Love using Bixby? Maybe don’t update to Android Pie on your Galaxy S9

Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ owners who love using Bixby for controlling various aspects of the phone might want to hold off from updating to Android Pie. As one of our readers pointed out, Bixby 2.0 on Android Pie on the Galaxy S9 fails to understand many commands that worked with Bixby 1.0. And it turns out that it’s Bixby 2.0 to blame and not the new Android version. The same commands fail on a Galaxy Note 9 running Oreo as well.

Bixby 2.0 fails at stuff that worked with Bixby 1.0

Samsung made a big deal out of Bixby 2.0 at the Galaxy Note 9 launch, showcasing how the virtual assistant can now have more natural conversations and perform tasks like ordering an Uber purely through voice commands. But while our Note 8 on Oreo can pull up the Uber app when asked, the Note 9 fails to do it. So does the S9+ on Android Pie. Other commands we tested included asking Bixby to update our apps, show YouTube subscriptions, check for a software update, and enable Dolby Atmos, and it fails to perform them all. We admit none of us here at SamMobile use Bixby a lot, and we were surprised when we tested things out.

Now, we initially thought that this might be because Samsung hasn’t made Bixby 2.0 servers fully operational yet. It can’t complete some of the tasks that Samsung showed at the Note 9 event, like showing us what concerts are playing in Brooklyn, but there’s no reason it shouldn’t be able to do things the previous version of Bixby did without hiccups. The Galaxy Note 9 has also been out on the market for nearly four months, so it’s quite a poor showing from Samsung, especially when its assistant was always chalked up to be all about letting you locally control smartphone functions.

So if you love using Bixby Voice to perform various actions on your Galaxy S9 or S9+, you might want to hold off from updating to Android Pie. However, you might be on Oreo for a long time, since there’s no telling when Bixby 2.0 will start being truly useful. And with Android Pie bringing so much to Galaxy devices (and without any bugs), it may be tough to choose between the update and having Bixby actually following your orders.

Have you had issues with Bixby on a Galaxy S9 after updating to Pie (the beta or final version) that you didn’t have on Android Oreo?

Hat tip to o0MHJ0o!

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

Galaxy S9+

• Model: SM-G965F
• Dimensions: 157.7 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm
• Display: 6.2” (158.1mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9810
• Camera: 12 MP, CMOS Dual OIS (F1.5/F2.4) & Telephoto: 12MP AF F2.4)

More specifications

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SamMobile Daily Recap, December 26, 2018: Galaxy S10, new Galaxy Fit, and more

We publish a lot of stories on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the majority of news breaks during our European hours of operation, which makes it difficult for our readers in the US (and other regions) to keep up. However, we think we’ve come up with a fantastic solution — a daily recap.

Here’s what we covered today.

Phones

Galaxy S10 front camera may have the same animation as the Galaxy A8s

Samsung may unveil the Galaxy M series smartphones next month

Samsung’s Android Pie firmware hints at 3D scanning for upcoming phones

Display

Sound on Display Samsung OLED panels to be shown off at CES 2019

Tablets

Exclusive: Colors and more for upcoming Galaxy tablets, smartwatches

Opinion/Firmware news

The stable Galaxy S9 Android Pie update really does seem… stable

General

Samsung C-Lab to showcase eight new AI projects at CES 2019

Business

Samsung may cut back spending on expanding its chip production facilities

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The stable Galaxy S9 Android Pie update really does seem… stable

I have no intention to jinx things for Samsung and for the millions of Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners who will soon download the official Android Pie update, but it looks like the company has managed to get a stable release out the door without bugs. The random reboots that plagued Android Oreo despite months of testing are nowhere to be seen, and neither are minor bugs or app crashes. Considering Pie has come out in nearly half the time, that’s quite impressive.

And it’s not Android Pie is a smaller update than Android Oreo. There are plenty of big and small changes in there, but Pie also brings an upgraded user interface called One UI. One UI is beautiful, especially when you turn on Night mode, and it makes one-handed easier on phones with large screens. Yet Samsung has completed beta testing quickly and pushed Android Pie out before the January release timeframe it had initially announced.

Of course, it’s still going to be January for many users as the official update is available only in a handful of markets at the moment. The Galaxy Note 9 is also likely to see the update released next month (or even in February in countries), but at least we can expect Android Pie to be stable for everyone when it does make its way worldwide.

However, it’s been merely two days since the stable Android Pie update started rolling out to the Galaxy S9 and S9+, so it’s a bit too early to give a final verdict. But my initial impressions are positive, and it may be more than enough after what Samsung fans had to endure with Oreo earlier this year.

What about you? Is the stable Android Pie release working well on your Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+?

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Exclusive: Colors and more for upcoming Galaxy tablets, smartwatches

We often share information about Galaxy products that are in the early stages of development. It was exclusively reported last week that Samsung is working on a new smartwatch with model number SM-R500 and codename Pulse. We can share some information about a few upcoming smartwatches and tablets from Samsung.

Samsung has several new devices in development

Samsung has a couple of new wearables with model number SM-R370 and SM-R375 in development. These could be launched as the Galaxy Fit which means it would most likely be a fitness tracker. They will be available in black, silver, white and yellow colors. The SM-R500 we reported on previously will be available in black, gold, silver and green colors.

The company also has several new tablets in development. It may announce some of them at the Mobile World Congress 2019 come February. A new tablet with SM-T515 model number will be available in black and silver colors. Tablets with model number SM-T720 and SM-T725 will be sold with 64GB and 128GB of internal storage in gray and black colors.

We also reported exclusively two weeks ago that Samsung is developing a new Galaxy Tab A with model number SM-P200 and SM-P205. It will be available in black and gray colors with at least 32GB of internal storage.

Some of the color options are not complete so a few products may also be available in additional colors once they’re released. More information about these devices will surface as we enter into the new year. Their final monikers are as yet unknown but some of these products will likely join existing lineups. Expect Samsung to announce a few of the products mentions above at or around MWC 2019.

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Samsung may cut back spending on expanding its chip production facilities

Samsung’s semiconductor business has seen astronomical growth in the last couple of years, making the company the largest chipmaker in the world dethroning Intel. The Korean giant’s chip business has been the biggest contributor to the company’s record-high earnings in the recent quarters. Despite the stellar performance, there were always doubts about sustainability given that a large part of this success came from transient demand factors in the market.

It appears the chip market’s “super cycle” is finally coming to a halt, resulting in weaker Q4 forecasts for Samsung. According to a report in The Korean Herald, the slowdown in the global semiconductor market may also have a negative impact on Samsung’s spending in expanding its chip-making facilities in 2019.

At a recent biannual global business strategies meeting, Samsung device solutions division reportedly focused on the impending unfavorable demand and supply conditions for memory chips next year. “Adjusting the pace of increasing production capacities for DRAM and NAND flash chips was discussed at the meeting presided over by Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam and heads of the chipmaker’s overseas branches,” the report says, quoting an industry source.

Limiting supply growth

During its third-quarter earnings call, Samsung estimated its annual bit growth, a term used to denote increased supply of memory chips in the market, for DRAM to be around 20 percent and NAND to be around 40 percent. Given the lowered growth estimates, Samsung is, unsurprisingly, turning cautious of its investments in expanding chip facilities next year.

To avert a fall in DRAM prices, Samsung may curtail supply growth by slowing down some of the planned investments. These include the construction of a second fabrication line at its Pyeongtaek campus and increasing capacity of DRAM production on the second floor of the first production line in the same campus.

Analysts are predicting the memory chip market to decline in the first half of 2019, but expect the conditions to improve during the second half. Micron Technology and SK Hynix, Samsung’s main competitors in the memory chip market, are also forecasting weak demand next year.

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Samsung’s Android Pie firmware hints at 3D scanning for upcoming phones

Next year, Samsung is going to hop on the 3D facial scanning bandwagon that has gripped the smartphone industry since Apple introduced Face ID technology with the iPhone X. Some proof of that has shown up in the Android Pie firmware that Samsung has released for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9. XDA Developers has found code in Samsung’s system app for biometric security that suggests the Korean giant will introduce something called a Time of Flight (ToF) sensor.

Will the 3D scanner make a debut on the Galaxy S10, though?

ToF 3D sensing tech works by measuring the time it takes a pulse of emitted light to be reflected back to the sensor, with this data then used to create a 3D map of an object (a face in this case). Now, you may have noticed that we haven’t mentioned the Galaxy S10 yet. Well, that’s because competing devices like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro have a ToF sensor that’s separate from the front camera, and a notch makes having all those components in there possible. It’s the same for Face ID on iPhones as well.

The Galaxy S10, meanwhile, is going to come with a corner cutout that fits only the single or dual front camera sensors and has space for nothing else. There was an early rumor that Samsung has been working on integrating 3D sensing functionality into the front camera, though. And since the company has decided to go with small cutouts for all of its new Infinity displays instead of proper notches, having 3D sensing integrated into the front camera(s) may be the only way for it to offer something that can compete with Face ID and other such technologies.

In short, the only thing that can be said for certain at this point is that 3D facial recognition will come to Galaxy smartphones, but whether it will debut with the Galaxy S10 remains to be seen. A Galaxy A smartphone may get that privilege thanks to Samsung’s new strategy of introducing new features to its mid-range lineup before flagships. Only time will tell.

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Samsung C-Lab to showcase eight new AI projects at CES 2019

Samsung has announced that it will showcase eight new innovative projects at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019. Developed from C-Lab (Creative Lab), Samsung’s in-house startup incubator, the new projects are related to Artificial Intelligence (AI). In addition, eight C-Lab spin-offs will also showcase their newly released commercial products at the event.

The 2019 edition of the annual tech trade show will be held in Las Vegas from January 8 to January 12.

Samsung C-Lab to showcase eight new AI projects

Launched in 2012, C-Lab is Samsung’s in-house idea incubation program that assists its employees with resources to nurture their business ideas into products. The program has so far seen dozens of such innovative ideas being developed into commercial products. And the company will be introducing eight more such projects at the CES early next month.

The eight new C-Lab projects include: Tisplay – an in-video virtual ad service, aiMo – an ASMR sound recording solution, MEDEO – an instant video-making service, PRISMIT – an AI news analysis service, Perfume Blender – a custom perfume making service, Girin Monitor Stand – an auto-adjusting monitor, alight – an AI desk light, and SnailSound – a hearing assistant solution. This will be the largest number of projects unveiled by the C-Lab at a single event since its CES debut in 2016.

In 2015, Samsung introduced the C-Lab spin-off policy. Under this, the company provides support to the ideas that turn into concrete products to further grow into fully-fledged start-ups. Eight of such C-Lab spin-offs will be showcasing their products at the event next month. This includes MOPIC, LINKFLOW, lululab, WELT, Cooljamm company, MONIT, BLUEFEEL and analogue plus. C-Lab has so far given birth to over 30 spin-off companies.

If you’re planning to attend CES 2019, Samsung will have its booths installed between #52102~#52118 in Sands, Hall G (Eureka Park Marketplace) on January 8 – 11, 2019.

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Sound on Display Samsung OLED panels to be shown off at CES 2019

The Sound on Display Samsung OLED panels could arrive in 2019. Samsung has already revealed this technology earlier this year. It uses vibration and bone conduction to transmit sound in smartphones.

Sound on Display is one of the methods that Samsung has been considering to kill the notch. The company provided a few details about this technology at the Samsung OLED Forum conference in China a couple of months back.

Sound on Display Samsung OLED panels for smartphones and TVs

It was reported back in May that Samsung is ready to commercialize its sound-emitting OLED technology in 2019. The latest report from South Korea suggests that the Sound on Display Samsung OLED panels will be demonstrated at CES 2019 next month. It appears that Samsung might showcase these panels for both smartphones and TVs. It’s expected that products with this technology will be released later on in the new year.

It has a lot of potential for use in smartphones. Manufacturers are trying hard to maximize as much of the front real estate for the display as possible. That’s why the Infinity-O display will be a major trend in 2019. Being able to eliminate the speaker will enable them to claw back additional space for the display.

LG has already showcased a prototype of its Crystal Sound OLED TV at CES last year. Even Chinese display manufacturers are believed to demonstrate similar products at CES 2019. LG is developing these panels for notebooks and monitors as well in addition to smartphones.

The Consumer Electronics Show 2019 will take place from January 8 through January 12 in Las Vegas.

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Samsung may unveil the Galaxy M series smartphones next month

We have seen enough evidence already to confirm that Samsung is gearing up to launch Galaxy M series smartphones in the near future. From our exclusive reports and benchmark listings, we also have an idea about the possible color options, storage variants, and specifications. Thanks to a new report today, we now have information about the launch time frame as well.

According to a report from the Indian news agency IANS, Samsung is planning to unveil the Galaxy M series in India next month by releasing three new smartphones. The report, which is based on industry sources, says the new models will come with many “industry-first” features to differentiate themselves in the crowded Indian market. The report doesn’t mention what these features might be. This strategy sounds similar to the one adopted by the company for its midrange offerings in the recent months.

Galaxy M1, M2, and M3 launching soon

While the report doesn’t specifically mention the models, these could be what we referred to as the Galaxy M10, M20, and M30 in the recent leaks. However, going by today’s report, it appears these models might carry the Galaxy M1, M2, and M3 monikers at launch. We have also heard some online chatter about the alleged Galaxy M50, but we are not sure if it will be one of the three devices launching next month.

As per the recent Geekbench listing, the Galaxy M30 will come with an Exynos 7885 SoC, 4 GB of RAM, and Android Oreo 8.1 onboard. Though the official specifications may vary slightly from the prototypes used for testing, it is clear the Galaxy M series will be a budget lineup as reported earlier. This could be the reason behind Samsung’s decision to debut the new series in India first as budget devices account for a bulk of the smartphone sales in India.

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Galaxy S10 front camera may have the same animation as the Galaxy A8s

An animation we first saw with the Galaxy A8s might also be present on the Galaxy S10 front camera. The Galaxy A8s is Samsung’s first smartphone with an Infinity-O display. It places the camera within the actual display area.

Samsung has already demonstrated this new display technology with the mid-range Galaxy A8s that’s now being sold in China. The Galaxy S10 will be the first device to really bring the Infinity-O display to the masses.

Galaxy S10 front camera to make use of an illuminated ring

An interesting animation makes good use of the Galaxy A8s camera cutout. Normally, there’s a camera icon at the bottom right of the lock screen which launches the camera even when the phone is locked. The Galaxy A8s doesn’t have that icon. It lets users launch the camera app simply by swiping down from the front camera lens.

An animated ring illuminates the sensor when you swipe down. It also illuminates when you switch between the different camera modes. According to a Twitter-based leaker, the same animation will be present on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ as well. It’s said that the ring will also glow when facial recognition is successful. Nevermind the possibility that constantly swiping from the camera lens might lead to smudges.

Samsung already has this illuminated ring on the Galaxy A8s. There’s no reason to believe that the Galaxy S10 may not get it. After all, it will be the device that really popularizes the Infinity-O display for Samsung. As far as the Galaxy S10 front camera is concerned, at least one of the three new models is expected to feature a dual front camera.

Samsung is due to announce the Galaxy S10 series early next year. Some suggest that shipments of the new flagship will begin in March.

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