Rumor: Galaxy S10 display pixel density to exceed 600 PPI

The rumor mill doesn’t usually start spinning at full speed for the next Samsung Galaxy S flagship so many months before the current year’s Galaxy Note flagship is due. But, with the Galaxy S10 set to mark the tenth anniversary of Android’s most popular smartphone lineup, it’s not too surprising that we’re already seeing numerous reports about the device. Some of these rumors are often about a feature that Samsung reportedly isn’t going to be offering with the Galaxy Note 9, which is an in-display fingerprint sensor. But today’s titbit comes straight out of left field: According to leakster Ice universe, the Galaxy S10 could have a display with a pixel density exceeding 600 PPI.

High Galaxy S10 pixel density rumored

With a resolution of 2960×1440 pixels (WQHD+), the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ sport pixel densities of 570 and 530 PPI respectively. The next popular display resolution after WQHD is UHD/4K, or 3840×2160 pixels. If one were to apply that resolution to the 6.2-inch Galaxy S9+ display, they would get a pixel density of around 710 PPI. Now, we would be remiss if we didn’t say this particular rumor isn’t very believable, unless Samsung has decided it either wants the Galaxy S10 to fold out into a tablet, thinks virtual reality is important enough to give users 4K resolution for the Gear VR, is considering increasing the screen sizes on both models, or just thinking of equipping the Galaxy S10 with a 4K display to make it stand out.

Samsung, right now, makes its flagship smartphones run at Full HD+ (2220×1080 pixels) out of the box. So a jump to a 4K display mostly makes sense if the Galaxy S10 display will run at 4K resolution only when connected to a Gear VR, or if Samsung wants to offer a sharper experience inside some apps, such as the gallery (which is what Sony does). Samsung could also adopt a non-standard resolution between WQHD and 4K. Not something Google (and developers) would be happy about, as the non-standard resolution would be an outlier among the accepted resolutions in the Android ecosystem, and a non-standard higher resolution just for the sake of it would serve no purpose.

Which brings us to the possibility that Samsung wants the Galaxy S10 to run at WQHD+ by default instead of Full HD+, which, again, would mean the device will switch to 4K resolution only for the Gear VR and perhaps a few proprietary Samsung apps. Yet, unless we hear about the company doing something new with the size or form factor of the Galaxy S10, a 600+ PPI display sounds rather impractical and unnecessary.

That’s the very nature of these early rumors, though, that we have to be skeptical when we hear them and play the usual game of waiting for the next big rumor to come along. But there’s no reason we can’t have a discussion, so let us know your thoughts on a 600+ PPI Galaxy S10 display by leaving a comment!

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Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ ARCore support is now live

ARCore, Google’s augmented reality platform (AR) for Android, is now supported on the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Samsung had teamed up with Google early last year to bring ARCore support to its 2017 flagships, and naturally, buyers of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ had expected to be able to try out AR apps based on ARCore out of the box. That wasn’t the case, however, and it was revealed that ARCore support for the Galaxy S9 duo would be out “in a few weeks.” The day has finally arrived, as confirmed by multiple Galaxy S9 owners.

Galaxy S9 ARCore support is a go

If you’ve played Pokemon Go (and let’s face it, almost everyone has tried that game at least once), you probably know what ARCore makes possible. With ARCore, apps can superimpose computer-generated objects and shapes on the real world as seen through a smartphone camera, then let users move around and view those objects and shapes by walking around with the phone in their hand, using the phone’s sensors to detect movement. It’s not true augmented reality as made possible by Microsoft’s HoloLens or what you see in the movies (like Tony Stark investigating a crime scene by waving his hands in the air in the Iron Man films), but it does enable AR to be experienced by practically anyone with a smartphone.

Many developers have already taken advantage of the ARCore platform to create AR apps for Android, and if you own a Galaxy S9 or S9+, you should now be able to try those apps out. To do so, you will first need to install the ARCore app from Google Play. It might not be immediately available for you as support will gradually be rolling out for all regions, but once you’re able to install the ARCore app, you can check out the many AR apps by searching for “ARCore” in Google Play. A good starting point is Google’s Just a Line app, or this one that allows you to view the atomic model of one of the 118 elements in the periodic table and then sends you to Wikipedia for detailed information on the chosen element.

Thanks, Samir Xhaferi!

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SamMobile Firmware Update Magazine: May 14, 2018

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Firmware Magazine. You can think of it as your go-to resource to find out which of your Samsung devices has received a new update or if it’s going to receive a new firmware update in the near future.

To keep things interesting, we present the Firmware Magazine in new designs every week. It will always include the important details about firmware updates such as the firmware versions, device model numbers, Android OS versions and the country where said update is out already.

SamMobile Firmware Update Magazine

Keep in mind, however, that these firmware details are based on the firmware that are available in our database, and in some cases, the latest updates might not show in the same week as the full firmware files take additional time to make it to our database.

The purpose of this magazine is to bring all of that important information about firmware updates to you, the reader, in a manner that’s easy to comprehend—so even if you’re new to the world of firmware, you’ll have no trouble making sense of it all.

Click on the image below to grab the latest firmware magazine!

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Dolby Atmos is now supported on five of Samsung’s Android devices

The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are Samsung’s first flagship smartphones with stereo speakers, and the company also chose to equip the devices with Dolby Atmos support, which makes a substantial difference to sound quality. Well, it’s not just the Galaxy S9 that has Dolby Atmos support: The newly announced Galaxy A6 and Galaxy A6+ have it as well, and Samsung has also brought the feature to the Galaxy Tab S3 with the Oreo update that started rolling out today.

Dolby Atmos everywhere

That makes a total of five Samsung devices that now have Dolby Atmos, and it’s likely more devices will come with Atmos support in the future. Of course, devices with single loudspeakers won’t be able to take full advantage of Dolby Atmos, but since the effect is more pronounced on a pair of earphones anyway, that’s not much of a limitation. And the takeaway here is that Samsung isn’t holding back on making Dolby Atmos a regular feature. It’s a nice addition for the company’s flagship devices in particular, which now come with AKG-tuned audio thanks to the Korean giant’s acquisition of Harman International.

If you own a Galaxy S9, Galaxy A6, or a Galaxy Tab S3 (running Oreo, which might not be the case for most folks at the moment), you can enable and customize Dolby Atmos from the Sound and vibration » Sound quality and effects menu in the device settings.

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BREAKING: Galaxy Tab S3 Android 8.0 Oreo update rolling out now

It’s a good day for Galaxy Tab S3 owners, at least in the United Kingdom, as the Android 8.0 Oreo update for the tablet is now rolling out in the country. Samsung UK seems to be on a roll, as it was the first to release Oreo for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge as well. At the moment, only the Wi-Fi variant of the Galaxy Tab S3 (model number SM-T820) seems to be receiving the update, and it may be a while before the LTE-equipped model joins the party, depending on how quickly Samsung is able to obtain the necessary certifications.

Galaxy Tab S3 Oreo update rolling out

The build number for the first Galaxy Tab S3 Oreo release is T820XXU1BRE2; it comes with the April 2018 security patch and is available for download from our firmware database. The update should also be available over the air, and you can see if that is the case by opening the Settings app, going into the Software update menu, and tapping Download updates manually. As far as new features are concerned, the Galaxy Tab S3 should be getting most of the Android 8.0 Oreo and Samsung Experience 9.0 functionality seen on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8, and you can check out our extensive coverage of everything for more details.

As usual, it will be a few weeks before the Oreo update expands to other markets, though it shouldn’t take too long if Samsung treats the Galaxy Tab S3 as a flagship device, as it’s supposed to be. Hopefully, every Galaxy Tab S3 will be running Oreo before Samsung makes the Galaxy Tab S4 official. If you have downloaded the update already, let us know how it’s running for you, and if you are seeing the update in another country, do mention that as well so others can be apprised of its availability.

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Galaxy S10 features will include an in-display fingerprint sensor

There’s already a fair bit of speculation about the Galaxy S10 features given that it’s the 10th anniversary model of Samsung’s flagship series. The company is expected to pull out all the stops and launch a revolutionary device next year. One of the new Galaxy S10 features is said to be an in-display fingerprint sensor that some have been expecting Samsung to introduce with the Galaxy Note 9 later this year.

It has been rumored for the past couple of years that Samsung will integrate an in-display fingerprint sensor into its flagship smartphones. It’s yet to do that and while many were holding out on hope that the company would do that with the Galaxy Note 9, that may not be the case.

Galaxy S10 features

There have been conflicting reports over the past couple of months that the Galaxy Note 9 will feature an in-display fingerprint sensor. It was also reported two months ago that Samsung would make a final decision on this in the near future and it appears the company has made a decision.

Samsung has reportedly informed its suppliers that it has abandoned its plan to introduce the sensor with the Galaxy Note 9 in favor of introducing it with the Galaxy S10 next year. Samsung won’t be the first company to bring a smartphone with an in-display fingerprint sensor to market but its technology will be superior to the one that Chinese OEMs are using.

An optical sensor works by capturing reflected fingerprints between and through the OLED pixels. The sensor is easier to implement but not as accurate. Samsung is developing an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor itself which will be much more accurate.

It works by transmitting an ultrasonic pulse against the finger some of which is absorbed and some sent back to the sensor through the minute details such as pores and ridges that are unique to every fingerprint. This allows for additional depth data to be collected which results in a very accurate 3D reproduction of the fingerprint, thus ensuring higher accuracy.

Samsung is reportedly developing this ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor itself and aims to use it in devices other than smartphones as well, such as home appliances, smart home devices and even automobiles.

It’s too soon for the company to confirm when it’s going to unveil the Galaxy S10 but there are whispers on the street that the Galaxy S10 could be unveiled at CES 2019 in January as the MWC 2019 slot will be kept for the elusive foldable smartphone.

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T-Mobile Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update out once more

The T-Mobile Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update was released on the very first day of April but the rollout was halted a couple of days later. We reported on April 3 that the carrier had decided to put the Oreo release for the Galaxy Note 8 on hold. It didn’t provide any information on the reason why it was now the only carrier in the United States not to have Oreo out for all Note 8 users on its network.

Galaxy Note 8 owners on T-Mobile will be delighted to know that the update is rolling out once again. T-Mobile is finally rolling out Android 8.0 Oreo for the Galaxy Note 8 on its network.

T-Mobile Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update

T-Mobile is now rolling out firmware version N950USQU4CRD7 for the Galaxy Note 8. Even though we’re halfway through the month of May and the latest security patch has already been detailed, this particular firmware update still comes with the April 2018 security patch. The update is available for download from our firmware section.

Those who were able to get on Oreo before the carrier halted the release will see a relatively small firmware update that weighs in at 344MB. Those who are still running Android 7.1.1 Nougat on their Galaxy Note 8 will get a 1.3GB update that’s finally going to bump up their handset to the latest iteration of Android.

T-Mobile has also updated its support page for the handset to reflect that the Oreo update for the Galaxy Note 8 is now being rolled out. The changelog for those who got the update initially merely mentions that this firmware brings bug fixes and performance improvements.

With the T-Mobile Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update rolling out for good now, it’s only a matter of time before all users on the carrier are able to get a taste of Oreo. The update is being rolled out in phases so it’s going to take a couple of days for it to go live for everyone.

Have you received the T-Mobile Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update already? Let us know in the comments below.

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Apple vs Samsung damages retrial starts tomorrow

Samsung and Apple share a very complex relationship in the marketplace. Apart from being fierce competitors in the premium smartphone segment, they also share a supplier-client relationship with Apple buying billions of dollars’ worth of phone components from Samsung. Both companies are also involved in a high-profile patent infringement case, which started when Apple sued Samsung for infringing on its design and utility patents.

The original Apple v. Samsung trial started back in 2012 and quickly became famous in the tech circles. After a lot of back and forth, a nine-member jury sided with Apple’s patent infringement claims and awarded the company $1.05 billion in damages. However, citing a jury error, District Court Judge Lucy Koh struck down $450.5 million off the original judgment and ordered a new trial in 2013 to recalculate the damages. In December 2015, the Korean tech giant ultimately paid $548 million to Apple in damages, based on the total profits by Samsung from infringing devices.

Many executives from Samsung will testify

The case didn’t end there as Samsung asked the Supreme Court to determine if damages from design patents can be based on the value of the infringed part instead of the total profit from the device. The court agreed with Samsung’s argument and said damages could sometimes be based on infringed components. Two months after the Supreme Court’s ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had remanded the Apple v. Samsung case back to the same Northern District Court of California where it all started.

Out of the $548 million damages paid by Samsung, only $399 million, considered the ‘additional remedy’ amount, is under examination in the 2018 retrial. In the light of the Supreme Court’s ruling, Samsung is hoping for a smaller damages award to the Cupertino company. Many executives from Samsung will testify in the retrial. Jury selection for the retrial will happen on May 14, and the opening arguments will take place the next day.

You might have observed that the money under examination here is a small amount by Samsung’s standard, but the case holds importance to Samsung and other companies which supported Samsung from the perspective of future litigation by setting a precedent.

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