Of the handful of rumored accessories expected to be released alongside the Galaxy Note 7, a dedicated case designed to hold specialized lenses was not one of them. But, lo and behold, it’s here alongside a pair of lenses.
Seen in the “accessories” section of its website, Samsung has shared the first glimpse of an anti-slip case designed to securely mount lenses atop the Galaxy Note 7’s 12-megapixel camera.
Other than the renderings and a paragraph of marketing copy, not much information has been shared about the case and accompanying lenses. But, from the images, at least a few details can be gathered.
According to Samsung’s website, there will be two add-on lenses available: a telephoto and a wide-angle.
If we’re to take the 26mm equivalent focal length of of the Galaxy Note 7’s rear camera, the 16x lens attachment would make for a 416mm equivalent focal length – pretty impressive telephoto capabilities for a smartphone. The second lens attachment shown is a 108-degree wide-angle lens.
It’s hard to figure out exactly how these will affect image quality without taking them for a spin, but it’s safe to say it’ll reduce it at least a little bit. The lens attachments will also affect the low-light capabilities, even with the Note 7’s fast f/1.7 aperture.
The lenses should prove useful, however, both for still photographers looking to utilize the impressive 12-megapixel camera, as well as its 4K video capabilities.
No information has been shared as to the price or release date of the case and lens attachments. When reached for comment, Samsung told us they don’t have any information to share at this time, but we will update this article once information becomes available. The phone goes on sale on August 19.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.