Galaxy A9 Star and A9 Star Lite pre-orders open in China on June 2

One of the most leaked upcoming Samsung smartphones is finally ready to go official. The Galaxy A9 Star will be put up for pre-order in China on June 2, along with the Galaxy A9 Star Lite, as confirmed by a leaked poster for the two devices. The June 2nd date is discernible amidst the Chinese text, and according to the source of the image, those who book either phone using the AllPay payment provider will get a chance to win tickets to the launch event. The launch event is set for June 7, and based on a previous leak, the pre-order period could end on June 14, with shipping to start on June 15.

Galaxy A9 Star is all about the cameras

The abundance of leaks have made clear that the Galaxy A9 Star will be an upper mid-range phone with a focus on the imaging experience. It is expected to have a 24-megapixel and 16-megapixel dual camera setup at the back and a 16-megapixel selfie camera. Other specs include a 6.28-inch Infinity Super AMOLED display, a big 3,700 mAh battery, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. It has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor that might be a bit of a stretch to reach compared to even the Galaxy S8+. That’s thanks to the fact that the rear cameras are placed on the top left corner. The Galaxy A9 Star might also be launched in other countries sometime down the line, as we exclusively reported earlier this month.

As for the Galaxy A9 Star Lite, it’s most likely just a rebranded Galaxy A6 for the Chinese market. Well, it could also be the Galaxy A6+. The image that had initially revealed the A9 Star Lite’s identity as a rebadged Galaxy A6 wasn’t very clear and made it hard to say if there was a dual or single camera at the back. The image of the front of the device that has leaked today, meanwhile, makes it look like the display is significantly smaller than the A9 Star’s. That could, however, be the result of the difference in scale between the two devices in the picture. Good thing the mystery will soon be solved, as it’s almost midnight over in China.

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Possible Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2018) undergoes Bluetooth certification

With the launch of the Pixelbook and Acer Chromebook Tab 10, Google has more or less officially confirmed the death of Android tablets. It appears Google is planning to replace Android tablets with Chrome OS devices that can run Android apps. Still, many OEMs like Samsung continue to make Android tablets as there is enough demand to make some profit.

Earlier this year, a list of unannounced Samsung device codenames was found in the leaked Galaxy Note 8 Oreo firmware. One of the codenames in the list was gta2xl, which pointed to a Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2018) model since the previous Tab A 10.1 model launched in 2016 carried the codename gtaxl.

Closer to launch

The same device has been now spotted on the Bluetooth certification website, more or less confirming its existence and imminent launch. The certification page lists the product name as Galaxy Tab A2 XL and model number as SM-T595. Since the previous Galaxy Tab A 10.1 carried the model numbers SM-T580 and SM-T585 for Wi-Fi and LTE variants respectively, the device spotted on the Bluetooth SIG website could be the LTE version of the Galaxy Tab A 10.1 successor.

Not long ago, a device with the model number SM-T590, which could be the Wi-Fi-only version of the Galaxy Tab A2 XL, was also spotted on the Eurasian Economic Commission’s website. Currently, nothing else is known about these devices other than their model numbers and Bluetooth version. Since the predecessor is a mid-range tablet, the same could be the case of the successor as well.

It is still not clear if the new tablet will launch as the Galaxy Tab 10.1 (2018) or as the Galaxy Tab A2 XL. Since devices undergo various certifications when they are about to hit the market, it is safe to assume the tablet will launch soon.

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Samsung phones in the UK will soon let you video chat with doctors

According to Financial Times, Samsung has signed a deal with the health startup Babylon to offer AI-powered medical consultations on its smartphones in the UK. The phones sold in the region will soon come preinstalled with technology from Babylon that will allow users to video chat with doctors from their homes.

Samsung is paying Babylon for the technology

Babylon is known for its partnership with the UK’s ‘GP at Hand’ program that already lets users book doctor consultations through video chat. Samsung is paying a license fee and share in profits to Babylon for using their medical consultation technology. Like GP at Hand, the AI-powered Babylon tech in Samsung phones will not only facilitate doctor consultations via video chat but can also check symptoms through the Health app.

The service, however, is not free for the users. It will cost £50 ($67) a year or £25 ($$33) for a one-time consultation. Though the service is currently limited to the users in the UK, Samsung is not averse to the idea of bringing it to other markets according to the report. Unfortunately, none of the reports online offer any information about eligible devices and launch date. We have to wait for the official announcement from Samsung for more details.

Samsung’s latest smartphones are packed with health-related tech. It’s heartening to see the company exploring ways to leverage all that technology to offer meaningful real-life applications.

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PSA: Galaxy S9 May update adds option to use both SIMs in LTE mode on dual SIM models

It was around a week ago that Samsung released the May 2018 security patch update for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Since then, the update has released in many countries around the world, and if you own a dual SIM variant of the Galaxy S9 or S9+, the latest update also brings the ability to use both SIM cards in LTE mode. Before the Galaxy S9 was released, rumors had suggested the phone would let consumers use both SIMs in LTE mode instead of limiting one to a 2G/3G network (which is the case on pretty much every dual SIM phone today). Samsung has now added the feature to its latest flagship via a software update.

Galaxy S9 can now run in dual SIM, dual LTE mode

Before you get excited, we should point out that the ability to use both SIM cards on an LTE network comes from the new modems in this year’s Exynos and Snapdragon chips. You shouldn’t, therefore, expect to get the same functionality on existing Samsung devices. If you have a dual SIM Galaxy S9 or S9+, however, you can now go into the SIM card manager menu in the Connections menu of the Settings app and set both SIM 1 and SIM 2 to use LTE networks. Of course, you can continue to use one of the SIM cards on 3G or 2G mode if you think that will reduce battery usage. That shouldn’t be the problem for most, though, since mobile data will still be enabled on only one SIM.

If you have a dual SIM Galaxy S9 or S9+ and haven’t yet updated to the latest software, you can do so now from the Settings » Software update menu by tapping Download updates manually. The build number for the May update is G960FXXU1BRE5 for the Galaxy S9 and G965FXXU1BRE5 for the Galaxy S9+. As usual, you can also download the latest firmware for your country from our database (Galaxy S9 | Galaxy S9+) should you not be able to download the update over the air.

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Best bands for the Gear S3 Frontier and Classic

The Gear S3 Frontier and Classic come with rubber and leather bands respectively and while they’re good enough, many smartwatch owners tend to go for the obvious customization option which is to use a third-party band with the device. There are great third-party options available online some of which we have included in our list of best bands for Gear S3 Frontier and Classic.

Why you should use a third-party band with your Gear S3

Using an aftermarket band is perhaps the only way that you can customize the physical look of the smartwatch. It’s easy to replace them as well so you can mix and match them with your outfits to complete your look. It just makes good fashion sense.

Best bands for Gear S3 Frontier and Classic

Swees Genuine Leather Band

This one starts off our list of best bands for Gear S3 Frontier and Classic. It’s a genuine leather band that fits both Gear S3 iterations perfectly. The strap itself is made of premium leather and provides a comfortable, anti-slip and sweat absorbent fit. There are Quick Release Pins on both ends which it makes it easy to clip it on and remove by hand without needing a tool.

You can buy the Swees Genuine Leather Band from Amazon in a variety of colors and patterns for as low as $13.99.

Kades Genuine Leather Retro Cowhide

This retro band for the Gear S3 is made from genuine cowhide leather so not only does it looks classy, it’s quite durable as well. Both the interior lining and the surface leather are made from the same cowhide to provide a more premium look and feel. The quick release pins also for easy installation.

Amazon has the pack of 2 of the Kades Genuine Leather Retro Cowhide band for sale in multiple colors for $19.76.

CreateGreat Breathable Sport Band

The Gear S3 is a great device for those who lead an active lifestyle and the CreateGreat Breathable Sports Band for the smartwatch is a great option for those who need the Gear S3 to keep up with them when they’re exercising.

The band is made of high-quality software and durable elastomer material for a comfortable and flexible fit. The air hole design reduces weight and improves ventilation. The quick release pins make it easy to replace the band as and when required. It’s available for purchase now from Amazon in a variety of colors for $9.87.

Valkit Stainless Steel Band And Milanese Loop

Valkit’s duo finds a place on our list of best bands for Gear S3 Frontier and Classic because it offers two great band options for a reasonable price. You get a premium stainless steel band as well as a Milanese Loop mesh. The links can easily be removed from both sides of the stainless steel band to adjust the length as per your need.

You get more bang for your buck when you buy Valkit’s bands from Amazon. In addition to the bands, you also get two screen protectors and alcohol wipes for the Gear S3, one link removal tool and 6 build pins. The bands are available in a variety of colors for $19.98.

HandyGear Rhinestone Band

If bling is what you’re after then look no further than this band for the Gear S3. The hand-made plated rhinestone band will certainly be a conversation starter because it’s just so different from the conventional watch bands that most people use. It’s a bit on the expensive side, though. You can buy the rhinestone band from Amazon for $37.

FireLine Paracord Band

This is undoubtedly one of the best bands for Gear S3 Frontier and Classic because it’s more than just a smartwatch band. The Paracord tactical band from FireLine also doubles as a lifesaving accessory.

The band with its over 10 feet of cord can be unraveled to use for fishing, tent tie-downs, sewing, etc. The cord itself is over three times stronger than a standard nylon cord with reflective stripping woven in for protection at night time. Amazon has it on sale now for $31.99.

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These are what we believe to be some of the best bands for Gear S3 Frontier and Classic. Do pick one up if you’ve been meaning to customize the look of your Samsung smartwatch. Are there any other bands that you prefer? Share your picks with us in the comments below.

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Samsung gained market share in South Korea this past quarter

While Samsung’s performance in some key markets is a cause for concern, the company seems to be doing well in its home market of South Korea. According to the numbers published by Strategy Analytics, Samsung gained market share in the domestic market in the first quarter of 2018.

Samsung reportedly shipped 3.9 million smartphones in Q1 2018, grabbing a market share of 65.3 percent in South Korea. Apple came in second by shipping around 1 million units and garnering 16.7 percent market share. The Korean rival LG secured the third place with 700,000 shipments and 12.2 percent market share. Of the three companies, only Samsung had a major smartphone release in the first quarter.

Better than the performance in Q1 2017

The numbers compare favorably to Samsung’s performance in the first quarter last year when the company garnered 58.2 percent market share, while Apple and LG stood at 18.2 percent and 14.9 percent respectively. Samsung’s Q1 2018 performance in Korea is also an improvement over the fourth quarter numbers last year. In Q4, Samsung’s market share in Korea dropped to 46 percent, while Apple secured 28 3 percent owing to the launch of the iPhone X and iPhone 8.

Strategy Analytics attributes the improved domestic performance of Samsung to the early release of the Galaxy S9 which reportedly sold more than 1 million units in the first 60 days. While the Galaxy S9’s early release didn’t have much of impact on Samsung’s overall performance in other markets, it does seem to have helped the company in the domestic market.

Do note that numbers from market research firms may not always be accurate as they rely on unofficial and incomplete sources of data which is why they sometimes publish contradictory findings.

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