Samsung’s IoT-enabled Family Hub refrigerator now available in India

Samsung unveiled its new IoT-enabled Family Hub refrigerators at CES 2018 earlier this year.  At the time of the announcement, the company said these premium refrigerators would be available for purchase in the spring this year. It finally started selling the Family Hub 3.0 models in the US and few other markets recently. More than six months after the official unveiling, these high-end refrigerators are now available in India as well.

The Family Hub 3.0 lineup is packed with technology and boasts a long list of smart features. On the hardware side, it sports a 21.5-inch touchscreen, an AKG speaker, built-in cameras, and a host of sensors. Like most other IoT-enabled devices from Samsung, Family Hub features Bixby and SmartThings integration to enable smart capabilities. The Bixby assistant on Family Hub can recognize individual voices and provide personalized answers.

The smart fridge comes with a laundry list of features such as remotely checking what’s inside through the built-in cameras, leaving digital notes on the screen, recipe suggestions, shopping recommendations, digitally labeling the food, streaming music, watching videos, monitoring and controlling smart appliances, etc.

A free Galaxy S9 on all pre-bookings

Of course, all of this tech comes at a steep price. It appears, at least as of now, Samsung is bringing only one variant of the Family Hub 3.0 to India. The ‘One French Door’ model with triple cooling, 810-liter capacity, ice and water dispenser, etc., is priced at INR 280,000 (~$4000). It is already available for pre-booking on Samsung Shop and Amazon India portals. Samsung is offering a free Galaxy S9 on all pre-bookings to soften the blow if you are interested in buying this super-expensive refrigerator.

“Family Hub offers a wide range of smart features that allow consumers to do what they could not do before. These include syncing up food storage, keeping family members better connected and organized, and providing enhanced entertainment. Family Hub is also more intuitive and intelligent with the addition of Bixby voice control and its integration with Samsung’s SmartThings IoT ecosystem,” said Mr. Saurav Katyal, Director, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India.

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Galaxy Tab S4 firmware confirms iris scanner and Intelligent Scan feature

Samsung almost beat Xiaomi in India with a strong Q2 performance

A couple of weeks into the third quarter, we are already getting smartphone shipment numbers for Q2 2018. Canalys has published Q2 data for the Indian market, and it brings good news for both Samsung and Xiaomi. The two companies dominated the burgeoning Indian smartphone market in the second quarter by increasing their combined market share from 43% last year to a whopping 60% this year.

Samsung put up a good show

Reversing the disappointing performance in the last few quarters in India, Samsung put up a good show and almost beat Xiaomi to reclaim the top spot. The Korean company grew 47% year-on-year by shipping 9.9 million smartphones and garnering 30.2% market share in Q2 2018, up from 25% in the same quarter last year. This impressive performance, however, was not enough for Samsung to topple Xiaomi who emerged as the largest vendor once again.

For comparison, Samsung shipped just under 7.5 million units and held 25% market share in India in Q1 this year, while Xiaomi shipped over 9 million units and captured 31% market share. Xiaomi didn’t make any huge gains in the second quarter but mostly held on to its market share to retain its place at the top of the table. It shipped around 9.9 million units and seized 30.4% market share, which represents year-on-year growth of 106% owing to the modest base. The Galaxy J2 Pro was Samsung’s best-selling model in India in the quarter with 2.3 million shipments, whereas the Redmi 5A was Xiaomi’s best-seller with an estimated 3.3 million shipments.

Vivo came in third with 3.6 million shipments and 11% market share, while Oppo settled at the fourth spot by shipping 3.1 million smartphones and grabbing 10% market share. It was a bad quarter for Samsung’s chief global rival, Apple, as the iPhone shipments were down by about 50% in India. The smartphone market in India itself grew by 22% with a total of 32.6 million shipments – a sizeable increase from the 26.8 million units in Q2 last year

“Despite Xiaomi’s growing popularity in India, Samsung will remain the first choice for consumers. Its technological prowess and supply chain mastery will continue to give it an edge over Xiaomi for the foreseeable future,” said Canalys Analyst TuanAnh Nguyen in the press release.

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Lest we forget: Galaxy Note 9 will also have stereo speakers

There’s been a lot of talk surrounding what the Galaxy Note 9 will bring to the table. The Bluetooth-enabled S Pen, a 4,000 mAh battery, and Bixby 2.0 are some of the highlights that we’re looking forward to, but I feel there’s one important feature that the Galaxy Note 9 will have and is not being talked about enough. You guessed it: I’m talking about stereo speakers.

Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy Note 8: Not a minor upgrade

I know, I know. The Galaxy S9 already has stereo speakers, so the Note 9 having them doesn’t make it extra special. But we have to remember that it’s mostly going to be Note fans who will be picking up the Galaxy Note 9 and not Galaxy S users (though there’s a solid reason for Galaxy S owners to switch to a Note). And if someone is planning to move from the Galaxy Note 5 to the Galaxy Note 9, it will be quite the substantial upgrade. Not so for Galaxy Note 8 owners, but even when compared to the Galaxy Note 8, stereo speakers are one of the major new features the Galaxy Note 9 will have.

It is one of the things that can be jotted down on the “What’s new on the Galaxy Note 9 compared to the Galaxy Note 8” list, a list that some people think isn’t long enough. But it is, when you throw in the stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos, mind you), bigger battery, an S Pen with Bluetooth built-in, and the Dual Aperture camera of the Galaxy S9+ (which does make a difference, even if it’s not too substantial). While none of this is truly confirmed at this point, at least the stereo speakers and the improved camera are going to be on the Note 9 for sure, as no new Note flagship has ever been less feature-packed than the preceding Galaxy S flagship.

Galaxy Note 9 will offer plenty of new stuff

Of course, one could argue that none of this stuff is something Samsung couldn’t have offered us last year if it had tried. But if smartphone makers started bringing in substantial new features to their flagship phones as soon as possible, they’d have nothing to sell the next year. The Galaxy S10 is also due next year and so is Samsung’s first foldable phone, so considering how Samsung will have to knock it out of the park with its flagships in 2019, the Note 9 doesn’t look as small an upgrade as some people are making it out to be. And if all of it comes for the same price as the Galaxy Note 8, the Note 9 will be even more killer.

Did I mention it will also have stereo speakers?

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Galaxy Note 5 updated with July 2018 security patch

Here’s another old Galaxy flagship that is receiving a security update late in its lifecycle, following the Galaxy S6 update that came out earlier this month. Samsung is pushing out an update to the Galaxy Note 5 in some countries, including Argentina, Colombia, Panama, Chile, and Trinidad and Tobago. The update brings the July 2018 security patch and build number N920GUBS4CRG1.

Galaxy Note 5 security update rolling out

The Galaxy Note 5 getting a security update shouldn’t be a surprise, as the device is still on the monthly schedule alongside the Galaxy Note 8. It’s perhaps also easier for Samsung to update the Note 5 as it was launched in very few markets. Or, well, the fact that it was the only Note flagship available for purchase after the Galaxy Note 7 was taken off the market (though Samsung’s marketing efforts focused on the Galaxy S7 edge following the Note 7 drama). And the fact that Samsung usually updates its flagship phones with security patches regularly for three years after launch.

In any case, if you own a Galaxy Note 5, you can download the update in the Software update menu in the Settings app. Our firmware database also has the related firmware available for those who like updating manually.

Don’t Miss: First Galaxy Note 9 live images leaked online

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Galaxy S7 gets its first post-Oreo update in Europe

While the Galaxy S7 Oreo update is yet to arrive in plenty of countries, Samsung is pushing the first post-Oreo software update in some markets. The new update brings the July 2018 security patch, bumping up the security patch directly from April, which came with the Oreo update. The Galaxy S7 edge isn’t receiving the same update at the moment, but that shouldn’t be the case for long.

Galaxy S7 gets a new Android 8.0-based update

The new Galaxy S7 update is currently out in the Netherlands and doesn’t bring anything other than improved security. It will be interesting to see if some countries get the Android 8.0 Oreo update directly with the July patch. It’s far from likely that will happen for a two-year old flagship, though. Those still running Nougat will probably just be interested in first getting the latest version of Android anyway, and here’s hoping Samsung doesn’t take too long to bring Oreo to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge worldwide.

The update brings with it build number G930FXXU2ERG2 and can be downloaded on the Galaxy S7 from the Settings » Software update menu. We’ll update this post once we have the firmware up in our database as well as once the Galaxy S7 edge also gets the update.

Have you received the new update on your Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge?

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Galaxy Watch FCC listing reveals screen size

Samsung is now expected to launch its new smartwatch alongside the Galaxy Note 9 on August 9. It also appears that the company is going to call its new smartwatch the Galaxy Watch instead of the Gear S4. The Galaxy Watch has now been certified by the FCC. The listing not only reiterates the new moniker of the device but also reveals its screen size.

Galaxy Watch screen size

We have previously revealed that the new smartwatch will be available in two different models, , bearing model number SM-R800 and SM-R810. This won’t be surprising as the Gear S3 had two models as well – Classic and Frontier.

The SM-R815 has now been certified by the FCC. It’s going to be the LTE variant of the of the two Galaxy Watch models. The FCC listing mentions that the smartwatch’s display measures 30.2mm or 1.19-inch diagonally. In comparison, both the Gear S3 Classic and Frontier feature a 1.3-inch display. Only the Gear Sport had a 1.2-inch display.

It’s possible that the other model, the SM-R800, might have a different display size. A recent report has also suggested that the two models will come in different sizes. That being said, the obvious limitation of the smartwatch form factor means that any difference isn’t going to be more than a tenth or so of an inch.

Perhaps Samsung is opting for a more sportier look with the new smartwatch by shrinking down the display ever so slightly. The reduced size might make the smartwatch more appealing to people with smaller wrists, it may particularly appeal to women as well.

We have already confirmed exclusively that the Galaxy Watch will feature Bixby and that despite it being moved under the Galaxy brand, the smartwatch will be running the latest version of Tizen OS. Samsung is not only expected to unveil the new smartwatch alongside the Galaxy Note 9 but the new flagship smartphone and smartwatch may also be released on the same date: August 24.

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Galaxy J7 (2017) Oreo update will also based on Android 8.1

Samsung didn’t treat the 2016 iterations of its two most popular budget phones, the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7, equally with the Nougat update. When the Galaxy J7 (2016) was updated, it received version 7.0 of Android Nougat, while the Galaxy J5 (2016)’s Nougat update came out a few months later with Android version 7.1.1. Thankfully, things may not be the same for the 2017 models. The Galaxy J5 (2017) was spotted running Android 8.1 Oreo back in May, and the J7 (2017) is now being tested with Android 8.1 as well.

Galaxy J7 (2017) Oreo update is in the works

Like the Galaxy J5 (2017), the Galaxy J7 (2017) has been listed on the GFXBench website with Android 8.1. This means that when the official Oreo update arrives for these devices, it will be based on the newest version of Oreo. And given the time Samsung takes to release major updates for its budget phones, that’s the least the company can do. The J series phones will probably start receiving Oreo after the Galaxy Note 9 has hit retail, though, so they won’t be the first Galaxy devices to be running Android 8.1. And, well, they aren’t going to be updated to Android 9.0 P, either, as Samsung currently provides only one major OS upgrade to budget smartphones.

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