Galaxy J2 Core is Samsung’s first Android Go smartphone

Samsung’s first Android Go smartphone, which was expected to launch as the Galaxy J2 Core, received FCC approval just a few days back. The same device is now certified by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) as well. A total of seven different Galaxy J2 Core variants – SM-J260F, SM-J260M, SM-J260Y, SM-J260F_DS, SM-J260G_DS, SM-J260M_DS, and SM-J260Y_DS have secured the Bluetooth certification. The listing clearly mentions the device name as Galaxy J2 Core thus effectively confirming that this is what Samsung’s first Android Go smartphone will be called at launch.

As to be expected, the SIG listing doesn’t reveal anything we currently don’t know about the upcoming budget device. We, however, already know from other seemingly credible reports, the first Samsung Android Go smartphone will sport a 5-inch Super AMOLED display, Exynos 7570 chipset, 8-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front shooter, 1 GB RAM, 8 GB internal storage, 2600 mAh battery, and Android 8.1 Oreo with Samsung UI on top.

Priced lower than other Galaxy J series phones?

There is no information about pricing and availability yet, but the flurry of certifications makes it clear that the device will launch very soon. Being a budget smartphone with very low-end specs, you can expect the price to be lower than all the other Galaxy J series phones. The device is obviously targeted at developing markets where budget smartphones dominate the sales charts.

What do you think about Samsung’s strategy to launch an Android Go smartphone with the company’s custom UI on top? Do you think Samsung’s modifications and features take away the performance benefits expected from an Android Go smartphone? Also, would you be interested in buying Samsung’s Android GO smartphone when it launches? Do comment and let us know your views.

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Samsung’s Bixby Speaker is reportedly weeks away from launch

It is an open secret that Samsung is working on a voice-activated smart speaker powered by its digital assistant Bixby. The company officially confirmed that the speaker would launch sometime in the second half of 2018. Now, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, it is just a few weeks away from launch.

Furthermore, the report says the speaker will be a bowl-shaped device with legs at the bottom and LED lights at the top. It will be apparently marketed as a high-end music player with added smart speaker capabilities. The strategy seems to be similar to Apple’s HomePod which prioritizes sound quality over smart features. The Bixby speaker will also reportedly come with the ‘sound shifting’ feature which directs sound towards the person issuing the command. Interestingly, many of the details in the report match with our exclusive story on the Bixby speaker’s features published last month.

Bixby Speaker price to be around $300

The WSJ report says that the speaker will be priced around $300, which puts it in the Google Home Max and HomePod pricing territory. Google and Amazon already have a first-mover advantage in the market and have a growing device and services ecosystem around their smart speakers. Unless Samsung’s speaker has some compelling and innovative features, it may turn out to be a difficult job for Samsung to sell a large number of speakers at that price.

While the report doesn’t mention any specific date, there is a strong possibility that the Bixby speaker might be unveiled alongside the Galaxy Note 9 on August 9 in New York. Samsung had earlier announced that Bixby 2.0 is coming later this year. If the company unveils Bixby 2.0 at the Galaxy Note 9 launch event, it makes sense to launch a smart speaker along with it. If the speaker doesn’t make a debut on August 9, then it is almost certain it will make an appearance at the IFA event in Berlin, scheduled towards the end of August.

What do you think about the rumored price? Will you buy a Bixby smart speaker at that price?

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Galaxy C9 Pro Oreo update coming soon, reveals Wi-Fi certification

At the end of last month, the Galaxy C9 Pro was said to have begun receiving the Oreo update in China, alongside the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. It later turned out that it was simply a beta release and the rollout hadn’t actually begun. The official update may soon start making the rounds, though: The Galaxy C9 Pro has been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance running Android 8.0 Oreo.

Galaxy C9 Pro Oreo update imminent

And it’s about time, too. Samsung has released the Oreo update for all of its eligible mid-range A series phones and can now turn its attention to its more limitedly available C series of mid-range devices. As usual, there’s no telling exactly when the update will be released and in which market. Since the Galaxy C9 Pro (and other C series phones) are only launched in a few countries, the update shouldn’t take long to reach everyone who owns the device once the initial rollout starts. As for the new features and changes, expect to see the same stuff that Oreo brought to the A series phones. We have a solid list of articles going into detail about the notable Oreo features if you’re interested.

If you happen to see the Galaxy C9 Pro Oreo update pop up on your phone in the coming days, do let us know by leaving a comment or by emailing us through our contact page!

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Galaxy X folds like a wallet, will be released next year

We have long heard rumors that Samsung is working on a foldable smartphone. The company has dozens of patents related to the form factor. It has been consistently rumored over the past few months that the foldable smartphone, commonly referred to as the Galaxy X, will be released next year.

A new report today by The Wall Street Journal, a leading global publication, reveals that the Galaxy X will indeed be released early next year. It also offers some details about the device itself.

Galaxy X foldable smartphone

According to the scribe, the Galaxy X is going to have a 7-inch display. The device will fold in half like a wallet. It’s also going to have a secondary display on the outside when the device is folds in. It would make sense for the devide to have it otherwise users would have to fold out the display every time they want to check the notifications or even just glance at the watch.

Since it’s going to have two separate displays, the Galaxy x will need a chunky battery as well. It’s unclear what the capacity will be, though. The report also mentions that the Galaxy X may be priced as high as $1,500.

Samsung is thus expected to market this device to niche users initially because it may find it difficult to sell such an expensive device to people who don’t want to spend that much money on a smartphone regardless of how it looks and what it does. It may also try to push the Galaxy X to serious mobile gamers as well.

Samsung is reportedly going to release the Galaxy X, codenamed Winner, early next year. It’s possible that the handset may be launched at the Mobile World Congress 2019. No word as yet on when it’s going to be released and in which markets it will be available in.

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Grab the official Galaxy Tab S4 wallpapers here!

The Galaxy Tab S4 isn’t far from an official reveal, as the first firmware for Samsung’s upcoming flagship tablet is now available online. And that means we have been able to extract all the new wallpapers that will come with the Galaxy Tab S4 so you can download them and try them out on your Galaxy smartphone or tablet right now.

Galaxy Tab S4 wallpapers are here

The Galaxy Tab S4 wallpapers are rather unique and colorful compared to the usual wallpapers Samsung puts on its devices. In fact, one can almost see a teaser for the blue and gold color option that the Galaxy Note 9 is expected to be released in later this year. Maybe the Galaxy Tab S4 will also be launched in some interesting color combos we’re not aware of, though it’s more likely that Samsung simply wants to show off the beauty of the AMOLED display (which is going back to the 16:10 aspect ratio) on the Tab S4.

These wallpapers are certainly flashy and attractive, so go ahead and download them from our wallpaper archive. You can either download individual wallpapers by right-clicking (or long-pressing) on an image and selecting the ‘Save image’ option on your PC or mobile device, or you can grab the entire package by hitting the Download button at the bottom.

Also Read: Galaxy Tab S4 specifications

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Exclusive: Galaxy Watch will come with Tizen 4.0 out of the box

There is not going to be a Gear S4. Samsung has decided to bring its wearables under the Galaxy branding and will be launching the Gear S3 successor as the Galaxy Watch later this year. While there have been plenty of rumors surrounding the Galaxy Watch’s naming and its possible launch time frame, there’s been nothing about the features it might offer. We know it will have Bixby, but that’s about it. However, we can now confirm that the Galaxy Watch will come with a newer version of Samsung’s Tizen OS.

Galaxy Watch will run latest version of Tizen

The Galaxy Watch will run Tizen 4.0 out of the box, which may not come as a surprise as Tizen 4.0 was made official more than a year ago. Samsung hasn’t said anything about new features Tizen 4.0 will offer on its smartwatches, though. That’s also not so surprising, as the company would want to wait until the unveiling of the Galaxy Watch before laying down its cards on the table. Tizen 4.0 has a big focus on the Internet of Things ecosystem and comes with new voice control APIs, so we can, at the very least, expect to see Samsung putting the limelight on Bixby’s debut on its smartwatch lineup.

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First Galaxy Tab S4 firmware available for download

Samsung hasn’t confirmed as yet when it’s going to launch its next flagship tablet. Countless reports suggest that the Galaxy Tab S4 is going to be unveiled at IFA 2018 in September.

We have already seen multiple leaked renders of the tablet which reiterate that Samsung will be switching to a 16:10 aspect ratio display for the new tablet. Now, the first Galaxy Tab S4 firmware is available for download. It’s available from our firmware section.

First Galaxy Tab S4 firmware

The first Galaxy Tab S4 firmware is available for download online. Firmware version T830XXU1ARG1 for the Galaxy Tab S4 confirms that the tablet will be running Android 8.1 Oreo at launch.

The Galaxy Note 9 will most likely be the first Samsung device to run Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box, if history is any indication. The Galaxy Note 8 was the first Samsung device with Android 7.1 last year as well.

Samsung’s next flagship tablet is likely going to be announced in September. We have already confirmed its specifications exclusively. They include the 16:10 aspect ratio display and the Snapdragon 835 processor from Qualcomm.

The firmware files that are now available for the Galaxy Tab S4 suggest that an official launch is not that far off. Samsung fans will be happy to hear that as it’s about time that the company launched a new flagship tablet.

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Galaxy S9 July security patch update improves one feature you never use

Samsung is on a roll. The July 2018 security patch update was released for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 earlier this week, and the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are now joining the party. And for its latest flagships, Samsung is throwing in stability improvements for two of the Galaxy S9’s major camera features. One is AR Emoji, which most of you never use, and the other is Super Slow-mo.

Galaxy S9 update brings camera improvements

The July update for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ is currently rolling out in India and Germany with build numbers G960FXXU2BRG6 and G965FXXU2BRG6 respectively. Other than the camera improvements, the update also increases general device stability. Of course, the July 2018 security patch is included as well. The latest security patch fixes four critical vulnerabilities in the Android OS and nine that affect Samsung’s software, in addition to a slew of lower-risk vulnerabilities.

To download the update on your Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+, open the Settings app on the phone, tap Software update, then hit the Download updates manually option. It should be around 250 MB in size, which you should download over a Wi-Fi connection unless you have plenty of mobile data bandwidth to spare. We also have the firmware files for the new software in our database, and you should be able to download the same update over Samsung Smart Switch as well.

Have you received the July update on your Galaxy S9?

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Leaked Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2018) renders reveal another Galaxy without a home button

Samsung seems determined to get its traditional home button and capacitive keys out of the equation for all of its devices going forward this year. We know the upcoming Android Go smartphone will have software navigation keys and so will the Galaxy Tab S4, despite neither of the two devices sporting an Infinity display. Well, we can now add another upcoming Galaxy device to the list.

Galaxy Tab 8.0 (2018) renders leak

NieuweMobiel.NL has published what look like official press renders for the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2018), showing a clean front side without a home button. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Samsung is looking to move to virtual navigation keys across the board. The company has always been about consistency, and while it stuck to physical and capacitive keys for years so that its customers would feel right at home with every new Galaxy they purchased, the same goes for switching to software keys now that physical keys have been removed from the Galaxy flagships.

From the images, it seems the successor to the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2017) will have a few more changes to the overall design. The bezels around the screen are smaller, and Samsung seems to have employed 2.5D glass for a more premium look. However, as the publication notes, the slightly curved display edges may only be an optical illusion, so we will need to wait for the official reveal to be sure.

Speaking of an official reveal, the renders of the tablet have the date August 9 on the lock screen, though it’s far from likely that Samsung will launch a budget tablet alongside the Galaxy Note 9. The 2017 model was released sometime in September, so we can expect the 2018 Galaxy Tab A 8.0 to show up around the same time this year. As for specs, one can assume budget hardware with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box, though more details will be needed for a clearer picture of where the Tab A 8.0 (2018) will stand.

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Galaxy J8, Galaxy Grand Prime+ get July 2018 security patch update

Samsung is pushing out the latest security patch to a couple of budget phones this week, following a release for the 2017 flagships. The Galaxy J8 and Galaxy Grand Prime Plus are being updated with the July 2018 security patch in some markets. While the Galaxy J8 is expected to get regular updates in the coming months as it went on sale only recently, the Galaxy Grand Prime+ is a two-year-old device, which is another good sign of how Samsung keeps supporting the plethora of smartphones it launches every year.

July 2018 security patch comes to more Galaxy phones

Of course, as the Grand Prime Plus is an old device, you shouldn’t expect to see anything other than the July security patch after installing the update. It’s unclear if the same is the case for the Galaxy J8. Since this is the first software update for the phone since its launch, you can expect a few improvements to performance and stability. For the Grand Prime Plus, the update is currently available in South Africa and the UAE. For the J8, it’s rolling out in Brazil and Colombia.

If you have either device, you can check if the update is available for you in the Settings » Software update menu (or Settings » About device). As always, if the update isn’t available over the air, you can download the firmware from our database and use a computer to flash it on your phone.

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