Samsung has stopped shipping its products to Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, the company told Bloomberg News. The tech giant said it’s monitoring the “complex situation,” and that it’s donating $6 million, which includes $1 million worth of consumer electronics, to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. According to the publication, the shipment suspension affects all Samsung products, including its smartphones, chips and other consumer electronic devices.
By halting all exports of its products to Russia, Samsung has joined the growing list of companies that had paused sales of products and services in the country. Apple halted all product sales in response to the invasion and after receiving a request from Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The company also limited Apple Pay, pulled the apps for Russian state-backed media outlets from its store and disabled traffic data for Maps in Ukraine to avoid putting residents in danger. Microsoft suspended all new sales of products and services in Russia, as well.
The Korean tech giant is the top smartphone brand in the country and has a 30 percent market share, according to Counterpoint Research data. That’s much higher than Apple’s 13 percent market share, as of the fourth quarter of 2021. In addition, Samsung has a TV plant in Russia, though it’s unclear if it has also stopped production in the factory.
Its decision to halt shipments to Russia comes after Fedorov sent Jong Hee Han, the CEO for Samsung’s SET division, a letter similar to what he sent Tim Cook. In it, he asked the Korean tech giant to stop supplying the country with its products, as well as to block Samsung Pay, Samsung Galaxy Store and Samsung Shop.
@Samsung, I urge you to take a step towards world peace! As long as Russian tanks and missiles bomb kindergartens and hospitals in Ukraine, your cool equipment cannot be used by Russians! pic.twitter.com/xjOInduclD
As Bloomberg notes, South Korean smartphones were an exemption to the export bans recently imposed by the US government. But even if Samsung did want to continue shipping products to Russia, it would have a hard time sending products to the country anyway due to airlines and shipping services halting their activities in the region.
Android users who aren’t interested in Samsung’s latest smartphones should consider OnePlus’ newest handsets. We gave the OnePlus 9 Pro a score of 88 and called it the company’s best smartphone yet, and now you can get it for $270 less than usual. Both Amazon and OnePlus have the handset for $799, which is an all-time low.
As the “pro” moniker suggests, this model is the most powerful in OnePlus’ lineup right now, featuring a Snapdragon 888 processor, 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The sleek device is IP68-rated and has a 6.7-inch, 3,216 x 1,440 screen that has a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,300 nits.
OnePlus worked with Hasselblad to develop the camera on the 9 Pro, and it’s much improved from the array on previous models. The rear setup features a 48MP main camera, 50MP ultra-wide shooter and 8MP telephoto lens, and overall, it produces gorgeous photos. It’s also able to shoot 8K video at 30fps.
On top of stellar performance, the OnePlus 9 Pro has a formidable battery life, too. Its 4,500 mAh dual batteries powered the smartphone for a full working day, even with the screen at the highest resolution. You’re also getting one of the company’s Warp Charge 65T power bricks with the handset, which can fully recharge the smartphone in about a half hour. This latest sale is one to consider if you want premium features in your next Android phone but want something a bit different than the latest Galaxies and Pixels of the world. And if you’re on a tighter budget, the OnePlus 9 has also been discounted to $599.
Roland’s browser-based synth studio now includes a third classic instrument. The company has updated its Roland 50 Studio web app with a simplified version of the iconic SH-101 synth. As with the virtual TR-808 drum and TB-303 synths, you can control the SH-101 side-by-side with another model on your PC or mobile device, and you can record, download and share your creations.
The real-world SH-101 launched in 1982 as a relatively low-cost and portable alternative to rival synths like the Yamaha DX7, particularly to keytar fans. It struggled to compete and was phased out in 1986. Many electronic artists latched on to its monophonic sound, however, and it helped define the sounds of more than a few well-known performers in the 1990s and 2000s. Dance legends like The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy and Orbital have relied on the SH-101, but it has also been useful to IDM pioneers like Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada and Squarepusher.
There are physical equivalents to the SH-101. Behringer’s MS-101 is a clone, while Superlative’s yet-to-ship SB01 Super Bee takes some inspiration from the Roland original. The official web version is clearly more accessible, though, and gives you a chance to try that signature sound for yourself before buying any real-world hardware.
To the surprise of almost no one, Apple is holding its first virtual event of the year on March 8th to show off its latest hardware. We heard rumors about this date for weeks, and the date isn’t the only thing that leaked – as is so often the case, we …
A number of gadgets from smartwatches to headphones to smart thermostats went on sale this week. You can get a total of $50 off many 41mm Apple Watch Series 7 models at Amazon right now, while Bose’s QuietComfort 45 headphones are back down to their Black Friday price. A few AMD Ryzen 5000 processors are still on sale, plus a bunch of Samsung storage devices have received decent discounts — including the T7 Touch portable drive. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Apple Watch Series 7
Engadget
Certain colors of the Apple Watch Series 7 are down to $349, or $50 off their normal price. Apple’s latest flagship smartwatch earned a score of 90 from us for its slightly larger display, faster charging and handy watchOS8 features.
Apple’s latest AirPods are down to $145 at Woot, or $35 off their normal price. We gave them a score of 88 for their improved design, better sound quality and long battery life.
The Bose QC45 headphones are on sale for $279, which is their all-time-low price that we saw last Black Friday. We gave the cans a score of 86 for their excellent sound quality, strong ANC and comfortable fit.
Some of AMD’s Ryzen 5000 processors are down to record-low prices at Amazon right now. The six-core Ryzen 5 5600X, arguably the best value of them all, is down to for $230 in the US and £210 in the UK. The 16-core Ryzen 5950X is also on sale for $599 in the US and £539 in the UK.
Amazon knocked 10 percent off Nintendo’s $50 eShop gift card, bringing it down to $45. It’s a modest discount, but a good one if you want some extra funds to add games to your Switch.
The T7 Touch portable SSD in 1TB is on sale for $140 across the web. This palm-sized drive works with most devices thanks to the duo of cables it comes with, and it supports 1,050 MB/s read speeds, 1,000 MB/s write speeds, AES 256-bit encryption and Dynamic Thermal Guard.
Samsung’s 980 Pro internal drive in 2TB is 35 percent off and down to $280 — a great price for a powerful SSD that works with the PS5 (provided you have a heatsink). It has read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s, advanced thermal controls and works with Samsung’s Magician Software, which lets you check its health and optimize settings as you’d like.
Google’s Nest Thermostat is on sale for $93 right now, which is 29 percent off its normal price. It’s a more affordable version of the Nest Learning Thermostat and it uses a feature called Savings Finder to suggests ways you can conserve energy in your home.
The Google Nest Hub Max is on sale for $169 right now, which is close to its record-low price. We gave the large smart display a score of 86 for its good sound quality, gesture controls and ability to work as a Nest Cam.
Through March 7, new subscribers can get a few months of Paramount+ for only $1. Use the code BIRTHDAY when you sign up to get the ad-supported Essential plan for $1 per month for three months, or the ad-free Premium plan for $2 per month for the same amount of time.
The Eero Pro 6 two-pack is $80 off for Prime members, bringing the price down to $319. This system can cover up to 3,500 square feet and it supports WiFi 6, gigabit speeds and a built-in Zigbee smart home hub.
Amazon’s offering a $100 credit to those that order any of the three smartphones in the new Samsung Galaxy S22 lineup. All you have to do is enter the promo code on the product page before you check out, and you’ll get an email after your handset ships with the details of the credit being added to your Amazon account. Those considering the Galaxy S22 have an extra incentive on top of that — $100 off in the form of an on-page coupon that you can clip, which will bring the price of the base model down to $700.
Roku’s new Streaming Stick 4K+ is down to $49, or 30 percent off its normal price. In addition to 4K streaming, it supports HDR10+, a faster processor and it comes bundled with the Roku Voice Remote Pro, which lets you use voice commands to search and issue verbal commands.
The six-quart Instant Pot Max is down to a record low of $74, or half off its normal price. This multicooker has a large touch screen for easy programming, 15psi of pressure so you can experiment with canning and a sous vide cooking option.
Apple’s magnetic battery pack for iPhones is down to $88, which is 11 percent off its normal price. We have seen it cheaper in the past, but this is the best price we’ve seen since December. The accessory attaches magnetically to the back of the latest iPhones and provides up to 15W of wireless charging.
NordVPN’s latest sale knocks the price of a two-year subscription down to just under $96, plus you’ll get a free gift on top of it. The prize isn’t anything physical, but rather additional subscription time on top of the two-year plan you paid for. Prizes are chosen at random, but after you make your purchase, you’ll get either an extra month, and extra year or an extra two years added on to your subscription.
Amazon’s Luna controller is 29 percent off right now, bringing it down to $50. It’s designed to work with the company’s Luna cloud gaming platform, and it’s wireless and works with a bunch of operating systems including Mac, Windows, iOS, Fire TVs and others.
This Eufy robot vac-and-mop machine is $200 off and down to $450. It’s a good robot vacuum to consider if you want strong suction as well as a mopping feature that can better clean hardwood floors and tile. Plus, this machine maps out your home as it cleans, so you can send it to specific rooms and areas during future jobs.
This tiny camera is 10 percent off and down to a record low of $387. It’s a waterproof action cam that can shoot 360-degree video in 5K, and it supports advanced stabilization without the need for a gimbal and features like hyperlapse.
Apple’s second-generation AirPods are down to £99 at Amazon. These don’t have some of the bells and whistles that the new third-gen models do, but they remain a decent option for Apple users on a budget. We gave them a score of 84 when they first came out for their improved wireless performance and solid battery life.
A bunch of Kindle e-readers are on sale in the UK right now, including the new Paperwhite for £100. The Signature Edition, which we called the best e-reader by far, is down to £150 as well.
Fitbit’s most advanced smartwatch, the Sense, is down to £189 right now. That’s not a record low, but it’s still 37 percent off its usual rate. We gave it a score of 82 for its comprehensive health tracking features and big, bold display.
John Lewis has the Elite 75ts for £79, which is nearly half off their usual rate. We gave the buds a score of 87 when they first came out for their good audio quality, long battery life and small, comfortable design.
The Anker Nano II 65W GaN charger is down to £38 right now, or 16 percent off its norma price. Not only is this brick much smaller than most other chargers with similar wattage, but it also has GaN technology, which will help reduce overheating and keep it power efficient.
Samsung will at least partly address complaints that it’s throttling the performance of apps on some Galaxy phones. As The Vergereports, the company has promised an update to its Game Optimizing Service to give users more control over throttling. In a statement to Engadget, Samsung said the option was coming at an unspecified point in the future in response to both feedback and “careful consideration.” You can read the full statement at the end of this article.
However, Samsung disputed claims GOS was throttling as many as 10,000 apps across numerous categories. The service “does not manage” apps beyond games, the company said. Users have accused Samsung of throttling the performance of non-gaming software like Netflix and TikTok while disabling the restrictions for benchmarks like 3DMark and GeekBench, skewing expectations for real-world speed.
GOS is now known to be present on the Galaxy S22 series. While the exact range of phones with GOS isn’t clear, the software is known to exist on older phones like the Galaxy S21 lineup and S20 FE.
Samsung isn’t alone. In 2021, OnePlus admitted that it throttled the OnePlus 9 while popular apps were in use. This was ostensibly meant to preserve battery life, but didn’t include benchmarks. Huawei, Oppo and other phone makers have been caught cheating on benchmarks in the past, but those methods relied on ramping up performance when a test app was in use, not slowing down for other apps.
It’s difficult for phone vendors to completely avoid throttling. Chips like the Galaxy S22’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200 can run hot, and Samsung even introduced vapor chamber cooling to the S22 to manage that heat. As Apple learned years ago, though, at least some users want more control and transparency for throttling — they’re willing to sacrifice battery life and heat to see devices reach their full potential.
“Our priority is to deliver the best mobile experience for consumers. The Game Optimizing Service (GOS) has been designed to help game apps achieve a great performance while managing device temperature effectively. GOS does not manage the performance of non-gaming apps. We value the feedback we receive about our products and after careful consideration, we plan to roll out a software update soon so users can control the performance while running game apps.”
We’ve come to the end of Mobile World Congress 2022, which, despite the pandemic and a war in Europe, went on as planned. While it’s typically a show full of phone launches from companies like Sony, Huawei, TCL, Xiaomi, Oppo and more, this year there w…
Apple made a bunch of improvements to its latest AirPods last year, and now you can grab a pair for $35 less than usual. Woot has the third-generation AirPods for $145 right now, which is 19 percent off and close to their record low. The sale will last for 12 days or until sold out, and we expect them to sell out at this price fairly quickly. While anyone can get this deal, Amazon Prime members can get free shipping, too.
These buds mark the first true departure from the original AirPods design since the earbuds first came out. While the AirPods Pro have the best fit out of all of Apple’s wireless earbuds, the third-gen AirPods are a big improvement from their predecessors. They have a new contoured design and a shorter stem, both of which help make the buds more comfortable and aid in sound quality. They’re also IPX4-rated, so they should be able to withstand sweaty workouts and a quick, accidental splash.
The latest AirPods sound much better than the previous models thanks in part to a new custom driver and a high-dynamic-range amplifier. They work together to produce rich bass and crisp, clean sound overall. You won’t find ANC on these buds, but they do have Adaptive EQ, spatial audio and dynamic head tracking.
The H1 chip inside of the buds helps power those features, along with hands-free Siri access and quick pairing. If you use a lot of Apple products the quick pairing and switching feature will come in handy, as it allows you to seamlessly go from listening to music on your Mac to taking a call from your iPhone. As far as battery life goes, you should get up to six hours with the buds and up to a total of 30 hours when using their charging case to power up in between sessions. As usual, be sure to check out Woot’s return policy before deciding if you want to pick these up during this sale.
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SpaceX chief Elon Musk has warned Starlink users in Ukraine that there’s a high probability of the service being targeted, as it’s the only working non-Russian communications system in some parts of the country. On Twitter, Musk advised people to use Starlink with caution by turning it on only when needed and placing it as far away from other people as possible. He also told users to place light camouflage over the antenna to avoid visual detection.
Important warning: Starlink is the only non-Russian communications system still working in some parts of Ukraine, so probability of being targeted is high. Please use with caution.
As Reuters reports, Musk’s warning comes after John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab project, said Russia could use Starlink’s uplink transmissions in Ukraine as beacons for airstrikes. In a lengthy Twitter thread, he explained Russia’s extensive experience when it comes to targeting people while they’re using satphones and other kinds of satellite technologies.
Internet connection has become spotty in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began. The intense combat and explosions in major cities like Kyiv had disrupted the operations of GigaTrans, the country’s main internet provider that also supplies connectivity to other networks. SpaceX activated the Starlink broadband internet service in Ukraine following a plea from Mykhailo Fedorov, who serves as the country’s Minister of Digital Transformation. The company also quickly sent terminals to the country, which arrived just a couple of days after the service’s activation.
Days after receiving SpaceX’s shipment, Fedorov tweeted a photo of a Starlink dish installed and in use on a rooftop. He also asked for ideas on how to keep the antenna powered in the middle of Russia’s ongoing attacks. Musk responded that SpaceX is updating the terminal’s software to reduce its peak power consumption and so that it can be powered from a car’s cigarette lighter socket. He also said the company enabled mobile roaming so that a Starlink antenna can maintain its signal even on a moving vehicle.
A consultant in satellite communications told Reuters that Starlink terminals weren’t designed to be used while in motion, so it’s not quite clear what Musk meant. One user in California stuck a Starlink antenna to the hood of his car for internet connectivity, though — they even got a ticket for it. SpaceX has also long been planning to connect moving vehicles to the Starlink network and previewed a ruggedized version of the service’s dish meant for ships, aircraft and bigger land vehicles like RVs last year.
