Quick Shots-42

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra might actually be the Note 22 Ultra

Enter the latest batch of rumors, which claim that the S22 Ultra will come with an S Pen and even have an internal slot for it, just like a Galaxy Note. Rumors even backed-up by supposed renders. That’s a bit odd. Then in comes reputable leakster OnLeaks, who notes that the Galaxy S22+ renders he had received and shared with the world, were actually labeled as “S22 Pro”. Also odd.

Well, another Twitter industry insider claims to have the whole story and it allegedly centers around ongoing internal naming discussions at Samsung. Apparently, a re-name is being considered. One that would transform the model we were expecting to be the Galaxy S22+ into the S22 Pro and simultaneously make what we have referred to as the S22 Ultra into the Note22 Ultra. The source also goes on to explain that, apparently, this is a fairly new development and one still being considered, which does, unfortunately probably mean that Samsung did not entirely and deliberately orchestrate the confusion.

Read More at Gsmarena

Motorola G Pure and Moto E40 images leak ahead of launch

The Moto G Pure is expected to use the Helio G25 chipset, or perhaps the P22, with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage in the base configuration. For cameras, the G Pure will likely rock a 48MP main snapper and a 2MP depth sensor on the back, with a 5MP selfie on the front. The latter appears to be housed within a teardrop notch, cutting into what rumors say will be a 6.5-inch AMOLED display.

Not that there really seems to be anything particularly noteworthy about the way the E40 looks. Still, it is meant to be a budget offer that uses a Unisoc T700 chipset, with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, plus the lightweight Android 11 Go edition on top. For cameras, it also has a 48MP main snapper, plus a 2MP depth sensor, but throws in a third 2MP macro camera. The display is rumored to be a 6.5-inch IPS panel, with 90Hz refresh rate.

Read More at Gsmarena

List of Google Pixel 6’s camera features leaked

• Wide-angle front camera: Evidence in the code points to the Pixel 6 Pro (not the Pixel 6) will have an ultra-wide angle lens. According to XDA, “our source confirms that the selfie camera on the Pixel 6 Pro offers two predefined zoom levels: 0.7X and 1.0X.”
• Video recording: Main camera will support 4K video @ 60fps, but the ultra-wide and telephoto cameras are capped at 4K @ 30fps. Also, while recording at 4K/60fps, the maximum zoom level is 7X. Meanwhile, recording at either 4K or FHD @ 60fps enabled zoom up to 20X. This is the same for still images.
• Manual white balance: Google has been working to add this feature, but it may not be ready yet. XDA speculates this may be only a developer feature, which resonates with Google philosophy of keeping the camera app as simple as possible.
• Magic eraser:Code named “swiss” is tied to a feature called magic eraser. This feature is for the Pixel 6 series and may also be accelerated by the Tensor Chip’s TPU (Tensor Processing Unit). It’s speculated to let you easily remove objects or people from an image.
• Face deblur: This is a feature that was confirmed by Google. It works by taking additional frames of the subject(s) using the ultra-wide camera at the same time that it’s capturing HDR frames from the main camera. The TPU then processes the details from both cameras to deblur a face that may have been captured in motion.
• Scene Lock: This feature has recently been associated with codename “naruto”. Scene Lock may be related to AF/AE lock but it isn’t clear what the purpose is yet.
• Bluetooth microphone support: The feature’s codenamed: “sapphire” and code suggests the feature will come, but XDA‘s source couldn’t corroborate it.
• Motion Blur: suggests that a new feature will let the user add “creative blur effects to your photos” as per code.
• “Nima aesthetic: seems to be related to Google’s “Top Shot” feature when Motion Photo is enabled. This feature appears to be accelerated by the Tensor’s TPU.
• Baby mode: this could be an auto-capture feature that will recognize and capture babies and toddlers in cute moments while they play or move around a lot.

Read More at Gsmarena

Leak: Apple’s new MacBook Pros may get taller, sharper displays

A new report by MacRumors provides strong evidence Apple plans to increase the resolution on its rumored ‘M1X’ 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros, which are expected to be announced within the next month or two.

MacRumors contributor Steve Moser took a close look at the latest macOS Monterey beta and found two mysterious new resolutions that don’t match any existing Mac: 3456 x 2234 and 3024 x 1964.

There are a couple of interesting things about these resolutions. For one, they’re obviously higher resolution than the current MacBook Pro models, which are 3072 x 1920 (16-inch) and 2560 x 1600 (13-inch). It’s curious that Apple would opt to increase the resolution and pixel density (about 250 ppi) by a fairly significant margin, considering the existing MacBook‘s are already at ‘Retina’ quality (roughly 227 ppi).

Read More at The Next Web

After Galaxy S22 Ultra, the S22 and S22+ break cover with punch-hole screens and triple camera setups

Yesterday we saw renders of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra leaked by OnLeaks, revealing the design of the Korean conglomerate’s 2022 flagship. Today, the same source is back with the images of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+.

Unlike the S22 Ultra, the S22 and S22+ look similar to their predecessors. They are built around screens with centered punch holes, sport vertically aligned triple-camera systems on the rear, and seemingly have metal builds.

We don’t have the detailed specs sheets of either of these phones, but the source claims that the S22 is 7.6mm thick and is built around a 6″ screen with the “improved camera bump” on the rear expected to consist of 50MP primary, 12MP ultrawide, and a telephoto unit.

The S22+ is also 7.6mm thick (9.1mm including the camera bump), sports a 6.5″ display, and like the vanilla model, has a USB-C port at the bottom. Although neither phones have a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is hardly a surprise since their predecessors didn’t have one either.

Needless to say, you should take these designs with a pinch of salt since they don’t come directly from Samsung. Besides, it’s worth noting that the renders of the S22+ were received by the source as the Galaxy S22 Pro, meaning the final version of the Plus model could have a different design.

From Gsmarena

Windows 11 compatibility waiver warns of ‘damages’ that Microsoft could prevent

The Windows 11 launch is right around the corner. Devices featuring the new operating system are set to launch on October 5, and Microsoft is offering Insiders the opportunity to download and use the OS now.

If you have an unsupported processor, though, you’ll need to sign a waiver accepting any possible “damages” to your PC — but the real risk is the lack of updates.

Let us explain. In August, Microsoft announced that it would let users with unsupported processors install Windows 11 manually. At the time, the company implied that users who went this route wouldn’t receive critical driver and security updates. The waiver suggests that this is the case, which poses a far greater risk than whatever “damages” the waiver talks about.

Read More at Digital Trends

Are AMD and Mediatek set for a surprising chip tie-up?

Chipmakers AMD and Mediatek are reportedly in talks to establish a new joint venture according to a recent report from DigiTimes.

Based on the news outlet’s report, the joint venture would be focused on 5G, Wi-Fi and other System on a Chip (SoC) level data transmission technologies though wired data transmission controllers could also be developed by the two companies as well.

Read More at Techradar

Apple says third-party apps will be able to take full advantage of iPhone 13 ProMotion display, software fix forthcoming

Following initial testing of iOS 15 that found many third-party apps could not exceed the standard 60Hz refresh rate of the iPhone 13 Pro’s ProMotion screen, Apple has now clarified the situation. The good news is that developers will be able to take full advantage of the 120Hz display soon.

Apple says that developers will need to add a new Info.plist key to opt-in, and documentation is coming soon. In addition, a forthcoming software update will resolve a bug where animations driven by Core Animation were not able to reach the maximum 120Hz refresh rates.

Standard animations and scrolling interactions are automatically enhanced by ProMotion without developers having to write any custom code. This includes the power efficiency savings at times when the screen can ramp down to 10Hz, not just maxing out at fluid 120Hz.

Read More at 9to5Mac

The semiconductor crisis is worsening and industries are clashing

As the coronavirus’ Delta variant rampages through Southeast Asia, causing chip factories in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia to delay production or intermittently shut down, companies across many industries are facing production pipeline problems.

According to The Washington Post, companies in entirely separate sectors are at each other’s throats. Automakers want the chip supplies and resources that are currently going to smartphone companies, while smartphone companies argue that automakers can suffer for all they care and that it’s not the smartphone industry’s problem that automakers didn’t plan accordingly for the coronavirus-stricken landscape.

That same report says the global automotive industry is primed to lose revenue to the tune of $210 billion in 2021 because of the shortage. The large figure is one example of how the chip shortage is affecting things beyond the availability of the best graphics cards, which are also being hurt by supply constraints.

Read More at Windows Central

Michigan is looking into wireless charging pavement for EVs

One of the things that prospective EV buyers worry about most is charging. That’s understandable: If you don’t charge, you don’t move. That brings up a whole host of questions about when and where to charge and how long it will take. What if, though, there was a different solution? For example, what if your car could charge as you drive?

That’s a future that Michigan is interested in pursuing. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced plans on Tuesday to investigate the feasibility of wireless in-road charging by building a one-mile stretch of test road somewhere in either Wayne, Oakland or Macomb counties.

Read More at Cnet