Apple has promised to open up its Find My app to third-party accessory makers. But ahead of that, there’s a new tool that will let anybody make their own Bluetooth tracking tag to use with the Find My network so they can track its location. OpenHaystack is a new open-source tool developed by security researchers at the Secure Mobile Networking Lab, who have essentially reverse-engineered the way Apple devices register themselves to the Find My mesh network.
It is, in short, a way to create your own DIY AirTags today.
OpenHaystack works via a custom Mac app that can be used to track the location of custom tags that you create. As of right now, the tool has direct support to make a tracking tag using the BBC micro:bit mini computer, though other Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device support could be added by other developers in the future. Once registered on Apple’s Find My network, the OpenHaystack app will be able to report the tag’s location just like Apple’s Find My app works for iPhones and other Apple devices.
The whole system is a bit of a hack — in the sense that it’s complex, not in the sense that it’s actually hacking anything. It uses a plugin for Apple Mail (which authenticates you as a genuine Apple user) to get the necessary access to Apple’s Find My network to create and locate the keys — so Mail needs to be running for OpenHaystack to work.
There don’t appear to be serious security implications for the Find My network itself, either (though the team has submitted other bug reports to Apple). That doesn’t mean you should just go ahead and start using OpenHaystack, however. There’s an important disclaimer on the project:
OpenHaystack is experimental software. The code is untested and incomplete. For example, OpenHaystack tags using our firmware broadcast a fixed public key and, therefore, are trackable by other devices in proximity (this might change in a future release). OpenHaystack is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc.
A high-level understanding of how the security model for Find My works also helps understand why OpenHaystack is possible.
Find My works by using a combination of public and private keys. Any Apple user can access the public keys for devices in the Find My network, but you need the private key in order to actually access location information. This means not even Apple can access your location information without your private keys. The network is possible because Apple devices communally track the public keys, but only users can get location data from private keys.
How OpenHaystack gets on the Find My network.Image: OpenHaystack
What OpenHaystack does is create one of those public / private key pairs for your own Bluetooth tag and uses Apple Mail to register it in the Find My network. To Apple, it just looks like another iPhone. The Mac app then accesses the public key database, pairs it with the private key you created, and bam: secure location data.
From the way it’s designed, it seems like it might be difficult for Apple to cut off OpenHaystack easily without also cutting off a bunch of older Apple devices. However, it’s also surely true that Apple as a company won’t like the whole thing and may try to find a way to block it. A developer could use the system to create a way to add Android devices to the Find My network.
The team behind OpenHaystack has written a paper detailing its methods and disclosing a now-fixed security flaw. It also released the source code for its firmware, which other developers could use to adapt OpenHaystack to other BLE devices.
Apple’s official support for third-party accessories is still coming. Belkin has already announced a set of earbuds that will support Find My. Given how complex the setup of OpenHaystack is, it probably won’t gain mass adoption. It’s similar in some ways to AirMessage and Beeper, two tools that use Mac utilities to redirect iMessages to Android devices. Apple’s ecosystem is locked down in any number of ways, but the Mac finds a way.
Apple said it expects to switch the entire Mac product line over to its own silicon by the end of 2022. YouTuber Luke Miani didn’t want to wait that long for the company to update the iMac, however, so he decided to build one with an M1 chip himself.
Miani started with an iMac that he “completely fried” in 2018 and a new Mac mini. From there all he needed was a bevy of tools from iFixIt—which sponsored the video—and a converter that allowed the iMac to be used as an external monitor.
The resulting DIY Mac had some limitations. It suffered from poor wireless connectivity, lacked any ports, and could only be turned on by removing the display. Some of those issues could be worked around with more extensive mods, however.
Should most people attempt mods like this? Probably not. It would be easier to simply use the iMac as an external monitor, and for anyone who doesn’t have an iMac just lying around, buying an actual monitor would be even better still.
But it’s not hard to see the appeal of an iMac featuring Apple silicon. The M1-equipped MacBook Pro offers better performance than the latest iMac in a variety of benchmarks despite being much smaller and using significantly less power.
Bloomberg reported in January that Apple plans to release a redesigned iMac later this year. These new models would reportedly feature “a design similar to Apple’s Pro Display XDR monitor” with ”a flat back” instead of the curved one used today.
The report said the new iMac would feature Apple silicon, too, but didn’t specifically name the M1 chip. Perhaps the company will use the extra space in the iMac’s case for a chip that supports additional ports and offers even greater performance.
Or maybe it will just cram more of the so-called Fusion Drives—hybrid drives that offer a small amount of SSD-based storage to complement larger HDDs—even though it’s 2021. Miani’s video showed there will be plenty of space for them.
When Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. outlined plans to build a fab in the U.S., it set a rather modest production capacity goal of around 20,000 wafer starts per month (WSPM). Nowadays chipmakers tend to build larger fabs in a bid to minimize their costs per wafer. But according to a new unconfirmed report via UDN, the company might be planning several phases of expansions for its Arizona plant.
UDN this week reported on internal rumors that TSMC intends to build not one, but “six fabs in the Arizona plant area” in a bid to expand the site to the so-called ‘MegaFab-class’ facility. TSMC naturally does not comment on unannounced plans. Furthermore, it is uncommon for chip producers to share strategic plans outside of top management. This does not mean that the report is completely baseless.
Based on TSMC’s classification, a MegaFab has capacity of around 25,000 WSPM, so its planned facility in Arizona can already be called a MegaFab, which is why its expansion to this production capacity is not something material. Furthermore, it does not need to build six additional ‘fabs’ to get to 25,000 WSPM. On the other hand, expanding the Arizona fab beyond 25,000 WSPM might be a logical thing to do.
TSMC currently operates six GigaFabs — production facilities with a capacity of 100,000 or more WSPM — in Taiwan that process 300-mm wafers. Such facilities cost around $20 billion, they have to work at a very high utilization rate to be profitable, and they are meant to minimize costs per wafer. Such giant production facilities are usually built in multiple phases. Sometimes, new modules are added to these huge semiconductor production facilities to implement new technologies.
TSMC has multiple big customers in the U.S., including Apple, AMD, Qualcomm, and Nvidia. To serve them, 20,000 WSPM would not be enough. Therefore, unless TSMC only wants to serve select government and military contracts in the U.S., it will have to expand the Arizona fab over time.
TSMC’s current six GigaFabs are situated in different locations in Taiwan, so it is highly unlikely that the company has any intentions to build six more GigaFabs in the U.S. any time soon. On the other hand, it can expand its Arizona fab in multiple phases as demand for its manufacturing services increases. At this point that’s largely speculation. TSMC (and other foundries) only commit to expansions when it sees demand from customers. Since the Arizona facility is only expected to start operations in 2024, it’s perhaps too early to discuss plans to expand this fab.
In somewhat unexpected news, Tidal has a new owner. Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, and founder and CEO of Square, has announced that Square has acquired a majority stake in Tidal.
Announcing the news on Twitter, where else, Dorsey said, “It comes down to a simple idea: finding new ways for artists to support their work. New ideas are found at the intersections, and we believe there’s a compelling one between music and the economy. Making the economy work for artists is similar to what Square has done for sellers.”
An image shared with the post announcing the news shows Jay-Z, Tidal’s existing owner, and Dorsey plotting around a chart that has “Artists” overtly circled in the centre. Hopefully the good intentions will translate into good news for all of us who want to see musicians and bands rewarded fully by streaming music services.
While promising Tidal would remain “the best home for music, musicians, and culture”, Dorsey said the partnership would see Square deliver more advanced tools for artists, including “new listening experiences to bring fans closer together, simple integrations for merch sales, modern collaboration tools, and new complementary revenue streams”.
Square will pay $297 million in a mix of cash and stock to become Tidal’s “significant majority” owner, though Jay-Z and Tidal’s other existing artist-shareholders will retain some ownership in the company. Tidal will operate independently within Square and Jay-Z will join Square’s board of directors.
Jay-Z acquired Tidal for $56 million in 2015 and announced plans to turn it into the first artist-owned streaming service, following a star-studded launch featuring Madonna, Daft Punk, Kanye West and more.
Tidal offers hi-res audio streams from MQA, alongside lossless and standard audio tiers, putting it one step ahead of Apple Music and Spotify in sound quality terms, even since the news of the impending Spotify HiFi launch.
Eve Systems, a maker of smart home products that work with Apple’s HomeKit platform, is announcing an expanded range of devices that support the Thread smart protocol. The news consists of updated versions of its existing smart plug, a forthcoming firmware update for the company’s smart sprinkler, and a new outdoor weather station.
Thread is a wireless communication standard that was developed from the ground up for smart home purposes and is designed to replace legacy technologies such as Z-Wave and Zigbee. Benefits of Thread include more reliable connections between devices, faster response times, and longer battery life.
Though Thread support has existed in a handful of devices for quite some time, Apple’s HomePod mini is the first one to really make Thread a viable option in the smart home. It can act as a bridge between Thread-enabled accessories and connect them to the internet, which they can’t do on their own. Thread is also one of the pillar technologies of the Connected Home over IP (CHIP) project, a cooperation between all the major smart home platform and device providers to standardize around an interoperable wireless protocol.
It’s with that in mind that Eve is updating and expanding its device portfolio. The new Eve Energy, which will be available in either US or UK versions, is an updated version of Eve’s smart plug. It will support both Thread and Bluetooth and will be available in the US starting on April 6th and the UK starting on May 4th. The Energy is unique in that it can act as a repeater for the Thread network, letting it extend the signal to devices even if they are out of reach of a HomePod mini. In the US, the Energy will cost $39.95.
The latest version of the Eve Energy smart plug adds Thread support.Image: Eve
A forthcoming firmware update will add Thread support to the $99.95 Eve Aqua, the company’s smart sprinkler system. Thanks to Thread’s greater range, the updated Aqua can maintain its connection to the network better than it could with just Bluetooth. Eve says support for Thread will be released in April.
Lastly, the all-new Eve Weather is a wireless outdoor weather station that allows you to track the exact outdoor temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure at your home. It is a replacement for the Eve Degree, a similar product that relied solely on Bluetooth for its connectivity. The Eve Weather has a monochrome display that shows the current temperature, humidity, and weather conditions; the Eve app provides access to trends over time and more specific data. The Weather also has Siri integration for voice queries.
Eve claims the Weather is IPX3 water resistant and is specifically designed for outdoor use. It runs on a coin cell battery which should last between six and 12 months before needing to be replaced. The Eve Weather will be available starting March 25th for $69.95.
The Eve Weather shows current temperature, humidity, and weather trends on its monochrome display.Image: Eve
These aren’t the only products in Eve’s portfolio that support Thread. The company has already issued firmware updates with Thread support for its door and window sensors and European-spec Energy smart plug, and it says everything it has released since June 2020 has the hardware necessary to work with Thread. It is one of the first companies to really throw its hat into the Thread ring in a meaningful way.
Eve is a unique company in the smart home market as its products only work with Apple’s HomeKit platform and don’t support Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or any of the other platforms out there. That’s different from most other smart home companies, which try to reach the broadest possible audience by supporting the most popular platforms, which often means Amazon Alexa and Google Home. The HomeKit device ecosystem is much smaller in comparison, largely thanks to an onerous hardware certification that Apple used to require and has since rolled back. HomeKit is also completely inaccessible from outside of Apple’s ecosystem, so if you have an Android phone, you can’t control Eve devices.
Eve System’s CEO Jerome Gackel told me the company’s goal isn’t just to be a HomeKit accessory maker. It’s just that Apple’s platform is the only one that allows Eve to focus its efforts on its devices and apps without having to also maintain a cloud service to allow them to connect to the internet. All of the processing for Eve devices happens locally on your home network or between your own devices, without sending data to the cloud, which helps the company achieve its goal of a privacy-first smart home. (You can still remotely control Eve devices through Apple’s Home app, provided you have a HomeKit hub, such as an Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad running in your home.)
Gackel hopes that support for Thread and its key role in the CHIP project will open the door to working with the other smart home platforms in the future. But Eve won’t work with Alexa or Google Home so long as they continue to require a cloud connection to their platforms.
Eve’s bet on HomeKit has been successful so far — the company already has 18 products in its lineup and claims sales of over 1 million units by 2019, with two-thirds of its customer base in Germany and the rest in the US. Its lineup for 2021 will make it the largest provider of HomeKit accessories, with Thread support being a recurring theme throughout.
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Ikea’s new $9.99 / €7.99 / £6 Trådfri Shortcut Buttons and existing $14.99 / €12.95 / £12 Trådfri Motion Sensors recently gained HomeKit support to the delight of many Apple device owners. Importantly, the addition is cumulative for the most part, allowing the Ikea devices to function with the best features of Ikea Home Smart while layering on the best of Apple.
I’ve been testing both Ikea Home Smart devices for the past few days and while setup is predictably buggy, when they’re up and running it’s glorious, especially for the price.
Motion sensors designed to work with HomeKit aren’t cheap. They range in price from $21 to $57 according to this roundup from iMore. The popular Motion sensor from Philips Hue, for example, is more capable but costs $40, or almost three times as much as Ikea’s sensor, and both require hub devices to communicate with HomeKit. The Hue Bridge costs $59.99 while the Ikea Gateway costs $29.99, although these are often discounted in bundles with compatible lights and switches. An Apple home hub is also required, which can be a HomePod, Apple TV, or iPad.
There isn’t another product quite like Ikea’s Shortcut Buttons in the HomeKit world, so it’s hard to compare pricing. Some people will repurpose the four buttons on a $24.99 Hue dimmer switch to perform HomeKit automations, but it’s not really the same, and Aqara buttons are hard to find. Ikea designed its Shortcut Buttons to operate a single scene and that’s all.
Ikea Shortcut Button
The Ikea Shortcut Buttons are meant to be scattered around the home as dedicated controllers for individual or groups of devices. Place one next to the bed to shut off all the lights, for example, without having to yell at a smart assistant or launch an app. Place another in the kitchen to play your favorite Spotify playlist on the Sonos speaker.
The magnetic buttons include a metal mounting bracket that can be screwed into a wall or attached with the double-sided tape found in the box for a less permanent option. They also ship with six stickers: three printed with icons representing nighttime, lights, and morning, and three blanks for you to illustrate yourself.
Ikea demonstrating a Shortcut Button starting a scene to The Verge in 2019.Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
The Shortcut Button can be assigned operations in both the Ikea Home Smart and Apple Home apps with cumulative results. It’s a bit confusing (and potentially conflicting), but combining the Ikea and Apple worlds makes the Shortcut Buttons much more powerful.
I defined a “Good Night” Shortcut Button in the Apple Home app that I placed on a shelf above my bed. A regular press turns off seven smart lights (a mix of Ikea and Hue) and four Sonos speakers. A long press turns on a decorative filament night light in the bedroom at 10 percent brightness. To achieve these results, I had to assign a “scene” to the Shortcut Button in the Ikea Home Smart app and also assign “actions” in the Apple Home app.
When using the Shortcut Buttons only with Ikea’s Home Smart app, you are limited to a single scene assigned to a single button press. But Ikea’s deeper Sonos integration exposes all of my Sonos speakers to the Shortcut Button, not just the newer AirPlay 2 speakers recognized by HomeKit. HomeKit improves upon Ikea Home Smart by detecting both a short press and a long press of the Shortcut Buttons. Apple also gives you the option of writing if / then / else shortcuts (confusing, I know) that can be assigned to the short and long presses instead, giving you four possible control options from a single Shortcut Button. (Here’s a useful thread explaining the steps started by u/armadawars on the HomeKit subreddit.)
So far, I’ve kept things simple. I have a scene called “Top music off” in the Home Smart app that I’ve assigned to the aforementioned “Good Night” Shortcut Button. This allows me to shut off any Sonos speakers that might be playing in, or around, my bedroom. In Apple’s Home app, I also assigned a mix of seven Philips Hue and Ikea lights to turn off with a single press of the “Good Night” Shortcut Button. I then assigned a long press to turn on the Ikea filament bulb.
I have a second Shortcut Button in my living room currently set up to control my TV and mood lighting in the Apple Home app. A short press turns on my 2020 LG OLED TV and two lights to a predefined color and brightness. A long press turns everything back off. And just because I can, I also assigned a scene to the button in the Ikea Home Smart app that starts playing a Christmas playlist on the kitchen Sonos anytime it’s pressed. It’s dumb, and my family hates it, but it makes me so damn happy.
Ikea Motion Sensor
I would have driven myself mad setting up the Ikea Trådfri Motion Sensor in HomeKit had I not first read this tip on Reddit.
Despite my Trådfri Gateway being upgraded to firmware 1.13.21 and seeing both of my existing motion sensors in the Apple Home app and the sensors tripping Ikea lights when motion was detected, neither was detecting motion according to HomeKit. To solve that, first I had to remove the motion sensor from the Gateway (four clicks on the pairing button), delete the old rooms hosting the sensors from the Ikea Home Smart app, and then re-add the sensor (two clicks holding it next to the Gateway) where it was assigned a new default room. Only then did I see motion activity detected in Apple’s Home app, allowing me to control HomeKit devices with the sensor.
As with the Shortcut Buttons, automations linked to the Ikea Motion Sensor in both the Ikea and Apple Home apps are cumulative. In my walk-in pantry, I paired an Ikea lightbulb directly to an Ikea Motion Sensor (press the link button on the Motion Sensor while holding it next to the Ikea bulb for about 10 seconds) and then set up an automation in the Apple Home app to turn on a strip of Hue lights above my kitchen cabinet, but only at night. The Ikea pantry light shuts off automatically after three minutes.
That three-minute reset built into the Ikea Motion sensor can cause conflicts with HomeKit automations. The Apple Home app lets you to assign automations to both motion and the lack of motion. It can also take a secondary action after a set period of time. For example, in the Apple Home app, I can tell the Ikea Motion Sensor to light a Hue bulb in the pantry instead, and then shut it off after one minute. However, it can’t be tripped again for another two minutes due to the three-minute sleep time, leaving me to rummage around the pantry in the dark.
Other motion sensors have much shorter reset periods, even as low as 20 seconds, which makes them much better suited for controlling lighting. Others also include temperature sensors, opening the door for even more creative automations. The Ikea Motion Sensor is basic by comparison with a price to match.
Ikea’s Motion Sensors and Shortcut Buttons are so inexpensive and useful that they’re easy to recommend, especially for homes with a mix of Ikea and Apple products already. While the Motion Sensors are available just about everywhere, the new Shortcut Buttons have only started rolling out and still can’t be found in the US. Both HomeKit devices make the smart home accessible to everyone without apps or voice commands, limited only by the smart devices you own, your ability to write HomeKit shortcuts, and your patience with fiddly smart home tech.
The YouTube app on older Apple TV models has officially been discontinued as of today. If you have a third-generation device (the 2012-era model that predated the modern tvOS-based set-top boxes), you’ll only be able to stream YouTube through an iOS device using AirPlay starting today, as noted by 9to5Mac.
While the news has been known for a while, the change highlights a key issue with the Apple TV ecosystem. Namely, that it’s been nearly three and a half years since Apple has last updated its streaming box hardware.
If you own the old model with the now defunct YouTube app, your only Apple-made option is the Apple TV 4K, released in September 2017. That’s particularly problematic, given that the Apple TV 4K still starts at $179 (with a pricier 64GB model that offers double the storage for $199), despite being released years ago.
That’s in stark comparison to competitors like Amazon, Google, and Roku, which have released newer streaming products that offer the same (if not better) features than Apple’s outdated box at far lower prices. Roku’s flagship streaming box, the Roku Ultra, costs $99 — nearly half the price of the entry-level Apple TV 4K — while supporting 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, and Apple’s own AirPlay 2 streaming. The $50 Streaming Stick Plus offers 4K and HDR (without Dolby Vision) for those looking to save even more money.
Amazon’s Fire TV Cube costs $119.99 and offers similar high-end streaming specs, while also doubling as a full-fledged Echo speaker. Like Roku, Amazon also has its cheaper $50 Fire TV Stick 4K, which offers the full gamut of streaming support (Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDR10+, and HDR10) without the added Alexa speaker.
And of course, there’s Google’s latest Chromecast, which costs just $50, offers excellent content curation, supports 4K, HDR, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision, and remains The Verge’s best choice for a streaming stick in 2021.
With more and more apps starting to end support for Apple’s older streaming boxes (CBS All Access has already announced that it’ll be enacting a similar change when Paramount Plus launches), the problem of the Apple TV’s outdated hardware and pricing are only going to continue to grow.
Apple has added a service that lets you automatically transfer photos, videos, and albums from your iCloud Photo Library to Google Photos (via MacRumors). The feature has a support document outlining the procedure, which simply entails going to privacy.apple.com, logging in, and going through the “transfer a copy of your data” process. Apple says the transfer will take between three days to a week.
Some things won’t transfer: Apple says shared albums, smart albums, photo stream content, live photos, some metadata, and media that isn’t stored in your iCloud Photo Library won’t come along for the ride. The part about Live Photos is especially eyebrow-raising. iPhones take Live Photos by default, and Apple doesn’t make it clear if the entire picture will be left behind, or just the video clip surrounding it.
Screenshot by Mitchell Clark / The Verge
For what it’s worth, the transfer tool tells me 10,793 of my photos will be transferred, which is the exact number of pictures in my library. Given that over 2,500 of those are Live, it would seem Apple is planning on transferring them, but we did reach out to clarify. At the time of writing, we haven’t heard back.
Apple says the feature won’t remove anything from your iCloud Photo Library; it will simply make a copy of it, so you’ll still need to manually delete things if you no longer want them stored in iCloud. Additionally, the feature is currently only available to people in Australia, Canada, the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
If you’re looking to make the jump from iPhone to Android or just want to use Google Photos, this tool should provide an easy way to quickly transfer all of your photos to the service without having to reupload them yourself. A few clicks, and your photos will be on their way to their new home. Just make sure you have enough Google storage space.
(Pocket-lint) – Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs employ a revolutionary new LED backlight that’s significantly smaller and more efficient than previous generations. This enables the manufacturer to squeeze extra LEDs behind the panel, allowing for increased dimmable zones and greater precision.
This approach is generally referred to as Mini LED, and should not be confused with Micro LED, which is a completely different self-emissive display technology. However, Mini LED does promise to significantly improve local dimming and reduce unwanted blooming – all at an affordable price.
The QN95A is the flagship 4K TV from Samsung for 2021, and not only incorporates this Mini LED backlight but, in a change from last year, also includes the majority of features found on the high-end 8K models. So you’re not forced to buy the higher resolution TVs to get all the latest gizmos.
So just how jaw-dropping is Mini LED in the Samsung QN95A (which is the QN90A in other territories)? Spoiler alert: it’s very impressive indeed.
Design, connections and control: Slimmed down minimalism
Slimmer One Connect Box
Single fibre optic cable that includes power
4x HDMI inputs with eARC, 3x USB; Ethernet
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2
Along with those increased number of dimming zones, the QN95A includes a slimmed down One Connect box (where the connections go – it’s not on the TV’s frame as a result), comprehensive smart platform, AI processing, extensive gaming features, and Object Tracking Sound.
Plus, the QN95A is a gorgeous piece of industrial design, with a minimalist appearance, nearly bezel-less screen, and speakers cleverly hidden in the edges of the panel. The stand is well-made, providing solid support, and can be installed on a narrow surface.
It’s a testament to the smaller LEDs used that Samsung is able to cram a full-array backlight into a chassis only 15mm deep. It also means the QN95A looks great wall-mounted (using the optional ‘No Gap’ bracket), and the single cable from the One Connect box makes installation tidier.
The new slimmed-down One Connect box is sleeker and more elegant. Its reduced size is also discreeter, making it easier to hide away. The textured matte finish is also preferable, because the earlier glossy black boxes tended to attract fingerprints and smudges.
The box houses four HDMI inputs, one of which (HDMI 3) supports eARC. All of the HDMI inputs are capable of handling 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM, making this TV a great choice for next-gen gamers who want to take full advantage of their new consoles.
What is HDMI eARC? Why is it different to HDMI ARC?
There are also two USB 2.0 inputs, twin tuners for terrestrial and satellite broadcasts, a CI slot, an optical digital output, and an Ethernet port. In terms of wireless connections, there’s Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and support for Apple AirPlay 2.
The sleek metal Solar Cell remote is ergonomically-shaped, making it comfortable to hold and easy to use with one hand. While essentially the same as last year, the new zapper sports a solar panel on the back that recharges the batteries – making it eco-friendly and economic.
Features: Mini LED and multi-intelligent processing
Processing engine: Neo Quantum 4K Processor with AI
100% of DCI-P3 colour, 2000nits of peak brightness
Anti-reflection screen and Ultra Viewing Angle
HDR Support: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ Adaptive
The Samsung QN95A’s main selling point is its use of a Mini LED backlight, made possible by a newly-designed micro layer that contains LEDs significantly smaller than previous generations. This is possible due to the elimination of the protective packaging and lens around the diode, allowing for thinner panels, more LEDs, and an increased number of dimmable zones.
There are 792 zones in the QN95A – a big increase on the 480 zones used previously – but upping the number of zones also requires more processing power, so a new local dimming algorithm redirects power from darker areas to improve efficiency and peak brightness. All while the Quantum Matrix system coordinates all the zones, and the Black Detail Boost feature increases shadow detail.
The new Neo Quantum Processor increases the processing power by employing multi-intelligence deep learning. Instead of a single neural network, this processor combines up 16 to create a neural analyser specialised for upscaling and processing video. All this added power is designed to deliver the best possible experience, regardless of what you’re watching.
The QN95A supports high dynamic range (HDR) in the form of HDR10, HLG (hybrid log-gamma), and HDR10+ Adaptive. The last of which uses dynamic metadata designed to adapt the tone-mapping on a scene-by-scene basis, and now employs a sensor to customise the performance based on the ambient lighting conditions in your room.
The combination of Mini LED and Quantum Dot tech ensures brightness levels and a colour gamut that’s tailor-made for HDR. Samsung claims a peak luminance of 2,000 nits. In our measurements the QN95A topped 2,800 nits in Dynamic Mode, although the more accurate Filmmaker Mode maxed out at 1,700 nits.
What is QLED and Quantum Dot?
In terms of the colour gamut, this reached 94 per cent of DCI-P3 – not quite the claimed 100 per cent but still impressive given the overall brightness. It’s the combination of very bright peak highlights combined with saturated colours at increased luminance levels that gives QLED an inherent advantage over OLED when it comes to delivering impactful HDR.
The Filmmaker Mode was introduced in 2020, and is designed to deliver an image that represents the content creator’s original intentions. It uses brightness and colour settings to match the industry standards, and turns off any unnecessary processing or frame interpolation.
What is Filmmaker Mode and why does it matter?
Other features introduced previously and continued into 2021 include the anti-reflection screen and Ultra Viewing Angle technology. The former is designed to reduce reflections from ambient light in the room, and works well, making this an effective TV for daytime viewing. The latter reduces the colour and contrast drop-off experienced when viewing LCD TVs at extreme angles.
The processor doesn’t just improve the picture quality, it also analyses the audio signal and optimises the sonic performance based on the TV’s location in your room. Other acoustic features include Adaptive Sound+, with Active Voice Amplifier for clearer dialogue, and Adaptive Volume that adjusts the volume based on content.
Samsung
The QN95A supports Object Tracking Sound Plus (OTS+), which uses eight speakers and 70W of amplification to produce a more immersive audio experience. There are four speakers along the bottom for the left, right and centre channels, along with a pair of woofers and two speakers at the top for greater immersion.
This particular model also supports Q Symphony, so when combined with a compatible Samsung soundbar, the system employs the TV’s top speakers to give the overall soundstage a greater sense of height and immersion.
Finally there’s the new Tap View feature, which allows owners of compatible Samsung smartphones to instantaneously connect by simply tapping the phone against the TV’s chassis.
Picture quality: Impressive local dimming
The Samsung QN95A certainly delivers when it comes to picture performance, with all those extra zones put to good use. It’s relatively easy to add lots of zones behind an LCD panel, what’s considerably more difficult is orchestrating them in a way that delivers the deepest blacks and the brightest highlights without causing blooming or losing details in the shadows.
Samsung has always employed a highly effective local dimming algorithm in its TVs, and the latest iteration continues that tradition. The results are genuinely impressive, with the blacks appearing deep and inky, while the highlights are free of blooming. This is best demonstrated by the scene in First Man where the Apollo command module orbits into the shadow of the moon.
Samsung
In this sequence the screen goes completely black and then the surface of the brightly-lit Moon gradually appears through the spaceship’s window. This scene is incredibly difficult for any display that uses local dimming, but the QN95A does an excellent job of highlighting the details in the moon’s surface through the window without introducing haloing or other artefacts.
The QN95A also handles bright colourful HDR images with skill, allowing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 to take full advantage of the wider gamut offered by the format. The scenes on Ego’s planet are a riot of Day-Glo colours that pop with comic book vibrancy.
The same is true of Pan, where the Samsung delivers the film’s exaggerated colour scheme correctly, and reproduces the arriving-in-Neverland sequence with no clipping and a clearly defined sun setting over the mountain. This proves the QN95A is correctly tone-mapping HDR10 content, and retaining the original creative intent.
The film Overlord mainly takes place at night, and is often a very dark, but the Samsung handles this difficult material very well, delivering deep blacks, excellent shadow detail, and highlights where necessary. The TV also renders all the subtle differences in the film’s primarily green and brown colour design very effectively.
The QN95A is equally impressive when it comes to motion handling, with 24p content looking smooth, and free of judder or unwanted artefacts. The Picture Clarity motion settings apply frame interpolation, resulting in smoothing, which can be useful with sport, while the LED Clear Motion setting uses black frame insertion, darkening the image, but improving the motion.
Samsung
The built-in apps deliver excellent 4K and HDR images, and in the case of Amazon Prime there’s the added enhancement of HDR10+. The levels of detail and contrast are equally as impressive when watching Netflix, Apple TV+ and Disney+, despite the lack of Dolby Vision support.
What is Dolby Vision? Dolby’s own HDR tech explained
Since the QN95A uses an LCD panel, there’s no danger of screen burn. It also offers a host of features aimed at next-gen gamers, including VRR (variable refresh rate) for syncing the TV’s refresh rate with the console’s frame rate, thus reducing tearing. There’s also support for 4K at 120Hz, along with AMD Freesync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync.
There’s ALLM for automatically detecting a console and selecting the Game mode, which results in a class-leading input lag of 9.2ms. The Game Motion Plus is designed to smooth out motion, but in doing so it does increase the lag to 14ms – although that’s still very respectable. If all that isn’t enough, the QN95A even supports the 21:9 and 32:9 ultra-wide aspect ratio options offered by a number of PC games.
What is ALLM and VRR? TV gaming tech explained
Samsung has realised that with so many different gaming options and features now available, it’s easy to lose track of what exactly you’ve selected. The solution is the new Game Bar, which pops up when a game source is detected to provide at-a-glance key information. This includes HDR, frame rate, VRR, and key gaming picture adjustments.
Pocket-lint
Finally there’s a multi-view mode that allows users to watch two different sources simultaneously. You can adjust the size of the two picture-in-picture screens, change their relative position and choose which has audio priority. While this feature isn’t necessarily game-specific, it is useful for gaming while watching YouTube tutorials.
Smart features: Comprehensive platform
Tizen OS
SmartThings app
Alexa/Bixby built-in
The Samsung QN95A uses the same Tizen-powered smart platform as previous generations, which remains a responsive, intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface. There’s a launcher bar along the bottom and a second layer that provides faster access to the video streaming services.
In terms of those streaming services, the choice is fairly comprehensive and includes Netflix, Amazon, Now TV, Disney+, Apple TV+, Rakuten, YouTube, and all the UK TV catch-up services. The only problem with all this choice is it’s hard to keep track, but Samsung has a solution.
The Universal Guide helps you find the content you want by presenting it all via a user-friendly interface. It then uses AI machine learning to analyse your viewing habits and create a single ‘For You’ page with personalised content to suit your tastes.
The Digital Butler was introduced in 2020, allowing for quick and easy connection by automatically scanning for nearby devices, detecting them and then representing all of them in an easy-to-understand graphical fashion.
Finally there’s a brace of built-in smart assistants – Samsung’s own Bixby, and Amazon Alexa. You can also access Siri via Apple’s AirPlay 2, while the Samsung SmartThings app allows for quick and easy setup, plus a degree of control if you don’t fancy using the provided remote or your voice.
Sound quality: Object tracking sound
Object Tracking Sound Plus (OTS+)
4.2.2 speakers and 70W of amplification
Adaptive Sound+
Q Symphony
The QN95A sports Samsung’s Object Tracking Sound Plus (OTS+), which integrates eight speakers in a seamless fashion, hiding them in the outer edge of the TV cabinet. The audio performance is genuinely impressive, with an open soundstage, additional height, plenty of bass, clear dialogue and powerful amplification.
Samsung
Object Tracking Sound doesn’t just involve more speakers, it also analyses the audio signal and uses sophisticated processing to align sounds with the location of specific images on the screen. It really works, creating an engaging experience with improved directionality and immersion. There’s also an optimisation feature to fine-tune the audio based on the acoustic environment.
While there’s no on-board Dolby Atmos decoding, the QN95A can send the object-based audio format back via ARC from its internal apps to a supporting soundbar or AV receiver. Since it also supports eARC, the Samsung can even pass lossless audio back via HDMI to a supporting soundbar or AV receiver.
Anything missing?
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it really is time Samsung added support for Dolby Vision. The company is the only TV manufacturer not to embrace the dynamic metadata format, and while HDR10+ is similar, there’s significantly more content available in Dolby Vision.
While we’re on the subject of Dolby, the QN95A also doesn’t include on-board Atmos decoding. This is a shame because with all those extra built-in speakers, the Samsung could really take advantage of the additional height channels the format offers.
Samsung’s smart platform is undeniably comprehensive, but it doesn’t include Freeview Play. This isn’t really an issue because all the UK TV catch-up services are present and correct, but it does mean these aren’t integrated within the EPG (electronic programme guide).
Verdict
The Samsung QN95A makes an excellent case for embracing Mini LED as an alternative to OLED. While it remains an evolution of existing LCD backlight technology, rather than something completely new like Micro LED, it does offer an impressive picture performance.
The added precision of nearly 800 dimming zones results in deeper blacks, brighter highlights, improved shadow detail and almost no blooming. Add in the superior colour performance of Quantum Dot and upgraded processing, and you have a highly capable 4K HDR TV. Its pictures truly sing.
The QN95A is also a seriously specified model with a comprehensive smart platform, every necessary streaming app, the One Connect box, excellent audio quality thanks to OTS+, and a shed-load of features for next-gen gamers.
Also consider
Philips
Philips OLED+935
squirrel_widget_3642896
Not fussed about Mini LED and OLED more up your street? Philips’ top-end 2020 telly integrates Ambilight – edge lighting that goes beyond the screen, for extra immersion and dynamism – plus a B&W soundbar for top notch sound quality. It’s a very different offering to the Samsung, but a very elegant alternative indeed.
Earlier this year Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. outlined plans to increase its CapEx budget to $25 billion ~ $28 billion in 2021, many industry observers attributed the increase to building out 3-nm capacities in preparation to produce CPUs for Intel and other large customers. This is not quite the case, according to a forecast by China Renaissance Securities.
(Image credit: TSMC)
At present, TSMC’s N5 capacity is around 55,000 ~ 60,000 wafer starts per month (WSPM), according to a forecast by China Renaissance Securities, which reiterated it earlier this week. Given the fact that TSMC can no longer serve Huawei’s HiSilicon, the foundry’s main and biggest N5 customer is Apple, which uses this technology to produce its A14 Bionic as well as M1 system-on-chips for its latest products. Apple is one of TSMC’s key customers that has early access to the latest process technologies and is among the first to adopt the newest nodes.
Later this year other TSMC’s customers, such as AMD and Qualcomm, are projected to start using the manufacturer’s N5 fabrication process, which is when demand for this technology increases significantly. In a bid to satisfy demand for its N5 node in 2021 and in the following years, TSMC will spend the lion’s share of its CapEx on expansion of its N5 capacity, the analysts say.
China Renaissance believes that TSMC will increase its N5 capacity by two times compared to today’s levels, or to 110,000 ~ 120,000 WSPM, which essentially means that a year from now TSMC will have a GigaFab dedicated solely to N5 family, which includes N5, N5P, and N4 technologies. All of these processes are compatible on design rules, IPs, and SPICE levels, they will be used for years to come.
(Image credit: TSMC)
Another long node for TSMC will be its N3 (3 nm) technology. When compared to N5, the N3 process is expected to provide up to 15% performance improvement (at the same power and transistor count), or up to 30% power reduction (at the same speed and transistor count), along with up to 20% higher SRAM density and up to 70% higher logic density. TSMC expects N3 to enter risk production later this year, whereas volume production is expected in the second half of 2022. TSMC says that the interest towards N3 is higher than the interest towards N5 and N7 at the same stage of development (i.e., five to six quarters before formal launch).
Keeping in mind that N3 will not be needed for high volume manufacturing (HVM) for another year, it is logical for TSMC to spend big on N5 in calendar 2021 rather than prep for N3 in 2022 just now. The company is still expected to build a pilot N3 line with a capacity of around 10,000 ~ 15,000 WSPM this year.
Both N3 and N5 nodes extensively rely on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. To expand N5 capacities and equip an N3 fab, TSMC will need to procure loads of ASML’s Twinscan NXE scanners and deliver them. EUV tools take around six months to calibrate, so TSMC’s expansion plans have to be very precise in a bid get the equipment ready exactly when it needs them.
(Image credit: TSMC)
The main uncertainty for TSMC (and to a large degree the semiconductor industry) today is Intel’s outsourcing plan. So far, the company has disclosed plans to outsource certain GPUs and SoCs to TSMC and it is believed that these chips will be made using TSMC’s N5 or N7 nodes. Yet, it is unclear whether the chip giant intends to outsource production of its mainstream and performance CPUs to TSMC.
From transistor density point of view, Intel’s 10nm SuperFin fabrication process (~100 MT/mm2) is comparable to TSMC’s N7+ technology (~115 MT/mm2), but Intel’s own technology might still be a better fit for the company just now as its CPUs have been tailored for this node. Meanwhile, TSMC’s N5 has a significant advantage in terms of transistor density (~170 MT/mm2), which is something hard to ignore particularly when it comes to GPUs. When Intel is ready with its 7 nm technology (which is projected to double its existing transistor density) sometimes in 2023, it will still be behind TSMC’s N3 by two or three quarters, which means that it will make sense for Intel to outsource some of its products to TSMC, exactly what the new chief executive Patrick Gelsinger told several weeks ago. Meanwhile, from CapEx allocation point of view it makes more sense for Intel to outsource a substantial portion of its products to TSMC and save on fabs.
“In the interest of engineering resource/CapEx allocation, Intel would be unlikely to run a hybrid internal-external foundry production for the same process, in our view; thus we expect any outsourcing decision will be a binary outcome (i.e., “winner takes all”, others take nothing),” wrote Szeho Ng, an analyst with China Renaissance Securities, in a note to clients. “Given that TSMC has clearly been well ahead of Intel in terms of EUV tech and capacity readiness, we expect CPU outsourcing for Intel to be the best path forward considering its current stance.”
If Intel proceeds with the plan to outsource a significant portion of its production to TSMC in a bid to catch up with AMD in 2022, then it remains to be seen whether the foundry will have enough capacity to serve Intel and its existing customers, especially keeping in mind the fact that demand for N3 node may be higher when compared to demand for current nodes due to AI, HPC, and edge computing megatrends.
While it makes a great sense from financial point of view for Intel to CapEx save money and use TSMC’s manufacturing capacities to build its products while concentrating on architectural innovations, it may not be exactly a good plan for Intel’s long-term future. TSMC already has more EUV experience than Intel and it also has a certain standard-setting capability in the EUV ecosystem. If Intel does not catch up, then it will follow for many years to come and will not be able to use its superior fabrication processes as a competitive advantage over rivals.
Move over H.264/AVC and HEVC, there’s a new video streaming codec in town and it’s got you in its sites. AV1 is here and it’s going to be everywhere before you know it.
AV1 is an open, royalty-free video standard with an improved compression system that should allow huge data efficiency savings without reducing video quality – and that could be key going forward into a world of higher frame rates, 8K resolution, HDR standards and audio demands.
As such, AV1 brings implications for those who use services such as Netflix, Disney Plus and Prime Video; people looking to buy a new TV or media streamer; and anyone interested in 8K TV. And as a catch-all compression standard there are many uses beyond, including gaming, realtime applications such as video conferencing and anything else where video streams are required.
Best streaming services for TV and movies
What is AV1?
AV1 (AOMedia Video 1) is the the next evolution of the defacto video streaming codec across the internet. It’s planned as the successor to the HEVC (H.265) format that is currently used for 4K HDR video on platforms such as Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney Plus and Netflix.
It was developed by the Alliance for Open Media, which counts Amazon, Apple, ARM, Facebook, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Mozilla, Netflix, Nvidia and Samsung among its members, and is designed to offer internet streaming efficiency upgrades without affecting quality. That makes it an important step in the uptake of streamed 8K video, given the more data-heavy demands of this higher-res format.
The other big advantage to the streaming giants is that AV1 is royalty-free. That means video platforms, device manufacturers and, by proxy, users can avoid the hefty licensing payments previously associated with codecs such as HEVC. With any luck, that should also grease the wheels of AV1’s evolution and development by avoiding costly, time consuming and generally prohibitive law suits and patent claims.
At the time of writing, the AV1 video codec shows anywhere up to 30 per cent more efficient compression than HEVC, and those within the Alliance for Open Media will push for even bigger gains still. After all, it’s always good to leave room to squeeze more audio and video standards into the bitstream as and when they arise.
But while all sounds good for efficiency of the compression, there is a catch – it takes much, much longer to encode videos in AV1 in the first place. Imagine capturing a video on your mobile then having to wait an age for the AV1 file to be created before you can share it.
The aim for AV1 is for significant improvement here. Realistically, it’s a problem that needs to be solved before widespread adoption can happen. Until then, expect AV1 to be a more fringe player.
Best media streamers 2021: The best TV streaming devices
AV1 specs
(Image credit: AOAlliance)
AV1 decoders are available at different profile settings and levels, depending on each piece of hardware’s capabilities. Theoretically, though, there’s plenty of scope and the very upper limits of AV1 have not yet been defined.
For the time being, the codec can go as far as 8K at up to 120fps, involving bitrates at up to 800mbps. Bit depth for colour comes in 8-, 10- and 12-bit varieties and with colour sampling up to a 4:4:4 full pixel level.
Can I watch AV1 video now?
Google has already implemented some AV1 use onto YouTube and requires AV1 support to view its 8K videos on TV.
Netflix has also started streaming AV1 content on a few titles. In fact, the subscription giant first took on AV1 as a way of keeping costs down for Android customers. The Netflix ‘Save Data’ feature on Android devices prioritises the use of the less data-heavy AV1 streams where possible. The company has also committed to take AV1 use across the board going forward.
Vimeo has adopted AV1 for the streams of its ‘Staff picks’ channel. Facebook has promised a roll out of AV1 as browser support emerges, and Twitch has 2022 or 2023 targeted with universal support projected to arrive in 2024 or 2025.
To watch this AV1 content requires both hardware and software support, which mostly breaks down to which device you’ve got and what operating system it’s using. At the time of writing, there’s no AV1 support on MacOS or iOS.
Android (10 onwards), Chrome (70 onwards) and Linux can decode AV1 streams, as can Windows 10 devices (once updated) for certain Windows apps.
What is Google TV? Apps, features, compatible TVs, everything you need to know
What devices support AV1?
Any device looking to support AV1 will need to have an AV1 decoder built-in at the chip level. Compatibility to the codec cannot be added as a firmware update for most devices. That means the very vast majority of devices out there at the time of writing aren’t ready for it.
There are one or two that were future-proofed in 2020, though. Of those, the Roku Ultra is probably your best bet to get going with AV1 content straight away, although it’s only available in the US for now.
LG’s 8K TVs from 2020 are also AV1 compatible with a decoder built into the α9 (Gen 3) processor. It’s a similar story for Samsung’s 8K sets from the same time – you can actually watch AV1-encoded 8K content from the YouTube app of those sets now.
The other notable AV1-enabled hardware is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 Series graphics cards, which would make a very handy video streaming addition to most PCs.
Otherwise, it’s a list of AV1 promises but these include a particularly good one. Google recently announced that any device looking to use the Android TV 10 OS produced after the 31st March 2021 deadline will need to have an AV1 decoder built in.
So, expect plenty of set-top boxes and smart TVs launched in 2021 and beyond to be ready to go and, with Google putting its foot down, all sorts of other products and services should fall in line over the next 12 months, and that’s good news for everyone. Higher quality video, here we come.
MORE:
HGiG explained: what is HGiG? How do you get it? And should you use it?
ATSC 3.0: everything you need to know about NextGen TV
Samsung’s first Neo QLED is a force to be reckoned with, and the greatest threat yet to the dominance of OLED
For
Superbly bright, punchy and sharp
Exhaustive feature set
Lovely design
Against
Artificial boost to dark detail
Reticence with extreme contrast
Still no Dolby Vision
This year looks very much like the year of Mini LED. The technology, which sees the traditional LEDs of a TV backlight miniaturised in order to increase contrast, is a feature of the 2021 line-ups of most major TV brands, including LG and Philips.
For those brands, Mini LED TVs sit below their OLED models, but for Samsung, Mini LED is its flagship technology (assuming you discount its eye-wateringly expensive new Micro LED sets). The company has developed its own Mini LEDs, which it says are even smaller and more efficient than those of its rivals, and combined them with its existing Quantum Dot tech to create a range of premium TVs that it calls Neo QLEDs.
The QE65QN95A is the first Neo QLED we’ve tested. It’s the top 4K model in Samsung’s 2021 range, and it purports to offer a huge upgrade on last year’s equivalent without any increase in price.
This is the model that Samsung is pitching against LG’s incredibly popular C-class OLED, the 2021 version of which (the C1) we have yet to review. When it does appear, the C1 is going to have its work cut out because the Samsung QN95A is the best QLED there’s ever been, and that makes it a serious challenger to even the best OLEDs.
Pricing
The Samsung QE65QN95A is priced at £2999 – exactly the same price its predecessor, the QE65Q95T, launched at, despite this new model representing what appears to be a serious technological upgrade.
The QN95A is exclusive to Europe. US buyers instead get the QN90A, which does without the QN95A’s One Connect box and has just one HDMI 2.1 socket (the QN95A has four). Confusingly, the US QN90A is different to the European QN90A, which is more heavily downgraded. Apparently, Europe will in fact get an as-yet-unannounced model called the QN94A, which will be the same as the US’s QN90A.
If you’ve completely lost track, it’s no surprise. It feels as though Samsung has gone out of its way to make its model structure even less coherent than it was in 2020. Sony, meanwhile, is putting a concerted effort into unifying its model numbers across all regions, and LG has been doing that for years, at least in terms of its OLEDs.
Build
(Image credit: Future)
Besides the benefits in terms of contrast, a Mini LED backlight is much slimmer than one consisting of standard LEDs. Samsung has also worked hard to reduce the distance between the backlight and the Quantum Dot panel, making the whole display section slimmer.
Samsung QE65QN95A tech specs
(Image credit: Future / Escape From Pretoria, Amazon Prime)
Screen type QLED
Backlight Mini LED
Resolution 4K
Operating system Samsung Tizen
HDR formats HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
HDMI x4
USB x3
Optical x1
Of course, a TV also needs to pack in processing hardware and speakers, but Samsung has still managed to reduce the thickness of the QN95A to just 2.6cm, down from the 3.5cm of last year’s Q95T.
That doesn’t make the QN95A as thin as an OLED is at its thinnest point (the LG CX is under 4mm thick here) but its uniform depth measurement means it is much thinner than most OLEDs are at their thickest points (the CX is 4.7cm here) and arguably makes for a more stylish, picture frame-like proposition when wall mounted.
The QN95A also gets the new, redesigned version of Samsung’s One Connect box. The concept is the same – all connections, including power, go into a separate unit that’s connected to the TV via a single cable – but the chunky brick design has been replaced by one reminiscent of a stack of five or six placemats. While this One Connect can be mounted to the rear of the stand of Samsung’s 2021 8K models, it can’t be mounted to the QN95A at all.
Also slightly disappointing is that the cable that runs between the One Connect box and display is significantly thicker and less flexible than that of previous versions. Samsung says the cable has changed in the name of “performance stability and durability”, but we weren’t aware of any issues with the previous design.
While the move to a thicker wire is a bit of a shame, having just one cable running to the display rather than multiple HDMIs and power is still undeniably neater. And, if your set-up means that the One Connect box will be visible in your TV rack, this new version is significantly easier on the eye than its predecessor.
Features
(Image credit: Future / Escape From Pretoria, Amazon Prime)
The One Connect box also gives the QN95A a more advanced set of connections than other 2021 Samsung models such as the QN90A. It’s all down to the HDMIs: all four of the QN95A’s HDMI sockets are 2.1-spec, while its siblings get just one HDMI 2.1 socket. That probably won’t make a huge difference right now, but anyone planning to buy both the PS5 and Xbox Series X will need more than one HDMI 2.1 socket to take full advantage of both consoles, and there will only be more HDMI 2.1 sources in the future.
Of course, simply having HDMI 2.1 sockets isn’t enough to guarantee support for all of those fancy next-gen HDMI features, but the QN95A offers support for eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), 4K@120Hz (aka High Frame Rate) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate). VRR is supported in all three of the formats currently available: standard HDMI VRR, Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync (this is the first TV to be FreeSync Premium Pro-certified, in fact).
As is probably already clear, Samsung is even more committed to courting gamers than before, going as far as creating the ‘Game Bar’ – a pop-up menu that gives you quick access to various game-related features and delivers live information on the signal being received, including the VRR format and frame rate. Input lag, meanwhile, has been reduced to under 10ms, which is entirely imperceptible. If you don’t mind sacrificing a little of that speed, you can enable some gaming-specific motion smoothing, although we don’t find that necessary during testing.
Finally, on the gaming front, the HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) setting that was added to Samsung’s 2020 QLEDs via a software update late last year is also present on the QN95A. This is well worth using in conjunction with your console’s HDR calibration settings as it results in a more accurate picture with deeper blacks and more detailed highlights.
Samsung has also long been the market leader when it comes to integrated streaming apps, and the QN95A is just as well-appointed as its predecessors in that regard. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, Google Play Movies & TV and Rakuten are all present in 4K and HDR; BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 and My5 complete the set of catch-up apps; Now TV and BT Sport are also here; and Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, BBC Sounds and TuneIn mean every major music and radio app is on board, too. In short, there’s no app of significance that’s missing here, and there are loads of niche apps in there too.
There is, though, an HDR format of significance that’s missing – Dolby Vision. While Samsung’s rival HDR10+ has made undeniable in-roads in recent years, Dolby Vision is clearly the more dominant format and it’s very hard indeed to see the power balance shifting. Even if Samsung truly believes HDR10+ is better, it should by now be offering Dolby Vision support as well.
(Image credit: Future)
The operating system is more or less unchanged from last year, which is no bad thing. It’s still the best in the business, slickly getting you to the content you’re after quicker than any rival. One new feature that has the potential to be great is Multi View, which allows you to split the screen in two and watch an HDMI source in one window while you access an app via the other. We could see this could be useful for watching two football games at once, for example, one via your Sky Q box and the other the BT Sport app, but currently the only apps supported in Multi View are YouTube and a wellness app called Calm, rendering it almost useless.
The QN95A’s new remote has a useful new feature, though: on the bottom is a light panel that allows it to be charged via sunlight and even house lights. It works really well – during testing, the remote’s battery level doesn’t drop below about 95 per cent as it constantly tops itself up. That said, the remote does also have a USB-C socket that can be used as a backup charging method.
Under the TV’s skin is a new version of Samsung Quantum Processor, called the Neo Quantum Processor 4K. The big new feature here is referred to as Ultra Precision Light Driving, which involves more precise dimming and a local power distribution feature that sends power to the brightest areas of the picture and away from the darker parts. It also works in conjunction with a sensor integrated into the TV’s frame to adjust brightness and contrast in response to ambient lighting conditions. There’s a new level of ‘deep learning’ applied to contrast enhancement, too.
Of course, the biggest new feature of the QN95A is its Mini LED backlight. Samsung explains that the majority of a typical LED’s size is made up of its protective packaging and light-guiding lens, both of which it has done away with for its so-called ‘New LEDs’. Not only that, but it has also miniaturised the LEDs themselves, to astonishing effect: the new LEDs, packaging and all, are a fortieth the size of their traditional counterparts and look like little more than sparkly grains of sand.
Instead of a lens, this New LED backlight works with a new ‘micro layer’ that guides the light through the quantum dots (which provide the set’s colours). The result is apparently no light leakage or blooming.
Crucially, because the New LEDs are so much smaller, significantly more of them can be packed in, creating more individual dimming zones in the process. While Samsung doesn’t quote official figures for these dimming zones, we understand that the QN95A has just under 800 of them. Last year’s Q95T and Q90T are thought to have had around 120 dimming zones each so, on paper at least, this appears to be a massive upgrade that should have a startling impact on contrast.
Picture
(Image credit: Future / Escape From Pretoria, Amazon Prime)
Kicking off with the 4K Blu-ray of John Wick: Chapter 3, it quickly becomes clear that this is a massive upgrade in real terms, too. Not only does the QN95A go vastly brighter than the OLED competition, in most conditions it combines bright and dark picture elements unlike any commercially available TV before it. As John cuts through the chandelier shop near the start of the film, the warm, piercing light contrasts brilliantly with the rain-soaked streets in the background, with the bulbs and the glass sections of the chandeliers sparkling to a degree that makes the Award-winning Philips 65OLED805 look decidedly dull.
Crucially, this brightness doesn’t come at the expense of black depth, which is close to OLED-quality. If you look closely at a still image, you can see that the top black bar loses a bit of purity as one of the shining bulbs lingers at its edge, but in action, this isn’t noticeable. What’s more, there’s no obvious haloing around bright objects on dark backgrounds, or any other real hint that this is a backlit telly. It’s not totally perfect, but it could be argued that it’s close enough to not matter.
That said, the QN95A is, like its predecessor, a little cautious when confronted by small bright objects in otherwise overwhelmingly black images. During the opening scene of It, Pennywise’s eyes should glow menacingly bright out of the gloom of the basement, but they’re barely noticeable here. As the camera heads through the tunnel towards daylight for the start of the film, it’s clear that the TV is holding back, presumably for fear of introducing blooming, and it makes the image less exciting than it should be.
The same trait is clear in the company logos and intro text at the start of Blade Runner 2049. It could be that Samsung is playing things just a little too safe here, but crucially, these ultra-high contrast images are relatively uncommon, and in isolation, the Samsung’s delivery rarely looks wrong. It’s only in a side-by-side comparison with one of the punchier 2020 OLEDs that this reticence becomes clear.
The only other slight flaw in the QN95A’s delivery is regarding the balance of dark detail and black depth. Not that the TV isn’t capable of both, but we struggle to find the perfect balance. There’s a dedicated Shadow Detail setting that does exactly that but it also somewhat washes out the image. Switching the Contrast Enhancer to High, meanwhile, reveals so much dark detail that it feels as though artificial light is being added to some dark scenes.
We’ve always appreciated Samsung’s bold and straightforward picture settings, but for this TV, a Contrast Enhancer setting between Low and High might have proved perfect. As it is, you have to trade just a bit of dark detail to get inky blacks, or have slightly artificially boosted shadow detail.
Ultimately, though, the QN95A is a stunning performer overall. It’s so dynamic and vibrant that it makes its rivals look flat and boring. Whites, in particular, are incredibly pure and punchy, from John Wick’s shirt to the fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling of the first-floor armoury above the chandelier shop.
(Image credit: Future / Escape From Pretoria, Amazon Prime)
Colours are incredibly lush, too, but also natural and controlled – as long as you tone down the Colour setting just a bit. It’s the perfect foil for the comic book-style exaggeration of John Wick 3, pumping up the pink of the shirts of the call centre staff and bringing the Marrakesh market to life with its varied and vibrant hues.
Switch to 1917 and the vibrancy is tempered by a slightly unexpected degree of naturalism. Some TVs we’ve reviewed have, in their quest for vibrancy, pushed the green fields at the film’s start from verdant to lurid, but the QN95A doesn’t fall into this trap and the film is delivered with both punch and poise.
The same effortless balance is applied in regards to detail and sharpness, too. Where some TVs, including previous Samsung models, can over-sharpen edges and details, giving everything an artificially etched look, the QN95A ensures that everything is crisp and clearly defined without any of that exaggeration. The detail is all there, but it isn’t rammed down your throat, and that’s the way it should be.
In 2020, Samsung took a big step forward in terms of motion processing, and it’s good to see that that balance of smoothness and naturalism continues into 2021. Again, you need to select the right setting: the default Auto setting is forced and unpleasant, but switching to Custom and setting Blur Reduction and Judder Reduction to 10 and 3 respectively keeps motion controlled without adding fizz around fast movement or any of the dreaded soap opera effect.
Switching from 4K to 1080p with the Looper Blu-ray, it becomes clear that this Samsung takes a surprisingly subtle approach to SDR content. While many TVs attempt to give SDR content an HDR sheen, the QN95A opts instead for subtlety. Compared with the Philips OLED805, the Samsung’s image is less dynamic and instantly exciting, but also more nuanced in its shading and a fair bit more detailed. Both approaches have their merits, but Samsung’s feels more authentic.
The same relative characteristics are present as we switch to our trusty Dirty Harry DVD. While the Samsung is once again less punchy in its delivery, it’s subtler and cleaner, too.
Sound
(Image credit: Future)
Considering the QN95A’s sound system is essentially invisible, it packs in a large number of drivers – eight of them, in fact – in a 4.2.2 arrangement that Samsung refers to as OTS+ and is rated to 70W. ‘OTS’ stands for ‘Object Tracking Sound’ and refers to the fact that the system is designed to create a sense of three-dimensionality akin to Dolby Atmos. All of which makes it slightly baffling that the QN95A can’t natively play Dolby Atmos soundtracks, although it can pass them out to a connected speaker system (even a Samsung soundbar).
Regardless of the tech involved (or not), the QN95A puts in a solid audio performance that’s clear, direct and punchy but with good weight and openness. It delivers a strong sense of space and atmosphere while ensuring that dialogue and effects are presented clearly. Detail levels are high by the standards of an integrated sound system, too.
That said, the QN95A’s speakers struggle with the super-deep bass at the start of chapter 2 of Blade Runner 2049, with its woofers flapping uncomfortably. This is far from the only TV to have problems here – LG’s CX OLEDs suffer at least as badly – but it’s a shame all the same. Still, we would always recommend partnering a TV as impressive as this with a dedicated sound system, and this flaw only reinforces that message.
If you are determined to stick with the Samsung’s integrated speakers, Adaptive Volume is best switched off as it tends to sound quite forced and hard, but Adaptive Sound+ is worth using as it adds spaciousness and a slight sense of cinematic envelopment. Amplify is worth trying, too: it sacrifices a bit of low-level dynamic subtlety for bigger overall dynamics and more punch, making it useful for action films. Standard is probably better if you want to use one setting for all content, though.
Verdict
While Mini LED might not quite be the revolution that Samsung is pitching it as, it’s still a substantial upgrade to an already excellent range of TVs. The overall contrast offered is staggering, and the QN95A combines near-OLED black levels with awesomely crisp white highlights and fabulously vibrant colours, all while retaining an effortless sense of naturalism.
Throw in the best, most app-packed operating system in the business, a delightfully slim design and a full set of next-gen HDMI sockets and this is (a lack of Dolby Vision support aside) as complete a package as can be imagined.
It’s early days for 2021 TVs, but Samsung has thrown down the gauntlet in emphatic style and it will be fascinating to see how its rivals respond.
The Samsung S21 FE (Fan Edition) will be the cheapest model of the 2021 S-series. How will this phone look like and what are the expected specs?
Last September, Samsung launched the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, as an entry-level model within the high-end S20 series. The device was equipped with a relatively large display, a large battery, powerful hardware and the latest software. In addition, the S20 FE was marketed significantly cheaper than the other S-series models. It is therefore not surprising that this phone model became very popular. Now that the Galaxy S21 series has been officially announced, the question arises; will Samsung also release a Fan Edition of the S21 this year?
Although the S20 FE was the first Fan Edition within the S-series, it is likely that Samsung will release another FE edition in 2021, in the form of a Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. After all, the previous model was a direct hit and it was also a good replacement for the significantly less popular S10 Lite.
When is the Samsung S21 FE expected?
The timing of the release was also better. The S10 Lite was announced in January. While the S20 FE saw the light of day in September, so it was another half year wait for the new S-series models to be announced annually in February.
It is in line with expectations that Samsung will maintain this release schedule, in other words, an S21 FE will probably be released in the second half of 2021. Just as there seems to be a Samsung Galaxy Note 21 FE in the planning for the second half of the year.
This brings up the question; What can we expect from the S21 Fan Edition this year? Samsung has taken some unexpected steps within the S-series this year. Although flagship smartphones normally only get improved, this certainly wasn’t the case with the Samsung S21.
The S21 adopted various features of the cheaper S20 FE, such as the flat display with Full HD resolution and the plastic back. As a result, the S21 has also been marketed more cheaply than the S20 a year earlier. The first sales results show that Samsung has made the right decision in this regard. The pre-order sales of the S21 series went significantly better than the year before.
Now that the Galaxy S21 is cheaper than the S20, the question remains; what features will the S21 FE get. Which features will Samsung be able to omit to still deliver the same high-end experience, at a lower price level?
Design of the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition
For the time being, the specifications of this new model are still unknown. But now that the Samsung S21, S21 Plus and S21 Ultra have been officially announced, we can already look carefully ahead to the fourth model.
To give a first impression of the possible design of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, in-house graphic designer Giuseppe Spinelli, aka Snoreyn, made a series of product renders. The 3D images are designed based on the already available S21 and S20 FE and are cast in a matching Samsung style.
With the Galaxy S21 FE, Samsung will want to appeal to successful youngsters. That is why we have opted for four stylish colors with a light color palette; gray, blue, purple and green. The previous model appeared in no less than 6 sparkling colors, so you can assume that at least several color options will be offered.
Of course, the new Fan Edition is also made dust and waterproof (IP68), as you would expect from a high-end phone. Furthermore, the SIM compartment will most likely be moved to the bottom of the device, as is the case with the other S21 models. Audio enthusiasts will unfortunately have to do without a 3.5mm headphone jack.
What is immediately noticeable about the Samsung S21 FE, designed by Giuseppe, is the camera system. The three available S21 models are characterized by a specially designed camera, where the camera is merged with the frame on the side and top of the device. To make the Fan Edition cheaper, we decided not to implement this design twist in the S21 FE.
The design of the triple camera is comparable to that of the S20 FE. We have chosen to keep the color of the camera module the same as that of the housing. Last year, the camera island got a dark color scheme with a harder contrast, regardless of which color variant you chose.
In terms of camera specifications, we do not expect any major differences compared to last year. After all, the camera of the S21 and S20 is also largely identical to each other. The FE model was equipped with a 32MP selfie camera. The triple rear camera consists of a 12 megapixel wide angle and ultra wide angle camera and an 8 megapixel telecamera with 3x Hybrid zoom and 30X Space Zoom. The S20 FE can record videos in 4K resolution and played back in 8K.
The S21 FE will probably have the same camera configuration as the S20 FE. Additional functions are made possible by the renewed Android 11 OS, in combination with the One UI 3.1 interface. Think of the new features such as Object Eraser and Multi Mic recording, as well as an improved Single Take function and touch autofocus.
Expected technical specifications
The screen sizes of the S21 models have remained the same as last year. The S21 is the smallest with its 6.2 ” display, followed by the S21 Plus with its 6.7” display. The S21 FE will probably feature a 6.5 ”Full HD+ display again – meaning it will be positioned between the base and Plus model in terms of size.
The screen will most likely support the high 120 Hertz refresh rate, but HDR support will likely be lacking. Logically, a punch-hole camera system will again be chosen to accommodate the selfie camera.
Presumably the same Exynos 2100 will be used as with the other S21 models. However, less RAM will probably be built in, but two options may again be offered: 6GB and 8GB RAM. The storage capacity of 128GB / 256GB will probably be maintained.
It will be interesting to see whether the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will have a memory card slot. With the other S21 models, Samsung has chosen to omit the microSD compartment, so that the options for expanding the memory are limited to cloud storage. Samsung may keep the microSD memory compartment with the Fan Edition, although it is just as likely that it will be left out for cost reasons.
Furthermore, it is in line with expectations that the S21 Fan Edition will also have an extra large battery. After all, this was also one of the strong features of the previous FE model. The S20 FE was equipped with the same size battery as the S20 Plus; 4500 mAh.
If Samsung continues this line, it would mean that the S21 FE will be equipped with a 4,800 mAh battery with support for 25W wired / 15W wireless charging. Since the FE has a slightly smaller screen than the Plus variant, it is likely that this model also delivers a slightly better battery life. The 4,800 mAh battery of the S21 Plus guarantees a battery life of more than 12 hours.
Probably the charger will not be included, the same goes for the earplugs. Samsung has already started this trend with the other S21 models. The official reason for this is that Samsung wants to counteract eWaste. By not supplying a charger / earplugs the environment can be saved.
Unfortunately, Samsung does not leave this decision to the consumer. If the environment is the main driver, why not offer the phone both with and without a charger for the same amount of money – as Xiaomi is doing with the Mi 11. At the end, many do want to purchase a fast charger which now needs to be packaged separately, be shipped separately etc. The environmental benefits will therefore be very limited.
How much will the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE cost?
The Samsung S20 FE 5G (128GB) carried a suggested retail price of € 750 last year, a 4G model was also released for € 650. The S21 models are cheaper than last year and, moreover, are only available with 5G. Most likely, the S21 FE will also be released exclusively as a 5G model, after all, 5G is the future and it will replace 4G in the coming years.
The basic model within the 2021 S-series is available for a starting price of € 850 (128GB). In six months’ time, the S21 will undoubtedly have dropped in price, making it plausible that the Galaxy S21 FE will also be marketed more cheaply than last year. This way, Samsung can prevent the Fan Edition from being even more expensive at launch than the basic model. You may be able to buy the new model for about € 650. By keeping the entry-level price the same as last year, but this time with 5G, the S-series will remain accessible to a wide audience.
For the already available S21 models, Samsung has chosen not to include a charger or earplugs in the sales package. This new trend, initiated by Apple last year, does not appear to have had a negative effect on sales numbers. It is therefore certainly not inconceivable that the new Galaxy S21 FE will also be delivered without a charger and earplugs.
Samsung will probably offer the Fan Edition in a range of standard colors. The S21 Plus and Ultra can also be purchased in various custom colors, which can only be ordered on request via the Samsung website. However, this option is not available for the base model, so it is unlikely that custom colors will be designed for the S21 FE either.
Nevertheless, different color variants will undoubtedly be made available. In addition, Samsung will undoubtedly announce a range of matching accessories, including phone cases made of a variety of materials such as silicone, fabric and leather.
The fourth model in the S-series will probably be announced around September, before then we first expect a new Galaxy Note smartphone. In the coming months, more details will undoubtedly be known about the technical specifications and design of the new Samsung Galaxy S21 FE.
Note to editors : The product images in this publication are created by in-house graphic designer Giuseppe Spinelli (aka Snoreyn). The presented concept renders are for illustrative purposes only. The images are copyright protected. Feel free to use the pictures on your own website, please be so respectful to include a source link into your publication.
A federal jury in Waco, Texas, ruled today that Intel must pay $2.18 billion in damages to VLSI, a semiconductor design firm, for violating two of its patents. Damages for one patent violation weigh in at $1.5 billion, while the other totals $675 million. The broader case is still ongoing, though, as VLSI has sued Intel in several states, spanning California, Delaware, and Texas, for damages associated with six other alleged patent violations.
Intel’s most recent 10K filing lists the VLSI lawsuits as ongoing litigation, noting that VLSI seeks a total of $7.1 billion in damages from all eight alleged violations, along with future royalties, attorney’s fees, costs, and interest. Intel predicts that totals up to $11 billion, collectively.
Intel commented on today’s ruling, saying to Tom’s Hardware, “Intel strongly disagrees with today’s jury verdict. We intend to appeal and are confident that we will prevail.”
According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, one patent pertains to saving computer power, while another pertains to increasing the speed of the processor. We tracked down the patents, with the ‘759 patent’ relating to clock speed management, while the ‘373 patent’ describes a method to reduce the memory’s minimum operating voltage.
VLSI originally purchased the patents in question from NXP Semiconductors, which will also get an unspecified portion of the awards. However, the patents originated with Freescale Semiconductor Inc. and SigmaTel Inc., both of which were purchased by NXP Semiconductors.
Intel has denied that it violated the patents, and along with Apple, has previously filed an antitrust lawsuit against VLSI’s parent company, Fortress, claiming the company had unlawfully aggregated patents.
Intel’s lawyers said in the closing arguments that VLSI has no products and that its only source of revenue is from the lawsuits, obviously implying the company is merely a patent troll.
To keep things in perspective, while the $2.2 billion in damages is obviously high, Intel raked in $77.9 billion in revenue during 2020, so it’s a manageable sum. However, it is significantly higher than the $1.2 billion fine Intel was slapped with for antitrust behavior against AMD a decade ago, and the company still disputes that fine in court today.
As noted above, Intel plans to appeal the recent ruling, so we can expect this to be an ongoing fight for years to come.
Samsung has upped the ante and the channel count for its 2021 soundbar range. The Q950A boasts the company’s first 11.1.4 channel soundbar package.
The flagship Q950A package comprises the main soundbar unit, a wireless subwoofer and two 9500s wireless surround speakers. Those 9500 surrounds can also be bought as a separate 2.0.2 wireless surround kit and are an upgrade on older models as they include both side-firing and upward-firing drivers.
And those upward drivers will come in handy as the Q950A supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround technology. Dolby has even gone so far as to collaborate with Samsung by creating a custom Atmos demo.
To ensure your surround system is tuned to perfection when paired with a 2021 Samsung TV, users can use the ‘Space Fit Sound’ feature, which analyses your acoustic environment via the TVs microphone and automatically re-calibrates your settings accordingly.
Audio optimisation is still available for those without a Samsung TV as the subwoofer has its own in-built microphone that offers ‘Space EQ’, fine-tuning the bass response.
Samsung TV owners will also benefit from ‘Q-Symphony’ technology, which allows the soundbar to work in conjunction with the TV’s own speakers for an even bigger sound.
Samsung has previously announced that this year’s soundbars will include Apple’s AirPlay 2 for easy streaming and the ability to play content from your phone simply by tapping it to the bar. The Q950A also has integration for voice control services, including Amazon Alexa and Bixby.
In addition to the Q950A, Samsung appears to be upgrading the other Q family members with the Q600A, Q700A, Q800A and Q900A.
No pricing or release date is available just yet but the Q950A supersedes the Q950T, which launched at £1599 (AU$1949).
MORE:
Best soundbars
Everything you need to know about Dolby Atmos
Samsung TV lineup 2021
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