3 things we expect to see at Samsung’s March event

by Robert Mullins

Samsung only recently unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S22 range and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 range, but it’s not done yet as the company has another announcement planned , with this one set for March 17.

While Samsung hasn’t said exactly what’s coming, it has revealed a teaser that lists this as a Galaxy A event – so expect new models in this mid-range line.

As for which ones exactly, well we can take a very good guess at that, with the three phones below being the most likely candidates for announcement.

Samsung Galaxy A53

We know the Samsung Galaxy A53 is coming and soon, as the phone has already actually gone on sale in a few countries , despite not having been announced yet.

It’s not clear how widely it’s available within these places, but the fact that it’s being sold at all shows that it’s a finished phone that’s been shipped to retailers, so the official launch must be imminent, making March 17 a good bet.

Not only that, but its predecessor – the Samsung Galaxy A52 – was unveiled on March 17 last year, so we’d be very surprised if this doesn’t show up.

It has a 6.52-inch screen, an Exynos 1200 chipset, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 4,500mAh battery, 5G, and a quad-lens camera, with a 64MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide, a 5MP depth sensor and a 5MP macro shooter.

Expect a mid-range price – in Kenya it’s selling for KSH 45,500 (around $400 / £300 / AU$550).

Samsung Galaxy A73

The Samsung Galaxy A73 is also very likely to make an appearance on March 17 - not least because the Galaxy A72 was unveiled on that date last year.

There are also signs that this upcoming phone will launch imminently. For example, press shots of the handset have been leaked .

From leaks we know that it’s likely to have a quad-lens camera with a 64MP main shooter, a 12MP ultra-wide one, a 5MP macro one and a 5MP depth sensor. It might also have a 32MP front-facing camera and a mid-range Snapdragon 778G chipset.

Pricing is so far unknown, but for reference the Samsung Galaxy A72 started at £419 / AU$749 (around $580) when it launched, so expect a similar price here.

Samsung Galaxy A33

Rounding out this possible trio of phones we might get the Samsung Galaxy A33 on March 17, though we’re slightly less sure about this one.

It’s probably coming soon, as it’s been extensively leaked and rumored , but its predecessor (the Samsung Galaxy A32 ) landed in January of 2021, so the March 17 event date doesn’t line up quite as neatly as with the two phones above.

Still if anything that means the Galaxy A33 is overdue, so there’s a good chance Samsung will unveil it here.

Based on leaks, it might have a 6.4-inch 1080 x 2400 OLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, an Exynos 1200 chipset, at least 6GB of RAM, at least 128GB of storage, a 5,000mAh battery, and a quad-lens rear camera.

Five new features that iOS 15.4 brings to your iPhone and iPad

With Apple announcing its Mac Studio , the iPhone SE 3 , the Studio Display , and more at its March 2022 event, the release for iOS 15.4 has followed a week after, available for your iPhone SE, iPhone 6S, and above.

iOS 15 was released in September 2021, and it brought SharePlay, widgets to iPadOS, Focus modes, and more, all focusing on a theme of productivity.

But Apple has been full steam ahead with .1 updates since then, as 15.1, 15.2, and 15.3 have all brought bug fixes and refinements to your iPhone and iPad .

With this in mind, here are five features that you can get acquainted with as iOS 15.4 downloads to your device.

1. Face ID with a mask

While Apple introduced a feature that would allow your Apple Watch to authenticate you by unlocking your phone, it wasn't helpful to those who didn't own a watch.

With iOS 15.4, you can enable an additional feature where you will be asked to scan your face while wearing a mask. The Face ID hardware will then recognize your eyes and facial features to unlock your phone instead.

2. Universal Control with iPadOS 15.4

This is something that was announced at WWDC in 2021, Apple's yearly developer conference, but it was delayed from the latter half of 2021 to the release of iPadOS 15.4.

As long as you have a certain iPad model and a Mac running macOS 12.3 Monterey, you can use your mouse cursor across both devices, so you can drag and drop your content seamlessly.

If you're struggling to set Universal Control up, we've got a guide to help out with that.

3. New Emoji

A new update wouldn't be the same without new emoji, and this time there's a bunch you can use.

From a salute to different genders being pregnant, alongside many new hand gestures, there's plenty to choose from for your WhatsApp and Twitter messages.

4. Better anti-stalking measures for AirTag

When you set up a new AirTag in iOS 15.4, you will be greeted with a pop-up explaining that it's a crime to use it to track people, making users aware of its misuses across the world so far.

There's also better ways to manage its Notifications through the Find My app, so you can configure when the time-tracking alerts will arrive, alongside deciding whether to deliver all of its notifications right away or at a certain time of day.

5. Notes in iCloud Keychain

You've been able to save and sync your passwords in iCloud since 2019 with the release of iOS 13. But 15.4 allows you to add notes to your custom iCloud passwords through iCloud Keychain.

While it sounds like a small feature, it's significant due to other password apps having this for a number of years, and the ease of adding some extra reminders in these sections can help, especially if you have multiple accounts for the same site.

Coming soon to Netflix: 7 new shows to look out for in 2022

It seems like Stranger Things , The Crown and Money Heist have been around since the beginning of time, but every one of those top-tier Netflix shows had to start somewhere.

With that in mind, we thought we’d take a look forward to the pilot projects currently in development for the streaming service in 2022 – from the next Shonda Rhimes production (after Bridgerton and Inventing Anna ) to a set of new high-octane espionage thrillers.

Below, we’ve collated the official synopses given to each upcoming Netflix series (credit to Deadline for digging them up), along with anything else we know about their cast, crew and potential release dates.

For a roundup of the biggest new Netflix movies coming to the streamer in 2022, check out our detailed guide to the streamer’s upcoming feature-length arrivals.

The Diplomat

Production company: Netflix Episode count: 8 Synopsis: “In the midst of an international crisis, a career diplomat lands in a high-profile job she’s unsuited for, with tectonic implications for her marriage and her political future."

The Americans star Keri Russell has signed on to lead this political thriller series from showrunner (and former Homeland producer) Debora Cahn. By the sounds of things, The Diplomat will be a cross between Netflix stablemates House of Cards and Designated Survivor – which is a perfect recipe for edge-of-your-seat drama if ever there was one. The show is due to begin filming in March, so we're anticipating an end-of-year release, at the earliest.

The Night Agent

Production company: Sony Pictures Episode count: 10 Synopsis: “Centers on a low-level FBI agent who works in the basement of the White House, manning a phone that never rings – until the night that it does, propelling him into a fast-moving and dangerous conspiracy that ultimately leads all the way to the Oval Office. Inspired by Matthew Quirk's novel.”

The Shield and The Chicago Code creator Shawn Ryan is at the helm of this upcoming Sony production, which we are reliably informed is not a sequel to hit spy drama The Night Manager. Hillbilly Elegy’s Gabriel Basso will lead the cast alongside Sweet Tooth’s Luciane Buchanan, who we know will be starring as Rose Larkin, a young tech CEO who comes under attack while staying at her aunt and uncle’s house. Matthew Quirk’s novel became a best-seller upon its 2019 publication, so we’re expecting big things from The Night Agent. Shooting is due to start on this one in February, so don't expect to see it until later on in 2022.

The Residence

Production company: Netflix Episode count: 8 Synopsis: “132 rooms. 157 suspects. One dead body. One wildly eccentric detective. One disastrous State Dinner. Screwball whodunit set in the upstairs, downstairs and backstairs of the White House, among the eclectic staff of the world’s most famous mansion.”

The third Shonda Rhimes production set to arrive on Netflix after the Scandal and Grey's Anatomy superproducer penned a multishow mega deal with the streamer, The Residence sounds like a serialized spin on Knives Out. Based on the non-fiction book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower, it doesn't have any cast attachments just yet, but being a Shondaland show, we’re expecting some high-profile names to associate themselves with the project soon. Shooting hasn't yet started on this one, either, but Rhimes' productions usually wrap swiftly after beginning (which bodes well for its chances of a 2022 release).

The Brothers Sun

Production company: Netflix Episode count: 8 Synopsis: “Charles Sun is a Taipei gangster who has settled into his life as a ruthless killer. But when his father is shot by a mysterious assassin, Charles must go to Los Angeles to protect his mother and utterly unaware younger brother Bruce.”

Yet another upcoming series whose title begins with ‘the’, The Brothers Sun marks Netflix’s attempt to wade into the world of Taipei gangsters. Glee and American Horror Story co-creator Brad Falchuk will serve as showrunner alongside executive producer (and TV newcomer) Byron Wu, while The Book of Boba Fett director Kevin Tancharoen will sit behind the camera. We don’t have any further personnel details (nor release date information) for this one just yet, though we do know the series has plans for an all-Asian writers room and cast.

Treason

Production company: Binocular Productions Episode count: 6 Synopsis: “Trained and groomed by MI6, Adam Lawrence's career seems set. But when the past catches up with him in the form of Kara, a Russian spy with whom he shares a complicated past, he is forced to question everything and everyone in his life. A triangular relationship forms between Kara, Adam and his wife, Maddy; three people who are trying to expose one another’s secrets, navigate political and diplomatic relationships, whilst hanging onto their personal lives, and those they love most.”

Well, that’s some synopsis. As for Treason’s cast and crew, we know British screenwriter Matt Charman (Bridge of Spies) is on hand as showrunner, while the likes of Daredevil’s Charlie Cox, James Bond star Olga Kurylenko, Game of Thrones’ Oona Chaplin and Belfast’s Ciarán Hinds will all feature. Louise Hooper, who has helmed episodes of The Witcher , will direct – though we don’t expect to see too many monsters in this one. Treason looks certain for a 2023 release.

Blockbuster

Production company: Universal Television Episode count: 10 Synopsis: “Set in the last Blockbuster Video store in America, it explores what it takes – and, more specifically, who it takes – for a small business to succeed against all odds.”

Now this one sounds like fun. A 10-episode comedy series from Brooklyn Nine-Nine writer Vanessa Ramos, Blockbuster will be led by Always Be My Maybe star Randall Park and reportedly paint an “authentic” portrait of life for Blockbuster employees during the last days of the iconic brand. The show has acquired permission to use the official Blockbuster logo and store uniforms throughout the production, too, so we have high hopes for its debut (which we expect to land towards the end of the year).

That 90’s Show

Production company: Netflix Episode count : 10 Synopsis: “That '70s Show spinoff set in 1995 Wisconsin follows Leia Forman, daughter of Eric and Donna, who is visiting her grandparents for the summer and bonds with a new generation of Point Place kids under the watchful eye of Kitty and the stern glare of Red. Sex, drugs and rock ’n' roll never dies, it just changes clothes.”

A period sitcom set in the 1990s featuring characters and locales from its noughties predecessor, That '70s Show – which followed a group of teenage friends growing up in a fictional Wisconsin town – That 90’s Show will employ the same multicam format and be led by original cast members Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith. It’s been reported that the likes of Topher Grace, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher – who all found fame on the original series – could be returning to the show, too, though there’s been no confirmation on that front as yet. This one began shooting in February 2022, so we don’t anticipate its arrival until the end of the year, at the earliest.

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