الغريب: 09/24/18

الاثنين، 24 سبتمبر 2018

Galaxy Note 9 is Consumer Reports’ highest-rated smartphone

Incremental changes in a new smartphone may not sound very appealing on paper but may result in a great device that is a joy to use and easy to recommend. It seems to be the case with the Galaxy Note 9 as well if we go by all the praise the device is receiving in the recent weeks.

At the time of the announcement, not many people were excited with the Galaxy Note 9 due to its incremental upgrades, but the narrative seems to have changed quite a bit once the reviews started pouring in. Most of the reviews, including our very own, presented the Galaxy Note 9 as an uncompromising device which excels in almost all the critical aspects of a smartphone.

Consumer Reports (CR) is also now joining the chorus with a glowing review for Samsung’s latest flagship. The Note 9 excelled in CR’s extensive tests to climb to the top of their smartphone ratings. CR attributes Galaxy Note 9’s score to its long-lasting battery, improved durability, great cameras, and innovative features like the S Pen.

Galaxy Note 9 is CR’s highest-rated smartphone

Samsung’s phablet lasted an impressive 29 hours in CR’s battery test that simulates real-world use with a robotic finger programmed to make calls, browse the internet, snap pictures, and use GPS navigation on the test device. In the durability test which involves dropping the device from a height of 2.5 feet into a tumbling machine, the Note 9 reportedly survived all the 100 test drops without any damages to the glass.

CR also, unsurprisingly, praises the Galaxy Note 9 for its beautiful OLED display, cameras that take great pictures, and S Pen features. The report points to few obvious shortcomings as well – size, weight, and price. With the new iPhones about to hit the market, we have to wait and see if the Note 9 will be able to hold on to the top rank for long.

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Galaxy P30 may be Samsung’s in-display fingerprint sensor phone

Samsung was expected to introduce its in-display fingerprint sensor with the Galaxy S10. If recent reports are anything to go by, the company will be launching a couple of new handsets before the Galaxy S10 with this technology. It’s Samsung response to the competition from Chinese rivals like Huawei who have already released devices with this technology.

The company is expected to launch a new series – Galaxy P – for this purpose. The Galaxy P30 and P30+ are rumored to be Samsung’s first smartphones with an in-display fingerprint sensor. They may be released in China later this year.

Galaxy P30 and P30+ with in-display fingerprint sensor

Bearing model number SM-G6200, the Galaxy P30 may be Samsung’s first device with an in-display fingerprint sensor. A China-based leakster claims that this technology will be present in both the Galaxy P30 and P30+.

These handsets may be China-only initially which would make sense. Samsung wants to compete with its Chinese rivals on their home turf. What better way to do that than by launching smartphones that can match their offerings on paper in their markets.

The Galaxy S10 is expected to feature a high-end ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor from Qualcomm. These handsets may not get that. They’re said to feature an optical in-display fingerprint sensor instead with their LCD displays. It may make this decision because this will allow Samsung to split its in-display fingerprint sensor offerings and keep the more powerful technology for its upcoming flagship. It would thus be able to immediately cater to its fans who have been waiting for this technology instead of making them wait for the Galaxy S10.

Samsung has employed a similar strategy with the triple-camera system. The new Galaxy A7 is Samsung’s first smartphone with three rear-facing cameras. It was believed that this crown will also go to the Galaxy S10 but clearly it hasn’t. Samsung has said that it’s going to bring more technology to mid-range devices before it even arrives on flagships. That’s precisely what’s happening now.

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy P30 and P30+ later this year. It’s unclear if these handsets will be offered outside China and how much they’re going to cost.

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Samsung files a trademark application for ‘Samsung Buds’

Samsung has filed a trademark application for ‘Samsung Buds’ at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) last week. Unfortunately, we don’t have any credible reports or rumors surrounding this name so far, and all that we have are some calculated guesses.

Beginning with the trademark itself, Samsung Buds sounds like a possible name for earphones if we go by the current trend in the industry. Whether that means Samsung is planning to launch a new earphones lineup under this name is currently unknown. The company already makes wireless earbuds under the Gear Icon branding. We wonder if this trademark has anything to do with that lineup.

What are Samsung Buds?

Samsung ships a pair of premium AKG earphones with all its flagship smartphones. While AKG might have a lot of brand value among audiophiles, it doesn’t enjoy the same level of popularity among other segments. Rebranding these earphones as Samsung Buds makes sense from a consistency perspective, but we are not sure if that is the reason behind this trademark.

Pixel Buds from Google comes to mind immediately when reading about Samsung Buds. Google launched Pixel Buds last year with Google Assistant built-in. Is Samsung planning to launch a similar product powered by Bixby? Again, we don’t know for sure, but it’s a possibility given the company’s efforts to put Bixby everywhere.

While all this speculation may sound exciting, it is worth remembering that Samsung, like many other companies, trademarks many names which may never turn into real products. We have to wait and see if and when Samsung will bring these ‘Samsung Buds’ to the market.

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Galaxy J6+ and Galaxy J4+ official, price in India confirmed

Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy J6+ and Galaxy J4+. These entry-level handsets have been leaked considerably over the past few weeks. There’s nothing in today’s announcement that’s going to surprise us. At least the official pricing and availability information about these devices is now public.

Samsung says that these new devices have been “created especially for young millennials.” It has focused on combining a modern design with new features. The Galaxy J series is one of the most popular smartphone series in India. It makes up almost a third of all smartphones sold in the country, according to Samsung.

Galaxy J6+ and Galaxy J4+ official

The Galaxy J6+ and Galaxy J4+ both feature a glass finish, reflective back and 6-inch HD+ Infinity Design displays. Dolby Atmos is onboard as well. They’re relying on the same Snapdragon 425 chip, 3,300mAh battery and Android Oreo. The Galaxy J6+ will be available with 4G RAM/64GB storage and the Galaxy J4+ with 2GB RAM/32GB storage. The Galaxy J6+ also features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. It’s actually the first Galaxy device with a fingerprint sensor on the side. The Galaxy J4+ does not have a fingerprint sensor.

The Galaxy J6+ has a 13-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual rear camera with features like Background Blur and Dolly Zoom. There’s an 8-megapixel front camera as well. The Galaxy J4+ gets a 13-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front camera. There’s a new Emotify feature on both devices. It will let users customize messages and use creative ways to express themselves. Emotify avatars will be available in 22 Indian languages which can be shared on social media and popular messaging apps. Other features include the ability to install apps to SD card.

The Galaxy J6+ will be available in red, black and blue colors for INR 15,990 (~$220). Samsung will sell the Galaxy J4+ in gold, black and blue for INR 10,990 (~$150). Both devices will be available from September 25 across Samsung’s countrywide retail network, Amazon, Flipkart and the Samsung Shop. Samsung will likely offer these handsets in other markets as well. The company’s regional divisions will confirm pricing and availability information for their respective markets.