To no one’s surprise, Samsung’s tablet shipments declined in Q2 2018

The once-booming global tablet market has been on the decline for a long time now. It appears the trend is not going to change anytime soon or at all if we go by the Q2 2018 global tablet shipment data released by IDC and Canalys. Both reports show many vendors struggling to even match their Q2 2017 performance, once again resulting in a drop in total tablet shipments during the quarter.

Data from the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker shows the global tablet market declined by 13.5% year-on-year to 33 million units. Apple managed to retain the top rank by shipping 11.5 million tablets, a modest but impressive 0.9% annual growth. Samsung saw its shipments drop by 16.1% as it shipped only 5 million units in the quarter. The company still managed to hold on to the second rank with 15.1% market share – less than half of Apple’s 34.9% grab. Just as with smartphones, Huawei registered the highest annual growth at 7.7%, enough to place it third on the list. Amazon had the worst quarter of all with a 33.5% YoY drop in tablet shipments.

IDC doesn’t think that the recently launched Galaxy Tab S4 will do much to change Samsung’s fortunes in the declining tablet market.

Similar findings by Canalys

The Q2 data from Strategy Analytics echoes IDC’s findings but with slightly different numbers. Strategy Analytics says the global tablet market declined 6% annually to 40.9 million units in the second quarter of 2018. Samsung is again placed second in the vendors’ list with a 12.2% market share and 13% YoY decline in shipments.

Samsung’s performance in the tablet market doesn’t come across as a big surprise. With uninspiring new launches, premium pricing, and Google’s shift to Chrome OS tablets, it appears Samsung has given up on the Android tablet market. The question is will any of this change once Chrome OS tablets become mainstream.

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You may not need to install Fortnite on the Galaxy Note 9

Fortnite, the most popular game on the planet, will soon be out for Android. Recent reports have suggested that developer Epic Games has inked a partnership with Samsung to launch Fortnite for Android as a timed exclusive with the Galaxy Note 9.

This hasn’t been confirmed as yet but the reports say that Fortnite might be exclusive for a month on the Galaxy Note 9 before it’s available for other devices. Even if that is the case, you may not need to install Fortnite on Galaxy Note 9 because there’s a possibility that it may be installed on the device out of the box.

No need to install Fortnite on Galaxy Note 9

Epic Games has confirmed today that it won’t be distributing Fortnite for Android through the Google Play Store. It will distribute the game through the game’s official website. Android users will be able to download a Fortnite Installer app which will then install the game on compatible Android smartphones.

The developer didn’t confirm when the game is going to be released. It also didn’t comment on the reports about the partnership with Samsung and the timed-exclusive for the Galaxy Note 9. Epic Games has decided to not distribute the game through the Google Play Store for financial reasons.

Fortnite is free-to-play on all platforms and that would be the case on Android as well. However, this behemoth is entirely funded through in-app purchases. Google takes a 30 percent cut of all in-app purchases so circumventing the Play Store will save this cost for Epic Games.

“The 30 percent store tax is a high cost in a world where game developers’ 70 percent must cover all the cost of developing, operating, and supporting their games,” said Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney.

Epic Games can go down this route on Android because the platform allows users to install apps from sources other than the Google Play Store. This isn’t allowed on iOS so the developer has no choice but to distribute the game through the App Store.

If the game is indeed a timed exclusive for the upcoming flagship, then there may be no need to install Fortnite on Galaxy Note 9 because it could be pre-installed. That would certainly make sense given the decision to bypass the Google Play Store. Samsung may also decide to distribute it through the Galaxy Apps store.

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Use the Backdrops app for stunning wallpapers on your Galaxy smartphone

If there’s one question we get asked a lot, it’s where we access some of the wallpapers that you see in the feature images for our articles. We’ve seen this question pop up in the comments and on our emails, so we thought we’d make a post about it so all of our readers can get stunning wallpapers for their Galaxy smartphone or tablet.

Backdrops has amazing wallpapers for your Galaxy device

So where do we get these wallpapers? They come from an app called Backdrops that is available on Google Play. There’s an amazing collection of wallpapers in there with regular updates, including wallpapers with dark backgrounds for AMOLED displays. The app has high-resolution images for each wallpaper and lets you save as many as you want on your device. Most functionality is free, but there’s also a Pro version that gets you some exclusive wallpapers. Oh, and you can also sync your favorite wallpapers across devices if you sign in with your Google account.

Of course, if you’re after official wallpapers found on a particular Samsung phone or tablet, you can find them in our wallpaper archive. We have wallpapers from even the Galaxy Tab S4, some of which are likely to be available on the Galaxy Note 9 as well.

Download Backdrops from the Play Store here.

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[Poll] Will you be buying the Galaxy Note 9?

First full Galaxy Note 9 specs leak reveals everything you wanted to know

Today seems to be a day of major Galaxy Note 9 leaks. We reported just a few hours ago that the official Galaxy Note 9 intro video had been published online by none other than Samsung itself. A new leak out of Russia gives us our first look at the full Galaxy Note 9 specs as mentioned at the back of the handset’s retail box.

The leak originates from a retailer in Russia which has apparently received units ahead of the new flagship’s launch later this month. It’s not uncommon for retailers to receive stock even before the handset has been announced. The new Wireless Charger Duo hasn’t been announced as yet but it’s already available from retailers in Russia.

Full Galaxy Note 9 specs

Much of the information mentioned about the Galaxy Note 9 specs on this box has been previously reported. This essentially confirms everything we have been hearing about the device so far. The box lists the entire specs in Russian but a quick machine translation is all that’s needed for us to actually understand what’s written.

As expected, the Galaxy Note 9 features a 6.4-inch QHD+ sAMOLED display. The variable aperture 12-megapixel (f/1.5 – f/2.4) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4) rear dual camera that was introduced with the Galaxy S9+ is onboard as well. So is the 8-megapixel front camera.

It also confirms that the S Pen will indeed be able to double as a remote control. Countless reports have suggested that the stylus will have Bluetooth support and could be used as a remote control for the camera and other apps.

The retail box for this 128GB Galaxy Note 9 also confirms that the handset will have a 4,000mAh battery and stereo speakers. It’s going to be the same AKG-tuned implementation as found on the Galaxy S9 which uses the earpiece as part of the stereo speakers. There’s an iris scanner as well as IP68 water and dust protection. Samsung Pay and wireless charging are supported.

None of this is obviously surprising since this is what we expect from the Galaxy Note 9 already. Samsung will unveil the handset officially on August 9. It has already confirmed that the handset will be out by August 24.

Thanks, Alex!

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Galaxy S8 is getting the August 2018 security patch update as well

Samsung, for some odd reason, is being really quick with the August 2018 security patch. The Galaxy S8 is also getting an update with the August patch, in addition to the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 8. Perhaps the company wants to get this update out of the way before it shifts focus to the Galaxy Note 9, but in any case, it’s nice to finally see Samsung releasing security updates so quickly for its flagship phones.

Galaxy S8 update brings cryptic Game Launcher changes

The Galaxy S8 update mentions something about turning on Game Launcher and “using more Samsung gaming services.” We don’t know what it means, and it’s also an odd thing for the company to be updating Game Launcher through a software update instead of just directly updating the app. Like the Galaxy S9, the Galaxy S8 update is rolling out in Germany. It doesn’t seem to be available over the air for everyone just yet, but that should change soon enough.

To see if the update is available for you, open the Settings app on your Galaxy S8, tap Software update, then tap Download updates manually. The build number for the update is G950FXXU3CRGH, and you will need to download around 420 MB.

Galaxy S8

• Model: SM-G950F
• Dimensions: 148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0mm
• Display: 5.8” (146.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 8895
• Camera: 12 MP, Dual Pixel F1.7 OIS

More specifications

Thanks, TechnologyGoat!

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August 2018 security patch arriving early for the Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S9

Samsung has started pushing out the August 2018 security patch to the Galaxy Note 8 and the Galaxy S9. For the first time in months, it’s the company’s flagships that have received the latest security patch before mid-range and budget devices. And it’s impressive to see that Samsung is rolling out the update to two of its flagships within the first week, not one.

Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S9 make the jump to August security patch

The August 2018 security patch hasn’t been detailed by Google or Samsung yet, so there’s no telling how many critical vulnerabilities have been fixed. It’s also unknown if the update brings anything other than improved security for either device. The Galaxy S9 update is available in Germany at the moment, while the Note 8 update has been released in France. The build numbers are G960FXXU2BRGA and N950FXXU4CRGA for the S9 and Note 8 respectively.

Just how soon Samsung will release the update for other countries remains to be seen. But going by how quickly the July 2018 patch made its way around, it shouldn’t be a long wait for the August patch. Well, unless the Galaxy Note 9 takes up too much of the company’s time, which it probably will as we get closer to the official launch.

If you have a Galaxy Note 8 or Galaxy S9 in France or Germany, you should be able to download the update from the Settings » Software update menu. If not, you can download the complete firmware from our database (Galaxy S9 | Galaxy Note 8) as an alternative. Do let us know if you have received the update, either in France or Germany or in another country.

Galaxy Note 8

• Model: SM-N950F
• Dimensions: 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6mm
• Display: 6.3" (160.02mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 8895
• Camera: 12 MP, 2x, 1 telephoto F2.4 and 1 wide angle F1.7 OIS

More specifications

Galaxy S9

• Model: SM-G960F
• Dimensions: 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5mm
• Display: 5.8” (146.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9810
• Camera: 12 MP, CMOS OIS (F1.5/F2.4)

More specifications

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Samsung just accidentally published the official Galaxy Note 9 intro video on YouTube!

Samsung was kind enough to list the Galaxy Watch on its website late last month, and now, Samsung New Zealand has put up a full-blown intro video for the Galaxy Note 9! It’s clearly an accidental release, as there is not even a proper name for the video on YouTube. But it’s our first official look for sure, revealing the phone and the new S Pen in excruciating detail.

Galaxy Note 9 can have up to 1 terabyte of total storage

As expected, Samsung is focusing on the golden/yellow S Pen, which will accompany the blue version of the phone. The video also tells us that a 512GB Galaxy Note 9 exists, but what’s interesting is that the phone also supports up to 512GB microSD cards, so users could have up to 1 terabyte of total storage on the device. It was only earlier this year that the Galaxy S9 officially introduced support for 400GB cards, and storage seems to be an important part of Samsung’s marketing push for its newest flagship.

We’re now only six days away from the Galaxy Note 9 announcement and Samsung probably isn’t going to be happy with whoever made the mistake of putting up the intro video. And don’t worry, we have managed to save a copy so that if Samsung wakes up and deletes it, we’ll still have access.

Thanks, Stan M!

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