Samsung’s foldable smartphone may cost almost $2,000

We exclusively reported three years ago that Samsung had started working on a foldable smartphone and the company recently revealed that it has made progress on the device but will only release it once it’s confident that the foldable smartphone will deliver the best user experience. Many now expect Samsung to launch its foldable smartphone at MWC 2019 and if analysts’ predictions are believed, the handset might cost a pretty penny at launch.

Market analysts also believe that Samsung’s foldable smartphone won’t be released before 2019 and that its suppliers will begin sending parts to Samsung Electronics starting in November this year so that it can begin mass production.

It may cost almost $2,000

Golden Bridge Investment’s head of research Kim Jang-yeol predicts that the retail price of Samsung’s foldable smartphone will be around 2 million won or $1,850 before carrier subsidies. The brokerage expects that the handset will have a 7.3-inch foldable OLED display and when it’s foldable, the display size is likely to be 4.5-inches.

It’s also claimed that Samsung’s foldable smartphone will have two panels inside and one on the outside. The two inside panels will form the 7.3-inch display when the phone is unfolded. The analysts expect Samsung to showcase a prototype of the device to its carrier partners at the Consumer Electronics Show 2019 in January before unveiling the device at MWC the following month.

Previous reports have suggested that Samsung is going to more 300,000-500,000 units of its foldable smartphone initially to gauge the market response before deciding whether or not there’s a need to ramp up production.

If the expected price point is accurate then it would certainly put Samsung’s foldable smartphone out of the reach of most customers who won’t be able to justify spending almost $2,000 on a smartphone.

That being said, it’s likely that the first foldable smartphone may serve as a proof of concept for Samsung and it may not be looking to make it a commercial success. The next iteration may then be prepared with cost savings once the company is able to determine that a market exists for smartphones with foldable displays.

The post Samsung’s foldable smartphone may cost almost $2,000 appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2JHzB5Q
via IFTTT

Gear S4 might sport a bigger battery than its predecessor

We reported a couple of months back that Samsung is developing a successor to the Gear S3 smartwatch under the codename Galileo and model number SM-R800. Since the Gear S3 Classic and Frontier carried model numbers SM-R770 and SM-R760 respectively, it is clear the new device is a successor to the current Gear S3 family and could be the Gear S4.

Well-known leaker from China, Ice Universe, has revealed in a Weibo post that the Gear S4 will support a bigger battery than its predecessors. The post says the Gear S4 will come with a 470mAh battery, up from Gear S3’s 380mAh. Compared to many other smartwatches, battery life is already one of the strengths of the Samsung offerings. With a bigger battery, hopefully, the lead will increase even further.

No other leaks so far

Unfortunately, nothing much has leaked about the upcoming Samsung smartwatch so far. The last two Gear smartwatches were unveiled at IFA, so it won’t be surprising if Samsung follows the same pattern for the Gear S4 as well. A launch alongside the Galaxy Note 9 is also a strong possibility.

Since the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, Samsung has been cautious about cramming bigger batteries in its devices. Though the source has a relatively good track record, it is still a rumor for now – one that most of us would like to be true.

The post Gear S4 might sport a bigger battery than its predecessor appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2JIgx7B
via IFTTT

Exclusive: Gear S4 colors include a new Gold hue

Many Samsung fans are looking forward to the Gear S3’s successor that the company is going to launch in the coming months. We exclusively reported a couple of months ago that Samsung has started developing the Gear S4 and later told you that the LTE variants of this smartwatch are being tested in the United States.

We have some more information about Samsung’s next smartwatch and can exclusively reveal that the Gear S4 colors include a new Gold option for one of the variants. The Gear S4 will be available in three different colors.

Gear S4 colors

We’re already aware that there will be two different variants of the Gear S4 much like the dressier Gear S3 Classic and the sporty Gear S3 Frontier and both will have LTE-compatible models. Samsung will continue to offer separate models for customers who want a sporty or a fashionable look. We can exclusively confirm that the Gear S4 colors include Silver, Gold and Black.

The Gold color will be a new option for Samsung’s smartwatch customers but it’s only going to be available for one of the two Gear S4 variants. We understand that Samsung is only going to offer the Gold hue with one of the variants, not both.

Based on our information, we can reasonably assume that it’s going to be the dressier variant of the Gear S4 that will be available in Gold. Watch manufacturers have long offered similar hues to customers with their products and you can find countless examples of stylish dress watches in Gold as opposed to sports watches which often opt for muted or matte colors.

This means that the Gear S4 model SM-R800 and RM-R805 (LTE) is going to be the sporty version of Samsung’s next smartwatch whereas model SM-R810 and SM-R815 (LTE) will be the dressier version, the successor to the Gear S3 Classic.

Samsung is expected to release the Gear S4 in the fourth quarter of this year. It’s unclear as yet precisely when it’s planning on launching the Gear S4.

The post Exclusive: Gear S4 colors include a new Gold hue appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2t1toKQ
via IFTTT

Galaxy Note 9 announcement slated for August 9 yet again

Samsung hasn’t confirmed as yet when the Galaxy Note 9 announcement will take place but a recent report suggested that the handset may be unveiled on August 9. The possible launch date has been reiterated in a new report out of South Korea which claims that the Galaxy Note 9 announcement will indeed take place on August 9 at a special event in New York.

If that is indeed the case, the Galaxy Note 9 will be unveiled two weeks earlier than the Galaxy Note 8 was last year. It’s believed that Samsung wants to release the Galaxy Note 9 by the end of August.

Galaxy Note 9 announcement

Citing industry sources, the report says that the Galaxy Note 9 announcement is slated for August 9 while acknowledging that there have been some rumors which have suggested that the event might take place even earlier on August 2. That’s not going to be the case, though, according to this report.

The camera is expected to be one of the biggest selling points of the new flagship phablet. While countless rumors have claimed that Samsung will introduce its in-display fingerprint sensor with the Galaxy Note 9, it appears that the company will do that with the Galaxy S10 instead. That device isn’t due until early 2019.

The Galaxy Note 9 specs will include Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor in markets where the Exynos variant isn’t shipped as well as 6GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. It will feature gigabit Wi-Fi and LTE and a dual camera system at the back. The Galaxy Note 9 will be the first smartphone from Samsung to come with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box and it’s also going to be the first handset to ship with Bixby 2.0.

Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything officially about the Galaxy Note 9 announcement at this point in time and we can’t expect it to until next month at the very least. Galaxy Note fans can rest assured, though, that regardless of the date this handset will most likely be unveiled in August this year.

The post Galaxy Note 9 announcement slated for August 9 yet again appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2JxZ31w
via IFTTT

Galaxy Tab S4 specs include iris scanner, DeX support present as well

Samsung is expected to launch a new flagship tablet later this year and the reports we have seen so far suggest that the Galaxy Tab S4 is just around the corner. Samsung is yet to confirm anything officially about this device but enough circumstantial evidence has surfaced over the past couple of months to give us an idea of what to expect from the Galaxy Tab S4.

A live image of the Galaxy Tab S4 has leaked out of China and the source mentions that the Galaxy Tab S4 specs may include an iris scanner as well. The tablet is even said to have support for DeX, Samsung’s productivity platform which allows supported devices to power a PC-like experience on an external display through a dock.

Galaxy Tab S4 specs

We recently reported that the Galaxy Tab S4 will likely ship with Android 8.1 Oreo onboard and this live image reiterates that as we can see that the tablet is on Samsung Experience 9.5. The devices on Android 8.0 Oreo are running version 9.0.

Previous reports have revealed that Samsung is shifting to the 16:10 aspect ratio for the Galaxy Tab S4’s 10.5-inch display. So while it’s going to feature a virtual home button it won’t be pressure sensitive like it is on Samsung’s flagship smartphones. The Galaxy Tab S4 specs are also said to include 4-channel AKG Dolby Surround sound.

As far as the rest of the Galaxy Tab S4 specs are concerned, the tablet is going to be powered by the Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It may also have a 13-megapixel camera at the back and an 8-megapixel camera up front. We also reported recently that Samsung has a new “Book Cover Keyboard” accessory for this tablet in the pipeline.

Samsung is yet to confirm when it’s going to launch the Galaxy Tab S4. It’s possible that the company may launch the tablet at IFA 2018 which takes place in Berlin this September.

The post Galaxy Tab S4 specs include iris scanner, DeX support present as well appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2t4tpgV
via IFTTT

Galaxy Note 9 colors may include a new brown option

It seems to be a good day for those interested in Galaxy Note 9 rumors. We just saw some credible information telling us the Note 9 could have a 4,000 mAh battery, and we are now getting details on the color options that might accompany the Galaxy Note 9. According to AllAboutSamsung, the Galaxy Note 9 could launch in blue, brown, black, lavender, and gray; the website has also put up a few concept images showing off what those colors might look like. We reached out to our own sources, and we can confirm that at least purple, black, and blue are going to be included in the color palette.

Galaxy Note 9 colors might pack a few surprises

AllAboutSamsung says that Samsung is making minor adjustments to some of the colors compared to how they were seen on existing devices. Purple, for example, is now supposed to be somewhat lighter than the Lilac Purple shade on the Galaxy S9 – perhaps like the Lavender option Samsung introduced for the Galaxy A6? The gray version is apparently a bit darker than the Titanium Gray Galaxy S9, with a slightly bluish metal frame. The blue version will reportedly have a golden frame, and its shade will fall somewhere between the blue Galaxy Note 7 and Galaxy Note 8. The black Note 9, meanwhile, is said to be the same as we’ve seen on the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy Note 8.

As for brown, it’s a color that the Galaxy Note II was launched in all those years ago. More recently, Samsung made a brown Galaxy S6 exclusively for the UK, and it looks like the company is bringing it back for the Galaxy Note 9. The brown and gray options, if they do exist, are likely to be limited to some markets, just like the Titanium Gray Galaxy S9 has been. However, Samsung marked a new trend this year by launching the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in three colors in almost every market on day one, so we could see the company raise that number to four for the Galaxy Note 9.

What do you think? Would you be interested in a brown Galaxy Note 9?

The post Galaxy Note 9 colors may include a new brown option appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2l7R0Kn
via IFTTT

Galaxy Note 9 to have 4,000 mAh battery, faster wireless charging?

The Galaxy Note 9 may indeed have a battery that’s much larger than what we’ve seen on Note flagships in the last couple of years. Ice universe, who has a solid track record with information on unreleased Samsung devices, says in his latest tweet that he is 100 percent sure the Galaxy Note 9 battery has a 4,000 mAh capacity. And, as discovered by GalaxyClub, Samsung also seems to be preparing a faster wireless charger, which would support all the rumors of a higher capacity battery on the Note 9.

Galaxy Note 9 specs could include a 4,000 mAh battery

Samsung launched its convertible wireless charger – model number EP-N5100 – with the Galaxy S9 this year. The EP-N5100 has a 9 volts and 1.67 amperes input rating, the same as the company’s fast wireless chargers that came before. At the FCC, a new charger with model number EP-N6100 has been certified, with an input rating of 12 volts and 2.1 amperes. Samsung’s current fast wireless charging was introduced with the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge+, both of which had a 3,000 mAh battery. The company’s flagship phones have received a boost in battery capacity since then (especially the edge/Plus models), so an increase in those fast wireless charging speeds has been long overdue.

And that increase couldn’t come at a better time. If the Galaxy Note 9 does end up having a 4,000 mAh battery, it would be a substantial jump in battery capacity compared to even the Note 7. It would also be a return of what was originally one of the highlights of the Galaxy Note lineup: long-lasting battery life to go along with the slew of productivity features the S Pen makes possible.

Of course, we wouldn’t recommend taking any of this information as 100 percent accurate just yet. There are many indications that the Note 9 will have the largest battery seen on Samsung’s mainstream flagships, but it’s always best to keep your expectations low until solid evidence starts showing up.

The post Galaxy Note 9 to have 4,000 mAh battery, faster wireless charging? appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2Mq0bCi
via IFTTT