Galaxy A6 get closer to a release on AT&T and Sprint in the United States

The Galaxy A6 has been in the works for a release in the United States for some time. Word initially got out that the handset would be launched by AT&T, but we were later able to exclusively confirm that Sprint will be launching the A6 as well. A precise release date or time frame for either carrier is still a mystery, but freshly received Wi-Fi certifications for the AT&T (SM-A600A) and Sprint Galaxy A6 (SM-A600P) models hint at an imminent arrival.

Galaxy A6 US launch imminent

Of course, Wi-Fi certifications don’t usually offer the correct estimate for how soon an upcoming phone would launch. But it does tell us that the wheels are in motion and the phone could be made official for the aforementioned US carriers soon. It remains to be seen which carrier will release it first, though it’s possible both will announce availability around the same time. The specs of the device aren’t expected to change compared to the global model.

What would be interesting to see is the pricing. Samsung doesn’t usually launch A series phones in the US, so there’s not a lot of history to go on as far as estimating the prices is concerned. The Galaxy A6 is a rather costly proposition (read our Galaxy A6 review here) for what it offers, so AT&T and Sprint would do well to offer the phone at a sensible price, especially to those who prefer buying their phones outright instead of opting for monthly plans.

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Galaxy J3 (2017) gets Wi-Fi certification with Android 8.0 Oreo

The Galaxy J3 (2017) has been certified running Android 8.0 Oreo by the Wi-Fi Alliance, bringing the update a step closer to the smallest of Samsung’s J series trio from last year. Now that Samsung has kicked off the rollout of the Oreo update for its mainstream flagships and mid-range devices, it’s only natural for the company to turn attention to Oreo for its budget phones. The Galaxy J3 (2017), however, might not get Android 8.1, unlike the 2017 models of the J5 and J7.

Galaxy J3 (2017) inches closer to Android 8.0 Oreo update

The Galaxy J5 (2017) and Galaxy J7 (2017) have been spotted on a benchmark site running Android 8.1, while the Wi-Fi certificate for the Galaxy J3 (2017) is for Android 8.0. However, it shouldn’t make for a difference in terms of the new features and improvements that come as part of Oreo, as Samsung usually implements changes from the latest version of the OS even if it doesn’t bump up the version number.

Of course, that will only be confirmed once the Oreo update is released for the Galaxy J series phones. Judging by history, it won’t happen before the upcoming Note flagship goes on sale, though Samsung is always welcome to surprise its customers.

Read More: What’s New With Android 8.0 Oreo

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Software support win? Galaxy Note 9 is already getting August security patch update

The Galaxy Note 9 is no longer a secret, with a couple of leaked photos having revealed Samsung’s upcoming flagship in the flesh. And, well, it seems like the first leak that came up, the one with a cracked Galaxy Note 9 in the frame, had another image that we missed. And, would you believe it, Samsung is already pushing the August 2018 security patch to the device with a software update.

Galaxy Note 9 testing is likely in its final stages

DJ Koh wasn’t looking very happy when he was spotted using the Note 9, so maybe the Note 9 development team is pushing out an update to fix whatever was bothering their CEO? That makes for interesting fiction, but the fact is that software updates are a general part of the development process for an upcoming device. After all, Samsung wouldn’t want its employees and retail testers around the world to be downloading the complete firmware (which can be as big as 3GB) to the device every time there’s a newer build ready for testing, right?

What does stand out here is that Samsung already seems to have the August patch ready. Does Google actually give OEMs the next security patch so well in advance? That would defeat the purpose of security patches, as they are supposed to include fixes for all the vulnerabilities discovered in the OS in the previous month. But then again, there aren’t going to be any hackers sitting around trying to exploit unreleased phones, so Samsung may just have bumped up the security patch date ahead of time.

Here’s hoping the company can be quick with software updates once the Galaxy Note 9 goes on sale.

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Galaxy S9 update enables Super Slow-mo recording for 0.4 seconds at 480 fps

The Galaxy S9 was updated with the July 2018 security patch earlier this week, with the changelog also noting improvements to Super Slow-mo videos. But it turns out the update makes an important change to the feature. After installing the latest update, you will be able to take Super Slow-mo videos that slow down a 0.4-second moment to around 12 seconds in manual mode. Manual videos will be shot at 480 frames per second, while auto mode will continue to work as before.

Super Slow-mo recording gets a tweak

Basically, for the full Super Slow-mo effect, you will need to shoot these videos in auto mode as manual mode no longer shoots at 960 fps. It’s strange that Samsung hasn’t given us an option to switch back to 960 fps in manual mode and has simply preset it to record at 480 fps. However, that might be because manual mode was already tough to work with as far as pressing the record button at the right moment was concerned. Also, the 0.4-second limit means you can now capture more of a moment in slow-motion than was possible before.

And, of course, the regular slow motion mode continues to be present, so you can take videos at 240 fps like you could on previous Samsung flagships. The regular slow motion doesn’t come enabled by default, but you can follow these steps to change that.

What do you think about the change introduced in Super Slow-mo videos with the new Galaxy S9 update?

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Galaxy S9/S9+ sales were reportedly poor in the second quarter

Initial reports about the Galaxy S9/S9+ sales have been mostly positive, but things seem to have changed substantially in the last quarter. There has been a growing number of reports in the last couple of months about the sluggish sales of the latest Galaxy flagship smartphones. Even the company’s Q2 earnings guidance is hinting at a slowdown in the Galaxy S9 sales.

A new report from Samsung’s home country is joining the chorus now. According to a report in The Bell, the Galaxy S9 sales in the second quarter were less than what Samsung sold in the first quarter of 2018. The Korean company reportedly sold 9 million units of Galaxy S9/S9+ in Q2 2018, down from the 10.2 million units it sold in the first quarter. Even the combined sales of the first two quarters dropped from 21.2 million units of Galaxy S8 in 2017 to 19.2 million units of Galaxy S9 this year. It appears Samsung’s aggressive marketing didn’t have much of an impact in convincing customers to buy the top-end Galaxy models.

First time in the history of the Galaxy S series

This is apparently the first time in the history of the Galaxy S series that Q2 sales are lower than the Q1 numbers. It is pertinent to point here that the S9 duo was available for purchase only for a couple of weeks in the first quarter as they went on sale only in mid-March. Yet, if the pre-bookings and two weeks of sales in Q1 are indeed higher than the three-month sales in Q2, then it points to an acute underperformance by the latest Galaxy flagship devices.

The report also says that Samsung is launching the Galaxy Note 9 a few weeks earlier than the Note 8 to counter the sluggish S9 series sales. An early Note 9 release will also help Samsung to snatch away few customers before the latest iPhones hit the market sometime in September.

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New Galaxy Note 9 live image shows the Dual Aperture camera lens

Our first look at a Galaxy Note 9 in the flesh came earlier this week, showing off a design similar in most respects to the Galaxy Note 8. Today, we’re getting another look at the device thanks to a new leak that shows off the US unlocked variant of the phone. The camera setup at the back is clearer in the new image and reveals two lenses that seem similar to the ones on the Galaxy S9+, suggesting the camera specs aren’t changing.

Galaxy Note 9 makes another live appearance

There have been reports that the camera will be getting revamped with the Note 9, but those may have been talking with regard to the Galaxy Note 8. The Dual Aperture lens is alone a notable upgrade over the Note 8, and features like Super Slow-mo video will also make it stand out. But we have to say the camera assembly in the image looks off in some way, as if it’s not a finished product. That may just be because of the angle the photo has been taken at, though.

Here’s a picture of the Galaxy S9+ camera taken from a similar angle:

In any case, this is another reminder that apart from the repositioned fingerprint sensor, the Galaxy Note 9 will pretty much look just like the Galaxy Note 8. Don’t let that fool you, though. The Galaxy Note 9 will still have plenty of new stuff to boast about, including stereo speakers, a Bluetooth-enabled S Pen, possibly 8GB of RAM, and a bigger battery.

What do you think of the Galaxy Note 9 in this newly leaked image?

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The Galaxy S10+ may be the last handset of its kind

Samsung’s heir apparent has been particularly focusing on the company’s mobile division to improve its contribution to Samsung’s bottom line. A new report claims that Samsung wants to adjust its flagship models to improve profitability which has been hit by saturation in the high-end segment of the market.

The company has reportedly been discussing the possibility of merging its Galaxy S Plus and Galaxy Note models into a single product. It would deliver cost savings for the company in R&D, production, marketing and sales since it will no longer have to do that for two separate models.

Galaxy S Plus models to be phased out in favor of the Galaxy Note?

The proposal to merge the Galaxy S Plus and Galaxy Note models stems from the increasing overlap between the two product lines. A clear distinction existed between the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lineups previously. The latter consistently had larger displays. This changed with the Galaxy S8+ when Samsung breached the 6-inch display mark for the flagship series.

The Galaxy S10+ that’s due next year is expected to feature a 6.44-inch display. If true, it’s going to be slightly larger than the Galaxy Note 9’s 6.38-inch display. If you take away the S Pen, there’s not much in the Galaxy Note series to differentiate it from the Galaxy S anymore. Software features notwithstanding, of course. This year’s phablet will have specs similar to that of the Galaxy S9/S9+ with the 4,000mAh battery being an exception.

Samsung has reportedly been debating the merger of these two product lines since last year. The decisions are advanced enough that the company has also informed its partners about them as well. The suppliers are reportedly in an informal agreement in favor of the merger. In that case, what will be the future of these two product lines?

Several reports have claimed that Samsung will actually release three different models of the Galaxy S10 next year. The entry-level model is said to feature a 5-inch display while the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ will have a 5.8-inch and 6.44-inch display. Both models are reportedly going to feature Samsung’s triple-camera as well.

If it’s going to unify the product lines, would this lead to Samsung doing away with the Galaxy S Plus model and just one of the models be called the Galaxy S Note or some such? It would make sense for the company to keep the Galaxy Note series since it has its dedicated fan base. They won’t really be happy if Samsung decides to take the only flagship smartphone that ships with a stylus off the market for good.

Assuming that this speculation turns out to be true then the Galaxy S10+ may be the last handset of its kind. The Galaxy S flagships in the years to come will presumably then have more of a size difference from the Galaxy Note series as only the 5-inch and 5.8-inch Galaxy S models would be retained. Perhaps this would be enough to reduce the overlapping between these two product lines to some extent.

Do you think that this is something Samsung should do to differentiate the two product lines, or is a merger of the two the best solution in your opinion?

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Samsung collaborates with NASA to create a VR lunar experience

Samsung has launched a 4D lunar gravity VR experience ‘A Moon for All Mankind’ (AMFAM) at the Samsung 837 in New York. It’s a visual and physical VR experience for consumers that uses the Galaxy S9+ and the Gear VR to recreate a fictional moon mission to experience lunar gravity.

To mimic the partial gravity experience of walking on the moon to make the AMFAM feel realistic, Samsung collaborated with the NASA’s team behind the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS), a system used to train astronauts.

AMFAM VR experience will be a full space mission which includes a briefing about the mission and stepping into a flight suit wearing a Gear VR headset to experience the lunar mission in the gravity offload rig. Consumers will experience what it feels like to walk on the moon.

Open to the public starting today

Starting today, the immersive VR experience will be open to the public at the Samsung 837 in New York until the end of July next year. Consumers can go to www.837gearVR.com for scheduling missions and other additional information.

“At Samsung, we are driven to push the boundaries of innovation and inspire consumers to do what they can’t. We are proud to bring to consumers the combination of our powerful mobile VR headset and our innovative work with NASA to launch this lunar experience and bring the sensation of walking on the Moon to life,” said Zach Overton, VP of Consumer Experience & General Manager of Samsung 837 and Galaxy Studios.

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