Galaxy Note 9 S Pen Bluetooth support confirmed by FCC listing

There have been several reports recently suggesting that the Galaxy Note 9 S Pen is going to be significantly updated compared to its predecessor. Reports have also claimed that it’s going to feature Bluetooth support which would enable the S Pen to perform features one wouldn’t normally expect from the stylus.

The Galaxy Note 9 S Pen Bluetooth support has now been confirmed by the FCC listing for the stylus.

Galaxy Note 9 S Pen Bluetooth support

The FCC listing for this “Stylus Pen” bearing model number EJ-PN960 confirms that it will link up with the Galaxy Note 9 over 2.4GHz Bluetooth LE. The S Pen’s model code corresponds to the Note 9’s SM-N960 model number as well. The same S Pen model code also revealed all of the color options that will be available for the Galaxy Note 9 just yesterday.

The listing obviously does not confirm what features this Bluetooth support is going to enable on the S Pen. A recent report suggested that it may be used as a long-range timer for the handset as well as for controlling music playback.

The S Pen is certainly shaping up to be a promising addition to this year’s Galaxy Note flagship. Samsung has already confirmed that it will officially unveil the Galaxy Note 9 at an event in New York City on August 9.

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Unlocked Galaxy Note 9 benchmarked with Exynos 9810 onboard

The Galaxy Note 9 has already been spotted on benchmarking website Geekbench a couple of times. The SM-N960U was the first model to appear online, it’s the Snapdragon 845-powered version meant for the United States. The SM-N960N destined for South Korea followed a few weeks later and it was the first time we saw the device being benchmarked with the Exynos 9810 chip.

The unlocked Galaxy Note 9 has surfaced on Geekbench today. Like all international unlocked variants, the SM-N960F is powered by Samsung’s Exynos chip. The score is a bit different this time around, though.

Unlocked Galaxy Note 9 surfaces on Geekbench

The Exynos 9810-powered Galaxy Note 9 model number SM-N960N posted a single-core and multi-core score of 2737 and 9064 respectively. The unlocked Galaxy Note 9 model number SM-N960F with the same chip has posted a single-core and multi-core score of 3716 and 8984 respectively.

We noted back then that while the multi-core performance was similar to what one gets with the Galaxy S9+, the single-core performance was notably lower because Samsung likely wasn’t done optimizing the software.

Today’s benchmark listing of the unlocked Galaxy Note 9 shows that Samsung has clearly made improvements in this regard. The listing also reiterates that the Galaxy Note 9 will be powered by Android 8.1 Oreo at launch and that it will have 6GB of RAM.

That being said, benchmark results never show the full picture when it comes to actual performance so it’s better to have the device in your hands before forming an opinion about the performance it provides. The numbers do look promising, nonetheless.

Samsung has confirmed that it’s going to unveil the Galaxy Note 9 at an event in New York on August 9. It’s also where the company will reveal how much this device is going to cost and when it will be available for purchase. Do check out our detailed coverage on all Galaxy Note 9 specs and features to get an idea of what to expect from Samsung’s upcoming flagship.

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Galaxy J3, J5, J7 (2017) Oreo update seemingly delayed

There are still many Samsung devices that are compatible with Android 8.0 Oreo but haven’t received the update so far. We recently took a detailed look at the state of the Oreo update for Samsung devices and it’s evident that the company isn’t quite at the finish line yet with Android 8.0. For example, not a single Oreo update has been released for the budget Galaxy J series.

Samsung Turkey had previously said that the Galaxy J3, J5 and J7 Oreo update would be out by mid-July but it has since changed the information on its local update portal which suggests that these devices won’t be updated to Oreo for at least a couple of months.

Galaxy J3, J5, J7 (2017) Oreo update

Güncelmiyiz is a legitimate Samsung website that the company has set up as an update tracker for users in Turkey. It put up a detailed roadmap for the Nougat update last year and some of the estimates provided by the website did prove to be true.

Until recently, the website mentioned that the Oreo update for the Galaxy J3 2017, Galaxy J5 Pro and Galaxy J7 Pro was “in the test phase” with a planned rollout from July 13. It’s pertinent to mention here that the devices sold as the Galaxy J5 Pro and Galaxy J7 Pro are branded as the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 (2017) in other markets.

Güncelmiyiz has been updated with new information which pegs the Oreo release for these smartphones on September 28, 2018. No reason is offered for this delay. It also mentions that the Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 (2017) will receive their Oreo update in Turkey starting August 10. These devices have already received Oreo in other markets across the globe so it appears that the wait may soon be over for users in Turkey as well.

However, it appears that there’s going to be no respite for Galaxy J3, J5 and J7 (2017) owners who have already been waiting for a considerable amount of time to get a taste of Oreo.

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Exclusive: Pictures reveal Samsung’s Android Go smartphone won’t run stock Android

Well, it looks like Samsung’s first Android Go smartphone won’t be running stock Android, as we had all been expecting. We have received pictures of the actual device from one of our sources, and these pictures reveal it will have the Go versions of Google’s official apps installed over Samsung’s usual Experience UX.

Samsung Experience UX with Android Go apps

If you check out the official Android Go website, it doesn’t say users will get a stock Android experience. It’s only meant to offer a user experience that’s less demanding on ultra-affordable smartphones thanks to apps that use less memory and storage space. Galaxy J2 Core, the rumored name for Samsung’s Android Go smartphone, should also have clued us in on the fact that it wouldn’t run stock Android. Yes, Samsung did have Galaxy devices running stock Android via the Google Play Edition program a few years ago, but with the company working to bring even its wearables back under the Galaxy umbrella, a Galaxy phone running stock Android would look rather odd at this point.

As seen in the picture above, the device has Go versions of the official Google apps installed. For Android Go’s data saving and storage management functionality, Samsung is using its standard Device Maintenance feature. Or, well, it seems to have switched back to the Smart Manager app that came preloaded on its devices until 2016. Its abilities shouldn’t be any different from the Device Maintenance tool on modern Galaxy smartphones, though.

On-screen navigation keys, but no Infinity display

Also interesting is the presence of on-screen navigation keys. The Android Go device doesn’t have an Infinity display, so it’s possible Samsung will soon be getting rid of the traditional physical home button and capacitive navigation keys on all of its devices, irrespective of whether they have an all-screen design or not. The Android version, as expected, is 8.1, which is the minimum for Android Go devices. The security patch date is December 5 2017, but hopefully the device will launch with the latest security patch.

Alas, there’s no telling when the launch of Samsung’s Android Go smartphone will take place. The device is being tested in a number of markets around the world, and its supposed spec sheet was leaked late last month. But just how far the company is from making an official announcement is unknown, though we can be certain more information will leak out in the coming weeks.

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Galaxy Tab A (2017) may soon launch on various US carriers

From various leaks so far, we already know that Samsung is gearing up to launch the Galaxy Tab S4 and the Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2018) very soon. While we don’t have the official confirmation, some reports say these tablets might make an appearance at the IFA 2018 in Berlin, scheduled from August 31 to September 5.

Apart from launching new tablets, it appears Samsung is also working to bring the Galaxy Tab A (2017) to various carriers in the US. This information comes from the Wi-Fi Alliance website, which has recently certified Samsung tablets with model numbers SM-T387V, SM-T387T, SM-T387P, SM-T387AA, SM-T387VK, and SM-T387R4.

Based on the previous model numbers, we can deduce these are the US carrier variants of the already available tablet SM-T385, i.e., the Galaxy Tab A (2017) which was unveiled in October 2017. When launched, the SM-T387AA should be available on AT&T, SM-T387V on Verizon, SM-T387T on T-Mobile, SM-T387P on Sprint, and the SM-T387R4 on US Cellular. We are not sure what carrier will get the SM-T387VK variant.

Will run Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box

It is unclear if Samsung is planning to launch in the US the exact same Galaxy Tab A (2017) that is already available in other markets or whether the US carrier variant will be an upgraded model. The Wi-Fi certifications say that these tablets will run Android 8.1 Oreo of the box, which is an upgrade over Android 7.1 Nougat on the currently available model. We have to wait and see if Samsung will upgrade other aspects of the tablet as well.

The Galaxy Tab A (2017) is a budget tablet with an uninspiring spec sheet. It comes with an 8-inch 1200×800 display, 8-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera, Snapdragon 425 chipset, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB inbuilt memory, and a 5,000 mAh battery.

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Galaxy X battery capacity might be above 3,000mAh

If reports from the supply chain are believed, things are gradually falling into place for the mass production of Samsung’s much-awaited foldable smartphone that’s referred to as the Galaxy X. We recently heard that the company is going to start trial production of the foldable OLED panel in a couple of months before it begins mass production next year.

A new report claims that Samsung will start producing flexible batteries later this year which it may use for the Galaxy X. These new batteries will have capacities ranging from 3,000mAh to 6,000 mAh.

Galaxy X battery capacity

It’s no secret that Samsung has been working on flexible batteries. The company showed off a prototype back in 2014 but it was more of a proof of concept as it only had a capacity of 210mAh which was certainly not enough for a smartphone.

Samsung’s flexible batteries seem to have come a long way since then as it’s now aiming to start producing them at scale later this year. Since they’re said to have capacities between 3,000mAh and 6,000mAh, the component finally has commercial value and Samsung SDI can start selling it to customers, including but not limited to Samsung Electronics.

Samsung will ostensibly use the flexible battery in the Galaxy X. If the range starts from 3,000mAh then it can reasonably be assumed that the Galaxy X battery capacity will be 3,000mAh at least. Since conventional smartphones don’t really have 6,000mAh batteries it’s safe to say that Samsung wouldn’t be introducing one with a “new” device like the Galaxy X.

No word as yet on when Samsung plans on launching its much-rumored foldable smartphone. The company hasn’t really said much about it and there isn’t a lot of clarity on the other internal specifications of this handset. Some reports have suggested that the Galaxy X launch might take place early next year, either alongside the Galaxy S10 or a few weeks after the 10th anniversary flagship is unveiled.

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Galaxy Note 9 colors possibly revealed by new S Pen model codes

Multiple reports have suggested that the Galaxy Note 9 colors will include black, blue, gray and lavender. The company is also expected to introduce a new shade of gold for the handset but that may not be the case if a fresh report is to be believed. The model codes for the new S Pen that will accompany the Galaxy Note 9 have surfaced online and they suggest that the handset may not be available in gold, at least not initially.

Galaxy Note 9 colors

We already know that the S Pen of a Galaxy Note handset is always of the same color as the handset which is why this report extrapolates the Galaxy Note 9 color options from the S Pen model codes.

The new S Pen for the Galaxy Note 9 has model code EJ-PN960. The list of model codes also mentions the colors that the S Pen will be available in:

1. EJ-PN960BBEGWW: Black
2. EJ-PN960BJEGWW: Gray
3. EJ-PN960BVEGWW: Violet / Purple
4. EJ-PN960BLEGWW: Blue
5. EJ-PN960BAEGWW: Brown

The list doesn’t mention a gold color option for the Galaxy Note 9 even though the first teaser that Samsung has released hints at the possibility that its new flagship might be offered in a shade of gold. Perhaps the company might introduce one down the line.

We have previously reported that the Galaxy Note 9 may be launched with a new brown color option. Samsung has previously offered a similar shade for the Galaxy Note 2. It also launched a brown Galaxy S6 in the United Kingdom exclusively a few years back.

Galaxy Note 9 colors aside, the new S Pen itself is expected to be improved significantly. It may get Bluetooth support which will allow the stylus to double as a Bluetooth controller for the camera shutter and music playback. Some reports have suggested that it may even function as a Bluetooth speaker but there’s not much evidence to support that theory just yet.

Samsung is going to unveil the Galaxy Note 9 on August 9 at a special event in New York City.

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Samsung Messages bug that sends photos to random people being investigated

There have been some complaints recently on Samsung’s official forums and Reddit that the native messaging app on some handsets, including newer models like the Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S9, is sending out photos stored on the device to random contacts over SMS. One user has even claimed that Samsung Messages sent all of the photos in their gallery to one contact late at night for no apparent reason.

As you can probably imagine, many are concerned about this issue as having your photos sent to a random contact puts your privacy at risk. The reports suggest that this bug in the Samsung Messages app doesn’t leave any trace behind that it has automatically sent photos from the device to a random person. This means that some people who have been impacted by this bug won’t really know what has happened until they’re informed by the recipient.

Samsung Messages bug

There’s a theory on Samsung’s forums that this bug has something to do with the recent Rich Communication Services updates that carriers have been rolling out in the United States. RCS improves the legacy SMS protocol with additional features such as read reports, media sharing and more. Perhaps it’s a bug in the implementation of RCS that’s causing this to happen.

T-Mobile, one of the carriers that have implemented RCS, says “It’s not a T-Mobile issue,” and is referring users back to Samsung. Samsung has acknowledged in a statement that “We are aware of the reports regarding this matter and our technical teams are looking into it. Concerned customers are encouraged to contact us directly at 1-800-SAMSUNG.”

This bug doesn’t seem to be affecting users outside the United States so it’s quite likely that it does have something to do with RCS but we won’t know that for sure until Samsung gets back to us with more information after looking into the matter. Have you experienced something similar? Do let us know in the comments below.

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Samsung July 2018 security patch detailed

Samsung today detailed its latest security maintenance release for compatible devices. The company is still in the process of rolling out the June 2018 security patch to some devices so it may be a couple of days before this new patch actually starts rolling out.

The July 2018 security patch includes patches from both Google and Samsung for Android OS and its custom software respectively. The patches from Google include all of the patches up to Android Security Bulletin – July 2018 package with an Android security patch level of July 1, 2018.

Samsung July 2018 security patch

The July 2018 security patch brings fixes for four critical vulnerabilities as well as dozens of high and moderate-risk vulnerabilities. The critical vulnerabilities patched in this maintenance release could enable a remote attacker to use a specially crafted pac file to run arbitrary code in the context of a privileged process.

Samsung has also included patches for nine Vulnerabilities and Exposures items discovered in its own software. The company will now begin rolling out the July 2018 security patch to compatible devices.

If history is any indication, the rollout of the July 2018 security patch will begin with mid-range handsets first in the next week or so before high-end devices receive the latest update as well. It will certainly take more than a few weeks for this update to be released for all compatible smartphones.

We’ll inform you as soon as Samsung starts rolling out firmware updates with the July 2018 security patch onboard.

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