US unlocked Galaxy S7 Oreo update is finally available for download

One of the reasons why customers opt for unlocked devices is that the firmware updates for these models doesn’t get held up by carriers. However, US unlocked models of Samsung smartphones routinely receive updates later than their carrier-locked counterparts. Samsung does have an explanation for this but many users don’t really care for it, they just want their updates.

Those who have been waiting for the US unlocked Galaxy S7 Oreo update will be happy to know that the firmware is finally available for download. Samsung has also released Oreo for the unlocked Galaxy S7 edge in the United States.

US unlocked Galaxy S7 Oreo update

Samsung first released the Oreo update for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge three months ago. It’s the second major Android platform update for this handset. The Galaxy S7 won’t receive a major OS update after Oreo.

The company has taken its sweet time with the update. As we pointed out recently, the rollout of the Galaxy S7 Oreo update is yet to be completed. There are many markets where the Oreo update hasn’t been released for both devices. We can remove the US unlocked models from the list now, though.

Carriers in the United States starting rolling out the Oreo update for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge on their networks last month. All four major carriers have since released the update. Samsung is now rolling out the US unlocked Galaxy S7 Oreo update over a month after the carrier-locked models got it.

It’s rolling out firmware version G930UUEU4CRG2 for the Galaxy S7 and G935UUEU4CRG2 for the Galaxy S7 edge in the United States. Click on the relevant model name to download the firmware file for the unlocked variants from our firmware section. The update brings all of the features that one expects from Android 8.0 Oreo. Despite the fact that it has been released in July, the update still comes with the security patch for the month of April 2018.

The US unlocked Galaxy S7 Oreo update is rolling out over-the-air today so it may be a while before it goes live for all users.

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New data shows Samsung beat Xiaomi to take back the top spot in India

The last few quarters have been tough for Samsung in India. According to many shipment trackers, Xiaomi posted stellar growth numbers and toppled Samsung to emerge as the largest smartphone vendor in the country. Though Samsung rubbished all these reports, it did launch more compelling budget smartphones to counter Xiaomi’s Redmi series. It appears the company’s renewed strategy is delivering the desired results.

Last week, Canalys published Q2 smartphone shipment numbers which showed Samsung getting close to dethroning Xiaomi from the top spot in India. Counterpoint Research has released the Q2 market share data today, and it shows Samsung beat Xiaomi to regain the top position it ceded two quarters ago in the country. The Korean company increased its market share from 24% in Q2 2017 to 29% in the second quarter this year, while Xiaomi’s market share went up from 16% to 28% during the same period.

Vivo, Oppo, and Huawei occupied the next three positions respectively, and together the top five vendors accounted for a whopping 82% of the total shipments, indicating an increasing consolidation in the Indian smartphone market. OnePlus (284%), Honor (188%) and Xiaomi (112%) made the most gains, while Apple had a disappointing quarter with just 1% market share. Overall, the Indian smartphone market grew by a healthy 18% year-on-year in the second quarter.

New Galaxy J models did the trick

The report attributes Samsung’s strong performance to the recently launched Galaxy J series models. Xiaomi’s Redmi 5A was the best-selling smartphone in the quarter with 9% market share. Samsung’s recently launched Galaxy J6 came in third with 5% market share. In what could be termed as a sign of Redmi series’ popularity, three out of the top five bestsellers were from Xiaomi. OnePlus emerged as the market leader in the premium segment with the OnePlus 6 being the bestseller in the category.

Counterpoint has also published market share numbers for feature phones, and Reliance Jio continues to dominate the sales charts with 47% market share. Samsung held on to the second place, but its market share dropped from 27% last year to 9% this year. Feature phone shipments went up by 21% compared to the same period last year and accounted for around 50% of the total mobile phone shipments in the quarter.

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Samsung denies reports about accepting cryptocurrency for in-store purchases

Samsung grabbed headlines in the cryptocurrency space last week when news reports emerged that the company is going to accept cryptocurrency for in-store purchases in the Baltic states. The news created a lot of buzz in the crypto community battered by the recent slump in the market. Many major crypto websites picked up the story without any confirmation from Samsung.

All these reports were based on a Medium post by an obscure blockchain startup named CopPay. The now-deleted post said that customers in Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, and Kaunas can purchase Samsung products in-store through cryptocurrency. It mentioned that Samsung stores will accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, Dash, Nem, and Steem through CopPay technology.

Fake news?

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the news turns out to be false. When Hard Fork sent an email to Samsung to confirm the veracity of the news, a spokesperson for Samsung denied the rumors by saying, “Our official response is that the rumor is not true.”

CopPay hasn’t followed up its initial report with more information following the denial by Samsung. The company has made it clear that it hasn’t partnered with CopPay to accept cryptocurrencies as payment in its stores. Misinformation such as this damages the already shaky credibility of the crypto market. Though Samsung is not accepting cryptocurrencies, it is still a player in the crypto market as it announced making ASIC chips for mining a few months back.

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Thoughts on the Galaxy Note 9’s bright yellow/gold S Pen?

Like the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy Note 8, the Galaxy Note 9 will be released in a slew of fancy colors. You have the now standard black and blue, a new ‘Teddy Brown’ version, and Lilac purple, a color that debuted this year with the Galaxy S9. There’s a gray version as well, according to at least one rumor, though we are yet to see any solid information on that front. But what’s certain is that the blue Galaxy Note 9 will have a bright yellow S Pen, with the first suggestion coming from Samsung’s own teaser.

Yellow S Pen: Yay or Nay?

One of the earlier rumors had suggested the blue Note 9 will have a golden frame, but recent render leaks suggest only the S Pen will get the bright yellow hue with a little blue thrown in on the top. An odd choice for sure, making the S Pen two-tone while the phone isn’t (well, unless you consider the all-black front, which makes all color variants two-tone). But if that is what Samsung actually has to offer, will the yellow and blue S Pen draw you towards the blue Note 9 or will it make you opt for another color?

Again, if the phone itself has a golden frame, the two-tone stylus will feel less out of place. But what if that’s not going to be the case? What do you think of the yellow S Pen? Is it a look you can get behind, or is it something in poor taste according to you? Or would you like to just wait for a real-life look at the thing before making up your mind? Tell us in the comments!

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Samsung built a ‘5G City’ to show what a 5G future looks like

Samsung has been aggressively working with many industry partners to bring 5G to the market. The company wants to be a dominant 5G player and has set ambitious goals for itself. It has already conducted several 5G demonstrations with its end-to-end solutions in partnership with numerous carriers around the world.

To showcase the potential of what 5G can offer, Samsung has built a ‘5G City’ within Samsung’s ‘Digital City’ in Suwon, Korea. The demo city consists of a 5G Stadium, a 5G Connectivity Node, and a 5G Kiosk. The company published a video of the 5G City today to give a sneak peek into what a city equipped with a 5G communication network looks like.

Smart and connected cities

The 5G Stadium is intended to demonstrate the 5G internet experience in future stadiums, concerts, conferences, and any other large gatherings. With 5G networks, large crowds can stream high-definition videos simultaneously by using the MIMO (multiple input multiple output) technology.

The 5G Connectivity Node focuses on the smart city aspects in a 5G era. It envisions a future where CCTVs, digital signages, and various sensors are connected through 5G and other technologies to enable better traffic control, improved safety, etc. This component of the 5G City is all about the efficient management of future cities by harnessing the power of 5G connectivity.

The third part, the 5G Kiosk, shows 5G hotspots of the future that will offer blazing download speeds. With speeds anywhere from 1-3 Gbps, the kiosks will assist in, among other things, map and software updates for autonomous vehicles of the future. These hotspot zones can also help in large video downloads while on the move.

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Samsung rumored to launch Galaxy R and P, cancel Galaxy J series next year

If a new rumor from China is believed, Samsung will be significantly shaking up its low-end and mid-range lineup in 2019. It’s said to launch two new series – the Galaxy R and Galaxy P. Samsung is rumored to cancel the Galaxy J series which already delivers the bulk of its sales in the affordable segment of the market in addition to the Galaxy On and Galaxy C series.

These rumors come from @MMDDJ_, a Twitter-based leaker from China, who has been right on some accounts in the past. It would be best to take this information with a grain of salt for now as there’s no concrete evidence to support the claims.

Samsung Galaxy R and Galaxy P series

The leaker claims that Samsung will introduce a new mid-range and low-end series called the Galaxy R and Galaxy P. It’s also claimed that the Galaxy P will be Samsung’s first ODM (original design manufacturer) smartphone meaning that it won’t be produced at Samsung’s own facilities. The new series is rumored to be due in Q3/Q4 next year.

Samsung not only designs all of the product specifications currently but it also builds its smartphones at its own manufacturing facilities. The claim that the Galaxy P will be an ODM device suggests that Samsung will only use its brand name for the Galaxy P. The device itself would be designed and produced by another company. Samsung would slap its brand on the device and sell it.

This will, at least in theory, result in cost savings for the company since it won’t have to invest anything in the development of the device. It will select the handset from a factory catalog, making minor changes if required and start selling it as a Galaxy device. Samsung doesn’t do that normally so it’s going to be a big change for the company if this does happen.

It’s also claimed that the Galaxy J series will be discontinued in addition to the Galaxy On and Galaxy C series. It’s hasn’t been confirmed if this will only be done in China or in all markets where these handsets are available. It’s difficult to believe that Samsung will discontinue the Galaxy J elsewhere when it delivers the bulk of its sales in this price segment. This could be true for China, though, where Samsung’s affordable devices have struggled to gain traction against Chinese rivals.

Samsung has shown its willingness to shake up its strategy for China where its market share has eroded to dangerous levels. Perhaps this might help the company better compete in the People’s Republic.

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Tip: Manually adjust brightness of Always On Display on your Galaxy phone

Always On Display started off in quite a basic avatar when it first came to Samsung’s smartphones with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. That was more than two years ago, and today, AOD has a ton of options that let you customize it to your heart’s content. Did you know that you can also manually adjust the brightness of Always On Display?

Manually adjust Always On Display brightness

When auto screen brightness is on, AOD automatically increases or decreases its brightness based on how much light is falling on the phone. But what about when you have disabled automatic screen brightness? Samsung put in the option for manually adjusting AOD’s brightness for such a use case, and while many of you are already aware of how that works, some of you might not be. But that’s why we’re here, to tell you about things you didn’t know were possible on your Galaxy smartphone.

Here’s how you do it: When the phone is locked and Always On Display is showing on the screen, just double tap the clock and a brightness slider will show up. If you have added a GIF or still image to AOD, you can double tap on this image as well to access the slider. Oh, and you can manually adjust AOD brightness even when automatic brightness is enabled on the device, so it works at all times.

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Latest leaked render shows the Galaxy Note 9 in Midnight Black

The Galaxy Note 9 has been glimpsed out in the wild already, and we have also seen a few renders of the phone in the past few days. Leaked renders have revealed the blue, purple, and brown Note 9, and the black version of the phone has now joined the party. Winfuture.de has published official renders of the Galaxy Note 9 in the Midnight Black avatar, which is likely to be the only color option that is available in every market when the Note 9 goes on sale. Also included are renders of the blue variant and its gold and blue S Pen, with the device better matching the Deepsea Blue name than the image we saw previously.

The Galaxy Note 9 will come in black, as expected

Galaxy Note 9 sales might commence in some markets on August 24, less than two weeks after the device will be made official at Samsung’s Unpacked event in New York. While the traditional black color option will continue to exist, Samsung is giving up on the 64GB base storage model, as recent rumblings in the rumor mill have revealed. The Note 9 will have 128GB of storage on the base model, at least in Europe, with the higher-end variant directly going to 512GB. Whether there is going to be a 256GB model – or even a 64GB variant – for some countries remains to be seen. We certainly hope there is, as the rumored price tag for the 512GB model is, well, disturbingly high to say the least.

Check out the new render of the Galaxy Note 9 and let us know what color you’re most looking forward to!

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Samsung’s mobile GPU said to offer exceptional performance

Rumors about Samsung developing its own mobile GPU first surfaced a few years ago. However, Samsung signed a technology agreement with ARM in 2015 to use its GPUs in Exynos processors. This is believed to have led to a delay in the development of Samsung’s in-house graphics technology. A report last year claimed that Samsung had finally developed its first in-house GPU for mobile devices.

Updated LinkedIn job descriptions of some Samsung employees spotted last month also suggest that the company is working on a GPU in-house. The employees mention their work on GPU teams. A new report claims that Samsung’s first GPU will offer exceptional performance.

Samsung’s mobile GPU

Samsung’s new GPU design is reportedly being led by Dr. Chien-Ping Lu, a veteran of the graphics chip design industry. He designed an integrated graphics chip for PCs at NVIDIA before moving to MediaTek to work on its mobile GPU. Lu eventually ended up at Intel where he worked for less than a year before he left for NovuMind, an artificial intelligence startup. Samsung hired Lu about a year ago to take its in-house GPU project across the finish line.

The report mentions that Samsung’s in-house GPU has a novel architecture which will enable it to be used in different form factors ranging from smartphones to supercomputers. It’s said to be the first new GPU design in over a decade. Samsung’s main rival Apple is believed to be working on its own in-house GPU for iPhones. Analyst Jon Peddie says that Samsung’s GPU could “put it on par with Apple.”

“This design is so good they could deploy it in every platform — it’s a function of their ambition. If I owned it, it would be in everything including cockpits and supercomputers,” Peddie said.

The GPU reportedly achieves a new level of performance/watt by bundling multiple instructions into a group which can then be executed in a single cycle. It doesn’t use conventional VLIW techniques which generate additional processing overheads.

Samsung’s first in-house GPU is expected to make its debut with a Samsung Exynos process at some point next year. It’s unclear if Samsung will be willing to license the GPU technology to other companies or if it’s going to keep it in-house for a competitive advantage.

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Samsung rumored to be working on a gaming smartphone

With the wide variety of things that Samsung dabbles in, it was only a matter of time before a rumor about the company working on a gaming smartphone would show up. And it has. Chinese leakster MMDDJ has posted a simple tweet that says “Samsung is preparing gaming smartphone.” Not a lot to go on, but an interesting rumor nonetheless given how smartphones aimed at gamers have seen a resurgence in the past year or so.

A gaming phone from Samsung still doesn’t make sense

Now, the Wall Street Journal’s recent report about Samsung’s foldable smartphone also mentioned that gaming would be one of the key areas the device would target. No other details were given, so whether the new rumor talks about the same device or something else altogether is unclear. To us, a dedicated gaming phone doesn’t make sense for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, an AMOLED display with a high refresh rate (120 Hz, as other gaming phones) isn’t feasible or cost-effective right now. However, the display part may not be a problem if the gaming phone is indeed the foldable device, as it is expected to be quite costly when it launches next year.

But if it’s a regular smartphone, then there’s not enough of a market for Samsung to be wasting resources on a gaming phone. Not to mention Samsung’s flagship phones already come with excellent hardware for gamers (and the Note 9 will be even better thanks to its large 4,000 mAh battery), so it remains to be seen if there’s any merit to this particular rumor about the Korean giant working on a dedicated gaming smartphone.

Does a Galaxy phone made for gamers interest you?

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