Galaxy A5 (2017) receives January update in the Netherlands

Samsung has just released the January update for the unbranded Galaxy A5 (2017) in the Netherlands. As expected, Samsung is kicking things off by rolling out the latest security patch for a mid-range device. The company is yet to release the January patch for any of its flagship handsets.

Galaxy A5 (2017) security update

The December update we saw for this device was rather hefty. It bolstered a suite of new camera features for both 2017 Galaxy A devices including Selfie Focus, a single camera play on Samsung’s flagship feature Selective Focus, in addition to Snapchat-esque augmented reality stickers and stamps.

This update is rather miniscule weighing in at 22MB and updating the firmware to version A520FXXU4BRA8. The always improving security patch for this month includes 91 Google fixes for the Android OS itself, as well 13 fixes coming directly from Samsung for the Samsung Experience OS.

As previously stated the update is available for unbranded devices, meaning non-carrier branded models. If you’re currently rocking a Galaxy A5 (2017), you can check to see if the update is available for your phone by going into the Settings app, then tapping the Download updates manually option in the Software update menu. It’s going to be a while before it becomes available in all markets.

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Samsung beefs up security on their 2018 Smart TVs with Knox

Though appreciated for their performance and design, Samsung Smart TVs don’t have the best reputation when it comes to privacy and security. Instances like CIA developing tools to spy on people using Samsung Smart TVs and the fear-inducing Smart TV privacy policy have made some people apprehensive about Samsung Smart TVs

Knox comes to your Smart TV

Being aware of the problems, Samsung is now trying to beef up the security of its Smart TVs by bringing the Knox technology to its Smart TVs. Samsung Knox is an enterprise mobile security solution available on Samsung smartphones and tablets. Now, Samsung is bringing the same Knox technology to its Smart TVs by optimizing it for the Smart TV environment. Samsung says its new Knox based security solution for Smart TVs can detect and remove malicious apps which can steal sensitive information from other apps.

Samsung is also acquiring certifications from global institutes to prove the security credentials of its Smart TVs. Samsung boasts its Smart TVs are the first in the industry to receive the Common Criteria (CC) certification for three consecutive years. CC is a reputed certification system for computer security used for government evaluations and procurement. Samsung Smart TVs are also certified by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) for its ‘Checkout’ payment service. This should offer increased protection while buying products and services from the TV by encrypting credit card information.

In addition to these in-house security solutions, Samsung has also worked with McAfee to develop McAfee Security for TV, a security application designed specifically for TVs. It has been shipping on all Samsung Smart TVs since April 2017

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How Bixby will change the way you watch TV

CES 2018 has been full of television related news from Samsung. We were introduced to ‘The Wall’, Samsung’s first modular microLED TV which has a commanding real estate of 146 inches. We were also introduced to the 85-inch QLED Q9S, which boasts unique artificial intelligence technology that upscales any content into 8K. Samsung has now detailed how Bixby, present on select 2018 Smart TVs, will change the way you watch TV.

Bixby Smart TV integration

Bixby’s command-driven interface creates a smarter and simpler approach to controlling not only your TV, but every device within the Internet of Things ecosystem. Instead of having to pick up the remote to change the channel, or walking to the dryer to see how long is left, or find out what’s in the fridge, you can simply command Bixby to do it for you.

This integration will enable seamless transition of video from a Bixby-enabled smartphone directly to the TV. When your favorite show is about to come on, Bixby will then push a notification to your smartphone, and allow you to instantly tune in to the correct channel. Bixby will even help with tasks as simple as weather forecasts.

Samsung has been on a mission to simplify the entire TV viewing experience, and this only further supports that narrative. In 2017, we saw the release of the One Remote Control with minimal buttons. With Bixby Smart TV integration, Samsung has made it simpler to control the TV experience.

All in all, keep in mind this will only be available for select 2018 Smart TVs, which have not been outlined yet.

Let us know below if you plan on purchasing a 2018 Smart TV for this new capability alone!

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Samsung to activate smartphone FM chips in the US and Canada

Every smartphone market around the world has its own quirks. Locking down FM chips in the smartphones in one such quirk of the smartphone market in the US and Canada. Though this practice may sound strange to smartphone users in other parts of the world, it is a common practice for smartphone manufacturers in these markets.

According to the FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, only 44 percent of the top-selling smartphones in the US had their FM chips activated, compared to 80 percent in Mexico. This anti-consumer move is often driven by the financial considerations of the carriers who want the customers to use mobile data to stream content.

Public safety measure

Thankfully, the situation will be changing soon. Many smartphone manufacturers have decided to activate the FM chips in their smartphones. LG, Motorola, and Alcatel have already made progress in this regard.

Samsung is the latest smartphone manufacturer to join the list. The company plans to activate the FM chips in their upcoming smartphones in the U.S. and Canada. Samsung has partnered with TagStation, the company that owns the NextRadio app, as part of the move to activate FM chips. Although the TagStation’s press release mentions upcoming Samsung smartphones, the list of supported models on their website shows many current Samsung smartphones as well.

This move seems to be triggered by the recent natural disasters in the US. There was pressure on the phone manufacturers to activate the FM chips in their smartphones as a public safety measure. The FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, also voiced his support for the move.

Having FM chips activated in smartphones may come in handy during natural disasters. When cellular networks are down or congested, local radio stations can relay important information to those in distress. This move also helps smartphone users to listen to their local stations without relying on mobile data or WIFI, thereby reducing cost and battery usage.

 

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Samsung showcases Bixby food calorie counting ability at CES 2018

Samsung has been unveiling a multitude of new things at CES this year. Among the many new and exciting unveilings is a new trick that Samsung is teaching it’s personal assistant. Bixby has quietly been learning how to count the calories in your food via Bixby Vision.

Bixby may count calories in the future

Samsung says the feature works by pointing the camera directly at an individual food item, which Bixby will then identify, analyze, and then calculate the amount of calories using generic data for the food item.

Obviously, many people have their own recipes for specific dishes, therefore it will not be entirely accurate, but it will give a basis for understanding. Representatives did mention that the data collected via Bixby Vision will be synced with Samsung Health to not only allow one to track their calorie intake but compare it with their daily calorie burn.

This would definitely simplify the process of scouring Samsung Health for each of the ingredients within your food, which I have experienced firsthand. It would also be a nice addition to the growing suite of features Bixby offers.

The feature is in experimental stage currently and Samsung has not confirmed when or if this feature will indeed make it to Galaxy smartphones. Nonetheless, it is nice to know that Samsung is actively working to improve Bixby as evidenced by this unveiling and last month’s acquisition of South Korean startup Fluently.

Image credit: Chris Velazco/Engadget

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Samsung to send Game Recorder+ to the graveyard next month

I am sure those who make use of the app Game Recorder+ noticed that there was an update for the app listing today. But, I assume this was not the update you all have been waiting for since November. The update was to let us all know that Samsung plans to send the app the graveyard on February 28th, 2018. Game Recorder+ was launched back in 2015.

Game Recorder+ to get the boot

Those of you who are not familiar with what the app does, it is rather self-explanatory. The app allows one to record the screen as well as internal audio from the game, or external audio from the microphone.

Samsung has been cleaning up some of their unnecessary proprietary apps lately, and Game Recorder+ is the latest to go. Samsung hasn’t said precisely why it’s pulling this app. It could be that it never developed the kind of userbase that the company would have wanted for it.

Game Recorder+ users will no longer be able to record games from February 28th. They should back up the videos previously recorded via the app. If the app is deleted before backing up the videos then they will be deleted. The videos can be backed up by tapping on the save button on the recorded video. They will be saved in the Game Record folder on the handset.

For the heavy gamers into streaming, Samsung still has Game Live, which allows you to do just that; stream your gameplay using your Samsung device. Samsung’s other gaming-focused apps include Game Launcher and Game Tools.

Game Launcher neatly organizes all of your games in one place, allows easy downloads of new and popular games, as well as optimizes your device’s performance specifically for gameplay. Game Tools are in-game settings that allow you to block alerts during gameplay, screen record, screenshot, and eliminate accidental capacitive button presses.

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Check out a few Galaxy A8 (2018) Live Focus (bokeh) selfie samples

There’s a lot to like about the new Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018), but the dual front cameras are the highlight on Samsung’s latest mid-range phones (or can we call them mid-range flagships at this point?). The 16-megapixel and 8-megapixel front cameras combine to allow one to take selfies with background blur through the Live Focus feature, just like the dual rear cameras on the Galaxy Note 8. Dual selfie cameras are a first for Samsung smartphones, so naturally, we’ve been playing around with them a bit since getting our hands on a Galaxy A8 earlier this week.

Galaxy A8 (2018) Live Focus selfies come out well

We’ll be testing the phone inside out in the coming days before publishing our full review, but for now, we thought we’d put up a few Live Focus selfie samples to give our readers a glimpse of what the dual front cameras on the A8 can do. We can’t offer a conclusion yet, but the feature seems to work quite well with selfies, even managing to blur out the edges around the hair and ears properly. Well, the real test would be with longer hair, and the selfies aren’t too sharp (especially when you see the full-size versions on a PC), but we’re impressed with the results overall. In fact, with the Samsung boxes on our office wall as the background, the result is slightly better than with Live Focus on the Note 8’s rear cameras.

It’s also worth noting that on the Galaxy A8, you can not only adjust background blur in Live Focus pictures after they’ve been taken, but also change the area of focus. That’s similar to what we could do with the Selective focus camera mode on single-camera Samsung phones, and it looks like the company has managed to bake the feature in with Live Focus on the A8. The Note 8 doesn’t allow this with Live Focus pictures, but we’re hoping Samsung will add the functionality with a software update in the future.

We’ll be publishing our hands-on experience with the Galaxy A8 and A8+ soon, so keep an eye out for that. For now, check out the samples below and let us know what you think. We have also added a comparison of a photo taken with maximum and minimum background blur at the bottom.

← SLIDE →

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New Samsung Internet Beta brings improved download management

The last major update for the Samsung Internet browser brought features like Night Mode and Tracking Blocker. It was released two months ago. Samsung tested these features in a beta version of the browser first about five months back.

The latest Samsung Internet Beta v6.4 is out now in the Galaxy Apps Store and the Google Play Store. It brings some download management improvements alongside a host of bug fixes. These improvements will be really useful for those who tend to download a lot of files online.

New Samsung Internet Beta

When users download a file from a website using Samsung Internet Beta v6.4, they will get a prompt which will enable them to rename the file. Once they’ve downloaded it, the browser will display a new prompt that lets them open it.

As before, users can see the progress in the notification for large downloads. They will also be able to pause and resume the download directly in the notification UI from now on. These controls can be revealed by swiping down on the notification with two fingers or by tapping down on the arrow.

The new Download History UI which will display all previous and current downloads. It can be accessed from Bookmarks > History > Download history. Downloads can be paused and resumed from here as well while items can also be deleted from the history.

Samsung Internet Beta v6.4 is now available for download from the Galaxy Apps Store and the Galaxy Play Store. You can also download it from our APK page. It may be a while before this feature exits the beta channel.

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SmartThings app coming to the Gear S3 and Gear Sport in 2018

Samsung’s efforts in 2018 have been geared towards bringing Bixby and SmartThings support to as many Samsung devices as possible. After Samsung TVs and refrigerators, now it’s the turn of Samsung wearable devices to get the same treatment, as far as SmartThings is concerned.

SmartThings app for Gear S3 and Gear S3 Sport

At CES 2018, Samsung has announced that it will be bringing the SmartThings app to its wearable devices. The SmartThings app allows users to connect, monitor, and control a huge array of Samsung IoT-enabled devices. When available, the app should allow users to control their entire smart home from the Samsung smartwatch on their wrist.

Samsung hasn’t announced when exactly the app will launch other than saying it is coming in 2018. As far as the supported devices are concerned, Samsung says the app is coming to the Gear S3 and Gear Sport. Whether that means the app is coming to the Gear S3 and Gear Sport initially or only to the Gear S3 and Gear Sport remains unknown.

Samsung has recently announced they will consolidate all their IoT apps into their SmartThings app through a huge update for the Android and iOS app in Q1 2018. Since a huge SmartThings update is coming soon, there is a possibility that the smartwatch app might also launch along with it.

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Samsung announces new features for their 2018 Smart TV lineup

Samsung has announced some new features that are coming to its 2018 Smart TV line-up. The underlying theme of Samsung’s efforts in 2018 is about bringing different Samsung devices together and building a connected ecosystem. The same strategy is at play for the 2018 Smart TVs as well with SmartThings and Bixby platforms being used to power their connected ecosystem.

SmartThings and Bixby power many of these new features

Samsung wants to simplify the process of setting up a new TV with the help of their new SmartThings app. The app will recognize your WiFi, set-top boxes, favorite apps, and Samsung account information, and uses all that information to quickly and easily setup your new Smart TV. Another nifty feature Samsung promises is the ability to automatically log-in to your favorite video apps if you are already using them on your phone. Users can select the apps for which they want to transfer their log-in details and the new SmartThings app will automatically log-in to those video apps on their Samsung Smart TV.

Users can also set smart reminders on their phones for the next game and the Samsung Smart TV will automatically recognize what channel the game is on and switches to that channel when the game starts. Samsung’s 2018 smart TVs will also come with SmartThings dashboard. (Samsung is basically trying to make every Samsung screen into a control center for their SmartThings IoT devices). Checking what’s in the fridge, controlling lights, adjusting thermostat, controlling connected doorbells etc – all of this and more can be done from the TV screen itself

On the content front, Samsung wants to make it easier to find UHD and HDR movies through their enhanced TV PLUS feature. Samsung’s 2018 Smart TVs will also come with a built-in Steam Link feature to stream more than 6,000 games from a PC to the Smart TV out of the box. Samsung is also promising a Universal Guide with personalized recommendations. Samsung will be integrating recommendations from multiple sources like the cable set-top box, terrestrial content, and streaming services.

Lastly, 2018 Smart TVs will come with Bixby built-in to enable voice control of content and features in the Samsung Smart TVs. Switching to particular channels, searching for movies, controlling SmartThings IoT devices, checking weather etc all will be possible just through voice with the help of Bixby.

While many of these features sound appealing on the paper, how well they will work in practice will be known only when Samsung launches their updated SamrtThings app in Q1 2018. Samsung has recently announced they will consolidate all their IoT apps into a single SmartThings app with a huge update this quarter.

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Leaked Galaxy S9 screen protectors show it will be business as usual

Samsung finally confirmed yesterday when the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be launched. That doesn’t mean we’ll stop hearing rumors about them or the leaks will stop surfacing online. Some images of leaked Galaxy S9 screen protectors have surfaced online, reiterating earlier reports that design-wise, it’s going to be business as usual.

Leaked Galaxy S9 screen protectors

Samsung’s mobile division head DJ Koh confirmed yesterday that the company is going to unveil its next flagship smartphone at the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona next month. The release date will be confirmed at the event.

We’ve seen plenty of rumors and reports which suggested that the Galaxy S9 will be almost identical to its predecessor as far as the design is concerned. Samsung is going to retain the display size and the aspect ratio for both flagship models.

The images show cut-outs for the camera, earpiece, iris scanner and other sensors where you’d find them on the Galaxy S8. They don’t look any different from the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

We can expect to see more leaks of this nature in the days to come even though the flagships will be officially announced in a little over a month from now.

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Samsung reportedly unveiled QLED TV with deeper blacks privately at CES 2018

Samsung has a habit of unveiling at least one or two new products behind closed doors to media representatives at the annual Consumer Electronics Show. According to a new report, Samsung privately unveiled a new QLED TV with deeper blacks at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018.

The report claims that this quantum dot display TV has deeper blacks at a level similar to LG’s OLED TVs. Samsung’s disdain for OLED TVs is well known and it has been working to improve its QLED technology to bring it up to that level.

Mystery QLED TV

Samsung reportedly unveiled this mystery TV at a private room called the “Qlounge” next to its CES booth to some of its clients and members of the foreign media. Korean media outlets were reportedly not allowed in for unexplained reasons.

Some participants who visited the Qlounge said that the new QLED TV with improved blacks was perhaps the most impressive technology that Samsung showed off in the lounge.

One visitor said that the displaying black color of the exhibited QLED TV was almost at a similar level to the OLED TV. The viewing angle has been improved compared to previous models as well.

OLED and QLED technologies are fundamentally different. The pixels in an OLED panel emit their own light while QLED panels require an LED backlight as the pixels don’t emit their own light. The self-emitting property enables OLED panels to display deeper blacks and brighter whites with a greater contrast ratio

The existing version of Samsung’s QLED technology is more similar to a conventional LCD display panel that it is to an OLED panel. However, Samsung has been working on an iteration of its QLED technology which will be emissive like OLED. This will enable it to match the contrast ratio and black levels of OLED with improved color and power efficiency.

The new QLED TV that Samsung reportedly unveiled behind closed doors at CES 2018 is perhaps based on the improved technology. Samsung is reportedly going to launch it at some point later this year.

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January 2018 security patch arrives on the Galaxy J1 mini Prime

Did Samsung make a New Year’s resolution of bringing security updates to budget devices before mid-range and flagship ones in 2018? It would certainly seem so, as the January 2018 security patch is now making its way to the Galaxy J1 mini Prime (SM-J106B), a phone that sits at the very bottom of the price ladder in Samsung’s galactic smartphone lineup. Just a week ago, the latest security patch made its debut on the Galaxy Tab A (2016), another low-end Samsung device.

January 2018 security patch available for the Galaxy J1 mini Prime

The update that bundles the January 2018 security patch is rolling out for the J1 mini Prime in Trinidad and Tobago, with firmware version J106BUBU0ARA1. Security fixes are likely to be the only thing on offer, which isn’t a bad thing given how exploits targeting mobile devices are becoming extremely commonplace. The January 2018 patch fixes five critical Android vulnerabilities and 13 that affect Samsung’s version of the OS, details of which can be found at this link.

You can check if the update is available on your Galaxy J1 mini Prime from the Settings app; you can download the full firmware from our database should the update not yet be available over the air.

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