Tech

Galaxy S11 rumors and leaks: Feb. release date, massive battery, 108 megapixels – CNET

Published

5 years ago

December 23, 2019

Harry Miller

An artist’s rendition of the Galaxy S11, based on the rumors and leaks.

Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET from Concept Creator

New year, new class of phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S11. Samsung’s devices made waves in 2019, from the Editor’s Choice award-winning Galaxy Note 10 Plus to the unforgettable Galaxy Fold. 2020 is only destined to get better. (And that goes for Samsung’s next foldable phone, too.)

The industry is already buzzing with leaks and predictions as we approach 2020, about everything from the the Galaxy S11’s official lineup and price, to the camera setup and battery (hint: it could be massive). I throw in my own educated guesses too, because Samsung often follows historical patterns and topical trends, so certain things make sense.

For example, the Galaxy S11 will be the first of Samsung’s four 5G phones to deliver on the 5G promise in a meaningful way. Samsung got a start with 5G this year, with the S10 5G, Note 10 Plus 5G, Galaxy A90 5G and Fold (in the UK and South Korea), but many are variants of 4G devices that already exist. The Galaxy S11 family of phones is a mainstream handset that has the ability to help bring 5G’s faster data speeds to the masses.

There are a lot more supposed specs to absorb, so here they are — the Galaxy S11’s most important rumored features so far, plus what we don’t know and what we think we might get.

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Galaxy S11 is apparently going to be big. Very big

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Three models, three sizes: Galaxy S11, S11 Plus, S11 Pro

First things first. The Galaxy S11 isn’t going to be one phone, that we know. It’s rumored to be three, just like last year’s S10 family of 4G models.

Some rumors name the phones as the S11E, S11 and S11 Plus, but more recent whispers, including that from frequent Twitter leaker Evan Blass, suggest S11, S11 Plus and S11 Pro, which is a lot closer to Apple’s strategy with the iPhone 11, which is the base model for that line.

2019-12-20-13-00-30 — Screenshot by ZDNet

Here are the rumored screen sizes:

Galaxy S11: 6.2-inch or 6.4-inch
Galaxy S11 Plus: 6.7-inch
Galaxy S11 Pro: 6.9-inch

Blass also stated that all the Galaxy S11 phones could have curved sides, unlike 2019’s Galaxy S10E, which had a flat display that I sometimes preferred.

galaxy-s11-plus-1 — A peek at the Galaxy S11? We’ll know soon enough.

Cashkaro

February 11 or 18 launch, later release dates

The all-important question: When do we get to see this thing for the first time? February is a given. Samsung has unveiled its Galaxy S series in late February or early March for years, sometimes at the Mobile World Congress tech show (a.k.a MWC), sometimes before, and a couple of times, even after.

This is the real Galaxy S11+ camera. On the left is the ultra-wide-angle, main camera, and periscope zoom lens. I don’t know the exact distribution on the right. It is expected to include flash and ToF. pic.twitter.com/98exPMSqgf

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) December 16, 2019

If Samsung follows last year’s model, we’ll see the Galaxy S11 and its kin appear shortly before MWC. If we let the rumors guide us, Samsung will show its hand on either Tues, Feb. 11 (this is in Greek) or Tues, Feb. 18. So yeah, February seems solid.

Look for the phone to go on preorder shortly after, with units shipping a week or two after the reveal. I’ll continue to update this story with fresh rumors, so come back for more.

Could like a cross between the Note 10 and Galaxy S10

The Galaxy S11 renders are out, and so are the concept designs, which I love because they can bring the rumors to life.

So what might we get with Samsung’s S11 phone? Rounded shoulders, which have become the Galaxy S trademark, but with a more squared-off look reminiscent of the Galaxy Note 10. A slim body. Curved sides for all models, unlike the Galaxy S10E’s flat screen, which I actually really liked.

The camera array could become square, off to the left, and stick out from the surface, a lot like the iPhone 11 and Google Pixel 4. I really hope that’s not the case. Cameras that stick out are more vulnerable to breaking when you drop your phone. A case is an absolute must.

5G guaranteed, but there’s a catch

I mentioned 5G earlier. This is a rumored feature, but also a given. The Galaxy S11 is 99.9% likely to use the powerful Snapdragon 865 processor in it, which chipmaker Qualcomm won’t make available to phone brands without the 5G modem it pairs with. Ipso facto, you get a phone with the Snapdragon 865, you get a 5G-ready phone.

The same goes for any regions that will package the Galaxy S11 with Samsung’s in-house Exynos 990 5G processor, which often happens in Asia, especially Samsung’s home country of South Korea. (Ice Universe says Samsung is “determined” to use Snapdragon 865 for South Korean models.)

I promised a catch and here it is. While the Galaxy S11 will be 5G-ready, not every phone may be able to access 5G. Cities and countries that are 4G-only will only be able to use 4G networks, so the 5G Galaxy S11 could very well act like a 4G phone.

We’ll see how it all shakes out, but I’d be surprised if Samsung used any chip other than Snapdragon 865. The Galaxy S series is its mainstream flagship and Samsung is the world’s largest phone-maker. It will want to put its best foot forward by delivering the phone with the “best” chip.

2019-12-19-15-47-44 — Another artistic rendition of the Galaxy S11.

Concept Creator

108-megapixel camera, periscope lens, 5X optical zoom

Now for the fun stuff, the camera. We already talked about how rumors, leaks and renders predict a square camera array overflowing with cameras. It gets wilder.

Samsung is said to be outfitting the Galaxy S11 (or at least one variant) with a 108-megapixel main camera sensor. Is that madness? It sounds like madness. But Chinese brand Xiaomi already beat Samsung to it with the Mi CC9 Pro, which already uses a 108-megapixel camera.

In addition, the Snapdragon 865 chip we talked about above can support a 200-megapixel camera. You may not be using all 108 pixels all the time, but having that extra resolution can be helpful for zooming in and cropping. If you like the sound of all that, thank the chipmaker for making it happen.

Here’s what else you could get with the S11 camera (at least on some models), according to Ice Universe and 91Mobiles:

galaxy-s11-Galaxy-S11E — Suggested renders for the Galaxy S11 and “S11E”.

Pricebaba

Screen: 120Hz AMOLED display

We talked about phone screens earlier, but here’s what else we’re likely to get: the ability to turn on a 120Hz screen refresh rate. That will make animations and scrolling a whole lot smoother than the standard 60Hz refresh rate wwe have now.

While a 120Hz refresh rate is great for gaming and other quick transitions (even 90Hz like on the OnePlus 7T), it’s a battery hog. The Galaxy S11 could put the power in your hands with settings to switch between 60Hz to preserve battery life and 120Hz if you want to rev up animations.

This is pretty much a done deal since both the Snapdragon 865 and Exynos 990 5G support 210Hz screens.

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Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 865 processor

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A whopping 5,000mAh battery?

Different size phones get different size batteries, and another rumor from the prolific Ice Universe dials in the Galaxy S11 “Plus” battery at 5,000mAh, which is ridonculous.

Keep in mind that the “Plus” could also be the “Pro” (e.g., the highest-end model of the trio), which makes far more sense to me than the middle phone getting a battery that size. For reference, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus battery is 4,300mAh and battery life is outstanding.

There have been some phones with ultra-large batteries before, so 5,000mAh fits my expectations. For instance, the Asus ROG Phone II has a 6,000mAh battery, which makes it a gaming beast.

In-screen fingerprint reader

I loved the concept of an in-screen fingerprint reader, until I used it in the Galaxy S10. The accuracy, speed and convenience never quite lived up to the promise for me.

My best-case scenario would be to the Galaxy S11 return to some form of secure face unlock, combined with the in-screen reader. Samsung already knows how to do this well. Remember, the series got iris scanning in the S7, but dropped it for the S10. Google has now done it better, with the Pixel 4’s gesture tracking lending a hand.

We could at least see a more robust form of in-screen biometric scanner, if Samsung decides to take advantage of the Snapdragon 865’s support for two-finger scanning, which is meant to improve the technology on all fronts. I sure hope it does.

screen-shot-2019-11-18-at-2-52-40-pm — In One UI 2, right, app folders open lower on the screen so that it’s easier for you to interact with them one-handed.

Samsung

Android 10 and Samsung One UI 2

There’s little doubt that every Samsung phone in 2020 will run on Android 10 and the company’s own One UI 2, which was announced in October and is now available in beta.

I’m much more excited about Android 10, which brings systemwide dark mode to phones, gesture navigation, some seriously impressive live captioning and new privacy settings. One UI 2 aims to push icons and screen controls toward the bottom of the phone so they’re easier to reach one-handed.

Galaxy S11 series: Price will break $1,000

Now for the question on everyone’s mind: How much is the Galaxy S11 going to cost me? As always, it will depend on which model you buy.

Let’s start with the Galaxy S10 prices for the base storage configuration:

Galaxy S10E: $749, £669, AU$1,199
Galaxy S10: $899, £799, AU$1,349
Galaxy S10 Plus: $999, £899, AU$1,499
Galaxy S10 5G: $1,300, £1,099, AU$2,950

5G costs the phone-makers more to buy and integrate, so we could see a price bump right off the bat. You’ll also spend more if you opt for a model with greater storage, say 512GB, assuming Samsung offers it and begins storage at 128GB.

If the largest version (“Pro” or “Plus”, depending on the remuros) lines up with the S10 Plus pricing, it’ll start at $1,000. With the 5G component and more camera tech, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that rise to $1,100, a price that matches the Galaxy Note 10 Plus today.

Originally published earlier this week.

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Tech

Introducing the PlayStation 5 Pro: The Next Evolution in Gaming

Published

1 hour ago

September 10, 2024

Harry Miller

Since the PlayStation 5 (PS5) launched four years ago, PlayStation has continuously evolved to meet the demands of its players. Today, we are excited to announce the next step in this journey: the PlayStation 5 Pro. Designed for the most dedicated players and game creators, the PS5 Pro brings groundbreaking advancements in gaming hardware, raising the bar for what’s possible.

Key Features of the PS5 Pro

The PS5 Pro comes equipped with several key performance enhancements, addressing the requests of gamers for smoother, higher-quality graphics at a consistent 60 frames per second (FPS). The console’s standout features include:

Upgraded GPU: The PS5 Pro’s GPU boasts 67% more Compute Units than the current PS5, combined with 28% faster memory. This allows for up to 45% faster rendering speeds, ensuring a smoother gaming experience.
Advanced Ray Tracing: Ray tracing capabilities have been significantly enhanced, with reflections and refractions of light being processed at double or triple the speed of the current PS5, creating more dynamic visuals.
AI-Driven Upscaling: Introducing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-based upscaling technology that adds extraordinary detail to images, resulting in sharper image clarity.
Backward Compatibility & Game Boost: More than 8,500 PS4 games playable on PS5 Pro will benefit from PS5 Pro Game Boost, stabilizing or enhancing performance. PS4 games will also see improved resolution on select titles.
VRR & 8K Support: The PS5 Pro supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and 8K gaming for the ultimate visual experience, while also launching with the latest wireless technology, Wi-Fi 7, in supported regions.

Optimized Games & Patches

Game creators have quickly embraced the new technology that comes with the PS5 Pro. Many games will receive free updates to take full advantage of the console’s new features, labeled as PS5 Pro Enhanced. Some of the highly anticipated titles include:

Alan Wake 2
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows
Demon’s Souls
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Gran Turismo 7
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Horizon Forbidden West

These updates will allow players to experience their favorite games at a higher fidelity, taking full advantage of the console’s improved graphics and performance.

Design & Compatibility

Maintaining consistency within the PS5 family, the PS5 Pro retains the same height and width as the original PS5 model. Players will also have the option to add an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive or swap console covers when available.

Additionally, the PS5 Pro is fully compatible with all existing PS5 accessories, including the PlayStation VR2, DualSense Edge, Pulse Elite, and Access controller. This ensures seamless integration into your current gaming setup.

Pricing & Availability

The PS5 Pro will be available starting November 7, 2024, at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of:

$699.99 USD
$949.99 CAD
£699.99 GBP
€799.99 EUR
¥119,980 JPY

Each PS5 Pro comes with a 2TB SSD, a DualSense wireless controller, and a copy of Astro’s Playroom pre-installed. Pre-orders begin on September 26, 2024, and the console will be available at participating retailers and directly from PlayStation via direct.playstation.com.

The launch of the PS5 Pro marks a new chapter in PlayStation’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge gaming experiences. Whether players choose the standard PS5 or the PS5 Pro, PlayStation aims to provide the best possible gaming experience for everyone.

Preorder your PS5 Pro and step into the next generation of gaming this holiday season.

Tech

Google Unveils AI-Powered Pixel 9 Lineup Ahead of Apple’s iPhone 16 Release

Published

4 weeks ago

August 13, 2024

Harry Miller

Google has launched its next generation of Pixel phones, setting the stage for a head-to-head competition with Apple as both tech giants aim to integrate more advanced artificial intelligence (AI) features into their flagship devices. The unveiling took place near Google’s Mountain View headquarters, marking an early debut for the Pixel 9 lineup, which is designed to showcase the latest advancements in AI technology.

The Pixel 9 series, although a minor player in global smartphone sales, is a crucial platform for Google to demonstrate the cutting-edge capabilities of its Android operating system. With AI at the core of its strategy, Google is positioning the Pixel 9 phones as vessels for the transformative potential of AI, a trend that is expected to revolutionize the way people interact with technology.

Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior vice president overseeing the Pixel phones, emphasized the company’s commitment to AI, stating, “We are obsessed with the idea that AI can make life easier and more productive for people.” This echoes the narrative Apple is likely to push when it unveils its iPhone 16, which is also expected to feature advanced AI capabilities.

The Pixel 9 lineup will be the first to fully integrate Google’s Gemini AI technology, designed to enhance user experience through more natural, conversational interactions. The Gemini assistant, which features 10 different human-like voices, can perform a wide array of tasks, particularly if users allow access to their emails and documents.

In an on-stage demonstration, the Gemini assistant showcased its ability to generate creative ideas and even analyze images, although it did experience some hiccups when asked to identify a concert poster for singer Sabrina Carpenter.

To support these AI-driven features, Google has equipped the Pixel 9 with a special chip that enables many AI processes to be handled directly on the device. This not only improves performance but also enhances user privacy and security by reducing the need to send data to remote servers.

Google’s aggressive push into AI with the Pixel 9 comes as Apple prepares to unveil its iPhone 16, which is expected to feature its own AI advancements. However, Google’s decision to offer a one-year free subscription to its advanced Gemini Assistant, valued at $240, may pressure Apple to reconsider any plans to charge for its AI services.

The standard Pixel 9 will be priced at $800, a $100 increase from last year, while the Pixel 9 Pro will range between $1,000 and $1,100, depending on the model. Google also announced the next iteration of its foldable Pixel phone, priced at $1,800.

In addition to the new Pixel phones, Google also revealed updates to its Pixel Watch and wireless earbuds, directly challenging Apple’s dominance in the wearable tech market. These products, like the Pixel 9, are designed to integrate seamlessly with Google’s AI-driven ecosystem.

Google’s event took place against the backdrop of a significant legal challenge, with a judge recently ruling that its search engine constitutes an illegal monopoly. This ruling could lead to further court proceedings that may force Google to make significant changes to its business practices, potentially impacting its Android software or other key components of its $2 trillion empire.

Despite these legal hurdles, Google is pressing forward with its vision of an AI-powered future, using its latest devices to showcase what it believes will be the next big leap in technology. As the battle for AI supremacy heats up, consumers can expect both Google and Apple to push the boundaries of what their devices can do, making the choice between them more compelling than ever.

News

Microsoft Outage Hits Payment Processors

Published

1 month ago

August 2, 2024

Harry Miller

When major payment processing systems have problems, the issues impact many critical systems that society depends on. In this article, we’ll explain the cause of the Microsoft outage and discuss the impact computer networking issues had on Canada. We’ll also examine whether or not Microsoft was at fault and what businesses can do to prevent further outages.

What Happened With the Microsoft Outage?

The outage with Microsoft’s Azure payment processor resulted from a buggy security update from an outside company, CrowdStrike. CrowdStrike offers information technology security services for many Microsoft Windows computers. The company’s software developers sent a new update out, but instead of patching up minor issues with the existing software, the code within conflicted with Windows and prevented computers from booting up. Users expecting to start their computers for a typical day were instead faced with the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death” error message.

So, how does this produce a problem and a payment processor issue? Many computers running payment processing, among many other kinds of software used for airlines, banks, retail, and other essential services, couldn’t start and were unable to let payments through. This is a catastrophic issue for companies that are heavily reliant upon the speed and ease of an electronic transaction.

In Canada, the outage impacted critical computer systems for air travel. Flights couldn’t be paid for and booked, which caused major problems for customers unable to make transactions while flights remained grounded. Travellers stuck waiting for flights to take off made their way over to the airports’ Starbucks and other vendors, only to discover unusually long lines due to payment issues. Even online gamblers looking to take their minds off the situation couldn’t take full advantage of one of the fastest payment options out there because of the outage.

Aside from payments, hospitals for major health systems had to use paper to complete important tasks like ordering lab work and getting meals to patients. Emergency dispatch lines were temporarily unable to function correctly while their computer systems were down.

How Was the Outage Fixed?

Thankfully, CrowdStrike fixed the problem on their end quickly, mostly via an additional reboot that allowed CrowdStrike to send over unflawed code. Unfortunately, for some business and private customers, rebooting wouldn’t be enough with command-line level adjustments needed for the operating system to run correctly.

The Good and Bad of Outages

First, we’re thankful that the outage was not caused by hackers accessing and stealing a mountain of personal data. A recent outage with an automotive software provider went on for much longer and ended much worse for software provider CDK, which likely paid an undisclosed sum north of $20 million to get data back and systems restored.

By some chance, Microsoft is reported to have experienced its own outage, and many information technology professionals blame Microsoft in part for their issues because of how their systems attempted to fix the problem by rebooting over and over again, though some of Microsoft’s PCs needed to warn users to make a change manually. Unfortunately, any computer that required manual intervention took longer to recover, as a knowledgeable person had to access each computer affected by the issue. In some cases, between dealing with several hours of backlogged tasks and slow recovery processes, some businesses took days, not hours, to get back online.

The outage brings up another major point in the cybersecurity and computer industry. CrowdStrike and Microsoft are both big companies in their respective fields. As a result, the effects of bad code spread much further than they could have if there were more competitors making security products or if there were more software companies making operating systems like Windows. While only 8 million computers were believed to be affected out of a much larger global network, those are essential computers for worldwide communication and payment processing. Perhaps companies should be putting their eggs in more than one basket?

The testing methods for the outage are unclear—did CrowdStrike test the routine software update enough to detect the potential for a major outage? Apparently not.

What Should Businesses Do Next?

Software like Microsoft Azure’s payment systems come from what information technology professionals call ‘the cloud.’ The software is remotely managed over the internet, meaning that the computer that runs the system is not physically present at the location. Unfortunately, this also means that an issue with the internet can take critical systems out of service.

Businesses ranging from major airlines and banks to mom-and-pop stores would be well served by backup systems at their locations. These don’t have to be as primitive as the old-fashioned credit-card carbon-copy slide, but there are options available with consistent service that don’t repeatedly rely on the same networks.

Conclusion

There were certainly challenging moments for Canadian businesses and emergency services during the CrowdStrike and Microsoft outage. As they scrambled to understand the problem and waited, albeit briefly, for issues to resolve, many companies learned the importance of having local and reliable backup for their computer systems.