This generation of Samsung flagship devices in the Galaxy S21 line-up is quite different to that of past years, as Samsung has opted to create a much more uneven device line-up between the “standard” Galaxy S21, S21+ and the larger, more feature-packed Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Beyond the cameras and the general form-factor, the one area where the Galaxy S21 Ultra differs significantly to its siblings is the display. This is not only due to the cheaper siblings opting to downgrade to FHD resolution panels, but also because the S21 Ultra generationally employs a brand new first-of-its-kind OLED screen that pushes the boundaries in terms of technology.
QHD at 120Hz, finally, but still limited VRR
One of the larger changes in the capabilities of the S21 Ultra display is that ability to finally run the screen at its native 1440 x 3200 resolution at 120Hz – an option that previously wasn’t possible on the S20 or Note20 series devices.
Samsung’s way of enabling this is relatively straightforward and in line with what’s we’ve seen in the OnePlus 8 Pro last year: the MIPI interface clock has been upped from 1157MHz to 1462MHz. It’s still a single 4-lane interface in terms of width, but like on the 8 Pro, the increased frequency allows for sufficient bandwidth to now enable the high refresh rate at high resolution.
The panel of the S21 Ultra, much like the Note20 Ultra, uses a new hybrid oxide and polycrystalline backplane technology which is roughly equivalent to LTPO display technologies, and allows it to enable low refresh rates and seamless switching between refresh rates.
We’ve covered this new VRR (variable refresh rate) extensively in our screen analysis of the Note20 Ultra and how it works transparently to the hardware, and how the LFD (low-frequency drive) is able to achieve great power efficiency benefits when in the “Adaptive” screen refresh rate mode.
In this regard, the Galaxy S21 Ultra behaves the same as the Note20 Ultra. It’s to be noted that this also includes the behaviour of the VRR mechanism is not functional in low ambient brightness situations, with power consumption varying depending on what the ambient light sensor of the phone is picking up. This means that when in brighter situations where the ambient light sensor detects luminance beyond 40 lux, the VRR and LFD are working seemingly as intended.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra now allowing QHD at 120Hz, mean that we have 2 additional operating modes for the display compared to how the Note20 Ultra ran things:
At 60Hz QHD resolution, the base power consumption of the S21 Ultra (an Exynos 2100 variant in this context), uses up 469 to 481mW of power on a completely black screen in terms of total device power. Similarly to the Note20 Ultra, we’re seeing that there’s still some sort of VRR/LFD operating when in the 60Hz mode as the display will consume less power when in brighter ambient situations, although the delta here is less than what we saw on the Note20 Ultra.
At 120Hz FHD, the same operating modes that possible on the Note20 Ultra, the S21 Ultra here seems to consume 130mW more for some reason, ending up at 558mW over the Note20 Ultra’s 428mW. I’m not too sure as to why we’re seeing this larger difference between the devices, but we are talking about different DDICs and different panels along with different SoCs here.
The S21 Ultra here compares very well against the Snapdragon S20 Ultra, using up to around 200mW less power, although the difference to the Exynos S20 Ultra isn’t that big at only around 45mW.
Unfortunately, the big catch on Samsung’s VRR/LFD mechanism is the same as on the Note20 Ultra, as when you are in ambient light conditions below 40lux, the power savings mechanisms do not work anymore, and the phone will consume a great amount of power, similar to what we’ve seen on the Snapdragon S20 Ultra last year.
If you’re using your phone in dark or even dim conditions, the variable refresh rate doesn’t work at all, and the 120Hz mode comes at a huge 300mW cost in baseline power. Because the display panel in general uses less power in such conditions, because I’m assuming it runs at lower brightness levels, this baseline power impact is a very large % of the total device power consumption.
I wasn’t a big fan of this aspect of the Note20 Ultra and previous generation 120Hz implementations – I wish Samsung instead of disabling the VRR/LFD under dim conditions would simply switch to 60Hz mode as that would be a much more power efficient alternative. Of course, the best solution would be simply to get rid of this ambient brightness limitation and allow 120Hz and VRR in all conditions – it’s still not exactly clear at to the technical reason why Samsung is employing this limitation in the first place, as I’m not seeing any difference at all in the screen quality when tricking the phone’s ambient brightness sensor and it switching between VRR/LFD on and off.
A new OLED Emitter Generation – Huge Leaps
So, while the QHD 120Hz and VRR/LFD technology are interesting, they’re not exactly the newest technologies although Samsung does finally bring them to the Galaxy S series (well the Ultra at least).
The most interesting part of the Galaxy S21 Ultra display is the fact that it’s the first to use a new generation OLED emitter. Over the years, there have been noticeable jumps in OLED power efficiency, and most of them have been tied to introductions of new generation emitters which improved upon their predecessors. Samsung doesn’t really talk much about the technical descriptions of these emitters or their generational nomenclature, but the S21 Ultra is one such new generation.
To measure the difference between the screen generations, we simply measure the power consumption of the different devices at various display brightness levels, comparing the new Galaxy S21 Ultra to the previous-gen S20 Ultra as well as throwing in the Note20 Ultra as an extra data-point:
Right off the bat, we can see that there’s a great difference in display luminance capability as well as power consumption for the new S21 Ultra. The various devices start off at roughly the same baseline power consumption starting point on a complete black screen: 481mW for the S21 Ultra, 510mW for the S20 Ultra, and 476mW for the Note20 Ultra. We’re measuring things in the 60Hz mode as we’re just focused on the luminance power of the displays.
Compared to the S20 Ultra, at 200 and 400 nits, the S21 Ultra is roughly 22% more efficient when displaying full screen white. That’s actually a huge number given that we’re measuring total device power, not just the display.
If we’re normalising the power curves to the baseline power, the S21 Ultra is actually even more efficient – 26% to 31%, depending on brightness level.
In fact, although the new S21 Ultra’s screen is the brightest that Samsung has ever delivered, reaching full screen white levels of up to 942 nits, it uses less power than the S20 Ultra’s 778 nits peak brightness. The peak power is also 20% lower than the Note20 Ultra even though it’s also brighter by 31 nits.
It’s interesting to see the S20 Ultra vs the Note20 Ultra power curves here – the two roughly match up to around 150 nits, after which the Note20 Ultra takes the lead, however the advantage here seems to be more fixed in terms of absolute mW, as the power curves continue to run in parallel to each other – it’s likely the efficiency gains come from the new backplane technology of the Note20 Ultra. The S21 Ultra’s power curve however is clearly more divergent at increasing brightness levels, which is a sign of improved luminance efficiency as opposed to panel drive efficiency, which is exactly what we’d expect given the new emitter technology.
Rather than demonstrating power at a unrealistic full-screen white, let’s take something with a more realistic average picture level, such as the AnandTech homepage:
S21 Ultra & S20 Ultra
The scenario here is both the S21 Ultra and S20 Ultra side-by-side, set to 120Hz FHD, calibrated to 300 nits brightness, and under brighter ambient light conditions to trigger the S21 Ultra’s VRR/LFD mechanisms.
The difference in power consumption between the two phones in this best-case scenario for the S21 Ultra is enormous, using 27% less power than its predecessor.
That’s a huge generational leap, and undoubtedly results in a huge battery life advantage in favour of the new S21 Ultra, particularly for users who use the 120Hz mode, and tends to use their phones at higher brightness levels.
Prelude to Full Reviews
We’re still testing the S21 Ultra for performance and battery life, and are planning a SoC-centric article between the Snapdragon 888 vs Exynos 2100 variants of the Galaxy S21 Ultra soon, followed by device reviews of the S21 Ultra and the regular S21. While the SoC situation remains to be answered and investigated, the S21 Ultra’s advanced display technology and power efficiency looks that it will undoubtedly elevate it beyond its predecessors and baseline S21 siblings.
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.
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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.
