The Samsung Galaxy S21 has been launched. But the launch isn’t with some controversy. Following the pattern of previous years, Samsung’s new flagship uses different processors depending on your region. In some countries you get the Snapdragon 888, in others you get the Exynos 2100. Is there a difference? Do they both perform the same?

The Processors

• What is the Samsung Exynos 2100 – Everything you need to know.
• Snapdragon 888 – 5nm, Cortex-X1, Adreno 660, 4K HDR, Bluetooth 5.2, and more!

Speed Test G Reveals All

• Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Snapdragon 888) vs S21 Ultra (Exynos 2100) – The difference in performance between the two models has often been a point of contention. What about this year, can the Exynos match the Snapdragon?
• Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Snapdragon 888) vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 (Snapdragon 865+) – How does it compare to Samsung’s previous flagship device, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra?
• Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Snapdragon 888) vs OnePlus 8T (Snapdragon 865) –  A test against a non-Samsung device, the OnePlus 8T, with the Snapdragon 865. Time to upgrade?

Battery Life and Sustained Performance

Against the iPhone

• Samsung Galaxy S21 vs iPhone 11 Pro Max – Can Samsung’s latest flagship, with Qualcomm’s latest processor, beat the iPhone 11 Pro Max with its Apple A13 Bionic processor?
• Speed Test: Samsung Galaxy S21 vs iPhone 12 – Samsung Galaxy S21 (with the Snapdragon 888) vs iPhone 12 (with the Apple A14 Bionic). No further comment needed!!!

Qualcomm has bought Nuvia, a processor design company, started by Apple’s former chief CPU designer! Now he works for Qualcomm.

Raspberry Pi Camera

I am making a new series of videos about the Raspberry Pi Camera. In the first video, Raspberry Pi Camera Introduction and Getting Started, I talk about how to install the Raspberry Pi Camera and how to take photos and record video from the command line.

The second part is also out: Use Raspberry Pi Camera from Python. I look at how to use the camera from Python. Includes how to take stills, record videos, and stream MJPEG to your web browser.

Roundup

• Why the Snapdragon 480 might be the most important 5G processor of 2021 – Qualcomm has launched a new 5G processor, the Snapdragon 480. It brings 5G to the mainstream without cutting corners on performance and camera functionality.
• I Can Guess Any Number Up To 1 Million, in 20 Tries – How use a binary search to locate data quickly. Includes example Python code.
• Thunderbolt / USB 4 – What ports are really used by the M1 MacBooks? – The new M1 based MacBooks (and the Mac Mini) include at least two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports. But what exactly are they? Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4? What is USB 4?

MacBook Air (M1) Battery Test – Is it as Good as Apple Says?

Apple is claiming that the new M1 based MacBook Air provides 3 extra hours of battery life compared to the previous Intel based model. Is it true? Is the battery life as good as Apple is claiming?

I Found These Things Interesting, So Might You!

• That XOR Trick – Understand the properties of XOR.
• Build Your Own Text Editor – How to build a text editor in C.
• C.S. Lewis On The Reading of New Books – We often settle for reading about”old books” rather than reading the works themselves.
• Learn Go in ~5mins – OK, probably an exaggeration, but still a good intro to Go.
• The nuclear lighthouses built by the Soviets in the Arctic –  In the 1930s, the USSR started building hundreds of lighthouses along the Northern Sea Route from the Kara Sea to the Bering Strait.

Smartphone audio quality is important. Not only do we listen to audio via headphones, but we also rely on the built-in speaker. Several factors impact smartphone audio quality including the built-in speaker, the DAC, and the audio amplifier.