything you throw at it, whether it’s just posting your latest Instagram pictures or editing a 4K video.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Gaming Performance
For gaming, we tested the Galaxy S22 Ultra using 3DMark, with these results :
3DMark
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Note20
Ultra
Galaxy
Note10+
Device
SD 8
Gen 1
SD 888
Exynos
990
Exynos
9825
Sling Shot Unlimited
11094
9248
8026
3327
Wild Life Unlimited
9106
3952
4504
3288
Wild Life
Extreme
Unlimited
2220
1174
1387
528
Look at that! The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 was a head above the competition when it comes to gaming!
It was 20% to 130% faster than the Snapdragon 888, and 38% to 102% faster than the Exynos 990!
For certain, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 will crush any game you throw at it.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Overall Performance
We then tested the Galaxy S22 Ultra using AnTuTu, yielding these results :
AnTuTu
Galaxy
S22 Ultra
Galaxy
Z Flip 3
Galaxy
S21 Ultra
Note20
Ultra
Galaxy
A52
Device
SD 8 Gen 1
SD
888
Exynos
2100
Exynos
990
SD 750G
AnTuTu Score
889167
696767
624411
522735
341908
CPU
203090
206228
166290
146783
105098
GPU
402617
242573
258995
215205
88068
Memory
146002
133586
120805
89376
60642
UX
137458
114380
78321
71371
88100
The AnTuTu benchmark confirme that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is a veritable beast of a performer, beating even the very fast Galaxy Z Flip 3 by 28%, and the last-generation Galaxy S21 Ultra by 42!
Its GPU performance was, in particular, spectacular, delivering 66% better performance than the Galaxy Z Flip 3, and 55% better performance than the Galaxy S21 Ultra!
But note that its temperature jumped by over 10°C! At peak performance, the Galaxy S22 Ultra can get quite toasty!
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Performance Summary
The Galaxy S22 Ultra was meant to be the ultimate Samsung smartphone for 2022, and it does not disappoint.
Built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 – the fastest mobile SoC that exists for Android devices – it offers a tremendous boost in GPU performance, which should make gamers and mobile content creators happy.
The benchmark results amply demonstrates, you can count on the Galaxy S22 Ultra to easily handle anything and everything you throw at it.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Video Recording Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s super-high resolution 108 MP main camera can take up to 8K videos, if you want to. But in reality – most people are not going to bother with 8K video recording, at least for now.
Very few televisions and devices support 8K video playback, and even the S22 Ultra will downsample the 8K video when playing back on its 3K display.
1080p and 4K videos are what the Galaxy S22 Ultra does best, thanks to its support for 60 fps recording and combination of optical image stabilisation and advanced electronic image stabilisation.
1080p Video Sample : Concubine Lane @ Ipoh
This video sample was taken at the famous Concubine Lane in Ipoh, which is crowded and really great to test the camera out.
In this video sample, you can see just how smooth and stable the video is at 60 fps, even with so much shaking and jostling.
4K Video Sample : Concubine Lane @ Ipoh
When we switched to 4K, the video was remarkably stable, even while we walk through the crowd, and pan around Concubine Lane.
You should also note the lack of wind noise, which is fantastic. You won’t need to use a third-party microphone with a dead cat with this phone!
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Video Zoom Capability
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra also supports multiple zoom levels – up to 20X zoom at 1080p, and up to 10X zoom at 4K.
Its ultra-wide camera lets you record with a wider 0.6X zoom, while its 3X zoom and 10X zoom cameras allow for extended optical zoom capabilities.
1080p Zoom Demonstration
At 1080p, you can record videos from 0.6X zoom up to 20X zoom – which offers much wider range than competing smartphones.
The best image quality was seen at up to 10X zoom, while image stabilisation was best at up to 4X zoom, and still pretty good at 10X zoom.
While 20X zoom has pretty decent image quality, it is not as sharp as at 10X or lower zoom. Colours also appear more washed out at 20X.
4K Zoom Demonstration
You can record 4K videos from 0.6X zoom up to 10X zoom. – which is narrower than recording 1080p video.
For best image quality, limit your zoom up to 3X while recording 4K video. While image stabilisation was pretty good at 10X zoom, the image isn’t sharp and colours appear washed out.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Video Recording Performance Summary
If you ignore the 8K hype, you will realise that the Galaxy S22 Ultra offers truly excellent 4K and 1080p video recording capabilities.
You should buy the Galaxy S22 Ultra for its advanced optical and electronic image stabilisation for super-stable recording on-the-move.
You should also buy the Galaxy S22 Ultra for its wide zoom range of 0.6X to 10X when recording 1080p videos, or 0.6X to 3X when recording 4K videos.
These are the critical video recording features that will give you greater flexibility and super stable videos, without the need to use a gimbal.
While not showcased in our videos, the Galaxy S22 Ultra also supports Audio Zoom, focusing the audio recording as you zoom into a scene. That can be really helpful in isolating audio from the subject from background noise.
These features are not new – they have been part of the Samsung Galaxy S and Note series for a few years now. Samsung just keeps improving them, which is why we keep using Galaxy S smartphones as our primary video recording device.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra boasts a super-high resolution 108 MP main camera, built around the same ISOCELL HM3 sensor used in the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
However, this camera features improved AI optimisations. Thanks to the improved performance of its GPU and NPU, it now runs approximately 60 new AI models through its Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to optimise the final output.
Here are six shots I took around Ipoh Old Town, using the 108 MP main camera, and the 12 MP ultra-wide angle camera.
They are 4000 x 3000 pixels in size, with a JPEG file size of between 4 MB and 15 MB – it all depends on the amount of detail in the picture. To save space, I definitely recommend that you enable HEIF – the High Efficiency Image Format.
By default, the 108 MP camera takes 12 MP photos, combining nine pixels into one super-large 2.4 µm pixel. Coupled with the new AI models, the final photo is not only much brighter, but has significantly lower noise.
When you take shots at night, the Galaxy S22 Ultra combines images taken using both the 108 MP main camera, and the 12 MP ultra-wide camera. The 12 MP camera provides the rough details, while the fine details are provided by the 108 MP camera.
Here are four shots to show you the incredible amount of detail you can capture at just 12 MP. If you need greater detail, you can always increase the resolution to the full 108 MP, but frankly – these pictures should show you that you don’t really need to.
Its digital zoom has also been improved by the new AI models and the faster processor. For images taken above 30X digital zoom, the camera actually takes 10-20 shots at once, and processes them to improve the details in the final photo.
Finally, the Galaxy S22 Ultra features a new AI portrait model that uses two cameras to accurately differentiate the depth between the person and the background.
This is critical because the 108 MP camera has a very wide f/1.8 aperture, which makes for very narrow depth-of-field (DOF). If you do not accurately focus on the subject, you could end up with a blurry photo even though it looks sharp on the phone.
In these four shots, you can see just how narrow of depth of field you have to work with. This makes for better photos – you just need to make sure the subject is really in focus.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Photography Summary
If you want the best cameras on a smartphone money can buy, you should definitely consider the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Ignore the 108 MP marketing hoohah. What you are really getting is an awesome 12 MP camera with super-large pixels for really great noise-free images, and better low-light photos.
You may be wary about Samsung reusing the ISOCELL HM3 sensor from last year, but it has better photographic capabilities, thanks mostly to software and AI improvements.
For one thing, I noticed that it is now much better at accurately focusing on the subject, resulting in far fewer wrongly-focused shots.
It also does a better job of correcting for disparate lighting conditions, although some of you may find the photos oversaturated.
But there is no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has some of the best smartphone cameras I’ve tried this year.
It is really quite hard for flagship smartphones to really different themselves from last year’s flagships, but Samsung somehow pulled it off with the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Most of the improvements may not be readily apparent to the user though.
Thanks to Samsung’s decision to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile SoC, it has significantly better GPU and NPU performance.
Even its Dynamic AMOLED 2X display has been quietly improved. It is now 250 nits brighter and has a minimum refresh rate of just 1 Hz, allowing for better battery life.
If you don’t mind using the standard 60 Hz refresh rate, you will be pleasantly surprised by a 25% longer battery life than last year’s S21 Ultra!
Even its S Pen was upgraded. It may look like last year’s S Pen, but it has a much lower latency of just 2.8 ms – down from 9 ms in the previous generation.
Samsung reused the Galaxy S21 Ultra‘s excellent quad-camera system, but you may not know that it features improved AI optimisations. Powered by the much faster Snapdragon processor’s NPU, it now runs approximately 60 new AI models to optimise the final output.
This may not sound like much, but you will realise just how much has improved if you compare the videos and photos taken with the S22 Ultra against the S21 Ultra. Its AI optimisations have taken out most of the hard work of making sure that each picture comes out looking great, while its video stabilisation is truly best-in-class.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is not cheap, but if you want the best possible Android smartphone that is powerful and takes excellent photos and videos, this is as good as it gets!
On top of that, it boasts the best-in-class Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection on both front and rear aspects, and is IP68 dust- and water-resistant.
For these reasons, we gladly award the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra our Editor’s Choice Award! Great work, Samsung!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra has an Adaptive mode that dynamically refreshes between 1 Hz and 120 Hz for better battery life.
The 120 Hz refresh rate option in the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is fixed at 120 Hz. This guarantees you an ultra-smooth 120 Hz refresh rate all the time, at the expense of battery life.
In the next section, we will look at how the two refresh rate options affect the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s battery life.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Battery Life Comparison!
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with a massive 11,200 mAh battery, which is more than the size of the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s battery!
To test its battery life, we turned off Automatic Brightness, and set its display brightness to 50%.
Why 50%? That is actually slightly higher than the average indoor brightness level of 40% during the day, and is what we usually use in all our mobile battery life tests.
It is important to fix the brightness level, to make sure the screen brightness does not change as the ambient brightness changes.
We then ran the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life test until its battery capacity dropped to 20% several times, and this was the best result we obtained with 60 Hz and 120 Hz refresh rates :
Astoundingly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra only has a battery life of 6.5 hours with High refresh rate enabled, and a more acceptable 8 hours with the Standard refresh rate!
This is a slight improvement over last year’s Galaxy Tab S7 Plus. There is no doubt that its much larger 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display is a significant drain on battery life.
Let’s compare its battery life against the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra smartphone which uses the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile SoC.
Standard Refresh Rate (60 Hz)
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra delivers the best battery life with the Standard refresh rate of 60 Hz.
The Tab S8 Ultra appears to use 9% more power than the Tab S7 Plus, but I have to point out that it has a 39% larger display.
Fortunately, the battery life deficit is “covered” by its 11% larger battery.
Work 3.0
S22 Ultra
(60 Hz)
Tab S7 Plus
(60 Hz)
Tab S8 Ultra
(60 Hz)
Display Size
6.8-inch
12.4-inch
14.6-inch
Battery Capacity
5,000 mAh
10,090 mAh
11,200 mAh
Battery Life
14 hrs 15 mins
7 hrs 55 mins
8 hrs
3 mins
Utilisation
per min.
4.68 mAh
16.99 mAh
18.55 mAh
High Refresh Rate (120 Hz)
Switching on the High refresh rate of 120 Hz cut its battery life by 17.6% – almost 1.5 hours!
But the data shows that its larger 14.6-inch display only used 3.4% more power than the Tab S7 Plus.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra supports up to 45 watts of wired fast charging, but unfortunately, does not come with the charger in-the-box.
So we relied on the standard 15 watt Samsung fast charger than shipped with their previous smartphones and tablets – something we believe most users will end up doing.
Recharging Speed
Tab S8 Ultra
Tab S7 Plus
S22 Ultra
Display Size
14.6-inch
12.4-inch
6.8-inch
Battery Capacity
11,200 mAh
10,090 mAh
5,000 mAh
Charger Output
15 watts
15 watts
15 watts
Battery Life
86.5 mins
86 mins
64.5 mins
Recharging Speed
(per minute)
103.6 mAh
93.9 mAh
62.0 mAh
Interestingly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra recharged faster with a standard 15 watt charger, than the Tab S7 Plus or even the Galaxy S22 Ultra!
This is really good news. It means that Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra owners need not worry too much about its recharging speed with the older 15 watt chargers.
In fact, you don’t need to splurge on a new 45 watt fast charger. The Tab S8 Ultra fully recharges its massive battery from 20% to 100% in just under 1.5 hours with the standard 15 watt Samsung charger!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Samsung just sent us their new Galaxy A73 smartphone, and here is our unboxing and hands-on preview!
Samsung Galaxy A73 : What’s Inside The Box!
Samsung just launched their Galaxy A73 mid-range smartphone, which boasts a 108 MP quad-camera system and a large Super AMOLED+ display, at an affordable price point!
They sent one to us to review, so let’s take a look at the box, and see what we find inside!
Once you fully unbox it, this is what you will find :
Samsung Galaxy A73 5G smartphone
Set of Galaxy A73 documents
Type C to Type C USB data and power cable
SIM tray extractor pin
Unfortunately, Samsung did not include a 25 watt charger, and the Type C to Type C cable will only support the newer Samsung chargers.
If you have the older Samsung charger, you will need to reuse the old Type A to Type C cable, or buy a new cable.
Samsung Galaxy A73 : Key Features!
Now, let’s take a closer look at the Samsung Galaxy A73’s key features, as well as our hands-on experience video!
6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ Display
The Samsung Galaxy A73 comes with a large 6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ display.
It has a Full HD+ resolution, and a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120 Hz!
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy A73 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G, which has a triple-tier CPU architecture :
a Kryo 670 Prime core running at up to 2.4 GHz,
three sustained-performance Kryo 670 Gold cores running at up to 2.2 GHz, and
four energy-efficient Kryo 670 Silver cores running at 1.8 GHz
It also comes with a Qualcomm Adreno 642L GPU running at 490 MHz.
Memory + Storage Options
The Samsung Galaxy A73 comes with 8 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of internal flash storage.
The memory capacity can be expanded through the RAM Plus feature, while storage can be expanded through a microSD card (up to 1 TB).
Cameras Galore!
The Samsung Galaxy A73 is targeted at those who love to take photos and videos.
In the front, it has a 32 MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture, and the ability to combine pixels for better low-light performance.
In the back, it has a quad-camera system that consists of :
a 108 MP Dual Pixel camera with f/1.8 aperture
a 12 MP ultra-wide angle camera with f/2.2 aperture
a 5 MP macro camera with f/2.4 aperture, and
a 5 MP depth camera with f/2.4 aperture
IP67 Dust + Water-Resistance!
You will also love the fact that the Galaxy A73 is IP67-rated for dust and water-resistance! That means it can withstand immersion in up to 1 metre of fresh water for up to 30 minutes!
Battery + Charging
The Samsung Galaxy A73 comes with a large 5,000 mAh battery, that supports up to 25 watts of fast charging.
The only downside – Samsung is not providing the 25 watt charger in-the-box.
Samsung Galaxy A73 Specifications
Specifications
Samsung Galaxy A73
Display
6.7-inch Super AMOLED+
– 120 Hz dynamic refresh rate
Protection
IP67
OS
One UI 4.1 (Android 12)
Platform
Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G
CPU
1 x Kryo 670 Prime core (2.4 GHz)
3 x Kryo 670 Gold cores (2.2 GHz)
4 x Kryo 670 Silver cores (1.8 GHz)
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Samsung just sent us the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra – their largest and most powerful tablet, with a massive 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display!
As you will see in this video – this is a really large tablet, and it is pretty hefty too at 726 grams. But it is very solidly built, and weighs half as much as a typical laptop.
It also comes with a new full-size S Pen with an ultra-low latency of just 2.8 milliseconds.
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra runs on the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile platform boasts a powerful Adreno 730 GPU as well as eight processor cores in a triple-tier architecture :
a Cortex-X2 prime core running at up to 3 GHz,
three sustained-performance Cortex-A710 cores running at up to 2.4 GHz, and
four energy-efficient Cortex-A510 cores running at 1.7 GHz.
Powering all that is a massive 11,200 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, with 45 watt fast charging capability!
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Book Cover Keyboard : Hands-On!
This year, Samsung included the really awesome Book Cover Keyboard with every Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet.
This cover not only provides really solid protection for the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, it also converts it into a 2-in-1 tablet with a kickstand!
In addition, the Book Cover Keyboard has a special S Pen cover that prevents your precious S Pen from falling and getting lost.
As I shared in my Galaxy Tab S7 Book Cover Keyboard review last year, this is a must-have accessory, and I’m really glad Samsung included it as part of the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra package.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Specifications
Specifications
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
Display
14.6-inch Super AMOLED Display
– 60 Hz or 120 Hz refresh rate
Protection
Gorilla Glass 5 (Front + Back)
OS
One UI 4.1 (Android 12)
Platform
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
CPU
1 x Arm Cortex-X2 core (3.0 GHz)
3 x Arm Cortex-A710 cores (2.4 GHz) 4 x Arm Cortex-A510 cores (1.7 GHz)
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s photography performance, and find out why it’s such an awesome smartphone for photographers!
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Flagship Class Photography!
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is their flagship smartphone for the year 2022, and it boasts the best cameras money can buy.
Headlining its top-of-the-line quad-camera system is a Dual Pixel camera, which is built around the 108 MP ISOCELL HM3 sensor, and optically-stabilised lens with a large f/1.8 aperture.
You can seamlessly switch to its ultra-wide camera, with a 12 MP sensor and a f/2.2 aperture; or optically zoom up to 10X with its dual telephoto and periscope cameras.
In this review, we are going to take a look at the photography capability of Galaxy S22 Ultra, and show you just how well its cameras perform!
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Photography Review
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra boasts a super-high resolution 108 MP main camera, built around the same ISOCELL HM3 sensor used in the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
However, this camera features improved AI optimisations. Thanks to the improved performance of its GPU and NPU, it now runs approximately 60 new AI models through its Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to optimise the final output.
Here are six shots I took around Ipoh Old Town, using the 108 MP main camera, and the 12 MP ultra-wide angle camera.
They are 4000 x 3000 pixels in size, with a JPEG file size of between 4 MB and 15 MB – it all depends on the amount of detail in the picture. To save space, I definitely recommend that you enable HEIF – the High Efficiency Image Format.
