الاثنين، 26 فبراير 2018

Galaxy S8 Oreo firmware available on SamMobile can now be flashed without issues

The Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ has caused a fair deal of problems. Samsung didn’t waste much time in rolling out the official update to beta testers after the beta program concluded, and there was unsurprisingly a mad rush from Galaxy S8 owners who weren’t getting the update to grab official Oreo firmware and flash it on their device. Only Samsung had a surprise in store: The Android 8.0 Oreo firmware uses a new compression algorithm that the existing Odin tool – which is used to flash firmware on Samsung devices – couldn’t read.

A few workarounds were posted on the internet, mainly employing a modified version of Odin, but here at SamMobile, we decided to wait for a proper solution. Samsung also pulled the plug on the Oreo update a few days later to fix a critical reboot issue, ultimately releasing a newer build that is now available over the air in many regions. Well, we are happy to report that we also finally have the proper solution for flashing Oreo firmware on the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Galaxy S8 Oreo firmware can now be flashed without issues

A new version of Odin is now available from our database; you can download it here or from the individual pages for each firmware file for the S8 and S8+ or any other recent device. You have to use this new version of Odin to be able to flash Oreo firmware on the Galaxy S8 and S8+, and it will also be required for future releases of Oreo for other devices. If you have been holding out on upgrading to Oreo because of the reported problems with its firmware, well, you can finally make the jump to the latest and greatest version of the OS.

Of course, if Oreo isn’t available for your country yet, we would recommend waiting until Samsung officially releases the update. If Oreo firmware is available for your country, the latest build of Oreo is G950FXXU1CRB7 and G955FXXU1CRB7 for the S8 and S8+ respectively. You could also flash the first release – build number XXU1CRAP – but since Samsung didn’t deem it to be stable enough, we’d caution against doing so.

Download Android 8.0 Oreo firmware for the Galaxy S8 here and the Galaxy S8+ here. For a rundown on all that’s new with Oreo, check out our coverage and also Samsung’s official infographic detailing the new version of the Samsung Experience UX.

The post Galaxy S8 Oreo firmware available on SamMobile can now be flashed without issues appeared first on SamMobile.



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Here are the regions where the Exynos and Snapdragon Galaxy S9 will be launched

After a mere six months since the last flagship announcement from Samsung, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are finally here. In case you’ve missed the extensive flooding of information, here is the glorious official spec sheet for the S9 duo. If you consider yourself a Samsung fanatic, then you already know that Samsung releases two CPU variants for its flagship devices, one being the Qualcomm Snapdragon and the other its homegrown Exynos processor. With the exception of the Galaxy S6 in 2015, this has been the case for quite some time. Let’s break down which markets will receive either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or the Samsung Exynos 9810 for the S9 duo in 2018.

Exynos or Snapdragon in your market?

As usual, one of the largest markets for flagship devices, the United States, will receive the Snapdragon 845 model. As we saw last year with the Galaxy S8 duo, the S9’s will be the first devices to rock the latest processor from Qualcomm. China is also a consistent recipient of the Snapdragon processor and this year is no different. Latin America and Japan are included in the bunch as well. The rest of the world, including the whole of Europe, will receive the native Samsung Exynos 9810 processor.

Now, both processors are similarly clocked and contain eight cores. The Exynos contains four 2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 cores coupled with four 1.7 GHz Cortex-A55 cores. The Snapdragon sports four 2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold cores coupled with four 1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver cores. Despite the similarities, historically, the Exynos processor outperforms the Snapdragon. So far, benchmark information for the Snapdragon 845 and Exynos 9810 has made its way to the public, and both variants do look rather promising.

Well, enough spec talk. Take a look at our hands-on review of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ and also check out the rest of our coverage of Samsung’s latest flagships.

The post Here are the regions where the Exynos and Snapdragon Galaxy S9 will be launched appeared first on SamMobile.



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Here’s all our coverage of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+

After months of rumors and never-ending leaks, Samsung has finally announced the Galaxy S9 and S9+ at a special event in Barcelona. Even though almost everything about the devices was leaked well before the announcement, there was still a lot to cover after the official unveiling.

Missed our Galaxy S9 MWC coverage? No problem

Post the launch event, carriers and retailers have announced pre-order dates and prices for the Galaxy S9. Samsung has posted detailed information about various Galaxy S9 features and published marketing videos on its YouTube channel. We have covered almost all of this yesterday, but in case if you missed it, you can find all our Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ related coverage below.

The post Here’s all our coverage of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ appeared first on SamMobile.



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Check out our pictures of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+

We’ve had the chance to play with the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ at the Mobile World Congress, and so have other publications, but it will be a while before the new flagships are seen in stores so regular folks can check them out in person. Yes, the wait can be excruciating, especially when the newly announced devices are as good as the Galaxy S9 and S9+, and pictures and hands-on videos are the closest one can get. We’ve seen a few requests for putting up more Galaxy S9 pictures, so that’s exactly what we’re doing with this article.

For those who haven’t been following our Galaxy S9 coverage, Samsung’s latest flagships are packed to the brim with impressive features. The S9 and S9+ sport a rear camera with a mechanically adjustable aperture for improved photography in both low-light and bright conditions (the S9+ also gets dual rear cameras), with support for slow-motion videos at 960 frames per second. You can use the AR Emoji feature to create emojis that look and emote like you, and last but not the least, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ also come with stereo speakers. The speakers are tuned by AKG and support Dolby Atmos for virtual 360-degree surround sound.

Don’t Miss: Download the official Galaxy S9 wallpapers here!

The technical specs include the new Exynos 9810 chip that’s a monster when it comes to benchmarks (the US and China variants will be powered by the Snapdragon 845), 6GB of RAM on the S9+, 64/128/256GB of expandable storage, Android 8.0 Oreo, IP68 water and dust resistance, and the same displays and batteries as the Galaxy S8 and S8+. Iris and facial recognition have been improved and can now be used together; the fingerprint sensor has been relocated below the rear camera and supports a new one-swipe gesture for registering fingerprints.

Our full review of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will come in a few weeks; we’re trying to get it done by March 16, the official release date for the phones, so you can go in prepared if you’re thinking of buying either of the two handsets. Now, without further ado, go ahead and check out all the images of Samsung’s latest and greatest below!

Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ pictures

The post Check out our pictures of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ appeared first on SamMobile.



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Samsung launches My BP Lab app for blood pressure and stress research

Samsung has been offering a heart rate sensor in its Galaxy flagship smartphones for the last few years. In the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, the company has added an advanced optical sensor to the heart rate monitor to enable blood pressure measurements directly from the smartphone without any external hardware.

Jointly developed by Samsung and UCSF

To harness the potential of this new optical sensor, Samsung, in collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has announced the launch of the My BP Lab smartphone app for blood pressure and stress research. The My BP Lab app leverages the optical sensor built into the newly-announced Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ to provide users with richer and more accurate information about their health. The jointly developed app uses data from the sensor to offer personalized insights for improving daily health.

When users open the My BP Lab app, they will be invited to join a three-week research study by the UCSF. The study will track stress and how it affects users’ wellbeing. Those who participate in the study will have to report on their sleep, exercise, and diet, along with using the Galaxy S9’s optical sensor for blood pressure measurements throughout the day. In return, users will gain personalized and on-demand information about their stress and blood pressure levels. The study aims to optimize My BP Lab to provide “contextualized and scientifically informed feedback.” The study also improves the accuracy of the BP readings with real-world data from thousands of users.

The program is limited to the United States, and users must be eighteen years or older. It goes without saying that users also need to have the Galaxy S9 and S9+ to participate in the program. The app will be available in the Google Play Store on March 15.

The post Samsung launches My BP Lab app for blood pressure and stress research appeared first on SamMobile.



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Galaxy A8 (2018) update brings February patch, stability improvements

Samsung has been actively updating the Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018), its best mid-range phones yet, since before the devices went on sale. The A8 and A8+ were among the first devices to get the January 2018 security patch, and while it’s a tad too late now for the February patch, Samsung is sending out the latest security fixes to the Galaxy A8 duo. The update also brings improvements to calls, Bluetooth, camera, and Wi-Fi. As usual, the changelog doesn’t say exactly what the improvements are, but it’s good to see the company supporting its newest mid-range phones so well.

Galaxy A8 (2018) update brings February patch, stability improvements

The Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) update is rolling out in various markets, including Russia and the Netherlands, and will bump the firmware version up to A530FXXU2ARB6 and A730FXXU2ARB6 respectively. The update should pop up on your A8 or A8+ on its own if you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network. If waiting is not your thing, you can manually pull the update from the Settings » Software update menu on the device. The over-the-air download comes in at 400 MB, so make sure you have the requisite data bandwidth if you’re updating directly from the phone. Needless to say, the new builds are available in our firmware database as well, and the update should also be available via Samsung’s Smart Switch software on a PC.

Firmware Details:

Model SM-A730F
Model name Galaxy A8+
Country
Version Android 7.1.1
Changelist 13045381
Build date Mon, 19 Feb 2018 09:58:55 +0000
Security Patch Level 2018-02-01
Product code SEK
PDA A730FXXU2ARB6
CSC A730FOXM2ARB6

 

Model SM-A530F
Model name Galaxy A8
Country
Version Android 7.1.1
Changelist 13045381
Build date Mon, 19 Feb 2018 09:57:24 +0000
Security Patch Level 2018-02-01
Product code SER
PDA A530FXXU2ARB6
CSC A530FOXM2ARB6

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Download the official Galaxy S9 wallpapers here!

The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ have been official for almost 24 hours now, with both devices gaining considerable praise for taking the best of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ and adding awesome new features without raising the prices all that much. Our own hands-on experience is available for everyone to read, and now, we also have the official Galaxy S9 wallpapers that you can download to get a feel of Samsung’s newest flagships on your device’s home screen. As expected, the S9 brings a slew of new wallpaper backgrounds, one for each color variant (purple, black, gray, and blue) of the device, and all of them are available as high quality files.

Galaxy S9 wallpapers

The wallpapers you see in this post have been resized so you can take a peak without having to wait for the page to load. The full wallpaper files are quite big in size, so we’ve zipped them up and uploaded them on Google Drive; you can download the entire package here and extract them on a PC or through the My Files app on your Samsung device. We will also be adding these wallpapers to our wallpaper archive shortly so you can download the individual files in their original size and quality, so stay tuned.

The post Download the official Galaxy S9 wallpapers here! appeared first on SamMobile.



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Galaxy S7, S7 edge, unlocked US Galaxy Note 8 get February 2018 security patch

Samsung is rolling out the February 2018 security patch update to a couple of its flagships phones in different regions. Two of those are the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, while the third is the unlocked variant of the Galaxy Note 8 in the US. The Note 8 first received the February patch last week in Italy, and it’s now being rolled out for unlocked units on the Verizon network. The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge update, meanwhile, is available in Panama, Bolivia, Colombia, and Trinidad and Tobago. The build number for the S7, S7 edge, and Note 8 updates is G930FXXU2DRB7, G930FXXU2DRB7, and N950USQS3BRB1 respectively.

February 2018 security patch comes to more Samsung devices

Samsung’s been taking it rather slow with the February patch, no doubt because of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ (and possibly the Oreo update for the Galaxy S8), and with the month-end approaching, it doesn’t look like the February 2018 patch will be making their way to most Galaxy devices before March (or at all, if Samsung decides to skip ahead to the March security patch). To recap, the February patch fixes five critical and a multitude of low and medium-risk vulnerabilities in the Android OS, along with 16 vulnerabilities that only affect Samsung devices. More details on the patch can be seen on the company’s dedicated websites for Android security updates.

To grab the latest update, open the phone’s settings, navigate to and tap Software update, then tap Download updates manually. You can also download the firmware files from our database to upgrade using a PC.

The post Galaxy S7, S7 edge, unlocked US Galaxy Note 8 get February 2018 security patch appeared first on SamMobile.



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Samsung Galaxy S9 pre-order – Galaxy S9 deal available

From February 25, it’s possible to pre-order Samsung’s new flasgship: the Galaxy S9. If you’re looking for a Galaxy S9 deal – look no further. In this post we’ve listed popular Galaxy S9 deals so you can get it at a great price. When you pre-order the Galaxy S9 now, it will be shipped to you around March 16. The focus deal for this year seem to emphasise on trade-in, rather than discounts. Looking for specs? Check out our hands-on review here.

Found a good S9 deal that’s not listed? Leave it in the comments below and we’ll add it!

We might make some money if you buy trough us.

United States Galaxy S9 deal

Up to $ 350,- trade-in at official Samsung store
Subscribe to pre-order at Verizon

United Kingdom Galaxy S9 deal

16GB instead of 4GB data at Vodafone
60GB for the price of 20GB at EE
Buy 50GB and get an additional 40GB at O2

Germany Galaxy S9 deal

24*5€ discount at Vodafone
S9 from 39.99€ a month at O2
Up to 450€ trade-in at Telekom

Netherlands Galaxy S9 deal

Up to € 400,- trade in at Tele2
Up to 400,- trade in at T-mobile
Galaxy S9 from 49,- a month via Belsimpel

The post Samsung Galaxy S9 pre-order – Galaxy S9 deal available appeared first on SamMobile.



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You don’t need a new Gear VR for the Galaxy S9

Samsung launched the first Gear VR headset back in 2014 with the Galaxy Note 4. Since then the company has been improving the platform and refining the headset every year with a new model. Samsung usually announces a new Gear VR headset with their flagship smartphones since a change in device dimensions and size necessitates so but that’s not the case this year.

No new Gear VR for the Galaxy S9

Samsung didn’t announce a new Gear VR headset at the Galaxy S9 launch event yesterday as the Galaxy S9 and its larger sibling are almost identical to their predecessors in terms of design and dimensions. This makes it possible to use the 2017 Gear VR with Controller headset with the new flagship duo.

The Gear VR headset Samsung unveiled at MWC last year was the first to ship with a controller. We went hands-on with the new Gear VR controller back then and found it to be very light with an unassuming design that doesn’t get in the way of functionality.

The small design changes and refinements the Galaxy S9 brings to the table are in the form of a repositioned fingerprint reader and slightly smaller bezels. They will not have any impact on the handsets’ compatibility with the 2017 Gear VR headset.

This is good news for those planning to buy the Galaxy S9 and already own last year’s Gear VR headset. If the headset you own has model number SM-R324 or SM-R325 then you can be absolutely sure that it’s going to work with Samsung’s new flagship smartphone.

The post You don’t need a new Gear VR for the Galaxy S9 appeared first on SamMobile.



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Samsung’s Bixby Speaker will be launched in the second half of 2018

It was first reported last year that Samsung has a Bixby Speaker in the pipeline. The reports made sense as smart speakers powered by digital assistants have become quite popular and it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if Samsung wanted to compete in this market as well.

The CEO of Samsung’s mobile division DJ Koh revealed in a talk with reporters following the Galaxy S9 launch event yesterday that Samsung is going to release its Bixby Speaker in the second half of this year.

Bixby Speaker

Samsung introduced its Bixby digital assistant with the Galaxy S8 last year. The company is already committed to expanding Bixby beyond its mobile devices so it wouldn’t really be surprising when it comes out with a smart speaker of its own.

Previous reports have suggested that Samsung’s Bixby Speaker will be at the center of its Connected Vision household. The device will enable users to control connected objects around their home such as TVs, refrigerators, AC units, ovens, washing machines and more. Samsung has already confirmed that Bixby-enabled TVs will be launched this year.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Koh mentioned that Samsung is going to release a smart speaker powered by its Bixby voice assistant in the second half of this year. When he was pressed for a more concrete launch timeframe he said that he couldn’t guarantee a precise release date just.

Samsung will really have to push the Bixby Speaker as a central part of its Internet of Things ecosystem if it wants the product to succeed in an already competitive market that’s dominated by the likes of Amazon and Google. Both companies also enable third-party OEMs to integrate Alexa and Google Assistant digital into their own products. This isn’t something that we can expect Samsung to do with Bixby.

We’ll be following all of the developments related to the Bixby Speaker closely and will update you as and when more information comes in about this product.

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Galaxy S9 Project Treble support confirmed

We have received a lot of questions about the Galaxy S9 Project Treble support ever since the new flagship smartphone was launched in Barcelona yesterday. Samsung didn’t talk about it during the launch event which left many wondering if the new flagship supported it or not. We can now confirm that the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ indeed support Project Treble.

Galaxy S9 Project Treble support

Google announced Project Treble alongside Android 8.0 Oreo at its I/O 2017 conference last year. It’s a significant re-architect of the Android OS framework which will help reduce the time it takes for major updates to be released.

The idea behind Project Treble is to enable manufacturers to update their Android-powered devices without having to make a lot of software tweaks first. Google basically separated the work it does on Android from the work that its hardware partners do on the OS to ensure that Android is compatible with their new chips.

It separated the device-specific lower-level software written by the hardware partners from the Android OS framework through a new vendor interface. No formal vendor interface existed for earlier Android versions so device manufacturers had to update large portions of the Android core if they wanted to update a device to the latest version of the OS.

With Project Treble, Google has introduced a new stable vendor interface that enables OEMs to quickly release new Android updates by simply updating the OS framework without having to wait for silicon manufacturers to do additional work first. This is one of the more serious steps that Google has taken to tackle fragmentation on the Android platform.

This means that with the Galaxy S9 Project Treble support, Samsung will be able to release Android updates quickly without waiting on a chip partner like Qualcomm to first send the software update.

The company had said that it would work with OEMs to bring Project Treble support to existing flagships. While the Galaxy S8 recently received its Oreo update, it’s yet to receive support for Project Treble.

Google said last year that all devices shipping with Android 8.0 Oreo will support Project Treble out of the box. We have now confirmed that the Galaxy S9 Project Treble support is indeed present from the word go. This means that the Galaxy S9 will hopefully receive Android updates faster. Fingers crossed.

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Galaxy X foldable smartphone won’t be a gimmick, says Samsung CEO

We have heard countless rumors over the past couple of years that Samsung is working on a foldable smartphone. The rumor mill refers to it as the Galaxy X and while we’ve heard countless reports and seen many patents, it’s still unclear when this device is going to arrive.

The company itself said late last year that it’s looking to launch the Galaxy X foldable smartphone in 2018. The CEO of Samsung’s mobile division DJ Koh didn’t confirm when the foldable device will be launched but did say that it’s not going to be a gimmick.

Galaxy X foldable smartphone

Reporters were certainly going to ask Koh about the Galaxy X foldable smartphone after the Galaxy S9 launch event yesterday and that’s precisely what they did. He revealed in an interview that Samsung is making progress on the device and added that it won’t be just a gimmick.

“I need complete confidence that we’re delivering the best user experience when we’re launching a new category,” Koh added.

Koh didn’t say when Samsung is going to launch the Galaxy X foldable smartphone, only saying that he’ll be more open about the new product when the time comes. When pressed by reporters that whether the device will be launched this year, he brushed off the question saying “Sometimes I do not listen. My ear is not so good” with a sly smile.

We reported last month that Samsung might finally start producing its foldable smartphone this year. Foldable OLED panels are part of its 2018 strategy and it even mentioned in its Q4 2017 earnings release that the company’s mobile division will try to differentiate its smartphones by adopting advanced technologies like foldable OLED displays.

Many are anxiously waiting to see Samsung’s Galaxy X foldable smartphone and the kind of experiences it will enable for users. With some claiming that we have reached peak smartphone design, a foldable design will likely get people excited about smartphone design again.

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Galaxy S9 super slow-motion feature will be available on other devices

Samsung demonstrated the Galaxy S9 super slow-motion feature yesterday during the launch event for its new flagship smartphone. As expected, the handset is capable of capturing slow-motion video at an incredible 960 frames-per-second. This is made possible by Samsung’s new 3-stack ISOCELL Fast 2L3 image sensor with an integrated DRAM.

Since this is a component that Samsung itself manufactures, we can expect to see the Galaxy S9 super slow-motion feature arrive on other devices as well. It may even land on devices from OEMs other than Samsung.

Galaxy S9 super slow-motion feature

The 3-stack ISOCELL Fast 2L3 sensor is the latest addition to Samsung’s ISOCELL image sensor family. This 1.4-micrometer 12-megapixel image sensor has an integrated DRAM which delivers fast data readout to capture rapid movements in slow-motion and sharper still photos.

Typical image sensors are constructed with two silicon layers which include a pixel array layer that converts light information into an electric signal and an analog logic layer which processes that signal into digital code.

That code is then sent via MIPI interface to the device’s processor for further processing before it’s saved to the DRAM. These steps work very well to implement features like zero-shutter lag but they can’t allow the device to capture super slow-motion video since it requires image readouts at a significantly higher rate. Samsung’s ISOCELL Fast 2L3 sensor is a 3-stack CMOS image sensor that has been designed with Samsung’s two-gigabit LPDDR4 DRAM attached below the analog logic layer.

This enables the sensor to temporarily store a large number of frames taken in high speed quickly onto the DRAM layer before sending them out to the device’s processor. This implementation allows the sensor to capture a full-frame snapshot at 1/120 of a second and to also allow super slow-motion video recording at up to 960 frames per second.

Fast readout also improves the photography experience considerably since the sensor is capable of capturing an image at very high speeds, it reduces image distortion when taking a picture of fast-moving objects like a car on a highway. It supports 3-Dimensional Noise Reduction for clearer pictures in low-light conditions and real-time HDR imaging as well.

The Samsung ISOCELL Fast 2L3 image sensor is now being mass produced. The Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ are the first devices to feature this new sensor which will also be sold to other device manufacturers this year.

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