Samsung is trying to become a 5G chipset supplier for Chinese OEMs

Samsung has reportedly supplied two of China’s biggest smartphone OEMs with 5G chipsets for testing purposes. Both OPPO and Vivo are said to have received sample units from Samsung, anticipating that Qualcomm and MediaTek alone won’t be able to meet their 5G demands in 2020.

Interestingly, Huawei wasn’t mentioned alongside Qualcomm and MediaTek. This could mean that even Chinese OEMs might be starting to shy away from using the company’s 5G solutions, out of fear of not being able to sell their smartphones overseas. Huawei has been banned by the United States and its reputation took a hit as a result. Meanwhile, Samsung has pounced on the opportunity and continues to win more ground in the 5G race.

In light of this recent report, it’s possible that the Exynos Modem 5100, Exynos RF 5500, and Exynos SM 5800 chips will become more prevalent next year. These solutions could be employed by an increasing number of smartphone manufacturers from China, where Samsung doesn’t have a lot of market influence. Of course, it all depends on what Samsung’s potential clients will determine after testing the company’s 5G solution for themselves.

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Galaxy A50 camera gets Night mode and Super Slow-mo with June update

The Galaxy A50 got the June security update in India earlier this week, promising the usual stability improvements along with a variety of security patches. But as we’ve been tipped by one of our readers via Twitter, the update appears to include a couple of extra features that go by unmentioned in the changelog. Specifically, firmware version A505FDDU2ASF2 seems to bring along Night mode and Super Slow-mo video recording. In addition to that, the phone can now scan QR codes from the camera app without requiring Bixby Vision, a feature that recently came to the Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 9 and the Galaxy S10 as well.

Galaxy A50 owners in India who have updated to the June security patch but don’t have access to these two new camera features should try resetting their camera settings. This was also the case for the Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A40, which received a regular slow-motion camera mode through a software update and required a reset of the camera settings before the mode was actually usable. You can reset camera settings by opening the camera app, tapping the gear icon to open camera settings, then hitting the Reset settings option found by scrolling all the way to the bottom.

The update also includes fixes to a variety of vulnerabilities; some found in the Android operating system while others are affecting Samsung’s own software experience. You can read all about them in the detailed June 2019 security patch report.

Readers who have not yet received the update on the Galaxy A50 in India should try navigating to the Settings » Software update menu and tap the Download and install option. Otherwise, users can also download the update manually from our firmware database and update the smartphone using Samsung Smart Switch on a computer.

Have you gotten the Night mode and Super Slow-mo mode with this latest update? Let us know below.

Galaxy A50

• Model: SM-A505F
• Dimensions: 158.5 x 74.7 x 7.7mm
• Display: 6.4"(162.1mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9610
• Camera: 25 MP, CMOS F1.7 & 5MP, CMOS F2.2 Depth & 8MP, CMOS F2.2 Ultrawide

More specifications

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Breaking: This is the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2!

We recently revealed that Samsung is working on the Galaxy Watch Active 2, just four months after the first one was made official, and now we have pictures of the new smartwatch in the flesh. When we first found out that Samsung is developing a new smartwatch, we thought it would be the successor to the Galaxy Watch, but it’s actually the Watch Active 2 the company is working on as we discuss in our SamMobile TV show in the video embedded below.

Don’t let the Active moniker fool you into thinking this will be another fitness-focused watch in the vein of the first Galaxy Watch Active and the Gear Sport. First off, the Watch Active 2 will come in two sizes: 40mm and 44mm. Sadly, the rotating bezel ring is not going to make the cut. It remains to be seen if this means the bezel ring is out for good and won’t be seen on any future smartwatch from Samsung, but that could certainly be the case.

So as far as the design is concerned, the Watch Active 2 will look similar to its predecessor. That said, there are a few changes that we see in the pictures. The home/power button, for example, is round while the back button has a rectangular shape, and there’s also a red circle around the home/power button. We haven’t been told what it’s for – it may just be a design element that has nothing to do with functionality, but we’ll need to wait for more information to be sure. The back of the watch also has a fresh new look, with a circular rim around the heart rate sensor.

The Watch Active 2 will also have an LTE variant in addition to a Wi-Fi variant, and you can see a microphone hole between the home and back keys and what look like speaker grills on the other side. The LTE version will have a 340 mAh battery inside and the Wi-Fi model will have a 237 mAh battery. On the software front, the watch will come with version 1.5 of One UI. The One UI update Samsung released for existing smartwatches is version 1.0, so we should see some new stuff on the Watch Active 2.

Check out a few pictures of the Galaxy Watch Active 2 below. Don’t forget to check out the video above to hear our thoughts on the new smartwatch and to see a couple of more pictures of the thing.

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Behind closed doors: Our Galaxy Note 10 wishlist

As we get closer to the Galaxy Note 10 launch, there’s been a lot of discussion in the SamMobile team about what we’d like to see on on the next Note flagship. Quite a few of us are ardent Note fans, so a new Note device gets us more excited than a Galaxy S flagship, and the Note 10 has been especially interesting because of how there have been so many conflicting leaks and rumors that make it hard to be sure exactly what Samsung has in store for us.

As we wait for some conclusive information on what the Galaxy Note 10 will bring–or not bring–to the table, we decided to make a wishlist about what it is we’re looking forward to on Samsung’s upcoming flagship and share it with you, our readers. And we’d love to know what you are hoping to see on the Galaxy Note 10, so don’t forget to share your thoughts down in the comments section!

Adnan Farooqui

Since I didn’t switch to the Galaxy S10 from my Galaxy Note 9, even the evolutionary changes in the Galaxy Note 10 will be welcomed with open arms by customers like me. Samsung introduced some great tech with the Galaxy S10, such as the Time-of-Flight sensor (on the 5G model), the ultra-wide angle camera, reverse wireless charging and more. I want all of that on the Galaxy Note 10 and there’s little reason to believe that it won’t get all those features.

Other than that, my wishlist for the Galaxy Note 10 is quite straightforward. I’d like to see bigger batteries on both models in addition to faster charging speeds. There has been talk of both 25W and 45W charging, and one can hope that Samsung would opt for the latter. And it may not get Samsung’s 64-megapixel camera sensor, I would definitely like to see the three-stage variable aperture being introduced with the Galaxy Note 10.

Samsung has introduced significant camera improvements with previous Galaxy Note handsets. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t blaze a new trail in the variable aperture department for smartphones with the Galaxy Note 10. There’s a possibility that the Galaxy Note 10 may ditch the conventional earpiece for Sound on Display technology. One can only wish that it doesn’t sound as bad and hollow as it does on some of Samsung’s other devices.

Abhijeet Mishra

A big battery was the one feature I had wanted on the Galaxy Note 9, and Samsung delivered. With the Galaxy S10, I looked forward to an ultra-wide camera along with a big battery, and Samsung obliged once again, putting a 4,100 mAh battery on the S10+ and adding an ultra-wide sensor on the back of all three Galaxy S10 models. And now, frankly, there’s nothing important missing on Samsung’s flagship phones as far as my needs are concerned.

But when it comes to the features I wish to see on the Galaxy Note 10, I’d say it’s faster charging. 25W fast charging would be fine in my opinion, even though having 45W charging would be even better. Samsung should have made 25W charging the default on all Galaxy S10 models instead of just the 5G variant, but hey, the company needed to hold back some features for the next flagship, didn’t it?

Naresh Nekkanti

With the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S10, Samsung pushed its flagships so close to perfection that it is unrealistic to expect anything path breaking from the Note 10. The new Note models will most probably be incremental updates and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I say “models” because Samsung is rumoured to launch regular and Pro versions of the Note 10. As someone who never really liked curved displays, I hope the former comes with a flat screen without missing too much in other departments.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to get excited about new Note smartphones as the Plus variants of the Galaxy S flagships have taken away some of their appeal with big displays and large batteries. I am hoping the Galaxy Fold lineup will eventually (in the next couple of years?) replace the Galaxy Note series and bring back some lost excitement. Afterall, a foldable smartphone with stylus functionality is a match made in heaven and just makes a lot of sense.

Henk Loosbroek

I’m quite happy with what my Galaxy Note 9 offers, and I hope the Note 10 will keep all of that, especially stereo speakers. I’m wondering if stereo sound is possible with Sound On Display technology, which puts the earpiece under the display. A headphone jack would be nice as well, although it’s not a must have for me thanks to the excellent Bose QC35-II wireless headphones that I own. And like the Note 9, I want the Galaxy Note 10 to have remote functionality on the S Pen and a 512GB storage option, preferably with microSD expansion. Finally, I’m hoping for an improved Night mode for the camera compared to the Galaxy S10 lineup.

The post Behind closed doors: Our Galaxy Note 10 wishlist appeared first on SamMobile.

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June security patch now available for the Galaxy A8+ and Tab S4

Just a couple of days before July, Samsung has released the June 2019 security patch for the Galaxy A8+ and Tab S4. The update doesn’t seem to include anything more than security fixes, but that shouldn’t be a problem as these devices received the Android Pie update with One UI not very long ago.

As of now, the update for the Galaxy Tab S4 appears to be available only in Canada and the US. The Galaxy A8+, on the other hand, is receiving the update in Columbia, Brazil, Panama, and a couple of other regions. At this pace, Samsung may very well be rolling out the July security update for other devices before the June release reaches the Galaxy A8+ and Tab S4 in all the markets.

Like every Security Maintenance Release (SMR), the June patch also includes fixes for both Android and Samsung-specific vulnerabilities. According to the company’s June security bulletin, the update patches eight critical and more than a dozen high-risk Android vulnerabilities and 11 Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE) items of different intensities.

Since Samsung adopts a staged rollout for updates, not all devices may receive the OTA update at once. To check if the update is available to your device, go to Settings, select Software Update, and tap on the Download updates manually option. If that doesn’t trigger the update, you have to either wait or download the latest compatible firmware from our database and manually flash it. You can find the Galaxy A8+ firmware here and the Tab S4 firmware here.

Galaxy A8+

• Model: SM-A730F
• Dimensions: 159.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm
• Display: 6.0"(142.2mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 7885
• Camera: 16 MP, CMOS PDAF (F1.7)

More specifications

Galaxy Tab S4 (10.5", Wi-Fi)

• Model: SM-T830
• Dimensions: 249.3 x 164.3 x 7.1mm
• Display: 10.5” (266.7mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
• Camera: 13 MP, CMOS

More specifications

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Galaxy Note 10+, not Pro, will be the larger model, images leaked

We exclusively confirmed three months ago that Samsung will be launching two models of the Galaxy Note 10. It was later rumored that the larger model will be called the Galaxy Note 10 Pro. The very first live images of the larger model have now leaked online. They show that Samsung will stick with its conventional naming scheme and call it Galaxy Note 10+ instead.

The images also confirm some design changes that we had only seen in the leaked renders so far. The display hole is in the center, not the right corner like it is on the Galaxy S10. While the Galaxy S10+ features a dual front camera, it appears that the Galaxy Note 10+ will only get one.

Leaked images show the Galaxy Note 10+ in the flesh

The first Galaxy Note 10+ live images have been leaked through a video from YouTuber TechTalkTV, who apparently received them from a subscriber on Instagram. The device we see here is not that different in terms of design compared to the renders that have surfaced online so far.

Earlier reports have suggested that the larger Galaxy Note 10 model will have a 6.75-inch display. These images show that Samsung has trimmed the bezels as expect. Also, notice the absence of an earpiece which means that recent reports about the Galaxy Note 10 having Sound on Display technology are likely accurate.

We’ve already opined that it’s fine if the larger Galaxy Note 10 doesn’t have a dual front camera. The pill-shaped cutout on the Galaxy S10+ doesn’t look that good and the addition of a second camera up front doesn’t make much of a difference for Live Focus (bokeh) selfies. The rather blurry image of the back shows that the device has an iPhone-like vertical camera system. The LED flash and ToF sensor are placed alongside it.

So it’s all as per expectations. The biggest takeaway here is the boot screen which shows that this device will be called the Galaxy Note 10+. It makes sense for Samsung to keep the branding within the confines of what its customers are already familiar with. Do you like what you see or do you wish that some of these design changes hadn’t been made? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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Galaxy A10s release approaches as it picks up Wi-Fi certification

Samsung still has a few Galaxy A handsets in the pipeline and it seems that the Galaxy A10s release may not be that far off now. The device has picked up its Wi-Fi certification, which is usually a good indication that the launch is just around the corner.

The Galaxy A10s made its way through the FCC just last week. The filing revealed the overall dimensions of this device and some additional details. As you’d expect, the Galaxy A10s is going to be a slightly upgraded variant of the Galaxy A10.

Galaxy A10s release could take place soon

The Galaxy A10 doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor so customers who want one will have to purchase the Galaxy A10s instead. The FCC filing had revealed that the Galaxy A10s is going to have a fingerprint sensor at the back in addition to a dual camera system. The Galaxy A10 only has a single rear camera.

The differences may also extend to battery capacity. The Galaxy A10s is said to feature a 3,900mAh battery compared to the 3,400mAh on the existing device. It will retain the base 32GB internal storage, though. We have previously revealed that the device will be available in red, blue, green and black color options. It may be powered by a MediaTek Helio P22 chipset with 2GB of RAM and run Android 9 Pie out of the box.

The Galaxy A10s bearing model number SM-A107F has now been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance. That’s another hurdle crossed in the run up to the device’s release. Samsung hasn’t confirmed as yet when it’s going to come out. It shouldn’t be too long now.

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Samsung has $40,000 to give for new accessory designs for Galaxy devices

Samsung is hosting the Samsung Mobile Design Competition in partnership with Deezen, a leading design magazine. It wants contestants to submit designs for new accessories for Galaxy smartphones and tablets. The winners in each category will win cash prizes from a pool of $40,000.

The company launched a similar competition with Deezen two years ago. Samsung invited designers to submit designs for new QLED TV stands. This latest competition has two categories – Next Mobile + and Next Mobile Wallpaper.

Prizes worth $40,000 are up for grabs

The Next Mobile + category is for those who want to submit accessory designs for Galaxy smartphones, tablets and wearables. The accessories can include smartphone cases, tablet covers, watch straps or cases for earbuds. The designs should enhance the device and also provide value for the user. Contestants are free to design any kind of accessory that they want for Galaxy devices. Samsung will be particularly interested in those that interact digitally with its devices to provide enhanced functionality.

Samsung also wants designs for wallpapers hence the Next Mobile Wallpaper Paradigm category. It’s not looking for simple designs, mind you. Samsung says that these wallpapers should be interactive and contextually aware so that they can provide useful information as well. Professional designers and design students can both take part in this competition.

The top five finalists in each category will then be flown to London to present their ideas in front of a jury which will include Samsung executives and Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs. The jury is then going to choose the top three winners in each category who will be hosted by the company at the Samsung Developer Conference in San Jose later this year. That’s where they will get their prizes.

The winner in each category will receive the top prize of $10,000 while the runner up and third place gets $5,000 and $3,000 respectively. The fourth and fifth-placed entrants in each category will get $1,000 each.

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Bixby Marketplace opens up for developers and their Bixby Capsules

The Bixby Marketplace announced by Samsung along with Bixby Capsules last year appears to be open for developers. With the Marketplace going live, third-party Bixby Studio developers finally have a way of submitting their Bixby Capsules before they’ll reach the users.

Described by the company as “a central repository for Bixby’s Capsules,” Bixby Marketplace is the gateway connecting third-party developers with end users, but it is not the actual storefront for Capsules.

Developers will need to go through a submission process on the Bixby Marketplace. They can also opt for private submissions in order to perform on-device testing before their Capsules go live. Once a Capsule is approved in the public channel, it will become available for download by Bixby users.

What are Bixby Capsules?

Bixby Capsules are skills for Samsung’s smart assistant, and you can think of Amazon Alexa skills as a direct comparison. For third-party developers, they open up new possibilities to bringing their APIs into the Bixby experience. Capsules have been around for developers in the Bixby Developer Studio since last year and we’re hoping that developers have tinkered with the concept and already created new skills for the platform.

For end-users, they should expand the capabilities of Bixby with new voice commands, and essentially make Bixby a more customizable smart assistant with the addition of new skills from the marketplace. Essentially, Bixby’s vocabulary, knowledge base, and interactivity will grow thanks to these third-party creations.

When will you be able to download Bixby Capsules?

At the moment, the Bixby Developer Center has been updated with the necessary information for third-party developers to submit their Capsules. The latest Bixby update, meanwhile, brings the Marketplace to folks in the US, but it’s unclear how it looks or works as we do not currently have any US-based team members.

But if you live stateside, you can help us out with a few screenshots of the Bixby Marketplace from your Galaxy device by sending an email to our email addresses mentioned here. You will have to grab the latest Bixby update from the Galaxy Store (tap the three-dot button on the top right, select My Page, and then select Update to see all the updates available) and then scroll to the Bixby Home page on the home screen (swipe right from the first home screen) to see the Marketplace section.

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US Galaxy S10 June update doesn’t include dedicated Night mode

Samsung rolled out a big Galaxy S10 update last month which brought a dedicated Night mode for the camera. What the update basically did is allow manual access to the Night mode which would previously only trigger automatically. The results remained more or less the same, but at least you could now choose when you wanted the Night mode to work its magic.

The feature has since trickled down to devices like the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy Note 9 with the June 2019 update. Unfortunately, the Galaxy S10 didn’t get the feature in last month’s update, and it’s not getting the dedicated Night mode with this month’s update either.

US Galaxy S10 isn’t getting a couple of new features

T-Mobile today started rolling out the June 2019 security update for the Galaxy S10 on its network. While the update firmware version G973USQS2ASF7 does bring the latest security patch for the month of June 2019, it doesn’t bring the dedicated Night mode. This is hardly surprising. The June update that T-Mobile released for the Galaxy Note 9 three days ago didn’t come with these features either.

The June update for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 even added the ability to scan QR codes from the camera app itself without having to use Bixby Vision. This feature wasn’t present on the Galaxy S10 series initially but the June update for the Exynos variant added it. Since US customers get the Snapdragon variant, they won’t be happy to hear that this update doesn’t include the built-in QR scanner as well.

Other models of the Galaxy S10 will soon receive this update as well. T-Mobile’s rival carriers will also be rolling out the update for the Galaxy S10 series on their networks in the near future. It’s going to be the same situation for everyone and users will certainly not be happy about it.

This means that it may not be until when the July update starts rolling out that the Snapdragon-variant gets these features. Even that can’t be said for sure, but many will keep their fingers crossed for it nonetheless.

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Galaxy Tab S5e and more Galaxy A phones now support ARCore

The Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50 were certified with ARCore support by Google a few months back. Now the tech giant is expanding the list of supported Samsung devices with the addition of the Galaxy A40, A60, A70, and the Galaxy Tab S5e. The Galaxy A80 has also been added to the list, even though the smartphone only recently became available for pre-order and isn’t out just yet. But it’s good to know that once released, it should support ARCore out of the box.

Adding ARCore support means that all of the aforementioned Galaxy devices should now be compatible with Augmented Reality-based applications that rely on the ARCore API. This includes Google’s own Playground (previously known as AR Stickers), which adds a new camera mode that allows users to drop AR characters called Playmoji into the viewfinder. There’s also Google’s Measure app, which works similarly to Samsung’s Quick Measure. With it, you can measure the length and height of objects in the real world using the device’s camera.

The end result may not be entirely accurate and it depends on each device’s cameras, but it’s worth noting that Google tests the camera capabilities of each device before giving it the ARCore certification.

Users will first need to install the ARCore application itself from the Play Store, in order to be able and use first and third-party Augmented Reality apps that rely on it.

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Fresh Galaxy Note 10 case renders give a better view on the cutouts

A couple of fresh images showcasing a clear protective case for the alleged Galaxy Note 10 have emerged. They feature the rendered device at an angle and thus they give a better idea of what the purpose of all the cutouts might be.

According to these images, the bottom edge of the device will accommodate the S Pen slot, a loudspeaker, along with a USB Type-C port and microphone. Two additional cutouts are to be found on the top edge of the device – one of them should be for a microphone, but it’s unclear what the other one is for. At the back, the upper-left corner has a vertically-aligned cutout which is large enough for three cameras, as well as a small circular cutout for the LED flash.

This configuration suggests that the case renders at hand depict the standard Galaxy Note 10 because the Pro variant is rumored to feature two additional ToF sensors next to the LED flash. These types of sensors are capable of depth mapping in 3D space and can unlock more Augmented Reality possibilities.

The cutouts seem to match an earlier CAD render leak, and once again, they indicate that the next-gen phablet will lack a 3.5mm headphone jack. This standard feature won’t become a Pro exclusive, either; instead, it will allegedly be missing from the Note 10 lineup altogether, at least according to other previous leaks.

Samsung is expected to introduce the Galaxy Note 10 in early August at a launch event reportedly set to take place in New York City.

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Daily Deal: $0.99 for this Micro USB Mobile Phone Mini Fan

Summer is around the corner and that means temperatures are rising. To cool down, you could jump into a pool or sit in front of the air conditioner all day. However, if you’re commuting or happen to be someplace where neither of those options is possible, you could take care of yourself by using a mini fan, powered by your smartphone. You can plug this in and it will start to blow a cooling breeze at you right away. For just under $1, this could be a cool gadget for this summer season!

Use the Buy Now button below to claim your discounted fan, but hurry up as prices could go up again!

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Samsung may launch Mate X-like out-folding smartphone before Huawei

It became evident soon after the Galaxy Fold was sent to reviewers that the device needed more work if Samsung wanted it to survive the rigors of daily use. Nobody would buy a $2,000 device just to use it sparingly. Many think that Samsung simply rushed the April 26 launch of the Galaxy Fold because it wanted to beat Huawei to become the first company with a proper foldable smartphone on the market.

Samsung has made some changes to the Galaxy Fold to address the reliability issues. However, it hasn’t confirmed when the device will be released. A lot has changed for Huawei in the meantime. The company has been banned by the United States so releasing a foldable smartphone before Samsung is the least of its problems right now. A new report from South Korea claims that Samsung is going to capitalize on this by releasing a Huawei Mate X-like out-folding smartphone before its Chinese rival this year.

Samsung wants to beat Huawei to another title

Samsung and Huawei went in different directions for their first foldable smartphones. The latter opted for an out-folding design whereas the Galaxy Fold folds inwards like a book. We have already talked about the merits and demerits of both their approaches in detail. Samsung did have an out-folding prototype as well but it went the other way with the Galaxy Fold because it believes that the in-folding design seems more natural.

Subsequent reports have suggested that Samsung is working on more foldable smartphones which will eventually follow the Galaxy Fold. The two models are said to include an out-folding and a clamshell-like folding mechanism. There has even been talk of a new Galaxy Fold with an 8-inch display and S Pen support.

A report out of South Korea claims that Samsung is now planning to release its out-folding smartphone before Huawei releases the Mate X. Suppliers have reportedly started mass producing the parts already and “possibly even the phone itself.” Apparently, the company wants to beat Huawei to the market with an out-folding smartphone as well.

Huawei confirmed earlier this month that it’s delaying the Mate X’s release from June to September. It said that this was being done to conduct additional testing to ensure that there were no problems with the device. A Huawei spokesperson said that the company was taking a more cautious approach with the release after Samsung’s troubles with the Galaxy Fold. “We don’t want to launch a product to destroy our reputation,” came the subtle shade from the Chinese behemoth.

Whether Huawei is able to launch the Mate X in September still remains to be seen. The ban against it prevents the company from licensing the full version of Android. It also cannot source components from companies based in the United States. The question remains whether the Mate X will ship with Android or Huawei’s own operating system when it does arrive. Huawei evidently has more hoops to jump through right now than Samsung if it wants to put a foldable phone on the market.

Samsung already has a lot to prove with the Galaxy Fold before it can even begin to sell people on a second foldable smartphone. People need to know if all of the issues have been addressed and that the Galaxy Fold can be used as a daily driver. Unfortunately, it has not been forthcoming with information about the relaunch of this device.

Furthermore, there has been no circumstantial evidence to suggest that a second foldable smartphone could be released this year. So despite the claims in the report, it seems unlikely right now that an out-folding smartphone will come from Samsung in the next few months.

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[Poll] Should Samsung keep the Bixby key on the Galaxy Note 10?

When Samsung launched Bixby with the Galaxy S8 back in 2016, the company’s virtual assistant didn’t do much. Well, it was certainly capable enough for a newly launched virtual assistant, but Bixby’s voice functionality didn’t debut for a few months after the Galaxy S8 went on sale, and when it did, it only had support for US English. That made the dedicated Bixby key a major point of contention for many users, who wondered why their flagship phone had an extra button that didn’t offer any benefit.

It didn’t help that the Bixby key couldn’t be reassigned to launch a different app, with Samsung actively disabling third-party hacks that made remapping the button possible, nor could it be disabled completely. But perhaps the heavy-handed approach was important for Samsung. With a long press of the home button assigned to Google Now (now called Google Assistant), Samsung needed a way to make consumers aware of its own virtual assistant, and a physical key was probably the best idea.

Alas, development on Bixby hasn’t moved very quickly. Version 2.0 of Bixby turned out to be incapable of doing some basic things that were possible on Bixby 1.0, and we’re still waiting on that Bixby-powered Galaxy Home smart speaker to go on sale. Perhaps putting a Bixby button on every budget and mid-range phone in addition to flagships would have helped Samsung capture the data it needed for Bixby to evolve at a faster pace, but the Korean giant didn’t go down that route.

And somewhere down the line, Samsung decided to become pro-choice and finally introduced the option to assign the Bixby key to any app or function that the user desired. The company also devised a way to make the power button work as the Bixby key with Android Pie, removing the need for a device to have a dedicated physical button. And if the rumors and leaks are correct, the Galaxy Note 10 might not have a Bixby button, making it the first Galaxy flagship in more than two years to come with only volume and power buttons.

But should Samsung keep the Bixby key on the Galaxy Note 10? Having a separate key to launch your favorite app is very useful, similar to the Active key on Samsung’s rugged Galaxy S Active phones, but is that a big reason the Bixby key should continue to exist? You know, in addition to offering a quick shortcut to Bixby for those who like the assistant and use it regularly?

We want to know what you think, so vote in the poll below then discuss your thoughts with us in the comments section!

Sould Samsung keep the Bixby key on the Galaxy Note 10?

• Nope, good riddance!
• Yes, I love being able to launch my favorite app with the Bixby key
• It doesn't matter to me if it stays or goes
• Yes, it's useful for quick access to Bixby
• I want it for both Bixby access and accessing my favorite app

Results

• Nope, good riddance! 33%, 3 votes
  3 votes 33%

  3 votes - 33% of all votes
• Yes, I love being able to launch my favorite app with the Bixby key 33%, 3 votes
  3 votes 33%

  3 votes - 33% of all votes
• It doesn't matter to me if it stays or goes 33%, 3 votes
  3 votes 33%

  3 votes - 33% of all votes
• Yes, it's useful for quick access to Bixby 0%, 0 votes
  0 votes

  0 votes - 0% of all votes
• I want it for both Bixby access and accessing my favorite app 0%, 0 votes
  0 votes

  0 votes - 0% of all votes

Total Votes: 9

26 June 2019

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You or your IP had already vote.

• Nope, good riddance!
• Yes, I love being able to launch my favorite app with the Bixby key
• It doesn't matter to me if it stays or goes
• Yes, it's useful for quick access to Bixby
• I want it for both Bixby access and accessing my favorite app

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You or your IP had already vote.

Results

The post [Poll] Should Samsung keep the Bixby key on the Galaxy Note 10? appeared first on SamMobile.

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I don’t think Samsung should launch multiple Galaxy Note 10 variants

Numerous leaks and rumors suggest that the Galaxy Note 10 will consist of at least two versions of the same device. We’re not talking about different storage options, but key hardware differences between these versions, known so far as the standard and “Pro” models. One such key difference might be that expandable storage could become a Pro feature.

This will make the Note 10 the first device in the history of the series to go against what I call the “no compromise” philosophy. I think this might be a mistake, or at least that it might be too early for Samsung to change this particular philosophy which, in my opinion, has become a part of the series’ identity.

The Galaxy Note series has always been about offering the best possible hardware and software experience, without compromise. And more to the point at hand, there always has been a “no thought” process behind the purchase of a Galaxy Note phone. Truth be told, Samsung fans – our readers included – might not have an issue with cross-checking the features of two or three versions of the same flagship. But I’ve met at least a couple of Note owners in the past who have purchased the device because they didn’t have to do any research beforehand. They simply wanted the best of the best, and the Note delivered.

I think this used to be one of the major attractions of Apple’s iPhones too, i.e., the idea that there’s one unified experience delivered by a single device. The iPhone represented an easy purchase decision for customers who didn’t want to dig deep into the technical aspects, and I feel that the lack of variants worked in its favor to an extent.

Sometimes, less is more

Now, there’s nothing wrong with giving customers more options, of course! But in my opinion, Samsung already offers plenty of options through its other smartphones. Even the Galaxy S series made the switch to multiple variants a few years ago. But the Galaxy Note always had this aura of pureness and simplicity surrounding it. It feels bespoke. It has an intrinsic value because of it, and if the rumors are true then I feel like the series will never be the same come August. Some sort of impalpable quality will be lost.

Besides, launching more Note versions has nothing to do with bringing the stylus to more affordable segments.

One could argue that if a buyer wants the best of the best, then all he or she needs to do is to buy the more expensive variant of the same device. But in my opinion, introducing more choices in this manner will negate that intrinsic value of the Note series. It’s the subtlety of the thing that makes me wonder, not the obvious fact that Samsung may have crunched the numbers and determined that more Note variants will probably mean higher earnings. I’m not a marketing expert and I’m not implying that a multi-version Note series won’t be successful. But when “choice” is suddenly introduced into the “no thought” process, it changes the paradigm, and it might change the series’ identity.

I think Samsung might also recognize this intrinsic value I mentioned, and perhaps it wants the Galaxy Fold to replace the Galaxy Note in this particular regard. To make the Fold the “what you see is what you get” or bespoke kind of smartphone while pushing the Galaxy Note a bit more into the ordinary. And that’s… fine? Or it would have been if the Galaxy Fold would have already proven itself in the market, and if would have been more easily obtainable. But the foldable device didn’t reach that point just yet, and in my opinion, perhaps Samsung should not change the Note’s philosophy until that happens. Or, preferably, at all.

The post I don’t think Samsung should launch multiple Galaxy Note 10 variants appeared first on SamMobile.

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Latest Galaxy S10 update adds vibration feedback for navigation gestures

The Galaxy S10‘s June 2019 security update brings a neat little addition that fans of One UI’s navigation gestures will love. Samsung introduced navigation gestures as a built-in feature on Android Pie, allowing users to have more of the screen available for use inside apps by hiding the standard Android navigation bar. And once the latest update is installed, Galaxy S10e, S10, and S10+ owners will notice that the device vibrates every time they go back, go to the home screen, or access the recent apps screen using the navigation gestures.

Having vibration enabled for the gestures is very handy, as the feedback will help you be sure you actually used a gesture properly. It’s one of those things you wish Samsung had thought of from the very start, but it’s good to see the company is doing the needful with a software update. In fact, Samsung has been actively making improvements to the Galaxy S10’s software experience with updates, especially when it comes to the camera’s capabilities. The June security update, for instance, adds the ability to scan QR codes without using Bixby Vision or third-party QR scanning apps.

Navigation gestures vibration needs touch vibration enabled

Vibration for the navigation gestures will only work if you have touch vibration enabled on your Galaxy S10. You can find the option – called Touch vibration – in the Sounds and vibration » System sounds and vibration section of the Settings app. Enabling the option won’t make the phone vibrate on every tap of the screen, in case you were wondering. The phone will only vibrate when you use the navigation gestures (or buttons) or touch and hold an item of the screen.

As for the update itself, it is now rolling out in a number of markets around the globe, including Germany, France, Netherlands, the UK, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Thailand. You can download it over the air by tapping the Download and install option in the Software update menu of your S10’s Settings app. You might need to check again after a while if it doesn’t immediately show up. If you don’t wish to wait, you can download the new firmware (software version G97*FXXU2ASF3) from our database and flash it on your phone manually.

Thanks for the tip, Cristian!

Galaxy S10e

• Model: SM-G970F
• Dimensions: 69.9 x 142.2 x 7.9mm
• Display: 5.8” (146.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9820 Octa
• Camera: 12 MP, CMOS F1.5/F2.4 (77°) & 16MP, CMOS F2.2 (123°)Ultra Wide

More specifications

Galaxy S10

• Model: SM-G973F
• Dimensions: 70.4 x 149.9 x 7.8mm
• Display: 6.1"(157.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9820 Octa
• Camera: 12 MP.CMOS F2.4 45° Telephoto & 12MP F1.5 77° & 16MP F2.2 123° Ultra-wide

More specifications

Galaxy S10 Plus

• Model: SM-G975F
• Dimensions: 74.1 x 157.6 x 7.8mm
• Display: 6.4"(162.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9820 Octa
• Camera: 12 MP.CMOS F2.4 45° Telephoto & 12MP F1.5/F2.4 77° & 16MP F2.2 123° Ultra-wide

More specifications

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Galaxy A80 goes up for pre-order in UAE, includes free Galaxy Fit e

The eluding Galaxy A80 is finally making concrete progress towards a market release. The smartphone is now available for pre-order in the UAE via Samsung’s own website, just in time to make the early-July launch timeframe confirmed by the company after the phone’s delay.

The Galaxy A80 carries a pre-order price of 2,399 AED ($653) and prospective buyers can choose from three color options including Phantom Black, Angel Gold, and Ghost White. As expected, the device comes in a single storage option with a capacity of 128GB and lacks a microSD expansion slot.

Free Galaxy Fit e for pre-ordering customers

Samsung is sweetening the deal by offering the Galaxy Fit e wearable (read our review here) for free alongside Galaxy A80 pre-orders. Those who will pre-order the smartphone can expect their orders to be fulfilled sometime between the 4th and 7th of July. It’s worth noting that the “terms & conditions” PDF mentions that the free Galaxy Fit e included with the pre-order “shall be subject to availability.” This could mean that the company might not be able to fulfill its promise to every customer if the stock will run dry before the pre-order window closes.

One of the smartphone’s main attractions is the triple-lens rotating camera which handles both landscape and selfie photography. It also takes advantage of the same 25W fast charging technology as the Galaxy S10 5G.

It’s likely that the Galaxy A80 will soon become available for pre-order in other regions, but it remains to be seen if the Galaxy Fit e pre-order bonus will apply in every market.

Galaxy A80

• Model: SM-A805F
• Dimensions: 165.2 x 76.5 x 9.3mm
• Display: 6.7"(170.2mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730
• Camera: 48 MP, CMOS F2.0, 8MP, CMOS F2.2, 3D Depth

More specifications

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Latest Galaxy Buds update improves streaming and phone call quality

You’d certainly want to get the latest Galaxy Buds update that Samsung has rolled out today. Samsung has been releasing substantial updates for the Galaxy Buds almost every month. The previous one improved the stability of the Bluetooth connection.

Samsung is sending out a couple of improvements for the Galaxy Buds with the latest update as well. It can be downloaded using the Galaxy Wearable app on a paired device. The dedicated PC tool can also be used to update the firmware.

Music streaming quality improves with latest Galaxy Buds update

Samsung is rolling out firmware version R170XXU0ASF3 for the Galaxy Buds today. The update weighs in at just over 1MB. The changelog mentions that this update improves music streaming and phone call quality. Some users have complained about the phone call quality particularly. They will be hoping that this update addresses their concerns.

A temporary error which occurred when the Ambient Sound mode was activated has also been resolved. This update also modifies the battery level display to show the lower battery level between the two earbuds.

Pair the Galaxy Buds to your smartphone and then launch the Galaxy Wearable app. It will notify you automatically that an update is available. Those who’d rather do this on their PC can use the Galaxy Buds Manager program available for both Windows and Mac.

Updated your Galaxy Buds already? Let you know if you feel the difference in music and call quality down in the comments. Haven’t got a pair? Check out our Galaxy Buds review to find out if they’re worth your money.

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Samsung working on larger, 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab Active (Pro)

Samsung appears to be working on a 10.1-inch iteration of the Galaxy Tab Active. The previous versions of the rugged tablet were equipped with an 8-inch screen. The bigger tablet might hit markets under the Galaxy Tab Active Pro moniker.

Earlier this month, Samsung took some time to file trademark applications for the name Galaxy Tab Active Pro all across the globe. More recently we even speculated that that tablet may be hiding under the recently leaked SM-T545 model code. Now, the third piece of information just might complete the puzzle.

10.1-inch Galaxy Tab Active Pro

According to GalaxyClub, Samsung is working on a 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab Active variant. This would make it a significant step up, size-wise, from the earlier Tab Active models. Though there is no definitive confirmation, such a bigger-screened Tab Active could very well be released as a ‘Pro’ variation, thus explaining Samsung’s recent trademark spree.

Whether the 10.1-inch Tab Active is indeed the SM-T545 remains to be seen. Though the pieces fit, Samsung could just as easily have yet another tablet in its always-busy pipelines. That is, of course, next to the upcoming Galaxy Tab S5, which is also expected to hit markets sometime in the next months. All in all, the second half of this year is shaping up to be an interesting one, with regard to Samsung’s tablet-related ambitions.

The post Samsung working on larger, 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab Active (Pro) appeared first on SamMobile.

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Daily Deal: 16% off Samsung 128GB Evo Select microSD card with adapter

A lot of phones support microSD cards for storage expansion. This means that you could increase your storage space considerably up from the base offered. That way, you’ll have more space to store media like pictures or videos as well as a complete music selection. This one comes with an adapter as well, so you can easily plug it into other devices like your laptop. Samsung is well known for producing microSD cards with great quality, for a fair price. This gets even better with a 16% discount, saving you an additional $4.

Use the Buy Now button below to grab one (or a couple) before they run out!

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Official accessories list for the Galaxy Note 10 leaked

Accessory manufacturers often prepare their products for an upcoming smartphone before it is officially announced. With the launch of the Galaxy Note 10 fast approaching, retailer Mobile Fun has obtained a list of all the official accessories for the device, along with prices. You can, in fact, already pre-order official Galaxy Note 10 cases from the retailer.

No new accessories for the Note 10

Mobile Fun reveals that the Note series may not get any new and exciting accessories this time around. Samsung is sticking with the tried and tested accessories for this year’s big-screened smartphone. There’s the LED Cover, LED View Cover, Clear View Cover, Leather Cover, Protective Standing Cover, and Silicone Cover. The cases are available in various color options such as Black, White, Silver, Pink, Red, Blue, Camel and Gray. The case prices vary between £24.99 to £59.99.

The retailer also says the LTE and 5G variants of the Galaxy Note 10 Pro will have the same accessories. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, as while the Galaxy S10 5G had separate accessories owing to its larger screen compared to even the Galaxy S10+, the Galaxy Note 10 Pro is already expected to have a 6.75-inch screen, so its 5G model should have the same dimensions. That should also be the case for the regular Note 10, which is said to have a 6.28-inch screen.

The Galaxy Note 10 is rumored to launch on August 7 at an Unpacked event in Brooklyn, New York.

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Exclusive: Samsung is already working on the Galaxy Watch Active 2

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch Active alongside the Galaxy S10 in February this year. The fitness-focused smartwatch succeeded the Gear Sport with a new and improved design as well as enhanced functionality.

The company’s wearables department is busy working on new products. We exclusively confirmed a detail about the Galaxy Watch 2 just last week. We can now confirm that there is indeed a new Galaxy Watch Active 2 in development.

Galaxy Watch Active 2 is in development

As mentioned in our Galaxy Watch Active review, we quite liked the design changes that Samsung introduced with it. The Galaxy Watch Active ditched the rotating bezel to become lighter and more compact. The end product is one that’s extremely comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. Yes, the rotating bezel came in handy when navigating through the UI, but the side-swiping system UI could still easily be navigated with taps on the display.

Our sources tell us that Samsung is sticking to the same formula for the Galaxy Watch Active 2. Like its predecessor, it won’t have a rotating bezel as well. This would mean that the device will retain the comfort that Galaxy Watch Active owners have become accustomed to. There may also be some additional design tweaks but you can expect the Galaxy Watch Active 2 to look largely similar to its predecessor. Samsung will obviously improve the fitness-related features as can be expected from a new upgrade.

It’s not known for sure right now when Samsung is planning to release the Galaxy Watch Active 2. One could expect that to happen alongside the Galaxy Note 10 in August. However, given that the Galaxy Watch Active came out just four months ago, Samsung may not put a successor on the market just yet. Nevertheless, we’ll keep an ear to the ground and let you know when more information about the Galaxy Watch Active 2 comes in.

The post Exclusive: Samsung is already working on the Galaxy Watch Active 2 appeared first on SamMobile.

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New Galaxy Fold reportedly has an 8-inch display with S Pen

Samsung hasn’t even released the first-generation Galaxy Fold and already there’s a report about its successor. A Korean news outlet is reporting that Samsung’s new Galaxy Fold will feature an 8-inch display with S Pen support. This device is expected to arrive early next year.

The company itself hasn’t said anything about a Galaxy Fold successor at this point in time. It hasn’t even confirmed when the Galaxy Fold, which was due to come out in April, is going to be released. It would certainly be best to take this with a grain of salt for now.

New Galaxy Fold reportedly has 8-inch display with S Pen

The report claims that Samsung is working on the second-generation Galaxy Fold which features a larger 8-inch internal display and has S Pen support. It retains the same in-folding form factor as the first-generation Galaxy Fold. The company has reportedly asked its component suppliers to make S Pen parts for the new foldable smartphone.

It doesn’t mention anything about the cover display. The Galaxy Fold has a 4.6-inch external display which lets you use the device normally without folding out the primary display. The report doesn’t say if the new Galaxy Fold will get a larger cover display as well. At 8-inches, the foldable display will be considerably larger than the Galaxy Fold’s 7.3-inch panel. It’s also claimed that Samsung could unveil this device by the end of this year and release it by early 2020. As previously mentioned, Samsung has said nothing so far to suggest that it has a second foldable smartphone due for launch before the end of this year.

Nobody will be willing to invest in a second-generation Galaxy Fold unless Samsung proves that it has addressed the obvious issues that caused it to delay the first foldable smartphone’s launch. Since it would keep the same form factor, one would be right to assume that it could face similar issues as well. That would only become evident once Samsung releases the device and it still hasn’t confirmed when that will happen. Many of its fans have wanted to see S Pen support on the foldable device. It does remain a possibility for future models. It may just make sense when the internal display is a proper tablet-sized.

Rumors about Samsung working on more foldable smartphones have been around for quite a few months now. A recent report claimed that it’s building a clamshell-like device which folds its 6.7-inch OLED display on a horizontal axis. The company was also said to be considering an outward-folding form factor, similar to that of the Huawei Mate X for a future device.

It’s safe to say that Samsung will release more foldable smartphones in the future. However, it has a lot to prove with the first-generation Galaxy Fold before it can start selling people on the next one.

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Galaxy Note 10 may mirror its screen and send text messages to PCs

The seamless sync of text messages between their phone and computer is something that Apple’s customers have long enjoyed. That’s the advantage of Apple owning both iOS and macOS. Users with Android devices have to rely on third-party services to get the same functionality. For example, you can open WhatsApp in a browser window to send and receive messages as long as your phone is connected to the internet.

Samsung is reportedly going to take this one step further with the Galaxy Note 10. It will be able to deliver texts and notifications to your PC in real time. Not only that, it will also be able to mirror its entire screen on your PC while also providing drag-and-drop access to content like photos and videos.

Galaxy Note 10 to come with Microsoft’s Your Phone app pre-installed

This isn’t something that Samsung is building from scratch. The report claims that Samsung will ship the Galaxy Note 10 with Microsoft’s Your Phone app. Announced last year, Your Phone enables users to mirror their Android smartphone to their Windows 10 PC. This allows them to interact with the phone’s UI and apps on the PC itself. It also syncs text and notifications to the PC in real time while also providing instant access to multimedia content.

This app has been available since last year and many Samsung devices, including the Galaxy S10, already support it. The links the device to the PC using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so no wires are required. It seems that Samsung will simply pre-install the app on the Galaxy Note 10 so that more people can start using it.

The Galaxy Note series is always aimed at professionals. The functionality offered by Your Phone will tie in nicely with that. This isn’t entirely impossible as well. Samsung already bundles some Microsoft Office apps on its flagship smartphones. It can surely throw in Your Phone for good measure.

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