We’ve unearthed the first wave of Live Wallpapers bundled on the Galaxy Fold, Samsung’s first foldable smartphone. There are four in total, all depicting a butterfly that’s been animated to flap its wings when the handset is unfolded into a tablet. Each also comes with an accompanying static background, which is used when the device is stowed in its standard smartphone form.
We publish a lot of stories on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the majority of news breaks during our European hours of operation, which makes it difficult for our readers in the US (and other regions) to keep up. However, we think we’ve come up with a fantastic solution — a daily recap.
Galaxy A7 (2018) is the third mid-range Galaxy to be getting Pie
The same goes for A7 (2018) owners in other markets. Samsung hasn’t released the Galaxy A8/A8+ (2018) and the Galaxy A9 (2018) update in more than one country yet, so we don’t expect that to be any different for the Galaxy A7 (2018). The A7 (2018) update is also a bit outdated on the security front, as the official update comes with the February 2019 security patch. As far as features and changes are concerned, you can check out what Android Pie brings to Galaxy devices in addition to Samsung’s One UI redesign. The full changelog can be seen here.
To check if the Android Pie update (software version A750FNPUU1BSC4) is available for your A7 (2018), go into the Software update section in the Settings app and tap Download updates manually. If the update has been released in your country, you should see it start downloading on your phone. We also have the Android Pie firmware in our firmware database for those who’d like to upgrade to the new version of Android without waiting for the OTA (over the air) release.
Have you received Android Pie on your Galaxy A7 (2018)?
After being off-air for almost two months, SamMobile TV will return tomorrow, March 15, at 13:00 CET. That’s 13:00 GMT and 18:30 IST. And take it from us, it’s not something to be missed; we’ll be discussing Android Q, the Galaxy Fold and the Galaxy S10, after making a surprise announcement.
Just like before, SamMobile TV will be broadcast on our YouTube channel — so if you aren’t subscribed, now’s as good a time as any to do so. That way, you’ll receive an alert as soon as the stream commences and can participate in the discussion in real-time, asking the hosts questions.
That doesn’t mean you need to head over to YouTube to tune in, though — you’ll be able to see what we have up our sleeve right from this very page. You will, however, need to check back nearer the time for that as the on-site YouTube stream won’t be live until around an hour before it starts.
Bixby has picked up a new trick recently: You can now ask Samsung’s virtual assistant to identify music that’s playing around you, just like Shazam. We’re not sure when this particular functionality was added, but we can confirm that it can identify both old and new songs with a good degree of success. It’s not very fast, though, and takes anywhere from 5 to 15 seconds to come up with the name of the track.
A little slow, but works fine otherwise
It’s also unclear which service Samsung is banking on here. We’ve asked the company and will update this article when we hear back, but it’s clearly not Shazam given the time it takes to identify a track and respond. In any case, if you want to try it out, just fire up Bixby Voice by long pressing the Bixby key or by waking it up by saying ‘Hi Bixby’, then ask ‘What track is this’ or ‘What song is this’ while the music is playing. Don’t worry if Bixby Voice also picks up some words from the song that is playing. As long as it hears your question, it will understand what you’re trying to do.
Such functionality is not limited to just Bixby. Google Search can also identify music for you and is a bit more convenient, as Google doesn’t need you to ask it to identify a track; it automatically gives you the option if it hears music playing when you tap the voice search button. Of course, Samsung may add something similar to this later on, and we hope it also improves the detection speed as it’s rather slow at the moment.
Samsung has begun mass producing the world’s highest-capacity 12GB LPDDR4X RAM chips. The new mobile DRAM is an industry-first product and is optimized for tomorrow’s premium smartphones, the company said, hinting towards its upcoming foldable smartphones.
While the 1TB Galaxy S10+ already comes with 12GB RAM, it’s not using this new module. The device packs a LPDDR4 memory, which use a 20nm process. The new LPDDR4X RAM chip uses a 10nm process.
Makes way for a bigger battery
While both the 10nm and 20nm chips offer the same average speed of 4,266 Mb/s, the new LPDDR4X memory takes up a lot less space. The 1.1-millimeter thickness of the new chip allows smartphone makers to pack more or bigger hardware components in the phone. Like, for example, a bigger battery. A smaller chip should also minimize power consumption.
This new memory module can easily handle more than five cameras, larger screen sizes, AI and 5G, while making multitasking a lot more fluid, Samsung said. That pretty much describes the company’s upcoming Galaxy S10 5G and the Galaxy Fold. Both the devices are expected to release in the next couple of months.
Samsung is the world’s largest memory chip maker. And to meet its high demand, the company plans to more than triple the supply of its 8GB and 12GB LPDDR4X mobile DRAM by the second half of 2019.
Samsung introduced an optical in-screen fingerprint reader with the Galaxy S10, eliminating the need to stretch to the rear of the device for biometric authentication. But, as is the case with anything new, it’s going to take some getting used to — and we want to know how you feel about it now, after less than a week’s worth of use, as that’s the best way to determine whether it’s living up to expectations.
Personally, I’m a big fan of it. Sure, it’s not as responsive as I’d have hoped, but Samsung said that’s something that will improve with future updates — so I can’t fault it. To have your say, be sure to cast a vote in the poll below, then feel free to expand on your response in the comments section. Come on, let’s get a conversation going! Oh, and as usual, we’ll be responding to all comments submitted.
How are you finding the in-screen fingerprint reader on the Galaxy S10?
It's the best thing since sliced bread 75%, 3 votes
3 votes75%
3 votes - 75% of all votes
It's useful, but not as responsive as I'd have hoped 25%, 1 vote
1 vote25%
1 vote - 25% of all votes
It's too early to say — I'm still getting used to it 0%, 0 votes
0 votes
0 votes - 0% of all votes
Eh, bring back the rear-mounted fingerprint reader 0%, 0 votes
0 votes
0 votes - 0% of all votes
Total Votes: 4
14 March 2019
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You or your IP had already vote.
Not sold on the Galaxy S10? Check out our review of its big brother, the Galaxy S10+, to get a feel for what it’s all about. And if your budget can’t quite stretch to the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ level of performance, have a read of our Galaxy S10e review — it’s the base model of the Galaxy S10 range, delivering a fantastic user experience, bundled in a near-identical shell, for a more reasonable price.
All the way from South Korea comes a live image of the battery of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy A60. The yet-to-be-launched phone will have a 3500mAh battery capacity. The upcoming handset will likely slot between the Galaxy A50 and the rumored Galaxy A70. Samsung will evidently be offering a full slate of premium affordable devices this year.
Galaxy A60 battery capacity revealed
Some time ago, an alleged spec sheet of the Galaxy A60 leaked, giving the phone a generous 4500mAh battery. Unfortunately, new information points to a somewhat more modest capacity. The A60’s battery is pictured carrying product code EB-BA606ABU, which fits neatly with the phone’s model number SM-A606x. In the picture, we can see the battery has a typical capacity of 3500mAh and a rated capacity of 3410mAh.
In terms of battery prowess, this places the Galaxy A60 far behind the Galaxy A50, which comes with a 4000mAh battery. It is unclear if the modest size relates in some way to the device’s other features, despite the alleged 6.7-inch display size.
Other rumored specifications of the Galaxy A60 include a 32-megapixel triple camera setup and a fingerprint sensor that is placed under the phone’s display. Reports suggest it will be powered by the Snapdragon 675 processor and will be available in 6/8GB RAM + 128GB storage configurations.
Whether these details turn out to be more accurate, remains to be seen. Also unclear is where Samsung plans to market the Galaxy A60. There is a Chinese variant being developed as the SM-A6060, but other than that, not much is certain at this moment.
The new Galaxy S10+ has the same curved screen design as the previous Galaxy S flagships, though the glass on the front upgrades from Gorilla Glass 5 to Gorilla Glass 6. However, on the back, you get two materials to choose from, Gorilla Glass 5 or ceramic. But buying a ceramic Galaxy S10+ means you have to spend at least $250 more than the glass variant.
The base model (8GB+128GB with glass back) of the Galaxy S10+ is priced at $999, while the ceramic models come in 8GB+512GB and 8GB+1TB memory configurations and are priced at $1249 and $1499, respectively. The ceramic models are also touted to offer added strength and durability compared to the glass counterpart. But are they tough enough to spend an extra $250 on? A glass S10+ and a ceramic S10+ were subjected to a drop test from different heights. Here’s how they performed. Do note that this isn’t the proper drop test that those drop test-focused sites and YouTube channels do. It just involves the presenter dropping the phones from various heights.
Galaxy S10+ drop test
Both the glass Galaxy S10+ and the ceramic Galaxy S10+ were first dropped from a height of about 3 feet (90 cm), a natural height from which people tend to drop their phones, with the back side facing down. As expected, the ceramic S10+ has less damage than the glass S10+. The former got away with a couple of tiny spots on the back and some scrapes on the aluminum frame. The latter got more damage but the glass survived.
The devices were again dropped from the same height, but this time with the screen facing down. And since the devices had the screen protector on, both of them got away with minimal damage on the screen. Only the edges where the screen protector wasn’t able to cover suffered any visible damage.
Even after two falls from 3 feet, both the devices looked to be in pretty good shape, and hence were subjected to a drop from 5 feet. The devices were dropped with the back facing down, but the ceramic S10+ flipped midway and landed on its screen. And the damage was done at this point. The device suffered cracks all over the screen, and worse, it stopped working. However, the ceramic back was still fine.
And the glass S10+? Well, it got shattered when dropped from 5 feet with the back side down. The glass on the back, including the glass on the camera module, was completely damaged. So much so that it had to be retired. However, the ceramic S10+ was dropped one more time from the same height. And this time, it was ensured that it lands on its back. The ceramic back, however, still had only the two small dots from the original drop, and that was it.
Naturally enough, the stakes were raised, and the device was dropped from a height of above 6 feet.. In fact, the device was dropped twice from this height, and the ceramic back still looked immaculate with just a few hairline fractures on the curved edges and on the glass over the camera module. Nothing much.
So, as you can see, the back of the ceramic Galaxy S10+ is strong enough to survive multiple drops. However, its screen is only as strong as the glass S10+, so if you do drop it from up high, hope that it lands on its back.
Many users have taken to online forums to voice their complaints about the Galaxy S10 fingerprint sensor issues. They feel that the in-display fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ isn’t as good as it should be. Bear in mind that this appears to be a polarizing topic because others feel that it does its job very well.
Samsung has acknowledged that some users have been complaining about the need for improvements. The company has confirmed that the fingerprint sensor’s performance will continue to be improved through future software updates.
Firmware updates to address Galaxy S10 fingerprint sensor issues
The very first firmware update for the Galaxy S10 did bring improvements for the fingerprint sensor. A Samsung official said that the update improved the accuracy of the in-display sensor and that “we will continue providing updates to make the scanner work better.”
It was also pointed out that the fingerprint sensor may not work well on some occasions. You could face accuracy issues if you’re in a very dry environment, the skin on your finger is really dry or if there’s a cut or scratch on your fingerprint. Some of our colleagues find that to be true. Simply keeping your hands moisturized makes a noticeable difference.
The Galaxy S10 is Samsung’s first flagship smartphone with an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. It’s faster and more accurate than the optical sensors found in other smartphones. The sensor uses a high frequency ultrasonic sound to effectively create a detailed image of the fingerprint.
You will find an improvement in the accuracy once you have used the device for a couple of weeks even if it feels that the Galaxy S10 fingerprint sensor issues are really serious right out of the box. Some of our colleagues also feel that the ultrasonic sensor works very well and that all this fuss is for nothing. What camp are you in? Let us know in the comments below.
Samsung’s main aim is to create a full-screen smartphone, wherein the camera and all the required front-facing sensors, including the earpiece speaker, are mounted beneath the screen — without a notch, hole-punch or any other sort of cut-out in sight, according to a report from Yonhap News.
“Punching a hole in the OLED display is a very challenging technology,” Yang Byung-duk, Vice President of Samsung’s Mobile Communication R&D Group Display, said in a briefing. “We tried the technology for Galaxy’s 10th anniversary model and think the strategy worked as a result.”
Yang then went on to reveal that the Infinity-O Display on the Galaxy S10 is somewhat of a milestone for screen innovation, but the real objective is to create a full-screen experience, adding that Samsung is considering implementing its own version of Crystal Sound to make that a reality.
Crystal Sound eliminates the front-facing speaker
That’s a rather straightforward name for a complex bit of kit, which sends audio waves racing through the screen — eliminating the need for a front-facing speaker. We know for a fact that Samsung’s been mulling over the idea for a while, but rival LG beat it to the punch with the LG G8 ThinQ.
“Though it wouldn’t be possible to make (a full-screen smartphone) in the next 1-2 years, the technology can move forward to the point where the camera hole will be invisible, while not affecting the camera’s function in any way,” Yang said, leaving us very excited for what the future holds.
Samsung has updated the Samsung Members app with a redesigned user interface. The company has been updating many of its proprietary app UIs in recent weeks; it took down the Samsung Members community and functionality all day yesterday in preparation for the update and has now made it available for everyone to download.
The updated user interface makes some substantial changes. The app now focuses on posts by users, with Samsung’s official news and tips posts pushed towards the bottom. A bell icon has been added on the top left for quicker access to the Notices section, where Samsung posts information about software update schedules and other important messages. Also added are tabs at the bottom of the app for switching between the Samsung Members home screen and the ‘Get Help’ section that offers you details on your device and lets you check its hardware for problems.
You can download the new version (3.0.00.15) of Samsung Members from within the Samsung Members app. Just open the app, swipe right from the left edge of the screen for the hamburger menu, then tap the Settings button. Here, scroll down to the bottom and tap About Samsung Members. Tap the Update button here to go to the Samsung Members page on the Galaxy Store and then tap the Update button again.
5G networks will significantly improve data speeds on our mobile devices. SK Telecom, one of South Korea’s largest mobile carriers, is looking to kick things up a notch by aggregating its 4G LTE and 5G networks. The carrier said today that the Galaxy S10 5G speed will hit a peak of 2.7Gbps on its network.
SK Telecom is one of the carriers that will be offering the 5G variant of Samsung’s new flagship in the near future. It plans to provide customers with the fastest 5G in Korea by gradually increasing the speed with its 5G-LTE aggregation technology.
2.7Gbps Galaxy S10 5G speed made possible by aggregation technology
The Galaxy S10 5G is actually a separate model. It has a larger 6.7-inch display and a 4,500mAh battery. There’s also a fourth camera at the back. It’s a time-of-flight sensor for improved 3D imaging, facial recognition and augmented reality experiences. There’s also a second time-of-flight sensor between the front-facing dual camera system.
As we noted in our Galaxy S10 5G hands-on, this model is a bigger and better iteration of the Galaxy S10+, which we found to be close to a masterpiece in our review. It’s biggest selling point is the 5G modem which enables the device to run on next-generation networks.
SK Telecom has successfully tested its 5G-LTE aggregation technology on the Galaxy S10 5G. It hit the peak speed by combining 1.5Gbps of 5G and 1.15 Gbps of LTE on this handset. The carrier says that this allows users to download a 2GB HD movie in just six seconds. 10GB VR content can be downloaded in 30 seconds. SK Telecom initially promises speeds of 2.6Gbps. It will raise the speed to 2.7Gbps in the first half of this year.
The carrier hasn’t confirmed when it will release the Galaxy S10 5G in the country. It was expected to happen by the end of this month, however, the South Korean government has pushed back the launch of 5G networks. That’s due to delays from smartphone manufacturers and ongoing negotiations with carriers on appropriate pricing. SK Telecom’s 5G price plan proposal of around 70,000 won or ~$60 per month was deemed to be too high by the government. The carrier has said that it aims to launch more affordable 5G plans once the number of subscribers increases.
Samsung has officially added a section of cutout wallpapers to the Galaxy Themes store for the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+. People were quick to design wallpapers that creatively hide the camera cutout on the home screen after the Galaxy S10 went on sale, and Samsung is now letting them put those wallpapers up on its theme store.
Galaxy S10 cutout wallpapers to fix your OCD now in Galaxy Themes
Most of the cutout wallpapers in Galaxy Themes right now seem to be paid options and can’t be demoed before you purchase them. It’s never a bad idea to support those who put in the hard work to create the wallpapers, themes, and icon packs you see in Galaxy Themes, but if you’re not one to spend money on such things, you will have to wait for free options to show up. In fact, it’s better to wait even if you’re okay with paying, as there aren’t a lot of wallpapers – free or paid – available to choose from at the moment.
Have a Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, or Galaxy S10+? Open the Settings app on the phone and tap Wallpapers and themes. You should see a section for cutout wallpapers by scrolling down a bit. Tap a wallpaper you like and then hit the Buy button to purchase it. You’ll need to login to your Samsung account before you can make the purchase. Remember that Galaxy Themes has no refund policy, so once you’ve paid for a theme or wallpaper, you can’t get your money back if you don’t like it.
You can also check out this Reddit thread for some free cutout wallpapers.
