Samsung may have already released Android 10 for a surprising number of devices, including both flagship ones and those on the budget end of the spectrum, but according to the company’s roadmap, it will still be a few months the slew of Galaxy phones launched this year will get the new version of Android. Except for the Galaxy A30, Samsung is currently aiming to start updating all of its A series devices to Android 10 from April.
But, as we have seen with the Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy Note 9, Samsung has been able to push out the Android 10 update ahead of schedule. Could it do the same for some of its Galaxy A phones as well? It certainly seems plausible, as Samsung has now started development on Android 10 for the Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A40. It took the company less than two months after it started work on Android 10 for the Galaxy M20 and M30 to release the official update, so we don’t see why it couldn’t bring the Android 10 update to Galaxy A50 and A40 owners sometime in March.
We say March because we expect Samsung to include at least some major One UI 2.0 features in the update for the Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A40. The Galaxy M20 and M30 received a bare-bones Android 10 update, and if Samsung is planning to do the same for the A series phones, then we might even see the A50 and A40 making the jump to Android 10 and One UI 2.0 sometime in late February. However, only time will tell which of the two it will be.
Those who own an unlocked Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ can download the Android 10 update over the air by opening their phone’s settings, navigating to Software update, and selecting Download and install. It may take a few tries before the update shows up, but if it doesn’t, you can always make the jump to the new version of Android and One UI 2.0 by downloading Android 10 firmware from our database and flashing it on your Note or Note 10+.
Earlier this month, we exclusively revealed that Samsung is working on the Galaxy M11 and M31 and had speculated that a Galaxy M21 may exist as well. Well, our sources tell us that the Galaxy M21 is indeed in development. The Galaxy M20 is perhaps the best-selling device in the entire Galaxy M lineup, so it’s not surprising that a successor is on its way.
The Galaxy M21 has model number SM-M215F, and we can confirm that it will come with 64GB and 128GB storage options. The Galaxy M20 is only available with 32GB or 64GB of internal memory, so storage is an area where the M21 will bring an upgrade. Alas, that’s all we know as far as the phone’s specs are concerned. However, we can expect Android 10 out of the box, Samsung’s Exynos 9610 or 9611 chipset under the hood, and at least a triple rear camera setup.
We have also been able to find out the color options that will accompany the 2020 Galaxy M series phones. Blue and black will be common across all three devices, but each will have a different third color: violet for the Galaxy M11, green for the Galaxy M21, and red for the Galaxy M31. It’s possible the color options will expand later down the line or change as we get closer to the launch of these phones, but we don’t expect that to be the case.
When will the Galaxy M11, Galaxy M21, and Galaxy M31 launch? That’s something only time will tell. The M10 and M20 were launched in late January this year, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to think their sequels will make an official appearance around the same time next month. Whether the M31 will be announced alongside the Galaxy M11 and M21 or afterwards remains to be seen.
2019 has been a busy year for Samsung. The company came out with its usual excellent Galaxy S and Galaxy Note flagships and also gave us the flawed-yet-beautiful Galaxy Fold, a device we believe represents the kind of change the mobile market desperately needs. Samsung launched plenty of mid-range and budget phones as well, and as a result, we here at SamMobile have had our hands full the entire year.
2020 is promising to be no different, and we are pretty sure we will have our work cut out for us the next 12 months (and beyond). We’ll be widening our scope of coverage to more Samsung products along with an increased focus on its mobile devices, and in the first quarter, you can expect to see the new SamMobile app as well.
Today, however, is a day for celebration, and from all of us here at SamMobile, here’s wishing you a very Happy New Year. We hope you have a great time with your friends and family and that you have the strength to follow whatever resolutions you may decide to make as you ring in 2020!
Samsung is refusing to let up and keeps impressing us with its fervor for releasing security updates as quickly as possible. The company pushed out the January 2020 security patch to the Galaxy A50 and Galaxy Tab S5e yesterday, and it is now rolling out the patch to four more devices. These are the Galaxy A10, Galaxy A10s, Galaxy A20, and Galaxy A30 – all four phones are receiving the January security update in Thailand.
Yes, Samsung Thailand has decided to bring next month’s Android security patch to multiple 2019 A series phones at the same time. And that’s all the latest updates released for these devices have to offer – no new features or improvements are included. Android 10 isn’t here The contents of the January 2020 patch, meanwhile, are a mystery, Samsung (and Google) will not be detailing the next security patch until a few days later.
If you own one of the four phones mentioned above and reside in Thailand, you can check for the update and download it over the air by tapping Download and install in the Software update menu of the phone’s Settings app. We also have the latest firmware in our firmware archive so you can update your phone manually using a Windows PC if the OTA release isn’t available for your device just yet.
Galaxy Note 9 owners who have been using the Android 10 beta on their phone have more reason to celebrate New Year’s Eve, as Samsung has now released the stable Android 10 update. A 100 MB update is rolling out to beta users in India right now – the stable update comes with software version N960FXXU4DSLB and includes the December 2019 security patch.
The stable update for beta users should also be released in other markets where the beta program was launched, such as the UK. If you are using the Android 10 beta, you can download the stable update by going into the Settings » Software update menu and selecting Download and install. As for those using Android Pie, we can expect the Android 10 update to be released within the next day or two. Once that happens, you can rest assured that you will find out about it right here on SamMobile.
Samsung is expected to raise the bar for premium TVs at CES 2020 next month. According to reports, Samsung is going to unveil the world’s first true Zero Bezel TV at the trade show in Las Vegas.
Reports from South Korea suggest that this new premium TV has already received a “two-thumbs up” from Kim Hyun-seok, the consumer electronics boss at Samsung, and other top executives. An indication that this may not just be a proof of concept is that Samsung will reportedly start mass producing this TV in February 2020.
Samsung Zero Bezel TV may only be available in limited sizes
The Samsung Zero Bezel TV will reportedly be available only in sizes from 65-inches and higher. This might mean that the manufacturing process is complicated enough that it’s not suitable for smaller sizes. It could also mean that Samsung wants to further differentiate its premium TVs as more consumers opt for larger screens.
The report adds that this will be unlike “bezel-less” TVs that some other manufacturers have already released. Those TVs still have narrow borders despite the manufacturer’s bezel-less claims. Samsung is said to have completely removed the border that surrounds the Zero Bezel TV. It has apparently been able to achieve this by welding the display panel and the TV’s body together.
While this may raise concerns about the structural integrity of the TV, particularly with the possibility of the display panel separating from the body, a developer who has worked closely on the project says that “Unlike other so-called ‘zero-bezel’ products that actually still had bezels, this product really doesn’t have a bezel. Samsung has become the first in the world to realize such an extreme design.”
It’s important to mention here that Samsung applied for a trademark on the term “Zero Bezel” in Europe two months ago. So it’s quite possible that we may get to see this new premium TV at CES 2020. Besides, CES is the consumer electronics show of the year. If Samsung is to unveil this groundbreaking new TV anywhere, CES provides the perfect stage.
Since Samsung released the Galaxy S10 this year, it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if next year’s flagship was named the Galaxy S11. That’s already what it’s being called online but is it possible that Samsung is looking to shake things up a bit?
There’s some speculation that the upcoming Galaxy S flagship series may actually be called the Galaxy S20 instead. We haven’t seen any concrete evidence to support the theory so far, which is why it remains just a theory for now.
Galaxy S11 or Galaxy S20 – What’s in a name?
@HarmlessKarl, the founder of case manufacturer Schnail, posted a screenshot of what appears to be a communication of some sort about the next Samsung flagship’s name. It suggests that the handsets which were previously known as the Galaxy S11e, Galaxy S11 and Galaxy S11+ will actually be called the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
There’s no other evidence to back this theory right now. Accessory manufacturers do get some information ahead of a handset’s launch. That’s why we see so many unofficial renders leak out in the days leading up to the launch. So it’s within the realm of possibility that the case maker might have been informed about a name change.
Perhaps Samsung just wants to align the name of its flagship series with the start of a new decade, or perhaps it hasn’t made a change after all. What’s in a name, anyway? It’s not like there’s going to be a radical difference in what we know about the Galaxy S11 so far. Besides, the Galaxy S11 moniker was never officially confirmed, and Samsung can very well decide what it wants to call its next flagship.
While we’re on the subject of the Galaxy S20, there was also a tweet to this effect from notable tech leakster @UniverseIce about a week ago. How many of you would agree that where there’s smoke, there’s probably fire?
C-Lab (Creative Lab), now known as C-Lab Inside, is an in-house start-up incubator set up by Samsung in 2012 to enable its employees to explore new business ideas. Later, the Korean company expanded the scope of its incubator by creating C-Lab Outside, a start-up acceleration program to nurture outside start-ups in Korea by providing them resources, access to technical know-how, and more.
Every year Samsung picks a few C-Lab projects to showcase them at CES, and it is doing the same this year as well, making it the fifth year C-Lab will be participating in CES. The Korean company has announced that it will showcase five new C-Lab Inside projects and four C-Lab Outside start-ups at CES 2020 at its C-Labs booth in the Eureka Park, Sands Expo, from Jan 7-Jan 11.
The five new C-Lab inside projects include:
Selfietype – A virtual keyboard solution that combines front-facing camera and a proprietary AI engine to convert finger movements into QWERTY keyboard inputs without any additional hardware.
Hyler – A smart highlighter pen that digitizes analog text and moves it to an app on your phone, enabling search and other capabilities.
Becon – A combination of a hand-held diagnostic device and a companion app to measure scalp condition, analyze the readings, and suggest a solution for hair loss – all at home.
SunnySide – A window-shaped lighting device for generating artificial sunlight that can, among other things, help users synthesize vitamin D indoors. It can be installed like a picture frame on the wall.
Ultra V – An UV monitoring sensor and service that can be integrated into wearable devices. It helps users monitor and manage their skin condition and vitamin D production.
Apart from the new projects, eight older C-Lab Alumni projects – Linkflow, Welt, Linkface, Lululab, Mopic, Monit, AnaloguePlus, and Luple – that have been spun off into full-fledged start-ups will also showcase their newest products at CES 2020.
Coming to the C-Lab Outside picks, the company has named the following four start-ups for CES 2020
Circulars – An interactive humanoid robot named ‘piBo’ for single-person households, with an option to add new skills and content from the robot application store.
FITT – A healthcare data platform
Vtouch – A gesture-based control system that allows users to control devices without physically touching them.
Smoothy – A video chat application which, among other things, also integrates Samsung’s AR emoji.
It’s dangerous to use your smartphone to text or call while driving: Your eyes are meant to be on the road and your hands on the wheel. However, people often need to use navigation via Google Maps or other navigation apps on their smartphone in order to get to their desired location (or find the fastest route back home after a long day at work), and it’s always best to keep the phone located at a position that makes it easy for you to take a glance at the phone’s display.
That’s where car mounts that can be plugged into your car’s air conditioning vents come in. There are plenty of excellent air vent car mount options available on the market, and today, you can get one from VICSEED at 37% off. The VISCEED car mount holds your phone steady as you drive, and it has universal compatibility that lets it hold any smartphone, including the Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy Note 10+ without needing any adjustments.
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Samsung, in collaboration with ERI and CTA, will organize the third annual recycling event in Las Vegas ahead of CES 2020. The event, which will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. PST on January 4 at the Salvation Army at 2035 Yale Street, will provide early CES attendees a convenient way to dispose unwanted electronics in an environmentally-responsible manner.
ERI, which is a leading recycler of electronic waste, will securely destroy all the data from the disposed items before recycling the e-waste. Electronic items ranging from calculators to TVs will be accepted and recycled free of charge at the event. You can find the complete list of accepted items in the image below.
“With the help of partners like ERI and CTA, we have recycled over 100 million pounds of e-waste throughout the U.S. in 2018 alone, and more than 1 billion pounds since 2008. We continue to expand programs to reach our global goal of taking back more than 15 billion pounds of electronics by 2030,” said Mark Newton, Head of Environmental, Regulatory Affairs, and Sustainability at Samsung Electronics America.
“Even as tech devices use fewer materials and energy than ever, our industry remains committed to reducing our impact on the environment. CTA applauds Samsung and ERI for holding this recycling event for the city of Las Vegas, home of CES,” said Walter Alcorn, VP for environmental affairs and industry sustainability, CTA.
Samsung has been the biggest supplier of OLED displays to Apple ever since the latter made the switch to OLED panels for the iPhone in 2017. That’s because no other display manufacturer has the scale and the quality that Samsung is able to provide its customers.
That’s not to say that they haven’t been trying to catch up. China’s BOE Display has been particularly hard at work trying to bridge the massive gap with Samsung. Reports claim that it may have its sights on one of Samsung’s most lucrative contracts.
China’s BOE may take away a chunk of that Apple cash
Even if the premium iPhone models do well, the ones that directly compete against Samsung’s flagships, Samsung still stands to make billions of dollars because Apple has to source the majority of OLED panels from it. Apple even paid a $684 million penalty to Samsung for not meeting its minimum order quantity for the iPhone displays.
On the other hand, Apple has been trying to diversify its OLED supply chain because unless there’s some competition for its order, the company doesn’t have much leverage to negotiate on prices with Samsung. It has already been asking Samsung for lower prices but the Korean company may not be too accommodating to the idea.
BOE recently became the world’s top supplier of TV LCD panels. It has also been making significant investments in OLED production. It’s now said to have its sights on the Apple order. Apple would have no reason not to source iPhone screens from BOE if the OLED panels are able to meet its stringent requirements and BOE is able to guarantee significant output.
Reports suggest that by 2021, BOE may be shipping 45 million OLED panels for iPhone, which means that Samsung will be shipping 45 million fewer units to Apple. While it would still sell a significant number of panels to Apple, Samsung’s leverage over Apple would be reduced as the company diverts more orders to both BOE and LG Display. There’s obviously a fair bit of speculation here, but all of this is quite possible.
US carriers are usually late in releasing Android version updates, but they have upped their game this time. Ironically, unlocked Note 10/10+ models in the country are yet to receive the update, which should be frustrating for users who bought them to avoid carrier delays in pushing out updates. Samsung and carriers have been comparatively quick in releasing Android 10-based One UI 2.0 so far, thanks to the platform-level improvements made by Google to improve the update process and speed.
If you haven’t received the OTA notification on your T-Mobile Note 10/10+ yet, you can manually check for it by going to Settings and tapping the Download and install option under the Software Update menu. If that doesn’t trigger the update, you have to either wait for your turn. Alternatively, you can also consider downloading the Android 10 firmware once it’s available in our database and manually flash it.
Samsung is once again releasing the next month’s security update for a couple of its devices early. The January 2020 Android security patch is making its way to the Galaxy A50 and Galaxy Tab S5e through software updates released for the two devices in some markets. The A50 update is out in Russia and comes with software version A505FNPUU3ASL6. The update for the Tab S5e is out in Panama, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Bolivia and sports build number T725XXS1ASL2.
This isn’t the first time we’re seeing the January security patch on a Galaxy device. The latest Android 10 beta updates for the Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy S9 include the patch as well, but it’s only now making an appearance as a part of regular security updates for devices that are running Android Pie. As usual, we have no information on what kind of security vulnerabilities have been fixed in the next security patch, as neither Samsung nor Google will be detailing the patch until a few days into the relevant month.
It’s also unclear at this time if there are any improvements or new features included in the updates in addition to the January security patch. The Galaxy A50 update may have some, as the accompanying software version suggests (it has a U instead of an S before the last five letters/digits, which usually means it’s more than a security update), and you can tell us in the comments if the changelog provides any details when you’re updating your phone.
You can check for the update on your A50 or Tab S5e by opening the Settings app, navigating to Software update, and tapping Download and install. We also have the latest firmware for these devices available in our firmware archive, which you can download and install on your phone or tablet using a Windows PC.
The wheels are finally in motion: The Galaxy S11 has cleared an obstacle on its way to retail shelves by picking up Bluetooth certification. To be specific, it’s the 5G variant of the Galaxy S11+ (model number SM-G988B) that has been certified. The Galaxy S11+ is likely to be sold as a 5G-equipped device in all markets, while the Galaxy S11e and Galaxy S11+ could have both LTE and 5G variants, despite the fact that the Exynos 990 and Snapdragon 865 have 5G connectivity built-in as standard.
The Bluetooth certification simply calls the phone a “Samsung Mobile Phone”, so it’s unclear if a recent rumor about Samsung possibly launching its next flagship as the Galaxy S20 has any truth to it. It’s standard fare for companies to want to keep the names of their upcoming flagships a secret as they make their way through the necessary certifications ahead of an official launch, and that’s probably the only reason why the certification is using a generic product name.
A new report from Korean publication Yonhap says the Galaxy Fold 2, Samsung’s next foldable phone, could go on sale before the Galaxy S11. Rumors have indicated that the Galaxy S11 and Galaxy Fold 2 will be announced at the same event, which isn’t very surprising since the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Fold were unveiled together as well. However, it seems Samsung is now planning to put the Galaxy Fold 2 up for sale right after it goes official, at least in its home country.
Rising competition in the foldables market from other manufacturers is said to be the reason for Samsung’s decision. Motorola in particular has likely given the Korean giant the most cause for worry by launching the 2019 Moto Razr a few weeks ago. Motorola recently revealed that the retail launch of the new Razr has been delayed due to high demand, and it’s an opportunity Samsung might want to grab by bringing the Fold 2 to retail shelves as soon as possible.
As usual, nothing is certain until it comes straight from the horse’s mouth. It remains to be seen if the Fold 2 will actually be available for purchase before the Galaxy S11, and with February 12 pegged to be the date for Samsung’s next Unpacked event, it won’t be long before we find out.
It has been known for a few months now that Samsung is working on an affordable variant of the Galaxy S10 flagship. This handset, bearing model number SM-G770F, has since come to be known as the Galaxy S10 Lite.
We have come across the Galaxy S10 Lite user manual which reveals some hints about the handset’s design. There’s nothing out of the ordinary here, but it does reiterate a design change that we’re going to see on most Samsung devices in 2020.
Galaxy S10 Lite user manual gives a few hints about the design
The user manual is in Portuguese so the text may not make much sense to you unless you know the language. The images included in the manual show that the Galaxy S10 Lite is going to have a centered punch hole for the front camera. They also show that all of the hardware buttons will be placed on the right side of the frame.
That’s something we have already seen on devices like the Galaxy A51. Samsung is expected to opt for the same placement of buttons for the upcoming Galaxy S11 series as well. This may very well be the case with other Galaxy A series devices as well. The rear triple camera system is going to be positioned vertically like it is on the Galaxy Note 10/10+. Samsung will also equip the device with both NFC and MST for Samsung Pay.
As far as the specs are concerned, the Galaxy S10 Lite is expected to feature a Snapdragon 855 processor with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. There’s going to be a 6.7-inch Full HD+ display and a 4,500mAh battery. The triple camera system may consist of a 48-megapixel primary sensor with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide and a 5-megapixel macro lens.
Consider yourself a superfan of Samsung? Take our quiz and see how many answers you can get right! This is a fun activity that we do with our readers to test their knowledge of our favorite company. The quiz has a mix of easy and difficult questions that most fans should be able to answer without turning to Google.
We intend to make a new quiz for you every weekend so we hope that you’ll participate and learn a thing or two about Samsung in the process! Don’t forget to share the results of the quiz with your friends and see if you can outscore them. A little competition never hurt anybody!
Remember, if the quiz isn’t loading properly, please access the non-AMP version of this webpage.
There’s a lot of excitement for Samsung’s upcoming foldable smartphone. It may just be the company’s first mass-market foldable smartphone, given that it’s said to cost under $1,000. Like it does for many of its devices, Samsung is going to sell some accessories for the new Galaxy Fold as well.
We hear that there will be leather covers on offer for the Galaxy Fold 2. The premium leather material would certainly add a touch of class to the clamshell foldable smartphone.
Leather covers will be available for the Galaxy Fold 2
This won’t be Samsung’s first time offering a leather cover for a foldable smartphone. It already does this for the Galaxy Fold. Made of genuine Italian leather, one of these covers for the original Galaxy Fold is going to set you back $129.99.
You can expect the leather cover for the Galaxy Fold 2 to be in the same price range. Genuine accessories tend to be expensive after all. We also hear that the cover will be available in black and silver colors. The known color options for the Galaxy Fold 2 include black, white and purple.
There isn’t a lot of information available about the Galaxy Fold 2’s internal specs at this point in time. Its internal foldable display is expected to measure between 6.7 and 6.9-inch. A tiny cover display will also be present on the outside to display important info like the time, date and battery level.
Samsung hasn’t confirmed when it’s going to unveil its next foldable smartphone, or what it’s going to be called. Rumor has it that it’s going to be unveiled alongside the Galaxy S11. According to the latest information, the Galaxy S11 launch event is scheduled for February 11.
The Galaxy S10+ is one of the best flagship smartphones of Samsung. In our elaborate review we’ve concluded that it’s almost a masterpiece. It comes with a massive 128GB of internal storage which is enough to store all your media and files. It’s also more compact than earlier phones. The bezels are smaller and it’s thinner which you can certainly appreciate in everyday use. It’s extremely sleek and feels very well in your hands. The display is stunning, the 6.4 inch Super AMOLED display offers vivid colors. It’s the most accurate display ever released on a Smartphone. At a massive 30% off, this is the perfect time to upgrade your smartphone to the Galaxy S10+!
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The very first unofficial CAD renders of the Galaxy S11+ were leaked online last month. They showed a rather bonkers layout for the handset’s rear camera system. It was later speculated that perhaps they weren’t representative of the final design.
The speculation appears to have been true. The source that leaked those renders has now posted a fresh Galaxy S11+ render. It shows a much more normal looking layout for the rear camera. What it obviously doesn’t do is confirm the official camera specs, but that’s another matter altogether.
Galaxy S11+ camera layout may not be bonkers after all
It’s said that the initial renders were based on an early prototype of the Galaxy S11+. That’s entirely possible as CAD renders are never fully representative of the final product. The fresh render leaked today is claimed to be based on the latest prototype and the source assumes that it shows the final design.
As far as the camera specs are concerned, rumor has it that the Galaxy S11+ will feature a 108-MP primary sensor. It will also have a 5x optical zoom telephoto lens with optical image stabilization and an ultra wide-angle lens. A ToF sensor remains a possibility as well. The cameras will be accompanied by an LED flash.
The layout seen in this leak is quite similar to the one we saw in an image from Twitter leakster Ice universe. That image was leaked two weeks ago. Going by all of this circumstantial evidence, we can now form an opinion about what the rear camera setup on the Galaxy S11+ is going to look like.
What matters more is how it’s actually going to perform. We won’t be able to find that out until we have the Galaxy S11+ in our hands. Fortunately, that might happen sooner than expected, with Samsung possibly unveiling the Galaxy S11 series on February 11, 2020.
In our opinion, the Galaxy Fold was the best device to come out of Samsung’s stable because of what it represents, but which of those numerous devices was our overall favorite? Well, as the title of this article has already revealed, it’s the Galaxy Note 10+, which offers a compelling experience unmatched by anything else that Samsung launched this year.
The Galaxy Fold or the Galaxy S10+ may be excellent devices in their own right, but the Galaxy Note 10+ trumps both by being a complete package that brought some much-needed features to Samsung’s flagship line, like support for up to 45W charging. Of course, it’s also unique because of the S Pen, and it came with some very useful new software functionality as well, such as a built-in screen recorder, fun new camera modes like AR Doodle, and improved productivity with its support for running Samsung DeX on a Windows or Mac PC.
We also liked it for the fact that it has a centered punch hole for the front camera. Samsung opted to place the punch hole in the right corner on the Galaxy S10 series but quite frankly, the center alignment is much better. This implementation of the Infinity-O display is now making its way to more Samsung devices, like the recently unveiled Galaxy A51. It’s also going to be present on the upcoming Galaxy S11.
The Note 10+ isn’t perfect. No headphone jack is perhaps its biggest flaw, and it may also be too large for some despite how compact Samsung was able to make it for a device with a 6.8-inch display. But still, it does everything else so well that it’s easy to overlook those shortcomings. The Galaxy Note 10+ is an easy recommendation to anyone looking for a premium flagship smartphone, and while we had the privilege of using everything from the mid-range Galaxy A50 to the $2000 Galaxy Fold, the Galaxy Note 10+ stands as our favorite among them all.
What about you? Which was your favorite among all the devices Samsung launched this year?
Major smartphone brands in India, including Samsung, have reportedly decided to end online-exclusive models starting next year. A report in 91Mobiles, which quotes an office-bearer of the Mobile Dealers Association, Ahmedabad, and mentions a note sent by All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA) to its members, states that Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Realme have agreed in writing to level the playing field for online and offline retailers in the country.
The report is short on details on Samsung’s plans but mentions specific changes promised by other major brands. If these companies stick to their word, the Indian smartphone market in 2020 could see the launch of new models at the same time, for the same price, and with the same offer for both online and offline partners.
Xiaomi makes no such promises
Interestingly, Xiaomi, India’s largest smartphone brand and the company which kickstarted the trend of online-first and online-exclusive sales tactics, is not mentioned in the report, indicating the Chinese smartphone maker may continue to give preferential treatment for its online partners. If the biggest player in the market doesn’t back the move to level the playing field, other brands may find it challenging to go ahead with their plans.
What’s also unexplored is the pushback from online retailers with billions in revenue. The likes of Flipkart and Amazon have used online-only smartphone models to expand their business in India rapidly, and they are not going to relinquish that advantage without a fight.
Raises questions over Galaxy M series
As for Samsung is concerned, the company launched the online-exclusive Galaxy M series earlier this year in India to counter similar offerings from brands like Redmi and Realme. Though the M series shares many similarities with the offline-focused Galaxy A series, the former offers better specs at a lower price. If the Korean company decides to end this practice, then the Galaxy M series becomes redundant. It also remains to be seen how Samsung will address concerns of its offline partners while also continuing to compete with Xiaomi who doesn’t want to play by the same rules.
Though the online smartphone market in India has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, the offline market still accounts for the majority of smartphone sales, more so for established brands like Samsung. With online sales becoming increasingly competitive and taking a toll on profits, newer smartphone brands in the country are looking to build robust offline sales channels, and they want to do this without leveling the playing field for offline partners. Naturally, there has been a pushback from brick-and-mortar stores that consider these online-first and online-exclusive sales strategies discriminatory.
Switching to a brand new phone is exciting, but the process of transferring data from the old device to the new one can become frustrating without the proper set of tools. For example, attempting to transfer WhatsApp from Android to iPhone can often be a very confusing task.
Normally, users who want to transfer data between iOS, Android & Windows Phone would rely on solutions provided by their handset’s manufacturer. Samsung’s Smart Switch makes the adoption of a new Galaxy phone a lot easier than it would’ve been without it, but it doesn’t transfer data for every app that you may use. You’d think it would be easier transferring data from Android to Android. While the tech savvy users may be able to find their way around the different ways to go about this, most users still need assistance and would much rather prefer a simple software that gets the job done for them in a few clicks.
WhatsApp is a very popular messaging app, yet it isn’t covered by Smart Switch. There are many third-party solutions out there but unfortunately, there are some solutions that are simply a money grab. They promise features that don’t exist and just try to fleece customers out of their hard-earned money.
That just adds to the hassle when transferring WhatsApp data between two different operating systems is enough of a headache as it is. But there is one third-party solution that really does work as advertised and it can help with transferring WhatsApp data, and more. It’s developed by Wondershare and it’s called MobileTrans who happen to have a holiday sale going on as well.
WhatsApp transfer still remains a daunting task
You’d think that it would have become easier by now to transfer WhatsApp chats between devices, particularly between different mobile OS platforms. It couldn’t be further from the truth. While it’s easier to transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to iPhone and from Android to Android, users run into a roadblock when trying to move chats between the two most popular mobile platforms.
Merely searching for ways to transfer chats between the platforms turns up so many workarounds that it can often make things more confusing, particularly for users who are not used to tinkering around with different software. One commonly used workaround is using the Email Chat option to transfer WhatsApp messages from Android to iPhone or vice versa.
It requires individually selecting the WhatsApp chats you want to transfer and then emailing them to the other device, then logging into WhatsApp on the other device and finding that particular email. It’s an unnecessary hassle, one that most users can certainly do without.
While it’s possible to do a backup of all WhatsApp data to the cloud on both platforms, there’s no way to sync the backups across iOS and Android. WhatsApp data that’s backed up to the cloud on an iPhone can’t be restored on an Android device. There’s really no workaround for this so while it may be fairly simple to transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to iPhone or Android to Android, it’s not that easy when the job involves moving data between the two operating systems.
What is MobileTrans and how can it help me?
MobileTrans is an app for Windows and macOS that allows you to transfer WhatsApp messages from Android to iPhone, from Android to Android, and even between iPhones with ease. It can also handle other types of data transfers, and perform backups and restores.
It’s a true transfer and backup solution for WhatsApp as it not only backs up all chat history, personal and group chats both but also exports all images including the user’s profile photo, photos in the chat history and even stickers. The same applies to videos sent using WhatsApp and any additional attachments in chats.
In our example, the app can be used to transfer WhatsApp chats from iPhone to Android, say, one that bears the Samsung Galaxy brand. The process is straightforward, as highlighted in the instructional steps below. MobileTrans supports Android devices running firmware version 2.1 and up, so it will work with devices going back several years, you don’t really need to have a recent Samsung model in order to use this app.
Transfer WhatsApp chats from iPhone to Android with MobileTrans
To begin using MobileTrans, first, you’ll have to visit the developer’s official website and download the app for your Windows PC or macOS machine. Then, launch the app and select WhatsApp Transfer.
Next, access the WhatsApp tab on the left and click Transfer WhatsAppmessages.
Once you’re done setting up MobileTrans, connect both phones to your computer via USB. Select your source and destination devices inside the MobileTrans app, and click Start.
You can also check the video below for a short tutorial on how to use MobileTrans to transfer WhatsApp data from an iPhone or Android device to a Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
MobileTrans contains more than one tool, and they’re all at a 40% discount
MobileTrans makes transferring WhatsApp data a breeze, but the app is actually comprised of four main tools, namely Phone Transfer, WhatsApp Transfer, as well as Backup & Restore. But regardless of which module you might find more useful for your particular use case, you should know that the entire MobileTrans toolset is now available at a discounted price for a limited time.
This presents a great opportunity for people who have had their eye on this software for a while but weren’t ready to pay full price for it. The deal that’s currently available on MobileTrans is one of the best yet and provides exceptional value for money. It will certainly make life a lot easier for those who tend to switch between smartphones quite frequently.
A one year license now costs 40% less, or $23.97, down from the original price of $39.95. Alternatively, prospective buyers can also purchase specific MobileTrans features separately at a 40% discount. A one year license for MobileTrans – WhatsApp Transfer or MobileTrans – Phone Transfer costs just $17.97, down from $29.95.
The Christmas & New Year sale begins December 18 and lasts until January 15, 2020. SamMobile readers can take advantage of these discounts by visiting this link.
It’s not just the Galaxy S9 that’s getting a new Android 10 beta update today. Samsung has also released another beta update for the Galaxy Note 9. This is the fifth beta release for the year-old Note 9; it’s available in Korea at this time but should soon be making its way to markets like India and the UK.
Unlike the new Galaxy S9 update, the latest Galaxy Note 9 beta is pretty small and fixes only two bugs. It improves the display of quick panel icons in the notification shade and fixes an error with fingerprint authentication in Samsung apps like Samsung Pass and Samsung Pay. The previous beta for the Galaxy Note 9 was even smaller – it had just one bug fix, so there’s a high chance the Note 9 will start getting the stable Android 10 update in the next week or so, at least for beta users.
Nothing is certain, however, and we would recommend remaining skeptical until the stable update actually starts rolling out. For now, if you are using the Galaxy Note 9, you can download the fifth beta update over the air from the Settings » Software update menu. Do leave a comment and tell us if you’re getting the update in a country other than South Korea.
The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are now receiving the fourth Android 10 beta update. The newest beta, with build number G960FXXU7ZSLC and G965FXXU7ZSLC for the S9 and S9+ respectively, is rolling out in India and the UK at the time of this writing. It’s a 139 MB download that includes plenty of bug fixes, considerably more than the number of fixes that were introduced in the previous beta that was released a week ago.
That doesn’t mean Samsung has a lot of work left to do before it can release the stable Android 10 update for the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The final Android 10 beta for the Galaxy S10 series had a long list of bug fixes as well, but that didn’t stop Samsung from pushing out the stable update to its 2019 flagship just a couple of days later. The same could happen in the case of the Galaxy S9/S9+ (and the Galaxy Note 9), though it probably won’t be before January that the stable update makes an appearance.
To download the latest Android 10 beta for your Galaxy S9 or S9+, tap the Download and install option in the Software update menu of your phone’s Settings app.
Samsung will be unveiling a new AI product named NEON at CES 2020. The mysterious product is being developed by STAR Labs (Samsung Technology & Advanced Research Labs), an independent unit of Samsung Electronics, that states “human-level AI with the ability to speak, recognize, and think” as one of its goals.
The Korean tech giant has created dedicated social media handles and a website for NEON. Everything that is known about NEON so far comes from the teasers posted by these handles. Even they don’t reveal anything specific about the new AI product, but the constant use of “Have you ever met an ‘ARTIFICIAL’?” in all its messages suggest NEON is probably more than an overhyped software feature for smartphones.
Given Mistry’s previous work and NEON’s teasers, the new product will probably have an element of sci-fi to it. Interestingly, well-known Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur also tweeted about Mistry bringing sci-fi level technology to the market through NEON. Perhaps, a talking robot? A holographic AI assistant? We don’t know. Our guess is as good as yours at this point in time.
Currently, Bixby functions as Samsung’s AI-powered digital assistant across its product categories. It’s not clear how NEON will fit into this strategy. Considering the massive investment Samsung made in the last couple of years to improve and market Bixby, it’s unlikely that the company will replace it with a new assistant. It seems more plausible that NEON and Bixby will complement each other rather than compete.
CES 2020 is scheduled from Jan 7 to Jan 10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. SamMobile will be attending the conference to bring you all the latest news from the world of consumer tech. Do follow our CES 2020 coverage to know more about NEON and other announcements by Samsung.
Early last month, a new Galaxy tablet with the model number SM-T307U was discovered on the Wi-Fi Alliance website. The same model has been now spotted on the Bluetooth SIG website along with the Galaxy Tab A4 S branding. Both these certifications suggest that the new tablet is set to hit the market soon.
Galaxy Tab A4 S sounds like a needlessly complicated name that reveals very little about the device to the potential buyer. Thankfully, the device name listed on the Bluetooth certification website need not be final, as we have seen in the past. So, there is still a chance that this new mid-range Galaxy tablet could launch with a more familiar and informative name.
Bluetooth SIG certification reveals next to nothing about upcoming devices, and so all that we know about this product is what we already published. The SM-T307U model number points to an 8-inch tablet with cellular connectivity (possibly a Sprint variant) for the US market. The Wi-Fi Alliance certification, meanwhile, revealed dual-band Wi-Fi and Android Pie onboard. On top of all this, we also confirmed 32GB inbuilt storage and a single brown color option in our previous report.
With CES 2020 just a couple of weeks away, there is a possibility that this device might make an appearance there.
It seems Samsung may be planning to launch the Galaxy S11 on a date much earlier than what has been rumored until this point. A couple of months ago, we had heard from one of our sources that the Galaxy S11 would be unveiled sometime in the third week of February next year. Recently, February 18 was suggested by well-known leakster Ice universeas the actual date for the Galaxy S11’s Unpacked event, and now, Israeli website Girafa has published a report saying the announcement may happen on February 11.
The Galaxy S11 launch will reportedly take place in San Francisco, USA, where the Galaxy S10 was unveiled as well. If the report is accurate, it would mean the Galaxy S11 will go official a couple of weeks ahead of MWC 2020, which is set to kick off on February 24. It would give Samsung extra time to keep the limelight on its new flagship before other manufacturers start showing off what they have to offer, and considering everything the Galaxy S11 is expected to bring to the table, we can’t say it’s a bad idea.
However, according to rumors, the Galaxy Fold 2 will share the spotlight with the Galaxy S11 at Samsung’s next Unpacked event. The Galaxy Fold was also unveiled alongside the Galaxy S10 earlier this year, so it would not be surprising to see Samsung’s next foldable phone make an appearance with the Galaxy S11. As usual, everything is speculation and rumor until proven otherwise, so we would advise you to keep the proverbial grain of salt handy.
