The Galaxy S21’s launcher integrates the Google Discover feed

The all-new Galaxy S21 series is finally here, and Samsung has packed it with a bunch of exciting new tech. The three devices in the lineup feature the latest flagship chipsets from Qualcomm and Samsung, they offer some impressive camera hardware, and the company has even updated its One UI skin for the devices to include some cool new features. These include features like Object Eraser that can remove unwanted objects or people from photos, Private Share to control who gets access to the content you share, and much more. As seen in a previous leak, the Galaxy S21 series also gets Google Discover feed integration in the launcher.

The Google Discover feed integration in the Galaxy S21 lineup is a result of Google closely working with Samsung to offer tighter integration of the former’s services in the new devices. In a recent blog post on the matter, Google notes: “A single swipe from your home screen will give you the option for personalized content with Discover, while our screen reader TalkBack has been revamped so that people with blindness or trouble seeing their displays can use spoken feedback and gestures to navigate their phone without having to look at the screen (varies by carrier and market availability).”

Along with Google Discover feed integration, you’ll also find better Google Duo functionality on the Galaxy S21 lineup and support for Google’s RCS chat in the Samsung Messages app (region/carrier specific). The post further highlights that Google is also adding seamless integration of its Nest smart home products in the Samsung SmartThings app, and Samsung Galaxy S21 users will even be able to see connected Nest devices in the Quick Settings panel on their devices. Furthermore, the company is adding SmartThings support in Android Auto, which will allow users to control their smart home devices from their car’s display. Additionally, Samsung Smart TV users will now also be able to mirror their Google Duo calls to their TV.

The post The Galaxy S21’s launcher integrates the Google Discover feed appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/35LaOuK
via IFTTT

The Galaxy S21’s new Object Eraser feature can remove people from photos

At Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung took the wraps off of its Galaxy S21 flagship smartphones. Samsung’s latest flagships run the company’s Android 11-based One UI 3.0 software, which has already rolled out to many of the company’s previous flagships. But the Galaxy S21 is the first to get one of Samsung’s latest features called “Object Eraser.”

When you’re editing a photo in the Samsung Gallery app, you’ll be able to tap the Object Eraser button to remove objects from photos. After tapping the button, you’ll be asked to tap on the objects that you want to remove. You can tap on multiple objects, and if you make a mistake, you can tap the undo or redo button. Once you’re done, tap the “erase” button to remove the objects.

We don’t know exactly what kind of objects the Object Eraser can remove from photos. At Unpacked, Samsung demonstrated the feature by removing a couple of people from the background of a photo. You can imagine this will be useful if you took a photo in a public place where there are other people walking around in the background.

Samsung says this feature is powered by AI. The company likely trained a neural net to recognize objects, including people, in images, and infer what the image should look like if those objects were removed. We don’t know if this runs on-device or on the cloud, but it’s probably the former given the AI chops of the Galaxy S21’s Snapdragon 888 (or Exynos 2100) chipset. We also don’t know if this feature will be available on other Samsung devices running the Android 11-based One UI 3.0 software, but given Samsung’s track record of backporting features, there’s a good chance that Object Eraser will become available through an update to the Samsung Gallery app. We’ll let you all know if that happens.

The post The Galaxy S21’s new Object Eraser feature can remove people from photos appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3nLQjny
via IFTTT

These are the best Galaxy S21 Ultra cases you can grab right now!

Samsung finally took the wraps off the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, their latest and greatest flagship lineup for 2021, and all eyes have turned onto the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the biggest and boldest device out of the whole lineup. It follows in the footsteps of other Ultra devices such as the S20 Ultra and the Note20 Ultra: it’s big, it’s full of features, and it’s expensive as all hell. But it’s by far the best thing in Samsung’s lineup at the moment. So if you want the very best, this is probably the phone to get. However, keeping it protected can be a challenge, as the phone is a glass sandwich and it’s heavy. Luckily, we have you covered! Here are our top picks for the best Galaxy S21 Ultra cases available right now.

From thin and light cases to bulky and rugged ones (which will make the phone far more unwieldy than it already is), there is a pick for everyone at every price point, whether you’re looking for official options or you’re looking for third-party ones both in the premium and cheaper spectrums. Some S21 Ultra cases also come with S Pen support, so we’re also making sure to throw in plenty of official options if you’re planning on getting an S Pen with your phone. Without further ado, let’s get on with the list!

Galaxy S21 Ultra Official Silicone Cover w/ S Pen

The Note experience

Feeling Note envy sometimes? You can grab the Silicone cover for the S21 Ultra that also includes an S Pen holder and, of course, the pen itself, so you can get writing on your screen like with a Note smartphone.

$69.99 at Samsung

Galaxy S21 Ultra Official Silicone Cover

A more classic case

Not really into using a stylus with your smartphone? Well, that's fine. The normal Silicone cover without an S-Pen is also available for you to check out, providing the same protection and color options at a cheaper price.

$29.99 at Samsung

Galaxy S21 Ultra Clear Cover

Show off your colors

Biting into Samsung's marketing for the S21 Ultra's color options? Then you'll probably find this classic clear case more than alright, as it allows you to show off your phone's design while keeping it protected.

$19.99 at Samsung

Galaxy S21 Ultra Rugged Case

Protect yourself with style

The Galaxy S21 Ultra's official rugged case doesn't bring support for any kind of S Pen, but it does bring extra protection at the expense of thinness, if that's something you're into. And it also comes with a kickstand.

$39.99 at Samsung

Galaxy S21 Ultra Leather Cover

The stylish choice

The official leather case might not be as tough as the rugged one, but it features an unique design with extra protection for the big camera bump in the device. It also features a leather finish that is very, very nice to the touch.

$49.99 at Samsung

CASEKEY Galaxy S21 Ultra Case

A cheaper bumper option

This CASEKEY TPU case for the Galaxy S21 Ultra aims to keep your phone safe from drops and accidents with two layers of plastic and silicone that wrap up to the front of the device with an added lip on the front, so it doesn't break from any drop.

View at Amazon

Restoo Galaxy S21 Ultra Rugged Case

Budget and heavy-duty protection

This Restoo rugged case for the Galaxy S21 Ultra is made to look like it can withstand a beating, and it most certainly can, featuring thicker silicone bumper corners as well as a textured back for better grip.

View at Amazon

Caseology Vault Galaxy S21 Ultra Case

Cheap quality protection

Caseology is one of the best case manufacturers from our list, and their Vault case is also available in an S21 Ultra flavor, protecting your new phone from drops and external elements while remaining cheaper than official options from Samsung themselves.

View at Amazon

Ringke Air Galaxy S21 Ultra Case

A clear case on the cheap

Ringke is also a reknown case manufacturer, and as it turns out, they have a Galaxy S21 Ultra case that focuses on just the essentials, providing a clear and flexible case that, while it won't blow you away, should add an extra layer of peace of mind.

View at Amazon

These are our top picks for the best Galaxy S21 Ultra cases currently available in the market. If you want to take advantage of Samsung’s S Pen on your device, then you have no other choice right now but to grab one of Samsung’s cases with an S Pen holder, since unlike the Note lineup, the phone does not have a pen holder, and it’s held by the case as an optional accessory. Otherwise, if you don’t mind the S Pen, there’s a lot of options. Samsung’s classic Silicone case should be able to provide plenty of protection, while Samsung’s rugged case takes it a bit further and adds some extra functionality as well. But these options come at a premium compared to third party cases.

As for the best Galaxy S21 Ultra cases from third parties (these will be decently cheaper), Caseology’s Vault case and Ringke’s Air case are excellent options that won’t break the bank, since they’re all under $15, and will still manage to protect your smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the ultimate overkill in the new 2021 flagship series, packing in a flagship SoC, a premium build, a great display, and an amazing camera setup, as well as all the extras expected on a premium flagship.

The post These are the best Galaxy S21 Ultra cases you can grab right now! appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3qqEiWH
via IFTTT

Best styluses for the Galaxy S21 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S21 series has just launched, and the trio of new smartphones are packed full of useful features. The Galaxy S21 Ultra packs the most goodies, and one feature that it packs is S-Pen support – the first S series from Samsung to support it. With reports of the Note series potentially axed, it makes sense that Samsung may be bringing stylus support to the S series. If you’re going to be picking up a stylus, we’ve got a handy guide for you to help you choose! The Galaxy S21 Ultra supports every single past Note stylus, so there are a lot of options to choose from, as well as several Wacom-compatible third-party styluses! Here’s a roundup of the best Galaxy S21 Ultra styluses!

S-Pen for Galaxy S21 Ultra

The new S-Pen for the S21 Ultra

It's very similar in terms of specs and features to the S-Pen found in the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, but this is a new slightly thicker S-Pen designed for the S21 Ultra and designed to be stored separately, vs slim enough to fit into the phone like with the Note 20 Ultra.

See at Samsung!

Samsung Official S-Pen + Case

Store your S-Pen in style

The S-Pen for the Galaxy S21 Ultra is great but doesn't attach to the phone so unless you want an S-Pen that roams in your bag, you'll want a case that can store it. The official case from Samsung does just this, and is the best way to keep your S-Pen with your phone.

See at Samsung!

Official Note20 S-Pen (Copper)

The most recent Note S-Pen

If you want the most recent S-Pen that Samsung launched inside a Galaxy Note, you can grab last year's S-Pen which has 9ms latency and a slim, sleek design that is easy to carry (but also lose). It's available in Copper so it complements whichever color phone you buy!

Buy at Samsung

Official Note10 S-Pen

Official Note10 S-Pen

Want the official Note10 S-Pen without any flourish, in plain black? This will do the job, for sure.

Buy at Samsung

Official Note10 S-Pen (Red)

Red!

Want just the official S-Pen that Samsung launched for the Note 10, but in red? It's literally the same thing!

Buy at Amazon

Official Note10 S-Pen (Pink)

Pink!

Want just the official S-Pen that Samsung launched for the Note 10, but in pink? It's literally the same thing!

Buy at Amazon

Official Note10 S-Pen (Blue)

Blue!

Want just the official S-Pen that Samsung launched for the Note 10, but in blue? It's literally the same thing!

Buy at Amazon

Official Note10 S-Pen (White)

White!

Want just the official S-Pen that Samsung launched for the Note 10, but in white? It's literally the same thing!

Buy at Samsung

UPO Unofficial S-Pen

Unofficial and more affordable!

If you find the asking price for an official S-Pen a bit steep, you're not alone. You can pick up an unofficial one for less!

Buy at Amazon

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra supports an S-Pen, but the regular one that Samsung offers doesn’t support Bluetooth for air gestures. Fortunately, any past S-Pen will work, and any stylus that works with a Wacom tablet will as well! There’s a wide variety of colors available, and you can check them all out above based on personal preference. If you intend on using an S-Pen a lot, then the case and S-Pen combination is definitely checking out. If you’re not too worried about carrying one loose or don’t think you’ll be using it a lot, then buying one on its own might be worth it.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the ultimate overkill in the new 2021 flagship series, packing in a flagship SoC, a premium build, a great display, and an amazing camera setup, as well as all the extras expected on a premium flagship.

The post Best styluses for the Galaxy S21 Ultra appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3srg28B
via IFTTT

How does the S-Pen support on the Galaxy S21 series work?

The Samsung Galaxy S21 series has just launched, and we know pretty much everything already that there is to know. With the Samsung Galaxy Note series reportedly axed, many were worried that there would no longer be any flagship Samsung smartphones that support a stylus. Thankfully, the Samsung Galaxy S21 series does support the S-Pen… kind of. The S-Pen is only supported on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, and it’s not quite as convenient to use as with the Note series. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to use air gestures or any Bluetooth controls if you purchase the regular S Pen, so you’ll have to wait for the S Pen Pro to release later this or (or use any past Tab or Note-series stylus) to use air gestures with your shiny new S21 Ultra.

Using an S-Pen with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

The first thing you’ll need to do is either pick up an S-Pen that works for the Samsung Galaxy Note series or pick up the new S-Pen that Samsung has launched specifically for the S21 Ultra. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is backward compatible and will work with an older S-Pen from something like the Galaxy Note 20. If you don’t have a previous Samsung device, then you can either pick up an S-Pen individually or even a third-party one – check out our list of the best Galaxy S21 Ultra styluses if you don’t want to shell out $40 for one. It’s an entirely optional accessory, and it means that you can turn your Galaxy S21 Ultra into what would have been a Galaxy Note 21 Ultra, assuming that the Note series is gone for good.

There’s a problem with that though, as you’ll just have a loose S-Pen that can’t dock inside of your smartphone. If you have to put it in your bag or your pocket, there’s a chance that you might end up losing it or damaging it. That’s why Samsung has also launched an S-Pen and case package.

The case is a special one that can hold onto the stylus so that you don’t need to worry about losing it. In essence, it works pretty much the exact same way as if you had a Galaxy Note series device and wanted to dock your pen. In a future update, Samsung will enable gestures and Bluetooth controls, so that you can use it the exact same way that you would on a Galaxy Note series device. The pen itself is quite similar to the pen that you can purchase for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, and you can still click both the top of the pen and a button at the side. If you want to save some money, you can go for the S-Pen on its own, but otherwise, we highly recommend picking up the case as well.

S-Pen for Galaxy S21 Ultra

The new S-Pen for the S21 Ultra

It's very similar in terms of specs and features to the S-Pen found in the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, but this is a new slightly thicker S-Pen designed for the S21 Ultra and designed to be stored separately, vs slim enough to fit into the phone like with the Note 20 Ultra.

See at Samsung!

Samsung Official S-Pen + Case

Store your S-Pen in style

The S-Pen for the Galaxy S21 Ultra is great but doesn't attach to the phone so unless you want an S-Pen that roams in your bag, you'll want a case that can store it. The official case from Samsung does just this, and is the best way to keep your S-Pen with your phone.

See at Samsung!

S-Pen for Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Affordable and colorful

If you'd rather not buy the new S-Pen and prefer the slimmer design of last year's Galaxy Note 20 Ultra S-Pen, look no further. You can pick up the S-Pen from the last Note flagship starting at just $26 and it's available in four different colors!

From $26 at Best Buy

The post How does the S-Pen support on the Galaxy S21 series work? appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/39CcrvE
via IFTTT

Microsoft’s Windows 10X takes a lot of design cues from Google’s Chrome OS

This week we got our first look at Windows 10X for single screen PCs. Now, a supposed near-final build of the software has been created by the community after Microsoft uploaded files for build 20279, giving us a much better idea of what Windows 10X will look like when it’s pre-installed on machines shipping later this year. Spoiler alert: It takes a lot of design cues from Chrome OS.

Both The Verge and Windows Central got their hands on the pre-release build of Windows 10X, which unmistakably looks like Microsoft’s answer to Google’s Chrome OS. It’s a lightweight take on Windows 10 that looks primed to target enterprise and education circles.

In Windows Central’s video, we get a good idea of what using Windows 10 will be like, from the reworked taskbar to running progressive web apps (PWA). The video demonstrates some of the software’s settings, the process of installing a PWA, and running apps side-by-side. It’s an interesting glimpse at what Microsoft has planned for those who want a more lightweight, tablet-esque experience.

Windows 10X isn’t something you’ll be able to upgrade to. Rather, the software will come pre-installed on new machines similar to laptops that run Chrome OS. If you’ve been tempted by a Chromebook but are embedded in Microsoft’s ecosystem, the arrival of Windows 10X will be exactly what you’re looking for.

Credits: Tom Warren for The Verge

Windows 10X was originally meant for foldable and dual-screen devices, but last year Microsoft announced it was reworking the software for single screen PCs. The result looks to be an experience that will provide users with access to Microsoft services in a more affordable package.

We’re expecting the first Windows 10X devices to launch later this year, but an exact timeframe hasn’t been revealed. Similarly, we’re not sure how much these devices will cost, but if we had to venture a guess they’ll be in the $400 to $700 range.

If you’re curious to test out Windows 10X yourself, Twitter user thebookisclosed shared a download link to an “emulator-esque image” that can be installed by following user NTAuthority’s guide.

Would you like to toy around with a newer build of Windows 10X yourself? I built an emulator-esque image (read: use in Hyper-V only)

Simply create a Generation 2 VM and use this as its disk:https://t.co/7mQOA8ldUM

Enjoy https://t.co/w28SiVdkmu

— Albacore (@thebookisclosed) January 14, 2021

The post Microsoft’s Windows 10X takes a lot of design cues from Google’s Chrome OS appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/39wHGIK
via IFTTT

Samsung will release an S Pen Pro for the Galaxy S21 Ultra later this year

Samsung on Thursday announced the Galaxy S21 Ultra is launching with S Pen support. Unfortunately, the optional $40 accessory doesn’t have Bluetooth, which means it won’t support features like air gestures. But don’t fret, because Samsung confirmed it will release an S Pen Pro later this year with support for Bluetooth and air gestures.

If you already own an S Pen from other Galaxy Note or Galaxy Tab devices, it will work with the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Meanwhile, the S Pen Pro will work with the Galaxy S21 Ultra and also be compatible with the Galaxy Note 10/20 series and Galaxy Tab S6/S7 series with One UI 3.1 and above installed. Samsung didn’t share pricing for the S Pen Pro.

The new S Pen can still do a lot when combined with the Galaxy S21 Ultra. For example, you can jot down notes, edit photos, and sign documents. You can also draw, navigate the phone, and much more. It’s an experience that will feel familiar to Galaxy Note owners. The S Pen also comes equipped with a side button for performing certain actions, so you’re not missing a ton if you don’t wait for the S Pen Pro.

Either way, the Galaxy S21 Ultra doesn’t have a slot to carry the S Pen, so you’ll either have to carry it separately or buy a carrying case (which when purchased with the S Pen, is bundled for $69.99). Considering how diminutive the S Pen is, carrying it separately seems like a tricky proposition, so a carrying case is probably the best way to go.

It’s worth clarifying that only the Galaxy S21 Ultra features S Pen support, so if you opt for the Galaxy S21 or Galaxy S21 Plus, you’re out of luck. It would have been nice to see Samsung’s entire lineup of new devices offer S Pen support, but we’ll take what we can get. Hopefully, there will be enough interest that the feature eventually comes to all Galaxy S series phones released in 2022 and beyond.

The post Samsung will release an S Pen Pro for the Galaxy S21 Ultra later this year appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3sjWOSa
via IFTTT