Categories
Mobile Syrup

Samsung sent me my Galaxy S22 Ultra pre-order early

On February 9th, the day Samsung revealed the S22 series, MobileSyrup saw a few reports from other publications that the tech giant’s pre-order website was experiencing issues. So I decided to pre-order the $1,800 phone to see if the site would work for me. It couldn’t be that hard to return over the two weeks before the phone’s launch on February 25th, could it?

A few days after the Samsung event, I attempted to cancel my pre-order through Samsung’s online chat portal. After opening it up, I was greeted with a message that said someone would help me in around two and half hours. I accidentally closed the Chrome tab three hours later, so I still don’t know if anyone from Samsung support ever saw that ticket.

A day after that, I spent time on the phone with Samsung support, and a friendly representative told me that he’d requested my cancellation, so I should expect a confirmation email shortly. That email never arrived, and I forgot about this whole adventure until a few days later when I saw my credit card had already been charged for the phone. After a mini heart attack, because I forgot that I bought an $1,800 phone that I didn’t want, I got back on the line with Samsung’s support.

This agent was also friendly. He told me that he could see my first cancellation request and that he was sending another one with an urgent tag attached to it. That was Friday, February 18th, which is still a solid seven days ahead of the phone launch.

Then on Tuesday the 22nd, I received a knock on my door, and a postal worker handed me a package. I didn’t pay that much attention to it since I often have a lot of packages coming in as part of my job. Plus, I was also expecting a Pixel 6 to arrive that day. When I opened the box, my heart sank.

Inside was the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s slim box — a full four days ahead of its official release on the 25th. So I did what any tech reviewer would do and unboxed it.

I also took a few demo photos, so you can check them out below if you’re interested in those. Overall the camera is far more solid than I expected. That said, none of the pictures blew me away, but after comparing them to my iPhone 13 Pro’s shots, I went back and turned off the rich contrast filter on Apple’s smartphone since it made the photos look more processed and over-sharpened compared to Samsung’s processing.

Stay tuned for Dean Daley’s full review of the Galaxy S22 Ultra it the coming days for more robust camera impressions.

S22 Ultra 10x zoom
S22 Ultra main camera portrait mode
S22 Ultra 3x camera portrait mode
S22 Ultra main camera
S22 Ultra 10x zoom
S22 Ultra 4x zoom
S22 Ultra main camera
S22 Ultra wide angle camera
iPhone 13 Pro 3x
iPhone 13 Pro main camera portrait
iPhone 13 Pro 3x telephoto
iPhone 13 Pro main camera
iPhone 13 Pro main camera
iPhone 13 Pro ultra wide
iPhone 13 Pro 3x
iPhone 13 Pro wide angle

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra camera samples

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Samsung sent me my Galaxy S22 Ultra pre-order early

On February 9th, the day Samsung revealed the S22 series, MobileSyrup saw a few reports from other publications that the tech giant’s pre-order website was experiencing issues. So I decided to pre-order the $1,800 phone to see if the site would work for me. It couldn’t be that hard to return over the two weeks before the phone’s launch on February 25th, could it?

A few days after the Samsung event, I attempted to cancel my pre-order through Samsung’s online chat portal. After opening it up, I was greeted with a message that said someone would help me in around two and half hours. I accidentally closed the Chrome tab three hours later, so I still don’t know if anyone from Samsung support ever saw that ticket.

A day after that, I spent time on the phone with Samsung support, and a friendly representative told me that he’d requested my cancellation, so I should expect a confirmation email shortly. That email never arrived, and I forgot about this whole adventure until a few days later when I saw my credit card had already been charged for the phone. After a mini heart attack, because I forgot that I bought an $1,800 phone that I didn’t want, I got back on the line with Samsung’s support.

This agent was also friendly. He told me that he could see my first cancellation request and that he was sending another one with an urgent tag attached to it. That was Friday, February 18th, which is still a solid seven days ahead of the phone launch.

Then on Tuesday the 22nd, I received a knock on my door, and a postal worker handed me a package. I didn’t pay that much attention to it since I often have a lot of packages coming in as part of my job. Plus, I was also expecting a Pixel 6 to arrive that day. When I opened the box, my heart sank.

Inside was the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s slim box — a full four days ahead of its official release on the 25th. So I did what any tech reviewer would do and unboxed it.

I also took a few demo photos, so you can check them out below if you’re interested in those. Overall the camera is far more solid than I expected. That said, none of the pictures blew me away, but after comparing them to my iPhone 13 Pro’s shots, I went back and turned off the rich contrast filter on Apple’s smartphone since it made the photos look more processed and over-sharpened compared to Samsung’s processing.

Stay tuned for Dean Daley’s full review of the Galaxy S22 Ultra it the coming days for more robust camera impressions.

S22 Ultra 10x zoom
S22 Ultra main camera portrait mode
S22 Ultra 3x camera portrait mode
S22 Ultra main camera
S22 Ultra 10x zoom
S22 Ultra 4x zoom
S22 Ultra main camera
S22 Ultra wide angle camera
iPhone 13 Pro 3x
iPhone 13 Pro main camera portrait
iPhone 13 Pro 3x telephoto
iPhone 13 Pro main camera
iPhone 13 Pro main camera
iPhone 13 Pro ultra wide
iPhone 13 Pro 3x
iPhone 13 Pro wide angle

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra camera samples

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Samsung sent me my Galaxy S22 Ultra pre-order early

On February 9th, the day Samsung revealed the S22 series, MobileSyrup saw a few reports from other publications that the tech giant’s pre-order website was experiencing issues. So I decided to pre-order the $1,800 phone to see if the site would work for me. It couldn’t be that hard to return over the two weeks before the phone’s launch on February 25th, could it?

A few days after the Samsung event, I attempted to cancel my pre-order through Samsung’s online chat portal. After opening it up, I was greeted with a message that said someone would help me in around two and half hours. I accidentally closed the Chrome tab three hours later, so I still don’t know if anyone from Samsung support ever saw that ticket.

A day after that, I spent time on the phone with Samsung support, and a friendly representative told me that he’d requested my cancellation, so I should expect a confirmation email shortly. That email never arrived, and I forgot about this whole adventure until a few days later when I saw my credit card had already been charged for the phone. After a mini heart attack, because I forgot that I bought an $1,800 phone that I didn’t want, I got back on the line with Samsung’s support.

This agent was also friendly. He told me that he could see my first cancellation request and that he was sending another one with an urgent tag attached to it. That was Friday, February 18th, which is still a solid seven days ahead of the phone launch.

Then on Tuesday the 22nd, I received a knock on my door, and a postal worker handed me a package. I didn’t pay that much attention to it since I often have a lot of packages coming in as part of my job. Plus, I was also expecting a Pixel 6 to arrive that day. When I opened the box, my heart sank.

Inside was the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s slim box — a full four days ahead of its official release on the 25th. So I did what any tech reviewer would do and unboxed it.

I also took a few demo photos, so you can check them out below if you’re interested in those. Overall the camera is far more solid than I expected. That said, none of the pictures blew me away, but after comparing them to my iPhone 13 Pro’s shots, I went back and turned off the rich contrast filter on Apple’s smartphone since it made the photos look more processed and over-sharpened compared to Samsung’s processing.

Stay tuned for Dean Daley’s full review of the Galaxy S22 Ultra it the coming days for more robust camera impressions.

S22 Ultra 10x zoom
S22 Ultra main camera portrait mode
S22 Ultra 3x camera portrait mode
S22 Ultra main camera
S22 Ultra 10x zoom
S22 Ultra 4x zoom
S22 Ultra main camera
S22 Ultra wide angle camera
iPhone 13 Pro 3x
iPhone 13 Pro main camera portrait
iPhone 13 Pro 3x telephoto
iPhone 13 Pro main camera
iPhone 13 Pro main camera
iPhone 13 Pro ultra wide
iPhone 13 Pro 3x
iPhone 13 Pro wide angle

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra camera samples

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Activision reportedly plans to skip 2023 mainline ‘Call of Duty’ release

Activision will reportedly skip its planned 2023 Call of Duty release, marking the first time the company hasn’t put out a new title in the franchise since 2004.

Instead, Activision will delay the release.

On its own, the news may not sound like much — wow, a game publisher skipped a year. Big whoop. They do that all the time.

Except, Activision will have gone almost two decades without skipping a Call of Duty release. The first game in the franchise came out in 2003 and the sequel arrived in 2005. Since then, Activision has launched a Call of Duty game every year.

Moreover, the company’s planned 2022 release — a Modern Warfare sequel — is still on track to launch this holiday season. According to Bloomberg, which detailed the supposed plans to skip a 2023 release, Activision plans to release a “steady stream of additional content” for the 2022 Call of Duty, as well as a new free-to-play online title that will help fill the gap.

As for why Activision decided to delay, it’s apparently because a recent entry didn’t meet expectations. That led some executives to believe they were introducing new Call of Duty titles too rapidly. As Kotaku points out, the franchise has had disappointing releases before — remember Ghosts? — so it’s a bit odd that Activision only seems to be catching onto this now.

Bloomberg’s sources also said the delay wasn’t related to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision.

Image credit: Activision

Source: Bloomberg Via: Kotaku

Categories
Mobile Syrup

No clear winner: Rogers, Bell, and Telus offer levelled 5G experiences, says report

When 4G rolled out worldwide, Canada was a leader in implementing the network. The story doesn’t go the same way when rolling out 5G.

According to mobile analytics company Opensignal, the limited spectrum availability in the 3.5GHz band might explain why Canada’s shift from 4G to 5G network is slower than other countries uptaking 5G.

This isn’t to say Canada’s leading telecom companies haven’t launched 5G networks in select parts of the country or haven’t continued to grow these networks. 5G does exist in Canada, but its access is limited.

Examining the experience for those who have access to 5G, Opensignal has come out with an annual report examining 5G experiences offered by Rogers, Bell and Telus.

According to the report, Rogers offers Canada the best 5G availability. However, there wasn’t a significant change compared to the last report, where Rogers held the same position. Bell and Telus did see their scores improve as more people spent time connected to their networks.

Rogers tied with Bell when it came to 5G reach, having access to the network in locations that matter to users, like their home or workplace.

Image source: Opensignal

Bell and Telus tied for the best 5G video experience, offering a consistent experience across streaming platforms, “fast loading times and almost non-existent stalling.” This stood true for Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. While they were highly rated in Quebec as well, they did not match up to Vidéotron.

Telus and Rogers offered the best 5G voice app experience.

Opensignal ranks Rogers as offering the best gaming experience. The company scored 81.8 points out of 100, Telus scored 80 and Bell 70. While good news for Rogers, users across all three networks reported declined experiences compared to the last report.

When it comes to downloading speeds, Bell and Telus offered the best services, with scores tied above 150Mbps. Both companies provide speeds between 68 and 72 percent faster than Rogers.

Rogers had the fastest upload speeds of 20.8Mbps. This is about 16 percent faster than Bell and 8.5 percent faster than Telus.

Mobile network experience

While all three companies are dominantly portrayed in 5G experiences, the same doesn’t hold for mobile experiences.

Opensignal ranks Telus as the “dominant operator” for that category.

Telus offers the best video, games, voice app, and upload speed experiences. It ties in offering the best download speed and 4G coverage experiences with Bell.

Image credit: Opensignal

Opensignal reports Bell significantly improved its download speed experience compared to the last report. Bell users reported a boost of 13.3 percent. In comparison, Telus users saw their speed increase by 9.4 percent.

Rogers and Bell tie for second in the category of multiplayer mobile gaming experiences.

“This highlights that while download speeds are important, they cannot be used to infer a user’s quality of experience when using over-the-top (OTT) voice services, and while streaming videos or playing multiplayer mobile games connected to mobile networks,” the analysis notes.

The only category Telus doesn’t lead in is 4G availability. While scores have increased across all three providers, Rogers and Bell lead in this category. It is important to note that all three carriers allow for reasonable access, and users are connected to 4G services or better at least 93 percent of the time.

Source: Opensignal

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Retail banking service Klarna launches in Canada

Swedish financial corporation Klarna is expanding in Canada with the launch of its “Pay in 4” service.

The service lets shoppers split their purchases into four payments. There is no interest added on any payments, and the company says the same goes for any additional fees. Customers make payments every two weeks after their purchase.

The service can be used online, in-store, or through the app. Some of the stores users can use this service at are Harry Rosen, Mejuri, Frank and Oak, and GameStop.

Users shopping through the app will also access loyalty rewards, manage payment options, and track their deliveries.

While the service only applies to companies that have signed on with Klarna at this time, the company says it’ll be launching its “Shop Anywhere” feature in Canada soon. Users will be able to split their payments into four at any online store through the app, regardless of whether they’re a retailer with Klarna.

“Consumers across the world are moving away from traditional credit models to alternatives that better meet their expectations by offering smarter and more transparent ways to purchase, and the Canadian shopper is no different. Recent Klarna research has found that at least half of Canadian shoppers ages 25-56 are looking for flexible payment options at checkout,” Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna, said in a statement.

The company is also creating a tech hub in Toronto; the first Klarna has created in North America. The hub will focus on a number of sections, including engineering, product management, and analytics.

“The latest news with Klarna is a vote of confidence in our city’s thriving and successful technology and innovation sector and an exciting moment for our city as we look to attract more people and businesses to our city,” Toronto Mayor John Tory said. “I want to thank Klarna for choosing our city for its expansion into Canada. I look forward to seeing this company grow and succeed.”

The plan is to hire at least 500 engineers by 2025 and open offices in Vancouver and Quebec down the road.

The app is available on iOS and Android.

Image credit: Klarna 

Source: Klarna

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Government of Canada to fund developers who create software to address wildfire hazards

The Government of Canada has launched a challenge to offer small- and medium-sized Canadian businesses with funding for developers who tackle wildlife hazards.

Through its Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) program, the government is tasking innovators to design solutions to aid communities that may be at risk for wildfires. Specifically, Natural Resources Canada is challenging businesses to develop software that can produce high-resolution vegetation mapping data, which can help predict, assess and mitigate fires. The government notes that there aren’t enough tools at present to process wildfire fuel attributes in a quick and cost-effective manner.

Businesses that win the challenge may receive up to $150,000 for research and development purchases. Those accepted into Phase 2 of the program, meanwhile, will be awarded up to $1 million to create a working prototype. The government says it will then work with these businesses to commercialize their work.

2021 was one of Canada’s most damaging fire seasons in years due to 6.224 fires and a total area burned of 4.18 million hectares. Therefore, the government is hoping that innovators can help prevent such incidents.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Instagram ups its ‘Daily Time Limit’ reminder to 30 minutes

Instagram feature a built-in section that allows you to check how much time you spend on the social media application, along with an option to set daily usage limits.

The shortest daily limit you could set was 10 minutes, but the Meta-owned company is now updating the section and increasing the minimum daily limit to 30 minutes, as reported by TechCrunch.

Information about the update was shared by a TechCrunch reader who said they were nudged by Instagram to update their usage time limit, along with a note stating that they can retain their original (10 minute) time limit as well.

See images below for reference:

Additionally, the reader also stated that the app nudged them to update their time limit setting for a couple of weeks, and if they entered the setting tab, there was no option to exit it until a new time limit had been selected. “They don’t force the change but if you go into the edit screen as it tells you to, then you have to force quit the app to get out without changing it,” the reader told TechCrunch.

Instagram has since confirmed that it has updated the daily time limit feature to offer a minimum of thirty minutes. The feature comes soon after Instagram rolled out its “Take a break” feature that sends periodic reminders to users who have been using the app constantly for a long time.

While increasing the time limit seems counter-intuitive, especially when compared to its take a break feature, Instagram says the take a break feature can be set to remind users to cool off every ten minutes, so it is, in turn, replacing the time limit functionality.

The change could also simply be a tactic to garner higher user usage time since other apps — specifically TikTok — has leeched off Instagram’s user base since its rise to popularity in early 2020.

Image credit: Instagram

Via: TechCrunch

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google to fix Pixel 6/6 Pro Wi-Fi connection issue with March security update

Following the February security update, some Pixel users reported having trouble enabling Wi-Fi on their Pixel 6/6 Pro devices. In a reply to one of the complaint posts on Google’s community forum, Google community manager Cami V. said that the company has identified the bug and it currently only impacts a very small number of devices, as first reported by 9to5Google.

Additionally, Google has developed a software fix for the issue, and it will be released in the next security update, scheduled for March.

“Hey Matt. Thanks so much for reporting this issue, we’re sorry that you’re experiencing it. After some investigation, we identified the root cause and determined that it impacts a very small number of devices. Of course, we realize this is a poor experience and immediately developed a software fix that will be available in the next Google Pixel Update, rolling out in March. If you’d like to explore other options in the meantime, please get in touch with our support team, which is prepared to help you,” reads the support team’s reply.

For those using the Pixel 6/6 Pro as their daily driver, it can be difficult to enjoy the flagship experience when you have to constantly toggle the Wi-Fi on and off just to get a stable connection. To temporarily fix the issue while you’re waiting for the March update, you can install the Android 12L Beta 3, which seems to have fixed the issue for some users on Reddit.

Via: 9to5Google

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Capcom’s Street Fighter 6 logo seemingly based on $80 Adobe Stock image

After a week-long countdown, Capcom formally unveiled Street Fighter 6 on February 21st in a short cinematic trailer.

However, one element of the reveal has received some criticism: the game’s logo. As first pointed out by Ars Technica creative director Aurich Lawson on Twitter, the Street Fight 6 logo is extremely reminiscent of an image from Adobe’s Stock site.

“I knew it was generic but I didn’t realize it was this bad. They searched for “SF” on a stock logo site and rounded a couple corners and added the 6,” wrote Lawson.

Indeed, the logo is strikingly similar to the $80 USD ($102 CAD) Adobe image, which was created by a user called xcoolee. Speaking to IGN, xcoolee said they were looking to the exclusive rights to the logo to Capcom.

The design has also been used publicly before, such as in a different modified form for the SF Connexion sci-fi convention in France. Capcom has not yet commented on the logo, so it’s unclear whether this was a conscious decision on someone at the company.

For now, though, the publisher has simply said more details on the hotly anticipated fighting game will come this summer.

Via: IGN