BREAKING: Galaxy A8+ (2018) Android Pie update rolling out in Russia!

Here’s more evidence that Samsung is working harder on software updates this year: The company is updating a mid-range device to the newest version of Android in early March. The Galaxy A8+ (2018) is now being updated to Android Pie in Russia. It’s rather surprising to see Samsung rolling out Pie for the A8+ before devices like the Galaxy A7 (2018), for which the company is running an Android Pie beta program, but we’re not going to complain as this means more mid-range Galaxies could be getting Pie in the very near future.

Of course, it’s best not to get too excited. This could just be a limited release for Russia and may not expand to other markets for a few weeks. It also remains to be seen if the Galaxy A8 (2018) will be getting the update as well. The A8+ (2018) update is already available over Samsung Smart Switch and our firmware database, and we are assuming it’s also available over the air. Along with Android Pie, the update brings the February 2019 security patch, but we’ll have to wait and see just how many of the Pie features have made their way to the device.

If you have a Galaxy A8+ (2018) in Russia, you can tap the Download updates manually option in the Settings » Software update menu on the phone to try and download the update over the air. You can use Smart Switch or grab the firmware from our database. Do let us know if you have received the update in Russia or another market by leaving a comment or by sending us an email with screenshots to our email addresses mentioned here.

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This Galaxy Fold concept may one day become real

We are still more than a month away before the Galaxy Fold hits the market, but concept creators are already envisaging how a future Galaxy Fold model might look like. A cool new concept video of a Galaxy Fold 2 has been published on the Concept Creator YouTube channel, and it fixes many of the complaints we have heard about the first-generation device.

One of the biggest criticisms about the Galaxy Fold is that the cover display is too small by today’s smartphone standards to be useful. Many have also expressed their dislike for the big notch on the main display. Fans also believe the inclusion of an S Pen will be a logical thing to do on a form factor like this.

In the concept video, we can see a Galaxy Fold 2 which fixes all these complaints. Both the cover display and the main display are edge-to-edge with a punch hole for cameras, similar to the Galaxy S10. The creator also includes an S Pen, which Samsung might very well do in the future. In fact, replacing the Galaxy Note lineup with the Galaxy Fold makes a lot of sense since large-screen Galaxy S models have taken away much of the appeal of the Note lineup.

The device shown in the video may not be technologically feasible today, but there is no denying that this will one day become real. Everything shown here is essentially a culmination of all the technologies and designs Samsung has brought to the market so far. This is definitely how a future Galaxy Fold might look like, but we don’t know whether that will be a Galaxy Fold 2 or a Fold 5.

What do you think about the device shown in the video? Are you willing to spend more than $1500 to purchase a device like this? Do let us know in the comments section.

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Galaxy S10’s dual charging lets you forget about your smartwatch charger

Wireless PowerShare on the Galaxy S10 is one of those features that isn’t a must have, but is neat to have nonetheless. Being able to charge other devices wirelessly with the Galaxy S10 is especially useful if you own one of Samsung’s smartwatches. And here’s something that you may not think of doing when you get your Galaxy S10: charging the phone with a wire while your smartwatch sits on the back of the phone and gets charged through Wireless PowerShare.

Yes, Wireless PowerShare pretty much means you no longer have to keep that smartwatch charger handy, especially if you charge all your devices overnight. Just plug in your Galaxy S10 to a wall charger, put it face down on your bedside table (or wherever you keep your phone when you’re asleep), and drop your watch on the phone’s back. Do keep in mind that you have to enable Wireless PowerShare from its quick toggle in the status bar every time you want to reverse charge a device with the S10.

Have you received your Galaxy S10 pre-order yet? Tells us your opinion of the phone so far and what you think about Wireless PowerShare down in the comments! And don’t forget to check our Galaxy S10+ review (our Galaxy S10e review is coming in a few days).

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Samsung expected to ship about 45 million Galaxy S10 units in 2019

The Galaxy S10 series is now official and ready to ship. In fact, Samsung has already started shipping the pre-ordered units of its latest flagship. Though some reports claim that the Galaxy S10 pre-orders in Samsung’s home country has fallen short of expectations, industry watchers believe that the overall responses have been great. So much so that analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s shipment estimates for the Galaxy S10 series has now been increased by 30%.

Samsung expected to ship 45 million Galaxy S10 units

Ming-Chi Kuo, a name that usually associates with Apple predictions, is providing sales predictions for the Galaxy S10 series. Previously, Kuo had estimated that Samsung will ship between 30 to 35 million units of the Galaxy S10 in 2019. However, strong pre-order demand means he has now drastically increased his estimates.

Citing a TF International Securities survey, the analyst now expects Samsung to ship between 40 to 45 million Galaxy S10 units by the end of this year. Kuo expects the regular Galaxy S10 and the Galaxy S10+ to account for about 85% of the sales. Samsung has a total of four Galaxy S10 models, which also include the entry-level Galaxy S10e, and the Galaxy S10 5G.

The strong demand for this year’s flagships is down to multiple factors. According to Kuo, the spec differentiation from iPhone models is playing a major part. Features such as in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, triple camera setup and Wireless Powershare are helping the sales greatly. None of these features can be found in Apple’s 2018 iPhone models. Kuo has also confirmed that the demand for the Galaxy S10 lineup in China is significantly high. Improvements in smartphone trade-in programs is also catalyzing the strong sales.

Kuo’s prediction correlates to a 30% to 40% year-on-year rise in Galaxy S10 sales as compared to the Galaxy S9 series. And if the sales indeed reach the expectations, Samsung could well manage to thwart the Huawei threat this year.

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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Good Lock 2019 with Android Pie support is finally here

We reported earlier this week that Samsung will be releasing an update for Good Lock to make it compatible with Android Pie and One UI. We can now confirm that Good Lock 2019 with Android Pie support has finally arrived.

Many Good Lock fans were not excited to see that most of its apps and plugins no longer functioned properly when the One UI beta was released for the Galaxy S9 last year. The development team later confirmed that they were working to make Good Lock compatible with Android Pie.

Good Lock 2019 with Android Pie support has been released

For those who are unaware, Good Lock provides users with an array for customizable features for their handset. The first ever Good Lock app was released in 2016 with compatibility for Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Samsung then updated the app in 2018 with support for Android 8.0.

The core features in Good Lock include Quickstar, Lockstar, Task Changer, Routines, Clockface, Edge Touch, Edge Lighting and more. The development team has said that the updated version brings some improvements for these features as well.

Task Changer gets new styles for recent apps while MultiStar enables some of the Multi Window functionality that was removed from Pie due to some Google policy. Much of the functionality remains the same so you’ll be familiar with it if you have used Good Lock 2018.

Good Lock 2019 does not remove geographical restrictions. It’s only available to users in the United States, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Samsung’s list of supported markets isn’t complete but some other markets like India do have it as well. It can be downloaded there from the Galaxy Store. You can get the Good Lock 2019 APK from our database, though. (Upload in progress). If you’re in an unsupported market, you will need to install all of the apps for Good Lock features to function.

Do keep in mind that Good Lock 2019 with Android Pie support is available for the Galaxy Note 9 and older flagships running Pie. It does not work with the Galaxy S10 currently. An update will be released later with support for the new flagship series. Those who have Good Lock installed already can update from within the app or get the APKs and install them manually.

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DJ Koh concedes Samsung may have dropped to second place in India

Xiaomi has grown rapidly in India since it entered the market in 2014. Aggressive pricing, coupled with quality products, has helped the Chinese OEM to beat Samsung and emerge as the largest smartphone vendor in the country. According to many shipment trackers, Xiaomi has been at the top of the smartphone market in India, at least since early 2018.

Samsung has mostly refuted such findings in the past by quoting numbers from a German research firm, GfK, which placed Samsung ahead of others in the subcontinent. With mounting evidence, it was becoming increasingly difficult for Samsung to deny Xiaomi’s dominance, at least in terms of shipments, in the Indian smartphone market. After repeated denials, the company has finally conceded, officially for the first time, that it may not be the largest vendor in the country in terms of shipments.

Samsung still leads when it comes to revenues

Speaking to the press at the Galaxy S10 launch event in India, DJ Kon, head of Samsung’s mobile business, said, “We may have dropped to second place in terms of number of devices shipped, but we are still dominant when it comes to revenues. We do want to get back to the No. 1 spot in terms of volumes and we’ll do that by embracing a broad range of customer needs. We’re particularly counting on the M series for that.”

Stating he is well aware of the cutthroat competition in the Indian market, he said, “In India, some competitors are faster than us and they might be better accepted. But we’re going to change with the times, too. I always say if I take a nap, I will die. So I’m not going to be caught napping.” He believes Samsung’s experience and manufacturing prowess are competitive advantages that the opponents lack.

Despite earlier denials, the Korean company has been continually tweaking its smartphone strategy to counter Xiaomi and other Chinese OEMs in India. While the previous attempts may not have yielded the desired results, it has a real chance with its latest Galaxy M series to dislodge Xiaomi from the top. Adopting an online-only sales model for the Galaxy M devices is fraught with risk of a backlash from offline partners, who account for most of Samsung’s sales, but Koh says the partners didn’t complain.

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Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ firmware download available now

The Galaxy S10 series will hit retail shelves across the globe tomorrow. Pre-order customers will soon start receiving their units as well. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be able to walk into a store and purchase the Galaxy S10 right away.

We now have the first Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ firmware download available from our database. The first firmware update for a device is always an important one. That’s because it brings up the software to the final retail version.

Firmware download available for the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+

You can find the first firmware files for the aforementioned devices in our firmware database. The firmware are for the Korean models of the Galaxy S10 series. We’ll be adding files for other models as well.

The first firmware for these devices bears version G970NKSU1ASBA, G973NKSU1ASBA and G975NKSU1ASBA for the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ respectively. They’re all on Android 9 Pie with the security patch for the month of February 2019. You can click on the firmware versions to download the relevant files from our database. Looking for wallpapers instead? We also have the official Galaxy S10 wallpapers available in our database.

There’s definitely a lot of excitement about Samsung’s new flagship series. Some analysts predict that the company will ship 45 million units this year. The reviews have been decent so far as well. We found in our Galaxy S10+ review that it’s almost a masterpiece. A device well worth your hard-earned money. We’ll soon have a review up for the Galaxy S10e too.

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

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Galaxy S10e won’t work with the Gear VR unless you get the new adapter

Samsung has not been releasing new Gear VR headsets with flagship smartphones for a couple of years now. It continues to support the hardware, though, and the Galaxy S10 does work with the Gear VR. The company had previously said that the Gear VR includes an adapter which will work with the Galaxy S10.

That does hold true for the Galaxy S10 and the Galaxy S10+. However, we find that the Galaxy S10e won’t work with the Gear VR unless you get the new adapter. It’s only required for the entry-level flagship as the other models work with the existing adapter.

New adapter required to use the Galaxy S10e with Gear VR

Galaxy S10e users who try to connect their handset to the Gear VR (SM-R325) will find that the device doesn’t fit properly. That’s because the adapter has to be replaced before the Galaxy S10e can be used with the headset. Like it did for the Galaxy Note 9, Samsung will provide free adapters for Galaxy S10e owners. They can obtain them from Samsung or through the company’s authorized service center.

Replacing the adapter on the Gear VR is simple enough. Just slide the lock switch to the open position and replace the existing adapter with the new one. Remember, you only need to do this for the Galaxy S10e. You’re all set if you have a Galaxy S10 or Galaxy S10+.

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Samsung UK website confirms Galaxy A90, A40 and Galaxy A20e

In the UK, Samsung’s own website confirms the future release of the Galaxy A90, A40, and of A20-variant Galaxy A20e. The latter is the first device in the A-series the comes with the ‘e’-moniker.

Galaxy A90 coming to the UK

Samsung’s own internet presence is notorious for accidentally (or not) leaking new products. There is, therefore, no surprise in Galaxy Club‘s discovery of three future product pages on the Korean company’s UK website. First up, is the product page for the Galaxy A90. While the page itself does not mention actual details of the device, the title and URL leave no room for interpretation. This discovery comes only days after news that the Galaxy A90 will, in spite of rumors, not be limited to a release in China.

Next up, is a product page for the Galaxy A40. Since this device was already spotted on Samsung’s Germany website some weeks ago, a release in the UK should not come as a surprise.

Galaxy A20e

Perhaps the most curious is the appearance of a product page for an A20-variant called Galaxy A20e. Previously spotted under its model code SM-A202F, the A20e might be a slimmed down version of the regular Galaxy A20, that is expected to hit global markets later this spring.

At this moment, it is unclear when Samsung will officially launch the next wave of devices in its new A-series. So far, the company has announced the Galaxy A10, A30, and A50. Be sure to check out our hands-on preview of the latter two. Aside from all these phones, we are also expecting a Galaxy A60 and A70, so the Korean OEM is far from done mounting a fresh assault on global mid-range smartphone markets.

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Koh confirms Samsung will launch the Galaxy Fold in India

Wondering whether you’d be able to buy the Galaxy Fold in India? Rejoice, because Samsung will indeed release its first foldable smartphone in the country. The confirmation comes from none other than DJ Koh himself, the chief of Samsung’s mobile division.

In his interaction with select media following the Galaxy S10 launch in the country, Koh confirmed that Samsung will bring the Galaxy Fold to customers in this part of the world. His presence at the launch event underscores the importance that Samsung attaches to the Indian market.

Samsung to launch the Galaxy Fold in India

“Indian market is, I clearly said, most important market — not only investment and everything, my long-term commitment is towards the market. In this market, why will I not deliver my newest technology innovation? Yes, I will do,” Koh said, when asked about plans for launching the Galaxy Fold.

He didn’t say when the handset would be available in the country, though. Samsung will release it in the United States and South Korea on April 26. Whether or not India gets it on the same day has not yet been confirmed. It will start at $1,980 in the United States.

Koh also mentioned that Samsung would like to manufacture the Galaxy Fold in India. The company already makes its flagship smartphones locally to compete on price as there are higher taxes on imported devices. It’s unlikely this will be possible initially, though. Koh pointed out that Samsung wants to consolidate manufacturing of the Galaxy Fold at one facility. It makes sense as the first-generation device will only be sold in limited quantities.

This might change down the line when Samsung launches additional foldable smartphones. According to reports, the company has two new foldable devices in development. One of which is destined to arrive towards the end of this year.

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