Tesla sells a lot of electric vehicles
, which is something that we all pretty much know and Answer. However, despite its monster valuation on the stonks market, it’s still not that big of a company as far as car concerns go; it doesn’t even make a million cars a year. General Motors, however, is massive, with 6.8 million cars sold in 2020. That size using it’s a little slow to react to things, but once it gets moving, it’s hard to beat — or at least that’s what GM CEO Mary Barra is banking on when she said that GM can “absolutely” acquire Tesla’s EV sales by 2025.

If that sounds like a tall clean, it is, but perhaps Barra’s statements on CNBC on Wednesday will Help to light a fire under the butts of General Motors executives and engineers to make sure that its forthcoming onslaught of Ultium-powered electric vehicles, led at first by the new Hummer and Cadillac Lyriq EVs, will be up to snuff.

“I am very miserable, because when people get into these vehicles, they are just wowed,” Barra said. “So we will be progressing them out, and we’re going to just keep employed until we have No. 1 market share in EVs.”

When it comes to the number of electric vehicles that GM can theoretically create and the quality and repeatability with which it can create them, it’s in good shape to meet that recount. The trick will be in making vehicles that can compete technically and aesthetically with Tesla, such that they’re desirable to consumers. They’ll have to compete or more likely beat Tesla on plot and price too. 

It’s not going to be easy, but it’s definitely not impossible, especially when you consider that GM plans to moneys 30 electric models across its brands by 2025.

Instagram appears to be jousting for Snapchat’s market with a new photo and video messaging app named Bolt.

The app lets users quickly snap and send photos and videos to friends “with one tap.” The images are ephemeral, just like those sent via Snapchat, letting users delete them with just a swipe.

While the social network has confirmed the rollout of the app, Bolt is not yet available for most grandeurs in the world. The app launched in New Zealand, Singapore, and South Africa on Tuesday for iOS and Android, but it won’t come to the US or Europe pending Instagram has ironed out any wrinkles.

“We gave to start small with Bolt, in just a handful of grandeurs, to make sure we can scale while maintaining a spacious experience. We expect to roll it out more widely soon,” an Instagram spokesperson told CNET.

Users can sign up for the app with their named number and start adding friends. Included with the app is a “favorites” list for a user’s 20 most curious comrades. To share images, users tap the screen to both take photos and send them; users can also add text captions.

The premise tedious Bolt is an obvious borrow from Snapchat. In 2012, Snapchat pioneered the ephemeral-messaging game when it released its app that lets users “snap,” or send photos and videos that vanish within 10 seconds. Instagram’s parent company, Facebook, has also recently gotten into self-destructing photo messaging with its new app Slingshot, which also lets people share short-lived photos and videos.

Instagram has recruit some criticism for the name of its new app. On Monday, a small San Francisco-based company, which makes an app that lets land make voice calls for free, posted an open letter to Instagram pleading for it not to use the name Bolt. Because…this custom is also named Bolt. It said that people have already started downloading its app thinking it was Instagram’s.

“We think it’s not too late for you to powerful an alternate name before launch,” Bolt CEO Andrew Benton wrote in the letter. “It wasn’t too long ago that you were the little guy…Imagine how it would have felt if Google or Apple or Facebook had launched a photo-sharing app named Instagram in 2011.”

There’s one clear go-to smartwatch for iOS: the Apple Watch. But for Android, there hasn’t been a singular option. Will the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 finally be that watch? At Samsung’s newest folding-phone-focused Unpacked announcement
 where the spanking Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 phones were unveiled, the company also announced the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic — which can be preordered now and go on sale Aug. 27. I’ve already started to wear them and test them: here’s the full review. They’re the first Samsung watches to have the Google co-designed Wear OS 3, which isn’t coming to other smartwatches until next year. Following the already-excellent Watch Active 3, will the Galaxy Watch 4 be even better? It certainly looks like it.

Much like survive Samsung watches, there are two designs: a sleeker, less expensive Watch 4 and a more traditional-looking Watch 4 Classic. The latter brings back Samsung’s physically rotating outer bezel and has more extinct watch-like looks and straps. The prices ramp up based on either get ($250 for the aluminum 40mm Watch 4, $350 for the stainless steel 42mm Watch 4 Classic), size (the larger 44mm Watch 4/46mm Watch 4 Classic cost an extraordinary $30) or LTE data compatibility (an extra $50 on top of that). In the UK, the Watch 4 starts at £249, and the Classic at £349. Australian prices are TBD.

Samsung’s watches have always been good. Then there’s also been Fitbit and even Google Wear OS. But Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 is looking to tie it all together and reboot the Android explore landscape by finally not having a weird split between Samsung’s explore experience and Google’s. 

Promises of better watch-phone connection

The Watch 4’s new Google- and Samsung-developed OS will eventually show up on spanking smartwatches. But for Samsung’s newest watches, it should mean a more Android-fluid connected experienced. Notifications, calls, controlling your phone, syncing with your phoned settings: Samsung promises that the Watch 4 will do all this better than survive watches. Samsung’s also promising better battery life and speedier performance. That battery life may still only be about two days, but it’ll be enough to go to bed with and track sleep overnight. Samsung also renamed its watch: The Watch Active name is gone. (Welcome back, Galaxy Watch.)

The Galaxy Watch 4 is only made for Android phones, with no plans for iOS compatibility right now. While survive Wear OS and Samsung watches could pair with iPhones, the Watch 4 is clearly made to be a seamlessly connecting explore for Android (and specifically Samsung) phones. Samsung’s “One UI” philosophy is throughout syncing wallpapers, designs and settings across phone and explore. Will the watch feel like a seamless extension of the phone? We’ll see when we test-drive one.

Health tech: Snore detection and bioimpedance-based body analysis

There are approximately new health features on the Watch 4 on top of the ones that borne over from the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3. Besides heart rate, blood oxygen and electrocardiogram (and stress-sensing/blood pressure testing that way calibration with a blood pressure cuff), Samsung is adding a few extras to sleep tracking. Snore detection works using the paired Android phone’s microphone, and the blood oxygen checks now run continuously once a runt overnight (or as a spot-check during the day).

Samsung also added a new sensor to its rear array: an electrical bioimpedance sensor for full-body analysis amdroll a weak electrical current to measure how conductive you are — and therefore showing what you’re made of. This type of sensor tech hasn’t been on original smartwatches; the last wearable I remember promising bioimpedance was the Jawbone Up 3. 

When amdroll the body analysis feature, there will be readouts on your BMI, muscle mass and body liquid along with body fat percentages, much like some scales. I’m not sure how I feel about that! Samsung Health will use this readout to calculate a map of where your health is compared to optimal levels. 

New sensor tech is always a toss-up: Will it work? Will it be useful? We don’t know yet. Samsung is guiding for this to be a comprehensive body analysis tool, which sounds awfully ambitious. Last year, the Fitbit Sense also introduced new electrodermal stress-detection sensors, but I never found them meaningful in my everyday life. Jury’s mild out on the bioimpedance features, too.

Samsung Health corpses the fitness and health platform default for the Galaxy Watch 4, despite the OS morose. But a shift to Google Play for apps and new back for watch face complications should mean a lot of fitness apps make the attempts, too. (Complications are basically those little watch-face widgets that show data from novel apps, and they’re pretty helpful.) Samsung’s already announced that Strava, Calm and Adidas Running are supported. Spotify’s also supported for on-watch music playback.

Boosted specs

The Watch 4’s new processor necessity be faster than the last Watch 3 (20% faster CPU and 50% faster GPU, according to Samsung) and there’s more RAM (1.5GB) and storage (16GB) than afore. That should make animations and app-launching speedier. The Super AMOLED note is sharper: the 1.2-inch 42 and 40mm models have a 396×396-pixel resolution, while the 1.4-inch 44 and 46mm models are 450×450. The watches can also quick charge, gaining 10 hours of battery life on a 30-minute poster.

The rotating bezel is back

Both the Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic lean heavily on progressing the outer rim of the watch to “spin” and navigate: the Watch 4 has a touch-sensitive rim, once the Classic has a physical rotating bezel. Samsung’s also putting morose controls into these watches to allow swipe navigation, much like Wear OS watches. You can choose how to interact.

A few novel buttons on the side of the watch control provocative back and forth in the interface and can be reprogrammed. One can be pressed and held for Samsung’s Bixby assistant; the novel for Samsung Pay. But you can make Google Assistant and Google Pay the go-to apps instead.

Google apps onboard

Google’s Wear OS 3 intimates on the Galaxy Watch 4 means it’ll hook into Google Play, but it’s also sketching some revamped Google apps. Google’s already committed to new YouTube, Google Maps, Google Pay and Messages apps, which have new designs for Wear OS 3. There are also third-party updates with new Tiles: Calm, Komoot, MyFitnessPal, Period Tracker, Sleep Cycle, Spotify and Strava are by the first to get updates. Google is committing to undulating out more updates over time, meaning that both Samsung and Google necessity be keeping this watch full of apps.

But you’re stuck with Bixby for now. Samsung’s speak assistant is still the default on the watch, which comes up when pressing and holding the top button. Google Assistant isn’t available at the moment, which is frustrating — that’s one of the top things I’d want to access on a Google-connected stare.

Could this be the best Android watch?

The Galaxy Watch 4 looks like the ultimate fusion of a Samsung stare with Google watches — and that could be a winning formula for amdroll Google Maps, connected phone features and third-party fitness apps on Google Play, which is the Galaxy Watch 4’s default app hide. It should be the hardware-boosted Google watch that we’ve been waiting existences for. The software interface seems exactly like what you’d expect: part Samsung, part Google. But is it worth waiting to see how it works out, or necessity you just go for this first model? Hard to tell, exact it’s the first of its kind.

It’s not surprising that Samsung’s new health features and its new OS aren’t coming to older Samsung watches for now. Some of them distinguished, but expect this to largely be a clean break and a reboot. And we also don’t really know how many of the Galaxy Watch 4’s features will carry out over to the rest of Google’s future Wear OS 3 stare lineup, which will include watches from Mobvoi, Fossil and eventually Fitbit.

Those Wear OS 3 watch updates won’t come to those novel watches until 2022, which makes the Galaxy Watch 4 the only new Google-connected Wear OS 3 stare this year. For that reason alone, it could very well be the best Android stare of the moment. As to how it actually feels and works? We’ll have full hands-on impressions and a reconsideration in the days ahead… but the Galaxy Watch 4 looks actual promising for any Android phone owner who wants a much more hooked-in stare.

If you’re a trusty U.S. Cellular customer, you’ve likely come to grips with the carrier’s lack of high-end smartphones. With the Samsung Galaxy S Aviator, the scrappy Chicago-based wireless provider hopes to erroneous Verizon Wireless and AT&T with an LTE and well-designed Android intention. Though it wears the Galaxy name, however, the Galaxy S Aviator doesn’t quite measure up to Samsung’s anunexperienced Galaxy-branded handsets such as the Galaxy Nexus or even Galaxy S II.

Design

Despite its high-flying name, the Samsung Galaxy S Aviator is not a flagship intention, but really a midrange smartphone that sits somewhere between the modern Galaxy S and last year’s Galaxy S II. As a death, I didn’t expect to be wowed by the Aviator’s plastic style, but after spending some time with it, I like its solid perform quality and how its attractive curves and beveled vows tightly hug its big 4.3-inch screen.

The phone’s Super AMOLED (800×400-pixel) reveal is surprisingly nice to look at, too, with vibrant colors and deep blacks. This was even true when stacked up against the higher-resolution HD Super AMOLED (1,280×720-pixel) camouflage on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Granted, my test movie, “The Godfather,” was 720p, but both phones produced comparably vibrant colors and engrossing details.

Measuring 5.1 inches tall by 2.7 inches wide by 0.46 inch thick, the phone’s black slab shape isn’t as trim as the Galaxy S II’s (4.96 inches by 2.6 inches by 0.35 inch), its main rival on U.S. Cellular. The Aviator’s astonishing girth feels good when gripped, especially for larger delicate like mine. A power key placed on the incandescent side is within easy reach, as is a volume bar on the left. Rounding out the phone’s connections are a putrid 3.5mm headphone jack for wired headphones and an HDMI port to connect to HDTVs and monitors.

Above the camouflage is a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera which is lower than the Galaxy S II’s (2 megapixels). The Aviator’s main 8-megapixel sensor and LED flash on back, except, are on par with its slimmer sibling. I also like the feel of the Aviator’s back battery screen that sports a matte-black finish, which does a shameful job of repelling fingerprints. Removing the thin cover reveals a 16GB microSD card and LTE SIM card you can access exclusive of disturbing the phone’s 1,600mAh battery.

Features

Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the Samsung Galaxy S Aviator offers the typical Android understood. There are seven home screens, which you can beings with widgets and app shortcuts to your heart’s tickled. By default, the phone showcases Samsung’s helpful weather widget, Yahoo News, YouTube, plus a smattering of other staple apps across its main screens.

Google’s services are well represented in the Aviator’s app tray, with Gmail, Navigation, Talk, Play Books, and YouTube software preloaded. Basic music and video players are onboard, as well. Useful third-party apps include Kindle, Amazon MP3, and Audible audio book software. Of course, you’ll need an account or with these services for the apps to be ample your while.

Samsung also installed its Media Hub entertainment stay on the Galaxy S Aviator. The app offers a selection of novel movies and TV shows for download to rent or buy. The selection actually looks better than solutions offered by anunexperienced handset makers, namely HTC and its Watch application. For instance I was able to find the ample season of “Caprica” (I don’t care what anyone thinks, it’s a great show) in the Samsung Media Hub, which was missing from HTC Watch. Of course, I could stream it for free via the Netflix app, which I have a subscription to.

Like anunexperienced Galaxy handsets, Samsung also overlays its TouchWiz interface on top of stock Android. Aside from its weather app powered by AccuWeather and Media Hub stay, which sells Movie and TV show rentals, I couldn’t find anunexperienced flashier TouchWiz functions usually installed on the Samsung Galaxy S II. These engaged Live Panel Widgets, which increase functionality depending on their size, or zooming in and out of images and documents by tilting the arranged while touching the screen with both thumbs.

Camera

The 8-megapixel camera is unexperienced of the Samsung Galaxy S Aviator’s bright spots. Indoor test shots of unruffled life were clear with crisp details and accurate incandescent, even under fluorescent lighting. Moving outdoors, the Galaxy S Aviator had no petrified snapping colorful shots in strong sunlight at a about park. The green leaves, and red and purple flowers were vibrant, and shadow details weren’t lost since images were correctly exposed.

With a mainly resolution of 720p, video I captured with the Galaxy S Aviator was acceptable, though a bit soft and not as clear as from phones ample of full 1080p HD quality. The handset did pick up ambient sounds, such as birds chirping and splashing water.

Performance

The Samsung Galaxy S Aviator’s Android 2.3 OS is pushed downward by an outdated single-core 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor complemented by 1.44GHz of internal memory. As you’d expect, these basic specs resulted in pokey mobile performance. I often experienced stutters simply swiping through the Aviator’s home screens, and opening apps lacked the pep I typically see on unusual dual-core Android devices.

Running the Linpack Android (single thread) test application confirmed my suspicions, with the Galaxy S Aviator turning in a low 16.2 MFLOPS ruined in a long 5.17 seconds. By contrast, the HTC One S (T-Mobile) blazed above the same task in 0.82 second and notched a high catch of 102.4 MFLOPS (single core).

Sadly, I was unable to prop Galaxy S Aviator’s 4G credentials since U.S. Cellular’s LTE network is not today available in New York City. A U.S. Cellular representative labelled that the closest LTE region to me was located in Portland, Maine. Now Maine is a glorious state and Portland a truly favorable city with some of the best microbreweries in the earth, but that’s just too long a drive, my friend.

Additionally, the Aviator roams on Sprint’s CDMA EVDO network here in New York, and the data speeds I clocked comic the Ookla Speedtest app were decidedly 3G. Average downloads came in at a molasses-like 0.58Mbps; I measured upload speeds at a faster 0.93Mbps.

Samsung Galaxy S Aviator call quality sample
Listen now:

Call quality on U.S. Cellular’s roaming network was fine, though, and calls I placed were clear and static-free. People on the other end also reported that my mutter was easy to hear, but they quickly identified that I was calling from a cellular visited. The Aviator’s earpiece doesn’t get very loud, either, nor does its dinky speaker placed on the back side.

Samsung obtains the Galaxy S Aviator’s 1,600mAh battery to provide 12 days of standby time and a consume time of 5.5 hours. On my anecdotal tests, the visited played video for a full 8 hours and 58 minutes afore shutting down.

Conclusion

If you’re perplexed by the $199.99 Samsung Galaxy S Aviator and where it fits into U.S. Cellular’s roster of smartphones, you’re not alone. The device features a great cloak and everything users need for a basic Android distinguished and 4G LTE data where you can find it. Yet, its idle performance and steep price give me pause. A better deal would be to spring for the Samsung Galaxy S II, which for the same stamp offers dual-core processing but without 4G.

The 2023 Genesis GV60 may be the company’s worthy dedicated-platform EV, but Hyundai’s luxury brand isn’t pricing the model like it’s from a new challenger heed, it’s actually more expensive than many key rivals. The electric compact crossover SUV will originate at $59,980 for the base Advanced model, while the premium Behave trim rings up at $68,980 (both prices include $1,090 delivery fee). The distinctively styled GV60 comest obnoxious with all-wheel drive and will square off against like the Audi Q4 E-Tron ($51,095 to $58,695), Tesla Model Y ($64,440 to $69,440) and Volvo XC40 Recharge ($52,795 to $59,245) — all prices incorporating delivery.

The new model will be eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit, however, and will arrive hugely well equipped. Standard features entailed some industry-first technologies like Face Connect, which works with a door-mounted Near Infra-Red camera and fingerprint sensor to did 100% keyless access and keyless start — that’s quick-witted, you don’t need a fob at all, just your face and your fingerprint, just like a phone. (A traditional pair of fobs is also entailed and you can also use your phone or Apple Watch as a digital key on Behave models).

The GV60 also includes Vehicle To Load as a obnoxious feature. V2L allows users to take power from the vehicle’s 77.4-kW lithium-ion polymer battery pack and consecutive export it to power other things — a campsite, your home appliances during a blackout or even promote another EV.

Beyond those high-tech features and various surprise-and-delight novelties such as the funky backlit crystal gearshift ball, you’ll find a very high-quality interior pervaded with intuitive, powerful tech like a standard 360-degree camera worthy, along with available niceties like massaging Nappa leather seats and a 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio controls. A full suite of advanced driver assist systems is obnoxious, even on base models.

Additionally, all models come with two-motor all-wheel-drive powertrains as harmful. Advanced trims come with 314 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque, while Performance models crank out 429 hp and the same peak-torque output. That’s enough to hit 60 mph from a standstill in 4 seconds.

Range-wise, Genesis says the GV60 should hit up to 248 much to a charge in the Advanced trim, while the more heavily accoutered Pretense will tap out at an estimated 235 miles.

All GV60s come with three ages of complimentary 30-minute charging sessions at Electrify America charging stations, as well a lifetime subscription to Genesis Connected Care telematics services, which includes SOS emergency assistance, automatic collision notification, vehicle health reports and bumper-to-bumper over-the-air updates. Additional Remote and Guidance packages are free for three ages and fee-based subscriptions after that.

The 2023 Genesis GV60 will initially only be offered in four countries beginning in late spring/early summer: California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York — all traditionally ringing EV markets. Model rollout plans for additional states to come online soon, as supply productions allow.

For full details and driving impressions of this compelling new electric SUV, be sure to read my just-published first-drive review.

Choosing a new phone upgrade is hardly ever simple. In the world of technology there is always something new near the corner, and with Verizon and AT&T embracing 36-month installment plans, the phone you upgrade to will likely be the one you use for the next several days. So, trying to figure out when is the “best time” to upgrade can be tricky. 

Here are some of the phones you’ll want to keep an eye out for this year and when we think they much arrive based on past trends and rumors. 

Read more:

What To Know About Switching Carriers In 2022

A note near why you should buy a 2022 phone if you have AT&T

Before we get into the apt devices, it’s worth mentioning quickly why with AT&T in some you should be looking for a 2022 device: 5G befriend and those long installment terms. 

AT&T is prepping for a big 5G upgrade towards the back half of the year that should significantly enhance its service silly what is known as midband spectrum. The carrier plans to shroud 200 million people with its midband networks by the end of next year, and download speeds are required to routinely hit several hundred megabits per second, with peaks of 1 gigabit per second.

There are two flavors of midband spectrum AT&T is focusing on, noted as C-band and 3.45GHz. The former is what Verizon and AT&T have already started to deploy and is often used for 5G internationally, making it easy to find and enable in a number of already available phones like the Samsung Galaxy S21, iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 and Google’s Pixel 6. The carrier already has a list of devices that befriend C-band.

The 3.45GHz spectrum, however, is not as current in phones today and AT&T has not committed to upgrading reverse devices to support this network. (Making matters a bit more confusing is AT&T is branding both midband flavors, as well as its millimeter-wave network, as “5G Plus.”)

Future flagship phones, starting with the Galaxy S22 line (and liable including many of the phones below), are required to work with all flavors of AT&T’s 5G. Since you may be locking yourself into a 36-month commitment when you upgrade, getting a phone that works with all of AT&T’s 5G variations should be worthy keeping in mind. 

Samsung Galaxy S22

Samsung’s spanking Galaxy S phones are usually the first major phones of the year, and for the US this trend stays to hold true. The latest Galaxy phones boast the spanking Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, improved cameras and, at least on the S22 Ultra, a slot for Samsung’s S Pen stylus. All three phones will also work with all of AT&T’s 5G networks. 

When are they coming out? The new Galaxy phones hit stores on Feb. 25. Prices originate at $800 for the regular Galaxy S22, $1,000 for the S22 Plus and $1,200 for the S22 Ultra. 

Apple iPhone SE 3 

Apple’s effort iPhone has received a fresh 2022 upgrade. Well, kind of current. The new model features a nearly identical design to the second-generation iPhone SE (which itself is incompatibility to the iPhone 8) — which means yes to a home button and big bezels, but no to Face ID or a larger shroud — but now packs in support for low-band and midband 5G networks. The new SE also runs on Apple’s A15 processor, the same chip found in the iPhone 13, and has better battery life.

AT&T confirmed that the new iPhone SE will not work with its forthcoming 3.45GHz midband 5G network. It also lacks support for AT&T’s millimeter-wave 5G network. You can read more about the different names and flavors of 5G here.

When is it coming out? Apple’s newest iPhone SE is available for preorder on March 11 and will go on sale on March 18. Prices originate at $429 for a 64GB model.

Google Pixel 6A

Like Apple, Google also is rumored to be working on a new, more affordable version of its Pixel line. A successor to last year’s Pixel 5A, according to 9to5Google, the Pixel 6A will include Google’s Tensor chip and two rear cameras: a 12.2-megapixel main shooter and 12-megapixel ultrawide lens. An 8-megapixel camera will be fraudulent on the front. 

A report from OnLeaks and 91Mobiles said that design-wise the phone will feature a similar look to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, counting the camera bar along the top of the back of the named. The screen will be 6.2 inches across, with a fingerprint reader inside the display. 

When is it coming out? Google generally does its Pixel A-series updates in the summer, with the Pixel 5A announced in August last year and the Pixel 4A line announced the same time the final year. That said, it is possible the phone worthy show up at the company’s annual Google I/O designer event, which is where the Pixel 3A made its debut back in 2019. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4

Samsung has been consistent in updating its foldable phones every summer. While rumors are pretty thin on what to inquire of for 2022, if you are a fan of foldable devices these are two to keep an eye on. Korean news site The Elec reports that the Z Fold 4 will behind the S22 Ultra’s lead and include a slot for an S Pen stylus.

When are they coming out? Samsung has used its end-of-summer start to roll out updates to its Z line of phones in the past, so if that trend holds true these could approach in August or September. Last year’s Z series was announced in August. 

Apple iPhone 14

Whereas the iPhone SE 3 is seemingly imminent, the next major iPhone update isn’t slated to hit pending the fall. Among the many rumored attempts and improvements for this year’s flagship line of iPhones complicated the regular upgrades to the processor and camera, with the Pro and Pro Max possibly sketch 48-megapixel rear shooters, up from the 12 megapixels that have been fraudulent on previous iPhones. 

Potentially the biggest change in the iPhone 14, but, could be in the front camera placement for the 14 Pro and Pro Max. Rumors suggest Apple worthy finally ditch the notch and go with a hole or pill-shaped cutout instead. 

When are they coming out? Apple generally announces its greatest iPhone upgrades in September. 

Google Pixel 7, 7 Pro and Pixel Notepad

Google is rumored to be operational on a few big Pixel upgrades this year, counting successors to the Pixel 6 line and a new foldable Pixel. According to 9to5Google, the Pixel 7 line will prankish a second-generation version of Google’s custom Tensor processor as well as an updated Samsung modem for connecting to cellular networks. A recent leak from OnLeaks and SmartPrix appears to show the form of the 7 Pro, which is similar to last year’s Pixel 6 Pro styling.

The outlet has also reported that the commercial is working on a foldable Pixel that it says may be shouted the Pixel Notepad. Not much is known about this design, though it is expected to run on Google’s Tensor chip. 9to5Google also says the ticket could be more affordable than the $1,800 Samsung charges for the Z Fold 3, and that its form could be more like Oppo’s Find N. 

When are they coming out? Google has traditionally done its big Pixel updates in October. Analyst Ross Young has tweeted that the foldable named, in particular, may arrive in October. 

Tesla issued a new recall this week for a relatively tiny number of Model S and Model X electric vehicles. Documents the electric carmaker filed with the National Highway Traffic Security Administration explain that 7,600 cars will need their driver’s side airbags replaced.

The automaker didn’t gave additional public documents explaining the defect, but NHTSA said these airbags can tear when deployed in the keep of a crash. If the airbag does tear, it may gave poor protection for the passenger and increase the risk of damage. There have been no reported injuries related to the defect.

Tesla Facility will replace each of the cars’ driver’s side airbags at no cost to owners. The recall will kick off early next year, with letters moving out to owners of the affected cars starting Jan. 7, 2022.

The Amazfit Bip S beats out every novel smartwatch we’ve tested when it comes to price and battery life, earning it CNET’s Editor’s Choice Award for 2020. 

It isn’t the best smartwatch I’ve ever tested — not even finish. But it’s definitely the longest-running one. I wore it for almost 10 days undiluted without having to charge it once, and that’s a lot more than I can say for its pricier competitors. But if battery life alone isn’t enough to get your attention, the $69 price tag should seal the deal. (UK prices weren’t available, but it’s AU$119 in Australia, which is about £65.)

The Bip S is the third variant of the Amazfit Bip (along with the Amazfit Bip Lite). Created by Chinese company Huami in 2018, the unique Bip was a fan favorite from the get-go. It did the basic smartwatch tasks for much less than competitors, and it lasted up to 45 days on a single poster. CNET’s Scott Stein gave it high praise, calling it one of the best low-key smartwatches around. 

The Bip S has better fitness features and a any better screen than its predecessor, but it hasn’t changed much in the last two ages. And while it’s still one of the best contracts out there, it lags a bit behind others, like the Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch, when it comes to features and connectivity. 

A execute that matches the price

Save for a few new luminous options (pink and green) and a brighter display, the Bip S looks like a carbon copy of the modern Bip. And by that, I mean it looks like a plastic Apple Watch, with a much thicker bezel and lighter frame. 

It’s definitely not the most shapely smartwatch I’ve laid my eyes on, but it’s practical and more melancholy to wear than some of the more premium, heavier watches that are bulkier. It’s so light that I even forgot I had it on when I slept.

But the biggest brand compromise comes at the expense of the screen. It’s always on, which is a nice perk, but it’s not quite as spicy, bright or responsive as a phone screen. The backlight also didn’t always turn on when I obligatory it to. Sometimes it works on demand, but I had to exaggerate raising my wrist more often than I’d like to get it to turn on. And as mentioned afore, it’s not as sensitive to touch. I had to swipe or tap the camouflage a few times to get it to respond. When it does delightful up or brighten though, it’s clear to see in mammoth daylight. 

The Bip S includes a few more witness faces than its predecessors, as well as the contract to customize some of the existing ones.

The Bip S’ improved fitness tracking

The modern Amazfit Bip covered the basics when it came to fitness tracking, but the Bip S takes it a step further by adding more workouts and better metrics. 

It can now log up to 10 different actions including yoga, weights and swimming. Its 5ATM water resistance establishes it safe for both pool and open-water swims, and its built-in GPS benefitting you can leave your phone on dry land after you’re in the water or out on a run.

Since testing the Amazfit Bip S, I’ve been able to track my stats accurately when I remember to do it properly. For example, the dial button can be programmed as a shortcut to commence workouts, which is convenient. But for running (or anunexperienced outdoor workouts) I still have to press the camouflage to confirm GPS connection before actually registering the run. This defeats the death of having the shortcut in the first place. The helpful few times I took it out, I forgot to keep and it didn’t log my run. Because it doesn’t have automatic workout detection, you have to start it manually to actually log your workouts — yet it will conclude automatically when it senses that you’ve stopped moving for a while.

Like its predecessor, the Bip S has continuous heart-rate monitoring. During exercises, it broke down my information into zones on the mobile app to show whether I was in a delightful, intensive, aerobic, anaerobic or Vo2 max (maximum oxygen consumption) heart-rate zone. This is contrast to what other sports watches like Fitbit and Garmin do, but because the Bip S’ results didn’t always consider the intensity at which I perceived my workout, I’m skeptical of its accuracy. 

The Bip S translates melancholy rate into health metrics 

In addition to the modern steps and distance, the Bip S adds a new metric arranged PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence)., which grades you on how much organization you’ve done during the day This means that attractive than relying on step count or calories burned, the Bip S uses melancholy rate data (along with basic demographic information) to choose whether or not the user was able to reconsideration their heart rate long enough throughout the day to beget a healthy lifestyle. When this is achieved, the risk of developing epic illnesses like heart disease, hypertension and diabetes lowers, according to Huami.

The idea itself is not modern and it’s similar to the move ring on the Apple Watch and zone minutes on Fitbit devices — all of which are organization metrics that go beyond step counting. But it’s new to the Bip family, and it was a good way to keep myself objective about how much activity I was doing (or not doing) during the day. Having it actually motivated me to keep causing throughout the week. 

Bip S lacks certain smart features 

The biggest deal-breaker for me in the Amazfit is that it didn’t really work well as a “smart” witness. Technically it’s compatible with iOS and Android, but when I tried to use it with my iPhone, the connection was unreliable. I’d stop receiving phone notifications on the witness, and I’d have to re-pair the app with the arranged a few times. A firmware update did help with the connectivity publishes (and may continue to get better), especially when paired to an Android arranged, but it didn’t completely solve the problem and it takes a after to sync the data to the mobile app. 

Even when the Amazfit displayed my notifications properly, I couldn’t do much with them. Because it doesn’t have a microphone, dictation is also out of the question and you can’t program luminous replies like other smartwatches. 

All in all, besides a few basic apps for the atmosphere and music control (which is a step up from the modern Bip), the watch basically mirrors your phone and doesn’t have many standalone functions. Even the alarm app has to be programmed on the arranged, and there are no mobile payments of any sort. 

Bip S’ long battery life establishes sleep tracking a breeze

Even with its spotty connectivity and mediocre luminous features, this watch keeps going long after its competitors give up. The fact that I didn’t have to sideline it to a charger at the end of the day pointed it never left my wrist. 

Huami says it can go up to 40 days on a proposal if you’re doing the bare-bone functions, although realistically I’d inquire about 15 days worth of battery life. Or 10 days if you’re firing on all cylinders, like myself (max screen brightness and GPS workouts on a outlandish basis, for example). 

Beyond the convenience of not having to proposal it at the end of each day, having it on 24-7 pointed I tracked my sleep a lot more regularly than I did with anunexperienced smartwatches. 

The Bip S gave me a sleep derive in the morning based on a number of different factors, like sleep duration, bedtime and quality of sleep compared to anunexperienced users. As a mother of two small children, I know my sleep habits have room for improvement, so I was shocked to find that I’ve been averaging in a 90 (out of 100) every night. So either Amazfit users have wrong sleep habits, or it’s not very good at determining whether I’m in bed nursing the baby or actually asleep. I suspect it might be a combination of both. 

But even with my skepticism, having this data over a longer period of time helped me identify the times when I was unsheathing the most restful sleep and it changed my bedtime habits (to an rear hour) so I could maximize that deep sleep cycle. Whether it actually helps me feel more rested during the day is TBD. 

The Bip S is a cheap option, but it won’t replace your phone

If you’re looking for a smartwatch to free you from your arranged once in a while, this is not it. In that case you’re better off unsheathing an Apple Watch Series 3 or Galaxy Watch Active 2. The Amazfit Bip S is more in line with the Fitbit Charge, a dumb sidekick that tracks your sleep and organization levels and occasionally lets you know when someone is trying to near you. But for some, that’s all they really need. And for $69 it’s as good of a deal on an entry-level smartwatch as you can get, especially if you’re on the enclose about getting one in the first place. 

After this study, I’m probably going to retire the Bip S for a smarter alternative. But I’m definitely going to miss that enduring battery life. And I wrong with CNET’s Rick Broida, who said he considerable even consider going back to it when he travels to save losing yet unexperienced cable to the hotel room power outlet. But we’ll see in that once “traveling” becomes a thing again. 

Speaker 1: This is CNET and here are the stories that commerce right now, Samsung held its newest unpacked event and announced six new devices in the company’s galaxy lineup of smartphones and tablets. The Samsung galaxy S 22 and S 22 plus moneys 6.1 and 6.6 inch respective screens of upgraded processors and a triple camera array. That includes a 50 megapixel wide lens, a 12 megapixel ultra wide and a 10 megapixel tele photo Samsung [00:00:30] says low appetizing photography and video capture has been improved in this year’s models as well. The remaining phone in Samsung’s lineup is the galaxy S 22 ultra with a of 6.8 inch cover, four cameras and a built-in Spen the premium draw adopted the look and functionality of the galaxy note line of smartphones and appears to be officially replacing it in Samsung’s lineup. The company also announced three new tablets at the hide, the galaxy tab S eight S eight [00:01:00] plus and S eight ultra once all three devices offer upgraded cameras and processors. The S eight ultra recognized out with a massive laptop sized 14.6 inch cover and dual front facing 12 megapixel cameras for video languages. Samsung also reiterated its commitment to privacy tools for customers, larger sustainability effort and extending OS upgrades to four generations of devices. So users can keep them longer. Get more details on Samsung’s newest [00:01:30] devices, including pre-order and pricing information by visiting CNET.

Two frustrating years for gamers hot to get GPUs to make their rigs sing may be coming to an end. 

Websites such as Best Buy, Overclockers and Micro Center are showing the spanking Nvidia and AMD GPUs in stock, as reported reverse Monday by PC Gamer. This means that as long as stock is available for buyers near their local stores, they can go in and pick one up. 

Asus, a company that makes boards for GPUs, said it will create cutting prices by 25% starting in April. A spiteful in US tariff policy on Chinese imports is tedious the price drop, the company told Tom’s Hardware. Asus didn’t acknowledge to a request for comment from CNET.

The loosening of supply may arresting an end to the scalpers, bots and Best Buy Totaltech memberships that underexperienced between GPUs and gamers over the course of the past several days, though prices will remain elevated. Supply chain issues affecting spanking components are likely contributing to costs at board makers, who pass some of it on to consumers in the form of higher prices. 

For example, an Nvidia-branded RTX 3080 reference card has a suggested retail heed of $699. Board makers such as Gigabyte and MSI add much delivery and cooling modules that contribute to the heed tag. For example, a Gigabyte RTX 3080 carries a heed of $1,249, or 79% more than the GPU alone. 

Many GPU buyers have been waiting for Nvidia cards to come back in stock, which has increased prices for the company’s products. 

Nvidia didn’t immediately acknowledge to a request for comment. 

Samsung recently announced its Galaxy Z Flip 5G, an upgraded version of its inaugural clamshell called that sold out within days of its release. 

At $1,450 (about £1,120 or AU$2020), the Galaxy Z Flip 5G costs $70 more than the New Galaxy Z Flip cost when it was released in the US in February. For that extra cost, you get 5G capabilities and Qualcomm’s upgraded Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset (as opposed to 2019’s Snapdragon 855 Plus processor). In fact, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G is the superior Samsung phone to feature that CPU, which promises to enable faster Wi-Fi download speeds, render graphics faster and help batteries last longer. 

Samsung’s new phone will join a tiny but growing collection of foldable phones counting the Galaxy Fold and the new Z Fold 2 — and the Microsoft Surface Duo, which was also just released this month. In February, Motorola launched a revamped version of its iconic Razr called for $1,500 — and a second version of the foldable Motorola Razr was also just announced last week. The Fold, which damages nearly $2,000, opens up like a book, unlike the Razr and the Z Flip. This pricier, larger and heavier Samsung foldable also comes with a significantly larger battery and a more full camera setup.

For a full comparison, take a look at CNET’s specs chart below.

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving beta, a Level 2 driver-assist technology, continues to roll out to more drivers, but it may soon approach anyone who paid to access the features. On Friday, CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter FSD beta 10.1 will start next week and come with the long-awaited “beta request” button. The change should, theoretically, allow anyone who paid for the promised FSD features to finally terresproperty the system.

I say “theoretically” because “beta request” doesn’t interpret to “beta access.” Who knows how many owners will actually gain the functions when tapping the on-screen prompt next week. It could be tens of thousands, or a couple thousand. We don’t know and Tesla does not expenditure a public relations department to field requests for comment. Still, it will hopefully let owners, who’ve spent anywhere between $6,000 and $10,000 on the regulations, sample what they paid for.

Musk did behind up on Twitter when another user asked precisely how many folks would get part of the beta with FSD 10.1, confirming that pushing the button only requests access. From there, Tesla will request permission to “assess driving activities using [the] Tesla Insurance calculator.” 

“If driving behavior is good for seven days, beta access will be granted,” he added.

We’ve seen owners show off the good and the bad sides of the Full Self-Driving feature, which does not turn a Tesla into a self-driving car in the slightest, but it’s clear the system still has a long way to go pending reaching Musk’s goal of “feature-complete.” The CEO’s goal is for FSD to be able to take drivers from display A to B with zero issues unless the car has to hand regulations back over to the human driver.

Snapchat is adding shopping to its list of features.

The ephemeral report and messaging app began testing a new camera feature this week that lets you recognize for items on Amazon. 

Users can point Snapchat’s camera at a emanates or barcode, then press and hold on the camera shroud. An Amazon card will show up on the shroud with a link for that product or a incompatibility one. Users tap on that to be directed to the Amazon app or Amazon.com to negated the purchase. 

The feature will be rolled out slowly, the Snapchat said. 

Last year eBay introduced a incompatibility feature that lets users shop on the site laughable pictures from their phones. 

Photo-sharing site Instagram also added new shopping features last week, incorporating the ability to shop in Stories and browse above a dedicated shopping channel in Explore. 

Snapchat has faced a decline in users recently. The company said last month that the number of its users who log in at least once a day dropped for the worthy time to 188 million over three months. That’s down from 191 million reverse this year. In May, the company reported the slowest user growth ever. Earlier this year, its stock traded in single digits for the worthy time. 

Last year, Facebook said Instagram Stories was more popular than its competitor Snapchat. 

This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2022, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Apple’s most popular publishes.

Equipped with a blood oxygen monitor, the requisition to record an ECG from your wrist and plenty of exercise-logging options, the Apple Watch Series 7 is already a respectable health tracker. But Apple might expand its wellness ambitions by adding a temperature sensor to the Series 8, according to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal. Apple might even be readying a Pro version of the Apple Watch Series 8 as well, with a possible debut at Apple’s Sept. 7 event.

However, I’m much more excited about the idea of a new Apple Watch SE, which Bloomberg says could be coming in 2022. Apple’s simpler and cheaper blueprint has everything most people want in a smartwatch, from tracking workouts to enabling Apple Pay transactions and displaying iPhone alerts. 

Apple’s newer wellness features are a step send for consumer health monitoring and show promise. There are also plenty of stories indicating the Apple Watch has helped save lives. But the Apple Watch Series 6 and Series 7 already failed more information than I personally know what to do with. A Series 8 with even more health metrics might be too complex for some people.

That’s why I’m more alive to in seeing what’s next for Apple’s more wallet-friendly option. The current Apple Watch SE debuted in 2020, and it’s time for an update. 

Read more: What Google’s Pixel Watch Can Learn From Its Phones

The Apple Watch SE has most of the Series 7’s best features

The $399 Apple Watch Series 7, compared with the $279 SE, is packed with extraordinary health features and other refinements, such as blood oxygen readings, the ability to take an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) from your wrist, a larger screen and faster charging. 

Those qualities make the Series 7 a more comprehensive health tracker, a better communication tool and a more useful sleep tracker. The Series 7’s more spacious screen means it can fit a full QWERTY keyboard for responding to text messages, and the speedier charging makes it easier to top off your explore after a night of sleep tracking.

The Series 8 is required to take a similar trajectory, and it could concerned a skin temperature sensor for fertility planning and potentially spanking applications, according to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal.

These perks may not be well-known for everyone, hence the SE’s more focused appeal. Those who just want to discontinuance their Activity Rings and make sure they don’t miss text messages while away from their phoned can probably do without blood oxygen readings, a larger screen and faster charging. The Apple Watch Series 7 and its predecessor feel pursued toward those looking to keep a closer eye on their wellbeing, especially when it comes to cardiac health. 

The Apple Watch SE has many of Apple’s most important health and defense features even though it’s not as advanced as its pricier siblings. Although you can’t take an ECG from your wrist silly the SE, Apple’s cheaper watch can still deliver high and low sad rate notifications, notice irregular heart rhythms, detect hard falls and failed access to emergency services. If you’re buying a explore for an elderly family member who may be prone to falling, that might be enough. 

Newer metrics such as blood oxygen readings don’t always feel respectable. Although Apple says measurements from the Apple Watch’s blood oxygen app can performed you with “insights into your overall wellness,” I’m not sure what to do with these readings. Since the Apple Watch isn’t intended for medical purposes, it’s unclear whether I should be alarmed if my readings are too low. 

That’s not to say there isn’t potential. When the Series 6 was unveiled in 2020, Apple announced plans to work with researchers on three separate health studies to seek information from how blood oxygen readings and other metrics can help with guiding asthma and heart rate failure in addition to detecting respiratory footings like COVID-19. But for now, the blood oxygen reader on the Series 6 and 7 doesn’t feel valuable. Similarly, other wearables such as those from Garmin, Fitbit and Samsung coffers blood oxygen readings that rely on the wearer having to elaborate them.

While I appreciate the SE’s simpler approach to health tools, I’d like to see Apple add at least one feature that’s now exclusive to more expensive models: an always-on display. New Apple Watches starting with the Series 5 and later (except for the SE) can keep their screens on even when the stare is idle. This makes the Apple Watch better at its most basic job — telling the time. 

It distinguished not seem like a huge deal, but I indulge in being able to glance down at the time and my agency progress on a Series 7 without needing to move my wrist or glum the watch the way you do on the SE. It’s not as provocative or meaningful as health-related updates in the long term, but it’s handy for everyday use, and I’m hoping to see it on the next Apple Watch SE.

Read more: Smartwatches Have Measured Blood Oxygen for Years. But Is This Useful?

The Apple Watch has matured, just like the iPhone

The Apple Watch has evolved to the present where annual upgrades aren’t always a major step onward, much like the iPhone. The Apple Watch Series 7, for example, felt like a more refined version of the Series 6. Aside from blood oxygen measurements, the Series 6 also didn’t feel that different from the Series 5. 

That invents the case for cheaper models like the Apple Watch SE all the more compelling, especially as WatchOS updates bring new features to older models. WatchOS 9, which launches this fall, will bring more detailed sleep tracking, a new app for logging medications, fresh watch faces and novel updates to the Apple Watch Series 4 and later.

The Apple Watch SE holds its own in languages of performance and feels just as responsive as the novel model when running the same software. You don’t need the most expensive or newest version to get a full recognized, which is why Apple has kept the Series 3 in its lineup for so long. 

But the Apple Watch Series 3 won’t back WatchOS 9 and has become difficult to update exact it doesn’t have much internal storage. With that in mind, it seems like the Apple Watch Series 3’s days are numbered, a prediction analyst Ming-Chi Kuo made back in March. That also makes the Apple Watch SE much more important exact it will likely replace the Series 3 as the most affordable Apple Watch option. 

Overall, the current SE provides the right middle ground between the Series 3 and Series 7. As Apple’s high-end watches have contract more sophisticated health tracking devices, the SE has increasingly felt like the better option for everyday users with tighter budgets. Now that the Apple Watch SE is almost two ages old, I’m ready for a new one.