Samsung has announced new special-edition models of the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Galaxy Watch 4 this week. As with most of the company’s more extravagant Galaxy collaborations, both are Korea-exclusive devices. That limited availability isn’t surprising, but when these special editions feature such appealing designs and extras, we can’t help but wish they were more widely available.
The most exclusive special edition is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Already a very handsome and well-received phone, Samsung is collaborating with Blizzard to launch a tie-in model with the Diablo Immortal game. Korean publication Yonhap reports that this Diablo Immortal package comes with the Galaxy S22 Ultra you’d expect, a leather mousepad, a map, a Blizzard-designed lenticular image, a phone case, a wireless charging pad, a Blizzard Battlecoin card, a Spigen grip case, and a wooden box that holds the whole package. It’s appealing, it’s fancy, and you can only get the chance to buy one of the 100 models in existence by winning a lottery in a select mall in Korea. See what we mean about being exclusive?
The other special edition comes from a collaboration with fashion brand Black Yak. It’s a Galaxy Watch 4, albeit one that’s made for mountain climbing. As reported by SamMobile, the Black Yak Watch 4 comes with a Black Yak exclusive strap, a Black Yak watch face, a Black Yak tumbler bag, and a 40% discount coupon for Black Yak products. It comes in both 41mm and 44mm sizes, and it costs 280,000 Korean won ($223) for the smaller size, and 309,000 Korean won ($246) for the larger one.
Samsung is certainly no stranger to special-edition devices. Products such as its Thom Browne Flip and Fold looked interesting, but there are enough K Pop stans worldwide that one of those BTS Edition models should really be a seasonal staple. The company rarely rolls out its more excessive products to the U.S. and U.K. Especially considering the likes of Oppo and Realme with Pac-Man and Naruto edition phones, it’s a missed opportunity. Say whatever you want about their gaudiness, at least Android phone makers aren’t afraid to offer you a chance or two to let your aesthetic truly shine.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.