Has Samsung discontinued its Tizen smartphones?

This year, Samsung killed off the Galaxy S Active lineup in North America, or it at least put it on hiatus as no new Active device was launched this year. The regular Galaxy S9, which would have been the one to get the Active upgrade, just didn’t have enough to offer for Samsung to justify making it more rugged and give it a big battery. And Samsung’s Tizen lineup also looks to have been put on hold for the same reason.

2018 is ending, and no new Tizen phone is in sight

Tizen smartphones have never been impressive, other than the fact that they were priced lower than Samsung’s entry-level Android phones and managed to run better despite low-end hardware. Yet, sales of Tizen smartphones have been quite strong in markets like India owing to their low prices and Samsung branding. However, with the company losing face in the budget and mid-range Android market, it may have decided to stop wasting resources on new Tizen devices. This is just a guess, of course, but with 2018 almost over and no new Tizen phone announced, that certainly seems to be the case.

Could Tizen phones make a comeback next year? That remains to be seen. Tizen will continue to exist and power other electronic products from the company, such as its televisions and other home appliances that connect to Samsung’s IoT network. But new phones based on Samsung’s homegrown mobile OS aren’t on the horizon, and it may be a while before the Korean giant lets us in on its future plans for Tizen smartphones.

Do you think Samsung should bring out more Tizen-powered smartphones, or do you think the company should just focus on other things?

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Galaxy S10 display hole may not be as big as the Galaxy A8s

Samsung recently launched the Galaxy A8s which left many of its fans wondering about the size of the Galaxy S10 display hole. All of the teasers and renders for the Galaxy A8s had shown a smaller display cutout compared to the one on the actual device.

The Galaxy A8s is Samsung’s first smartphone with an Infinity-O display. That’s the same display technology that Samsung is expected to use for all three models of the Galaxy S10. A purported protective film for the Galaxy S10 suggests that the cutout may be smaller on the Galaxy S10.

Protective film hints at the Galaxy S10 display hole size

The three models of Samsung’s next flagship include a 5.8-inch entry-level model with a 6.1-inch Galaxy S10 and 6.4-inch Galaxy S10+. All three will reportedly feature an Infinity-O display, with the entry-level device getting a flat panel. This display has a hole in the panel itself for the front camera. It eliminates the need for a notch and many of our readers think it’s a good alternative.

Based on this protective film for the Galaxy S10, it appears that the display cutout may be smaller than it is on the Galaxy A8s. The bezels also appear to be slimmer than they are on the Galaxy A8s. The 6.1-inch 19:9 aspect ratio display may not make one-handed operation of the device too difficult.

It’s pertinent to mention here that the Galaxy A8s is also Samsung’s first Galaxy A series device with an LCD display. That won’t be the case with the Galaxy S10, not even with its entry-level model. It will feature an AMOLED display.

It’s common for protective films and covers to surface ahead of the upcoming launch of a flagship. Bear in mind, though, that they don’t always tell the full story. It’s not that difficult to fabricate something like this after all.

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5G Samsung phone will reportedly be showcased at MWC 2019

A new report out of South Korea is stating the obvious today. It claims that a 5G Samsung phone will be showcased at the Mobile World Congress 2019 in February. MWC is one of the biggest annual industry tradeshows. Samsung has long unveiled some of its most innovative devices there.

It’s not like this wasn’t already expected. Countless reports and rumors have suggested that the Galaxy S10 will be unveiled at MWC 2019. It’s said to be Samsung’s first 5G enabled smartphone, even though not all Galaxy S10 variants will be 5G enabled.

5G Samsung phone expected to launch in March

Industry sources cited in the report claim that both Samsung and LG will be showing off their 5G smartphones at MWC 2019. They’re aiming to launch the smartphones in March before commercial 5G networks launch in select markets. The report also notes that the Galaxy S series will be marking its 10th anniversary at the event.

Citing earlier reports, it reiterates that Samsung will showcase three Galaxy S10 models and a separate one with 5G. This model may only be made in limited numbers and released in select markets. Commercial 5G networks are expected to go live in South Korea and the US in the first half of 2019.

Its Korean rival LG may be one to watch out for at MWC 2019 as well. The company recently shook up the leadership of its mobile division. It was previously expected to showcase its 5G smartphone in May but has now reportedly decided to do that at MWC 2019. It doesn’t want to be a latecomer to the 5G market, it seems.

The 5G Samsung phone has essentially been confirmed by the company itself for both Verizon and AT&T. It even confirmed a second 5G device for AT&T which would arrive in the second half of 2019. This would most likely be the next Galaxy Note device with 5G.

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Samsung participating in Pokemon Go maker’s $200 million funding round

It was first reported three weeks ago that Samsung could invest in Pokemon Go maker Niantic. Galaxy-exclusive games are the reason why Samsung reportedly wants to invest in the company. While neither company has officially confirmed the deal as yet, a new report claims that Samsung is indeed participating in Niantic’s latest $200 million funding round.

It’s already a unicorn (billion dollar company) in the augmented reality field. This latest funding round will take Niantic to a $3.9 billion valuation. Samsung’s contribution in the $200 million funding round is as yet unclear.

Pokemon Go maker Niantic is reportedly raising $200 million

The Wall Street Journal reports that Niantic is in the process of closing a new round of funding. The $200 million capital injection will reportedly be led by venture capital firm IVLP with participating from strategic investors which include Samsung and aXiomatic Gaming.

The report mentions that these investors are bullish on the continued success of Pokemon Go. They are also confident of the upcoming location-based augmented reality games such as Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. It’s also said that Niantic is now planning to develop games under a revenue-sharing model for other app publishers.

This ties in with earlier reports that Niantic could get a $40 million investment from Samsung for Galaxy-exclusive games. An earlier report mentioned an exclusive Harry Potter game which would use the Galaxy Note 9’s S Pen as a magic wand. It may just be a version of that upcoming Harry Potter game with additional features and optimizations for Samsung devices.

Samsung has recently been focusing on gaming to differentiate its smartphones. It teamed up with Epic Games for the launch of its popular battle royale title Fortnite on Android with the Galaxy Note 9. It may even be working on a gaming smartphone if recent rumors are believed.

Neither Samsung nor Niantic have officially confirmed this. The extent of the former’s participation in the funding round is as yet unknown.

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