Articles by Derrek Lee

It only took Samsung a few months.

Update, Apr 30 (8:10 pm ET): The Galaxy SmartTag+ is available for purchase.

What you need to know

The Galaxy SmartTag+ is finally up for purchase after being announced in January.
The tag features UWB for enhanced location tracking with the SmartThings Find app.
Galaxy SmartTag+ retails for $40 and is available in two colors.

During Galaxy Unpacked in January, Samsung announced its first Bluetooth tracker alongside the Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphones. The Galaxy SmartTag was launched as a competitor to some of the best Bluetooth trackers on the market, but then Samsung also teased an even better version of the tracker that would be released at an unspecified date. Although without much fanfare, that date happens to be upon us, with Galaxy SmartTag+ now available for preorder.

Like other Bluetooth trackers, the Galaxy SmartTag and SmartTag+ can be attached to items like backpacks, luggage, or even pets and track them with a Bluetooth signal. S…

Visible is upgrading your upgrades.

What you need to know

Visible is announcing updates to its early-upgrade plan for both Apple and Android devices.
Subscribers can upgrade their smartphones with no fee after paying off just half their device.
The new upgrade plan will start on May 3.

One of the best MVNO carriers is making it easier for subscribers to get the latest and greatest smartphones sooner. Visible subscribers will soon be able to upgrade to some of the best Android phones of the year thanks to Visible’s early upgrade plan.

Subscribers financing a new phone through Affirm will not only benefit from 0% APR but will soon be able to upgrade to a new device after at least 50% is paid off. This includes iPhones, devices made by Samsung and Google, and select devices from Motorola, ZTE, and OnePlus. Subscribers will have to send in the old device within 14 days of receiving the new one, which Visible notes must be the same “make” of the one being traded in.

That means if y…

Apparently, some Fossil Gen 5 users still have not received the update.

Update, April 30 (5:00 pm ET): The update is rolling out again!

What you need to know

Fossil is pausing its rollout of Google’s H MR2 update for Wear OS.
The company addresses some issues with the update and has not specified when it will resume rolling out to devices.
Google’s H MR2 update was released last year to provide speed and battery improvements to the platform.

Google surprised many when it rolled out an update for Wear OS, aiming to improve the performance of its smartwatch platform. The update, dubbed H-MR2, brought some under-the-hood improvements to make Wear OS faster and more battery efficient. The Suunto 7 received the update first, followed by the Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch, but apparently, Fossil is having some issues and has paused the rollout.

According to a Fossil representative on Reddit, the company is working out some issues with the update, which is why some users have yet to receive…

Customers are the losers in Google’s very public tussle with Roku over YouTube TV.

What you need to know

Roku removed the YouTube TV app from its app store after negotiations with Google fell through.
Google responded to the action, maintaining its position and accusing Roku of seeking “special treatment.”
Roku has called Google’s terms “unfair and anti-competitive.”

Anyone looking to download the YouTube TV app on any of the best Roku devices may be in for a surprise, as the company has just removed the app from its store. The move comes after failed negotiations between the two companies, with Roku accusing Google of monopolistic behavior and search manipulation.

Google issued a statement in response to Roku’s action, stating that Roku has “engaged in this tactic with other streaming providers” and that Google’s terms have been in place for several years.

Roku requested exceptions that would break the YouTube experience and limit our ability to update YouTube in order to …

Samsung didn’t ship a charger with the Galaxy S21, but we can still hope for its next flagships. Or not.

What you need to know

Samsung just launched the Galaxy Book Pro with a new, smaller USB-C charger.
The fast charger is based on Gallium nitrate (GaN) and can achieve 65W charging speeds.
Samsung has stated that it will gradually remove chargers from the in-box packaging of its smartphones, meaning it’s unlikely its upcoming flagships will ship with GaN chargers.

Samsung just launched its new Galaxy Book Pro laptops at its recent Galaxy Unpacked event, with impressive design, specs, and mobile-focused features. Both offer thin designs, FHD AMOLED displays, and fairly large batteries. Samsung claims as much as eight hours of battery life from a 30-minute charge thanks to its new 65W fast charger, but the real story might be what the new charger is made with.

Samsung made quite a deal over its new Gallium nitride (GaN) charger at Unpacked. If you’re not familiar, Gallium nitrid…

Moving Prime Day should help Amazon in Q2.

What you need to know

Amazon’s Q1 2021 financial earnings have been released, showing a 44% increase in sales.
The company expects the momentum to continue into Q2 as a result of increased online shopping.
Prime Day has been moved to later this quarter, which is expected to bolster the company’s Q2 earnings.

Amazon has just announced its Q1 2021 financial earnings, reporting a substantial gain in earnings. That includes a 44% year-over-year increase in sales, which helped Amazon accrue more than $108 billion in revenue. The growth is undoubtedly a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which led to more online shopping in many countries that faced lockdowns. It also shows its continued strength as it prepares for the upcoming transition to its new CEO-elect.

Amazon CFO Brian Osofsky discussed how the company expects this strong momentum to continue in Q2, despite the pandemic seemingly winding down and more countries starting to open…

HBO Max could offer users more value with its new ad-supported tier.

What you need to know

HBO Max could charge $9.99 for its upcoming ad-supported tier.
The company has already announced that the cheaper tier will be available this June.
The price could undercut other streaming services like Netflix, which doesn’t have an ad-supported tier.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has driven more people to streaming services. HBO Max launched at an opportune time to take advantage of this, bringing several theatrical movie releases to the platform. While not cheap at $14.99/month, it does offer more than one simultaneous stream and supports 4K HDR on many of the best streaming devices. WarnerMedia has already announced plans to launch its cheaper, ad-supported tier this June, and now we may have an idea of how much it’ll cost.

According to a report from CNBC, WarnerMedia plans to charge just $9.99 for its ad-supported tier. That would challenge rival streaming services like Disney+…

What are you most excited about for Google I/O?

What you need to know

The schedule for Google I/O 2021 has finally been released.
The three-day conference will go over plenty of Google products like Wear OS, Android 12, Google TV, and more.
Google I/O 2021 is virtual and free for anyone to attend.

Google’s annual developer conference is only a few weeks away, but there’s already a lot to be excited about. We continue to speculate about what to expect at Google I/O 2021. Fortunately, Google is helping out a bit with the speculation thanks to the event schedule that’s just been released.

Amongst the keynotes, meetups, and workshops, there’s quite a lot going on. Fortunately, those that already registered and selected their interests will have certain sessions marked as “suggested for you.” Google also has curated schedules based on different topics or interests, and sessions can also be favorited to create your own personal schedule. Many of the sessions seem to overlap, making …

Qualcomm has high hopes for 2021.

What you need to know

Qualcomm reported a 52% year-over-year increase in revenue in its recent quarterly earnings.
The company has expressed a positive outlook on the state of the global chip shortage later this year.
Qualcomm partially attributed its endurance in the chip shortage to a “reduction on orders from an OEM.”

Qualcomm announced its quarterly financial earnings on Wednesday, beating analyst expectations with $7.93 billion in revenue, a 52% increase when compared to the same quarter last year. That’s despite not only a global pandemic but also a global semiconductor shortage that has affected several different industries, not to mention the availability of devices like the PS5. Outgoing CEO, Steve Mollenkopf, attributed Qualcomm’s strong growth to its strong position in the market:

Demonstrating the strength of our strategy and our success in execution, we delivered another quarter of year-over-year growth driven by sustained dema…

Not sure what to watch? Netflix can help.

What you need to know

Netflix has finally launched its shuffle feature worldwide.
The “Play Something” feature will roll out on connected TVs first.
Android devices will receive the feature soon, with no word on iOS availability.

Netflix has been working on its shuffle feature for some time now. A version of it was first spotted a couple of years ago, but nothing ever came of it until last year when the company reportedly began testing the feature. Netflix is now keeping its word and rolling out the feature worldwide.

Dubbed “Play Something,” the new shuffle feature is pretty straightforward, allowing viewers to launch a movie or TV show at random. It’s helpful for the times when you can’t figure out what to watch since Netflix chooses shows and movies based on what you’ve already seen. The idea is that Netflix will guide you towards titles that you’re most likely to enjoy. If you’re not a fan of what Netflix recommends, you can “Pl…