PSA: SamMobile’s policies have been updated for GDPR EU compliance

As some of you might be aware, the European Union’s strict new rules around customer data go into effect today. GDPR or the General Data Protection Regulation requires businesses to protect the personal data and privacy of EU citizens and mandates that they are allowed to access the data businesses have on them, modify it or even choose to have it deleted.

As a responsible business based in the EU and catering to both European and global users, SamMobile has duly updated its policies to ensure GDPR compliance. We urge you to read our updated Terms & Conditions and Privacy & Cookies policy to get a better understanding of this change.

Three things to keep in mind

The updated policies are easy to understand so just give them a once over so that you are fully aware of what data SamMobile collects, what we do with it and how we protect it. SamMobile does not disclose your personal data to third parties. The three main things that you should keep in mind with regards to our GDPR EU compliance are the following:

1. Right to be forgotten (deletions)

GDPR gives users the right to be forgotten which in simple terms means that they can request businesses to erase any personal data they have. We are fully compliant with this and have set up deletions@sammobile.freshdesk.com for data removal requests from readers who have an account on SamMobile.

2. Right to portability (exports)

Users also have the right to request to receive an exported file of their personal data. Account holders can send an email at exports@sammobile.freshdesk.com for this purpose.

3. Right to rectification (modifications)

Account holders on SamMobile also have the right to modify their data. It’s self-service through https://ift.tt/2ifryCv.

Please do go through the updated policies linked above. If you have any additional queries about the policies, contact us directly at privacy@sammobile.com.

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Samsung 2018 QLED TVs updated with FreeSync support

Samsung’s sleek-looking 2018 QLED TVs are packed with features that appeal to a wide range of customers. From those who care more about design to those who prefer IoT capabilities, Samsung has addressed the TV requirements of many customers with its latest models. With a new firmware update, Samsung is now trying to appeal to the gamers as well.

Aimed at improving the gaming experience

Display review site Rtings has noticed that the latest firmware update, version 1103, brings FreeSync support to the 2018 QLED TVs. AMD’s FreeSync is designed to address the screen tearing issue which occurs due to non-matching refresh rates between a PC/console and a display, resulting in a visual artifact where information from multiple frames are shown at once on the screen. The addition of FreeSync support should improve the gaming experience on Samsung’s latest QLED TVs.

According to Rtings, FreeSync technology is now supported by Samsung’s NU8000, and 2018 QLED models Q6FN, Q7FN, Q8FN and Q9FN. The update apparently started rolling out on May 21 and should be available for all eligible devices by now. If you have any of these FreeSync supported models connected to an Xbox One S/X or a PC with AMD graphics, you can benefit from the FreeSync support.

Once the firmware update is installed, the FreeSync option can be found in the Game Mode Settings under External Device Manager the TV’s Settings menu. Samsung warns that the mode may not work perfectly and may cause issues with brightness. Also, only 1080p resolution is supported in FreeSync currently.

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Why I don’t use the Galaxy S9’s iris or facial recognition features

Many of you probably know the answer, and some of you are likely to have the same reason as me for not using iris or facial recognition on the Galaxy S9 or S9+. But if you’re wondering why I wouldn’t use such convenient features on a flagship phone, well, it’s simple: I don’t need to because the fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S9 is right where it needs to be.

From convenience to necessity

When the Galaxy Note 7 was introduced with an iris sensor on-board, it brought convenience that people didn’t actually need, as the front-facing fingerprint sensor meant you could just press the home button to unlock the device as everyone had been doing for so long. Then the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ came out, and the iris sensor – along with facial recognition – became a necessity. The fingerprint sensor was sent to the back, and while that’s standard fare in the smartphone industry, Samsung chose to put the fingerprint reader next to the camera and not below it as logic would dictate. It was hard to reach for many consumers, yes, but it also wasn’t suitable for those who use a phone with their left hand.

Combined with the pressure-sensitive software home key, which one can press down on to directly go to the home screen, iris and facial scanning on the Galaxy S8 alleviated the messed up ergonomics of the fingerprint reader to some extent. I quickly adjusted to the iris scanner on the S8+ and skipped using the fingerprint sensor, and I’m sure I’m far from the only person who did the same when they purchased the Galaxy S8 or S8+ (particularly the latter, which is considerably taller than the regular S8).

Then came the Galaxy S9, and Samsung finally fixed one of the biggest shortcomings of its 2017 flagship devices. It isn’t a solution everyone liked. Since the fingerprint sensor is still quite close to the camera, many users complained that they were now smudging the camera lens through the act of swiping down on the fingerprint sensor to access the notification shade. Indeed, the ability to do that is a very handy feature, and those who had gotten used to the skewed placement of the fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S8 weren’t very happy with the change in the fingerprint sensor’s position on the Galaxy S9.

The fingerprint sensor makes ‘sense’ again

But for those of us who couldn’t be bothered to put in the time to adjust to the Galaxy S8’s fingerprint sensor, the Galaxy S9 was a godsend. Or, well, what the Galaxy S8 should have been from the start. Apart from the first couple of weeks where I was using the Intelligent Scan feature (which uses iris and facial recognition in tandem) on my Galaxy S9+, I have stuck to using just the fingerprint sensor for unlocking the phone and accessing features like Samsung Pay. It’s been much easier to learn not to touch the camera by mistake when tapping or swiping the fingerprint sensor on the S9, compared to learning to adjust to the awkwardly placed sensor on the S8.

Samsung’s habit of putting the rear camera at the center instead of the corner like the competition means even the center alignment of the fingerprint reader isn’t ideal. A rear-mounted fingerprint sensor also means you have to pick up the phone off a table in order to use it. Then again, that limitation also applies to iris or facial scanning unless you keep your phone propped up a dock, or Samsung’s wireless charger, in front of you, at a distance that’s close enough for either of those functions to work.

Until Samsung can bring us a phone with the fingerprint reader under the display or make iris or facial scanning work as quick as fingerprint recognition, the Galaxy S9’s fingerprint sensor continues to be the most logical, at least to me. If the rumors are true, Samsung will have an in-display fingerprint sensor ready for the Galaxy S10, and I am just going to ignore iris and facial recognition like the many other features I never use.

What about you? Are you using iris or facial recognition on your Galaxy S9 or S9+, or have you just set up the fingerprint sensor like me? Sound off in the comments!

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New Samsung Service Center in Rotterdam will offer swift smartphone repairs

Samsung wants to make it easier and faster for its customers to get repair work done on their devices which is why the company today announced the launch of its new Samsung Service Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands. This is the second such repair center in the country. Samsung launched the first one in Amsterdam last year.

These are Samsung’s own service centers so the customer experience will be better. Customers can head over for repairs, technical advice, help with setting up their devices and using its features. The company also sells its latest accessories through these centers.

New Samsung Service Center in Rotterdam

Our daily lives would be a mess without our smartphones as we rely on them for a wide variety of things such as keeping up with our friends and family, conducting business on the go, finding our way around town and more. So it’s a big inconvenience if our handsets stop working for some reason.

Samsung wants to make it easier for its customers to get the repair work done quickly so that they can get on with their lives. This is where the new service center will play a key role. Customers can wait in the comfortable seating areas while technicians work on their devices. The experts will work on devices both in and out of warranty and will also help customers with settings, making backups or just providing general advice to help them get the most out of their device.

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Samsung ordered to pay $539 million in damages to Apple

The Apple vs Samsung patent retrial concluded last week with both parties awaiting the jury’s decision which has now come in. It is already settled that Samsung infringed on three Apple design patents which involve the grid of icons on the home screen, the rim that surrounds a handset’s front and the rounded corners of a device. It is also settled that Samsung infringed on two of Apple’s utility patents which are meant to protect how a feature works and is used.

The verdict in this final case is in and Samsung has lost. It has been ordered to pay Apple $539 million in damages for the settled patent infringement. Samsung had argued during the retrial that the value of the infringing components was $28 million and thus it should only have to pay that much. This lawsuit started back in 2012 when Apple sued Samsung for patent infringement. It sought $2.5 billion in damages initially with the verdict awarding the Cupertino company $1.02 billion. The case then made its way through the legal system and Samsung ultimately paid $548 million to Apple in 2015.

Samsung must pay an additional $140 million

This retrial was meant to examine $399 million of the $548 million awarded to Apple following Samsung’s win at the United States Supreme Court. This means Samsung will now have to pay an additional $140 million to Apple.

It had approached the apex court for clarification on whether damages from design patents could be limited to the value of the infringed part instead of the total profit made from the sale of the device. The court agreed with Samsung’s argument that damages can be based only on infringing components as well in some cases.

“Today’s decision flies in the face of a unanimous Supreme Court ruling in favor of Samsung on the scope of design patent damages,” Samsung said in a statement, adding that “We will consider all options to obtain an outcome that does not hinder creativity and fair competition for all companies and consumers.”

You might think that after such a drawn-out legal process Samsung might be willing to call it a day. Far from it. John Quinn, one of Samsung’s lawyers, told the judge that the verdict isn’t “supported by evidence” and that this objection will be raised by the company in court filings.

“We believe deeply in the value of design, and our teams work tirelessly to create innovative products that delight our customers,” Apple said in a statement, claiming that for it this case has “always been about more than money.”

Samsung is now going to consider its options and they include post-trial motions as well as an appeal. There should be more clarity on its course of action in this matter over the next few weeks.

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