Tag Archives: Android 12

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 + Fold4 Roadshow + Deals!

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 + Fold4 Roadshow + Deals!

Samsung Malaysia is kicking off the Galaxy Z Flip4 + Galaxy Z Fold4 roadshow with plenty of deals! Check them out!

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 + Fold4 Roadshow

Samsung Malaysia is kicking off three major roadshows to promote their latest Galaxy Z Flip4 and Galaxy Z Fold4 foldable smartphones!

Make sure you drop by these roadshows and grab the deals offered there!

Roadshow Location Date
Imago Mall KK, Sabah 9 September to 11 September 2022
Gurney Plaza, Penang 9 September to 11 September 2022
Sunway Pyramid, Selangor 29 September to 2 October 2022

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 + Fold4 Roadshow Deals

Here are the launch deals available at the roadshows, as well as online :

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4

  • Available colours : Bora Purple, Blue, Pink Gold, Graphite
  • Available storage capacities : 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB
  • Free gift #1 : Samsung Core+ 1-year extended warranty + 3 protective film replacements
  • Free gift #2 : Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Bluetooth 40mm (worth RM799)

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 Bespoke Edition

  • Available colours : Customisable
  • Available storage capacities : 256 GB
  • Free gift #1 : Samsung Core+ 1-year extended warranty + 3 protective film replacements
  • Free gift #2 : Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Bluetooth 40mm (worth RM799)
  • Free gift #3 : 2% Samsung Rewards Points
  • Free gift #4 : Free Samsung Clear Slim Cover (worth RM99)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4

  • Available colours : Graygreen, Beige, Phantom Black, Burgundy
  • Available storage capacities : 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
  • Free gift #1 : Samsung Core+ 1-year extended warranty + 3 protective film replacements
  • Free gift #2 : Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Bluetooth 40mm (worth RM799)

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4: Unboxing + First Impressions!

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.

Read more : Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : What You Need To Know!

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 :

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 5G
Main Display 6.7-inch Infinity Flex Display
Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel
1080 x 2640 pixels, 425ppi
120 Hz adaptive refresh rate
900 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
Cover Display 1.9-inch Super AMOLED display
260 x 512 pixels, 302 ppi
935 nits (HBM)
Protection IPX8 Water Resistance
No Dust Resistance
OS Android 12 with One UI 4.1.1
Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 5G (SM8350)
CPU 1 x Cortex-X2 core (3.0 GHz )
3 x Cortex-A710 cores (2.5 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A510 cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730
Memory 8 GB
Storage 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB UFS 3.1
Front Camera 10 MP camera (f/2.4)
Main Cameras 12 MP Dual Pixel camera, f/1.8
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
Audio Stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Surround sound with Dolby Atmos
UHQ 32-bit and DSD64/128 support
Connectivity Network : 5G / 4G / 3G
Wi-Fi : 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB-C 3.2
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Side-Mounted
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall, Proximity, Light
GPS GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS
NFC Yes
Battery 3,700 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging Wired : 20 watt
Wireless : 10 watt
Reverse wireless : 4.5 watt
Folded
Dimensions
71.9 mm wide
84.9 mm tall
15.9 mm to 17.1 mm thick
Unfolded
Dimensions
71.9 mm wide
165.2 mm tall
6.9 mm thick
Weight 187 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : 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 :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM4,099 (about US$920 / £760 / A$1,319 / S$1,267)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM4,399 (about US$987 / £816 / A$1,415 / S$1,359)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB Bespoke Edition : RM4,599 (about US$1,032 / £853 / A$1,479 / S$1,421)
  • 8 GB + 512 GB : RM4,899 (about US$ 1,099 / £909 / A$1,576 / S$1,514)

The Bespoke Edition is only available on the Samsung website, and requires 3-4 weeks to deliver, as each unit is custom-made.

Here are online purchase options :

Read more : Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : Colour Comparison!

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Galaxy Z Flip4 vs Z Flip3 : How Different Are They?

If you are using the Galaxy Z Flip3, you may be wondering – how different is the new Galaxy Z Flip4 smartphone?

In this article, I will share with you the key differences… and similarities between the two foldable smartphones!

 

Galaxy Z Flip4 vs Z Flip3 : How Different Are They?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 builds upon the excellent Galaxy Z Flip3 from last year, offering an improved version of the compact foldable smartphone.

If you are comparing both devices side-by-side, it’s really hard to tell them apart… because Samsung essentially retained the same design.

When folded, the Galaxy Z Flip4 is slightly (1.5 mm) shorter, and imperceptibly (0.3 mm) narrower than the Galaxy Z Flip3.

When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Flip4 is even more alike the Flip3 – just 0.8 mm shorter and 0.3 mm narrower. If you don’t compare them closely, you might not be able to tell them apart!

They both have very similar weights too – the Galaxy Z Flip4 coming in 4 grams heavier at 187 grams, instead of 183 grams for the Galaxy Z Flip3. Again, you can’t really tell them apart.

Read more : Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : My Hands-On Experience!

Most of the upgrades in the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 are internal… and out-of-the-box.

4nm Processor

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 naturally has a newer and more powerful processor than the Galaxy Z Flip3.

Manufactured on the more efficient 4nm process technology, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is the fastest processor money can buy in 2022.

But the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 used in the Galaxy Z Flip3 is no slouch, and you would be hard-pressed to tell their performance apart, outside of benchmark scores.

Main Camera Changes

Samsung retained the same 10 MP front camera, and the same dual camera setup at the back from the Galaxy Z Flip3 :

  • a 12 MP Dual Pixel camera, with f/1.8 aperture, and
  • a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, with f/2.2 aperture

Larger Capacity

Samsung is also offering a larger 512 GB internal storage capacity option for the Galaxy Z Flip4. This will be useful for those who need additional storage for photos, videos or documents.

Bespoke Edition

Samsung will also offer a special Bespoke Edition for those who want to customise their Galaxy Z Flip4 smartphone.

The Bespoke Edition is only available with 256 GB of internal storage on the Samsung website, and requires 3-4 weeks to deliver, as each unit is custom-made.

Samsung Care+

The biggest upgrade, I would argue, is the new Samsung Care+ warranty, which you can purchase or obtain for free as part of the pre-order offer.

With Samsung Care+, you get 2 years of device warranty including THREE (3) protective film replacements for the Main Display.

The device warranty itself covers repairs for accidental damage (including liquid damage), as well as device replacement if it cannot be repaired. Talk about peace of mind!

 

Galaxy Z Flip4 vs Z Flip3 : Specification Comparison

Here is a table I created to make it easier for you to compare the two models:

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3
Main Display 6.7-inch Infinity Flex Display
Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel
1080 x 2640 pixels, 425ppi
120 Hz adaptive refresh rate
Cover Display 1.9-inch Super AMOLED display
260 x 512 pixels
Protection IPX8 Water Resistance
No Dust Resistance
Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
CPU 1 x Cortex-X2 (3.2 GHz)
3 x Cortex-A710 (2.5 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A510 (1.8 GHz)
1 x Kryo 680 Prime (2.84 GHz)
3 x Kryo 680 Gold (2.42 GHz)
4 x Kryo 680 Silver (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730 Qualcomm Adreno 660
Memory 8 GB
Storage 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB 128 GB / 256 GB
Front Camera 10 MP camera (f/2.4)
Main Cameras 12 MP Dual Pixel camera, f/1.8
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
Audio Stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Surround sound with Dolby Atmos
UHQ 32-bit and DSD64/128 support
Connectivity Network : 5G / 4G / 3G
Wi-Fi : 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB-C 3.2
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Side-Mounted
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall, Proximity, Light
GPS GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS
NFC Yes
Battery 3,700 mAh Li-Po battery 3,300 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging Wired : 20 watt
Wireless : 10 watt
Reverse wireless : 4.5 watt
Wired : 15 watt
Wireless : 10 watt
Reverse wireless : 4.5 watt
Folded
Dimensions
71.9 mm wide
84.9 mm tall
15.9 mm to 17.1 mm thick
72.2 mm wide
86.4 mm tall
15.9 mm to 17.1 mm thick
Unfolded
Dimensions
71.9 mm wide
165.2 mm tall
6.9 mm thick
72.2 mm wide
166.0 mm tall
6.9 mm thick
Weight 187 grams 183 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 : Price + Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 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 Flip4 :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM4,099 (about US$920 / £760 / A$1,319 / S$1,267)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM4,399 (about US$987 / £816 / A$1,415 / S$1,359)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB Bespoke Edition : RM4,599 (about US$1,032 / £853 / A$1,479 / S$1,421)
  • 8 GB + 512 GB : RM4,899 (about US$ 1,099 / £909 / A$1,576 / S$1,514)

The Bespoke Edition is only available on the Samsung website, and requires 3-4 weeks to deliver, as each unit is custom-made.

Read more : Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : Colour Comparison!

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : My Hands-On Experience!

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.

Read more : Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : What You Need To Know!

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 :

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 5G
Main Display 6.7-inch Infinity Flex Display
Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel
1080 x 2640 pixels, 425ppi
120 Hz adaptive refresh rate
900 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
Cover Display 1.9-inch Super AMOLED display
260 x 512 pixels, 302 ppi
935 nits (HBM)
Protection IPX8 Water Resistance
No Dust Resistance
OS Android 12 with One UI 4.1.1
Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 5G (SM8350)
CPU 1 x Cortex-X2 core (3.0 GHz )
3 x Cortex-A710 cores (2.5 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A510 cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730
Memory 8 GB
Storage 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB UFS 3.1
Front Camera 10 MP camera (f/2.4)
Main Cameras 12 MP Dual Pixel camera, f/1.8
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
Audio Stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Surround sound with Dolby Atmos
UHQ 32-bit and DSD64/128 support
Connectivity Network : 5G / 4G / 3G
Wi-Fi : 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB-C 3.2
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Side-Mounted
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall, Proximity, Light
GPS GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS
NFC Yes
Battery 3,700 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging Wired : 20 watt
Wireless : 10 watt
Reverse wireless : 4.5 watt
Folded
Dimensions
71.9 mm wide
84.9 mm tall
15.9 mm to 17.1 mm thick
Unfolded
Dimensions
71.9 mm wide
165.2 mm tall
6.9 mm thick
Weight 187 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : 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 :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM4,099 (about US$920 / £760 / A$1,319 / S$1,267)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM4,399 (about US$987 / £816 / A$1,415 / S$1,359)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB Bespoke Edition : RM4,599 (about US$1,032 / £853 / A$1,479 / S$1,421)
  • 8 GB + 512 GB : RM4,899 (about US$ 1,099 / £909 / A$1,576 / S$1,514)

The Bespoke Edition is only available on the Samsung website, and requires 3-4 weeks to deliver, as each unit is custom-made.

Read more : Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : Colour Comparison!

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 : My Hands-On Experience!

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 :

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 5G
Main Display 7.6-inch Infinity Flex Display
Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel
1768 x 2208 pixels, 374 ppi
120 Hz refresh rate
900 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
Cover Display 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
816 x 2260 pixels, 387 ppi
120 Hz refresh rate
1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak)
Gorilla Glass Victus protection
Protection IPX8 Water Resistance
No Dust Resistance
OS Android 12 with One UI 4.1.1
Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 5G (SM8350)
CPU 1 x Cortex-X2 core (3.0 GHz )
3 x Cortex-A710 cores (2.5 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A510 cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730
Memory 12 GB
Storage 256 GB / 512 GB UFS 3.1
Cover Camera 10 MP camera, f/2.2 aperture
Front Camera 4 MP under-display camera (f/1.8)
Main Cameras 50 MP Dual Pixel camera, f/1.8
10 MP 2X telephoto camera, f/2.4
12 MP ultrawide camera, f/2.2
Audio Stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Surround sound with Dolby Atmos
UHQ 32-bit and DSD64/128 support
Connectivity Network : 5G / 4G / 3G
Wi-Fi : 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB-C 3.2
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Side-Mounted
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall, Proximity, Light
GPS GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS
NFC Yes
Battery 4,400 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging Wired : 25 watt
Wireless : 11 watt
Reverse wireless : 4.5 watt
Folded
Dimensions
67.1 mm wide
155.1 mm tall
14.2 mm to 15.8 mm thick
Unfolded
Dimensions
130.1 mm wide
155.1 mm tall
6.3 mm thick
Weight 263 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 : Price + Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 comes in three main colour options, as well as a special Burgundy colour :

  • Graygreen – their signature colour this year
  • Beige
  • Phantom Black
  • Burgundy – only available on the Samsung website

These are the available models and launch prices for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 smartphone :

  • 12 GB + 256 GB : RM6,799 (about US$1,525 / £1,262 / A$2,189 / S$2,103)
  • 12 GB + 512 GB : RM7,299 (about US$ 1,638 / £1,355 / A$2,350 / S$2,257)
  • 12 GB + 1 TB : RM8,299 (about US$ 1,862 / £1,541 / A$2,672 / S$2,567)

The Burgundy colour option, as well as the 1TB storage option, are only available on the Samsung website.

Read more : Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 : Colour Comparison!

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : Colour Comparison!

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.

Read more : Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : What You Need To Know!

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : Colour Comparison

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 :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM4,099 (about US$920 / £760 / A$1,319 / S$1,267)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM4,399 (about US$987 / £816 / A$1,415 / S$1,359)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB Bespoke Edition : RM4,599 (about US$1,032 / £853 / A$1,479 / S$1,421)
  • 8 GB + 512 GB : RM4,899 (about US$ 1,099 / £909 / A$1,576 / S$1,514)

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : What You Need To Know!

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 :

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 5G
Main Display 6.7-inch Infinity Flex Display
Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel
1080 x 2640 pixels, 425ppi
120 Hz adaptive refresh rate
900 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
Cover Display 1.9-inch Super AMOLED display
260 x 512 pixels, 302 ppi
935 nits (HBM)
Protection IPX8 Water Resistance
No Dust Resistance
OS Android 12 with One UI 4.1.1
Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 5G (SM8350)
CPU 1 x Cortex-X2 core (3.0 GHz )
3 x Cortex-A710 cores (2.5 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A510 cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730
Memory 8 GB
Storage 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB UFS 3.1
Front Camera 10 MP camera (f/2.4)
Main Cameras 12 MP Dual Pixel camera, f/1.8
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
Audio Stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Surround sound with Dolby Atmos
UHQ 32-bit and DSD64/128 support
Connectivity Network : 5G / 4G / 3G
Wi-Fi : 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB-C 3.2
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Side-Mounted
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall, Proximity, Light
GPS GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS
NFC Yes
Battery 3,700 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging Wired : 20 watt
Wireless : 10 watt
Reverse wireless : 4.5 watt
Folded
Dimensions
71.9 mm wide
84.9 mm tall
15.9 mm to 17.1 mm thick
Unfolded
Dimensions
71.9 mm wide
165.2 mm tall
6.9 mm thick
Weight 187 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : 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 Galaxy Z Flip 4 smartphone :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM4,099 (about US$920 / £760 / A$1,319 / S$1,267)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM4,399 (about US$987 / £816 / A$1,415 / S$1,359)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB Bespoke Edition : RM4,599 (about US$1,032 / £853 / A$1,479 / S$1,421)
  • 8 GB + 512 GB : RM4,899 (about US$ 1,099 / £909 / A$1,576 / S$1,514)

The Bespoke Edition is only available on the Samsung website, and requires 3-4 weeks to deliver, as each unit is custom-made.

Read more : Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : Colour Comparison!

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy S22 Bora Purple Is Coming Soon!

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 : Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy S22 Bora Purple
Display 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display
– 120 Hz dynamic refresh rate
– 240 Hz touch sampling (Game Mode)
– 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut
– 1300 nits peak brightness
– 2 million:1 contrast ratio
Protection Armor Aluminium + Gorilla Glass Victus+
Water Resistance IP68
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 (2.5 GHz)
4 x Arm Cortex-A510 cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730
Memory +
Storage
8 GB RAM + 128 / 256 GB storage
External Storage NA
Front Camera 10 MP camera, f/2.2
Main Cameras 50 MP Dual Pixel camera, f/1.8
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
10 MP 3x zoom camera, f/2.4
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB Type C
S Pen No
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic,
Hall, Light, Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Galileo, Glonass, QZSS
NFC Yes
Battery 3,700 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 25 watt wired charging
15 watt wireless charging
Wireless PowerShare
Dimensions 70.6 mm wide
146.0 mm tall
7.6 mm thick
Weight 168 grams

 

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 :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM 3,499 (about US$836 / £617 / A$1,164 / S$1,122)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM 3,699 (about US$884 / £652 / A$1,230 / S$1,186)

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Review : A Complete Package!

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 : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra in five RAM + storage capacity options globally :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB
  • 12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
  • 16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB

But over here in Malaysia, it is available with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage for RM 5,899 (about US$1,387 / £1,063 / A$1,877 / S$1,892.

Here are some online pre-order options :

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
Display 14.6-inch Super AMOLED Display
– 2960 x 1848 pixels
– 60 Hz or 120 Hz refresh rate
Protection Gorilla Glass 5 (Front + Back)
Armor Aluminium
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)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730
Memory +
Storage
Options
8 GB RAM + 128 GB
12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
External Storage microSD (up to 1TB)
Front Camera 12 MP main camera, f/2.2
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.4
Main Cameras 12 MP main camera, f/2.0
6 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB 3.2 Type C
S Pen Yes, 2.8 ms latency
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall, Light, Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Galileo, Glonass, QZSS
NFC No
Audio Quad speakers tuned by AKG
Battery 11,200 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 45 watt wired charging
Dimensions 326.4 mm wide
208.6 mm tall
5.5 mm thick
Weight 726 grams

 

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.

Next Page > Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Key Features

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Key Features

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.

Next Page > S Pen, Book Cover Keyboard, Speakers, Battery

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

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!

Next Page > Battery Life + Recharging Speed

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

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.

Work 3.0 S22 Ultra
(120 Hz)
Tab S7 Plus
(120 Hz)
Tab S8 Ultra
(120 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 10 hrs
38 mins
6 hrs
11 mins
6 hrs
38 mins
Utilisation
per min.
6.27 mAh 21.76 mAh 22.51 mAh

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Battery Recharging Speed!

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!

Next Page > Work + Gaming Performance

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

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!

Next Page > Verdict + Award, Price + Availability

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Verdict + Award

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!

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra in five RAM + storage capacity options globally :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB
  • 12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
  • 16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB

But over here in Malaysia, it is available with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage for RM 5,899 (about US$1,387 / £1,063 / A$1,877 / S$1,892.

Here are some online pre-order options :

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
Display 14.6-inch Super AMOLED Display
– 2960 x 1848 pixels
– 60 Hz or 120 Hz refresh rate
Protection Gorilla Glass 5 (Front + Back)
Armor Aluminium
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)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730
Memory +
Storage
Options
8 GB RAM + 128 GB
12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
External Storage microSD (up to 1TB)
Front Camera 12 MP main camera, f/2.2
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.4
Main Cameras 12 MP main camera, f/2.0
6 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB 3.2 Type C
S Pen Yes, 2.8 ms latency
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall, Light, Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Galileo, Glonass, QZSS
NFC No
Audio Quad speakers tuned by AKG
Battery 11,200 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 45 watt wired charging
Dimensions 326.4 mm wide
208.6 mm tall
5.5 mm thick
Weight 726 grams

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > First PageMobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy A73 Performance Review!

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 :

  • Awesome White
  • Awesome Mint
  • Awesome Gray

There is only one variant, at this price point :

  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM 2,099 (about US$499 / £379 / A$679 / S$679)

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Performance Review!

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.

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra in five RAM + storage capacity options globally :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB
  • 12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
  • 16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB

But over here in Malaysia, it is available with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage for RM 5,899 (about US$1,387 / £1,063 / A$1,877 / S$1,892.

Here are some online pre-order options :

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy A73 Battery Life + Recharging Speed!

Take a look at the Samsung Galaxy A73 smartphone’s battery recharging speed, and find out how its two refresh rate options affect its battery life!

 

Samsung Galaxy A73 : Refresh Rate Options Affect Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy A73 smartphone offers two refresh rate options (Settings > Display > Motion smoothness) :

  • 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

You may think that this is similar to the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 120 Hz display, but you would be wrong.

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.

Read more : Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Review : Our Editor’s Choice!
Read more : Samsung Galaxy A73 Unboxing + Hands-On Preview!

 

Samsung Galaxy A73 : Battery Life Comparison!

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 :

  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM 2,099 (about US$499 / £379 / A$679 / S$679)

Here are some online purchase options :

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

HUAWEI P50 + P50 Pro Deals For Malaysia!

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.

 

HUAWEI P50 + P50 Pro : Specifications Compared!

Specifications HUAWEI P50 Pro HUAWEI P50
Display 6.6-inch OLED 6.5-inch OLED
Display Resolution 1228 x 2700 pixels
Display
Features
120 Hz refresh rate
300 Hz touch sampling rate
1440 Hz PWM dimming
90 Hz refresh rate
300 Hz touch sampling rate
1440 Hz PWM dimming
Water Resistance IP68
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)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 660
Memory +
Storage
8 GB + 256 GB
12 GB + 512 GB
8 GB + 256 GB
External Storage NA
Front Camera 13 MP camera (f/2.4)
Main Cameras 50 MP OIS main camera, f/1.8
40 MP B/W camera, f/1.6
64 MP telephoto camera, f/3.5
13 MP wide-angle camera, f/2.2
50 MP OIS main camera, f/1.8
13 MP wide-angle camera, f/2.2
12 MP telephoto camera, f/3.4
Connectivity Network : 4G / 3G
Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type C
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, In-Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity,
Compass, Barometer, Colour Spectrum
GPS GPS, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS
NFC Yes
Battery 4,360 mAh Li-Po battery 4,100 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 66 watt wired
50 watt wireless
Wireless PowerShare
66 watt wired
Dimensions 72.8 mm wide
158.8 mm tall
8.5 mm thick
73.8 mm wide
156.5 mm tall
7.92 mm thick
Weight 195 grams 181 grams

 

HUAWEI P50 + P50 Pro : Colour Comparison

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 :

HUAWEI P50

HUAWEI P50

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile |  Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

How To Setup Your Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Tablet!

In this guide, we will show you how to setup your new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra for the first time!

 

How To Setup Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : A Video Guide!

We have the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet with us, and soon you will get yours too.

Let us show you how to setup the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra for the first time, as a new device!

The process is very easy as our video shows, so you will be able to enjoy using it within minutes!

 

How To Setup Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Step-By-Step Instructions

It is very easy to setup the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra as a new device.

This should take no more than 10 minutes, will be much longer if you are transferring data from an older tablet.

  1. Press the Power button to start up your Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet.
    It will take 23 seconds to boot up for the first time.
  2. Click Start to begin the setup process.
  3. The first thing you need to do is select a language.
  4. Next, you will need to select your country or region.
  5. Then, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will reboot – a process that takes about 32 seconds.
  6. After it boots up again, you will be asked to agree to the EULA (End User Licence Agreement) and the Privacy Policy.
    You can skip sending Samsung your Diagnostic Data.
  7. In the next screen, you will have the opportunity to turn off certain Samsung apps and services.
    These are all key features that will greatly impact your use of the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, so I recommend that you leave them all enabled.
  8. Next, you will be allowed to log into your Wi-Fi network for Internet connectivity.
    Select your Wi-Fi network and key in the password to connect.
  9. Once your Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra connects to the Wi-Fi network, it will automatically look for updates, and prepare the device.
    It can take a few minutes to finish, so don’t fret.
  10. Next, you will be given the option to transfer apps and data from your old tablet.
    This is a long process, which you can do now, or do it later after setting up the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.
    To do it later, or set it up as a new device, simply click on Don’t copy.
  11. Now you will be asked to log into your Google Account, or create a new one.
    To skip for now and do it after setting up the tablet, click on Skip.
    But you will lose access to certain Google services until you log in.
  12. Next, you will be given the option of disabling certain Google services.
    Generally, I would recommend leaving them enabled, except sending Google your usage and diagnostic data.
  13. Now you will be asked to protect your Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra by selecting a preferred login method – Face recognition, Fingerprint, Pattern, PIN or Password.
  14. If you select the Face Recognition or Fingerprint option, you will need to select a secure screen lock method using Pattern, PIN or Password.
  15. Next, you will need to go through the Face Recognition / Fingerprint training process
  16. After that, you will be asked to log into your Samsung account, or create a new one.
    To skip for now and do it after setting up the tablet, click on Skip.
    But you will lose access to certain Samsung services until you log in.

That’s it! You have successfully setup the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra as a new device! Enjoy!

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra in five RAM + storage capacity options globally :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB
  • 12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
  • 16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB

But over here in Malaysia, it is available with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage for RM 5,899 (about US$1,387 / £1,063 / A$1,877 / S$1,892.

Here are some online pre-order options :

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Review : Tech ARP Editor’s Choice!

Samsung recently sent us the new Galaxy S22 Ultra smartphone, and here is our comprehensive review!

Find out why the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra won our Editor’s Choice Award!

 

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Galaxy S22 Ultra in four colour options – Burgundy, Green, Phantom Black and Phantom White.

I had the opportunity to attend an exclusive Samsung preview event, to check out all four colours for ourselves.

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.

Here in Malaysia, it is available starting 10 February 2022 in three variants, at these price points :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM 5,099 (about US$1,219 / £899 / A$1,699 / S$1,629)
  • 12 GB + 256 GB : RM 5,499 (about US$1,314 / £969 / A$1,829 / S$1,759)
  • 12 GB + 512 GB : RM 5,899 (about US$1,409 / £1,039 / A$1,959 / S$1,889)

Here are some online pre-order options :

 

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.

Next Page > Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Key Features

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Key Features

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.

Next Page > Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Battery + Charging

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

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.

Work 3.0 S22 Ultra
(120 Hz)
S21 Ultra
(120 Hz)
Z Flip 3
(120 Hz)
Battery Capacity 5,000 mAh 5,000 mAh 3,300 mAh
Battery Life 10 hrs
38 mins
10 hrs
26 mins
6 hrs
44 mins
Utilisation
per min.
6.27 mAh 6.39 mAh 6.53 mAh

 

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Battery Recharging Speed!

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!

Next Page > Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Performance

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Work Performance

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.

Next Page > Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Video Performance

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

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.

Next Page > Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Photography

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Photography Capability

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.

Next Page > Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Summary + Award

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Summary + Award

It is really quite hard for flagship smartphones to really differentiate 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!

 

 

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Display 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display
– 120 Hz dynamic refresh rate
– 240 Hz touch sampling (Game Mode)
– 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut
– 1750 nits peak brightness
– 3 million:1 contrast ratio
Protection Gorilla Glass Victus+ (front and back)
Water Resistance IP68
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 (2.5 GHz)
4 x Arm Cortex-A510 cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730
Memory +
Storage
8 GB + 128 GB
12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
External Storage NA
Front Camera 40 MP camera, f/2.2
Main Cameras 108 MP Dual Pixel camera, f/1.8
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
10 MP 3x zoom camera, f/2.4
10 MP 10x zoom camera, f/4.9
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB Type C
S Pen Yes, 2.8 ms latency
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall, Light, Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Galileo, Glonass, QZSS
NFC Yes
Battery 5,000 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 45 watt wired charging
15 watt wireless charging
Wireless PowerShare
Dimensions 77.9 mm wide
163.3 mm tall
8.9 mm thick
Weight 229 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Galaxy S22 Ultra in four colour options – Burgundy, Green, Phantom Black and Phantom White.

I had the opportunity to attend an exclusive Samsung preview event, to check out all four colours for ourselves.

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.

Here in Malaysia, it is available starting 10 February 2022 in three variants, at these price points :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM 5,099 (about US$1,219 / £899 / A$1,699 / S$1,629)
  • 12 GB + 256 GB : RM 5,499 (about US$1,314 / £969 / A$1,829 / S$1,759)
  • 12 GB + 512 GB : RM 5,899 (about US$1,409 / £1,039 / A$1,959 / S$1,889)

Here are some online pre-order options :

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > First Page | MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Battery Life + Recharging Speed!

Take a look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s battery recharging speed, and how its two refresh rate options affect its battery life!

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Two Refresh Rate Options

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet offers two refresh rate options (Settings > Display > Motion smoothness) :

  • 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

You may think that this is similar to the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 120 Hz display, but you would be wrong.

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.

Read more : Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Hands-On Experience!
Read more : Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Unboxing : What’s Inside?

 

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.

Work 3.0 S22 Ultra
(120 Hz)
Tab S7 Plus
(120 Hz)
Tab S8 Ultra
(120 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 10 hrs
38 mins
6 hrs
11 mins
6 hrs
38 mins
Utilisation
per min.
6.27 mAh 21.76 mAh 22.51 mAh

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Battery Recharging Speed!

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!

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra in five RAM + storage capacity options globally :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB
  • 12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
  • 16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB

But over here in Malaysia, it is available with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage for RM 5,899 (about US$1,387 / £1,063 / A$1,877 / S$1,892.

Here are some online pre-order options :

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy A73 Unboxing + Hands-On Preview!

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)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 642L (490 MHz)
Memory +
Storage
8 GB + 256 GB
External Storage microSDXC
Front Camera 32 MP camera, f/2.2
Main Cameras 108 MP OIS camera, f/1.8
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
5 MP macro camera, f/2.4
5 MP depth camera, f/2.4
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
USB : USB Type C
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic,
Light, Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Glonass, Galileo
NFC Yes
Battery 5,000 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 25 watt wired charging
Dimensions 76.1 mm wide
163.7 mm tall
7.6 mm thick
Weight 181 grams

 

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 :

  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM 2,099 (about US$499 / £379 / A$679 / S$679)

Here are some online purchase options :

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Hands-On Experience!

Here is our hands-on look at the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet, its new low-latency S Pen and its Book Cover Keyboard!

Find out why this tablet will offer you a 2-in-1 laptop-like experience!

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra + S Pen : Hands-On Experience!

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)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730
Memory +
Storage
Options
8 GB RAM + 128 GB
12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
External Storage microSD (up to 1TB)
Front Camera 12 MP main camera, f/2.2
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.4
Main Cameras 12 MP main camera, f/2.0
6 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB 3.2 Type C
S Pen Yes, 2.8 ms latency
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall, Light, Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Galileo, Glonass, QZSS
NFC No
Audio Quad speakers tuned by AKG
Battery 11,200 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 45 watt wired charging
Dimensions 326.4 mm wide
208.6 mm tall
5.5 mm thick
Weight 726 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra in five RAM + storage capacity options globally :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB
  • 12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
  • 16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB

But over here in Malaysia, it is available with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage for RM 5,899 (about US$1,387 / £1,063 / A$1,877 / S$1,892.

Here are some online pre-order options :

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | ComputerTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Photography Review!

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.

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.

 

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Galaxy S22 Ultra in four colour options – Burgundy, Green, Phantom Black and Phantom White.

I had the opportunity to attend an exclusive Samsung preview event, to check out all four colours for ourselves.

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.

Here in Malaysia, it is available starting 10 February 2022 in three variants, at these price points :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM 5,099 (about US$1,219 / £899 / A$1,699 / S$1,629)
  • 12 GB + 256 GB : RM 5,499 (about US$1,314 / £969 / A$1,829 / S$1,759)
  • 12 GB + 512 GB : RM 5,899 (about US$1,409 / £1,039 / A$1,959 / S$1,889)

Here are some online pre-order options :

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | Photo + VideoTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Unboxing : What’s Inside?

Let’s unbox the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, and see what we find inside!

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Flagship Class Performance!

Samsung just launched the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra – their largest and most powerful tablet, with a massive 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display!

It 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.

Powering all that is a massive 11,200 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, with 45 watt fast charging capability!

If you want the biggest and most powerful Android tablet, this is the ultimate choice!

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Unboxing : What’s Inside?

Samsung just sent us the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, which comes in a large and hefty box, with two security stickers.

Please check the label to make sure you have the right device, and that the two security stickers are intact.

Now, 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 inside the box :

  • Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet
  • Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra keyboard cover
  • Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra S Pen
  • Set of Galaxy Tab S8 documents
  • USB Type A to Type A data and power cable
  • microSD tray ejector pin

Unfortunately, the package does not include the 45 watt power adaptor, not even the standard 15 watt Samsung charger.

 

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)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730
Memory +
Storage
Options
8 GB RAM + 128 GB
12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
External Storage microSD (up to 1TB)
Front Camera 12 MP main camera, f/2.2
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.4
Main Cameras 12 MP main camera, f/2.0
6 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth : BT 5.2
USB : USB 3.2 Type C
S Pen Yes, 2.8 ms latency
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic, Hall, Light, Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Galileo, Glonass, QZSS
NFC No
Audio Quad speakers tuned by AKG
Battery 11,200 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 45 watt wired charging
Dimensions 326.4 mm wide
208.6 mm tall
5.5 mm thick
Weight 726 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Tab S8 Ultra in four RAM + storage capacity options globally :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB
  • 12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB
  • 16 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB

But over here in Malaysia, it is available with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage for RM 5,899 (about US$1,387 / £1,063 / A$1,877 / S$1,892.

Here are some online pre-order options :

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | ComputerTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Performance Examined!

Take a look at the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, and find out how well it performs against the competition!

 

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Flagship Class Performance!

The Samsung Galaxy S22 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 S22 Ultra : Work Performance

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 Gen 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 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 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 confirmed 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 : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Galaxy S22 Ultra in four colour options – Burgundy, Green, Phantom Black and Phantom White.

I had the opportunity to attend an exclusive Samsung preview event, to check out all four colours for ourselves.

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.

Here in Malaysia, it is available starting 10 February 2022 in three variants, at these price points :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM 5,099 (about US$1,219 / £899 / A$1,699 / S$1,629)
  • 12 GB + 256 GB : RM 5,499 (about US$1,314 / £969 / A$1,829 / S$1,759)
  • 12 GB + 512 GB : RM 5,899 (about US$1,409 / £1,039 / A$1,959 / S$1,889)

Here are some online pre-order options :

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

MySJ Trace Won’t Work With Bluetooth On? Here’s The Fix!

Did MySJ Trace stop working, even with Bluetooth enabled?

Find out what’s going on, and the solution to this problem!

 

MySJ Trace Won’t Work, Even With Bluetooth On!

Recently, you may have noticed that MySJ Trace stopped working, even with Bluetooth enabled!

You will be asked to setup MySJ Trace again, but clicking on the Allow button does nothing, and Bluetooth is listed as turned off, even when it is actually enabled.

 

Why MySJ Trace Won’t Work With Bluetooth On

Some people assumed / claimed that it was a bug in the new MySejahtera version that allowed 5-11 year-old children to be registered for COVID-19 vaccination.

That’s not really the case. It is really because you recently updated your smartphone to Android 12. For example, many Samsung users recently received the upgrade to One UI 4, which is based on Android 12.

Google has been introducing new privacy features in every iteration of Android, limiting the amount of data apps have access to.

In earlier versions of Android, the ability to scan for nearby Bluetooth or Wi-Fi devices was tied to the Location permission. That’s why the Android version of MySejahtera requires Location permission, while the iOS version does not.

This led to (false) accusations that contact tracing apps like MySejahtera were tracking people’s movements.

Read more : Why The Government Can’t Use MySJ Trace To Track You!

To fix that problem for good, Google added two new Bluetooth permissions to Android 12 – BLUETOOTH_SCAN and BLUETOOTH_CONNECT, that are separate from the Location permission.

These two new Bluetooth permissions allow your smartphone to detect Nearby devices without the need to enable Location.

Unfortunately, this Nearby devices permission is disabled by default, so when you upgrade to Android 12, MySejahtera automatically loses the ability to check for nearby devices.

 

How To Get MySJ Trace Working Again In Android 12

Here is what you need to do to get MySJ Trace working again with Android 12 devices:

Step 1 : Go to Settings > Apps > MySejahtera > Permissions.

Step 2 : Tap on the Nearby devices option under the list of Not allowed permissions.

Step 3 : Tap on the Allow option.

If you have already setup MySJ Trace earlier, it will now work without further action.

If you have not setup MySJ Trace, then you can read our guide on how to do that.

If you are worried about the government tracking you (fake news really), you can now disable the Location permission for MySejahtera.

Read more : How To Enable + Disable MySJ Trace In MySejahtera

I hope you found this guide useful. Please SHARE it with your family and friends!

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | SoftwareTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

vivo Y33T Smartphone Preview : What You Need To Know!

The new vivo Y33T smartphone is here, offering great features at an incredibly affordable price point!

Find out if the vivo Y33T is what you have been waiting for!

 

vivo Y33T Smartphone : What You Need To Know!

The new vivo Y33T is targeted at the youth, offering an all-rounder device with a fast processor, a sleek design and great photographic capabilities at a great price point.

Those are some of the most important characteristics many consumers are looking for in their smartphones during the pandemic.

6.58-inch Display

The vivo Y33T comes with a massive 6.58-inch display, with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2408 pixels.

Its display panel has a 90 Hz refresh rate, and boasts a wide colour gamut of 96% NTSC.

High-Performance Mobile SoC

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 is a mid-range mobile SoC, manufactured on the 6 nm process, offering

  • four high-performance Kryo 265 Gold (A75) cores running at up to 2.4 GHz,
  • four power-efficient Kryo 265 Silver (A55) cores running at up to 1.8 GHz, and
  • an Adreno GPU to accelerate 2D and 3G graphics

It also features the vivo Multi-Turbo 5.0 software that intelligently optimises network connectivity, processor speed, and power usage to keep it running cool at optimal performance.

RAM + Storage

The vivo Y33T comes with 8 GB of LPDDR4x memory, with an additional 4 GB of extended RAM, giving up to 12 GB of RAM – more than enough to handle multiple memory-hungry games and apps at the same time!

There’s also no need to worry about storage. Its fast UFS 2.1 internal flash memory has a capacity of 128 GB – enough for a multitude of games and apps.

And if you run out, you can top up storage through a microSD card – up to 1 terabyte!

16 MP Selfie Camera

When it comes to photography, the vivo Y33T offers great selfie shots from its 16 MP front camera, with a wide f/2.0 aperture for great selfies even in low light conditions.

The front camera automatically focuses on your eye area, to ensure that you are always in focus; with software enhancements to deliver a natural portrait look.

You can also opt for Multi-Style Portrait to create portraits in a variety of distinct styles!

50 MP Triple-Camera System

In the back, it has a 50 MP main camera with a wide f/1.8 aperture, together with an 2 MP bokeh camera, and a 2 MP macro camera for really close-up shots (as close as 4 cm).

The main camera supports Super Night Mode, combining multiple night shots into one photo with incredible clarity.

Large Fast Charging Battery

To power all that, the Y33T comes with a large 5,000 mAh battery, which gives you a full day of usage and then some!

On top of that, the Y33T also supports reverse charging, letting you recharge your other mobile devices!

 

vivo Y33T : Specifications

Specifications vivo Y33T
Display 6.58-inch Display
– 1080 x 2408 pixels
– 90 Hz refresh rate
– 96% NTSC colour gamut
OS Funtouch OS 12 (Android 12)
Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 680
CPU 4 x Kryo 265 Gold cores (2.4 GHz)
4 x Kryo 265 Silver cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 610 (845 MHz)
Memory 8 GB LPDDR4X +
4 GB Extended RAM 2.0
Storage 128 GB UFS 2.1
External Storage microSD (up to 1 TB)
Front Camera 16 MP camera, f/2.0
Main Cameras 50 MP main camera, f/1.8
2 MP macro camera, f/2.4
2 MP depth camera, f/2.4
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 5
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
USB : USB Type C
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Side Mounted
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Gyroscope,
Light, Proximity, E-compass
GPS GPS, Beidou, Glonass,
Galileo, QZSS
NFC No
Battery 5,000 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 18 watt wired charging
Supports reverse charging
Dimensions 76.08 mm wide
164.26 mm tall
8.0 mm thick
Weight 182 grams

 

vivo Y33T : Three Colour Options

The vivo Y33T is available in three colour options. From left to right, they are Mirror Black, Midday Dream, and Starry Gold!

Mirror Black features their latest double-layer coating technique, which intertwines black the elegant shade of black with a glossy sheen.

Midday Dream features an embossed AG texture with a frosted feel, and a liquid crystal coating that is fingerprint smear resistant.

Starry Gold features newly-upgraded fluorite glitter texture, with nano-grade gradient colour plating technology that creates a frosted golden surface with shiny lines.

Do let us know which you prefer!

 

vivo Y33T : Price, Availability + Deals!

The vivo Y33T has a launch price of only RM999 – approximately US$237 / £180 / A$310 / S$322.

For a limited time, every purchase will come with 1-year extended warranty worth RM159 from now until 17 April 2022!

If you like the vivo Y33T, make sure you grab it on the official vivo store!

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Battery Life + Recharging Speed!

Take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s battery recharging speed, and how its two refresh rate options affect its battery life!

 

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Refresh Rate Affects Battery Life!

The new 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.

In the next section, we will look at how the two refresh rate options affect the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s battery life.

Read more : Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Our Hands-On Experience!
Read more : How To Setup Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra For The First Time!

 

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.

Work 3.0 S22 Ultra
(120 Hz)
S21 Ultra
(120 Hz)
Z Flip 3
(120 Hz)
Battery Capacity 5,000 mAh 5,000 mAh 3,300 mAh
Battery Life 10 hrs
38 mins
10 hrs
26 mins
6 hrs
44 mins
Utilisation
per min.
6.27 mAh 6.39 mAh 6.53 mAh

 

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Battery Recharging Speed!

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!

 

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Price + Availability

Samsung is offering the Galaxy S22 Ultra in four colour options – Burgundy, Green, Phantom Black and Phantom White.

I had the opportunity to attend an exclusive Samsung preview event, to check out all four colours for ourselves.

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.

Here in Malaysia, it is available starting 10 February 2022 in three variants, at these price points :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM 5,099 (about US$1,219 / £899 / A$1,699 / S$1,629)
  • 12 GB + 256 GB : RM 5,499 (about US$1,314 / £969 / A$1,829 / S$1,759)
  • 12 GB + 512 GB : RM 5,899 (about US$1,409 / £1,039 / A$1,959 / S$1,889)

Here are some online options :

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy A33 : Exclusive Hands-On Preview!

We recently had the opportunity to get some hands-on time with the Samsung Galaxy A33 that was just launched, and here is our hands-on preview!

 

Samsung Galaxy A33 with 48 MP Quad Camera System!

Samsung just launched their Galaxy A33 mid-range smartphone, which boasts a 48 MP quad-camera system!

We had the exclusive opportunity to get some hands-on time with the Galaxy A33 smartphone recently, and here is our hands-on video experience!

6.4-inch Super AMOLED Display

The Samsung Galaxy A33 comes with a large 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display.

It has a Full HD+ resolution, and a dynamic refresh rate of up to 90 Hz!

Performance

The Samsung Galaxy A33 runs on the new Samsung Exynos 1280 mobile platform, which has a dual-tier CPU architecture :

  • four sustained-performance ARM Cortex-A78 cores running at up to 2.4 GHz, and
  • four energy-efficient ARM Cortex-A55 cores running at 2.0 GHz

It also comes with a ARM Mali-G68 GPU running at 1.0 GHz.

Memory + Storage Options

The Samsung Galaxy A33 comes with 8 GB of RAM, and 128 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 A33 is targeted at those who love to take photos and videos.

In the front, it has a 13 MP camera, with an f/2.2 aperture, and in the back, it has a quad-camera system that consists of :

  • a 48 MP Dual Pixel camera with f/1.8 aperture
  • an 8 MP ultra-wide angle camera with f/2.2 aperture
  • a 5 MP macro camera with f/2.4 aperture, and
  • a 2 MP depth camera with f/2.4 aperture

IP67 Dust + Water-Resistance!

You will also love the fact that the Galaxy A33 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 A33 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 A33 Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy A33
Display 6.4-inch Super AMOLED
– 90 Hz dynamic refresh rate
Protection IP67
OS One UI 4.1 (Android 12)
Platform Samsung Exynos 1280
CPU 2 x ARM Cortex-A78 cores (2.4 GHz)
6 x ARM Cortex-A55 cores (2.0 GHz)
GPU ARM Mali-G68 (1 GHz)
Memory +
Storage
8 GB + 128 GB
External Storage microSDXC
Front Camera 13 MP camera, f/2.2
Main Cameras 48 MP OIS camera, f/1.8
8 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
5 MP macro camera, f/2.4
2 MP depth camera, f/2.4
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 5
Bluetooth : BT 5.1
USB : USB Type C
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic,
Hall, Light,
Virtual Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Glonass, Galileo
NFC Yes
Battery 5,000 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 25 watt wired charging
Dimensions 74.0 mm wide
159.7 mm tall
8.1 mm thick
Weight 186 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy A33 Colour + Availability!

Here in Malaysia, the Galaxy A33 smartphone is available in four colour options :

  • Awesome Peach
  • Awesome Blue
  • Awesome White
  • Awesome Black

It will be offered in only one variant, at this price point :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM 1,499 (about US$359 / £269 / A$487 / S$487)

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy A53 : Exclusive Hands-On Preview!

We recently had the opportunity to get some hands-on time with the Samsung Galaxy A53 that was just launched, and here is our hands-on experience!

 

Samsung Galaxy A53 with 64 MP Quad Camera System!

Samsung just launched their Galaxy A53 mid-range smartphone, which boasts a 64 MP quad-camera system!

We had the exclusive opportunity to get some hands-on time with the Galaxy A53 smartphone recently, and here is our hands-on video experience!

6.5-inch Super AMOLED Display

The Samsung Galaxy A53 comes with a large 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display.

It has a Full HD+ resolution, and a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120 Hz!

Performance

The Samsung Galaxy A53 runs on the new Samsung Exynos 1280 mobile platform, which has a dual-tier CPU architecture :

  • four sustained-performance ARM Cortex-A78 cores running at up to 2.4 GHz, and
  • four energy-efficient ARM Cortex-A55 cores running at 2.0 GHz

It also comes with a ARM Mali-G68 GPU running at 1.0 GHz.

Memory + Storage Options

The Samsung Galaxy A53 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 A53 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 64 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 A53 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 A53 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 A53 Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
Display 6.5-inch Super AMOLED
– 120 Hz dynamic refresh rate
Protection IP67
OS One UI 4 (Android 12)
Platform Samsung Exynos 1280
CPU 2 x ARM Cortex-A78 cores (2.4 GHz)
6 x ARM Cortex-A55 cores (2.0 GHz)
GPU ARM Mali-G68 (1 GHz)
Memory +
Storage
8 GB + 256 GB
External Storage microSDXC
Front Camera 32 MP camera, f/2.2
Main Cameras 64 MP OIS camera, f/1.8
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
5 MP macro camera, f/2.4
5 MP depth camera, f/2.4
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 5
Bluetooth : BT 5.1
USB : USB Type C
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic,
Hall, Light,
Virtual Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Glonass, Galileo
NFC Yes
Battery 5,000 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 25 watt wired charging
Dimensions 74.8 mm wide
159.6 mm tall
8.1 mm thick
Weight 189 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy A53 Colour + Availability!

Here in Malaysia, the Galaxy A53 smartphone is available in four colour options :

  • Awesome Peach
  • Awesome Blue
  • Awesome White
  • Awesome Black

It will be offered in only one variant, at this price point :

  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM 1,849 (about US$439 / £336 / A$599 / S$599)

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy A73 : Exclusive Hands-On Preview!

We recently had the opportunity to get some hands-on time with the Samsung Galaxy A73 that was just launched, and here is our hands-on preview!

 

Samsung Galaxy A73 with 108 MP Quad Camera System!

Samsung just launched their Galaxy A73 mid-range smartphone, which boasts a 108 MP quad-camera system!

We had the exclusive opportunity to get some hands-on time with the Galaxy A73 smartphone recently, and here is our hands-on video experience!

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)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 642L (490 MHz)
Memory +
Storage
8 GB + 256 GB
External Storage microSDXC
Front Camera 32 MP camera, f/2.2
Main Cameras 108 MP OIS camera, f/1.8
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
5 MP macro camera, f/2.4
5 MP depth camera, f/2.4
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
USB : USB Type C
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic,
Light, Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Glonass, Galileo
NFC Yes
Battery 5,000 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 25 watt wired charging
Dimensions 76.1 mm wide
163.7 mm tall
7.6 mm thick
Weight 181 grams

 

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 :

  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM 2,099 (about US$499 / £379 / A$679 / S$679)

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy A73 : All 3 Colour Options Compared!

Check out the three colour options available for the new Samsung Galaxy A73 smartphone!

 

Samsung Galaxy A73 : Available In 3 Colour Options!

Samsung just launched their Galaxy A73 mid-range smartphone, and it is available in three pastel colours!

We had the exclusive opportunity to check out all three colour options for the Galaxy A73 smartphone recently.

In this video, you will be able to check out all three colour options for yourself. From left to right, they are :

  • Awesome White
  • Awesome Mint
  • Awesome Gray

Awesome Mint is, incidentally, an exclusive colour option for the Galaxy A73 smartphone. It is not available for the Galaxy A53 or the Galaxy A33 smartphones.

For your convenience, here is a comparison of its key specifications :

Specifications Samsung Galaxy A73
Display 6.7-inch Super AMOLE+
– 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)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 642L (490 MHz)
Memory +
Storage
8 GB + 256 GB
External Storage microSDXC
Front Camera 32 MP camera, f/2.2
Main Cameras 108 MP OIS camera, f/1.8
12 MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
5 MP macro camera, f/2.4
5 MP depth camera, f/2.4
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
USB : USB Type C
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic,
Light, Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Glonass, Galileo
NFC Yes
Battery 5,000 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 25 watt wired charging
Dimensions 76.1 mm wide
163.7 mm tall
7.6 mm thick
Weight 181 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy A73 Colour Availability!

Here in Malaysia, the Galaxy A73 smartphone is available in all three colour options, starting 10 February 2022.

There are three variants, each with four colour options, at these price points :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM 5,099 (about US$1,219 / £899 / A$1,699 / S$1,629)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM 5,499 (about US$1,314 / £969 / A$1,829 / S$1,759)

You can now pre-order the 12 GB + 256 GB model from 10 February until 3 March 2022, to receive these freebies!

  • Samsung eVoucher worth RM800
  • Galaxy S22 Plus Silicone Cover with Strap worth RM 169
  • Galaxy Lucky Box (with wide strap) worth RM 79
  • Camera Filter Mount worth RM 169

Here are some online pre-order options : RM5,499 | RM5,499 | RM5,499 | RM5,499

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy A53 | A33 : All 4 Colour Options Compared!

Check out the four colour options available for the new Samsung Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A33 smartphones!

 

Samsung Galaxy A53 | A33 : Available In 4 Colour Options!

Samsung just launched their Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A33 mid-range smartphones, and they are available in four pastel colours!

We had the exclusive opportunity to check out all four colour options for the Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A33 smartphones recently.

In this video, you will be able to check out all four colour options for yourself. From left to right, they are :

  • Awesome Peach
  • Awesome Blue
  • Awesome White
  • Awesome Black

Awesome Peach is, incidentally, an exclusive colour option for the Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A33 smartphones. It is not available for the Galaxy A73 smartphone.

For your convenience, here is a comparison of their key specifications :

Specifications Galaxy A53 Galaxy A33
Display Size 6.5-inch 6.4-inch
Display Type Super AMOLED
Dynamic
Refresh Rate
120 Hz 90 Hz
Protection IP67
OS One UI 4.1 (Android 12)
Platform Samsung Exynos 1280
CPU 2 x ARM Cortex-A78 cores (2.4 GHz)
6 x ARM Cortex-A55 cores (2.0 GHz)
GPU ARM Mali-G68 (1 GHz)
Memory 8 GB
Storage 256 GB 128 GB
External Storage microSDXC
Front Camera 32 MP, f/2.2 13 MP, f/2.2
Main Cameras 64 MP OIS, f/1.8
12 MP ultra-wide, f/2.2
5 MP macro, f/2.4
5 MP depth, f/2.4
48 MP OIS, f/1.8
8 MP ultra-wide, f/2.2
5 MP macro, f/2.4
2 MP depth, f/2.4
Connectivity Wi-Fi : Up to Wi-Fi 5
Bluetooth : BT 5.1
USB : USB Type C
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, Under Display
Other Sensors Accelerometer, Gyroscope,
Geomagnetic,
Hall, Light, Virtual Proximity
GPS GPS, Beidou, Glonass, Galileo
NFC Yes
Battery 5,000 mAh Li-Po battery
Charging 25 watt wired charging
Dimensions 74.8 mm wide
159.6 mm tall
8.1 mm thick
74.0 mm wide
159.7 mm tall
8.1 mm thick
Weight 189 grams 186 grams

 

Samsung Galaxy A53 | A33 Colour Availability!

Here in Malaysia, the Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A33 smartphones are available in four colour options :

  • Awesome Peach
  • Awesome Blue
  • Awesome White
  • Awesome Black

The Samsung Galaxy A53 will be offered in only one variant, at this price point :

  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM 1,849 (about US$439 / £336 / A$599 / S$599)

The Samsung Galaxy A33 will be offered in only one variant, at this price point :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM 1,499 (about US$359 / £269 / A$487 / S$487)

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Our Hands-On Experience!

Samsung sent us their latest Galaxy S22 Ultra smartphone, and here is our hands-on experience!

 

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra : Our Hands-On Experience!

Samsung 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!

Here is our hands-on experience of the new Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra smartphone!

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.

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 : Specifications

Specifications Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Display 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display
– 120 Hz dynamic refresh rate
– 240 Hz touch sampling (Game Mode)
– 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut
– 1750 nits peak brightness
– 3 million:1 contrast ratio
Protection Gorilla Glass Victus+ (front and back)
Water Resistance IP68
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 (2.5 GHz)
4 x Arm Cortex-A510 cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 730
Memory +
Storage
8 GB + 128 GB
12 GB + 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
External Storage NA
Front Camera 40 MP camera, f/2.2
Main Cameras 108 MP Dual Pixel camera, f/1.8
12 MP ultra-wide ca