Samsung Freestyle is a projector with the software of a smart TV

There has been an ever-growing number of smart projectors over the past few years, which combine a standard wall projector with a built-in media system (usually some variation of Android). Anker has a few of them under its Nebula brand, and the Xiaomi Mi Smart Projector is another example. Samsung is now entering that market with the ‘Samsung Freestyle,’ one of the company’s major announcements at CES 2022.

Samsung says the Freestyle is “a projector, smart speaker and ambient lighting device all rolled into one lightweight, portable device.” It weighs 830 grams (1.82 pounds/29.2 ounces), and has a unique rotating case that allows it to rotate 180 degrees. Samsung says it can be powered with a standard USB-PD connection, as long as 50W/20V charging (or higher) is supported by the adapter or battery. There does not appear to be any internal battery, unlike most of the Nebula smart projectors sold by Anker — the Freestyle is definitely intended to be used indoors near a power source.

The rotating design allows it to switch between projecting on walls and ceilings without being propped up by other objects. Like most smart projectors, it supports auto keystone, so it can detect the angle of the projection surface and adjust the picture as needed to prevent distortion. Samsung says it can project images up to 100 inches in size, but there’s no mention of the brightness level, which is usually where projectors this small fall short — brighter images require larger (and heavier) lamps.

The software experience should be roughly identical to what you would find on Samsung’s smart TVs, with built-in streaming apps and casting/mirror functionality for Android and iOS devices. It also has far-field microphones, so the Freestyle’s voice assistant will be able to hear people from the other side of a room. Samsung didn’t say which voice assistants would be available on the offered, but considering the software should match the company’s TVs, Bixby and Google Assistant will probably be available. A smart speaker mode is also available, as well as a mood lighting effect.

Samsung says the Freestyle will be available for pre-order later today (January 4), presumably on the company’s online store.

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“Sketchy” leak reveals possible ZenFone 9 and ROG Phone 6 designs

After months of beta testing, ASUS finally released the stable Android 12 update for the ZenFone 8 and ZenFone 8 Flip yesterday. Interestingly enough, the latest update also seems to contain references for the upcoming ZenFone 9 and ROG Phone 6.

As spotted by ASUS ZenTalk forum member The Raimstor, the latest Android 12 update for the ZenFone 8 adds a new hidden setting for the double-tap back gesture — similar to the Pixel phones. The feature doesn’t work at the moment but its setting page reveals what appears to be a sketch of a ZenFone 9. Note that this is an early “render” (if it can even be called that) and not a finalized design. It could very easily be a placeholder graphic too. In any case, the render shows the ZenFone 9 sporting a dual-camera setup on the back. A closer look reveals that the setup consists of a 50MP primary and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. Moreover, we can also see that the phone features an iPhone 13-style boxy design with flat edges.

The same Android 12 firmware also contains a sketch of the ROG Phone 6 (H/T Mishaal Rahman), giving us a glimpse of ASUS’ upcoming gaming flagship. As you can see below, the phone retains the unapologetic gamer aesthetic that we have come to expect from the ROG lineup. The middle of the back seems to house a ROG Vision PMOLED display, with a stylized “ROG 06” logo just above it. As per the sketch, the phone has a larger camera module compared to the ROG Phone 5. We highly regarded the last year’s ROG Phone 5 for its amazing performance and thoughtful gaming features, and we expect nothing less from the ROG Phone 6.

Not much is known about the ZenFone 9 and ROG Phone 6 at this point. We expect to learn more about both phones in the coming months leading up to their official launch.

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Thanks to Wichaya Poka for the tip!

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OnePlus 9RT and Buds Z2 are coming to India on January 14

The OnePlus 9RT and OnePlus Buds Z2 were first revealed all the way back in October, but the products still aren’t available everywhere. OnePlus is only selling the 9RT in China, while the Buds Z2 have arrived in a handful of countries (including the United States and much of Europe). Now it seems both products will be arriving in India soon, according to a new teaser from OnePlus.

OnePlus has revealed on its official forums that the OnePlus 9RT 5G and OnePlus Buds Z2 will launch in India on January 14, accompanied by a livestream at 5PM IST on the company’s Indian YouTube channel. Yes, this is an announcement of an announcement — OnePlus didn’t specify if the devices will actually go on sale on January 14. Earlier rumors indicated OnePlus was aiming for a December release for the 9RT and Buds Z2 in India.

OnePlus talked a bit about the phone, saying “the OnePlus 9RT 5G, is an extension of OnePlus 9R, and carries on the legacy of powerful flagships geared to propel you ahead of the game. On top of the impeccably robust performance, OnePlus 9RT 5G also offers uncompromising features in design, imaging performance, and display quality. Redefining the conventional performance offered by entry-level flagships, this power-packed offering delivers an enhanced experience for avid gamers and power-users alike.”

The forum post didn’t specify the differences between the India and China versions of the OnePlus 9RT, so we’ll likely have to wait until January 14 for that information. Even if the hardware is the same, OnePlus will presumably use OxygenOS 12 instead of the ColorOS software on the Chinese version (even if there’s not much of a difference between them now).

OnePlus has not yet released the kernel source code for any variation of the OnePlus 9RT. However, you can download the included wallpapers.

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Samsung Galaxy S21 FE hands on: keeping the Galaxy S21 alive

The Galaxy S20 series was one of Samsung’s largest selling phone ranges, and part of that success was down to the Galaxy S20 FE. Dubbed the Fan Edition (or FE for short) – a throwback to the rebuilt Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition – Samsung sold over 10 million Galaxy S20 FE units in the past year since its launch in Q4 2020. At CES 2022, Samsung launched the next generation of the Fan Edition – the Galaxy S21 FE.

The Galaxy S21 FE brings the best of the Galaxy S21 range at a lower starting price than the Galaxy S21 range, and crucially, unlike its namesake series, this will be a phone that is sold for the next year at least. Available in four colorways with a premium matte textured feel, the Galaxy S21 FE will likely offer everything you could want in a Galaxy smartphone, and especially if the upcoming Galaxy S22 series doesn’t cut it for you.

At an exclusive event earlier at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, we went hands-on with the Galaxy S21 FE.

If you know anything about the Galaxy S21 series, chances are you’ll know most of the specs and features found in the Galaxy S21 FE. That said, one thing that’s immediately clear is how nice this phone feels in the hand. The matte textured rear offers grip, is ergonomically friendly, and looks fantastic, especially in the lavender color which is slightly more saturated than the namesake color found on the Galaxy Z Flip 3.

The design language of the Galaxy S21 FE is almost identical to the Galaxy S21 series, with the same contour-cut design resulting in a slightly raised camera hump – albeit, less so than the main phones in the series. The frame of the phone is an aluminum build but it still retains the premium feel that the Galaxy S21 series offered.

There are four color options for the Galaxy S21 series, and by far my favorite is the lavender. It is virtually the perfect shade of purple and it’s a better colorway than the Galaxy Z Flip 3. The other color options include an Olive green, which is very similar to the same in the Galaxy Buds 2, Black and White. If you’ve seen the Galaxy Buds 2 colors, you’ll know the Galaxy S21 FE colors.

Beyond the design similarities, the Galaxy S21 FE features many of the same specs found on the Galaxy S21 series. On paper, it’s best described as a combination of the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus, and given it’ll replace these two devices in Samsung’s ongoing lineup, it makes sense that Samsung would build a hybrid device featuring the best of these two phones.

It features a 6.4-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display which is bigger than the Galaxy S21 (6.2-inches) and smaller than the Galaxy S21 Plus (6.7-inches), albeit with the same resolution and display technology. Like the rest of the Galaxy S21 series, the Galaxy S21 FE display supports a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling, HDR10+, and an Always On Display. It also features the latest protection from Corning – Gorilla Glass Victus.

In the US, the Galaxy S21 FE is powered by a Snapdrag0n 888 processor whilst in some countries, it’s likely to use an Exynos processor. There are two storage and memory options; the base model comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, whilst the premium variant features 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The triple camera setup features the same wide and ultra-wide cameras from the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus, although the telephoto camera takes a fairly substantial hit. The main camera is a 12MP wide sensor with dual pixel autofocus, Optical Image Stabilization, whilst the ultra-wide is a 12MP sensor with 120° field of view, f/2.2 aperture, and 1.4µm pixel size. The telephoto camera is cut from the 64MP sensor found previously to an 8MP sensor, albeit it still supports 30x digital zoom.

The rest of the specs are fairly standard with a 4,500 mAh battery powering the entire package, which can be topped up using either 25W wired charging or 15W wireless charging. There’s also reverse wireless charging to recharge your accessories, a range of 5G bands and sensors, and IP68 water and dust resistance. The Galaxy S21 FE also launches running One UI 4 on top of Android 12.

The Galaxy S21 FE launches next week for $699.99 for the base variant, whilst the premium variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will cost you $769.99. It’ll be available from a range of carriers and from Samsung directly, and presumably, there’ll be plenty of trade-in deals to further reduce the cost of the phone.

Overall, the Galaxy S21 FE is designed to replace the existing Galaxy S21 range in Samsung’s lineup, especially as the latter is mostly out of stock already. With Samsung planning to launch its next range of phones in the coming months at a higher price, the Galaxy S21 FE is designed to be the phone that keeps the legacy of the Galaxy S21 series alive, and in this, it seems to deliver. Stay tuned as we’ll have a full review of the Galaxy S21 FE going live in the coming weeks.

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Apple’s 2022 product lineup will reportedly include new Mac Pros, a VR headset, redesigned MacBook Air, and more

2021 was an eventful year for Apple, with the company releasing many category-defining products across the board including an M1-powered iPad Pro, a brand new iPad mini, a new MacBook Pro lineup, iPhone 13 series, and more. It looks like 2022 is going to be even more exciting for Apple fans as the Cupertino giant has several promising products in the works, including new Mac Pros, a redesigned MacBook Air, a VR headset, and more.

Here are the Apple products rumored for 2022: iPads, Macs, and more

According to reliable Apple tipster Mark Gurman (via Bloomberg), Apple is working on some new Mac Pro models with the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips that debuted on the last year’s MacBook Pro lineup. The lineup includes a smaller Mac Pro with up to 40 CPU cores and 128 GPU cores, a large-screened iMac Pro and a brand new Mac mini, with Apple said to finish its transition to its own silicone from Intel as early as June.

Next up, the report talks about “the biggest MacBook Air redesign in the product’s history,” a refreshed entry-level MacBook Pro, and a redesigned iPad Pro with wireless charging support. Previous reports claimed the 2022 MacBook Air will feature a white keyboard, more ports, and arrive in multiple color options similar to the M1-powered iMacs.

On the smartphone side of things, Gurman believes Apple will be launching a 5G version of the iPhone SE in the first half of the year, with the new iPhone 14 series arriving as usual, in the fall. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 8, a new Watch SE model, and a rugged version aimed at extreme sports lovers are also in the works. The last year’s Apple Watch Series 7 seemed a bit underwhelming in terms of design and features so it’ll be interesting to see what Apple has in store for us this year on the smartwatch front.

Elsewhere, Gurman says Apple is planning to launch a new external monitor that will be about half the price of the current Pro Display XDR.

Finally, the report notes that Apple may also launch its first virtual reality headset codenamed N301 this year. Originally set to launch in 2020, Apple postponed the launch to WWDC 2021 — which didn’t happen either. Now the company is reportedly targeting WWDC 2022 to finally take the wraps off the rumored VR headset. The headset is said to support some AR features as well and run on rOS, codenamed Oak.

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Featured image: MacBook Air 2022 leaked render (by Jon Prosser)

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A developer got Android 12 booting on the legendary Samsung Galaxy S III

In recent days, we’ve informed you about a variety of official Android 12 updates. They all had one thing in common: Every update was delivered to devices that are currently supported by the respective OEM. But what happens with much older and unsupported smartphones? Do they gather dust? Not a chance at XDA.

When it comes to aftermarket development, some devices never cease to amaze us. And while it may not exactly be the venerable HTC HD2, the Samsung Galaxy S III is certainly carrying on its legacy. Samsung may have long declared the end of upgrade support for this model, but the modding community hasn’t forgotten it at all. The 2012’s flagship has been dual-booted, made to natively run the Linux-based Sailfish OS, and even received mainline Linux kernel support. The latest in the series of developments for the device is an unofficial LineageOS 19.0 custom ROM based on Android 12!

The Exynos 4412-powered Samsung Galaxy S III 3G (model number GT-I9300) can now boot Android 12, courtesy of XDA Recognized Developer html6405. Among the things that do work out of the box, you can find that the cellular radio, camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and software/hardware-accelerated video playback are working just fine. However, many LineageOS-specific features are lacking in the ROM, but that is alright as we are still in the early days and these aspects will be fixed on the source side over time.

Samsung Galaxy S III XDA Forums

A few words about bugs, because unfortunately, they are present: The SIM PIN unlock is broken as of now. As a precautionary measure, you must disable your SIM PIN using a different device first, otherwise, you’ll end up with a locked SIM. Formatting a microSD card as the adoptable storage results in a bootloop in the current release. Furthermore, the NFC module of the Galaxy S III isn’t functional yet under this ROM. We are keeping our fingers crossed for the developer to fix these issues soon.

If you still use a Samsung Galaxy S III or have it somewhere hidden away in your desk, make your way to the custom ROM thread and give this amazing piece of work a try.

Download unofficial LineageOS 19.0 based on Android 12 for the Samsung Galaxy S III

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Alienware’s Concept Nyx promises to solve the pain points of game streaming

Last month, Dell announced an array of concepts that aimed to improve productivity. Now, it’s time to talk about gaming, as the company’s Alienware brand is announcing Concept Nyx. Concept Nyx aims to take us into the future of gaming by solving a lot of the issues that are present today.

Here’s an example. As we’ve seen, game streaming is taking off, letting you play AAA titles from any screen, big and small. But that takes a fair bit of bandwidth, and if you have a whole family of people playing, that’s going to be a pain point. Concept Nyx takes a lot of this computing and brings it to the local network. In other words, it’s edge computing but for gaming.

One of the things that this will offer is much lower latency. The computing is happening locally, so it’s not sending commands to and from a distant server. When you’re playing multiplayer, that local processing is even more important.

Concept Nyx also lets you switch seamlessly between devices. The example that Alienware provides is playing Cyberpunk 2077 in your bedroom, and then when you go to cook dinner, you can pass it off to your friend on the 65-inch TV in the living room. All of this is done with single-digit millisecond latency.

Of course, this is designed to be as easy as possible to use. Alienware compared Concept Nyx with the ease of playing your favorite music, TV shows, or movies. You just install an app on your devices and you get the experience throughout your home.

Obviously, this is a concept that’s not going to be something you can invest in with your home gaming setup. However, this is something that Alienware is going to continue to develop. While it might not land as a standalone product, you’ll almost certainly see elements of this in the future.

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