Following the official release of the Matter protocol earlier this month, today at its annual developer conference Samsung announced a deeper partnership with Google to make it easier for consumers to set up their smart home devices.
Currently, users are often forced to choose between a specific smart home platform like Samsung’s SmartThings or the Google Home app, and trying to get these systems to work with each other can often be quite difficult. Additionally, some devices are only supported on one (but not both) platforms, which means you have to switch between ecosystems to manage all of your gadgets.
But in the future, thanks in part to Matter’s multi-admin capabilities, Samsung says it’s looking to streamline the smart home device onboarding process. For example, for SmartThing users, Samsung claims the app will notify users when it detects devices that have been already set up in the Google Home app and will then provide a simple way of syncing those devices in SmartThings (or vice versa).
This means users won’t have to manually set up gadgets one-by-one on both platforms. And once a device has been onboarded, you’ll be able to control it using both Google’s and Samsung’s smart home apps. And while there isn’t an exact timetable for when this will happen, Samsung says Matter’s multi-admin feature will roll out sometime in the “coming weeks.”
As for the rest of the SmartThings ecosystem, Samsung says Bixby is also getting deeper integration into the company’s smart home platform, which will allow developers to support a wider range of voice-based interface experiences. Meanwhile, on the security front, Samsung also announced a new blockchain-based platform called Knox Matrix that will allow eligible devices to create a “shield” designed to protect connected devices like TVs and appliances from outside hacks.
The company says Knox Matrix will employ mutli-layered mutual monitoring to prevent bad actors from gaining unauthorized access to your devices. Supported gadgets will also be able to share login info and other sensitive data directly with each other in order to simplify the login process between trusted devices. And while it’s still a bit unclear how this system will actually work in the real world, it’s nice to see Samsung thinking about ways to bolster security for a broader range of internet-connected devices that might not get regular security patches like you do on a phone or laptop.
After the big move to its custom Tensor chip last year, Google is continuing its quest to use machine learning to unlock enhanced apps and features on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. While the specs and design aren’t major departures from its predecessors, the addition of smarter software, upgraded cameras for the Pixel 7 Pro, and aggressive pricing result in two of the best flagship phones for the money.
Hardware
On the outside, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro have gotten a subtle makeover including a fresh range of colors and a more refined chassis. You still get Google’s signature camera bar in back which spans the width of the device. The main difference is that now it wraps seamlessly around the sides of the phone, hopefully adding a bit of durability in the process.
Similar to last year, the Pixel 7 features a matte, brushed aluminum finish while the Pixel 7 Pro gets more polished sides. But if you ask me, I kind of wish Google used the matte texture on both. Not only does it hide fingerprints better, it also makes the Pixel 7 a bit less slippery. And that’s even with Google softening the Pixel 7 Pro’s edges to be about 20 percent flatter than before.
Notably, while the size of the Pro’s display has stayed pat at 6.7-inches, the standard Pixel 7’s 6.3-inch screen is slightly smaller than the 6.4-inch panel on the Pixel 6. It’s not a huge change, but it’s just enough to make everything a bit easier to do one-handed. Especially if you don’t have huge meat claws like me.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
As for the displays themselves, just like last year (noticing a pattern?), the Pixel 7 gets a 2400 x 1080 90Hz OLED screen while the Pixel 7 Pro features a higher-res 3120 x 1440 panel with a slightly faster 120Hz refresh rate. That said, both screens look great, pumping out excellent brightness, deep blacks and lively colors. Additionally, while Google has brought face unlock back to the Pixel line, you still get an under-screen fingerprint reader. You’ll need that for more sensitive functions like online payments. And for general durability, the Pixel line has retained an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, which is good for dunks up to five and a half feet deep for up to 30 minutes.
Performance
While the new Tensor G2 chip may have unlocked some enhanced machine learning capabilities, everyday performance is pretty much the same. In fact, the main Cortex X1 cores are only 50Mhz faster than last year’s silicon. That’s not to say you can’t play games or edit videos on this thing, but if you’re the kind of person who gets really jazzed up about transistor counts or teraflops, you’re better off going for a phone with one of Apple’s A-series chips or even a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
I also noticed that during the initial setup and some more intense workloads, the backs of both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro got warmer than most phones. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not toasty enough to cause anything more than some sweaty palms. And while performance was generally smooth and hiccup-free, I feel like Google’s Tensor chips just don’t have quite the same level of performance overhead as you might get from silicon in other high-end handsets.
New software and features
However, what the Pixel 7 line lacks in raw horsepower, Google makes up for with a long list of sophisticated software. One of the biggest additions is expanded functionality for the Direct My Call feature, which is designed to help you better navigate those awful automated voice menus you run into when calling big businesses. But now, by using Duplex to pre-cache options, you’ll be presented with a text-based menu as soon as you connect, instead of having to wait to hear all the choices first.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Granted, Direct My Call’s new caching abilities don’t work on smaller mom-and-pop shops. But stuff like this along with other features such as Hold For Me, the truly excellent Pixel Recorder app and the new Audio Message Transcription ability, combine to provide a really thoughtful software experience that can often save you some time and a headache or two.
Cameras
Of course, the other area where Google really flexes its ML-based powers is with its cameras. In terms of hardware, the Pixel 7 still packs a 50MP main camera and a 12MP ultra-wide shooter, with the Pixel 7 Pro getting a slightly longer telephoto cam with a 5x optical zoom (up from 4x on the Pixel 6 Pro). Both phones also get the same 10.8MP front cam, which even without a true autofocus system like you get on the iPhone 14 line is more than adequate for snapping selfies.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Thanks to the Tensor G2, low-light photo processing using Night Sight is up to two times faster, and that’s a difference you can really feel. On previous Pixels, I’ve had to wait six seconds or more to shoot a pic when it’s really dark. But when you can cut that time in half, it’s a lot easier to hold the phone steady while the Pixel 7 does its thing. Face Unblur has also been improved, though the effects are subtle.
While it can be a bit hit-or-miss, the more exciting new camera feature is Photo Unblur, which can sharpen old photos, regardless of when they were taken or what camera took the shot. It’s the kind of thing that can save old photos that might otherwise be considered unsalvageable – and all you have to do is find the setting inside the Google Photos app. Take for example a shot of my wife and I at a wedding back in 2018. In the original photo, everything is soft. But after using the Photo Unblur tool, suddenly my face has definition. Though as you can see from the remaining blurriness on my wife’s face, things aren’t perfect. In another even more impressive example (not seen here), Photo Unblur removed almost all the softness in my face, so you can really see how upset I was about blowing up a giant pool floaty without the help of a pump.
For video, the big new feature is Cinematic Blur mode, which attempts to add a soft bokeh to the background of your clips to create a more film-like look. In general, the results are pretty good, though it’s not completely foolproof. Depending on the scene, you might notice some spots where that bokeh is applied unevenly or where it pops in and out as things move around, which can be a little distracting.
As for the Pixel 7 Pro, not only does it get the ability to shoot macro shots using the phone’s ultra-wide cam, it also has a longer 5x telephoto lens and improved zoom processing. Taking macro shots is as easy as moving the phone close to your subject, at which point the P7 Pro will automatically switch to macro mode. There are no buttons or settings to activate, and the results aren’t bad either.
Meanwhile for zoom shots, the Pixel 7 Pro produced a sharper image than the S22 Ultra at 5x, while also keeping it close at 10x, despite Samsung’s phone costing an extra $300 and packing a longer 10x lens. Despite Google’s improvements to Super Res Zoom, there’s only so much algorithms can do, because at 30x, it’s pretty clear the S22 Ultra has an advantage in optics.
But, for general photography, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are still in a class of their own. Compared to the S22 Ultra and the iPhone 14, the Pixel 7 line routinely captured pics with superior dynamic range. This leads to photos with more vibrant colors, less blown-out highlights and just generally sharper details. Same goes for low light, where Google’s Night Sight consistently captured more well-exposed pics with better textures and richer hues.
Battery life
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
When it comes to longevity, both phones offer solid battery life. However, the Pixel 7 delivers a pleasant surprise, because thanks to its smaller, lower-res screen, it survived a touch longer than the Pro in both benchmarks and real-world usage. On our standard video rundown test, the Pixel 7 lasted 17 hours and 54 minutes, which isn’t quite as good as the 21:17 we got from the iPhone 14 Plus, but still respectable. Meanwhile, the Pixel 7 Pro fared just a touch worse with a time of 16:42. But regardless of which phone I was using, even with moderate to heavy usage, the Pixel 7 Pro always had at least 25 percent left in the tank at the end of the day, while the standard Pixel 7 often had upwards of 30 percent still in reserve.
Charging is also largely unchanged from last year, with both phones getting 30-watt wired charging, wireless charging and support for reverse power sharing, in case you need to send some excess juice to a different device in need. The one caveat is that while wireless charging can go up to 20 watts for the Pixel 7 or 23 watts on the Pro, that’s only when using the Pixel Stand 2. If you opt for a standard Qi wireless charging, speeds top out at a less impressive 12 watts.
Wrap-up
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
When stacking Google’s latest handsets up against the competition, it’s best to tackle each phone separately. For the Pixel 7, even without much in the way of new hardware, you’re getting a phone with a great screen, even better battery life and one of the best software packages around — now with new perks like an improved Direct My Call and enhanced photo processing. But most importantly, with a starting price of just $599, it’s a way better value than the basic flagships from Apple and Samsung. The one drawback is that if you need mmWave 5G, you’ll have to go with one of the slightly more expensive $699 carrier models sold by Verizon, AT&T and others.
Meanwhile, with a price of $899, the Pixel 7 Pro is like an even more well-equipped version of the S22+ for the same money. You get a big 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a longer 5x zoom and superior camera quality. I also think the Pixel 7 Pro flat-out looks better too. That leaves stuff like an ultra-wide cam that can also shoot macros as a nice cherry on top. Also, if you don’t care about stylus support, I’d argue that the Pixel 7 Pro makes a lot more sense than the super expensive S22 Ultra. And I haven’t even touched on Google’s new and improved Real Tone processing mostly because, even though I’m biracial, both sides of my family are lacking in the melanin department, and I just haven’t had time to really put it through its paces. But regardless of which one you prefer, with the Pixel 7 line and Tensor G2, Google is really showing how a software-first approach to phone design can really shine.
Years. Some of us in the industry have been waiting close to ten years for the long-rumored Pixel Watch. Now that it’s here, expectations are naturally high. After all, Google had all that time to finetune its first smartwatch, and everyone’s been anxi…
Google has begun rolling out initial passkey support for Android and Chrome. In a blog post published Wednesday, the company said web admins can start integrating the technology into their websites through the WebAuthn API. Similarly, developers can download the latest Google Play Services beta to start testing the authentication standard within their apps.
Google expects to roll out stable support for passkeys later this year, with an API for native Android apps arriving in 2022 as well. The latter will allow you to choose between a passkey and a saved password when logging into a supported platform.
As more apps and websites add support for passkeys, Android and Chrome users will see their relationship with online credentials change. “Passkeys are a significantly safer replacement for passwords and other phishable authentication factors,” Google notes. “They cannot be reused, don’t leak in server breaches and protect users from phishing attacks.”
Creating a passkey on your Android phone will involve confirming you want to make one and then authenticating your identity with a fingerprint or face scan (you can also use a screen lock). Signing in is just as easy. You simply authenticate your identity and you’re good to go. You’ll manage your passkeys through Google Password Manager, where they’ll be automatically backed up to the cloud to prevent lockouts if you ever lose your device.
Since passkeys are part of an industry-wide initiative to do away with passwords, they work across different devices, platforms and browsers. For instance, as you can see in the screenshot above, you can use a passkey stored on an Android phone to log into a website you visit through Safari. With Apple and Microsoft making similar efforts, the web will hopefully become safer soon.
During its Surface event, Microsoft said Apple TV and Apple Music apps are coming to the operating system next year. You’ll be able to check out previews of them in the Microsoft Store before the year is out. As such, those who use Apple’s services soon won’t need to use a web app or creaky old iTunes to access Apple Music or Apple TV on a Windows system.
In addition, you’ll be able to access iCloud photo libraries in Windows without relying on a browser. These will be available to everyone through the Windows Photos app next month. Folks in the Windows Insider program can try the integration today by installing the latest version of the iCloud Windows app.
Apple’s standalone Windows media apps have been a long time coming. The company was recruiting engineers to build them as far back as 2019, the same year Apple announced separate Music, TV and Podcast apps for Mac.
Based on its initial specs, the Surface Studio 2+ wasn’t the upgrade we’ve been waiting four years to see. Perhaps spending a bit of time with it will change my mind. Maybe I’d be fine with an 11th-gen Intel CPU, instead of this year’s (far better) 12th-gen chips. During Microsoft’s hands-on event at its NYC store (or “Experience Center,” as the company prefers), I spent some time with the Surface Studio 2+. It’s certainly a very fast computer — but the thing is, it should be much more.
Microsoft hasn’t touched the Studio 2+’s design at all: It still has a 28-inch PixelSense screen that’s easily converted into an easel-like view. The company was eager to throw in much faster hardware for this revision, according to Microsoft’s Ishmael Adams, a senior designer on the Surface team. Unfortunately, he says, Intel’s latest chips weren’t ready when the company started revamping the Studio 2+. That’s a shame, since we’ve found the 12th-gen chips to be faster and more power efficient. But hey, at least there’s an RTX 3060 GPU now, and there’s also potential to plug in an external GPU via a Thunderbolt 4 connection.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
For the past several years, the Studio 2 has become an increasingly terrible computer to buy, due to its 2017-era hardware and sky-high price. So at the very least, it’s nice to see a new model with better internals. The Studio 2+ is fast enough to last most creatives for several years. But if it had a 12th-gen Intel chip, it would be even more future proof. For a computer that starts at $4,300, I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
Beyond the internals, though, the Studio 2+ is still a striking all-in-one PC. We’ve seen some AiO competitors from Dell and HP, but nobody has pushed this hard to make a truly unique desktop experience. Perhaps one day Microsoft will be able to deliver a cheaper Studio device, much like it did with the Studio Laptop.
Microsoft might have a way to make Teams a more enticing option for meetings: make AI tackle the dirty work. The company is launching a Teams Premium offering for Microsoft 365 that uses AI to greatly simplify meeting management. Most notably, an “Intelligent Recap” feature automatically creates tasks, chapters and even personalized highlights. Miss a review meeting and you might know which segments to watch when catching up, not to mention what you’ll need to work on.
Premium also uses AI to translate captions in real time for 40 spoken languages, so you won’t always need to wait for after-the-fact translations to understand what happened. Meeting guides automatically set up the “right” options for a discussion, too.
Other upgrades include virtual appointment support (think doctors and consultants) as well as “high-quality” webinars. Improved protections for sensitive data add confidentiality labels and watermarks, so an unscrupulous coworker can’t steal trade secrets just by taking screenshots during presentations.
We’ve asked Microsoft for details on availability and the 365 plans needed to use Teams Premium. The service already makes the company’s strategy clear. It’s hoping to counter the likes of Google Meet and Zoom by making Teams indispensable to businesses that don’t always have the time or money to create recaps and translations. With that said, Microsoft’s rivals aren’t standing still — Premium’s extras may become necessities before long.
Amazon’s October Prime Day offers a great opportunity to pick up a new monitor for your work-from-home or gaming setup. They’re often some of the most expensive peripherals to get, so it always helps when you can wait and pick up a new model on sale. A number of monitors from brands like LG, Samsung, Dell and others have been discounted for the Prime Early Access Sale, so chances are you’ll find one that’s been discounted that’s the appropriate size and resolution for your needs. Here are the best monitor deals we could find for October Prime Day.
LG monitor deals
LG
LG discounted a mixture of standard and gaming monitors for Prime Day this time around. The cheapest of the bunch is this 32-inch FHD IPS display for $180, or 28 percent off its normal rate. But if you’re a gamer, you should consider this 27-inch LG Ultragear QHD monitor — it has a 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time and support for NVIDIA G-Sync.
Samsung’s monitor deals include the Smart Monitor M8 for only $500. That’s the best price we’ve seen on the display that doubles as a smart TV. When you’re not using it for productivity, you can access streaming services like Netlfix and Prime Video directly from the device, and it has a built-in smart home hub, too. If you don’t need all those extra bells and whistles, displays like the $160, 24-inch SR35 monitor and the $280, 32-inch Odyssey G5 are also good options.
There’s a big sale on Dell and Sceptre monitors that knocks up to 43 percent off select models. This 24-inch Dell IPS gaming monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate is cheaper than ever at $200, and you can get this all-purpose, 27-inch Dell FHD USB-C monitor for only $224.
If you’re looking for a true budget monitor, Acer’s got a handful of deals worth considering. You can pick up this 23.8-inch FHD IPS monitor with a 178 degree wide viewing angle for only $95, or this 27-inch Nitro WQHD gaming monitor, with AMD FreeSync Premium and overlocking to 170Hz refresh rates, for only $210 — $90 off its usual rate.
Today Microsoft announced its refreshed Surface Laptop 5, which just like before will be available in 13.5 and 15-inch models. The new notebooks will also feature 3:2 touchscreens with a very familiar brushed aluminum design. Actually, almost everything about the Surface Laptop 5 is the same as before, aside from the addition of new 12th-gen Intel CPUs and one Thunderbolt 4 port. And considering the advancements its competitors are making, I have to wonder if Microsoft is even trying.
Now don’t get me wrong, improved performance is nice. And I suspect the Surface Laptop 5 will be a solid system. But that’s mostly because the Surface Laptop 4 was pretty good too. You still get a high-res PixelSense touch display that now has some built-in automatic color tuning thanks to support for Dolby Vision IQ. There’s also a new sage green color option which looks nice, though we’ve already seen this shade pop up on the Surface Laptop Go 2.
That’s about it in the way of new specs or features. And that’s really frustrating because it seems like there are a lot of low-hanging fruit that Microsoft could address that would make its mainstream laptop line a much better rival for systems like the XPS 15 or an equivalent ThinkPad.
For starters, while you get an IR camera for Windows Hello, the main webcam is still 720p, which is really not OK on a premium laptop in 2022. You also still only get a total of two USB ports: the aforementioned Thunderbolt 4 jack and a vanilla USB 3.1 (not even 3.2) Type-A socket. Look, that’s fine for a budget system, but especially on the 15-inch model, there really ought to be better connectivity. How about an SD card reader or something? Thankfully, at least Microsoft is keeping the bonus 5-watt USB-A charging port on the Surface Laptop’s power brick, which can come in handy when you need to charge your phone in a pinch.
On top of that, unlike the Surface Laptop 4, this year’s model is only available in Intel-based configurations. There’s no AMD version, which is kind of a shame. And while I don’t mind only getting integrated graphics on the 13.5-inch version, I really wish Microsoft had built at least one variant of the 15-inch with a discrete GPU. It doesn’t even have to be something super beefy like an RTX 3080. A 3060 or even a 3050 Ti would be just fine. I really don’t think I’m asking for too much. After all, Microsoft included an optional 3050 Ti GPU on last year’s Surface Laptop Studio, which is a slightly smaller, but thicker system. Honestly, one of the most interesting things about the Surface Laptop 5 are Microsoft’s wallpapers for Windows 11, which are new for 2022 and designed to match the system’s exterior color.
But more importantly, after seeing Dell add a new member to the XPS 13 family and all the changes Apple is making on the MacBook Air and Pro lines, it’s just a bit disappointing to see Microsoft simply going through the motions. And all this is coming from the company that basically invented the modern detachable 2-in-1, so I know Microsoft can do better.
