I’ve been using the Essential PH-1 for a couple of years and, although the camera was frustrating, the device itself was solid, looked good, and most importantly, received timely Android updates. I didn’t want to buy a new phone, instead planning to wait until this fall to see what the Galaxy Note20 (or whatever it will be called) would bring, since I loved my Galaxy Note 4 so much. Unfortunately, Essential closed down, and with it, the promise of any further updates to the PH-1. Around the same time, the digitizer on my phone started acting wonky, and I realized it was time to buy something new.
I’m not the type of person who buys the latest phone when it’s released, much less an expensive flagship. I’ve only bought three phones in my life: the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and the previously mentioned Essential PH-1. I thought people who spent over $1,000 on a mobile device were crazy, but when I read about the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, and especially the cameras, I decided to splurge, even though this phone probably costs more than I’ve spent on all of the phones in my life, combined.
Here are my initial impressions after using the device for a day.
It’s HUGE
I remember when the Note series came out, and every year people said that the phone was too large. The same comments were being said about the Galaxy S20 Ultra, but since I’m a large man, and the Note 4 was a good fit, I didn’t think it’d be an issue.
After opening the box, I was shocked at how large the device was, especially when compared to the relatively diminutive Essential PH-1.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Essential PH-1
Height
166.9mm (6.57″)
141.5mm (5.57″)
Width
76.0mm (2.99″)
71.1mm (2.80″)
Thickness
8.8mm (0.35″)
7.8mm (0.31″)
Weight
220g (7.76 oz)
185 g (6.53 oz)
Browsing the web or scrolling through Reddit is something that’s still easy to do with one hand (assuming you flip the back button to Google’s default, as opposed to Samsung’s default). However, trying to text is more difficult: It’s easy to type your message using swiping motions, but the “send” button is just a little too far away to comfortably reach.
There is a “one handed” mode (under Settings->Advanced Features->One handed mode) that allows you to shrink the screen by pressing the home button. I tried it a few times and it didn’t feel very intuitive, but it’s something that I’ll try to use more in the future.
The screen is silky smooth at 120Hz
I was blown away with how the display looked when I first powered the device on. Colors are rich and vibrant, motion is smooth, and the device just looked amazing. This was at 60Hz. If I hadn’t read about the 120Hz mode, I probably wouldn’t have known it existed, but since it does, I turned it on to see how it worked, and while I don’t think it’s a required feature, it does make scrolling or playing games just a little bit nicer. I’ve seen reports that it drains the battery quicker, and while I haven’t done any tests – this is a first impressions article, after all -, I’ll say that having it turned on and using the phone for over 24 hours, I still have over a third of the battery remaining, so it’s probably a worthwhile feature to enable.
One thing I can’t figure out is that why, with such a large screen, Samsung decided to have the default configuration for the home screen to be four icons wide by five icons high, instead of five icons wide by six icons high. The default makes the home screen look so barren due to the large amounts of empty space between the icons, and the icons themselves look comically large. In addition, it took me a while to figure out how to change the setting as it wasn’t the most intuitive process: Long press on an empty part of the screen, select “Home screen settings,” click “Home screen grid,” and then select whether you want 4×5, 4×6, 5×5, or 5×6. Repeat the process for the “Apps screen grid.”).
The camera is amazing…
The screen is great, but the main reason I decided to go with the top-of-the-line S20 Ultra was because I had been frustrated with the PH-1 camera for so long, that I wanted the best camera I could get on my new phone. My first impression is that this phone delivers.
Remember when I said the device is huge? That makes taking photographs in landscape mode challenging because your hand is around less than half the body, making it feel like the phone could fall from your hand when you’re trying to zoom in, focus, or press the shutter key. To help combat this problem, Samsung allows for a voice command to take a picture. This is practically required to take a picture with any sort of long zoom in order to avoid camera shake. That said, I did feel a little silly saying “cheese” while walking around downtown St. Paul.
I hope that Samsung adds other voice commands to help. I’d love to be able to say “zoom in” and “zoom out,” for example.
Wide Angle
1x
10x zoom
Above are three pictures taken from Rice Park in St. Paul, MN. The building is the Landmark Center. All three photos were hand-held, taken from the same spot. The first picture is a wide-angle shot, the second is a normal shot, and the third is a 10x zoom.
While the zoom feature is getting all of the coverage, in my limited time with the Galaxy S20 Ultra, I found that I enjoyed using the wide angle lens far more often. That’s not to say the zoom isn’t good on the device, because it is, but I just don’t feel like the wide angle is getting enough attention.
There’s an “AR Zone,” which uses augmented reality to put character masks on your face or do other Snapchat-like filters on your photos. My daughter loved playing with the feature, but I’m probably not the target audience for that one.
…but Space Zoom is a little gimmicky…
The one feature that’s getting a ton of attention is Space Zoom. While I was skeptical at first, my first impressions are that even if it won’t be a feature I use a ton, it could be helpful from time to time, and the picture quality isn’t quite as bad as I was expecting.
1x
30x
Space Zoom 100x
Above are three pictures of the Infor building in downtown St. Paul. The first is a regular shot, the second is a 30x zoom on the Infor sign, and the third is a 100x zoom on the Infor sign. I tried physically pressing the shutter button on the last one, but the picture always came out blurry. Saying “cheese,” as mentioned in the previous section, allowed me to take a decent shot, but you will obviously get much better results using a tripod.
…and Single Take is very gimmicky
If you haven’t heard, Single Take is a mode in the camera that takes a bunch of photos and videos for you automatically. When you’re done, you end up with a handful of photos and a handful of short video clips, often with sound effects applied. What you get appears to be random, with this resulting in either a black and white photo one time, a wide angle shot another time, and a six second video clip, complete with a train whistle going off in the background, a third time. It’s an odd mode and one I don’t see myself using very often, if at all.
The battery life is great
I installed a bunch of applications and did the majority of my configuration on Thursday night, then charged the phone overnight and used it all day Friday. That consisted of normal work email, playing Gems of War for a bit, taking a bunch of pictures, answering work emails, texting friends, and scrolling through Twitter and Reddit. I left the device off the charger overnight, and when I woke up, the battery was still at 35%, with the battery report indicating another 18 hours of juice left. That’s pretty impressive, considering my PH-1 battery was degraded to the point at which I frequently had to charge it when I came home from work.
It comes with a pre-installed screen protector
I’ve never put a case on any of my phones, let alone an actual screen protector, so I was a little confused about why I felt a little ridge around the screen. A few hours later, when I actually looked at the papers that came inside the Galaxy S20 Ultra box, I realized the phone wasn’t defective: Samsung pre-installs a screen protector on the device. Apparently, many screen protectors won’t work with the fingerprint sensor, so the firm included its own. I never looked into screen protectors, and just assumed they’d degrade the phone experience, but now I realize I was mistaken.
There’s so many features
The Galaxy S20 Ultra has a lot of features built in, and I feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface yet. For example, when connecting the phone to my PC to transfer the photos, I was helpfully told that I could install a DeX app on my PC. There are things like Bixby Routines, Quick Share, Sync, and Smart View that sound interesting, but I haven’t had a chance to try yet.
It feels overpriced
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has a lot going for it, but after a day of use, I feel like it’s probably not worth the price of $1,400. Sure, the screen is amazing and the cameras are great, but for a few hundred dollars less, the S20+ has most of the same features. Even the Galaxy Note10 is a high quality device, and roughly $450 cheaper.
Conclusion
There’s no question that the Galaxy S20 Ultra is a great phone. The device has a massive screen, an amazing array of cameras, lasts all day, and is just fun to use. However the large screen could be a negative for people with smaller hands, so I recommend trying one out before buying it.
The major negative is the price, and with so many other options, including those offered by Samsung itself, it feels like the S20 Ultra is unnecessarily expensive for a device you could accidentally drop and break on the first day.
If you’re really excited about the phone and can afford it, I’d recommend buying it. However if money is tight, or you aren’t really excited about the camera array, you won’t be losing out on much by buying something else.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
___
Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
