Slots for Galaxy Note 9 Android Pie beta program are still available!

It has been three days or so since Samsung started the Galaxy Note 9 Android Pie beta program in Germany, India, and the US, but it seems like people aren’t in a rush to try it out. It’s not completely surprising, as most people wouldn’t want to install beta software on their only smartphone. But if you have a Galaxy Note 9 and have been wondering if you can still register, then you are in luck.

Galaxy Note 9 Pie beta slots not filled up just yet

We have tried on German and Indian models of the Galaxy Note 9, and the option to register for the beta program still works. It’s possible a few slots were freed up because of some users opting out of the beta, or maybe it’s just the fact that people aren’t too interested in major updates anymore. In any case, Galaxy Note 9 owners in India and Germany can still access the beta program. If you have a Note 9 and live stateside, feel free to check the Samsung+ app and let us know if registration is still possible in the US.

To register for the Android Pie and One UI beta program, open the Samsung Members app on your Note 9, go into the Notices section, tap the notice about the Galaxy Note 9 Pie beta program, then tap on the banner that shows up on the screen. Then, tap the Registration/Register button at the bottom of the screen and accept the terms and conditions to get into the program. You can then download the Pie beta by hitting the Download updates manually option in the Software update menu of the phone’s settings.

Have you managed to register for the Galaxy Note 9 beta program?

The post Slots for Galaxy Note 9 Android Pie beta program are still available! appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2BYN4ox
via IFTTT

I am impressed by Samsung’s beautiful new One UI

Samsung Soundcamp app to be discontinued at the end of December

It looks like Samsung’s music composing app, Soundcamp, didn’t take off as the company would have wanted. The app will be discontinued at the end of this month. The Samsung Soundcamp Team announced the bad news through the listing for the app on Google Play and the Galaxy Apps store. The app also greets you with the same message every time you launch it on your phone.

Samsung discontinuing Soundcamp

As of December 28, 2018, the Samsung Soundcamp app will no longer be available to download from Google Play and Galaxy Apps. Although you can still use the Soundcamp app, add-ons and contents already downloaded on your phone after the service has been canned, it will not be available if you replace your Android device. Also, your device will no longer support the app after an OS update (for example, it doesn’t work on the Android Pie beta). Soundcamp is currently available for Samsung devices running Android 5.1 or higher.

If you’re an existing Soundcamp user, Samsung advises you to backup the your data to avoid any potential loss. To do so, launch the Soundcamp app and go to the Project menu. You’ll find all of your projects listed there. Tap the project you want to create a backup for, tap more (three vertical dots on the top right of the screen). Now select Export, mark the tracks you want to save and tap Export. Choose the output file type and save the file. The saved files will be in the Soundcamp folder in the internal storage of your device.

Samsung Soundcamp has been quite popular among music lovers and this decision by Samsung will certainly disappoint many. Whether the company has something better in the works remains to be seen.

Do you use Samsung Soundcamp? How do you feel about Samsung discontinuing the service?

The post Samsung Soundcamp app to be discontinued at the end of December appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2EiCYB2
via IFTTT

We’re in the middle of SamMobile Live on YouTube, come join us!

We’re a little late with this, but if you haven’t still joined us on our SamMobile Live session on YouTube today, well, what are you waiting for? We’re discussing the Galaxy S10, the Exynos 9820 and Snapdragon 855, the Galaxy A8s and its in-camera-display, and more, and we’re also taking questions from our readers so you can be a part of the discussion.

The post We’re in the middle of SamMobile Live on YouTube, come join us! appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2QInZ9e
via IFTTT

[Poll] Better battery life or 8K video recording: What would you prefer?

Next year, Samsung will be in somewhat of a dilemma. The newest Exynos and Snapdragon chips that will power the Galaxy S10 in various markets are markedly different in two areas compared to previous versions of this chip. The Snapdragon 855 has the benefit of being built on a 7nm process, meaning it will be more efficient and powerful. The Exynos 9820 comes with support for 8K video recording (and 4K recording at 150 fps) while the 855 tops out at 4K@60 fps, just like the Snapdragon 845.

For Samsung, this will mean equalizing the two chipsets to make sure the Galaxy S10 it sells in various markets are all equally equipped. The Exynos version does stand to be more negatively affected, of course. While Samsung can limit the performance of the Snapdragon 855 to match that of the Exynos variant, the 855 will still be more efficient. The difference between 7nm and 8nm manufacturing process won’t be too big, but even a slight advantage in efficiency is useful when you’re talking about a flagship phone. But the 855’s inability to record 8K videos could also stop Samsung from an important marketing standpoint.

No 8K recording is a negative for Samsung from a marketing standpoint

8K televisions are going to be hitting the market in the coming year, and Samsung is going to be at the forefront of the 8K TV revolution (the company already has an 8K TV hitting retail this year). And selling a flagship phone that can record 8K videos (or 4K videos at @150 fps) along with an 8K TV would be a useful marketing trick. But it’s something the company won’t be able to do in 2019. Not if the Galaxy S10 cannot offer 8K recording because the Snapdragon 855 doesn’t support it.

If history is any guide, Samsung probably is going to leave out 8K video recording from the Galaxy S10. Well, unless Qualcomm and the Korean giant can team up and make the feature possible on the Snapdragon 855 variant as well. And our question to our readers is: What would you prefer to have if you are hoping to buy the Galaxy S10? Would you like to see 8K video recording, or would better battery life be your choice?

Tell us in the comments section after voting in the poll embedded below!

Better battery life or 8K video recording: What would you prefer?

• Battery life
• I'd like both
• 8K video recording

Results

• Battery life 75%, 3 votes
  3 votes 75%

  3 votes - 75% of all votes
• I'd like both 25%, 1 vote
  1 vote 25%

  1 vote - 25% of all votes
• 8K video recording 0%, 0 votes
  0 votes

  0 votes - 0% of all votes

Total Votes: 4

7 December 2018

×

You or your IP had already vote.

• Battery life
• I'd like both
• 8K video recording

×

You or your IP had already vote.

Results

The post [Poll] Better battery life or 8K video recording: What would you prefer? appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2BXygq1
via IFTTT

Here’s the first real look at the Galaxy A8s’ in-display-camera

Here it is, the moment we had all been waiting for. Thanks to China’s regulatory body TENAA, we are getting our first look at the actual Galaxy A8s and at Samsung’s implementation of a display with a hole for the front camera. The images published by TENAA are rather dark, but peek at them hard enough and you can see the in-display camera and even Samsung’s new earpiece design.

In fact, the Galaxy A8s also has a few interesting design cues on the back. The middle of the three rear cameras has a yellow ring around it, and the only thing that comes to our mind is that Smart Glow feature that Samsung had introduced to its budget phones a couple of years back. That ring was much bigger, though, so this could probably just be a design element that serves no functionality. The shape of the fingerprint sensor is also different. Samsung seems to have rotated the fingerprint sensor seen on devices like the Galaxy A8 Star by 90 degrees, which it will hopefully result in better accuracy.

And the gradient silver color also looks quite good. It’s classy and less funky than the brighter gradient colors Samsung has offered for some of its recent phones, although we’re guessing the other Galaxy A8s color options will include some bright options as well. Like the Galaxy A7 (2018) and Galaxy A9 (2018), the left side of the phone only houses the Bixby button, which should make it harder for users to accidentally fire up Bixby all the time.

The TENAA listing also mentions the Galaxy A8s’ screen size and battery capacity. The 3,300 mAh battery is the same as the Galaxy A7’s while the display is slightly bigger than the A9’s at 6.39 inches. Dimensions for the phone are 158.4×74.9×7.4 mmm. Other specs aren’t mentioned, but rumors suggest the device will have a Snapdragon 710 SoC, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, and a 24-megapixel front camera. The rear camera setup will include a primary 24MP lens, a 5-megapixel depth sensor for Live Focus photos, and a 10MP ultra-wide sensor.

Since these images don’t have the phone powered on, we can’t tell how the camera hole will affect the user experience. The A8s’ FCC listing gave us a hint, and the phone’s official announcement on December 10 will give us all the details.

What do you think about the Galaxy A8s based on these pictures?

The post Here’s the first real look at the Galaxy A8s’ in-display-camera appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2rq9WH9
via IFTTT

New leak shows possibly final Galaxy S10 dual front camera hole design

A new leak showing screen protectors for the Galaxy S10 with dual front cameras is claiming that this is the design finalized by Samsung for its upcoming flagship. It’s not too different from what we saw in an earlier leak, although the holes for the two camera sensors seem to be slightly bigger in the new pictures. Screen protectors aren’t always the best way to get an idea of what a smartphone will look like, but it’s looking more and more probable that Samsung’s Infinity-O displays will grace even the top-end Galaxy S10 variant.

That said, Samsung has itself teased that it has displays that have no obstructions, with the camera sensor residing under the screen. The company revealed this ‘New Infinity Display’ at its developer conference last month, although even the 5G variant of the Galaxy S10 may not have this display. Nothing is certain at this point, however. Samsung is in a whole new territory at the moment as it tries to offer an alternate take on notched smartphone displays. The Galaxy A8s will be our first glimpse at how Samsung’s Infinity-O display will affect the user experience, at least when there’s just a single front camera.

The post New leak shows possibly final Galaxy S10 dual front camera hole design appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2RHtrq8
via IFTTT