Nintendo may have the plumbing power of Mario on its side, but Sega has the cooler and faster Sonic the Hedgehog, one of the world’s most celebrated game icons.

Making the jump from console to the Android platform seemed to take forever, but when Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I finally made it to Android, the game was well worth the wait. It’s no wonder why the sequel of the game is so eagerly anticipated by Android gamers worldwide. Now, blue hedgehog fans, you’re just in luck, as Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II was launched today exclusively for Tegra-3 powered Android devices.

The Tegra 3 version of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II provides a gaming experience that is incredibly similar to that of the PS3 and Xbox versions. With blazing fast frame rates, Episode II is a dramatic improvement over the predecessor, and the game is, hands down, one of the most technically advanced mobile games ever made. The Tegra 3 version has better quality textures, improved lighting and glow effects, and has on-screen objects that aren’t available on other mobile versions of the game.

Check the difference for yourself:

Probably the best device to enjoy the antics of Sonic and his friends is a sleek tablet like the Asus Transformer Pad 300. Couple it with a controller and some snazzy speakers and you got yourself a slice of gaming heaven. Luckily, you can win your own rad setup in our TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards giveaway. Check it out, it’s easy!

As always, Sonic won’t be alone in his latest adventure, as his trusted sidekick, Tails, will also be available to play on this multiplayer co-op action game. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II can be downloaded starting today on Google Play and Nvidia’s TegraZone for $6.99.

Will you be showing some gaming love for the world’s most favorite blue hedgehog?

There are those who look for the best possible performance from their smartphone or tablet. There are those who want the most elegant, the thinnest and lightest gadgets. Devices with high-res screens have themselves their share of fans, no matter if they come with the best hardware or not. Finally, there are (a couple of) people who couldn’t care less about performance, portability or display clarity, but put a very big price on sturdiness and ruggedness.

If you’re one of those few people, you should be overjoyed to hear that SDG Systems has unveiled the Rampage 6 “Notepad”, a gadget that truly looks unbreakable. While it isn’t exactly bulletproof, the Rampage 6 is certified by the IP67 ingress protection rating for water and dust and it also looks like it could take a hit or two, even from sharp or hard objects.

Set to be made available in the “third quarter of 2012”, the handheld computer will be showcased for the first time at the Esri International User Conference in San Diego, scheduled to take place between July 23 and 27.

We don’t have any details about the gadget’s weight and dimensions, but ironically this does not appear to be a device meant to be portable. As far as performance goes, you shouldn’t judge the device by high-tech standards and expect it to run decently, at best, in terms of browsing or multimedia playback.

There’s a single-core 806 MHz processor under the hood of this “monster”, while the 256 MB of RAM and the 4 GB of Flash memory would have made for a decently equipped Android device from a couple of years back. Speaking of Android, you should know that the Rampage 6 will run a “forked” version of 2.3 Gingerbread, but we don’t know exactly what kind of customizations we will be looking at.

Other features include a full SD card slot, USB host and client ports, a headphone jack, as well as Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. The Rampage 6 (which, for some reason, is also known as the Mesa Rugged Notepad) will be made available in three different configurations, with a “Geo” version coming with GPS and a 3.2 MP camera on top of the features mentioned above. A “Geo 3G” model has also been made to put 3G connectivity to the mix.

As far as pricing goes, we have nothing official to report for the time being, but if you’re interested in this ruggedized gadget, you should be prepared to spend your “allowance” for a long period of time. I don’t know if anyone remembers, but SDG Systems launched a similar product about three years ago, called the Trimble Nomad and it MSRP hovered around $1250. Well, if you want to get to the Rampage 6’s probable price, you should take that number and safely add several hundred bucks, as the Nomad was a clearly more modest gadget, with Android 1.5 Cupcake and a 3.5-inch VGA display.

Is there anyone out there willing to pay that kind of money to get their hands on this supposed indestructible gadget? Is the Rampage 6 taking ruggedness and sturdiness to a whole new level? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 – probably the most popular Android smartphone to ever go into production – has been announced at the beginning of the month, and it’s only a few days away from its debut in several European markets.

Now, one major question arises among Android fans worldwide: are there any Android smartphones that can compete head to head with the newest member of the Samsung Galaxy S line?

Before we jump into a detailed analysis of the smartphones that can rival the S3, allow me to spoil some of the fun by providing a quick answer to that question. Yes, there are Android smartphones (either only announced or already on the market) that threaten the supremacy of the Galaxy S3. But the S3 holds up extremely well against any challenger.

So, what makes the S3 so appealing in the the mainstream consumer’s eyes? Marketing budget and hype aside, there are four main areas where the S3 shines: design, internal hardware, display, and a combination of OS, UI and software tweaks. If you’re already too familiar with the S3, you might want to skip to the next section of this article, as I’m about to detail the Galaxy S3 specs, grouping them in the four categories I’ve just mentioned. Let’s kick it!

Design

As you can imagine, this is the area that is most susceptible to subjectivity, but I’m sure that even the most hardcore Samsung fans will agree that the design of the Galaxy S3 isn’t really something to wow users. It’s not a poorly-constructed smartphone by any means (the reports that claim Samsung has designed the S3 specifically avoid lawsuits from Apple are pretty much baseless).

But there are many who feel that the S3 is too similar to the original Galaxy S, although slightly “weirder” looking. While pre-announcement rumors claimed that the Galaxy S3 will feature a ceramic case, a glossy plastic design available in two color versions (white or pebble blue) is all that prevailed. The Galaxy S3 is also 0.1 mm thicker than the Galaxy S2, measuring 8.6 mm. Bottom line: the S3 is not an ugly smartphone, but it’s just not as good looking as others.

According to preliminary benchmarks published by Anandtech, the Exynos 4 SoC featured by the Galaxy S3 might be the fastest mobile SoC currently on the market. Powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core A9 processor, an upgraded Mali 400 MP GPU, and 1GB of RAM, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is shaping up to be the fastest smartphone ever. It’s not the best by much, but still!

LTE versions of the Samsung Galaxy S3, probably “downgraded” to an Snapdragon S4 chip, are expected to reach the US market in the next month or so.

Display

I don’t know how each one of you guys feels about Super AMOLED displays, but what I do know is Samsung is the only company capable of mass producing such displays for smartphones and tablets. The generous 4.8-inch display on the Galaxy S3 runs at a 1280 by 720 pixel resolution and its 309ppi pixel density passes into the 300ppi territory of current top-end smartphones. But there are some people who don’t seem to enjoy Pentile screens that much, claiming that they are less crisp than displays that use a regular RGB matrix. Pentile-discussion aside, the SAMOLED technology powering the S3 display means that its levels of contrast, vivid colors, and power efficiency will not be matched by any other top-end smartphone of 2012. It’s the one thing that other manufacturers don’t have, and Samsung plan to capitalize on that.

OS, UI and Software Functions

The Samsung Galaxy S3 runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with Samsung’s Touchwiz UI slapped on top of it. Nothing especially interesting here, as ICS has been around for about 6 months already, while Samsung’s proprietary UI won’t surprise you at all, if you have used any of the two previous Galaxy S models.

What does set the Galaxy S3 apart is its unique set of smart actions. You can read our previous article on the smart functions of the S3 for more details, but what you really need to know is that, while these smart functions aren’t revolutionary, they will surely help Samsung to differentiate the S3 from all other Android smartphones of 2012.

Now that we dissected the Galaxy S3 properly, let’s take some time to meet the first contender: the Huawei Ascend D Quad XL, the fastest smartphone in the world, according to Huawei, as well as a pair of benchmarks leaked roughly a couple of months ago. Pricing details are unavailable at this point, as is the exact release date, although Huawei has mentioned that the Ascend D Quad XL will be released during Q2.

Design

This is arguably the sector where the Huawei Ascend D Quad XL underperforms the most when put against other top-end devices. Its plastic design and “standard” form factor are definitely not its strong suits. Simply put, the Huawei Ascend D Quad XL lacks the glamour of other flagship Android smartphones. In addition, as the Ascend D Quad XL is basically an Ascend D Quad with a bigger  2500 mAh battery (vs 1800 mAh on the standard version), it is also probably the thickest competitor of the Galaxy S3, measuring 10.9 mm in thickness.

Hardware

When Huawei ushered in the Ascend D Quad XL as the fastest smartphone in the world, many laughed ironically: how could a Huawei-produced 1.5GHz quad-core Cortex A9-based processor possibly stack up against top-end offerings from Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Samsung? Even more ironically, benchmark results leaked back in March (that’s before the HTC One X / HTC One S release date) showed that the Ascend D Quad XL was indeed the fastest smartphone in the world at that point.

We’re still waiting for more benchmark results to see how the Ascend D Quad XL stacks up against recently launched flagships such as the HTC One X / One XL or the Galaxy S3, but it’s safe to say that Huawei’s flagship smartphone is no slouch. It’s also safe to assume that Huawei will not launch an LTE-compatible Ascend D Quad XL version.

Display

The Huawei Ascend D Quad XL features a 4.5 inch IPS+ LCD capacitive touchscreen running at a native resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels, combining to deliver a 326ppi pixel density. While some might prefer SAMOLED displays over IPS LCDs, the latter is a more broadly available technology, that found its way into a number of flagship smartphones of 2012, as you’ll be able to tell for yourself by the end of this article.

OS & UI

The Ascend D Quad XL will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with that vanilla-flavored UI that many Android purists cherish on top of it. Although the Huawei Ascend D Quad XL does not feature many unique software tweaks, there are many who hate all manufacturer UIs and would definitely love to have the standard Android user interface instead.

The International version of HTC One X holds the very respectable title of first quad-core smartphone to reach the consumer market. As the flagship of HTC’s new series of One smartphones, the One X represents the best pre-emptive answer to the Samsung Galaxy S3 that the Taiwanese producer was able to conceive. The HTC One X (international version) was released almost two full months ago and is available for $555 unlocked at Amazon. The online media loves the HTC One X, and many consider it to be the best Android smartphone currently available. But is it better than the Samsung Galaxy S3?

Design

The HTC One X is widely considered to be the best looking smartphone ever thanks to its sleek, slim design and polycarbonate plastic build material. Slightly thicker than the Galaxy S3 (8.9 mm), but with a far more compact design than the latter, the HTC One X seems to win this round with ease.

Hardware

The HTC One X is based on the Nvidia Tegra 3 SoC, consisting out of a 1.5GHz quad-core A9 processor and an improved Geforce ULP (Ultra Low Power) GPU. The HTC One X features 1GB of RAM, the standard fare these days for a flagship smartphone, but HTC opted to go for DDR 2 technology, as opposed to almost all other manufacturers, who still use the first generation of DDR RAM memory modules.

Benchmarks show that the HTC One X is not as fast as the Samsung Galaxy S3, but I’m sure that not even the biggest Samsung fan will claim that the S3 is in the lead by much. AT&T’s LTE-enabled variant of the HTC One X swaps the Tegra 3 SoC with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4,  a chip that offers roughly the same performance, as shown by the following benchmark results.

Display

The Super IPS LCD2 display on the HTC One X measures 4.7 inches and runs at a 1280 by 720 pixel resolution (using a true-RGB matrix), meaning the pixel density rests at 312ppi. There are some that claim its sunlight legibility and reliable color reproduction make the display on the HTC One X the best display currently on the market, but SAMOLED devotees know better. We’ll let you be the judge of that, since picking a side is mostly a matter of preferences.

OS and UI

The HTC One X also runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but overlaid with HTC Sense 4.0 on top. HTC Sense 4.0 and Samsung Touchwiz 4 offer pretty much the same functionality, but the S3 still wins this round thanks to its unique smart functions.

Interestingly enough, the LG Optimus 4X HD was the first smartphone ever announced to feature a quad-core processor. Although both HTC and Samsung have beaten LG to the chase, the Optimus 4X HD still holds a few strong points when compared against the other Android flagships. Pricing details are currently unavailable, but they should be uncovered soon, as we get closer to its June release date in a number of European markets.

Design

Characterized by a strong, rectangular profile, the LG Optimus 4X design just screams quality, although some may complain that the Optimus 4X looks a little bit like a boring slab. Although the exact dimensions were not yet released by LG, we know for sure that the LG Optimus 4X will be just as thick as the HTC One X, measuring 8.9 mm.

Hardware

As the Optimus 4X will use the same Nvidia Tegra 3 SoC as the HTC One X (international version), it’s safe to assume that the Optimus 4X will also be similar to the One X when it comes to raw performance. Sure, a slight difference will exist as each manufacturer tries to come up with the best implementation, but I’m sure benchmarks will soon prove that there isn’t much difference between the Optimus 4X and the HTC One X when it comes to raw performance.

Display

The LG Optimus 4X True HD features a HD-IPS LCD display running at a 1280 by 720 pixel density. LG’s “True HD” marketing scheme is based entirely on the fact that the Galaxy S3 features a PenTile pixel arrangement instead of a regular RGB matrix. As LG is Samsung’s biggest competitor in the display market, we expect that the display on the Optimus 4X will be nothing but top-class, especially given the fact that LG is basing its whole marketing strategy around the display of the 4X.

OS and UI

The LG Optimus 4X HD, just like all other smartphones on this list, will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box, but with LG’s new UI (designed to compete directly with HTC’s Sense 4.0 and Samsung’s new TouchWiz UI) slapped on top. Nothing really interesting to see here, moving on!

Fujitsu is not a company that usually pops up when thinking of the top Android smartphone manufacturers. But the truth is the waterproof and dustproof Arrows Z ISW13F is a Tegra 3 smartphone with specs just good enough to be considered a decent contender to the Samsung Galaxy S3 (or any other Android flagship for that matter). Pricing details are currently unavailable, as Fujitsu has yet to decide if they are going to make the Arrows Z ISW13F available outside Japan.

Design

Thanks to its unique design, the Fujitsu Arrows Z ISW13F is both dustproof and waterproof (which means it can be submersed one meter in water and it will still work, as opposed to splashproof, which means that your smartphone is protected only against a few occasional drops of water). Unfortunately, despite this unique feature, the overall glossy body design was still perceived as “not so tightly built” as other top-end smartphones, in a hands-on article published by The Verge a couple of weeks ago.

Display

The Arrows Z ISW13F will feature a 4.6 inch LCD display running that all too familiar resolution: 1280 by 720 pixels.

Hardware

As with the LG Optimus 4X HD, benchmark results are currently unavailable, although I personally can’t see a reason for the Tegra 3 SoC not to perform as expected. On the “extra” side, you get a few interesting hardware bonuses such as a built-in FM transmitter, a fingerprint scanner, a thermometer, and a humidity sensor. Not bad for a waterproof, dustproof smartphone, eh?

OS and UI

Like all the other smartphones on this list, the Fujitsu Arrows Z ISW13F will run Android 4.0 ICS. It is unknown if Fujitsu is planning to go for a proprietary Android UI or if it will settle for the standard ICS user interface.

Ok, so this one is still a rumor at this point, but, if the LG Eclipse 4G LTE rumored specs turn out to be real, this might be the first smartphone to run circles around the Samsung Galaxy S3. As the LG Eclipse 4G LTE was not yet officially announced, there is no certain information regarding its availability or pricing, but the online rumor mill claims that the LG Eclipse 4G LTE might be released sometime during Q4 at Sprint.

There is little we can tell you about the design and the UI, as the only picture that surfaced online is of the back of the smartphone, but we do know that the Eclipse 4G is rumored to be 8.9 mm thin.

The weird resolution of the 4.67 inch LCD display – 1280 by 768 – might mean that the LG Eclipse 4G LTE will replace capacitive menu buttons with on-screen buttons integrated into the OS, as did the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. However promising this rumor may be, we should also bear in mind that, usually, what seems too good to be true is actually too good to be true. In addition, even if LG Eclipse turns out to feature these amazing specs, we should also take into consideration that other manufacturers might be planning similar specs on their future flagship smartphones. By the time this Eclipse hits the market, it might be …eclipsed by competing products, like it happened with the Optimus 4X HD.

Conclusion

Although there are several smartphones that can pose a threat to the Samsung Galaxy S3, it feels like Samsung has managed to come up with a unique product, an Android smartphone like no other on the market. I’m not saying that the S3 is flat-out the best smartphone there is. But I’m a firm believer that the S3 does a wonderful job of standing out in an ocean of all-too-similar Android smartphones.

What are your takes on this? Is the S3 unbeatable? If not, let us know which smartphone you think will be the best contender for the Galaxy S3 by dropping us a line in the comment section below!

Sony has announced in a press release that it has extended its partnership with cloud storage service Box to provide Xperia users with free 50GB online storage for life, provided they sign up for the service before the end of next year. To take advantage of this promotion, users only need to activate their Box account on their Xperia device and they are good to go. The only condition is that they need to do it before December 31st 2013.

While most Xperia devices that are currently available or will be released next year are supported with this offer, some devices, including the Xperia X10 mini and X10 mini pro are unsupported. Also, Xperia devices that are running firmware older than Android 2.1 do not qualify for this promotion. Sony has been offering this promotion from last year and now it has decided to extend it for one more year.

If you want free 50GB storage on Box’s cloud service then simply activate your Box account on your Xperia device.

Xperia and Box® renew partnership through 2013

December 7, 2012 – 4:45 PM
2 comments
Today, we’re excited to announce we’ve extended our partnership with Box until the end of 2013!

Announced before the 2011 festive season and initially running for a year – Xperia smartphone* and Sony tablet users can now grab free 50GB cloud storage for life, by signing-up or accessing existing Box accounts from their devices before 31st December 2013.

Box is an online file sharing and cloud content management service – it makes life that bit easier by allowing you to share and access content from anywhere, anytime.

Whether it be images, videos, apps, documents (you name it), you can store, share and access files from any of your connected devices – computer, smartphone, tablet and internet enabled TV.

Keep an eye on the newsroom over the next few weeks – we’ll be sitting down with Box to talk a little more about the service and what we can expect from them through 2013.

If you have any questions about the offer, feel free to drop them below.

*Available for Xperia smartphones including and released after Xperia X10, but not for Xperia X10 mini, X10 mini pro and devices with Android versions prior to 2.1.

Our smartphones are little marvels of photography. They are so advanced they even challenge dedicated camera systems. Surely, many of you have wondered how these tiny cameras got so good.

Companies spend billions in R&D so you can take an Instagram-worthy photo of your meal. It’s all very complicated, and most people don’t understand a bunch of the terms and concepts involved.

We are here to clear the waters and help you understand what makes those beautiful pictures possible. A lot goes into making a great smartphone camera, so let’s take you through every component.

Smartphone cameras have come a long way, but the industry will always struggle with image sensors. Larger sensors outperform smaller ones (of the same quality). Size matters, and there is no way around it.

This is a challenge for smartphone manufacturers. They can’t exactly pack a full-frame sensor into a small, thin handset. Considering a larger sensor also needs a larger lens, smartphone makers usually stick with 1/2.3-inch to 1/1.7-inch sensors.

To put these numbers into perspective, the Huawei P30 Pro has a 1/1.7-inch sensor. The Google Pixel 3 XL is known for its amazing camera too, and it has a 1/2.55-inch sensor. Those are dwarfs compared to a full-frame 1.38-inch sensors in some DSLR cameras.

When space is a limitation, manufacturers need to create better quality sensors and alter a few things. Having a smaller sensor is a drawback, but companies can do certain things to improve image quality.

One popular method is to create sensors with larger pixels, which would allow more light to be captured. Pixel size is measured in µm (micro-meters) and it usually ranges between 1.2µm and 2.0µm in the smartphone world.

Another interesting method Huawei introduced with the P30 Pro was to use a RYB (red-yellow-blue) sensor, as opposed to the traditional RGB (red-green-blue) configuration. Switching to yellow-capturing photosites allows more light to be captured. You can learn more about that in our dedicated article.

As a user, you will notice a better sensor will create less noise and grain, better low-light performance, enhanced colors, improved dynamic range, and sharper images.

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Lenses are usually ignored when talking about smartphone photography. This is odd considering it is one of the most important subjects in regular photography. A well designed, transparent, and clean lens will provide better image quality.

Lenses also determine aperture, which is a significant factor to take into consideration. We all love to hear about wide aperture lenses, but these come with a risk. Camera lenses are built from multiple “correcting groups” designed to focus the light properly and reduce aberrations. Cheaper lenses tend to feature fewer groups and are therefore more prone to issues. Lens materials also play an important part here, with higher quality glass and multiple coatings offering better correction and less distortion.

It’s hard to tell how good or bad smartphone lenses are, because manufacturers usually don’t talk about them. There are some brand names we can trust in the smartphone industry, though. Sony and Nokia work with Zeiss, and Huawei works with Leica. These brands are renowned for offering quality lenses.

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Smartphones used to have a single camera, but adding more has become common. Many phones have two or three cameras nowadays. Then we have the crazy ones, like the Nokia 9 PureView and its five shooters.

There are varied reasons for putting multiple cameras on a phone — it makes the photo experience more flexible. Take the Huawei P30 Pro; it has a main camera for general purposes, a wide-angle camera, and the famous 125mm periscope zoom lens. This makes it possible to use each camera for specific circumstances.

Multi-camera setups also play a big role in computational photography. For example, the Nokia 9 PureView has 3 monochrome sensors, two RGB sensors, and a ToF (time of flight) camera. All these images work together in every shot to capture the most detail, color, light, and depth information. In fact, every shot coming from this smartphone is an HDR photo.

If you can’t have a larger sensor or more advanced glass, you might as well have a bunch of them. This is how manufacturers make up for the photography limitations presented by smartphones.

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Smartphone cameras use two types of image stabilization: optical image stabilization (OIS) and electronic image stabilization (EIS). Depending on the phone, you may have none, one, or both of these features.

Image stabilization technologies are meant to reduce shake and provide a smoother, sharper shot. Ideally you would want to have the option of using both, because OIS is better for photo and EIS is focused on video. If you must pick between one of them, the best option is OIS.

OIS

OIS compensates for small movements of the camera during exposure. In general terms it uses a floating lens, gyroscopes, and small motors. The elements are controlled by a microcontroller which moves the lens very slightly to counteract the shaking of the camera or phone — if the phone moves to the right, the lens moves left.

This is the best option due to the fact all stabilization is being done mechanically, and not through software. This means no quality is lost in the process.

EIS

Electronic image stabilization works through software. Essentially, what EIS does is break up the video into chunks and compares it to the previous frames. It then determines if movement in the frame was natural or unwanted shake, and corrects it.

EIS usually degrades quality, as it needs space from the content’s edges to apply corrections. It’s improved in the last few years, though. Smartphone EIS usually takes advantage of the gyroscope and accelerometer, making it more precise and reducing quality loss. As per usual nowadays, software is killing it.

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You have probably heard this term before and have no idea what it means. The point is it reduces noise and helps in low-light situations.

Pixel-binning is a process that combines data from four pixels into one. Using this technique, a camera sensor with 0.9 micron pixels can produce results equivalent to 1.8 micron pixels.

The biggest downside is resolution is also divided by four when taking a pixel-binned shot. That means a binned shot on a 48MP camera is actually 12MP.

Pixel binning is generally made possible thanks to the use of a quad-Bayer filter on camera sensors. A Bayer filter is a color filter used in all digital camera sensors, sitting atop the pixels and capturing an image with red, green and blue colors.

Your standard Bayer filter is made up of 50 percent green filters, 25 percent red filters, and 25 percent blue filters. According to photography resource Cambridge in Color, this arrangement is meant to imitate the human eye, which is sensitive to green light. Once this image is captured, it’s interpolated and processed to produce a final, full color image.

Smartphone cameras generally use three types of autofocus systems: dual-pixel, phase-detect, and contrast-detect. We will tell you about them in order, from worst to best.

Contrast-detect autofocus

This is the oldest of the three, and works by measuring contrast between areas. The idea is that a focused area will have a higher contrast, as edges will be sharper. When an area reaches a certain contrast, the camera will consider it in focus. It is an old, slow technique, as it requires moving focus elements until the camera finds the right contrast.

Phase-detect autofocus

“Phase” means that light rays originating from a specific point hit opposing sides of a lens with equal intensity – in other words they are “in phase.” Phase-detect autofocus uses photodiodes across the sensor to measure differences in phase. It then moves the focusing element in the lens to bring the image into focus. It is really fast and accurate, but falls behind dual-pixel autofocus because it uses dedicated photodiodes instead of using a large number of pixels.

Dual-pixel autofocus

This is by far the best autofocus technology available for smartphones. Dual-pixel autofocus is like phase-detect, but it uses a greater number of focus points across the sensor. Instead of focusing on dedicated pixels, each pixel is comprised of two photodiodes that can compare subtle phase differences in order to calculate where to move the lens. Because the sample size is much higher, so is the camera’s ability to bring the image into focus quicker.

Some believe a faster autofocus doesn’t matter much, but it makes a huge difference when taking an action shot, for example. Even fractions of a second are valuable during fleeing moments. Nobody likes a blurry, half-focused image.

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Is a higher megapixel count better? The answer is, it depends. It depends on your own needs and other factors.

When having more MP is better

More megapixels means more definition. While it won’t always necessarily make your photo better, it will give it more detail. This is a nice treat for those who like to crop, as a higher-megapixel image will have more pixels to work with, and therefore, more pixels to spare.

More pixels might also warrant better printing quality if you ever decide to make hard copies of your images. It will only make a difference if your prints are large enough, though. The Nyquist Theorem teaches us that an image will look substantially better if we record it at twice the maximum dimensions of our intended medium. With that in mind, a five by seven inch photo in print quality (300dpi) would need to be shot at 3,000 x 4,200 pixels for best results, or about 12MP.

When having fewer MP is better

Printing smartphone photos is a rare and dying habit, so having more printing power won’t make a difference to most of us. What it will do is make image files larger, which will occupy your precious storage space. Not to mention editing them in low-powered devices might make for a sluggish experience.

It is also important to keep in mind having more pixels in a tiny space will make pixels smaller. Smaller pixels can take in less light and produce more noise. Smartphone manufacturers seem to have found a balance between size and quality, keeping sensors at about 12MP and enlarging pixels.

There are always exceptions, though. A clear example is the Honor View 20, which has a 48MP sensor, but it is also a larger 1/2-inch sensor and the camera uses pixel binning. In this case the manufacturer had a reason to use a higher megapixel count, and set up the device’s hardware accordingly.

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Some physical limitations we simply can’t improve on — at least not by much. Smartphone camera hardware is reaching a plateau and eventually manufacturers won’t be able to sell a camera that is between two and five percent better. Until some breakthrough imaging technology replaces the current one, this has become a coding battle.

Software steps in to the rescue wherever hardware can’t deliver. With computational photography, phones know what you are shooting, where you are shooting, and at what time you are shooting. This technique can analyze a frame and make decisions for you, such as making a sky more blue, adapting white balance in the dark, and enhance colors when needed.

Software also makes complex features possible, like portrait mode, HDR, and night mode. All these processes used to require special equipment, time, knowledge, and effort. Now software takes a lot of the grunt work from the shooter. Thanks to phones with multiple cameras, software can also take multiple images and merge them to produce a single, improved photo.

Phones may one day beat traditional cameras, and it’s all thanks to software. We are touching the tip of the iceberg here, but you can let our very own David Imel give you his thoughts on computational photography and how it will revolutionize everything.

So, what should you look for?

That was a lot of information to take in, so here’s a brief summary of what you should look for when shopping for a good smartphone camera.

• A larger sensor is always best. 1/1.7 inches is about as big as most smartphone camera sensors go. There are bigger, but they are rare.
• Look for more megapixels if you absolutely have to print (or really need larger images). Otherwise, prioritize larger pixels, or techniques like pixel binning. Pixel size is measured in µm (micrometers), and anything over 1.2µm should be good. A good smartphone should have at least a 12MP, which is preferred for online use and small image printing.
• Lenses are very important. Though the information is not always readily available, try to verify your phone has quality glass. Some manufacturers partner with renowned brands like Leica or Zeiss.
• Good software is key. Research software enhancements. All manufacturers approach software differently and this results in varied results. Samsung is known for high contrast and saturated colors. Google’s Pixel devices also have great software that produces high dynamic range, natural colors, and crisp images.
• Dual-pixel autofocus is the best in smartphones. Phase-detect autofocus is also very good, but it will be a tiny bit slower.

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To think all of these components can fit in such a small space. Smartphone cameras are true marvels of technology. Now take all this information and find out where your next camera phone stands in terms of smartphone photography.

Bidding on an eBay auction is all about getting a bargain price for the item you want. Once a seller names the starting price, it’s you against other buyers competing to place the highest bid before the listing ends. However, there are some tricks you can use to help win and keep your wallet happy. Here’s how eBay bidding works.

Read more: Five best auction apps for Android

How bidding works on eBay

eBay auctions often have multiple competing bidders, but you can increase your chances of winning by having a sensible strategy. Before you bid on an item, do some research. The goal is to find the listing that gives you the best chance of winning for the lowest possible price.

Think about how much you’re willing to pay, decide on your maximum bid, and stick to it. Never place a bid if you’re not ready to buy the item since you’ll be committed to the purchase if you win.

Send offers

If the seller is willing to accept offers, consider sending them your best offer. The seller has the option to accept it, reject it, or make you a counter-offer if they are interested but want to negotiate. If your best offer is accepted, you can often win an item without having to wait through the auction, and it might even save you some money.

Tips and tricks

You can see sold items on eBay to look at the highest bids on past auctions for similar items. Additionally, try using different keywords to see all the currently available auctions on the site. For example, try using misspelled words such as “porcelane” instead of “porcelain” in your search. If a listing title contains a typo, fewer people will find it, meaning there will be fewer bidders to compete against.

Be aware of what time the auction ends and how many other users are watching the item. A common tactic on eBay is bid sniping, meaning that people will try to swoop in at the last minute with a winning bid. You will see a lot of activity as auction-style listings near their expiry. On that note, it’s crucial to bide your time. By placing your highest bid in the closing seconds, you stand a greater chance of getting the item. If you see that you are outbid immediately, try bidding an uneven amount, such as $10.63 instead of $10.50. Why? Because people often set maximum limits in even numbers. More on this in the last section.

See also: How to cancel a bid on eBay

When bid snipping, try to time your intervals as well. Sometimes, if you expect other snipers to bid very late, it may help to bid before them ten or twenty seconds before the close. eBay’s rules state that an earlier bid equal to a later one takes precedent. You can use a third-party ‘auction-sniping’ service like LastMinute Auction, which will automatically place bids for you at the last minute without surpassing your maximum bid. Some services like BayCrazy help you find hidden bargains on eBay by showing you items up for auction with no current bids.

Reserve prices

A reserve price is an amount the seller is willing to sell an item for. On eBay, if no one bids up to the reserve price, no one gets the thing. In other words, even if you are the highest bidder at the end of an auction, if you see the message “reserve not met” after placing the bid, you won’t win the item.

There are cases when a seller will lower their reserve price during an auction if they don’t see much activity. Though, don’t rely on these cases to win an auction. If an auction has a reserve price, it’s best to bid up to that amount as early as possible, so a low starting price doesn’t attract other bidders.

Consider downloading the eBay app to get notifications about auctions and place bids straight from your phone.

How to set up automatic bidding on eBay

Automatic bidding is a way of letting eBay bid on your behalf while you’re away. It’s a beneficial feature if the auction ends late at night, as it’s hard to monitor incoming bids while trying to stay awake. To set up automatic bidding, simply enter the maximum amount you are willing to pay for an item and click Place Bid. eBay will place slightly higher bids to keep you in the lead, but only up to your limit.

You’ll be notified if someone manages to outbid you so you can decide if you want to increase your maximum bid. When setting a maximum bid, don’t forget that you’ll also have to pay shipping costs. So be sure you are comfortable paying the total amount if you win the auction.

Set-up outbid notifications

One handy feature of eBay allows is to receive notifications that someone outbid you in real-time so that you’re not constantly monitoring the auction listing. To turn on notifications:

1. Click My eBay in the top-right corner of the screen on eBay.com.
2. Click Account in the top menu.
3. On the left, click Communication Preferences.
4. Under the “Buying Activity” subheading, click Show.
5. Make sure all drop-down menus are set to “Real-time” and check the box beside Outbid to receive an instant message.

Now you’ll know the instant someone outbids you, so you can jump back in and outbid them!

Update, August 17, 2022 (04:45 PM ET): We have updated the Samsung Galaxy S23 hub below with a few new rumors related to Samsung possibly abandoning Exynos-powered Galaxy S phones. Read on for all the latest!

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Original article: Samsung continues to be the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer. A huge reason for its astonishing success is the popularity of its Galaxy S line. Over the years, the Galaxy S line has become synonymous with Android, being some of the most well-known and most revered devices in the market. In 2023, we expect that to continue with the Samsung Galaxy S23 series.

What could Samsung have in store for the Galaxy S23 line? There are a lot of unknown details as of right now, but we can make plenty of assumptions based on what Samsung has done in the past. Meanwhile, we also can make a wishlist of features we hope Samsung brings around for the Galaxy S23 phones. Continue on for what we know and what we hope to see!

Will there be a Samsung Galaxy S23 series?

The Galaxy S line is Samsung’s most popular premium smartphone series. It is inevitable that the company would launch a new entry in the series, just as it has done every year since 2010.

History lesson: The Samsung Galaxy S series

Of course, Samsung has thrown curveballs in the past in relation to the names of the phones. For instance, we skipped from the Galaxy S10 series to the Galaxy S20 series. However, Samsung did this mainly to align the name of the phone with the year in which it was released. Therefore, it’s nearly certain the new Galaxy S line would be known as the Samsung Galaxy S23 series.

• Galaxy S10 series — February 20, 2019
• Galaxy S20 series — February 11, 2020
• Galaxy S21 series — January 14, 2021
• Galaxy S22 series — February 9, 2022

Historically, Samsung has launched Galaxy S phones within the first three months of the year. In recent years, Samsung has launched them in February, with only the Galaxy S21 series as an exception. This was likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It stands to reason that Samsung would launch the Galaxy S23 series in February 2023. However, don’t rule out a January or even March launch. Samsung has launched the phones in those months in the past. There’s also no telling how the ongoing global chip shortage could change the company’s plans.

We usually get substantial leaks and rumors related to the next Galaxy S release starting in the late summer. As such, we should see a lot of those leaks drop soon. In the meantime, here’s what we can gather from previous Galaxy S launches.

Design

One of the biggest-ever shifts for the Galaxy S line happened in 2022. That’s when Samsung remodeled the Galaxy S22 Ultra to make it look and function more like a Galaxy Note phone. This included it being a boxy design with an S Pen slot.

However, the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus remained largely the same when compared to the previous models. It’s very likely Samsung could repeat this strategy in 2023. If that happened, the Galaxy S23 Ultra would look a lot like the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus wouldn’t change much either.

This is the same strategy Apple employs for iPhones. It’s not often that Apple wildly revamps the looks of the phones, instead opting to subtly refine the design each year. Our money is on Samsung using the same strategy going forward for the Galaxy S line.

Specs and features

Samsung Galaxy S phones are almost always the first globally available devices with the latest flagship silicon from Qualcomm. We don’t expect 2023 to be any different in this regard. As such, you can expect all three Samsung Galaxy S23 phones to have the as-yet-unannounced Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside. That would certainly be for devices in North America, Korea, and India, while other countries might get the unannounced Exynos 2300. It is possible Samsung could abandon Exynos-powered Galaxy S phones in 2023, though. If that happened, all (or at least almost all) Galaxy S23 devices would have Qualcomm chips. This is not assured, however.

Our 2022 reviews: Galaxy S22 | Galaxy S22 Plus | Galaxy S22 Ultra

Samsung also very rarely downgrades specs across the years. We expect the Galaxy S23 Ultra to have similar or better specs across the board when compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. That would mean at least 8GB of RAM, at least 128GB of internal storage, a 1440p display with at least a 120Hz refresh rate, a battery capacity of at least 5,000mAh, and a wired charging speed of at least 45W. It would also mean a similar quad-sensor rear camera with two telephoto lenses and the main sensor to meet or exceed 108MP in quality. There are vague early rumors of a possible 200MP shooter on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but we’d take any claims like this with a heavy pinch of salt until more reliable reports arise.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus should carry a lot of specs over from the Galaxy S22 series. That would mean at least 8GB of RAM, at least 128GB of internal storage, and 1080p displays with 120Hz refresh rates. The camera setup on the back would likely remain similar with a wide, ultrawide, and telephoto lens. One rumor suggests the telephoto lens would not see an update in 2023, so the phones could have the same setup as the Galaxy S22 series in that regard.

One of the biggest overall criticisms of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus was battery life. Therefore, it would make a lot of sense for Samsung to increase the battery capacity of both models in 2023. We don’t have any evidence to support this yet, however.

In 2021, Samsung made the right move and significantly lowered the prices of the Galaxy S21 series compared to the Galaxy S20 family. In 2022, Samsung again made the right move by offering the Galaxy S22 series at the same prices as the Galaxy S21 family.

Hopefully, Samsung carries this strategy through to 2023. If it does, the Samsung Galaxy S23 prices would be $799, $999, and $1,199 for the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, and Galaxy S23 Ultra, respectively. The fact that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 carried over 2021 prices adds more credibility to this idea.

If Samsung does change the prices, it seems very unlikely it would reduce them at this point. Judging by prices for Samsung’s lower-end Galaxy A series, the company can’t really go much lower with the Galaxy S line without cheapening the brand. However, there is still a little room there, so it wouldn’t be out of the question for Samsung to drop the Galaxy S23 prices by a small amount — say $50 or so. It’s far more likely, though, that Samsung would increase the prices if it doesn’t leave them the same.

Regardless, until we hear differently, we’re going to assume Samsung won’t be changing Galaxy S pricing in 2023.

Samsung Galaxy S23 series: What we want to see

The Galaxy S23 series will likely end up being some of the best phones of 2023. Even if Samsung changes little from the Galaxy S22 family, they’ll probably be terrific. However, the phones could always be better. Below, we have a wishlist of a few things we hope Samsung does change in 2023 when compared to the 2022 models.

Samsung inexplicably reduced the sizes of the batteries inside the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus. Obviously, this resulted in weaker battery life for both phones when compared to their Galaxy S21 counterparts. The results weren’t as drastic on the Plus model, but the vanilla S22 definitely suffered. We’re not sure why Samsung expected any other outcome.

See also: Here are the Android phones with the best battery life

In 2023, we hope Samsung rectifies this mistake. The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus need to have batteries that are at least the same size as the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus. That would be 4,000mAh and 4,800 mAh respectively. If the company can go bigger, that would be even better. Even the Galaxy S22 Ultra doesn’t have the very best battery longevity, despite retaining the same cell as its direct predecessor, so perhaps there’s some room for software optimization here too.

Outside of battery life problems, our second-biggest complaint related to the Galaxy S22 series was speaker quality. On all models — even the Galaxy S22 Ultra — the speakers left a little to be desired considering the pedigree of the Galaxy S name. They weren’t bad by any means, but they lacked punch across the board. Let’s hope Samsung invests a bit more money into higher-quality speakers in 2023.

Check out: The best Samsung phones

If you decide to grab a Galaxy S22 Ultra, you have the option of a 128, 256, or 512GB model. You can even go all the way up to 1TB. That’s nice and all, but what if you want a Galaxy S22 or Galaxy S22 Plus? Unfortunately, you’re stuck with either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage.

Depending on your needs, that might not be enough. We’d love to see 512GB and 1TB options for the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus.

Of course, we’d also love to see the return of the microSD card slot, which would pretty much solve all storage problems for everyone. We’re not holding our breath on that one, though.

Samsung’s update promise is the absolute best in the world of Android. For its flagship phones — and even some of its mid-rangers — Samsung offers four Android upgrades and five years of security patches. Even Google itself can’t match that.

However, this is just one upgrade short of what Apple offers iPhones. It would be terrific to see Samsung finally match Apple and offer five years of full support, including five Android upgrades.

This would not only be a boon for Samsung users, but also the entire Android ecosystem. If Samsung matches Apple, other Android OEMs would, inevitably, need to follow suit. It might take a while, but it would happen. What better way to start the trend than with the Samsung Galaxy S23 series?

See also: Every Samsung device eligible for four major Android updates

That’s everything we want to see from the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. Which features do you hope for most? Be sure to vote in our poll below.

It’s easy to find a good Chromebook on a budget. After all, the whole idea behind Chrome OS devices is that they serve as a cheaper alternative to Windows laptops. We’ve rounded up some of the best Chromebook deals on the internet so you won’t have to search too hard for a good price.

See also: The best Chromebooks you can get

If you’re in the market for a new affordable laptop, scroll on to find a host of the best Chromebook deals available this month.

Featured deals

We know you don’t always have time to scroll the whole list of top Chromebook deals we’ve sourced. No sweat, we’ve highlighted our favorites:

If you haven’t quite seen the right fit in this summary, keep reading. You’ll find dozens of deals below on Chromebooks for all users and budgets.

Best Chromebook deals

Editor’s note: We will update this list of the best cheap Chromebook deals as more are launched. 

See also: The best Chromebooks for students

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Although our featured deal is of an Acer Chromebook, there’s still more to go over. No matter what you’re looking for, there’s a good chance that Acer has the Chromebook for you. It offers models from the basic entry-level all the way up to high-end options, which include 2-in-1s and Chromebooks that run a full range of Intel Core processors. Here are some of the best deals we found:

See also: The best Acer Chromebook for your needs and budget

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HP’s Chromebooks are just about as widely available as those from Acer. You’ll mostly find traditional clamshell options, but the all-plastic construction ensures that HP can offer some of the lowest prices around. There are plenty of sizes to choose from, though all of the current top deals come in at 14-inches. Check out our top picks:

Read more: The best HP Chromebooks

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Asus is yet another popular choice in the Chromebook game and has steadily been making strides to the top of the Chromebook food chain. That being said, the Asus Chromebook Flip C434 is one of the best overall options you can get right now. It’s a 2-in-1 with a premium body and top-notch internals. Check it out along with other great deals below:

Related: The best Asus Chromebook for your needs and budget

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If you want a Chromebook that combines brilliant OLED displays with premium materials, look no further than Samsung. You can choose from either the basic Chromebook line or go for the premium Galaxy Chromebook. It even comes in a vibrant Fiesta Red finish if you want to stand out in a crowd. Here are a few great picks:

See also: The best Samsung Chromebook for your needs and budget

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Here are some of the best options:

We’ll add any notable Chromebook deals here as they come up, so make sure to check back frequently if you’re on the hunt for a new Chromebook. If you didn’t spot anything to suit your needs, then our laptop deals hub is worth checking out.