Tech Digest daily roundup: Samsung phone parts made from fishing nets

Samsung has announced its latest flagship mobile devices, one of them combining two of its previous premium models into a phablet partly made from the plastic in discarded fishing nets. The Galaxy S and Note ranges have been merged into the S22 Ultra, a phablet that comes with a stylus and a 6.8-inch screen – and Samsung has dramatically improved the S Pen response time from nine milliseconds to 2.8 milliseconds. Announced at the company’s annual Unpacked event, the new device will retail from at least £1,149 in its basic memory configuration, putting it firmly in the ultra-premium slice of the market for mobile devices. Sky News 

Samsung’s latest Android combines its Galaxy S and Note into one stylus-equipped superphone, which leads a new line of top-end S22 smartphones part-made from recycled plastic and fishing nets. Announced on Wednesday as part of its Unpacked livestreaming event, the Galaxy S22 Ultra combines the superzoom camera of last year’s top S21 with the body, form and features of Samsung’s popular Note phablet series, which has not been updated since 2020. The S22 Ultra is joined by two smaller and cheaper models, the S22 and S22+. All three new devices have faster chips, the latest Android 12 and ultrasonic fingerprint scanners under their 120Hz OLED screens. The Guardian 

Esports are to be included as a pilot event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships will have separate branding, medals and organisation. But there is hope within the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) that esports could become a part of the full programme by the 2026 Games. Hamilton in Canada, frontrunners for the 2030 event, are also understood to be keen on esports being included. Exploring esports is one of the recommendations outlined in the CGF’s strategic roadmap. Despite opposition from some traditionalists, others believe such moves are needed to engage younger audiences. BBC 

Kwasi Kwarteng is looking to use the taxpayer’s stake in OneWeb to build a satellite navigation system after Britain was removed from the European Galileo project after Brexit. The Business Secretary told MPs that the satellite broadband company could be used to provide “position, navigation and timing” (PNT) signals equivalent to Galileo or the US Global Positioning System. The Government owns a $500m (£370m) stake in OneWeb. Mr Kwarteng said: “My own view is that, in terms of PNT capability that Galileo’s all about, we could do that ourselves. Some people have said there’s no way we can do this, we can’t have PNT outside of Galileo. I don’t happen to agree with this, I think through our strategic acquisition of the stake in OneWeb that does give us a possibility for future capability in PNT.” Telegraph 

Hot on the heels of the announcement of the Fenix 7, Garmin has launched its new Instinct 2 and Instinct 2S smartwatches. The new Instinct offers up to four weeks of battery life in smartwatch mode, according to Garmin, while the Solar models are claimed to offer unlimited battery life in certain conditions. The updated line-up also includes smart features from the brand’s existing watches, such as integration with the Connect IQ store and a host of wellness and fitness features. This is the first generation of the Instinct to be offered in two models – the 2 and the 2S. The 2 sports a traditional 45mm bezel, while the new 2S has a smaller 40mm bezel, said to offer a more comfortable fit for individuals with smaller wrists. Prices for the new Instinct watches start from £299.99 / €349.99 / $349 / AU$549. Bike Radar