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Samsung brought its S Pen to the Galaxy smartphone line for the first time this year. This week we got the chance to test the new S pen / case combo for the S21 Ultra and found it powerful, but not as sophisticated as we expected. We also played around with Fujifilm’s mirrorless X-T4 and have good things to say about the retro camera. Speaking of retro, players who still have their original Game Boy should check out Deadus, an indie horror game that is taking pre-orders for a physical release.
Chris Velazco / Engadget
Samsung fans who want a pen too had a great option in the Galaxy Note line, and the company’s S Pen is apparently so popular that Samsung brought it to the new Galaxy S21 Ultra. The new combination of S-pen and sleeve is designed to give the pen a longer lifespan by bundling it in a sleeve for the Ultra handset.
But Chris Velazco found that this solution left something to be desired. This is not due to the pen itself, which has a larger pen size than the conventional pen. Chris really liked the pen: he found it comfortable to hold and use for writing notes and shortcut options. However, this version of the pen lacks air gestures and camera controls (a Pro model that will be available later this year has these features). The main disadvantage here was the case that easily picked up various lint and dust particles and made the large handset more unwieldy. The left-handed location of the pen made it a bit awkward for right-handed users, and Chris was concerned about the durability of some of the panels on the charging ports. Since this is the only case there is an S-Pen, it is still a great option for those who want to use the pen with the S21 Ultra.
Steve Dent / Engadget
When James Trew was looking for something to update his beloved but aging Canon 550D, he naturally asked his staff here at Engadget. They drove him to the Fujifilm X-T4, which Steve Dent reviewed last year. The X-T4 is a mirrorless 26.1 megapixel camera with a fold-out screen and stabilization in the body. It also has a retro design that James particularly likes. In his review, Steve pointed out the high quality handling of the camera, the excellent video quality and the high recording speeds.
Since using it, James has also found plenty of praise in the X-T4. He was specifically looking for a reliable camera with a solid collection of lenses that was good for video and that could absorb a lot of light. He reports that IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) helped produce images with impressive clarity and balance. The X-T4 gives him a lot of experimentation and training – a process that is just as rewarding as the good photos it produces.
Adam Birch
Deadus has been out for a while and deserves fans of those who like retro games, dark indie titles, or both. Pre-orders are now being taken for a physical release of the original Game Boy. Players like James Trew have enjoyed the contrast between the Pokémon-like graphics and playstyle and the dark themes of cult, ritual and murder. Your character has three days and eleven possible endings to determine how to appease an angry, flesh-hungry god.
Although James said it was possible to get a full ending in less than two hours, he also mentions that the time mechanics in the game bring new things to find and discover with each new day. This will also change your strategy as you discover more details about the narrative you want to follow. The game’s creator, Adam Birch, is an artist by profession and told James that the idea for Deadus came from a comic he was working on. James said that the game’s macabre and foreboding design pulls the player from the leisurely RPG vibe to the craziness of the plot – and that gamers who like either the hardware or the genre should definitely play it.