By default, most smartphone cameras save photos in JPEG format. But as any seasoned photographer will tell you, the best way to get the most out of your tiny smartphone camera is to shoot in RAW format. Most modern smartphones offer RAW support, while Samsung even has a dedicated app, dubbed Expert RAW, just for that. Currently, the app is only available on two phones: the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy S22 Ultra. But that’s set to change soon as Samsung has confirmed it’ll be expanding the app to more Galaxy phones.
In a recent comment on a thread over at Samsung Community forums, the Expert RAW app in charge confirmed that the app is coming soon to more Galaxy phones (via TizenHelp). As per the announcement, the Expert RAW app will be released on February 25.
Expert RAW will be officially launched on the 2/25th release date. Before the official launch, we will tell you about the final supported devices. Whether or not to support it will be decided according to the AP specifications and all lens sensor specifications, and it seems that only the top models will be supported.
The announcement says “only the top models” will be supported though it doesn’t specify which ones. In any case, the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus, Galaxy S21, and Galaxy S21 Plus will most likely be supported. Foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip Z 3 may also get the app, but we’ll have to wait for the official release to know for sure.
For the unaware, the Expert RAW app supports HDR multi-frame capture and lets you save shots in JPEG and DNG RAW formats. The app offers all the standard manual controls, including ISO, shutter speed, white balance, etc. The Expert RAW app also has an integration with Adobe Lightroom, allowing users to directly open their RAW shots into the app for final edits.
Samsung has refreshed its yearly lineup of flagship phones with the Galaxy S22 series in 2022. The standard Galaxy S22 is for those looking for a reliable flagship phone that doesn’t break the bank, while the top-of-the-line Galaxy S22 Ultra is for those who want the ultimate premium experience with absolutely no compromises. Apart from the differences in some aspects, all three phones in the Galaxy S22 series come with a bunch of camera improvements. This includes both hardware and software. One of those features is Advanced Auto Framing.
Samsung has included a plethora of camera features on the Galaxy S22 series this time that improve the overall experience of capturing images via the phones’ cameras. Advanced Auto Framing is one such feature that makes use of computational algorithms to help you get the best shot, even if you’re an amateur photographer. Let’s learn more about it and understand how it works and what scenarios is it mainly useful in.
Advanced Auto Framing on Samsung Galaxy S22 Series
For the majority of people, taking a picture on a smartphone involves pointing the phone at a subject and hitting the shutter button. While modern-day phones are intended to be used just like that, there are ways to improve your photography. This includes several rules that deal with the composition of the image. The composition of your image is mainly to do with everything that’s present in the frame.
You may have observed that your phone’s camera app has a setting to enable grid lines or diagonal lines. You may have even heard of the term “rule of thirds” being thrown around a lot by professional photographers. These are tools that help create a good composition, hence resulting in a good image being captured. However, the average joe doesn’t really know or care about these rules. The primary goal is to capture good photos and videos without bothering about framing or which grid your subject should be in. That’s exactly why Samsung has added Advanced Auto Framing.
Advanced Auto Framing automatically detects the subject you’re shooting and determines the position of the subject. The phone is then smart enough to change your framing based on the position of the subject. In simple terms, when you’re recording a video of a human subject, the camera will zoom in or out to keep the person in the frame. This feature is similar to the Centre Stage feature Apple introduced in the iPad. While that only works on video calls, the Advanced Auto Framing feature works while recording videos via the rear cameras on the Galaxy S22 series of phones.
This feature also optimizes the focus points based on where your subject is. If you’re shooting a person who is slightly farther away from you, the camera will zoom into the person and also shift focus onto them. Up until now, we’d seen phone cameras optimize the scene based on the subject. What this meant is that colors, saturation, contrast, etc. were adjusted automatically based on the type of shot you were taking.
With Advanced Auto Framing, Samsung is taking it to the next level by even framing your shot for you automatically based on the position of your subject. The phone will lock focus onto your subject and automatically adjust the zoom range to either get closer to the subject or move farther away from it. If you’re shooting a video of a person, the phone will punch in and lock focus on the face to create a portrait-like effect.
Samsung claims that Advanced Auto Framing can detect up to 10 subjects and optimize the focus and framing accordingly. This is a great feature for people who just point and shoot (so about most of the world, except the Pros) since the phone adjusts the framing by itself without any additional effort from the user. However, note that Advanced Auto Framing only works while recording videos and not while capturing still images.
This is one of several new camera features that Samsung has introduced with the Galaxy S22 series. Features like these may lure smartphone photographers to make the switch to the new Galaxy S22 Ultra, especially since the Galaxy S21 Ultra was one of the most versatile camera phones out there and the Galaxy S22 Ultra further strengthens the notion. If you’re planning to get any of the three phones in the series, you should take a look at the best Galaxy S22 deals to take advantage of all the best offers and discounts and save as much as possible.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 is the entry flagship for 2022, bringing over top of the line performance and camera capabilities in a form that fits many pockets and budgets.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus is the mid flagship for 2022, bringing over top of the line performance, display, and camera capabilities in a larger housing for those that need to do more.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the top flagship for 2022, bringing over top of the line performance, display, and camera capabilities alongside S Pen capabilities to deliver an ultra experience for power users.
In June this year, the Government of India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) issued a notice banning 59 Chinese apps. Since then, the government body has issued several such notices banning more Chinese apps that were found to be “prejudicial to [the] sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.” In its latest notice, MeitY banned 43 more apps, including AliExpress and Lalamove, bringing the tally up to 267 banned apps. In case you missed any of our previous coverage, here’s a list of all the Chinese/China-owned apps currently banned in India:
List of Chinese apps banned in India
Apps banned in Wave 1
As mentioned earlier, the first ban was announced in June this year, and it cracked down on 59 apps, including popular names like TikTok, Mi Community, WeChat, Weibo, and CamScanner.
Apps banned in Wave 1
TikTok
ShareIt
Kwai
UC Browser
Baidu map
Shein
Clash of Kings
DU battery saver
Helo
Likee
YouCam makeup
Mi Community
CM Browers
Virus Cleaner
APUS Browser
ROMWE
Club Factory
Newsdog
Beauty Plus
WeChat
UC News
QQ Mail
Weibo
Xender
QQ Music
QQ Newsfeed
Bigo Live
SelfieCity
Mail Master
Parallel Space
Mi Video Call – Xiaomi
WeSync
ES File Explorer
Viva Video – QU Video Inc
Meitu
Vigo Video
New Video Status
DU Recorder
Vault- Hide
Cache Cleaner DU App studio
DU Cleaner
DU Browser
Hago Play With New Friends
Cam Scanner
Clean Master – Cheetah Mobile
Wonder Camera
Photo Wonder
QQ Player
We Meet
Sweet Selfie
Baidu Translate
Vmate
QQ International
QQ Security Center
QQ Launcher
U Video
V fly Status Video
Mobile Legends
DU Privacy
Apps banned in Wave 2
The second ban followed in July, and it included 47 more apps with Chinese connections, like TikTok Lite, Helo Lite, ShareIt Lite, and more. The second wave essentially cracked down on functional clones of the apps that were banned in the first wave. Sadly, MeitY hasn’t shared a complete list of all the apps that were banned in this phase.
Apps banned in Wave 3
MeitY then shared another notice in September this year, banning 118 Chinese apps in the country. These included popular apps like PUBG Mobile, PUBG Mobile Lite, Baidu, ShareSave by Xiaomi, GO SMS Pro, and many more.
ShareSave by Xiaomi: Latest gadgets, amazing deals
CamCard – Business Card Reader
CamCard Business
CamCard for Salesforce
CamOCR
InNote
VooV Meeting – Tencent Video Conferencing
Super Clean – Master of Cleaner, Phone Booster
WeChat reading
Government WeChat
Small Q brush
Tencent Weiyun
Pitu
WeChat Work
Cyber Hunter
Cyber Hunter Lite
Knives Out-No rules, just fight!
Super Mecha Champions
LifeAfter
Dawn of Isles
Ludo World-Ludo Superstar
Chess Rush
PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik
PUBG MOBILE LITE
Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade
Art of Conquest: Dark Horizon
Dank Tanks
Warpath
Game of Sultans
Gallery Vault – Hide Pictures And Videos
Smart AppLock (App Protect)
Message Lock (SMS Lock)-Gallery Vault Developer Team
Hide App-Hide Application Icon
AppLock
AppLock Lite
Dual Space – Multiple Accounts & App Cloner
ZAKZAK Pro – Live chat & video chat online
ZAKZAK LIVE: live-streaming & video chat app
Music – Mp3 Player
Music Player – Audio Player & 10 Bands Equalizer
HD Camera Selfie Beauty Camera
Cleaner – Phone Booster
Web Browser & Fast Explorer
Video Player All Format for Android
Photo Gallery HD & Editor
Photo Gallery & Album
Music Player – Bass Booster – Free Download
HD Camera – Beauty Cam with Filters & Panorama
HD Camera Pro & Selfie Camera
Music Player – MP3 Player & 10 Bands Equalizer
Gallery HD
Web Browser – Fast, Privacy & Light Web Explorer
Web Browser – Secure Explorer
Music player – Audio Player
Video Player – All Format HD Video Player
Lamour Love All Over The World
Amour- video chat & call all over the world.
MV Master – Make Your Status Video & Community
MV Master – Best Video Maker & Photo Video Editor
APUS Message Center-Intelligent management
LivU Meet new people & Video chat with strangers
Carrom Friends : Carrom Board & Pool Game-
Ludo All Star- Play Online Ludo Game & Board Games
Bike Racing : Moto Traffic Rider Bike Racing Games
Rangers Of Oblivion : Online Action MMO RPG Game
Z Camera – Photo Editor, Beauty Selfie, Collage
GO SMS Pro – Messenger, Free Themes, Emoji
U-Dictionary: Oxford Dictionary Free Now Translate
Ulike – Define your selfie in trendy style
Tantan – Date For Real
MICO Chat: New Friends Banaen aur Live Chat karen
Kitty Live – Live Streaming & Video Live Chat
Malay Social Dating App to Date & Meet Singles
Alipay
AlipayHK
Mobile Taobao
Youku
Road of Kings- Endless Glory
Sina News
Netease News
Penguin FM
Murderous Pursuits
Tencent Watchlist (Tencent Technology
Learn Chinese AI-Super Chinese
HUYA LIVE – Game Live Stream
Little Q Album
Fighting Landlords – Free and happy Fighting Landlords
Hi Meitu
Mobile Legends: Pocket
VPN for TikTok
VPN for TikTok
Penguin E-sports Live assistant
Buy Cars-offer everything you need, special offers and low prices
iPick
Beauty Camera Plus – Sweet Camera & Face Selfie
Parallel Space Lite – Dual App
“Chief Almighty: First Thunder BC
MARVEL Super War NetEase Games
AFK Arena
Creative Destruction NetEase Games
Crusaders of Light NetEase Games
Mafia City Yotta Games
Onmyoji NetEase Games
Ride Out Heroes NetEase Games
Yimeng Jianghu-Chu Liuxiang has been fully upgraded [translated name]
Legend: Rising Empire NetEase Games
Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Games
Soul Hunters
Rules of Survival
Apps banned in Wave 4
The fourth ban was announced on November 24, 2020, and it included 43 more apps. While a majority of the apps in the recent list aren’t very popular in the Indian market, there are some notable names like AliExpress and Lalamove.
Apps banned in Wave 4
AliSuppliers Mobile App
Alibaba Workbench
AliExpress – Smarter Shopping, Better Living
Alipay Cashier
Lalamove India – Delivery App
Drive with Lalamove India
Snack Video
CamCard – Business Card Reader
CamCard – BCR (Western)
Soul- Follow the soul to find you
Chinese Social – Free Online Dating Video App & Chat
Date in Asia – Dating & Chat For Asian Singles
WeDate-Dating App
Free dating app-Singol, start your date!
Adore App
TrulyChinese – Chinese Dating App
TrulyAsian – Asian Dating App
ChinaLove: dating app for Chinese singles
DateMyAge: Chat, Meet, Date Mature Singles Online
AsianDate: find Asian singles
FlirtWish: chat with singles
Guys Only Dating: Gay Chat
Tubit: Live Streams
WeWorkChina
First Love Live- super hot live beauties live online
Rela – Lesbian Social Network
Cashier Wallet
MangoTV
MGTV-HunanTV official TV APP
WeTV – TV version
WeTV – Cdrama, Kdrama&More
WeTV Lite
Lucky Live-Live Video Streaming App
Taobao Live
DingTalk
Identity V
Isoland 2: Ashes of Time
BoxStar (Early Access)
Heroes Evolved
Happy Fish
Jellipop Match-Decorate your dream island!
Munchkin Match: magic home building
Conquista Online II
Apps banned in Wave 5
The fifth and most recent ban was announced on February 14, 2022, and it includes 54 apps. Quite a few apps banned in this wave are clones of previously banned apps. The most noteworthy addition to the growing list is Garena’s popular battle royale game Free Fire.
Note: All the apps mentioned above have been removed from popular app distribution platforms, like the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, in the country and they’re no longer available for download. However, some of the apps may still be functional if you have them installed on your device.
In all of the notices shared by MeitY over the last few months, the government body cited Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 to ban the Chinese apps. Section 69A of the IT Act reads as follows:
69A Power to issue directions for blocking for public access of any information through any computer resource. –
Where the Central Government or any of its officers specially authorised by it in this behalf is satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do, in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above, it may subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), for reasons to be recorded in writing, by order, direct any agency of the Government or intermediary to block for access by the public or cause to be blocked for access by the public any information generated, transmitted, received, stored or hosted in any computer resource.
The procedure and safeguards subject to which such blocking for access by the public may be carried out, shall be such as may be prescribed.
The intermediary who fails to comply with the direction issued under sub-section (1) shall be punished with an imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years and also be liable to fine.
We’ll update this list if more apps are banned, or if apps within are announced to be unbanned.
After unveiling the Galaxy S22 series lineup last week, Samsung is gearing up to refresh its affordable Galaxy A series. Over the past few months, we have seen several leaks surrounding the Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A73. Now we’re getting a glimpse of another device in Samsung’s 2022 Galaxy A lineup: the Galaxy A23.
Steve Hemmerstoffer, AKA Onleaks, and Collegedunia have revealed CAD renders of the Galaxy A23, giving us our very first look at the Galaxy A22 successor. As far as the design is concerned, the Galaxy A23 represents a marked improvement over the last year’s model. As you can see in the images below, the Galaxy A23 looks a lot like the Galaxy A53, especially from the back. A quad-camera setup can be seen on the back, a step up from the triple cameras of the last year’s model. Over on the front, the phone has a flat display with a waterdrop notch cutout for the selfie camera. Meanwhile, a bottom-firing speaker, the headphone jack, and a USB C port are situated at the bottom.
According to the leak, the Galaxy A23 measures 165.4 x 77.0 x 8.55mm (10.3mm when taking into account the camera bump). The phone reportedly features a 6.6-inch display, making it slightly bigger than the Galaxy A22’s 6.4-inch panel. Other properties of the display, such as its resolution, refresh rate, and panel type, aren’t known. To recall, the Galaxy A22 has an HD+ AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate.
While the Galaxy A22 came with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, we’re told the Galaxy A23 will come equipped with an in-display fingerprint scanner. Not much is known about the phone’s other hardware, including the chipset, camera sensors, battery size, charging speed, etc. At this point, Samsung hasn’t officially confirmed anything about the Galaxy A23, but we expect to learn more about the phone in the coming weeks.
Wireless charging is a convenience that many users can’t go without. It’s not something that I particularly rely on, but I’ve amassed a collection of wireless chargers over the years and it’s nice to be able to make use of them. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series has just launched, and sadly like its predecessors, it doesn’t support wireless charging. That means if you too have a collection of wireless chargers, you’re out of luck. There’s also no reverse wireless charging either, for that matter.
It’s a shame, as I actually made use of the wireless charging capabilities on the Huawei MatePad Pro. It’s an easy and convenient way to charge your tablet on a desk without needing to plug in a cable. It’s even better when you want to reverse wireless charge something like a pair of earphones, as tablets usually have large batteries. Nevertheless, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 can charge at 45W speeds with a wired charger, and it can also share power to devices via wired power-sharing. Samsung hasn’t included a charger in the box either, so be sure to check out our picks for the best Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 chargers.
If you’re curious, the Samsung Galaxy S22 series that launched at the same event as the tablets does support wireless charging, and it’s at a pretty speedy 25W. It’s a shame that Samsung hasn’t brought this down to its tablets yet, as there’s definitely a use case, even if it is a bit niche. If you’re looking to purchase a Tab S8 at a good price, then we also have a list of some of the best deals for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series that we’ve spotted already. Combined, Samsung has launched some rather exciting hardware at this event, ones that set the flavor for the upper end of the Android market.
Windows 11 is a breath of fresh air in terms of design compared to Windows 10, and we wholly recommend the upgrade in our Windows 11 review. But truth be told, not every change was a positive one, and one of the things you might find annoying is that you can no longer see the date and time on the taskbar on a second or third monitor in Windows 11. Only the primary monitor shows it, but thankfully, there are ways to work around this.
The good news is Microsoft is already working to change this behavior, and you can try those changes right now by joining the Windows Insider Program. If you don’t want to do that, there are some apps that also restore that functionality. Or, if you don’t mind waiting, this capability should be rolled out to all Windows 11 users in March, so you don’t have to do anything. Here’s how you can add the time and date to the taskbar on your second monitor in Windows 11.
Option 1: Join the Windows Insider Program
We’d say this is the easiest option if you want to add the time and date to the taskbar of the second monitor in Windows 11. Microsoft recently released Windows 11 build 22000.526 to Insiders in the Beta and Release Preview channels, and that means it’s fairly safe to try this out. As you can read in our explainer of the Windows Insider Program, the Release Preview channel is where Microsoft tests updates just before they head out to the stable release. That means they’re usually practically finished, and you shouldn’t run into any big issues.
To get the time back on your taskbar this way, do the following:
Open the Settings app and go to the Windows Update section, then choose Windows Insider Program.
Click Get started, choose a Microsoft account to link to the Insider program, and then choose the Release Preview channel when asked which one to join. Any other option could mean you’ll get unstable builds of Windows 11, so Release Preview is your best option.
Reboot your PC when prompted to do so.
Once your PC is back on, go back to Windows Update and check for updates. You should see a cumulative update labeled as KB5010414.
Let the update install and reboot your PC again. You should see the time and date on your taskbar on all your monitors now.
Once you’ve received this update, you might want to unenroll from the Windows Insider Program. Head back into the respective page to unenroll your PC from getting preview builds, and you’ll be back to receiving the regular monthly updates.
Option 2: Use ElevenClock to customize the time and date on the Windows 11 taskbar
If you don’t want to join the Windows Insider Program, another option to add the time back to your taskbar is using an app called ElevenClock. This app can add back the time and date on all your monitors, but it can also do a lot more than that if you’re interested.
All you need to do is download the latest version of ElevenClock from GitHub and run the installer. Once it finishes installing, you’ll immediately see the time and date on the taskbar of all your monitors. If you want to customize your settings, you can go to your Start menu and open ElevenClock Settings, which gives you tons of options.
You can align your clock to the left of the taskbar, hide the notification badge, and much more. There’s even an option to add seconds to the taskbar clock, which you might find useful since Microsoft also removed that feature from Windows 11. There are plenty of options, so explore them at your own leisure.
In order for the features to work, you’ll need to make sure ElevenClock is running at startup. That’s enabled by default when you install the app, so you just have to make sure you don’t disable it.
And that’s all there is to it. It’s a very simple fix, but if you don’t want to do any of this, you can just wait for Microsoft to release the next cumulative update for Windows 11. The next Patch Tuesday will be on March 8, and that’s when the update will arrive, likely adding this feature back in, though it should also be available earlier as an optional update. That could change if any issues come up, but that’s unlikely to happen. Aside from adding a clock to the second monitor, you can expect a new Widgets button showing the current weather on your taskbar, new features for Teams, and more.
When it comes to choosing their next smartphone, different people look for different things. Some seek the best camera out there to document their journeys to their favorite restaurants the wilderness. Other people care about the operating system (OS) and/or its skin. For example, there are users who won’t buy a device running a heavily skinned version of Android, while others have their own favorite. Similarly, those who are deeply invested in Apple’s ecosystem will likely only consider different iPhones as devices to potentially buy.
This becomes problematic for iOS users because the OS is only available on iPhones. So when the tech overlord doesn’t release satisfying devices, its users can find themselves jealous of people on the other side. The highest-end iPhone 13 Pro Max doesn’t meet your expectations? Tough luck, there isn’t a more advanced iPhone for you to buy and you have to wait for a full yearly cycle to find out if the next one is going to be that much better or just an “S” release. That’s precisely why Apple needs to release a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra competitor. If a buyer doesn’t care about the OS and ecosystem, there aren’t many compelling reasons for them to choose the iPhone 13 Pro Max over the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Overkill Cameras
iPhone 13 Pro Max, main camera
People sometimes complain about modern phones having too many rear cameras. We’ve probably all seen the memes of Pro Max iPhones being compared to stovetops. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s not like these extra lenses are placed there for cosmetic reasons, at least not on iPhones yet. They serve a valid purpose — taking better photos and videos, in addition to advancing the photographic capabilities of the phone.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with more powerful camera features and greater versatility that no iPhone can match
The iPhone 13 Pro Max — Apple’s most advanced phone — only comes with three rear cameras. While the lens count doesn’t always signify better photography, the Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with more powerful camera features and greater versatility that no iPhone can match, thanks to its four rear cameras. For example, the Galaxy S22 Ultra supports 10x optical zoom and 100x space zoom. Apple still doesn’t support the latter, and the former is limited to 3x only. Yes, the iPhone’s camera is more than enough for average users, but there are some professional photographers and hobbyists in Apple’s ecosystem. The company seemingly doesn’t care about that particular audience all that much to grant them with a system that matches this versatility. Apple is doing some things in the video department, but there’s a lot left to be desired for photography, including but not limited to a Pro mode. Samsung not only provides hardware versatility, but there are also several software features like Single Take and Director’s View that Apple should be considering for its Pro phones.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s rear camera setup
Additionally, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is equipped with a 40MP front camera. This allows its users to take crisp selfies and vlogs to post in our increasingly-social online world. The TrueDepth camera on the iPhone 13 Pro Max retains the 12MP from previous-gen iPhones. While it results in some breathtaking selfies — thanks to Portrait Mode — the company could still improve the front camera system.
Give us a Pen(cil)!
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro Max feature 6.8-inch and 6.7-inch displays respectively. They’re both gigantic phones, relatively speaking. For some reason, though, Apple still doesn’t support its Pencil on iPhones. Phones are no longer tiny, and many use them to doodle and write notes on the go. Samsung had a Galaxy Note lineup for ages, and I used the Galaxy Note 2 LTE for around two years. Having an S Pen conveniently available wherever I go was a game-changer, and S Pens weren’t even as feature-rich at the time — they’ve only gotten better since then.
Apple Pencil and iPad Pro
If the $3 trillion company doesn’t want to spend its limited resources and brains on designing an iPhone with a stylus hole/silo, it could at least add Apple Pencil support to the iPhone screens. While carrying the Pencil separately could be a bit of a hassle, it at least would remain an option for those who really need and want it. The S Pen might not be for everyone, but its placement and features are phenomenal, and the Cupertino giant is long overdue a competitor.
The S Pen might not be for everyone, but its placement and features are phenomenal, and the Cupertino giant is long overdue a competitor
2012 called, they want their port back
Vivo V23 and iPhone 13 Pro
In a perfect world, Twitter offers an edit button all phone manufacturers harmoniously adopt USB-C as a universal charging and data transfer port. We obviously live in a far-from-perfect world, and Apple still stubbornly resorts to its proprietary Lightning port on iPhones. Surprisingly, though, it has adopted the more commonly used port on some iPad models. It doesn’t make any sense to me why the company would green-light USB-C on iPads but not iPhones. I suppose some questions will never get an answer, and we will have to carry around different types of cables for the foreseeable future. Another take on this is that even Samsung is moving forward to faster charging, thanks to 45W fast wired charging support, making the official 18W “fast” charging appear absolutely ancient on the iPhone 13 Pro Max. We’re long overdue for an upgrade, so move over to USB C and USB PD while you’re at it please, Apple?
Speaking of charging, why can’t we have reverse wireless charging, Apple? Most AirPods cases now support Qi charging, and being able to charge them through the iPhone on the go would make life a tad easier. This is one of the main features I’m jealous that Apple hasn’t implemented yet.
We need to see some overkill from Apple
iPhone 13 Pro’s notch (left) is smaller than the iPhone 12 Pro’s notch.
Once upon a time, Apple used to think outside the box. In my opinion, that’s no longer the case — for the most part at least. Yes, Universal Control is magical, and the company does come up with some innovative ideas sometimes. However, when it comes to iPhones, they’ve become pretty mundane. New releases aren’t as exciting anymore — it’s just a costly yet reliable phone that will get your everyday tasks done, with a new feature here and there. A slightly smaller notch is notch what we’re asking for.
It's about time Apple takes some risks beyond the Pro and gets onto some Ultra overkill
Apple claims every year during the keynotes that its devices are designed to help creatives explore, express, and improve their talents. Frankly, I don’t see it, not anymore. iPhones are limiting when compared to phones like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. The latter truly unleashes the potential of our modern-day technologies and tries to make the most out of them. The former, unfortunately, doesn’t. I don’t see myself leaving the Apple ecosystem, not anytime soon at least, so for the foreseeable future, I will be stuck with very few options when deciding which phone to buy next. On the bright side, new releases aren’t very tempting — considering not a lot changes — and I don’t get the urge to upgrade very often, so my wallet is thankful for that.
Had I not been tied into the Cupertino tech giant’s ecosystem (and had the patience to use Android), I would’ve most likely chosen the Galaxy S22 Ultra over any iPhone. And that’s exactly why Apple should release a competitor to Samsung’s latest flagship. A person who doesn’t care about the OS as much as I do would likely get the Android phone. Apple is only losing potential customers by sticking to its familiar releases. It’s about time they take some risks beyond the Pro and get some Ultra overkill.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is Samsung's top flagship for 2022, bringing over top of the line performance, display and camera capabilities alongside S Pen capabilities to deliver an ultra experience for power users. It's the perfect phone for enthusiasts and power users, and a device that Apple has no competitor against.
