Microsoft Surface Event 2022

 

Microsoft unveiled 9th upgrade of its Surface Pro along with new Surface Laptop 5, a new branding of plus with Surface Studio 2+ and new adaptive accessories for Microsoft Surface devices.

Surface brand of devices have been Microsoft's innovative, productivity focused and the best hardware for Windows operating system. For past ten years, Surface devices have made 2-in-1 hybrid form factor the go to option for Windows oems inspiring to breath fresh air to pc industry for best of world Windows experience available to homes and enterprises. The Surface laptop for past five years also have been a door to great high end Windows experience with amazing battery life and optimized cpu delivering a great Windows os machines.

This year's Surface Pro 9 is Microsoft's high end take at competition with incremental specs matching Apple's M1 Pros to more battery life, faster than previous generation and design upgrades. This year, there is a SoC choice with Intel 12th gen i5 or i7 or Snapdragon Microsoft SQ 3 with 5G. The battery life is more hours on arm based 5G model though RAM and Storage support limited at 16 gb and 512 gb versus 32 gb and 1 tb. The 5G over esim support also makes Surface Pro 9 at $1299 more smarter choice to $999 Intel powered version. With Android apps support, arm based Microsoft SQ 3 with 5G is well positioned for gamers and Android fans also.

Microsoft and Liberty is also launching Windows 11 Bloom inspired Surface Pro keyboard with blue bloom theme made for style and personality.

                                         

Microsoft fifth edition of Surface Laptop is with upgraded pixel sense display for more brightness, Intel's 12 th gen with Intel Evo certified, The Surface Laptop 5 is with two display sizes 13.5 or 15 inch. The display is with Dolby Vision IQ support taking on Apple's Macbook displays to vivid colors and more sharper in daylight. The external speakers are updated with Dolby Atmos 3D spatial audio support for immersive sound without headphones also.

Microsoft also announced a new branding to their Surface Studio product with a new Studio 2+ thats more than a generation update. The specs are really high at $4299 price going close to Apple's iMac Pros with Intel's latest i7 H series with 50% more performance than Studio 2, upgraded 3:2 pixel sense display, Dolby 3D Atmos external speakers and gaming might with Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3060 gpu for high performance gaming with Windows 11. Microsoft delivers an impressive iMac Pro competitor with powerful cpu, gpu and high quality display.

Microsoft is also launching adaptive accessories for Surface devices with Microsoft Business Pen Grip, Microsoft Presenter+ and Microsoft Audio dock. Microsoft audio dock is an all-in-one portable speaker shape device with built in ports for hdmi and usb C and A, noise reduction microphone an omni sonic speaker for noise free meetings. Microsoft Presenter+ is a remote with quick tasks switch like changing slides, mute/unmute audience and others.

Microsoft is pushing more innovations and premium design for home and enterprise customers with Surface devices powered by Windows 11. The hardware specs of this year's Surface devices are positioning Microsoft as a device leader to 2-in-1 hybrid category with a new e-sim and 5G powered Surface Pro 9,  Surface Laptop 5 with more battery life and upgraded display and a new product category Surface Studio 2+ with Intel's H series cpu and Nvidia's high end gaming gpu and Surface Adaptive accessories for more time-saving and smarter computing.

Galaxy Z flip 4 Review: Samsung's Flip for Style.

Galaxy Z Flip 4 is Samsung's stylish perspective on foldable display smartphones to a flip form factor for a modern clamshell phone. Samsung is leading high end clamshell foldable smartphone maker defeating Motorola and Chinese oems with Galaxy Z Flip 3 and previous generations. The hardware specs update for Galaxy Z Flip 4 shows Samsung redefining high end experience for clamshell foldable design for a value for money stylish smartphone.

Here are the specs of Galaxy Z Flip 4 2022: 

SoC: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) cpu, Adreno 730 gpu

RAM:  8 GB

Storage: 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB GB

Display: AMOLED 2X, HDR10+, 1200 Nits( Max Brightness), 120 Hz, 6.7 Inch at 1080 x 2640                      resolution. 1.9 Inch at 260 x 512, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+

Main Camera: 

12 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 12 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide)
4K@60fps, 1080p@60/240fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps (gyro-EIS), HDR10+ Video Recording

Selfie Camera: 

10 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide)
4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS Video Recording

Battery:

Li-Po 3700 mAh, non-removable
Fast charging 25W, 50% in 30 min 
Reverse wireless charging 4.5W

OS:

Android 12, One UI 4.1.1

Colors:

Bora Purple, Graphite, Pink Gold, Blue, Yellow, White, Navy, Khaki, Red

Price:

256 GB Fold 4 $999

512 GB Fold 4 $1160

1 TB Fold 4 $1280

Un-box:

Samsung has delivered its best hardware specs for this year's Flip 4 with the display upgraded to HDR10+ AMOLED 2X panel for supporting 10 bit and above HDR encoded movies and camera recorded videos. The display is now protected by latest from Corning's Gorilla glass Victus+ that adds more durability against scratches, falls and spills. The device is also IPX 8 protected against water, dust and shocks. The hinge is now more stronger than previous generation as it stands unbroken against harsh folds and reverse folds. At 1200 nits maximum brightness, the display shows vivid colors, 1 fps to 120 fps support and better power saving.

The dual displays at 6.7 inch and 1.9 inch provides a great user experience balance for Samsung's own One UI 5.0 on the top of Android 12 L. The hinge based split screen really making it a Top Gun of smartphone to tablet experience a powerhouse for productivity, entertainment and gaming. And this year, fast charging and increased capacity to 4400 mAh upgrades the user experience without the hassle of waiting for hours of device charging. Samsung has also outdone Apple in supplying out of box charger while still remaining green smartphone packaging oem. There is also S-Pen support on dual displays.

The selfie camera has also received a great upgrade with addition of another for Samsung's Ultrawide strategy for a options spectra. The 10 Megapixels main selfie is supported by 4 Megapixels for an option galore selfie shooting experience of ultrawide mode, macro modes and more. The main camera is with Samsung's Ultrawide imaging strategy of three camera modules of 12 Megapixels in 12 Mp output.

The chipset powering the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is Qualcomm's flagship 4 nm based Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Octa core and Adreno 730 GPU. The new SoC is delivering blazing fast performance and optimized battery life on top of 8 GB RAM.

Checkout the hands on video by CNET for Galaxy Z Flip 4's user experience and performance:

                                           

Durability:

As tested by jerryrigeverything, Galaxy Z Flip 4's hinge is strong as advertised by Samsung against the harsh folds and reverse folds with almost no damage to mechanism. Though against the flames, not under the IPX 8 protection, display got burned along with the back-plate While against the drops, Z Flip 4 turned out shatter proof defeating other Android smartphones.

Photography:

Samsung has also updated hardware specs apart from the design with key improvements on both front and back camera. From previous generations, the new Galaxy Z Flip 4 now featuring dual 12 Mps camera for ultrawide and better night photography. Samsung's own S5K2LD lens outputs 12 Megapixels sharper, dynamic colors and vivid images in both outdoors, indoors and at night time. The selfie camera is also updated from last year with 10 Megapixels Samsung rather than Sony on Fold 4 as S5K3J1 sensor with fixed focus still outputting bright, vivid and clear selfie images.

The video recording is innovative on Galaxy Flip 4 with so many angles users to choose from. The flex app camera modes provide variety of angles of video recording in 720p, full hd or 4K.

Check out the camera test of Galaxy Z Flip 4 by Phandroid:

One UI 5.0 and Flex app user experience:

Samsung has also released new One UI 5.0 on top of Android 12. Android 12 is well optimized for Galaxy Z Flip 4 with the lock screen for both displays showing the same app shortcuts and notifications, While the home screen is dynamic in terms of which display is closed or if the hinge is folded to a single display. The app drawer is pretty similar to Galaxy S22 in portrait modes while on tablet display mode its similar to Galaxy Tab.

The Flex user experience is also improved and updated with support for more app experiences. It is also integrated with more support for Play Store apps.

Checkout the review of software experience on Galaxy Z Flip 4:

Conclusion:

At $999, Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4 is Samsung's flagship clamshell Foldable-dual display smartphone that overshadows the competition by Oppos, Xiaomis and Chinese foldable smartphones by Qualcomm's blazing fast SoC, Samsung's own Ultrawide cameras that are zoom-savy, vivid and brightest dual displays and One UI Android 12 with Flex app experience on top. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is an immersive dual-display fold clamshell form-factor flagship smartphone by Samsung that fuels entertainment, productivity and gaming to the most dynamic and smarter user experience.

Apple Event 2022 Far Out part 2

 

Apple announced new line ups of Apple Watch with Watch SE 2022, Series 8 Watch and a new flagship Apple Watch Ultra. The new line ups are both in terms of design and hardware upgrades to the previous generation along with the new Watch OS 9. 

The Apple Watch SE 2022 is now a bit less price than last year with the new band color options, the same dual core S8 SiP SoC in Apple Watch 8 and two options of 40 mm and 44 mm. Apple has also included Apple Watch 8's new hardware features of Satellite SOS, Car-crash safety sensor and software integration ad new compass app. The display is also upgraded with more shatter proof crystal with new Retina poled panel with 1000 nits. 

The new Apple Watch Series Watch 8 has three options: Series 8 Watch, Nike and Hermes. Series 8 Apple Watch comes in aluminum and Stainless steel options starting at $399. The display options are 41 mm or 45 mm  and with the same poled as affordable SE 2022 while there are three color options. While the difference is IP 6X certified for waterproof and dust and shock proof, sapphire crystal glass display, new temperature and ultra wideband support. There is also afib support for heart sensor for tracking previous histories. The Nike series 8 shows Nike logo when switched on along with Nike exclusive tracking in Fitness plus while Heremes shows horse in House animation in watch face when the watch is raised showing the equestrian house roots. There are also Nike bands and Hermes bands with new colors and designs. 

The new surprising edition to Apple branding is Apple Watch Ultra 8 with more endurance battery life, biggest and brightest display at 2000 nits, and three band options at $799. The new action button is customization savy to user needs. The battery life is also further improved by new low power mode that almost doubles the Watch on time.

Apple also announced an update to AirPods with a new AirPods Pro second generation at $249. The new buds pro is with updated H2 audio SoC, 1.5 hours more of battery life and a new charging case. There is also new transparency mode to noise cancellation that cancels outside environment noise. There is a new immersive spatial audio for customizing audio with truedepth front camera of iPhone to create more immersive audio.

Apple changes the smartphone and smartwatch markets again with new hardware and software innovation iPhones and Series 8 Apple Watch. The new AirPods Pro is also unveiled as Apple's groundbreaking product for music listening.

 

Apple Event 2022 Far Out Part 1

 

Apple announced new iPhone 14 series with four new iPhones powered by updated and new SoC, upgraded cameras and ground breaking innovations. The series now ditches mini with a new plus in iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. There are four colors availability with 14 ad 14 Plus color variants same as last year's 13 while 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max with Space Black and Deep Purple as new colors. The designs of iPhone series 14 is also improved to more thinness and less weight than previous generation while front camera notch is now updated to show notifications and dynamically adjusted to the display content as Dynamic Islands. Also there is new arrival of always on display for notifications.

In terms of hardware specs, the upgrades are: iPhone 14 and 14 Plus with upgraded A15 Bionic 5 nm hexacore CPU and 5 core GPU while iPhone 14 Pro ad iPhone 14 Pro Max are with ground breaking new A16 Bionic 4 nm hexacore CPU and 5 core GPU. The displays are now upgraded to Super Retina XDR oled with 800 nits and 1000 nits average brightness for 14, 14 Plus and 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max respectively. The cameras on 14 and 14 Plus are as same as on 13 in terms of Ultrawide megapixels output while 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are now with 48 Megapixels. The selfie cameras are 12 Megapixels for all four iPhones with upgraded specs. The camera software is upgraded by new improved photogenic engine that produces great 3d true depth selfies while for main cameras its new action video recording mode for more stabilized video recording.

The new hardware innovation is integration of car crash detection to Apple Watch for automatically dialing emergency numbers or showing emergency number on Apple watch. There is also a groundbreaking satellite sos sms system that provides sms option when there is no wifi or network as Far Out event name says!.

Apple has delivered a groundbreaking display, camera and connectivity features with the iPhone series that starts at $799 to $1099 against the competition of fold form factors by Samsung and other Android smartphones. 

Checkout the hands on video by CNET:

                                           

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review: The Top Gun Hinge.

 

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4 is this year's the most awaited foldable display smartphone with lots of excitement and anticipation by Fold fans and tech journalists as smartphone industry becoming saturated by just two options of big screen phablets and normal screen smartphones. After Galaxy S22, Galaxy Z Fold 4 is also Samsung's new flagship smartphone in terms of price for this year. Samsung as inventor of Foldable smartphone mainstream market oem, apart from incremental design improvements, went with more innovations in both hardware and software.

Specs: 

SoC: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) cpu, Adreno 730 gpu

RAM:  12 GB

Storage: 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB GB

Display: AMOLED 2X, HDR10+, 1200 Nits( Max Brightness), 120 Hz, 7.6 Inch at 1812 x 2176                           resolution. 6.2 Inch at 904 x 2316, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+

Main Camera: 

50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto),12 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide)
4K@60fps, 1080p@60/240fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps (gyro-EIS), HDR10+ Video Recording

Selfie Camera: 

4 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 10 MP, f/2.2, 24mm (wide)
4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS Video Recording

Battery:

Li-Po 4400 mAh, non-removable
Fast charging 25W, 50% in 30 min 
Reverse wireless charging 4.5W

OS:

Android 12 L, One UI 4.1.1

Colors:

Graygreen, Phantom Black, Beige, Burgundy

Price:

256 GB Fold 4 $1799.99

512 GB Fold 4 $1919.99

1 TB Fold 4 $2159.99

Un-Box:

Samsung has delivered its best hardware specs for this year's Fold 4 with the display upgraded to HDR10+ AMOLED 2X panel for supporting 10 bit and above HDR encoded movies and camera recorded videos. The display is now protected by latest from Corning's Gorilla glass Victus+ that adds more durability against scratches, falls and spills. The device is also IPX 8 protected against water, dust and shocks. The hinge is now more stronger than previous generation as it stands unbroken against harsh folds and reverse folds. At 1200 nits maximum brightness, the display shows vivid colors, 1 fps to 120 fps support and better power saving.

The dual displays at 7.6 inch and 6.2 inch provides a great user experience balance for Samsung's own One UI 5.0 on the top of Android 12 L. The hinge based split screen really making it a Top Gun of smartphone to tablet experience a powerhouse for productivity, entertainment and gaming. And this year, fast charging and increased capacity to 4400 mAh upgrades the user experience without the hassle of waiting for hours of device charging. Samsung has also outdone Apple in supplying out of box charger while still remaining green smartphone packaging oem. There is also S-Pen support on dual displays.

The selfie camera has also received a great upgrade with addition of another for Samsung's Ultrawide strategy for a options spectra. The 10 Megapixels main selfie is supported by 4 Megapixels for an option galore selfie shooting experience of ultrawide mode, macro modes and more. The main camera is with Samsung's Ultrawide imaging strategy of three camera modules of 50, 10 and 12 Megapixels in 12 Mp output.

The chipset powering the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is Qualcomm's flagship 4 nm based Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Octa core and Adreno 730 GPU. The new SoC is delivering blazing fast performance and optimized battery life on top of 6 GB and 12 GB RAM options.

Checkout the hands on video by CNET for Galaxy Z Fold 4's user experience and performance:

Durability:

As tested by RRTech, Galaxy Z Fold 4's hinge is strong as advertised by Samsung against the harsh folds and reverse folds with almost no damage to mechanism. Though against the flames, not under the IPX 8 protection, display got burned along with the back-plate While against the drops, Z Fold 4 turned out shatter proof defeating other Android smartphones.

JerryRiggEveryhing tests Galaxy Z Fold 4's victus+ Gorilla Glass with a wire cutter and its less scratches than previous generation. Galaxy Z Fold 4 also shows great hinge quality against knife and reverse folds. Galaxy Z Fold 4 turns out more tougher than previous year with IPX 8 protection.

Photography:

Galaxy Z Fold 4 is Samsung's flagship foldable smartphone this year with improved design, updated hardware specs and more innovation from previous generation. The camera hardware is updated with three cameras for ultrawide, depth photography and adding 30X Space Zoom to photography. The images captured are vivid, bright and clearer even with 30X zoom mode and night photography is as impressive as day time. The selfie camera is now a dual camera update from previous generation with same ultrawide sensor outputting vivid, bright and clearer selfies. Samsung has delivered its best camera for Galaxy Z Fold 4.

Checkout the camera testing of Galaxy Z Fold 4 by Phandroid:

Checkout the video recording test by CNET:

One UI 5.0 and Flex app user experience:

Samsung has also released new One UI 5.0 on top of Android 12L. Android 12 for Large screens is well optimized for Galaxy Z Fold 4 with the lock screen for both displays showing the same app shortcuts and notifications, While the home screen is dynamic in terms of which display is closed or if the hinge is folded to a single display. The app drawer is pretty similar to Galaxy S22 in portrait modes while on tablet display mode its similar to Galaxy Tab.

The Flex user experience is also improved and updated with support for more app experiences. It is also integrated with more support for Play Store apps. 

Checkout the review of software experience on Galaxy Z Fold 4 by ZDNET:

Checkout also the PUBG gaming test on Galaxy Fold 4 by HG:

Conclusion:

At $1799.99, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4 is a industry-defining Foldable-dual display smartphone that overshadows the competition by Oppos, Xiaomis and Chinese foldable smartphones by Qualcomm's blazing fast SoC, Samsung's own Ultrawide cameras that are zoom-savy, vivid and brightest dual displays and One UI Android 12L with Flex app experience. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is an immersive dual-display fold form-factor flagship smartphone by Samsung that fuels entertainment, productivity and gaming to the most dynamic and smarter user experience.

Galasy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Flip 4 Imaging review

 

Galaxy Z Flip 4 is Samsung's stylish perspective on foldable display smartphones to a flip form factor for a modern clamshell phone. Samsung has also updated hardware specs apart from the design with key improvements on both front and back camera. From previous generations, the new Galaxy Z Flip 4 now featuring dual 12 Mps camera for ultrawide and better night photography. Samsung's own S5K2LD lens outputs 12 Megapixels sharper, dynamic colors and vivid images in both outdoors, indoors and at night time. The selfie camera is also updated from last year with 10 Megapixels Sony sensor with fixed focus still outputting bright, vivid and clear selfie images.

Check out the camera test of Galaxy Z Flip 4 by Phandroid:

Galaxy Z Fold 4 is Samsung's flagship foldable smartphone this year with improved design, updated hardware specs and more innovation from previous generation. The camera hardware is updated with three cameras for ultrawide, depth photography and adding 30X Space Zoom to photography. The images captured are vivid, bright and clearer even with 30X zoom mode and night photography is as impressive as day time. The selfie camera is now a dual camera update from previous generation with same ultrawide sensor outputting vivid, bright and clearer selfies. Samsung has delivered its best camera for Galaxy Z Fold 4.

Checkout the camera testing of Galaxy Z Fold 4 by Phandroid:

Samsung has improved camera imaging to flagship class for Galaxy Z series of 2022 in terms of hardware and software. The new 30X Space Zoom is the impressive achievement for a foldable smartphone and low light photography is matching Galaxy S22, so overall Samsung has delivered innovative camera for both Fold and Flip smartphones of 2022.

Galaxy Fold 4 and Flip 4 durability test

 

Galaxy Z Fold 4 is Samsung's flagship foldable display smartphone improved from previous generations with more stronger hinge, more brighter dual displays, ultrawide triple 50 Mps imaging and Qualcomm's latest 5 nm 8+ gen 1 Snapdragon as faster and power efficient SoC backed by 12 GB of RAM. Samsung has also upgraded Fold Z 4 with new standards of durability by Gorilla Glass Victus+ for both displays, aluminium frame thats shock proof and overall IPX 8 ratings against water, dust and fall proof.

As tested by RRTech, Galaxy Z Fold 4's hinge is strong as advertised by Samsung against the harsh folds and reverse folds with almost no damage to mechanism. Though against the flames, not under the IPX 8 protection, display got burned along with the back-plate While against the drops, Z Fold 4 turned out shatter proof defeating other Android smartphones.

JerryRiggEveryhing tests Galaxy Z Fold 4's victus+ Gorilla Glass with a wire cutter and its less scratches than previous generation. Galaxy Z Fold 4 also shows great hinge quality against knife and reverse folds. Galaxy Z Fold 4 turns out more tougher than previous year with IPX 8 protection.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is Samsung's flip high end smartphone upgraded from previous generations with the same high end Qualcomm 8+ gen 1 SoC, 8 GB of RAM and single foldable display while 1.4 inch information display on back with dual ultrawide 12 Mps imaging. Galaxy Z Flip 4 is also protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+ and IPX 8 ratings.

As tested by Mr. Unboxer, Galaxy Flip 4 turned out more durable than Fold 4 with main foldable display survived to dust, water and also the flame! While the hinge also hold to Samsung's promised durability with almost no damage to mechanism against the harsh folds and reverse folds.

Samsung has really improved durability with this year's foldable Galaxy Z smartphones against folds and reverse folds apart from dusts, water and falls. The new Victus+ is also more scratch proof and fall proof. Samsung is setting new durability standards for foldable display smartphones against the competitors.

Samsug Upacked 2022 August

 

Samsung announced new hardware at August Unpacked 2022 event. Samsung unveiled Galaxy Fold 4, Flip 4, Galaxy Watch 5, 5 Pro and new Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Samsung's new fold phones are innovative, hardware-specs updated and with design improvements from last year's launch. 

Specs of Fold 4:

SoC: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) cpu, Adreno 730 gpu

RAM:  12 GB

Storage: 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB GB

Display: AMOLED 2X, HDR10+, 1200 Nits( Max Brightness), 120 Hz, 7.6 Inch at 1812 x 2176                           resolution. 6.2 Inch at 904 x 2316, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+

Main Camera: 

50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto),12 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide)

4K@60fps, 1080p@60/240fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps (gyro-EIS), HDR10+ Video Recording

Selfie Camera: 

4 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 10 MP, f/2.2, 24mm (wide)
                          

4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS Video Recording

Battery:

Li-Po 4400 mAh, non-removable
Fast charging 25W, 50% in 30 min 
Reverse wireless charging 4.5W

OS:

Android 12 L, One UI 4.1.1

Colors:

Graygreen, Phantom Black, Beige, Burgundy

Check out the hands on video of Galaxy Fold 4 by CNET:

Specs of Flip 4:

SoC: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) cpu, Adreno 730 gpu

RAM:  8 GB

Storage: 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB

Display: AMOLED 2X, HDR10+, 1200 Nits( Max Brightness), 120 Hz, 6.7 Inch at 1080 x 2640                           resolution. Super AMOLED 1.9 Inch at 260 x 512, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+

Main Camera: 

12 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide)

4K@30/60fps, 1080p@60/240fps, 720p@30/60fps, HDR10+ Video Recording

Selfie Camera: 

10 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide),
                          

4K@30fps 1080p@60/240fps, 720p@30/60fps

Battery:

Li-Po 3700 mAh, non-removable
Fast charging 25W, 50% in 30 min 
Reverse wireless charging 4.5W

OS:

Android 12 L, One UI 4.1.1

Colors:

Bora Purple, Graphite, Pink Gold, Blue, Yellow, White, Navy, Khaki, Red

Check out the hands on video of Galaxy Flip 4 by CNET:

Specs of Galaxy Watch Pro 5:

SoC: Exynos W920 (5 nm) cpu, Mali G-68 gpu

RAM:  1.5 GB

Storage: 16 GB

Display: Super AMOLED 1.4 Inch at 450 x 450.

Battery:

Li-Po 590 mAh, non-removable

OS:

Android Wear OS 3.5, One UI Watch 4.5

Colors:

Black Titanium, Gray Titanium

Check out the hands on video of Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro:

Check out the hands on video of Galaxy Buds 2 Pro by CNET:

In terms of Specs, Galaxy Fold 4 and Flip 4 looks impressive with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, IPX8 certified Samsung's brightest ever Fold displays and Android 12L with improved One UI 4.1.1 integrated with the Flex apps support.  

Galaxy Fold 4 is Samsung's new flagship this year with the all-new taskbar improving multi-tasking and s-pen support. The new improved main camera is Samsung's take to utilize multi-cameras for Panoramic imaging, 30X Space Zoom and also night photography enhancements. The video recording is now supporting HDR10+ for 4K, FHD and HD along with Electronics Image stabilization to steady videos. The selfie camera is now a dual camera from previous generation's just 4 MPs with new features and EIS video recording. The battery is improved with faster charging and reverse charging features. Galaxy Fold 4 is Samsung's great specs spectra for Fold form factor. At $1799.99 price point, Galaxy Z Fold 4 is Samsung's most innovative smartphone-tablet experience product against competitors.

Galaxy Flip 4 is improved from previous generation with improved camera, higher resolution clam shell display and more color options.  Samsung is also launching Bespoke Flip 4 edition for customers to choose more color option from Bespoke customer care. There are also more flex mode options and integration with the 1.4 inch flip display. At $999.99, Flip 4 is Samsung's high end foldable shell form factor with premium specs.

Samsung also announced Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro with impressive specs update of more RAM, brighter display, esim, faster SoC and more battery life. The new Watch 5 Pro is more rugged and shock proof and with more color option than last year. At $329 and $499, Watch 5 and 5 Pro are real competitors to Apple Watch and others. Samsung also launched Galaxy Watch 5 Golf edition Blutooth at $330 featuring two new bands, exclusive watch faces and new Caddie app.

Samsung also released its next Pro for audio fans, a new Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro features impressive audio tech of 24 bit high fidelity audio codecs powered by Blutooth 5.3, bigger battery than previous generation of 515 mAh, ANC+ with 3 outer mics cancellations, new 360 audio and ambient sound mode. The IPX 7 water proof rating makes Buds 2 Pro go to option at outdoors for $229.99 best in-ear TWS for Android.

Nothing Phone 1 Review

Former CEO of One Plus, Carl Pei's new smartphone company Nothing is launching its first smartphone Nothing Phone 1 based on Android os. The Nothing phone 1 is priced in Apple's 3rd generation SE 2022, One Plus Nord 2T and Google's Pixel a with hardware specifications of mid range Android though with premium looks, modern-unique design and company's unique Glyph back cover lights for notifications and apps integrations.  

Specs and Design:

The Nothing Phone 1 is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 778+G, which is more improved SoC with software updates than this year's Snapdragon 7th gen 1 in terms of performance and battery life. The RAM option is 8GB or 16 GB that is as same as One Plus Nord 2T and Samsung Galaxy A53 while storage is 256 GB out of box. The oled display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5 with full HD at 6.55 inch taller than iPhone SE 2022 and Pixel 6a. The display is also more brighter than competitors at 1200 nits max and with refresh rate of 120 Hz optimized for gaming and with HDR10+ support to recorded videos and movies. The front of Nothing Phone 1 is with high end smartphone like design with front camera of 16 Mps engraved into the glass and still optimized for one hand usages for apps and selfie captures for not into heavy-weights at 193 gms. There is also drop proof aluminium frame that makes Nothing Phone 1 outdoors choice along with IP53 support for water proof and dust proof usage. The phone is also with 5G support along with dual sim support.

The back of the phone is Nothing's first unique hardware and software integration to Android with Glyph led lights with customization options for notifications and third party apps support while featuring Sony's 100 Megapixels IMX766 sensor for 50 Mp f/1.9 PDAF OIS at 1.56 inch while Samsung's JN1 f/2.2 50 Mps at 2 inch ultra-wide sensor for Macro photography. The pixel size of 1 micrometer is also best for low light photography and HDR. The video recording is supported to 4K at 30 fps and full HD at 60 fps making Nothing Phone 1 really competitive against iPhone SE and others. The selfie camera is with f/2.5 and 3 inch sensor size for the best selfie experience.

The battery is 4500 mAh of fast charging 33 Watts that charges the phone to 50% in 30 mins while 15 Watts of wireless charging and 5 watts of reverse charging another Android smartphone. Qualcomm's Quick Charge 4.0 is also included. 

OS:

Nothing is launching its first smartphone with Nothing OS, a lite version of Android 12, made for smoothness and integrated Glyph user interface experience. Nothing OS is made for minimalist user experience of Bespoke effects making smartphone more retro stylish with dot matrix blend of analog and digital across in-house apps. There is also Nothing's branded widgets and wallpaper support with Glyph interface support.

Glyph interface is integrated to Nothing OS with company's 12 unique ringtones that display cool effects of led lights that are customized to user settings. There is also option for contacts of phone to show Glyph led patterns receiving incoming phone call. Users can also create their own ringtones with Glyph customized light settings.  

Camera performance:

The camera performance of rear and main is solid at mid range price point as tested by mainstream bloggers. The main camera's 12 Mps images are crisper in details and there is a lot of details with vivid colors. The camera app is easy to use with standard features like HDR, Portrait mode, Expert mode and time lapse mode. The OIS is also great hardware feature at such price point for delivering descent night photography and smooth video recording. There is also Glyph interface integration for customized led video recording lights effects.

Check out camera samples below:

Checkout the through Camera review by Androwide:

Gaming and apps:

The Nothing Phone 1 is also a well optimized smartphone for gaming as 120 Hz display and 8GB RAM on a software updated Snapdragon 778+G SoC . The popular gaming titles run smooth on Nothing OS with less lag and more fluidness.

Battery Life:

The Nothing Phone 1 delivers impressive battery life one and half day as reported by mainstream bloggers so far that positions Nothing Phone 1 as top option against same price point devices. The battery life is slightly affected by Glyph interface set on for apps like Camera app, Ringtones and some third party apps against notifications.

Durability:

The Nothing Phone 1 is durable to water splashes and other liquids thanks to IP 53 ratings with also sealed off design to sand and dust free. Checkout the video by JerryRiggEveryhing YT.

Nothing OS 1.1.2:

The new os update 1.1.2 is released on end of July, that adds a option to show fingerprint icon by moving the phone when display is turned off. There is also an updated night mode with always on display switched off to save battery as users need to switch off always on from setting mode. Nothing has also improved Blutooth codec to resolve issues with aptX HD audio and accessories/devices pairing along with new ui optimizations. Nothing has now opened Nothing Phone 1 to third party chargers and also improved quick charge experience. 

The camera is also improved with low light imaging to higher dynamic range and more clarity for ultra wide sensor. Glyph light fill is now also available on portrait mode.There are also overall improvements in battery life, stability of Nothing OS and animation updates.

Nothing OS 1.1.3:

Nothing has launched an another update for system ux improvements for camera, battery life and faster app performance.

There is a new option for turning on Google adaptive battery for saving on battery life while pausing background unwanted apps and avoiding heavy usage apps in background. Camera app is now updated with faster night mode and hdr mode. The dynamic range and sharpness is more improved than the 1.1.2 update. Glyph mode lights are optimized for better color and saturation. Saturation is more improved using ultrawide camera mode. Noise is improved for camera zoom mode. Lockscreen issues are resolved for fingerprint sensor.

Apart from the release of update 1.1.3, Nothing has announced the delay for Android 13 because of time needed for Glyph interface optimization as the launch is delayed for 2023.

Conclusion:

Nothing's Nothing Phone 1 is a retro-stylish smartphone with Glyph interface that redefines mid range smartphone as your normal phone. The aluminium frame design, Glyph back and modern Nothing OS at $476 price point is a great buy for Android users looking into stylish upgrade and cool apps making a standing out of crowd moments for more often.

 

Apple is testing Lockdown mode for iPhones on iOS 16

 

Apple have released a new security Lockdown mode for iOS 16 beta iPhone users. The Lockdown mode is advanced security for enterprise users to not get targeted by Spywares or Banking Trojans with customized settings that do not share data to vulnerability use case scenarios with the apps. The Lockdown mode also limits the device functionality for following features:

Messages: Most message attachment types other than images are blocked. Some features, like link previews, are disabled.

Web browsing: Certain complex web technologies, like just-in-time (JIT) JavaScript compilation, are disabled unless the user excludes a trusted site from Lockdown Mode.

Apple services: Incoming invitations and service requests, including FaceTime calls, are blocked if the user has not previously sent the initiator a call or request.

FaceTime: Incoming FaceTime calls from people you have not previously called are blocked.

Shared Albums: Shared albums will be removed from the Photos app, and new Shared albums invitations will be blocked.

Wired connections: with a computer or accessory are blocked when iPhone is locked.

Configuration profiles: It cannot be installed, and the device cannot enroll into mobile device management (MDM), while Lockdown Mode is turned on.

Apple is looking for collaboration and feedback from researchers and others in the security community. To help with that goal, the company has created a new category in the Apple Security Bounty Program to reward those who find Lockdown Mode bypasses and help strengthen the feature.The bounties will be doubled for qualified Lockdown Mode discoveries, up to a maximum of $2,000,000, the highest maximum bounty payout in the industry.

Private Access Tokens by Apple as Captcha alternative

 At WWDC 2022, Apple presented a new technology alternative to Captcha that's used by web developers for protecting key features or information within a web page against bots or spammers. 

Apple is also improving data privacy that doesn't store device data or usage patterns with private acces tokens. Apple is reinventing HTTP authentication with PrivateToken that is an server that verifies using cryptography for a value stored on iCloud. There is also Rate-limit that checks Apple device for identifying pattern whether it is repetitive by the device or a click farming.

Apple also presented Cloudflare's Token security that doesn't gather information about Apple device's usage patterns and user interactions. Apple is launching Private Access Tokens support for devices with iOS 16 or Mac os Ventura.

Apple is going to put efforts to more partnerships for PATs as a new web standard. 

  

WWDC 2022 Day 1, 2, 3 and 4 Part 2

 Apple WWDC 2022 event at Steve Jobs theater unveiled updates to Watch OS, iPad OS, CarPlay, Maps, X Code cloud, new Gaming with Metal 3 and Swift UI.

Day 1 Part 2

WatchOS 9:

"watchOS 9 introduces enhanced and modernized complications on some of the most classic watch faces, such as Utility, Simple, and Activity Analog, along with background colour editing for Modular, Modular Compact, and X-Large for additional personalisation. 

The Workout app, one of the most popular apps on Apple Watch, has been updated to provide richer metrics for measuring performance, as well as new training experiences to help users reach fitness goals.

Focus now allows users to select an Apple Watch face to automatically appear when they start a specific Focus on iPhone, such as the Photos face during a Personal Focus, helping users stay in the moment.

Swimmers can now track their efficiency with a SWOLF score — a stroke count combined with the time, in seconds, it takes to swim one length of the pool.

Fitness+ subscribers without Apple TV can now use AirPlay to stream workouts and meditations with on-screen metrics to compatible third-party TVs and devices, allowing them to train anywhere, anytime.

Sleep tracking in watchOS 9 provides even more insights with the introduction of sleep stages. Using signals from the accelerometer and heart rate sensor, Apple Watch can detect when users are in REM, Core, or Deep sleep. Users will see sleep stage data on Apple Watch in the Sleep app and can view more detailed information, like time asleep, alongside additional metrics, like heart rate and respiratory rate.

The new Medications experience on Apple Watch and iPhone helps users manage and track their medications, vitamins, and supplements, allowing them to create a medications list, set up schedules and reminders, and view information on their medications in the Health app."

watchos 9 is updated with innovative new features that even Android's wearos lack off with analytics positioned fitness matrices for swimmers, new sleep tracking, better control over medications tracking and finally AirPlay streaming integration to Fitness+. Another new feature is Apple Watch Mirroring for using AirPlay integration to more out of fitness matrices.

iPad os 16:

"Taking advantage of the power of the M1 chip, Stage Manager brings a new way to multitask with multiple overlapping windows and full external display support. Collaboration is easier than ever with new ways to start working with others in apps across the system using Messages, and the new Freeform app provides a flexible canvas to brainstorm on together. New tools in Mail help users be more productive, Safari adds shared Tab Groups to browse the web with others, and the browsing experience gets even more secure with passkeys. The new Weather app takes full advantage of the stunning iPad display, and Live Text now interacts with text in video. New pro features — including Reference Mode and Display Zoom — make iPad an even more powerful mobile studio."

iPad os 16 brings multitasking and focused productivity features with a new feature Stage Manager, free-form collaboration and external display support. Apple also introduced iCloud Photo Library for smarter photo storage and viewing experience. Apple also unveiled iOS' Live Text for translating text off videos and images and there is also Visual Look up that erases subjects off images or videos for creating a new image.

Day 2

Swift UI upgrade, Xcode Cloud and Xcode 14 improvements:

"Built into Xcode, Xcode Cloud is a continuous integration and delivery cloud service designed specifically for Apple developers. It enables developers and teams of all sizes to build, test, and deliver high-quality apps even more efficiently by automatically building apps in the cloud to free up their Mac for other tasks.

Xcode 14 features new enhancements to further improve developer productivity. Project builds are up to 25 percent faster, thanks to improved parallelism, and the Xcode application is now 30 percent smaller to download, with downloadable simulator runtimes for watchOS and tvOS. The new multi-platform target creates a single SwiftUI interface for use across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS. Developer code is easier to maintain yet highly customization to take advantage of each platform’s unique capabilities. SwiftUI live previews are now interactive by default in Xcode, so changes are immediately live, and developers can create variants of each preview without writing any code, altering the colour scheme, text size, device orientation, or accessibility modes."

Apple launched Xcode Cloud that is more secure and easy to host Xcode 14 apps for build, test and deploy. Apart from Metal 3, Apple also announced new unity plugin Core Haptics for building games in 3D with Apple frameworks. Apple announced SwiftUI live previews for previewing projects live in Xcode.

Day 3

ARKIT 6 and APP Shortcuts:

"Geometry is updated, the anchor rotation is updated as well to reflect the new orientation of the plane. With iOS 16, we introduce a cleaner separation between plane anchors and their plane geometry.

Updated with details on 4K video, expanded video and capture capabilities with support for HDR video and high-resolution background image capture, Motion Capture improvements, and Location Anchors in new cities.

Developers can now use App Intents to enable their apps to be used with Siri and Shortcuts, with no user setup required."

ARKIT 6 is an incremental update with new ground breaking feature of 4K video capture support for HDR video and image capture of AR content. Apps shortcuts are updated with Siri integration without extra programming. 

Day 4

Vision Enhancements:

"What is great about this Quick Look Preview support is that we've removed the need for you to write a variety of utility functions to visualize the results. They can be overlaid directly on your images in the debugger or in an Xcode Playground.

Vision is updated with enhancements for better detection update for imaging sensors along with new introduction of Quick Look Preview that launches fast debug without writing utility functions. 

WWDC 2022 Apple Event Day 1 Part 1

 Apple announced a new hardware Macbook Air 13.6 with all new M2 SoC and also Macbook Pro 13 inch with M2 at WWDC 2022 day 1 aimed for developers for both online and after event meet-ups to journalists and tech bloggers. Apart from new hardware, Apple introduced iOS 16 with new features of Maps app finally adding multiple journey points, homescreen customization and more. Apple also announced new iPad os 16, Carplay update, Spatial Sound update and brand new Mac os Ventura.

Macbook Air and Macbook Pro:

"With an all-new, strikingly thin design and even more performance, MacBook Air also features a larger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, four-speaker sound system, up to 18 hours of battery life,1 and MagSafe charging. It is now available in four finishes — silver, space gray, midnight, and starlight. M2 also comes to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the world’s second best-selling laptop — delivering incredible performance, up to 24GB of unified memory, ProRes acceleration, and up to 20 hours of battery life,2 all in a compact design. "

After new M1 Pro and M1 Max options for Macbook lineups unveiled at first quarter of first Apple hardware event, Apple launches new groundbreaking M2 SoC powered Macbook Air 13.6 inch that offers 5-nanometer technology powering an 18 percent faster CPU, a 35 percent more powerful GPU, and a 40 percent faster Neural Engine while 50 percent more memory bandwidth compared to M1, and up to 24GB of fast unified memory. Apple also updated FaceTIme to full HD camera, four speaker sound system derived from M1 Max Macbooks and also improved battery life, all new 35W charging option with two USB-C ports for 2 devices charging and also 67W charging with 50 percent charging in just 30 minutes. 

Macbook Pro 13 inch with M2 offers similar features with more battery life and compact design.

macOS Ventura:

"macOS Ventura includes powerful features and new innovations that help make the Mac experience even better. New tools like Stage Manager make focusing on tasks and moving between apps and windows easier and faster than ever, and Continuity Camera brings new videoconferencing features to any Mac, including Desk View, Studio Light, and more,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “With helpful new features in Messages, state-of-the-art search technologies in Mail, and an updated design for Spotlight, Ventura has so much to offer and enriches many of the ways customers use their Macs.”

Apple's latest macOS Ventura is an incremental update to Monterey os for multitasking innovated to new tools of Stage Manager for focused productivity experiences, updated Contiunity that upgrades video conference to imaging effects with Studio light and a new Desk view and also updated Spotlight for easy searches and discovery.

iOS 16: 

“iOS 16 is a big release with updates that will change the way you experience iPhone,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “We have reimagined how the Lock Screen looks and works with exciting new features that make it more personal and helpful, introduced iCloud Shared Photo Library for families, streamlined communication through new capabilities in Messages and Mail, and harnessed enhanced intelligence with updates to Live Text and Visual Look Up.”

iOS 16 is also unveiled with brand new features like Live activities for more smarter homescreen, link focus for Homescreen more user friendly to user moods. The big updates also arrive for Safari with shared Group Tabs for productivity based websites grouping and a ground breaking Passkeys that stores on a device for an unhackable Safari browsing experience. Siri adds the ability to run shortcuts as soon as an app is downloaded without requiring upfront setup. Users can add emoji when sending a message, choose to send messages automatically — skipping the confirmation step — and hang up phone and FaceTime calls completely hands-free by simply saying “Hey Siri, hang up.”

Apple News introduces a new My Sports section to easily follow favorite teams and leagues; receive stories from hundreds of top publishers. Personalized Spatial Audio enables an even more precise and immersive listening experience. Listeners can use the True Depth camera on iPhone to create a personal profile for Spatial Audio that delivers a listening experience tuned just for them.