Samsung Pay allows users to trade investment funds in South Korea

Samsung Pay was launched in August 2015. Samsung’s mobile payments service was initially available in its home country of South Korea before it was gradually rolled out in other markets across the globe. The service has expanded considerably over the past few years and has also become more useful as the company has brought additional features and functionality to the platform.

It has now made it possible for users to trade investment funds in South Korea. It’s due to a partnership with Fund Online Korea, a local public financial investment company that helps people invest their money into various funds. Fund Online Korea is the first investment fund supermarket in South Korea. Investors can use it to buy a wide variety of funds online that are managed by different asset managers.

Investing in funds made possible through Samsung Pay

There years after it was launched, Samsung Pay is now available in 24 markets across six continents. The service has been used to process more than 1.3 billion transactions so far globally.

It also has more than 2,000 banking and financial partners for the service. Online payments are supported in 15 markets and transit cards in five markets. It’s also possible for users in 20 markets to use their loyalty and membership cards with Samsung Pay.

The partnership with Fund Online Korea allows Samsung Pay users in South Korea to trade investment funds through the payments platform. They will be able to shop for a variety of funds in Samsung Pay after a simple account opening procedure. “We are aiming at offering an easy, convenient and accessible investment channel,” said Kim Seung-hyun, a company official.

Users will be able to invest in the funds with a small sum of money so they won’t be required to make a substantial monetary commitment. They can simply choose to invest even a small amount whenever they want and gradually build up their investment portfolio.

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Samsung’s new strategy is to pack mid-range smartphones with more tech

Samsung may be in a league of its own in the high-end segment of the market but it’s no secret that the company has been having a tough time competing in the mid-range segment. Chinese manufacturers are consistently eroding Samsung’s share in the affordable segment and the company is now overhauling its strategy to prevent the decline.

DJ Koh, president of mobile communications at Samsung Electronics, has confirmed that Samsung is overhauling its smartphone strategy. The company will now be packing more technology in its mid-range devices to appeal to the masses that can’t afford the flagships.

Samsung will be developing higher-spec mid-range handsets

It’s a strategy that the Chinese manufacturers have used to their advantage. They have aggressively priced devices with better tech compared to Samsung’s offerings in the mid-range segment. This has caused the company’s lead to reduce gradually in key markets like India where most customers purchase cheaper but higher-spec devices.

Koh said that this change in strategy for its mid-range devices like the Galaxy A series is also meant to make its devices appeal more to millennials. Instead of introducing new technology in the flagship Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series, the company will now look to bring some of those cutting-edge features to its affordable models first. One of the first devices based on this strategy is going to be released later this year.

“In the past, I brought the new technology and differentiation to the flagship model and then moved to the mid-end. But I have changed my strategy from this year to bring technology and differentiation points starting from the mid-end,” Koh told CNBC.

He added that the company is very much focusing on millennials who can’t afford the flagship models. That’s why Samsung is now trying to differentiate the mid-section because the idea is to deliver meaningful innovation to these customers. Koh also pointed out that Samsung could also release these cheaper models more often than just once a year.

It remains to be seen, though, if this change in strategy is going to achieve the intended results.

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Samsung confirms foldable smartphone release for later this year

Samsung already acknowledged months ago that it’s working on a foldable smartphone and even said that the device won’t be a gimmick. What the company hadn’t said was when we could expect it to launch this much-awaited device. It has now put all speculation related to the foldable smartphone release to rest.

Samsung’s mobile division CEO DJ Koh has confirmed that the company will be releasing its foldable smartphone later this year. He added that it’s time for Samsung to “deliver” on a foldable device after consumer surveys done by it revealed that there is a market for this form factor.

Samsung foldable smartphone launch possible at SDC 2018

Earlier reports had suggested that the company might launch its foldable smartphone early next year. However, amid reports that Chinese rivals could beat it to market, Koh said three weeks ago that Samsung would very much like to be the first manufacturer in the world to release a proper foldable smartphone.

So it doesn’t come as a surprise that the company has now decided to unveil this device in the coming months. A confirmed release date has not yet been provided but Koh said that the device may be unveiled at the Samsung Developers Conference. SDC 2018 takes place November 7-8 in San Francisco, California.

Koh told CNBC that Samsung’s objective with this product has been to differentiate the device’s experience when it’s folded out from a tablet. He mentioned that users will be able to perform most key functions when the device isn’t folded out.

When they need to browse or see something in more detail that’s when they can fold out the device. “But even unfolded, what kind of benefit does that give compared to the tablet? If the unfolded experience is the same as the tablet, why would they (consumers) buy it?,” Koh said.

He mentioned that every feature, device and innovation that Samsung develops needs to have a meaningful message to its end customers. “So when the end customer uses it, (they think) ‘wow, this is the reason Samsung made it’,” he said.

Koh didn’t provide any details about the features and specifications of the foldable smartphone. He also didn’t say how much this device may cost.

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[Poll] What are your initial impressions of your Galaxy Note 9’s battery life?

We have heaped many praises on Samsung for putting a big battery inside the Galaxy Note 9, and it wouldn’t be an understatement to say we might even have overdone it. But after years of waiting for a Galaxy flagship that isn’t just average at battery endurance, we really can’t help it. And it’s a good thing the phone’s real-life battery performance keeps up and that no cases of a Note 9 catching fire have come to light. Of course, it’s only been a little over a week since the Galaxy Note 9 hit retail shelves worldwide, but we would love to know what your early impressions are of the phone’s battery life.

Has the Galaxy Note 9’s battery life lived up to your expectations?

As we said in our Galaxy Note 9 review, it’s perfectly capable of lasting an entire workday and then some on a single charge, making it an excellent device for power users and regular consumers alike. Has that been the case for your Galaxy Note 9 as well, or do you think it’s not as good as you expected? Or does your experience fall somewhere in between excellent and average? Go ahead and tell us by voting in the poll below, then expand on your thoughts in the comments section.

What are your initial impressions of your Galaxy Note 9's battery life?

• It's good, but I expected more
• It's great!
• Too early for me to comment
• Seeing average results here
• It sucks!

Results

• It's good, but I expected more 41%, 17 votes
  17 votes 41%

  17 votes - 41% of all votes
• It's great! 29%, 12 votes
  12 votes 29%

  12 votes - 29% of all votes
• Too early for me to comment 20%, 8 votes
  8 votes 20%

  8 votes - 20% of all votes
• Seeing average results here 7%, 3 votes
  3 votes 7%

  3 votes - 7% of all votes
• It sucks! 2%, 1 vote
  1 vote 2%

  1 vote - 2% of all votes

Total Votes: 41

3 September 2018

×

You or your IP had already vote.

• It's good, but I expected more
• It's great!
• Too early for me to comment
• Seeing average results here
• It sucks!

×

You or your IP had already vote.

Results

Galaxy Note 9

• Model: SM-N960F
• Dimensions: 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm
• Display: 6.4" (162.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9810
• Camera: 12 CMOS Dual OIS (F1.5/F2.4) & Telephoto: 12MP AF F2.4)

More specifications

The post [Poll] What are your initial impressions of your Galaxy Note 9’s battery life? appeared first on SamMobile.

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Galaxy Note 9 could get option to disable Bixby key by end of September

If the Galaxy Note 9 has been troubling you by launching Bixby by accident too often, you’re not alone. The Note 9’s physical keys are more sensitive than previous flagships, which makes for higher chances of someone accidentally pressing it. Indeed, there are times you won’t even notice you pressed the Bixby key, and what makes it worse is that there is no option to disable the Bixby key on the Note 9 just yet. That could, however, change by the end of this month, according to Samsung Germany.

Galaxy Note 9’s Bixby key might not be a nuisance much longer

In a reply to someone complaining about the Bixby button on Twitter, Samsung Germany says “deactivation of the Bixby button on lock screen should return until end of September.” Now, it’s unclear why it mentions the lock screen, but we’re guessing that’s just a minor mistake and the option will let users completely disable the Bixby button. It’s an option that should have been there from the start, although it’s possible Samsung kept it out deliberately to force Note 9 users to give Bixby a try for a few months before they turn the Bixby key into a useless little lump.

And we wouldn’t be surprised if that is indeed the case, as the Galaxy Note 9 comes with version 2.0 of Bixby Voice, with enhanced voice recognition and the ability to have more natural conversations. Bixby Voice 2.0 will also be coming to existing flagships; the rollout seems to have begun for some Galaxy S9 users already, but it’s not too widely available yet.

Galaxy Note 9

• Model: SM-N960F
• Dimensions: 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm
• Display: 6.4" (162.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9810
• Camera: 12 CMOS Dual OIS (F1.5/F2.4) & Telephoto: 12MP AF F2.4)

More specifications

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Support pages for the Galaxy J4 Prime and Galaxy J6 Prime spotted online

We reported about many upcoming Samsung budget and midrange smartphones a couple of weeks back. Two of them – the alleged Galaxy J4 Prime and Galaxy J6 Prime – have been now ‘confirmed’ by Samsung with references on its website. Support pages for model numbers SM-J415F and SM-J610F have been spotted on the Samsung Vietnam’s website.

Based on the previous reports and Samsung’s naming pattern, we can infer these models as the Galaxy J4 Prime and Galaxy J6 Prime. The support pages don’t reveal any specifications but confirm the existence and imminent launch of these rumored devices. While far from an official announcement, relevant device support pages do add a lot of credence to the rumors surrounding new devices.

Galaxy J4 Prime and J6 Prime will be launched soon

As the J series branding indicates, these are budget devices with minor changes from the already available models in the J series lineup. A Geekbench listing of the Galaxy J6 Prime suggests a Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 430 SoC inside with 3 GB of RAM and Android 8.1 Oreo. The Galaxy J4 Prime specs are not that clear yet, but we reported about the possible color options recently. It is expected to come in black, gold, and pink variants.

‘Prime’ variants are generally not very different from their base models. So, if and when Samsung launches these new models, expect them to be similar to the already available Galaxy J4 and Galaxy J6. You can read our reviews and coverage of these devices to get an idea about what they bring to the table.

As is customary with these posts, do remember, none of this information is final. Samsung can change everything from name to the specs before launching these devices officially. So, even if all these leaks and reports appear credible, take all this circumstantial evidence with a dose of skepticism.

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Your Galaxy Note 9 has a full-fledged gameplay recorder built-in

It’s possible to record gameplay on Galaxy Note 9 without having to install a third-party app on the device. Samsung has positioned its new flagship not just as a powerful device for professionals who want to work on the go but also as a bonafide mobile gaming device. It certainly has the specs to live up to that claim and even comes with a water carbon cooling system to keep temperatures in check during gaming sessions.

So if you are going to be gaming a lot on the new device then you may be interested in learning how to record gameplay on Galaxy Note 9. Samsung has made it simple with the addition of Game Tools, a set of features that the device ships with.

How to record gameplay on Galaxy Note 9

When you launch a game for the first time on the Galaxy Note 9 after setting it up, the device itself will inform you about Game Tools. It will point you to the shortcut button on the navigation bar which can be used to quickly access some core features.

You can configure the button to either lock the screen touch and navigation button or to take a screenshot and a video of the gameplay. Then it’s only a matter of swiping to bring up the navigation bar and tapping on the shortcut button to achieve the required objective.

If you want to get into the nitty-gritty:

Step 1: Bring up the navigation bar and tap on the Game Tools button in the bottom. This will open the relevant menu with easy access to features. From here you can select if you want to block certain things while you’re playing the game such as alerts. It will also bring up a floating bar of your recently used apps

Step 2: Tap on the Settings icon in the top right corner to tweak the many options. It’s here that you will find the Record videos menu

Step 3: Enter the menu and make any adjustments that you deem fit

The built-in gameplay recorder lets you select a profile image to display in the recording or even record yourself during gameplay. It also allows you to either record the game’s internal audio or external audio through the microphone if you want to talk over the gameplay.

The gameplay recording resolution is set to 720p by default and it can be bumped up to 1080p. The maximum recording file size is 4GB and at the highest quality setting, up to 80 minutes of video can be recorded. The recording time can be increased by lowering the resolution and the bit rate.

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Thus there’s no need to install a third-party app if you want to record gameplay on Galaxy Note 9. It has a very useful built-in gameplay recorder that does a decent job. To learn more about the many hidden features and options of this device, follow our Galaxy Note 9 tips coverage.

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Galaxy J7 (2016) may be first Galaxy J series phone to get two major OS upgrades

The Galaxy J series has long been important for Samsung, especially in emerging markets where the company sees huge sales figures for Galaxy J smartphones. But while both flagship and mid-range Galaxy phones have been receiving two major Android OS updates for many years, owners of Galaxy J series phones have only been extended the courtesy of one such update. That might change this year, though, with the Galaxy J7 (2016).

Two big OS upgrades for J series phones could soon become reality

The first indication that the Galaxy J7 (2016) would be updated to Oreo came from Samsung’s Members app. The app has a constantly updated schedule for many Galaxy devices, offering time frames for when they might receive the Oreo update. Now, Samsung Turkey has also listed the J7 (2016) as being eligible for Oreo. Samsung Turkey did turn out to be wrong with its prediction that the original Galaxy J5 would be updated to Android Nougat, but with the Samsung Members app also mentioning the 2016 Galaxy J7 variant as eligible for Oreo, there’s a chance Samsung will actually start providing two major updates to the Galaxy J series devices.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to be certain about when the update will arrive. The Samsung Members app had initially posted a March 2019 release date for the Galaxy J7 (2016) Oreo update and currently says the update could arrive in November (at least in India). Samsung also isn’t mentioning the Galaxy J5 (2016) in the eligibility list. So either the J7 (2016) will be removed from the list as well or Samsung is making up to J7 (2016) owners for leaving their device on Android 7.0 and only releasing Android 7.1.1 for the J5 (2016). We will just have to wait and see.

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SamMobile Firmware Update Magazine: September 9, 2018

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Firmware Magazine. You can think of it as your go-to resource to find out which of your Samsung devices has received a new update or if it’s going to receive a new firmware update in the near future.

To keep things interesting, we present the Firmware Magazine in new designs every week. It will always include the important details about firmware updates such as the firmware versions, device model numbers, Android OS versions and the country where said update is out already.

SamMobile Firmware Update Magazine

Keep in mind, however, that these firmware details are based on the firmware that are available in our database. In some cases, the latest updates might not show in the same week as the full firmware files take additional time to make it to our database.

The purpose of this magazine is to bring all of that important information about firmware updates to you, the reader, in a manner that’s easy to comprehend. Even if you’re new to the world of firmware, you’ll have no trouble making sense of it all.

Click on the image below to grab the latest firmware magazine!

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Samsung Internet beta update brings faster downloads, improved privacy, and more

Samsung has announced the latest version of the Samsung Internet beta app, which brings new features and improvements that debuted on the Galaxy Note 9 to everyone with a device running Android 5.0 and higher. The Note 9 runs the stable version of Samsung Internet 8.0, but the company isn’t offering the stable version to other devices just yet.

Samsung Internet beta update rolling out

Despite the version bump from 7.x to 8.x, the newest Samsung Internet beta doesn’t have a long changelog. But it does make some important improvements and additions. First and foremost, the app can now download files faster by using multiple parallel connections. That’s similar to how download accelerator programs on Windows and other desktop operating systems work, and Samsung is claiming a speed improvement of up to 40 percent.

The other big feature targets those who like their privacy: The app now includes a Do not track option in privacy settings to avoid sites from tracking a user’s browsing habits. The new version of Samsung Internet also adds the ability to sync your favorite sites across devices using Smart Switch. Samsung has also upgraded the Chromium engine the browser is based on, bringing new features that web developers can take advantage of.

The update has been available for a week or so at this point, but if you haven’t yet updated, you can download the new Samsung Internet beta (version 8.2.00.21) from the Google Play. We also have the APK file in our database for manual sideloading.

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How to enable Galaxy Note 9 landscape home screen mode

It was previously only possible to use Galaxy Note devices in landscape mode with apps that supported the orientation. The home screen would remain in portrait but that changed with the Galaxy S9. It’s also possible on Samsung’s latest flagship but you will need to learn how to enable Galaxy Note 9 landscape home screen mode.

Samsung made it possible to use the Galaxy S9 entirely in landscape orientation. It later made it possible for the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy Note 8 to do this as well. The Galaxy Note 9 ships with this functionality out of the box, unsurprisingly.

How to enable Galaxy Note 9 landscape home screen mode

Samsung didn’t originally allow this on the Galaxy Note 8. You could only lock the screen orientation to landscape so that it would automatically switch orientation in apps and menus that supported it. The home screen would only work in the portrait orientation. You can follow the same steps to lock screen orientation on the Galaxy Note 9 as well.

The new device doesn’t have that constraint, though. Samsung allows users to switch the home screen to landscape as well. However, this functionality is disabled by default and you have to enable it manually from the Settings app.

Step 1: Launch the Settings app and navigate to the Home screen section in the Display menu.

Step 2: Locate the Portrait mode only toggle at the bottom of the menu. It’s enabled by default.

Step 3: Tap on this toggle to disable Portrait mode only

Once disabled, the home screen will no longer be prevented from rotating to landscape orientation. Even the app drawer will then be accessible in this orientation in addition to any apps and menus that support it.

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The landscape orientation actually looks quite nice on the Galaxy Note 9’s gorgeous 6.4-inch 18.5:9 aspect ratio display. Do you make use of this functionality often? Let us know by dropping a comment below.

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Rumor claims Samsung to launch device with four cameras this year

It’s not uncommon to see outrageous claims coming out of the rumor mill and this latest one seems to fit the bill, notwithstanding the fact that it comes from a China-based source who has been right on some accounts in the past. The leakster who goes by @UniverseIce on Twitter has claimed that Samsung is going to launch a new device later this year which will have four rear cameras.

The cryptic tweet itself didn’t reveal much, only that there may be a Samsung device with four cameras. Smartphones with four cameras are not that unusual in this day and age. There are quite a few handsets with a dual camera setup in the front and back.

A four-camera smartphone or something else?

Dig deep into the Twitter thread and you’ll find his responses which shed more light on this rumor. When asked if this four-camera device will have two each at the front and back, the source says that they will all be at the back. He also pointed out that this device won’t be the Galaxy S10 or the rumored Galaxy F foldable device. So this is presumably a different device because it’s obviously not going to be a new Galaxy Note.

He was also asked if this device would be out in 2019 and 2020. One would expect a device with four rear cameras to be a flagship offering and seeing as how both 2018 flagships have now been released, it would seem like the logical conclusion. However, the source says that this device will be out in 2018.

Clearly, there’s more here than meets the eye. Is it possible that this four-camera device isn’t a smartphone but something else? Could it be a new camera? The source doesn’t provide any further information about this device and there are no other rumors to go on.

It would be best to file this as one of those bold rumors that we often see from the rumor mill. Until there’s more evidence to go on, we can’t be sure if such a device is in the pipeline at Samsung.

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Samsung TV production in India may end in favor of imports

Samsung manufactures a variety of products in India, including but not limited to television sets. However, a new report suggests that the company is looking to stop TV production in the country in favor of imports. Samsung is said to be working out plans to import TVs from Vietnam instead of manufacturing them in India. The company is reportedly considering this move merely months after the government levied an import duty on a key component and other parts that are required for manufacturing TVs.

Import duty on key component to blame

The factory in Chennai is where Samsung makes its televisions with an annual production yield of about 300,000 units. Sources told a local publication that Samsung has mentioned to some of its suppliers that it plans to limit and eventually end production of TV sets at the factory.

Some might find it interesting that Samsung is looking to end TV production in the country not long after it announced a massive expansion of its handset manufacturing facility. It’s ramping up the annual handset production capacity in India from 68 million units to 120 million units.

On the other hand, Vietnam is one of Samsung’s top manufacturing bases where analysts estimate the company manufactures over $50 billion worth of goods. If the company does end TV production at the factory in Chennai, it would then meet the demand by importing manufactured TV sets directly from Vietnam.

According to sources cited in the report, Samsung is considering this decision after the government imposed an import duty on “open cell,” which is one of the most crucial parts in TV panels.

“Samsung remains deeply committed to India. As regards to your query, no decision has been taken so far,” was the response from a spokesperson for the company when asked if Samsung is moving out TV production from the country.

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Samsung could work with Google on AI to improve Bixby

The Google Assistant is the only voice assistant on countless Android devices but things are a bit different on Samsung’s high-end devices. The company has its own voice assistant called Bixby on flagships like the Galaxy Note 9 come with it in addition to the one from Google. Samsung is obviously in no mood to do away with Bixby in favor of Google Assistant but it’s not ruling out a collaboration with the internet search giant in the field of artificial intelligence to improve services like Bixby.

Leveraging its leading manufacturer status

Samsung’s president and CEO of consumer electronics Kim Hyun-suk said during a press conference at IFA 2018 in Berlin that Samsung can leverage its position as the leading device manufacturer in the world to negotiate a collaboration with Google on AI. “Samsung is developing its own voice assistant, Bixby, but we could consider various (forms) of collaboration with Google in the field,” he said.

“For example, we would call up Bixby, but it could lead us to one of Google’s services, like Google Maps,” Hyun-suk added. His comments were in response to a question about Samsung adopting Google Assistant for its smart home appliances like other manufacturers have. He also highlighted that Samsung is capable of making any type or hardware product while leaders in the AI field don’t have such advanced manufacturing capabilities. They can only make simple speakers which can run the voice-control software.

“Samsung is a company that sells around 500 million units of devices worldwide every year, and we can use this as our bargaining power to negotiate the level of cooperation with AI leaders like Google,” he said.

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