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Tech
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra release date, and features
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From all the leaks and rumors so far, it looks like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra could be the biggest phone of early 2022, if not the entire year. And we’re going to find out just how big in a few hours.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is set to be revealed at the first Galaxy Unpacked 2022 event later today (Wednesday, February 9). And you can follow it all with us on our Samsung Galaxy Unpacked live blog.
As the head of the Samsung Galaxy S22 series, the Ultra will join a standard S22 model and the Plus-sized variant, following the pattern set by the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S21 ranges.
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However, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will be the model to watch, as the other two phones are looking like incremental upgrades over their predecessors. (If you’d like to know more about those phones, check out our Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus comparison.) Rumors have been pointing to the Ultra as the spiritual successor to the Galaxy Note line, which means a Galaxy Note-like design along with an integrated S Pen. And Samsung has all but conceded that it’s drawn heavily on the Note for inspiration.
But don’t think of the Galaxy S22 Ultra as a rehashed Galaxy Note — the new phone could see plenty of other exclusive features. Here’s what we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and why it’s the phone to watch.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra news (Updated February 9)
- Samsung Galaxy Unpacked takes place today — and you can follow it all on our Samsung Galaxy Unpacked live blog. We also have a separate guide to how to watch Samsung Unpacked from wherever you are.
- Samsung Galaxy S22 pre-orders are tipped could come with a free pair of Galaxy Buds Pro, which are a pretty slick set of earbuds with ANC.
- Another leak has shown off the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra features and accessories, notably how the Galaxy S22 Ultra to act as a palette for the Tab S8 Ultra.
- There will be a 1TB option for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, but a leaker says that super-sized phone won’t be available everywhere.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra specs (rumored)
Display | 6.8-inch AMOLED, QHD |
Refresh rate | 120Hz adaptive |
Rear cameras | 108MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x optical telephoto, 10MP 10x optical telephoto |
Front camera | 40MP |
Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/ Exynos 2200 |
RAM | 8GB/12GB/16GB |
Storage | 128GB/256GB/512GB (1TB in select markets) |
Battery | 5,000 mAh |
Charging | 45W |
Colors | Black, white, green, red |
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra release date rumors
As the rumors correctly predicted, Samsung plans to hold a Galaxy Unpacked event today, February 9, with the show getting underway at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT. Samsung hasn’t said what’s debuting at the show, but the invitation showing a box with an S inside suggests the Galaxy S lineup should be high on the list of possibilities.
Pre-orders may also open today, followed by the Galaxy S22 rumored release date on the February 25. However, a report from South Korea, citing sources within Samsung, says that the phone ships on February 24. Whoever’s right, it’s clear the Galaxy S22 Ultra is going to be in users’ hands by the end of next month.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra price
We were hoping that the Galaxy S22 Ultra price would be in line with the $1,199 Galaxy S21 Ultra. However, the one recent rumor points to a possible price hike of $100 for all three Galaxy S22 models.
And another leak revealed claimed prices in Euros, with the Galaxy S22 Ultra starting at €1,249 for the 8GB/128GB version, €1,349 for12GB/256GB, and €1,449 for the top-end 12GB/512GB.
That’s a lot, even for a flagship phone. And with competition tight, thanks to the likes of the Google Pixel 6 Pro coming in at $899, Samsung would really need to prove why its flagship is worth so much more. To be fair, the Galaxy S22 Plus might be more of a direct competitor to the Pixel 6 Pro, though we have a Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. Pixel 6 Pro comparison to help you see how the phones could measure up.
But there could be a nasty sting to all of this, as the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is predicted to face major stock issues, with demand outstripping supply. As it stands, there’s still a global chip shortage going on and that’s set to affect even Samsung; Apple also fell foul of this with the iPhone 13 Pro.
One nice perk, however, may be that pre-orders of the Samsung Galaxy S22 could come with free Galaxy Buds Pro. Those earbuds offer impressive active noise cancellation and have even got a spot on our best noise-cancelling earbuds list, meaning they aren’t a freebie to be sniffed at.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra design
The Galaxy S22 Ultra looks likely to stand out from the rest of the Galaxy S22 series, with rumors suggesting it will drop the rounded shape of its predecessors in favor of a blockier and flatter Note-like design. Initially, that was based on leaked images of alleged dummy units and renders supposedly based on leaks. But now in teasing a February phone launch, Samsung’s TM Roh has all but confirmed that the Galaxy S22 Ultra is going to repurpose a lot of Galaxy Note features.
“You loved the unparalleled creativity and efficiency of the Galaxy Note series, which enabled you to switch from gaming nirvana to high-octane productivity in the blink of an eye,” Roh wrote in a blog post. “You raved about the lifelike S Pen, which many say rivals putting ink to paper. And we haven’t forgotten about these experiences you love.”
Like the Note, the side edges of the display are set to be curved but only gently, which should make the phone comfortable but not too slippery to hold. And in keeping with the Note DNA, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is set to have an S Pen holder, which will be a notable upgrade over the S21 Ultra; that phone had to use an optional case to hold its S Pen.
Another major change that seems very likely is that Samsung won’t use a protruding module for its rear camera array. Rather, the cameras will be integrated into its chassis in a P-shape. These appear to stick out a little from the back of the phone but don’t seem as prominent as a dedicated module.
The leaker Evan Blass has posted renders of the Galaxy S22 colors, including the Galaxy S22 Ultra. These include black, white, green and red.
Backing up these design rumors was another leak by Blass, this time of what appears to be Samsung Galaxy S22 marketing material for Italy. They hammer home the design changes as well as shed light on the specs. Do note due to copyright issues, we can’t post the leaked images here so you’ll need to follow Blass on Twitter or subscribe to his email substack to get a glimpse at them.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra display
The Galaxy S22 is expected to have a 6.81-inch AMOLED display, which is the same size as the Galaxy S21 Ultra. However, the panel could be a bit wider in order to better accommodate S Pen input.
A punch hole cut-out for the front-facing camera has been shown off in renders and leaked images, likely down to Samsung having yet to perfect the under-display camera for use in its non-folding Galaxy phones.
A 120Hz LTPO panel is also expected, following on from the one found in the S21 Ultra. It’s also expected to be adaptive, scaling all the way down to 1Hz when a high-refresh rate isn’t needed. There’s no word on whether it’ll use a LTPO 2.0 display like the one on the OnePlus 10 Pro, which offers a smoother overall experience.
One stand-out feature could be peak brightness, with the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s display tipped to hit a maximum of 1,750 nits. If true, this would beat every other phone on the market, including the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
A leak of what appear to be Galaxy S22 Ultra marketing images, show how the larger S22 phone can be used as a form of palette for the Tab S8 Ultra in the Canva illustration app, allowing users of both devices to select the color they want on the phone while using the tablet as a digital canvas.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra cameras
Based on rumored specs alone, the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s cameras look like having the same megapixel counts as those on the Galaxy S21 Ultra. If that’s the case, it’ll have a 108MP main camera plus two 10MP telephoto cameras with 3x and 10 optical zoom, and an ultra-wide camera that’s likely to come in at 12MP.
But megapixels aside, these cameras are tipped to have improved sensors and capabilities, including an AI enhancement mode for the 108MP camera which could lead to more detail and brightness from its shots.
The rumored SuperClear Lens has been given more detail in a leak from Evan Blass, which indicate the lens will be fitted to the main 108MP camera and is described in the marketing material translated from Italian as offering “brighter shots without reflections or glare.” Camera lenses can’t help but distort the light that passes through them on the way to the sensor that actually captures the image in front of you, so this new lens that Samsung is using is claiming to reduce or even eliminate this common problem.
Along with that Super Clear lens, Samsung has already begun teasing a “night-breaking” camera that should take exceptional photos in low-light situations.
The selfie camera is expected to come in at 40MP. Again, no step up in specs here, but we can be fairly confident that Samsung will have made some effort to improve the computational photography capabilities across the S22 Ultra’s entire camera suite.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra S Pen
As noted above, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is expected to ship with an included S Pen, just like the Galaxy Note of old. This is a departure from Samsung’s approach with the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold where the S Pen was treated as an optional accessory. Presumably, including the S Pen with the S22 Ultra will lead to tighter integration between stylus and phone, though leaks about new S Pen capabilities have been minimal, thus far.
One rumored new feature ties in with the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, which is expected to ship at the same time as the Galaxy S22 lineup. According to leaker Evan Blass, the Galaxy S22 Ultra and its S Pen will be able to double as a color picker for the tablet using the Canva app.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra specs
This is where things get complicated; it’s looking likely that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will have two different chipsets.
In the U.S. and China, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has been tipped to use Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. That chip has a new Kryo CPU that offers 20% faster performance than the Snapdragon 888 and which sucks up 30% less power. On the GPU side, Qualcomm says the Adreno processor will offer a 30% speed boost while being 25% more efficient than its predecessor. A solid upgrade all around, then, but not exactly needle shifting.
But in the U.K. and other regions the Galaxy S22 Ultra is expected to have the newly revealed Exynos 2200. Usually considered weaker than their Snapdragon counterparts in third-party testing, early Geekbench 5 results show the Exynos 2200 beat the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in multi-core results.
And the Exynos 2200 chip could buck the performance trend even further thanks to its new Xclipse 920 GPU. This graphics processor uses AMD’s RDNA 2 GPU architecture, which is the same tech that underpins the GPUs in the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Now, we doubt you’ll be running the best Xbox Series X games or the best PS5 games on the Galaxy S22 Ultra with ray tracing enabled. But we can expect a notable boost in gaming performance, perhaps being able to run true console-quality games on the phone with a few tweaks in settings.
Reputable tech leaker Ice Universe posted alleged Wild Life results on Twitter showing the performance of one Exynos 2200 configuration. The graphics benchmark results yielded a score of 8,134 with an average of 50.3 frames per second; very impressive for an Android phone.
Other benchmarks have been less encouraging. Leaked Geekbench 5 results posted to Twitter suggest that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will not be much of an improvement over the S21 Ultra — in fact, the numbers of an Exynos 2200-powered model were worse than the ones for a Galaxy S21 Ultra running on an Exynos 2100. Since benchmarks of unreleased phones don’t always reflect actual performance, we wouldn’t suggest pressing the panic button just yet.
Another round of benchmarks recorded less than a week before the phone’s expected launch show that it’s a close race between the Snapdragon and Exynos versions. However the test used in this benchmark doesn’t take graphical performance into account, which is where the RDNA-enhanced Exynos chip could excel.
A leaker has published which regions will get phones with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and which will get the Exynoss 2200-powered S22 Ultra. As expected, the Americas are in line to get Qualcomm’s chip while Europe is slated for the Exynos silicon. It’s a mix of chipsets in other regions, according to this source.
As for RAM, a leak from WinFuture claims that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will have 8GB or 12GB options. A separate Reddit thread backs up this 8GB of RAM claim, which would be a downgrade from the S21 Ultra’s 12GB of RAM to start.
The storage options for the Galaxy S22 Ultra are tipped to include 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB. However, leaker Roland Quandt warns that the 1TB Galaxy S22 Ultra model may be limited to select markets.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra battery and charging
Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra is expected to keep the 5,000 mAh size of its predecessor. But one report has the phone set to get a smaller battery measuring in at 4,855 mAh. If this is the case, then we’d suspect Samsung will have worked hard on battery and performance efficiency in order to not see overall battery life compromised.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra endured 11 hours and 25 minutes of web surfing over 5G in our tests in 60Hz mode, and 10:07 in adaptive mode. We’d expect the S22 Ultra to match that or beat it.
The most recent report we’ve seen says that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will offer faster 45W charging. This would be a boost from the 25W charging on the S21 Ultra. We don’t know how quickly you’ll get to 50% or 100% as a result, but we look forward to testing it.
Meanwhile, 25W wireless charging has been tipped for the Galaxy S22 range, which would be a decent boost over the 15 watts supported by the Galaxy S21 phones.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra outlook
Without a doubt, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the phone we at Tom’s Guide are most excited about right now. Not only do the rumors point towards an impressive specs sheet, but the addition of a new Exynos chip with literal game-changing graphics is tantalizing. For the two lower-tier models, here are the top 5 rumored Samsung S22 and S22 Plus upgrades we want to see.
And that’s before we consider that the phone will almost certainly be a successor to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in all but name. It could be the handset to show that Samsung is still the king of big flagship phones, despite having placed a lot of its focus on foldables recently.
As such, we’d be relatively confident that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will be one of the most exciting phones of 2022 and a likely contender for a spot on our best phones list.
Tech
Take-Two Interactive to Acquire 'Borderlands' Developer Gearbox From Embracer Group for $460 Million – Yahoo Canada Sports
Take-Two Interactive has acquired video game developer Gearbox, the maker of the “Borderlands” franchise, from Embracer Group for $460 million.
Per Take Two, the company “expects the transaction to deepen its successful relationship with Gearbox Entertainment and to provide increased financial benefits through a fully integrated operational structure.”
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As part of the deal, Take-Two will acquire Gearbox IP, including “Borderlands” and “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands” franchises, games published by Take-Two’s 2K Games, as well as “Homeworld,” “Risk of Rain,” “Brothers in Arms” and “Duke Nukem.”
Currently, Gearbox has six “key interactive entertainment projects in various stages of development,” per Take-Two, which includes five sequels, two from “Borderlands” and “Homeworld” universes, and at least one “exciting new intellectual property,” all of which have been acquired in the sale.
Take-Two’s purchase of Gearbox is expected to close in June, pending regulatory approval. Upon completion, Gearbox will operate as a studio within 2K, continuing to be led by Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford and his management team.
Former Gearbox owner Embracer, a Swedish gaming conglomerate who snapped up the rights to “Lord of the Rings” two years ago, has undergone a severe restructuring program over the past year, which has seen the company shut down or dispose of dozens of games studios and titles and lay off hundreds of staff, resulting in aftershocks that have reverberated throughout the games industry.
The sale of Gearbox marks the latest insistence of Embracer unloading assets, following the company divesting Saber Interactive.
“Our acquisition of Gearbox is an exciting moment for Take-Two and will strengthen our industry-leading creative talent and portfolio of owned intellectual property, including the iconic Borderlands franchise,” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said. “This combination enhances the financial profile of our existing projects with Gearbox and unlocks the opportunity for us to drive increased long-term growth by leveraging the full resources of Take-Two across all of Gearbox’s exciting initiatives.”
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Tech
An OLED iPad Pro and the first big-screen iPad Air will reportedly arrive in May – Engadget
Apple will finally launch new iPads in early May, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Expected are a new iPad Pro with an OLED display and a faster iPad Air, including a 12.9-inch model for the first time in that lineup. The details of the upcoming iPad models have been consistent, circulating through the rumor mill since last year.
The new iPad Pro models will reportedly add OLED displays (offering deeper blacks and richer colors) and run on the new M3 chip, already found in several Macs. The new tablets are said to launch alongside a redesigned Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. Other than a white color option, the latter has remained unchanged since its arrival four years ago.
Meanwhile, the iPad Air will supposedly run on a new processor. Bloomberg didn’t specify which, but — considering the current model uses the M1, and Apple likely wants to reserve the M3 for the more expensive Pro — the M2 sounds like a safe bet. The 12.9-inch screen option would mark the first time the iPad Air line has offered a display larger than 10.9 inches. Although Apple will charge more for that model than the smaller sibling expected alongside it, that would be the cheapest way yet to get a supersized iPad screen.
Gurman said early this month that the new tablets would launch alongside the M3 MacBook Air, but the laptop arrived without any iPads in tow. He now reports that Apple’s release schedule was pushed back to finish working on the devices’ software and ironing out the kinks from the “complex new manufacturing techniques” they require.
Tech
Ashleigh Oakridge offers boutique-style condos with concrete construction – Vancouver Sun
Peterson Group’s latest project will be chock-full of amenities and have timeless interiors
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It may not sound exciting to say the big selling points for a new condominium project are that it’s concrete construction and four storeys. But start thinking in terms of getting all the benefits of concrete-tower construction in a sophisticated, boutique-style building of only 34 to 35 units, chock-full of amenities, situated on a quiet, tree-lined Vancouver street and the appeal is obvious—especially to those downsizing in the neighbourhood.
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“That on its own really sets it apart because if you want to be in a boutique setting, you don’t love the idea of highrises, and you want a concrete home type, there aren’t many options. It’s highly unique,” explains Barrett Sprowson, vice-president of sales and project marketing at Peterson Group, the developer of the Ashleigh Oakridge project, which will be composed of three buildings when completed.
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Two of the three buildings, the Berkley and the Alma, will be constructed first, with the Cambridge following later. Each one will have its own curb appeal, but all are designed to integrate into the neighbourhood, hence the plan to maintain the existing trees. The wellness amenities of sauna, steam room, cold and hot plunge pools and fully-equipped fitness room are centrally located in the Berkley for all the residents’ use. All three buildings have their own rooftop amenities that feature an indoor-outdoor flow from an expansive entertainment and co-workspace to patio lounging, dining, fire pits, communal gardens and children’s play area.
The interiors of the homes, which Sprowson says offer generous, well-laid-out floorplans, feature numerous elevated design details that complement a classic esthetic. His personal favourite is the pot filler over the gas cooktop in the kitchen. “There’s not too many times you run into that, and there’s a little feature that’s practical, helpful and useful but is also tricky and expensive to do,” he says.
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The interior design team at Ste. Marie Studio framed their overall concept around the idea of classic styling accented with design-forward touches.
“We looked at it through the lens of a single-family home and wanting it to feel really timeless,” says Craig Stanghetta, founder and creative director of Ste. Marie Studio. “We don’t want it to feel that it doesn’t have a little bit of risk. There’s a little bit of risk in terms of some brushed metal accents.”
Their use of a bold marble for the kitchen backsplashes makes a dramatic visual statement, but though striking, the pattern is a classic marble, not one heavily veined, and one that would be at home in a Paris apartment or a New York brownstone, Stanghetta observes. In the larger homes, they’ve used it to wrap the islands. “They become a big feature, but in some of these other ones, we’re using the manufactured stone in those areas and letting the backsplash be the big design gesture,” Stanghetta says.
In the smaller units where the backsplashes are marble, but quartz is used on the counter and island surfaces, the team introduced a dining table-island combination that works for multiple uses—kitchen prep, home office or dining—and the generous bank of wall storage available in the L-shaped configuration allowed for this unique style of island.
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“I think we just acknowledged that sometimes people are prioritizing different things, and if you’re in a one-bedroom living scenario, then we want the flexibility to choose your own adventure with that piece of furniture,” Stanghetta explains.
The appliance package is Miele and features built-in coffee makers, gas ranges, speed ovens, wall ovens and, in some units, wine fridges. There are also sleek can lights over the islands and open shelving for personalizing the space. Sprowson notes that the full-height pantries also boost the kitchens’ functionality and that, though expected when downsizing from a single-family home, they’re often not an option in condo living.
“It’s also a striking kitchen. You look at the marble backsplash and the marble countertop with the waterfall edge, and you’ve got all the functionality, but it’s also, dare I say, very pretty to look at,” he says.
The bathrooms reflect that same mix of functionality and sophisticated styling, with details like flattering sconce lighting and wall-mount toilets. Stanghetta says the floating shelf under the medicine cabinet creates a “nice balance of high-functional storage but then these clean lines that also give you a more fully designed and realized space.”
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He notes that the double vanities in the larger bathrooms have an oversized countertop, a beautiful detail that works with the timeless design concept: attention to detail that will last. The combination of timelessness with contemporary accents creates interiors that reflect the project’s overall vision.
The development is ideally situated to allow residents to be central to everything while enjoying a quiet location.
“This is a viable option for anyone who wants concrete, a good amount of space, decent amenities, all the walkability and proximity to Oakridge and all the cool stuff that’s on the Cambie corridor,” Stanghetta observes.
Ashleigh Oakridge
Project Address: 5080 Ash Street, Vancouver
Project Scope: A development of three, four-storey, concrete, boutique buildings offering one, two and three-bedroom homes that range from 590 to 1,800 square feet. Each building features rooftop amenities and a shared wellness and fitness centre in the Berkley building.
Developers: Peterson Group
Architects: GBL Architects
Prices: Starting in the low $800,000s
Sales centre: Ashleigh PC 2094 W 43rd Ave, Vancouver
Sales centre hours: Open daily (Except Friday), noon to 5 p.m.
Sales phone: 604-476-429
Website: ashleighoakridge.com
Occupancy date: Estimated completion summer 2028
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