الغريب: 02/23/18

الجمعة، 23 فبراير 2018

New Galaxy S8 Oreo update now rolling out in more regions

Samsung pulled the plug on the Galaxy S8 Oreo update a week ago to fix a critical issue that many users had been facing. The rollout resumed a few hours ago with a newer build of Oreo arriving on the S8 and S8+ in Germany, and the same update is now available for more regions that were part of the (not-so-successful) Oreo beta program. We can confirm that the update is rolling out in India, Poland, and a few countries in the Nordic region. It’s the same 530 MB update that was released in Germany, with firmware version G950FXXU1CRB7 and G955XXU1CRB7 for the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ respectively.

New Galaxy S8 Oreo update rolling out in more regions

If you took part in the beta program in other countries, such as France and Spain, the newer version of Oreo should also be available for your S8 or S8+ in the next few hours. The key change in the update is a fix for the reboot issues that some users had been facing after updating to Oreo with the initial release. If your S8 or S8+ had been running fine on the first build, you’re unlikely to notice any differences with the new update. Sadly, there’s still no word on when Android 8.0 Oreo will arrive for those who couldn’t take part in the beta test, though one can hope it won’t take too long now that Samsung has a fully stable build of Oreo.

To grab the update, head into the Settings » Software update menu and tap Download updates manually. Don’t worry if you don’t immediately see the update; try a few more times and it should start downloading.

The post New Galaxy S8 Oreo update now rolling out in more regions appeared first on SamMobile.

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February 2018 security patch update arrives on the Galaxy Note 8

Android 8.0 Oreo probably isn’t going to make it to the Galaxy Note 8 anytime soon, as much of the world is still waiting for the newest version of the Android OS to arrive on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Samsung seems to have been sidetracked with security patch updates as well, following a month or so of timely releases, at least for its flagship devices. The February 2018 security patch remains elusive for most devices in the Korean giant’s smartphone lineup, but the Galaxy Note 8 is finally getting an update with the latest security fixes.

Galaxy Note 8 February 2018 Security Patch

The February security patch update is rolling out to the Note 8 in Italy, for devices tied to carrier H3G. The firmware version for the newest build is N950FXXS3BRB3. Samsung’s changelog mentions only improved security, so there aren’t expected to be any other changes or new features in the latest update. As far as the device’s security is concerned, the February security patch fixes five critical Android vulnerabilities and 16 vulnerabilities that only affect Samsung’s software. Also included are patches for the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities that were discovered recently.

With the Note 8’s February patch coming in so late, it’s possible Samsung will directly bring the March 2018 security patch to many regions. Hopefully, the Oreo update will also be released in some markets next month. For now, if you’re a Note 8 user in Italy, see if the update is available by going into the phone’s settings, tapping Software update, followed by the Download updates manually option. If you’re seeing the same update in another country, do let us know through the comments section or by contacting us through email.

Firmware Details:

Model	SM-N950F
Model name	Galaxy Note8
Country
Version	Android 7.1.1
Changelist	12472670
Build date	Tue, 06 Feb 2018 01:40:59 +0000
Security Patch Level	2018-02-01
Product code	HUI
PDA	N950FXXS3BRB3
CSC	N950FCKH2BQL1

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Samsung OLED TV reports rubbished by company’s TV boss

Samsung hasn’t made a new OLED TV for a few years now and the company has consistently maintained that its QLED technology is better than OLED which rivals like LG have been using for their premium TV sets.

However, it was reported earlier this week that Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jae-yong had ordered a review of the OLED TV business after he was briefed on the current status of each business division. This led to speculation that perhaps we might get to see a new Samsung OLED TV after all this time. Turns out that’s not the case.

Samsung OLED TV reports refuted

Samsung’s TV and display chief Han Jong-hee confirmed to reporters in Seoul that the company has no plans of reviving its OLED TV lineup. “We have no plans to do so. Never,” when asked about the possibility of a new OLED TV at an industry meeting. “We will continue a two-track strategy based on QLED and micro LED,” Jong-hee added.

Even though there’s now an official denial from the company, some media outlets in South Korea are still reporting that Samsung is resuming research for OLED TVs as it faces increasing competition from Chinese manufacturers in the LCD-based TV market. One report even claims that Samsung Display is going to create a new OLED TV team within its LCD TV division which will be staffed by some 300 employees.

For now, though, Samsung is simply reiterating its claims that the QLED technology is better than OLED as its devoid of burn-in issues and can scale cost-effectively for larger screens. It’s interesting to note that Samsung never said that it wouldn’t ever make an OLED TV again.

It has never completely shut the door on this possibility but as things stand, it seems unlikely that we’ll get to see a new OLED TV from Samsung at any point in the near future. It seems like we’ll see many conflicting reports about this possibility down the line.

The post Samsung OLED TV reports rubbished by company’s TV boss appeared first on SamMobile.

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Samsung Max is a new app for data savings and privacy

Samsung today announced the launch of Samsung Max, its new Android application for mobile data savings, data usage monitoring, enhanced Wi-Fi security, and application privacy management. Technically, Samsung Max is not a new app, but rather a substantial Samsung branded UI and feature update to the Opera Max app that comes pre-installed on select Galaxy devices.

Available starting February 23 for select Galaxy devices

The new app will come preloaded on all Galaxy A and Galaxy J series smartphones sold in India, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam. Other Samsung users can download the app from Google Play or Galaxy Apps stores starting February 23 for select Galaxy devices (Samsung says the app will be exclusive to its mid-range devices). Those who are using the pre-installed Opera Max will receive an app update from Google Play (already live) or Galaxy Apps store.

Whether this new app has geographical limitations like the previous Opera Max app is not yet clear. Samsung says the new app is part of Samsung’s ‘Make for India’ initiative which aims to develop locally relevant hardware and software for customers in India. Samsung Max relies on ads for revenue to support the service.

The app has two primary features: Data Saving Mode and Privacy Protection Mode. Data Saving Mode is aimed at squeezing more out of the limited data plans. It tracks data usage by various application to spot opportunities for data savings. When activated, it compresses images, videos, music files, and web pages wherever possible to reduce data usage.

Privacy Protection Mode is aimed at offering an additional layer of security when accessing the Internet from the public and untrusted Wi-Fi hotspots. This mode offers one-tap encryption, tracker blocking, and a DNS masking service to make your online activity a bit more private. The Privacy Protection Mode also works on mobile data and offers similar benefits.

The previous Opera Max app used to offer a similar set of features. The new app does have better UI that’s more in line with Samsung’s design language and a few additional features compared to the previous app.

“With Samsung Max, our users in every corner of the globe now have increased autonomy and control over their data usage and privacy in an era of rising security threats, fraudulent apps and user profiling,” said Seounghoon Oh, Vice President Samsung R&D Institute India.