Samsung is getting set to unveil its newest Galaxy phones this Tuesday, Feb. 11, said to be called the Galaxy S20 5G, S20 Plus 5G and S20 Ultra 5G (RIP Galaxy S11, a name that died before it even arrived). We’ve been keeping our eyes peeled for new rumors and speculation in advance on the big reveal at Samsung Unpacked next week. Some of the more exciting rumored features include the 5G support thought to be baked into the phones’ names, upgraded camera tech, some fun new colors, a giant battery, a beast of a processor and extra-fast 120Hz screens.
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5G may sneakily be the most important new Galaxy S20 feature to impact the mobile industry. These phones could help tip the scale in bringing 5G to the masses, at least in the top tier. After all, Samsung is the world’s biggest phone brand, and the Galaxy S should be the company’s most popular premium phones.
There’s good reason for Samsung to anticipate big sales. The company is already coasting off a strong 2019 that saw the excellent Galaxy Note 10 and unforgettable Galaxy Fold. If the brand has its way, big changes coming to the Galaxy S20 phones could spell out another blockbuster year.
Samsung’s official Unpacked invitation gives a few clues about the phones we’ll see next month.
Samsung
Price: Galaxy S20 Ultra could cost $1,200
We expect the Galaxy S20 series to more or less align with the iPhone 11 series, with the standard version well under $1,000 and the most advanced model breaking the $1,000 mark. The base model price was all but verified Friday when a listing for the S20 appeared Friday on Amazon AE, the company’s site for the United Arab Emirates, for a price of 3,112.72 Arab Emirate dirham, or approximately $847.
The latest mix of rumor and speculation about the Galaxy S20 pricing comes from Max Weinbach of XDA Developers:
Galaxy S20: $850 (900 to 1,000 euros)
Galaxy S20 Plus: $950 (1,050 to 1,100 euros)
GalaxyS20 Ultra: $1,200 (1,300 euros)
For reference, here were 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
Rumored renders for the Galaxy S20 in Cloud Blue.
91Mobiles
Specs: Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, S20 Ultra
The exact names of the three Galaxy S20 models have been bouncing around, but people are starting to settle on Galaxy S20 5G for the “standard” version, S20 Plus 5G for the middle version (not Pro) and S20 Ultra 5G for what is presumably the largest, most advanced of the three.
Samsung’s Galaxy S20 startup screen?
Max Weinbach/XDA Developers
Here are the rumored specs in aggregate, based on Max Weinbach from XDA Developers, My Smart Price and Twitter leakers Ice Universe and Evan Blass. The Amazon AE leak also corroborated rumors about the display, battery and camera array, but the model in the listing featured an Exynos 990 processor, not the rumored Snapdragon 865.
Galaxy S20 5G (rumored specs)
Galaxy S20 Pro/Plus 5G (rumored specs)
6.7-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
Cameras: 12-megapixel main, 64-megapixel telephoto and 3x digital zoom, 12-megapixel ultrawide, time-of-flight sensor
5,000-mAh battery with optional 45-watt fast-charger
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor
An artist’s rendition of the Galaxy S11, based on the rumors and leaks.
Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET from Concept Creator
New colors: Cosmic black, cosmic grey, cloud blue, cloud pink
Samsung may be embracing a lighter hue, if this latest is right. Mobile tweeter Ishan Agarwal posted images said to be official renders of the S20 phones. According to Agarwal, the S20 Ultra will come in black and grey, with the S20 Plus available in black, grey and blue, and the S20 in grey, pink and blue.
Note that color availability often varies by region, and that Samsung typically introduces special shades and even special backing material for select phones and regions. The leaked Amazon listing showed a Cloud Blue model.
New feature: Quick Share, Samsung’s version of AirDrop
A software feature could come to the Galaxy S20 phones that makes them act more like the iPhone in one specific way. Called Quick Share, the rumored tool could make it easy to transfer photos, video and other files from the phone to other compatible devices.
Quick Share could mimic the effect of Apple’s AirDrop tool for iPhones and iPads, but with Samsung’s ecosystem in mind.
Exactly which devices are compatible with the Galaxy S20 matters. Hopefully, Samsung’s renewed partnership with Microsoft means that Windows 10 computers would get the green light, and not only devices like Samsung laptops, TVs and tablets.
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Galaxy S20 leaks continue, forget about a Twitter edit…
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Confirmed: Feb. 11 launch date in San Francisco
Samsung has officially announced its Unpacked event for Feb. 11 at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts. It’s widely believed that Samsung will also take the wraps off its second foldable phone, perhaps called the Galaxy Bloom, which bends into a square, similar to the Motorola Razr.
Look for the Galaxy S20 to go on preorder shortly after Feb. 11, with phones shipping a week or two after the reveal. I’ll continue to update this story with fresh rumors, so come back for more.
We’ve highlighted which phones might get which cameras. Let’s dig into those a bit more, because a rumored 108-megapixel main camera sensor for the S20 Ultra is something to talk about.
Logic holds that the larger the camera pixel, the more light can flow in, the better the photo is. That’s why more megapixels won’t necessarily mean better photos. The camera processing plays a huge role in image quality. Is this madness?
It sounds like madness. But Chinese brand Xiaomi already beat Samsung to it with the Mi CC9 Pro, which has a 108-megapixel camera.
A 108-megapixel camera may sound wild, but the Snapdragon 865 chip we talked about above can support a 200-megapixel camera. You may not be using all 108 million 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 Qualcomm for making it happen.
Twitter leaker Weinbach corroborates that the S20 Ultra 5G will be the only one to get the 108-megapixel camera of the three new phones, with a 48-megapixel 10x optical zoom lens and a 12-megapixel ultrawide-angle lens for group and landscape shots to go along with it.
Meanwhile, leaker Ice Universe tweeted that the S20 and S20 Plus will have 12-megapixel cameras, while the two higher-end devices will also have time-of-flight sensors (ToF), which are useful for portrait video mode and AR applications.
A cross between the Note 10 and Galaxy S10?
The Galaxy S20 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 the S20? 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 seems to be rectangular and off to the left, according to renders and possible photos. It might also stick out from the surface, a lot like the iPhone 11 and Google Pixel 4. Cameras that stick out are more vulnerable to breaking when you drop your phone, so a case is an absolute must.
Another artistic rendition of the Galaxy S20.
Concept Creator
5G guaranteed, but there’s a catch
I mentioned 5G earlier. This is a rumored feature, but also a given. The Galaxy S20 is 99.9% likely to use the powerful Snapdragon 865 processor, 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.
I promised a catch and here it is. While the Galaxy S20 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 S20 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. Samsung will want to put its best foot forward by delivering the phone with the “best” chip.
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 we have now.
While a 120Hz refresh rate is great for gaming and other quick transitions, it’s a battery hog. Still, the OnePlus 8 is getting support for a 120Hz screen. The Galaxy S20 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.
Suggested renders for the Galaxy S11 and S11E.
Pricebaba
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 for the Galaxy S20 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.
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.
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. Samsung One UI 2 aims to push icons and screen controls toward the bottom of the phone so they’re easier to reach one-handed.
Storage and RAM
Let’s not forget onboard storage, external memory and RAM. According to Weinbach’s recent tweet, the S20 Ultra will have:
128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options
12GB and 16GB RAM configurations
MicroSD card slot for external storage, with support for up to 1TB
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.
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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.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tiny Mideast nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is set in part in the 1990s Gulf War.
The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA operators fighting at times in the United States and also in the Middle East. Game-play trailers for the game show burning oilfields, a painful reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis set fire to the fields, causing vast ecological and economic damage. Iraqi troops damaged or set fire to over 700 wells.
There also are images of Saddam and Iraq’s old three-star flag in the footage released by developers ahead of the game’s launch. The game’s multiplayer section, a popular feature of the series, includes what appears to be a desert shootout in Kuwait called Scud after the Soviet missiles Saddam fired in the war. Another is called Babylon, after the ancient city in Iraq.
Activision acknowledged in a statement that the game “has not been approved for release in Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.
“All pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase,” the company said. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series.”
Kuwait’s Media Ministry did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press over the decision.
“Call of Duty,” which first began in 2003 as a first-person shooter set in World War II, has expanded into an empire worth billions of dollars now owned by Microsoft. But it also has been controversial as its gameplay entered the realm of geopolitics. China and Russia both banned chapters in the franchise. In 2009, an entry in the gaming franchise allowed players to take part in a militant attack at a Russian airport, killing civilians.
But there have been other games recently that won praise for their handling of the Mideast. Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” published last year won praise for its portrayal of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age in the 9th century.
