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The Weekly Authority: Prelude to MWC 2022

The week's top tech news in a five-minute read or less.
By

Published onFebruary 26, 2022

Galaxy Unpacked 2022 MWC
Samsung

⚡ Welcome to The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority newsletter that breaks down the top Android and tech news from the week. The 183rd edition here, with more Pixel 7 leaks, a Galaxy S22 Plus review, and a preview of what’s to come at MWC 2022.

👋 Nick here covering for Paula while she enjoys some well-deserved time off. Tristan will be with you in the next edition after spending the week at MWC in Barcelona, with Paula making her triumphant return the following week.

Popular news this week

Samsung:

Google:

OnePlus:

Motorola:

  • Motorola’s latest flagship phone, the Motorola Edge Plus 2022 launched on Thursday. It features excellent specs, but is it really a viable alternative to the Galaxy S22 lineup?

Apple:

Space:

Elsewhere:

Movies/TV:

Gaming:

Reviews

Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus camera module on pink
Eric Zeman / Android Authority

Some major reviews out this week, including two flagships.

Features

Weekly Wonder

MWC logo

Next week is the 2022 edition of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. After a canceled event in 2020 and a much smaller affair in 2021, this year will be the first full-scale (ish) MWC in years. Stay tuned to the Daily Authority newsletter for the latest (Tristan is ready and waiting in Barcelona), but here’s a quick list of what to expect in the coming week:

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked (part 2)

  • Technically the event starts on February 28, but Samsung’s second Galaxy Unpacked event for 2022 is scheduled for the 27th.
  • Samsung has already announced its flagship phones for the year, so this event will probably be focused on laptops.
  • That means a new Galaxy Book and potentially new Chromebooks to look forward to.

OnePlus 10 Pro global release?

  • 2022 has been a strange year for OnePlus, with the company already announcing the OnePlus 10 Pro in China, but withholding any information about a global release.
  • That could change at MWC. OnePlus isn’t traditionally heavy on MWC announcements, but since we already know what the device is, added fanfare might not be necessary.
  • One controversial element of a global release would be software. The Chinese version ships with Color OS 12 instead of Oxygen OS 12 as a result of the “OnePlus 2.0” strategy of merging OPPO and OnePlus.
  • And even Oxygen OS 12 is more similar to Color OS than most fans would like.
  • We also haven’t seen the vanilla OnePlus 10, so this might be our first look.

New phones from Xiaomi, HONOR, and realme

  • Like OnePlus, Xiaomi has already announced several devices in its native China, but MWC may be the first time they’re shown off to an international audience.
  • That includes the flagship Xiaomi 12 lineup and new devices under the more affordable POCO branding.
  • Then again, we’ve already seen the POCO X4 Pro thanks to Amazon France, as mentioned above.
  • HONOR is set to announce the HONOR Magic 4 and a host of other devices. We may even see a global release of the Magic V foldable, which until now has been limited to China.
  • realme will launch the GT 2 Series on Monday, and the company has hinted at new charging tech.
  • The company is also expanding aggressively outside of China, so it will probably launch a wide variety of tablets, wearables, and other devices.

Other expectations

  • HUAWEI will be in attendance, and while its smartphones all but disappeared from global markets, its laptops are still going strong. I’m excited to see updated devices in the Matebook lineup, particularly the Matebook X Pro (which I’m currently typing this on).
  • Lenovo is also in attendance, albeit only virtually. Expect new laptops and more.
  • HTC will make an announcement,  but it’s probably not a phone. Perhaps more VR gear?
  • Google will make an appearance, but it’s anyone’s guess as to what it will announce. New hardware is doubtful, so expect software news.
  • Motorola already announced the Moto Edge 2022 earlier this week, but it may surprise us with a first look at the Razr 3. This is unlikely, however, as it would steal the thunder of its just-announced flagships.
  • Nokia will be present, but the company has largely lost its hold on the smartphone market. Expect some relatively unexciting budget devices, at best.

Tech Calendar

  • February 27 @ 1PM ET: Galaxy Unpacked (next-gen Galaxy Book)
  • February 28-March 3: Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022 in Barcelona
  • March 4: Gran Turismo 7 lands for PS4/PS5
  • March 8 (TBC): Apple Spring event
  • March 9: Redmi Note 11 Pro / Pro Plus launch

Tech Tweet of the Week

— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) February 24, 2022

Something extra: Convinced you used the term “bucket list” prior to 2007? The Mandela Effect could be to blame. Redditor sleuths confirmed that the term didn’t exist until it was popularized by the 2007 movie “Bucket List” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. More here.

Signing out for now,

Nick Fernandez, Editor

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