Galaxy S8 Oreo update released in China

Samsung can’t exactly compete with Chinese manufacturers as far as making phones with amazing specs and low price tags is concerned and it has certainly become a problem for the Korean giant, as it saw its market share in China plummet below 1 percent. Samsung has said that it is looking at ways to get back into the game in the Chinese market, and it looks like one area where it could get the leg up on Chinese OEMs would be software updates, as the company is only now releasing the Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in the country.

Galaxy S8 Oreo update released in China

Yes, it’s not like other markets received the Galaxy S8 Oreo update very quickly, but Chinese customers seem to have had a longer wait to get the latest version of Android on their Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+. And while Chinese OEMs aren’t keen on bringing major Android upgrades to their devices, they do release regular software updates with new features and bug fixes, so Samsung will have to be quicker at updating its devices in the world’s most populous country as it goes forward with whatever plans it has in place to reclaim some of the lost market share.

Well, here’s hoping the Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update for Chinese customers isn’t far behind.

The post Galaxy S8 Oreo update released in China appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2IP7pwM
via IFTTT

April security patch released for the Galaxy A5 (2017), T-Mobile’s Galaxy S7/S7 edge

More Samsung devices are beginning to receive an update with the April 2018 security patch. The latest flagships from the company still haven’t had the fortune of getting the latest security patch, but at least the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge on T-Mobile in the US are now being updated. Also getting the April 2018 patch is the Galaxy A5 (2017), just a day after the Galaxy A8 (2018) received a similar update. The firmware version for the Galaxy A5 is A520FXXU4BRD1; T-Mobile, meanwhile, is rolling out builds G930TUVS4BRC1 and G935TUVS4BRC1 to the S7 and S7 edge respectively.

April 2018 security patch for the A5 (2017), Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge

As all of these are older devices, the updates don’t bring anything other the April 2018 security patch. The security fixes included in the patch target seven critical vulnerabilities in the Android operating system and eight vulnerabilities that affect Samsung’s software, details on which can be found at this link. If you own any of these devices, you can see if the update is available for you by going into the Settings » Software update menu. The A5 (2017) update is rolling out in Egypt right now, but it should be making its way to other markets in the coming days, so be sure to keep checking for the update on your phone from time to time. These updates can also be downloaded from our firmware database.

The post April security patch released for the Galaxy A5 (2017), T-Mobile’s Galaxy S7/S7 edge appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2HAQDT2
via IFTTT

[Poll] Samsung is working on a fix for the Galaxy S9’s call drops issue

Calling isn’t the most important function a smartphone is used for, but that doesn’t mean there is an excuse for calls not working properly on a mobile device in this day and age, and certainly not on flagship smartphones. Unfortunately, there seems to be no dearth of issues related to phone calls on the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. There have been many reports since the phones were launched that calls tend to go mute or get dropped altogether for no rhyme and reason, and a moderator on the Samsung Community in Poland has confirmed that call drops are indeed an issue on Samsung’s latest top-end phones and the company is working on a fix.

Calls go mute for up to 20 seconds

A majority of complaints say that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ often mute calls – only the person at the other end is able to hear the voice of the Galaxy S9 user when that happens, and it can take up to 20 seconds for the call to start working normally. For some, calls also disconnect after a few minutes, and while this isn’t as widely reported as the issue with calls going mute, call drops don’t seem to be a minor issue, either. Samsung had recently released a Galaxy S9 update that improved call stability, but it doesn’t look like these problems were fixed in the update.

One of the company’s forum moderators has said that the company is diagnosing the issue and working on a patch, but there’s no word on when the fix will be rolled out. We hope Samsung manages to slip it in with the update for the April 2018 security patch, which is yet to make to make its way to the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The next update is also expected to provide a fix for the dual SIM Galaxy S9 not showing missed call notifications, though that particular issue seems to be limited to the countries where Samsung’s flagship phones come with built-in caller ID and spam protection.

Have you run into issues with calls on your Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+? Let us know by voting in the poll below and by leaving a comment.

Have you run into issues with calls on your Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+

• Nope, all fine here
• Yes, calls go mute at times
• I face frequent call drops
• I face both issues on my S9
• I had issues initially, but things seem fine now

Results

• Nope, all fine here 56%, 10 votes
  10 votes 56%

  10 votes - 56% of all votes
• Yes, calls go mute at times 22%, 4 votes
  4 votes 22%

  4 votes - 22% of all votes
• I face frequent call drops 17%, 3 votes
  3 votes 17%

  3 votes - 17% of all votes
• I face both issues on my S9 6%, 1 vote
  1 vote 6%

  1 vote - 6% of all votes
• I had issues initially, but things seem fine now 0%, 0 votes
  0 votes

  0 votes - 0% of all votes

Total Votes: 18

13 April 2018

×

You or your IP had already vote.

• Nope, all fine here
• Yes, calls go mute at times
• I face frequent call drops
• I face both issues on my S9
• I had issues initially, but things seem fine now

×

You or your IP had already vote.

Results

The post [Poll] Samsung is working on a fix for the Galaxy S9’s call drops issue appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2qvW7X3
via IFTTT

Donald Duck AR Emoji now available for the Galaxy S9

Samsung is making good on its promise to bring more Disney characters to the Galaxy S9’s AR Emoji feature by adding Donald Duck as an emoji option. An update to the AR Emoji camera mode is available from the Galaxy Apps store on the Galaxy S9, and once you install it, you will be able to make Donald Duck copy your facial expressions and also turn your voice into the gibberish that’s a hallmark of the world’s most beloved duck.

Donald Duck AR Emoji now available for the Galaxy S9

Donald Duck is the third character to be added to AR Emoji, following Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. Samsung will also be bringing characters from newer Disney properties, such as The Incredibles (a sequel to which will be launching later this year) and Frozen, over the course of the year. If you haven’t yet tried out the Disney AR Emoji on your Galaxy S9, we have a nice little guide that can get you started quickly. If you already have Mickey and Minni Mouse emojis installed, you can add Donald Duck to the mix by downloading the AR Emoji update from the Galaxy Apps app on your Galaxy S9 or S9+.

You can also update through the Camera app. Open the app, switch to the AR Emoji shooting mode, tap the ‘+’ button at the bottom right, then tap the Mickey Mouse thumbnail, which will take you directly to the AR Emoji app listing on Galaxy Apps. Download the update, then go back to the camera to start using the Donald Duck emoji. And, while you’re at it, don’t forget to tell us what you think about the newest Disney emoji once you’ve had a bit of fun.

The post Donald Duck AR Emoji now available for the Galaxy S9 appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2qtPpRf
via IFTTT

Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs Apple iPhone X: Side-by-side pictures

As many had expected, both Samsung and Apple jumped on the all-screen design bandwagon in the same year. Samsung did it first as it launches its flagship at the beginning of the year, and Apple followed a few months later with the iPhone X. Only the iPhone X wasn’t like other smartphones with bezel-less displays. It had a notch at the top (like the Essential Phone) that cuts into the display, adding an element of distraction in what is otherwise a display with minimal bezels around it.

That notch does include Face ID, the most advanced face recognition technology available on a smartphone today, but the ‘Infinity display’ on Samsung’s flagships feels like a better implementation of a bezel-less display. And while the Galaxy S8/S9 and Galaxy Note 8 have more top and bottom bezel compared to the iPhone X, the bezels on the side are much smaller thanks to the curved edges.

Elsewhere, though, Apple’s tenth iPhone does include a similar design direction to Samsung’s flagships. After a few years of making iPhones with a metallic back, Apple has switched back to a glass back for the iPhone X. Apple is the manufacturer that made phones with glass backs popular, and Samsung took inspiration when it launched the Galaxy S6 and has stuck to glass-heavy designs ever since, even offering it in the mid-range segment with the A series phones.

As a result, both Samsung’s and Apple’s newest flagships feel great to hold, though we’d be lying if we said we aren’t inclined towards the more futuristic look of the Galaxy handsets. That’s not the say the iPhone X isn’t a beautiful device, and we were recently able to get hold of a unit thanks to one of our blogging friends, so we decided to put the phone next to a Galaxy S9+ to give our readers a look at how the two compare standing next to each other.

We’re not going to say any more here; if you’re on our website, there’s probably nothing (other than faster software updates, maybe?) that would make you switch to an iPhone, so go ahead and see how Apple’s latest looks like next to Samsung’s Galaxy S9+. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs Apple iPhone X: Side-by-side pictures

The post Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs Apple iPhone X: Side-by-side pictures appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2Hk6Jm8
via IFTTT

Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update released in the UK for unlocked units

Samsung users in the UK are often left complaining about software updates despite the country being one of the company’s major markets (though not the biggest), but Galaxy Note 8 owners can finally rejoice as the unlocked Note 8 is beginning to receive the Android 8.0 Oreo update. It’s a 1.5GB download over the air and brings with it build number N950FXXU3CRB and the March 2018 security patch.

Unlocked Galaxy Note 8 gets Oreo in the UK

The Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update brings you exactly the same new features and changes that are a part of the Galaxy S8 Oreo update. We have a detailed look on many of those features available at this link, and Samsung’s official infographic also walks you through the major changes brought by version 9.0 of the Samsung Experience UX. Core Android Oreo features such as autofill and picture-in-picture mode are included as well, though there’s no support for Project Treble (Google has claimed that it is working with OEMs to bring Project Treble to existing devices, but it doesn’t look like Samsung is one of those OEMs).

To download the update, open the Settings app on your Galaxy Note 8, tap Software update, then select the Download updates manually option. As usual, it may not show up for your device right away, so keep checking back every few minutes. We will soon have the complete firmware files for the update available in our database, and we’ll be sure to update this article when that happens.

The post Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update released in the UK for unlocked units appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2GXBoSW
via IFTTT