Electronics giant and PlayStation maker Sony announced plans on Monday to spend $3.6 billion on Bungie – the enormous game maker behind Destiny 2 and the hugely popular Halo – and that’s just the beginning of the spending spree.
The unexpected announcement followed hot on the heels of the startling news last week that Xbox manufacturer Microsoft planned to take over Activision Blizzard – so the Japanese company countered with its own major gaming acquisition.
“I want to be very clear to the community that Bungie will remain an independent and multi-platform studio and publisher,” said Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, in a blog post announcing the news. “As such, we believe it makes sense for it to sit alongside the PlayStation Studios organization, and we are incredibly excited about the opportunities for synergies and collaboration between these two world-class groups.”
The news comes just a week after Microsoft announced plans to acquire game maker Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, making this $3.6 billion deal seem almost insignificant. But looks can be deceiving: Few studios have the scale of Activision, meaning any deal would pale in comparison. And were Sony to go on a buying spree, it could quickly create an enormous gaming division – and widen the gulf between PlayStation and Xbox.
Bungie has limitless potential to unite friends around the world.We have found a partner in PlayStation that shares our dream and is committed to accelerating our creative vision of building generation-spanning entertainment.Our journey begins today.https://t.co/PLuVn48zdy pic.twitter.com/kAhRbAg3vDJanuary 31, 2022
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Bungie makes games with outstanding technology that are enormously fun to play,” added Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios. “They also have unmatched dedication to the communities that play their games, and everyone at PlayStation, and PlayStation Studios, will be excited about what we can share and learn from them.”
“Bungie has created and continues to evolve some of the world’s most beloved videogame franchises and, by aligning its values with people’s desire to share gameplay experiences, they bring together millions of people around the world,” Kenichiro Yoshida, president and CEO of Sony Group Corporation, said in a statement. “We will utilize the Sony Group’s diverse array of entertainment and technology assets to support further evolution of Bungie and its ability to create iconic worlds across multiple platforms and media.”
And it's only the start.
In an exclusive interview with Gamesindustry.biz, Ryan described the move as just the beginning of the company's plans. More acquisitions are clearly on the way, in other words.
"Expect more," he said.
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BOE Technology has pulled off a world-first in terms of the fastest ever refresh rate, with a panel that hits 500Hz.
BOE (Beijing Oriental Electronics) is a major player in panel production, and as spotted by Chinese news site Sina (via Tom’s Hardware), the company has managed to engineer a 27-inch monitor with a Full HD resolution and 500Hz refresh rate.
Clearly a gaming monitor designed to drive the highest frame rates possible for top-level competitive gaming, as you might expect it also has a response time of 1ms.
No other info is provided on the display, but Tom’s also points out that it offers 8-bit color and support for an 8-lane eDP signal.
The monitor uses a ‘high-mobility oxide backplane’ to facilitate the serious shift up in gear to 500Hz, which is a big step when you consider that currently the fastest panels on the market offer a refresh rate of 360Hz.
At this point, this is a prototype model, so it’s not clear when BOE might try to push for actual volume manufacturing of such a monitor – but that’s likely quite a way down the line.
Analysis: So fast it hertz (your wallet)
A 500Hz monitor using this kind of fancy new tech will doubtless empty your wallet when (or perhaps if) it eventually does get released. As we noted above, this would be targeted at pro gamers not short of bucks, of course, although the 27-inch size is an odd choice when you consider that most of the folks who want a super-fast 1080p display to drive frame rates through the roof go for a smaller 24-inch panel.
Typically, with 27-inch we’d expect to step up to 1440p, and this is the other route high refresh rate monitors are taking. Nvidia is making a fresh push for 1440p ‘esports displays’ to take the baton from 1080p, now that its high-end GPUs can keep pace with majorly high frames rates at 1440p (at least in less taxing esports games), and we’ve seen the likes of the AOC AG274QGM being readied for release.
That latter is a 300Hz monitor, but that’s plenty enough for most gamers realistically, and there are diminishing returns above 300Hz anyway (or arguably 240Hz for that matter). You may end up paying a premium that simply isn’t worth it, frankly – and even in less demanding titles, driving 500 frames per second (and a solid 500 fps, not just peaking at that) isn’t going to be easy either.
Still, it’s nice to have options, and we can’t deny we would want to give a 500Hz monitor a whirl if we were offered the chance in the future. As mentioned, we won’t see this kind of super-high refresh rate monitor on sale for some time, most likely next year in fact – remember that we’ve previously heard 480Hz monitors are on the way reportedly from AU Optronics and LG Display, but not until 2023.
The founder of JavaScript, Mozilla and web browser Brave has said he considers the NFT craze a distraction from the long-term objectives of Web 3.0.
In an exclusive interview with TechRadar Pro, Brendan Eich described NFTs as part of the “silliness” that has historically preceded landmark transformations of the web.
“We’re in the early stages of Web 3.0 and nobody knows what it means,” he told us. “With NFTs especially, there’s some silliness to it…and there has always been a scammy side as well.”
“However, there were a lot of silly sites and scams in the early days of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 as well. That’s how frontier towns are, before you pave the streets and put up the street lamps.”
The making of Web 3.0
The concept of Web 3.0 is founded on the idea that the internet has so far progressed through two distinct eras, with a third now on the horizon.
The term Web 1.0 is used to describe the earliest form of the internet, which was populated with mostly text-based information by a small number of players. The web as we know it today, meanwhile, is characterized by the participation of users in the content creation process (via social media and platforms like YouTube) and the blossoming of surveillance capitalism.
With the arrival of Web 3.0, the theory goes, the internet will move towards a system defined by decentralization, disintermediation and greater user privacy. Most advocates for Web 3.0 believe blockchain technology and cryptocurrency will play a fundamental role in this transition.
Brave is one company attempting to accelerate the shift towards this new web, with its privacy-preserving browser and novel advertising model built around its Basic Attention Token (BAT), which rewards users for viewing opt-in ads.
Naturally, Brave has attracted a large number of cryptocurrency enthusiasts, whose ambitions with regards to economic freedom align closely with the company’s attempts to create a more equitable web.
“We’re all about providing choices and trade routes to this new world of user sovereignty, served by privacy, cryptocurrency and decentralization,” says Eich.
However, asked whether there are any other elements of cryptocurrency culture Brave would seek to distance itself from, Eich conceded that the tendency towards tribalism can prove problematic.
“When you talk about crypto culture, there is no single community. Instead, there are several subcultures and an increasing amount of tribalism,” he said. “There are people who are super enthusiastic about their project and view it as the one true way. I’m not here to condemn anybody in particular in the community, but I do think this cultic tribalism can go too far.”
“It’s a really tricky space, it’s quite conflicted. There are monied interests throwing their support behind proxy warriors. That makes me hesitant to make blanket statements [about crypto culture], but also makes me want to build. If you build something better, people will use it.”
Our full interview with Brendan Eich will be published soon.
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If you've been on the market for a brand new graphics card recently, there's a pretty good chance that you've either not been able to get one at all, or if you have, you've paid an absurdly high price for it.
Ever since Nvidia and AMD launched their recent GPU generations, graphics cards have been both absurdly expensive and incredibly hard to find, thanks to a global silicon shortage.
But now that Intel is getting ready to enter the discrete graphics card market with its Arc Alchemist GPUs, it's easy to get optimistic about the shape of the GPU market later this year. I have sour news for you, though, it's not going to be that easy.
While these new GPUs will surely alleviate some of the pressure we've been feeling, and may even see prices drop a bit, Intel is going to be victim to the same limiting forces as AMD and Nvidia.
(Image credit: TSMC)
All about the manufacturing
One of the main reasons the silicon shortage hit so hard in the computing world is that AMD, Nvidia and Intel all rely on one company to at least some degree: TSMC, or the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.
And because these companies all rely on TSMC, all the promises we've heard about the GPU shortage coming to an end soon, kind of fall short when you realize TSMC came out in April 2021 and warned that the chip shortage could continue through 2022 in this report from The Verge.
While that definitely is a shame for AMD, we've also heard that Intel is going to be using the TSMC 6nm manufacturing process to produce the chips for its first generation of Arc Alchemist graphics cards, according to PCGamer.
So while Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger may have gone on Twitter to reassure gamers that Intel is going to try to push out millions of graphics cards every year to meet the unprecedented demand, it's hard not to ask how Team Blue is going to do that.
(Image credit: TSMC)
New foundries will take time
The lack of foundries to build new chips is only one part of the problem stopping more gamers from getting their hands on new graphics cards, but it is probably the most pressing one. The obvious solution would be to build new foundries, but that's easier said than done.
TSMC did work with the US government to start building a new chip foundry in Arizona back in 2020, via TechCrunch, but even though that was a couple years ago now, the plant isn't scheduled to start producing chips until 2024 - another two years from now.
Intel is also working to open new foundries, but it's likely that Team Blue's facilities will face a similar amount of set-up time. All of these new facilities are very much long-term solutions, leaving us scrambling for immediate relief. Immediate relief that's probably not coming.
The leadership of AMD, Nvidia and Intel have all assured us that these companies are working day and night to provide more graphics cards, but the problem is so much bigger than any one of them.
The awful part of that is that anyone that wants a graphics card that won't cost an arm and a leg is likely going to have to wait at least another year. That's even more painful to hear at the beginning of a new console generation, when games traditionally get a bit harder to run on older hardware.
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The 2022 Presidents' Day sales event is now less than a month away (Monday, February 21, to be exact), which means there's no better time than the present to start preparing for this year's bargain bonanza. We've created this guide to tell you everything about the Presidents' Day sales event, plus today's best early deals on TVs, mattresses, appliances, and more.
Presidents' Day sales mean massive discounts on home items, focusing on furniture and major appliances from retailers like Home Depot, Walmart, and Lowe's. You'll also find deals on kitchen appliances and vacuums as well as best-ever offers on mattresses with sitewide sales and free accessories from online brands like Nectar, Purple, Casper, and more.
If you're looking for tech bargains, you'll also find President's Day deals on best-selling TVs, laptops, tablets, and headphones from retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, Dell, and Amazon.
Below you'll find everything you need to know about this year's Presidents' Day sales event, such as when deals start, where you can find the best bargains, last year's top offers, and today's best sales if you're looking to score a discount right now. Make sure to bookmark this page, as we'll be updating it with all the best deals as soon as they drop.
Today's best sales ahead of Presidents' Day
While we haven't spotted any official Presidents' Day sales yet, we've listed today's top offers below from retailers we expect to see offers during the upcoming holiday event.
If you're looking for today's best deals ahead of Presidents' Day, we've listed the top bargains we've spotted, which include bargains on TVs, tablets, mattresses, AirPods, appliances, and more.
Today's top deals
Home Depot appliance sale |Save up to $900 on top-brand appliances If you're looking for appliance deals right now, Home Depot is currently offering up to $900 on washers and dryers, dishwashers, laundry packages, and more from top brands including GE, Whirlpool, Samsung, and Maytag.
TCL 70-inch Class 4 Series LED 4K TV:$829.99$499.99 at Best Buy
Save $330 – One of our favorite TV deals this week is this massive 70-inch 4K TV from TCL that's on sale for just $499.99. A fantastic price for a big-screen 4K TV, the TCL 4 Series display features 4K HD resolution, Chromecast, and the Google Assistant built-in and works with Amazon Alexa for hands-free control.
Fire TV Stick Lite with Alexa Voice Remote:$29.99$18.99 at Amazon
Save $11 - Amazon has the best-selling Fire TV Stick Lite on sale for just $18.99 - only $1 more than the record-low price. The budget streaming player allows you to enjoy tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills and features an Alexa voice remote.
PowerXL Vortex Air Fryer Pro Plus 10 Quart:$152$129 at Walmart
Save $21 - If you're looking for an air fryer deal ahead of this year's Presidents' Day sales, Walmart has the PowerXL Vortex on sale for just $129. Perfect for large families, the 10-quart air fryer features ten smart programs, so you can easily whip up your favorite fried foods with less oil.
All-new Apple AirPods Pro:$249$197 at Amazon
Save $52 - You can get Apple's best-selling AirPods Pro on sale for $197. While we've seen the earbuds drop to $159 during Black Friday, this is the best deal you can find right now. The all-new AirPods Pro includes a MagSafe Charging Case alongside the new 2021 edition of the classic AirPods.
Nectar Memory Foam mattress: from $798 $499 + $399 free gifts at Nectar Sleep
Editor's choice - Nectar's memory foam sits at number two in our mattress rankings and is exceptional value for money. It's extremely competitively priced, with a queen down from $1,298 to $799, and you'll get two free cooling pillows, sheets, and a mattress protector worth $399 added to your order. There's also a year-long risk-free trial to decide whether you like it, and a forever warranty.
Fitbit Luxe:$149.95$99.95 at Amazon Save $50 - Named Techradar's best fitness tracker of 2021, the Fitbit Luxe features a stylish design, excellent activity tracking and provides up to five days of battery life. Amazon has the fitness tracker on sale for just $99.95, which is the lowest price we've ever seen for the ultra-thin activity tracker.
Hisense 65-inch R6 Series 4K Smart TV:$498$448 at Walmart
Save $50 - Walmart has this 65-inch set from Hisense on sale for just $448. The 4K display packs Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10, DTS Studio Sound, and includes the Roku operating system so you can easily stream your favorite apps from the home screen of your TV.
Samsung Chromebook 4: $229.99 $133.99 at Walmart
Save $97 – The Samsung Chromebook 4 is usually more expensive than similar devices so we tend to pass on it, but it's still got a strong discount this week at Walmart. It's almost identical to the Lenovo above with the same 4GB of RAM and 32GB storage, but you do get an Intel processor instead. The longer battery life of up to 12.5 hours may also suit those who are more on the go.
Nutri Ninja personal blender QB3001:$59.99$39.99 at Walmart
Save $20 - Ninja's entry-level personal blender comes with two 16 fl oz canisters and two to-go cups so you can blend your drink and take it with you without having to decant it. While it's not the lowest price we've seen, it's still a decent discount if you're in the market for a personal blender right now.
Samsung 55-inch 4K Smart TV:$497.99$427.99 at Walmart
Save $70 – If you're looking for a mid-size TV deal, Walmart has the Samsung 55-inch 4K TV on sale for just $427.99. You're getting a stunning 4K Crystal display and smart capabilities, so you can easily stream all your favorite movies and TV shows from apps like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and more.
Shark Navigator Lift-Away XL Upright Vacuum:$199$99 at Walmart
Save $100 - You can score a $100 discount on the top-rated Shark navigator vacuum at Walmart right now. The upright vacuum features a convenient detachable pod so you can easily clean stairs and furniture and includes an extendable hose for hard-to-reach areas.
iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2021 (128GB):$1,099$999 at Amazon
Save $100 - You can get the 2021 iPad Pro on sale for $999 at Amazon. That's a $100 discount and the lowest price we've seen for the 12.9-inch tablet. The iPad Pro packs 128GB of storage and delivers laptop-like power and speed thanks to Apple's M1 chip. The Silver model is in stock and ready to ship, and the Space Grey version has a ship date of February 17 to 24.
The DreamCloud mattress:from $899$701 + $399 free gifts at DreamCloud
Great-value hybrid - If you're looking for a great mattress deal ahead of Presidents' Day, the DreamCloud is the best-value hybrid mattress you can buy, with a 22% discount and $399-worth of free gifts added to your order. Graded as 'luxury firm' (6.5/10), it's a generous 14 inches deep, with five layers, including contouring gel memory foam to relieve pressure, and a layer of individually cased innerspring to provide extra support and increased airflow.
LG C1 OLED (65-inch):$2,499.99$1,796.99 at Amazon Save $703 - You can get LG's stunning C1 OLED TV on sale for $1,796.99. That's a massive $703 discount and the lowest price we've seen for the 65-inch display. Perfect for watching the Super Bowl - the LG C1 is one of the best TVs you can buy, thanks to the stunning OLED display, Alpha a9 Gen. 4 processor, and virtual surround sound audio.
Fitbit Versa 3:$229.95$179.95 at Amazon Save $50 - Amazon has the feature-packed Fitbit Versa 3 on sale for a record-low price of $179.95. The top-rated smartwatch features built-in GPS for tracking runs, walks, and bike rides, plus contactless payments, sleep tracking, all-day heart rate monitoring, voice controls, and more.
When is Presidents' Day 2022?
Presidents' Day is a US federal holiday that takes place on the third Monday of February to celebrate all US presidents. George Washington's birthday was celebrated on February 22, which is where the holiday originated from, starting in 1879. This year, Presidents' Day falls on Monday, February 21, with the holiday weekend kicking off on Friday, February 18.
When do Presidents' Day sales start?
We typically start to see Presidents' Day sales popping up in early February, with mattress and appliance deals from Home Depot and Lowe's leading the pack. You'll find tech sites like Dell and HP launching their sales the week before Presidents' Day, and big retailers like Best Buy and Walmart will typically hold off and kick off their promotions during the holiday weekend.
We'll be updating this guide with all the best early offers, so make sure to bookmark this page for all the latest updates.
Where can I find the best Presidents' Day deals?
Presidents' Day sales typically focus on home items with discounts on major appliances, kitchen devices, furniture, and vacuums from retailers like Home Depot, Wayfair, Lowe's, Target, and more. You'll also find best-ever deals on mattresses with sitewide sales and free accessories from online brands, including Nectar, Tuft & Needle, and Purple.
If you're interested in tech deals, you'll find clearance prices on last year's best-selling tech with offers on laptops from HP and Dell and TV bargains from Best Buy and Walmart. Amazon also usually offers discounts on its own devices, so you can save on Fire TV sticks, Echo smart speakers, tablets, and more.
Presidents' Day sales: last year's top deals
You'll find last year's best Presidents' Day deals which can give us an idea of what will be on sale during this year's event. Last year the top offers included AirPods, mattresses, TVs, and appliance sales from Home Depot and Lowe's.
Apple AirPods Pro:$249$199.99 at Amazon
Save $50 - Amazon has the AirPods Pro on sale for $199.99. The truly wireless earbuds feature active noise cancellation, and the wireless charging case delivers more than 24 hours of battery life.
Sceptre 50-inch 4K UHD Smart TV:$499.99$260 at Walmart
Save $240 – You can get a fantastic nearly half-price deal on this 4K TV, which features smart tech to complement its stunning picture quality. It uses the Android TV platform and has Google Assistant built in, so you can use your voice to control both your TV and compatible smart home devices.
Nectar Memory Foam Mattress:from $798$499 + $399 of free gifts
Save up to $800 - Nectar's premium, medium-firm memory foam mattress is extremely comfortable and supportive and was named best mattress for pure value from our sister site Tom's Guide. Nectar's Presidents' Day sale includes a $400 discount on the mattress and you'll get $399-worth of free gifts added to your order, including luxury sheets, pillows, and a mattress protector.
Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, GPS):$399$379 at Amazon
Save $20 - The all-new Apple Watch Series 6 gets a $20 price cut at Amazon. The all-new 40mm smartwatch features a new S6 processor, blood oxygen monitoring (although most won't use that), an ECG app, and elevation tracking. This deal applies to the Black sport band.
Home Depot Presidents' Day sale |Save up to $400 on top-brand appliances Home Depot's Presidents' Day sale includes big savings on top brand appliances like washers and dryers, refrigerators, ranges, vacuums, and more. You can save up to $400 on brands like Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, and more.
Westinghouse 58-inch 4K UHD Roku TV:$449.99$329.99 at Best Buy
Save $120 - An incredible price for a 58-inch 4K TV, you can get this Westinghouse set on sale for just $329.99 at Best Buy. This smart TV comes with the Roku experience for easy access to all the top streaming channels.
Instant Pot IP-DUO80 pressure cooker - stainless steel:$139.95$99 at Amazon
Save $40 - This Instant Pot is now under $100 at Amazon, a decent saving on the 8-Qt model. The multi-cooker comes complete with all the fast cooking you'd expect from the nation's favorite multi-cooker, but also offers an easy to clean, fingerprint resistant stainless steel design to boot... plus it holds eight liters of liquid.
Vizio 70-inch 4K UHD Smart TV:$758$588 at Walmart
Save $170 - Enjoy the big game on this 70-inch 4K TV that's on sale for just $588 at Walmart. The Vizio TV features smart capabilities and delivers bright, bold colors with sharp contrasts thanks to the Dolby Vision HDR and 4K HD resolution.
Lowe's Presidents' Day sale |Save up to 20% on top-brand appliances Lowe's is offering up to 20% off on top brand appliances from brands like GE, Samsung, LG, and Whirlpool at its 2021 Presidents' Day sale. Lowe's discounts include large kitchen appliances, washers and dryers, and vacuum cleaners, and floor care.
Cocoon by Sealy Chill mattress:from$999$649 + free pillows and sheet set
Save up to $350 - Cocoon by Sealy's Presidents' Day sale includes 35% off its Chill Hybrid mattress, plus you'll also get free premium pillows and sheet set - a total savings of up to $799. The 12-inch Chill Hybrid is a medium-firm memory foam mattress with advanced cooling properties thanks to the cooling cover that absorbs and dissipates heat. A Twin starts at $649.99, and you'll enjoy free shipping that conveniently ships in a box to your doorstep.
Dell XPS 13 laptop:$1,149.99$783.99 at Dell
Save $366 - The cheapest Dell XPS 13 deal currently available on the official Dell store, you would be mistaken into thinking this sale is for a baseline version. With a 10th gen Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, that's definitely not the case, however - you're definitely getting a lot of machine for your money here.
Vizio 65-inch OLED TV:$1,999.99$1,799.99 at Best Buy Save $200 - This OLED TV has a massive $200 discount for anyone visiting Best Buy's Presidents' Day sale. The premium 65-inch Vizio TV features 4K HDR, an OLED panel, Dolby Vision and HDR10+, HDMI 2.1, and a 120Hz panel.
Casper Original Mattress: from $595$506 at Casper
Save up to $194 - Casper's Presidents' Day mattress deals are now live, cutting 15% off all its mattresses. The Casper Original Mattress is our favorite of the bunch. It has three layers, and an eco-friendly, removable cover that's machine washable. Plus, it's built to suit all types of sleepers with specific support for your hips and shoulders. After discount, you can get the Casper Original Mattress (twin) for $506 (was $595) or the Casper Original Mattress (queen) for $931 (was $1,095).
If you're looking for TV bargains, you can see the best Super Bowl TV deals that are happening right now.
PlayStation maker Sony announced on Monday plans to acquire Bungie for $3.6 billion – an enormous acquisition likely to shake up the gaming universe.
The announcement followed hot on the heels of the startling news last week that Xbox manufacturer Microsoft planned to take over Activision Blizzard – so the Japanese company countered with its own major gaming acquisition.
The game development studio is best known for helping the Xbox platform launch back in November 2001 as the initial developer of the Halo series and more recently has been helming the hugely popular Destiny franchise - which is soon to release its next major expansion with The Witch Queen.
This is a developing story so expect to see this page updated as more information is made available and as our contacts reply to our requests for comment.
Bungie has officially acknowledged the announcement in a blog post. In it Pete Parsons, CEO and Chairman of Bungie explains that he sees Sony Interactive Entertainment as “a partner who unconditionally supports us in all we are and who wants to accelerate our vision to create generation-spanning entertainment.”
In the same post, Parsons adds that "creative independence" remains at Bungie's heart. This will hopefully alleviate the fears of some fans that the studio will return to how it was run under Activision Blizzard - an arrangement that was ended due to a lack of control over its IP (as explained in a 2019 conference call).
(Image credit: Bungie)
In the same Bungie blog post acknowledging the acquisition by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), Pete Parsons said, “today, Bungie begins our journey to become a global multi-media entertainment company.”
He added that SIE and Bungie share a dream that Bungie’s IP (most likely Destiny) can be enjoyed by fans across “multiple platforms and entertainment mediums.”
This all but confirms that Sony is hoping to expand its efforts into video game films and TV series - following on from the likes of the upcoming Uncharted flick and The Last of Us show - and likely plans to add Bungie’s franchises into the mix.
It also answers some of the questions fans had after Bungie posted a job listing for a that referenced the “Destiny Expanded Universe” back in November.
We'll have to wait and see exactly what Bungie and SIE deliver, but we wouldn't be surprised if a Destiny TV show to rival the upcoming Halo series is in the works.
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The wait is over – Paramount Plus has dropped the first official trailer for its highly anticipated Halo TV series, delivering what appears to be an epic and (mostly) visually faithful adaptation of the beloved video game franchise.
The trailer also brings with it a release date: the Halo TV show will premiere on the Paramount Plus streaming service on March 24, 2022.
The Halo TV series tells the story of the Human-Covenant War in the 26th Century, in which Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) and his AI partner Cortana (Jen Taylor) attempt to stop the alien threat known as The Covenant and its genocidal campaign against humanity.
While the upcoming TV adaptation seems to be sticking pretty close to Halo's basic fundamentals, it also appears to be taking a wildly different path in terms of its story. Before we go any further, you can check out the official trailer for the Halo TV series below.
Analysis: a different Halo to what we're used to
As previously explained by Frank O'Connor, Halo's Franchise Development Director, the TV show exists on its own 'Silver Timeline', allowing its showrunners to pick and choose elements from existing "Halo lore, history, canon, and characters wherever they make sense for a linear narrative" without invalidating Halo's "core canon."
Based on the trailer above, we're already seeing a number of ways in which the Halo TV series diverges from existing Halo canon.
For starters, the show's Master Chief is seen operating alongside other Spartan soldiers in multiple scenes. As you'll remember, Master Chief was the sole Spartan warrior on the UNSC Pillar of Autumn in the first Halo game.
It also seems that (at least initially) this Master Chief doesn't exhibit any free will –as explained by Dr. Catherine Halsey (Natascha McElhone) in the trailer, the Master Chief has been designed with the sole purpose of fighting The Covenant, stating that "he is lethal, upgradeable, and most importantly, controllable."
That last part appears to change, however, when Master Chief comes into contact with a mysterious object that was being excavated by The Covenant, awakening something in him which sets him on his own path.
Another big change to Halo lore comes in the form of Makee (Charlie Murphy), a new (and seemingly human) character created specifically for the series who leads (or at least speaks for) The Covenant.
The idea of a human Covenant member is a huge departure for the franchise, though we have to wonder whether the decision was made to cut down on the inherent VFX costs that would come with a fully CG animated alien villain.
Which brings us to what might be the Halo TV show's most controversial choice – Cortana's appearance. Though the character appears to be computer-generated in the show (or at least CG-enhanced), Halo's showrunners have opted to ditch the character's blue-ish hologram look in favour of a more physical human semblance. Quite frankly, the change seems baffling and unnecessary to us, though we'll have to wait and see how it plays out.
Changes aside, we love how most everything else in the trailer looks, from the Spartan armor, weapons and vehicles, to the appearance of the Elites (and their Energy Swords), the Jackals and other visually faithful pieces of Halo iconography. We look forward to seeing more when Halo arrives on March 24.
Audio streaming giant Spotify has today responded to mounting controversy surrounding Covid vaccine misinformation by stating it will add content advisory warnings to any podcasts on the platform that cover the topic of the pandemic.
In a blog post from CEO Daniel Ek, it was also announced that the service has published its 'platform rules', the first time it's made public the content guidelines that it upholds for its content creators – both exclusive Spotify partners and any other contributor that shares on the platform.
Among these guidelines, there is a section dedicated to disallowing "Content that promotes dangerous false or dangerous deceptive medical information that may cause offline harm or poses a direct threat to public health".
Under this section, Spotify specifically cites the following as going against its rules: "asserting that [...] Covid-19 [...] is a hoax or not real", "promoting or suggesting that vaccines approved by local health authorities are designed to cause death", and "encouraging people to purposely get infected with Covid-19 in order to build immunity to it".
The controversy
The controversy stems from the platform hosting The Joe Rogan Experience – a podcast in which the eponymous host has claimed healthy young people don't need the vaccine (as covered by Media Matters). It should be noted that the above guidelines from Spotify neatly avoid this specific case.
Singer-songwriter Neil Young recently made an ultimatum with the streaming service, threatening he would remove the entirety of his music catalog from the platform if action wasn't taken against The Joe Rogan Experience. The artist then followed through with his threat, with other big names like Joni Mitchell following suit.
No doubt Spotify's hesitance to act directly on Joe Rogan's podcast is largely a result of the exclusivity deal brokered between the two, estimated to have cost over $100 million in exchange for the ongoing series and its entire 11 years' worth of previous episodes.
Due to the controversy, Spotify's market value has plummeted $2 billion at the time of reporting.
There's no word on a specific rollout date for the content warnings that Spotify intends to add to select podcasts, and time will tell if it will be enough to stem the tide of controversy.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 series is coming to Earth soon, with a February 9 launch date now confirmed, and the leaks and rumors have been coming in thick and fast for all three devices in the line.
Rumored Galaxy S22 features
- Announcement set for February 9
- Similar designs for the S22 and S22 Plus
- A new, Galaxy Note-like design for the S22 Ultra
- A glass back for all models
- An S-Pen slot for the Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Slightly different screen sizes to the S21 range
- Big camera changes planned
- Smaller batteries for all except the Ultra
- Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 chipset
- 1TB internal storage option for the Ultra
The Galaxy S22 is therefore the next big flagship from Samsung, and since the Samsung Galaxy Note 21 was cancelled, it will be the first big traditional phone from the company to come out in over a year. We did see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 come out with S Pen stylus support, and the clamshell Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 launch at the same price as flagship phones – but for most consumers, the Galaxy S22 is the next big Android phone.
Below is where we’ll be collating all the leaks, rumors and news we hear about the Samsung Galaxy S22 until its launch. We’ll be keeping track of details of the Galaxy S22 release date, price, features and much more, from rumors about its new features to leaked images of what the phone could look like.
Samsung Galaxy S22 news and updates
January 29: a bunch of marketing materials for the Galaxy S22 have leaked out, together with what looks like an official promo video from Samsung.
January 27: Just about every detail of the Samsung Galaxy S22 range has leaked, including specs, pricing and imagery. Plus, we've heard that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra could be in very short supply.
January 25: Samsung officially sets the Galaxy Unpacked Event date for February 9 at 10am ET / 7am PT / 3pm GMT (or 1am AEST on February 10).
* Read more Samsung Galaxy S22 news ▼
January 23: We've got some more leaks to report, including another source suggesting a February 9 launch date, plus European pricing.
January 21: An official teaser for the Samsung Galaxy S22 range has more or less confirmed a Note-like design for the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
January 20: A source has claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S22 range will be unveiled on February 9, and even listed the start time of the event, while Samsung itself then confirmed that the range would land sometime in February.
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Samsung Galaxy S22: what you need to know
Samsung Galaxy S22: what you need to know
Samsung Galaxy S22 release date: Samsung has confirmed an Unpacked event for February 9, and it's almost certain this is where we'll see the new phones. We don't yet have a release date, but we expect the second half of February.
Samsung Galaxy S22 price: Pricing is uncertain, but for reference the Samsung Galaxy S21 started at $799 / £769 / AU$1,249. However, leaks suggest the prices might rise by around $100 for each model.
Design: The Samsung Galaxy S22 and Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus will probably look similar to their predecessors, with the S22 Ultra rumored to be getting a more angular design reminiscent of the Galaxy Note range. All three phones could have glass rears.
Colors: A leak suggests the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus may come in white, black, pink gold, and green shades, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra might come in black, white, green and dark red.
Display: The Samsung Galaxy S22 is rumored to have a 6.06-inch screen, the S22 Plus a 6.55-inch one, and the S22 Ultra a 6.81-inch one. All three models are expected to have a 120Hz refresh rate, but that's likely to be paired with a FHD+ resolution for the cheaper two and a QHD+ resolution for the Ultra.
Camera: 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide and 12MP telephoto cameras have been rumored for the S22 and S22 Plus. Things are less clear for the Ultra, but it may have a 108MP main snapper, a 12MP ultra-wide, and two 10MP telephotos.
Specs: Expect either the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 chipset depending on region, coupled possibly with the same RAM and storage amounts as the S21 range. That would mean up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage in the Ultra model, or 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage in the other models. We've seen a recent report hinting at as much as 1TB of storage for the S22 Ultra, mind.
Battery: Leaks point to a 3,700mAh battery in the S22, 4,500mAh in the S22 Plus, and 5,000mAh in the S22 Ultra. Other than the Ultra those would all be smaller than the batteries in the S21 range. Charging speed on the S22 Ultra might be improved though, possibly coming in at 45W.
Samsung Galaxy S22 release date
The next Samsung Unpacked event is set for February 9, and that's almost certainly where we'll see the company reveal its new Galaxy S22 family of smartphones. We also expect to see other Galaxy devices, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8.
It'll be a fully virtual event, and it's set to kick off at 10am ET / 7am PT / 3pm GMT (or 1am AEST on February 10) on February 9.
We don't yet know when the Samsung Galaxy S22 release date is set for, but a leak has suggested it'll be on shop shelves on February 24. That would make sense as Samsung often leaves two weeks in-between revealing devices and putting them on sale.
For example, 2021's Samsung galaxy S21 series was revealed on January 14 of that year and it was then on sale from January 29. We'll likely have to wait until the big reveal event to officially learn when it'll go on sale.
Whenever it goes on sale though you might want to get your order in fast, especially if you're after an S22 Ultra, as a leak suggests delivery of these could take up to three months due to high demand.
Samsung Galaxy S22 price
(Image credit: TechRadar)
So far we don't know anything for sure about the price of the Samsung Galaxy S22 range, but one leak suggests the standard S22 could start at $899 (roughly £660 / AU$1,245), the Galaxy S22 Plus could start at $1,099 (around £805 / AU$1,525), and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra could start at $1,299 (approximately £955 / AU$1,800).
For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S21 started at $799 / £769 / AU$1,249, the S21 Plus started at $999 / £949 / AU$1,549, and the S21 Ultra started at $1,199 / £1,149 / AU$1,849.
So if the leak above is right then each model will be $100 more than their predecessor in the US, with similar price rises likely elsewhere.
More recently we've heard that the European pricing will be €849 for the S22, €1,049 for the S22 Plus, and €1,249 for the S22 Ultra. Those match the starting prices for the Galaxy S21, and we've heard these prices more than once now.
Samsung Galaxy S22 leaked prices
Model
US
UK
Australia
Samsung Galaxy S22
$899
About £660
About AU$1,245
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus
$1,099
About £805
About AU$1,525
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
$1,299
About £955
About AU$1,800
Samsung Galaxy S22 design
The overall design of the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus might be very similar to the current range, according to one leak, so don't expect big visual changes - other than for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which might be significantly different.
A leaked press image of the upcoming phones shows us the Galaxy S22 Ultra next to either the Galaxy S22 or Galaxy S22 Plus. It's our best look at the upcoming handsets, and you can see it below.
(Image credit: LetsGoDigital)
This heavily suggests the Galaxy S22 Ultra (the phone in red) will come with a more Note-like design that has square edges as well as an S Pen and five rear cameras. The S22 or S22 Plus looks to come in white, it'll have a similar design to the Galaxy S21 with rounded edges and it has three cameras on the rear.
Samsung itself has all but confirmed the basic shapes of these phones now too, with the image below coming from a teaser video. You can see what's probably the S22 or S22 Plus on the left, and the more angular S22 Ultra on the right.
(Image credit: Samsung)
We've also seen further leaks of the Galaxy S22 Ultra design, and we've even seen it in four different color choices. Those are black, white, burgundy and green - colors that have now been rumored multiple times.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra leaked images(Image credit: MySmartPrice)
The whole Galaxy S22 range has also been spotted in the form of dummy units thanks to case retailer Mobile Fun. The below photos show us what we can expect from the design of the each of the handsets.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Mobile Fun / GSMArena)
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(Image credit: Mobile Fun / GSMArena)
We've also seen further unofficial renders of all three handsets, from a reliable source, that once again show the S22 and the S22 Plus will likely stick with the conventional look of their predecessors, while the S22 Ultra goes for something a little bit different. And we've seen a leaked backplate for the S22 Ultra showing a similar design to what you've seen above.
Some renders also come with whispers that these phones will actually be called the Samsung Galaxy S22, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 22 Ultra. The talk so far has been that the S22 Ultra might replace the Note 22, and if these leaks are right, that's going to come to pass. Another source has chimed in saying the biggest phone will be called the S22 Note, though most leaks still refer to the S22 Ultra.
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(Image credit: LetsGoDigital / Snoreyn)
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(Image credit: LetsGoDigital / Snoreyn)
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(Image credit: LetsGoDigital / Snoreyn)
We've also now seen additional unofficial renders of the Samsung Galaxy S22, which show a camera block with slightly less rounded corners than the Galaxy S21, and a flatter back to the phone, but an otherwise similar design. You can see some of these above.
And we've even now seen hands-on photos that seem to show the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, as you can see below. These match some of the leaks above, complete with an S Pen slot, a curved screen, and cameras that individually jut out from the rear, rather than being housed in a block. Meanwhile, the S Pen is rumored to be more responsive than ever.
(Image credit: FrontPageTech.com)
Since then, leaked photos of the other S22 models have also emerged. You can see these below and they only show the back, but details include a new glossy finish for the S22 and S22 Plus, along with camera lenses that stick out.
These come from reputable sources too, so while we'd take them with a pinch of salt, they may well be accurate.
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(Image credit: Yogesh Brar)
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(Image credit: Yogesh Brar)
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(Image credit: UniverseIce)
These photos were also quickly followed by a video of what might be the same units, but this time we glimpse the front too.
Case renders for the three phones have also now leaked, and these show a similar design to the images above, complete with a Note-like overhaul for the S22 Ultra, and even an S Pen slot. A second set of case images for the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra have also emerged, sporting the same design but with a purple color scheme.
Breaking：Samsung phone protective case manufacturer has begun to build S22 series protective case . We can see that the camera area is just like our rendered drawing, but unfortunately, It just knows the shape of this area, whether it is “P”or “11” , and he does not know. pic.twitter.com/yYtZF8lZXlSeptember 30, 2021
See more
Leaked images of tempered glass screen protectors meanwhile suggest that the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus might be slightly thicker and more rounded than their predecessors, but again should otherwise be similar - though one leak points to them having flatter backs.
Speaking of the backs, one source says that all three models will use glass, which would be a change from the S21 range, where the basic model had a plastic rear. This fits with a more recent leak which says all three will use Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus, an improved version of the glass material lots of premium smartphones have.
We've even heard possible dimensions and weights for the Galaxy S22 range. These come from leaker Ice Universe, who claims that the Samsung Galaxy S22 is 146 x 70 x 7.6mm and 167g, the Galaxy S22 Plus is 157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6mm and 195g, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra is 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm and 228g. We've heard much the same from another source now too, and for the most part that would make these phones marginally smaller than their predecessors.
Samsung Galaxy S22 display
We might see slightly different screen sizes with the Samsung Galaxy S22 range to the Galaxy S21, with multiplesources claiming that the Galaxy S22 will have a 6.06 or 6.1-inch screen (down from 6.2 inches on the S21), the Galaxy S22 Plus will have a 6.55 or 6.6-inch one (down from 6.7) and the S22 Ultra might have a 6.81-inch one (up from 6.8).
This matches with a leak from UniverseIce that shows off screen protectors for all three new devices, with similar sizes to what we've heard about above.
Additionally, this source claims that only the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will have an LTPO display, meaning it's likely to be the only model with a variable refresh rate. That said, a more recent leak suggests they'll all have variable refresh rates, but that only the S22 Ultra will be able to drop as low as 1Hz, with the others bottoming out at 10Hz.
We've heard the same screen sizes from another source, complete with 120Hz refresh rates paired with a FHD+ resolution on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus, and a QHD+ one on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
More specifically, a source claims that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus have a 1080 x 2340 display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a 1440 x 3088 (or possibly a 1440 x 3080) one with a 19.3:9 aspect ratio. That would actually make for slight resolution downgrades from their predecessors.
Elsewhere, we've heard that the S22 will have a maximum brightness of 1,500 nits, while the S22 Plus and S22 Ultra will reach 1,750 nits, which would make the latter two the brightest screens Samsung has ever put on a phone
The range might not have particularly curved screens though, with leaks suggesting that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus will have flat displays, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra might only have a very slight curve.
Samsung Galaxy S22 colors
(Image credit: LetsGoDigital)
If you weren't fond of the colors offered by the Galaxy S21 range you might be in luck, as one source claims that the colors might be different for the upcoming models.
They say that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus will come in white, black, rose gold, and green colors, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will come in a choice of black, white or dark red, with another source adding green to the mix.
Another source has helped to back up that green rumor for all these handsets, and you can see the Galaxy S22 in that leaked color below.
(Image credit: 91Mobiles)
We've since heard that exact selection of colors (including green for the S22 Ultra) again, so these colors are looking likely. Leaks also suggest that the specific green offered by the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra could be the one shown in the image above, created by LetsGoDigital.
Another source speaking to LetsGoDigital has claimed that the rose gold color on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus may be more pink than in previous iterations. You can see what they believe the shade will look like below:
For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S21 comes in violet, grey, white and pink, the S21 Plus in black, silver, gold, violet and red, and the S21 Ultra comes in black, silver, titanium, navy and brown.
So the green Samsung Galaxy S22 shade could be quite different to anything we've seen from the current models if this leak is right.
On the camera front we've heard from one leaker that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus will have a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 12MP telephoto (capable of 3x optical zoom), That would be quite a change from the 12MP main, 12MP ultra-wide and 64MP telephoto of their predecessors, and we've heard a similar claim from another source too.
That idea isn't unanimous though, as various leakers have had slightly different ideas about the cameras. Case in point, a popular one has echoed the above specs but suggested the telephoto will be 10MP, as has another source.
It also sounds very much like the Galaxy S22 won't have a 3D time-of-flight (ToF) sensor on its rear camera setup. That's no real surprise – it wasn't on the Galaxy S21 either – but it might disappoint those who wanted it to make a return.
As for the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, that will probably have a 108MP sensor like its predecessor but with a "polish" that we haven't seen on previous versions.
We've heard a similar report elsewhere, suggesting that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will have a 108MP main camera, two 12MP telephoto ones, and a 12MP ultra-wide, while the other two models will have the camera configurations leaked above (a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 12MP telephoto).
That report has been backed up in another leak that we heard in January 2022, which also suggested the Ultra will come with a feature called Super Clear Lens. It's thought this will use Gorilla Glass technology on the phone's main camera to reduce glare and reflections when using it.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)
The zoom potential of these phones might be the same as the S21 range as well, with the S22 and S22 Plus said to offer 3x optical zoom, and the S22 Ultra both 3x and 10x. That's a claim we've now heard multiple times, though one source points to the Ultra's zoom snappers being 10MP rather than 12MP.
In fact, another source now points to all the megapixel counts on the Galaxy S22 Ultra's cameras being the same as the S21 Ultra, albeit with slightly different pixel and sensor sizes. That source has since reiterated the claim, so they seem confident of it, and we've heard this elsewhere too - meaning 10MP rather than 12MP telephoto snappers.
However, while the core specs might be similar, some of the camera abilities might be new or improved, with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra rumored to have a macro mode, improvements to night mode, and - thanks to AI - better general shots.
One source also says to expect continuous optical zoom, meaning that all of the zoom levels up to its maximum optical (likely 10x) would be optical, where most phones have to fall back on digital or hybrid zoom for the middle zoom ranges.
However, given that multiple sources point to the S22 Ultra having two zoom cameras, we're not convinced it would also sport continuous optical zoom, as having two shouldn't be so necessary if it did.
You can see how the camera modules for all three phones might look in the leaked image below.
(Image credit: 8090 Digital Beauty / Weibo)
We've also now heard about the front-facing cameras of the range, with the three phones apparently having the same ones as their predecessors, namely 10MP on the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus, and 40MP on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. This is something that we've now heard multiple times.
Samsung Galaxy S22 specs and features
Your Samsung Galaxy S22 will likely either come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset inside or a Exynos 2200 made directly by Samsung. Which one you'll get will depend on where you live, and one leak breaks this down comprehensively.
Both of these chipsets are now official, and Samsung's own Exynos 2200 is the more recently introduced one. It comes with an AMD GPU included meaning the phone is capable of both ray tracing and variable rate shading.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 meanwhile promises a 20% faster CPU, 30% less power use (for better battery life), and more compared to the Snapdragon 888.
Before the Exynos announcement, a leaker claimed that Samsung had struggled with producing the Exynos chipset, which might mean most places get a Snapdragon one instead.
The most recent chipset leak though takes the form of European store listings, all of which mention the Exynos 2200, so it looks likely that Europe will get an Exynos chipset as usual.
A Samsung Galaxy S21(Image credit: TechRadar)
Other spec leaks include claims that the RAM and storage amounts won't change from the Galaxy S21 range, with one source saying to expect 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus, and 12GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage in the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Though another source has now said there will be just 8GB or 12GB of RAM in the S22 Ultra.
Elsewhere, a benchmark for the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus lists 8GB of RAM, like its predecessor. This is for the Exynos 2200 model, and the scores achieved are worryingly low - but it seems the phone might have been in a power-saving mode for some reason, which would explain it.
What's more, while the RAM might stay the same in terms of quantities, Samsung might use higher speed RAM, as it's announced RAM that's over 1.3x faster while consuming almost 20% less power - though the company hasn't confirmed whether this RAM will be used in the Galaxy S22 range.
Plus, another report has suggested the Galaxy S22 Ultra will come equipped with an iPhone 13-matching 1TB of internal storage. With the high-end device likely to be able to capture 8K video, a 1TB storage option makes a lot of sense, and multiple sources have now said this will happen - it just remains to be seen whether this will be the only model to offer it.
We've also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S22 range might have vapor chambers to keep them cool. This is a feature that Samsung has used before, but not in every recent flagship. However, the company is reportedly considering bringing them back for its 2022 flagships, likely including the Galaxy S22 range.
While keeping the internals of phones cool is vital to maintaining optimal performance though, vapor chambers aren't the only way to achieve this, so it's not necessarily a loss if the Galaxy S22 range doesn't end up with one.
Finally, it's also rumored that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will support Samsung's S Pen stylus, which is likely given that the S21 Ultra does. However, the upcoming phone will probably go so far as to have a slot for it, which the S21 Ultra doesn't.
Samsung Galaxy S22 battery
As for the battery, one leak suggests a 3,800mAh one in the Samsung Galaxy S22, a 4,600mAh one in the Galaxy S22 Plus, and a 5,000mAh one in the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Those sizes would all be slight downgrades on the Galaxy S21 range, except the S22 Ultra, which would have the same size battery if this is right.
Elsewhere we've heard that the battery in the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus might be even smaller, at 4,500mAh. That size has been spotted multiple times now, as has 5,000mAh for the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 meanwhile could get an even smaller 3,700mAh battery according to more than one source – that would be the 'typical' capacity (which is what tends to be advertised), while the 'rated' capacity would apparently be 3,590mAh, and it's a claim we've now heard three times.
Beyond that, Samsung itself has confirmed that it won’t be including chargers in the box with future smartphones, so you should expect to buy a separate charger alongside your Samsung flagship if you’re not already equipped with one.
And one piece of information has also emerged about the charging speed, as apparently Samsung is testing 45W or 65W powering. Either would be a big improvement on the 25W of the S21 series, though the S20 Ultra had 45W.
In particular, 45W powering has been rumored manytimesnow, but possibly only on the S22 Ultra. Then again, a recent leak has suggested the Galaxy S22 Plus will get it too. That figure is still quite a bit below the competition, with other mid-range and premium Android handsets ranging from 65W to 120W.
However, whether wired charging gets a boost or note, wireless might, with evidence of a 25W wireless charger being in the works - that would be up from 15W on the Galaxy S21 range.
