The Galaxy S10’s smoothness is unmatched by any previous Galaxy flagship

The Galaxy S10 is the smoothest yet of any Galaxy flagship as far as the general user interface is concerned. I’ve always been extra critical of Samsung’s inadequacy at optimizing its software compared to others here at SamMobile, but I’ve found fewer reasons to complain in the last couple of years. The Galaxy Note 9 was the most impressive of all Galaxy flagships in terms of everyday performance for me, until I switched to the Galaxy S10+.

As I mentioned in our Galaxy S10+ review, the device feels smoother than any previous Galaxy. Maybe it’s the newer Exynos chipset, maybe it’s Android Pie, maybe Samsung decided to optimize things for the tenth-anniversary Galaxy S lineup, maybe it’s the 8GB of RAM, or maybe it’s a combination of all or some of those factors, but I can’t get enough of how quick and smooth the Galaxy S10+ runs. In fact, the extra RAM might have something to do with it, as the Galaxy S10e (with 6GB of RAM) feels closer to the Galaxy Note 9 in terms of day-to-day usage than the Galaxy S10+.

I can already imagine some of the incoming comments from our readers, asking me how it’s possible that I have had noticed performance issues on Samsung’s flagship phones while they haven’t. Frankly, I think I’m just a tad too impatient and get irritated easily when I try to do things too quick and a phone can’t keep up. But the Galaxy S10+ keeps up with every demand of mine without breaking a sweat. Again, the general user interface is where I’ve noticed the difference, and I can only hope it won’t be affected when Android Q comes along or as my S10+ starts filling up with more data in the coming months.

Do you think your Galaxy S10 feels quicker and smoother than your last Galaxy flagship?

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Samsung’s latest Notebook 9 laptops go on sale in the US on March 17

Though Samsung exited the PC market in many regions, it continues to launch a handful of Chrome OS and Windows laptops every year in select markets around the world. At this year’s CES, the company once again refreshed its Notebook 9 laptop lineup by announcing the Notebook 9 Pen (2019) and Notebook 9 Pro (2019) models. They are now set to go on sale in the US on March 17, the company said in a press release.

Both the Notebook 9 Pen and Pro are premium Windows 2-in-1 convertible laptops with a 360-degree hinge. Design-wise, they are slim and light laptops, made out of metal with diamond-cut edges and small display bezels. These are high-end laptops with Intel 8th Gen Core i7 CPUs, up to 16 GB of RAM, NVMe storage, Thunderbolt 3 ports, AKG-tuned speakers, and more. Samsung is promising up to 15 hours of battery on both these devices.

Samsung Notebook 9 Pen is the more expensive model

Samsung Notebook 9 Pen, the more expensive model of the two, will be available in 13.3 and 15-inch display sizes. It comes with an S Pen in the box and has a slot in the laptop to store it. The Notebook 9 Pro, on the other hand, sports a 13.3-inch display and trades the S Pen for an Active Pen that supports up to 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity.

The Notebook 9 Pro will be available for purchase on Best Buy and Samsung.com at a starting price of $1,099. The Notebook 9 Pen starts at $1,399 and will be available on Amazon and Samsung websites. Customers purchasing the Notebook 9 Pen on Samsung’s online portal between March 17 to 31 will get a $100 eCertificate from the company that can be to buy PCs or PC accessories.

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No, the Galaxy Fold isn’t overpriced — in fact, it’s quite the opposite

Set to be priced at $1980 when it goes on sale in the United States on April 26, the Galaxy Fold is far from cheap. But it isn’t overpriced. Hear me out…

The Galaxy Fold can be unfurled from its sedentary form as a smartphone to morph into a 7.3-inch tablet, making it an all-too-appealing two-in-one solution; customers receive both a smartphone and a tablet, bundled into one device — the first of its kind — eliminating the need to transport two.

Basic Math: $1500 + $500 = $2000

Now let’s talk reasoning. The top-of-the-line Galaxy S10+ will set customers back around $1500, while a brand new Galaxy Tab S5e costs somewhere in the region of $500. Combine those two figures and you’ll come out with $2000 — that’s $20 more than the Galaxy Fold will cost when it launches.

Related: Galaxy S10+ Review

That’s the first crucial detail in my argument that the Galaxy Fold isn’t overpriced, and that’s because you’re buying two devices that just so happen to be merged into one. Sure, it isn’t going to appeal to everyone, but it will to those who are in the market for both a high-end smartphone and tablet.

It’s been in development since 2016

If that hasn’t convinced you, R&D might. You see, launching a new product that’s like no other requires an awful lot of time and funding. Samsung hinted that it’s been working on the foldable screen since 2016 and has sunk tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars into its development.

It has to make that investment back somehow, so — as Apple did with the iPhone X — it’s likely added a small surcharge to the handset, bumping the original price up to the $1980 mark. And if we consider that to be the case, the Galaxy Fold is somewhat good value for money.

How, you ask? Because you’re getting state-of-the-art tech, a smartphone and a tablet — all wrapped up into a single handset that will set you back less than you’d pay if you were to pick them up separately. And when you take that standpoint, $1980 isn’t too outrageous; it’s actually quite fair.

But it’s not all rainbows and unicorns

There’s one downside to the Galaxy Fold, though. Seeing as it adopts a form factor that’s never been trialled before, there’s bound to be an issue or two — and that’s something that the first wave of adopters will take the brunt of. So in that sense, it’s more of an experiment for Samsung.

But foldable devices is the direction the industry is headed in, and as was the case with Apple and the iPhone X before launching the iPhone XR, the earliest adopters will have to pay the most to get their hands on the tech. But unlike Apple, what Samsung’s asking makes a lot of sense.

I mean, two top-spec devices, rolled into one, for less than you’d pay to pick them up individually?

Count me in.

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Samsung installs the first Onyx LED cinema screen in Spain

Samsung has installed its Onyx LED cinema screen at the Odeon Sambil in Leganés, Madrid. It is the first Onyx LED cinema screen in Spain. The Odeon Sambil was also the first 4K cinema in Spain to incorporate Dolby Atmos and Christie Vive Audio system in theaters.

Onyx LED cinema screens were first unveiled in South Korea in July last year. These next-gen cinema screens has since made their way into a number of markets around the world, including the US, Germany, India, Switzerland, and many more. In December last year, Samsung installed the world’s largest Onyx LED cinema screen in China.

Provides an immersive experience in theaters

Onyx LED cinema screens replace the traditional projector-system cinema screens in theaters. They bring 4K image quality, HDR capabilities, and an unprecedented brightness and contrast to the big screen, offering an immersive viewing experience to the audience. In addition, the Onyx screens are 3D-ready. They also offer the versatility that cinemas demand today, such as live concerts, e-Sports tournaments, or commercial presentations.

The Onyx screen installed at the Odeon Sambil in Leganés has dimensions of 10.2 meters x 5.4 meters. It has a maximum brightness level of 146fL or 500 nits. This new theater will be open to the public on March 22. The ticket prices will remain the same initially, but will be hiked later on, said Luis Millan, founder and CEO of Odeon Sambil.

 

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Episode 1 of SamMobile TV is now live — here’s when the next one airs

Episode 1 of SamMobile TV has now drawn to a close and we’d like to thank each and every one of our fantastic readers who tuned in, asked questions and participated in the discussion, as we battled through the latest Samsung news, with a key focus on Android Q, the Galaxy Fold and the Galaxy S10.

If you weren’t able to make it, we have some good news: we’ve archived the first episode on our YouTube channel (embedded below). If you’d rather listen to it without the visual queues, the audio-only podcast will be coming out over the weekend, so check back for where to listen to that.

Episode 2 will air on March 29 at 13:00 CET. That’s 13:00 GMT and 18:30 IST, and between now and then we’ll be dedicating all our resources to making sure the stream airs in a much higher quality, as Episode 1 left quite a lot to be desired on the clarity front, even though YouTube says it’s Full HD.

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Samsung on track for Galaxy Fold’s commercial release in late April

Samsung took years to make its first foldable phone and to make it public, but when it did unveil the Galaxy Fold at the Unpacked event in February, it also chose to reveal a price and release date while other manufacturers simply decided to show off prototypes at MWC a week later to steal Samsung’s thunder. And it looks like the company is right on schedule for the April 26th release date, as we have been able to get the first Galaxy Fold firmware thanks to one of our tipsters.

Despite the commercial release being just over a month away, Samsung has been quite protective of the Galaxy Fold. Media and journalists haven’t been allowed hands-on time with the device yet, and it probably has been making some people wonder if Samsung will actually be able to meet the late April release date. We’re certainly hoping it does as we can’t wait to get our hands on one, although availability of the Galaxy Fold will be very limited. It will be available in the US and South Korean first, followed by some European countries in early May.

Thanks to the Galaxy Fold firmware, we were able to grab hold of the wallpapers that will come preloaded on the foldable device. You can download those wallpapers here.

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The Galaxy S10’s Bixby Routines is my favorite Bixby feature

The Galaxy S10 lineup brings quite a few software tricks, and Bixby Routines is my favorite after having used both the Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10e in the last three weeks. Routines is a feature that Samsung lifted from its Good Lock app and lets you automate various aspects of the device when certain conditions are met. It’s like the popular Tasker app for Android, only simpler to use.

What is Bixby Routines?

Bixby Routines works on the If This Then That (IFTTT) principle. Basically, if a certain condition is met, Bixby will then carry out whatever function or command that you’ve mapped to that condition. And there’s a lot of options to choose from. Routines can be triggered based on a certain time, location, or event. For example, whenever you put the phone on charging, you can ask Bixby Routines to enable Always On Display for that period. Or, every time you open the Gallery app, you can have the screen’s auto rotate function enabled so you can view images in landscape mode.

Here’s one of the personal use cases that I use Bixby Routines for: Every time I’m in the vicinity of the movie theater where I usually go watch a movie, I’ve set Bixby Routines to change the sound mode to vibrate so that the phone doesn’t end up ringing during a movie. Similarly, I’ve set a routine that activates the Play command in the Shuttle+ music app every time my phone connects to my car stereo over Bluetooth, along with turning media volume up to 100 percent. It also activates Dolby Atmos for me.

Bixby Routines is smart enough to go back to the previous settings once a condition is no longer true (like turning off auto rotate when you exit the Gallery app). The possibilities are endless and there probably isn’t a condition or functionality you won’t find already listed in the app. And if you can’t be bothered to make manual routines, Bixby will suggest custom routines based on the way you use your phone from time to time. The suggestions aren’t always perfect, but you can choose to customize them to your liking.

 

Unclear when Bixby Routines is coming to older flagships

Unfortunately, Samsung hasn’t said anything about whether Bixby Routines will come to existing devices anytime soon. Devices like the Galaxy A50, which run Android Pie and One UI 1.1 like the Galaxy S10 lineup, don’t have Bixby Routines, and neither has an update arrived for older flagships. I sure hope it doesn’t stay exclusive to the Galaxy S10 for long, because, in my opinion, Routines is the best part about Bixby right now.

Are you using Bixby Routines on your Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, or Galaxy S10+? Have you set up any routines yourself already? Sound off in the comments and don’t forget to check our Galaxy S10e review and our Galaxy S10+ review.

P.S.: Bixby Routines can be found in the quick toggles in the notification shade. Just tap the Bixby Routines toggle to open it, and the first time you do that, you will be given an option to add a shortcut to Bixby Routines in the app drawer.

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 M20 is now on open sale in India

When the Galaxy M20 launched in India last month, it was sold on a first come, first served basis, with customers who missed the first sale having to wait until it was restocked at a later date — a bit like what OnePlus did with the OnePlus One, but without the ticketing system. That’s now changed, though, as the handset is listed as in-stock on both Amazon and Samsung’s local website.

The Galaxy M20 was designed to take on competition from Chinese manufacturers in the Indian market, offering a modern design and somewhat impressive internals for an affordable price; the 3/32GB model is listed at ₹10,990 ($160), while the 4/64GB variant can be had for ₹12,990 ($190) outright. Samsung’s also throwing in ₹3,110 ($50) worth of benefits for Jio subscribers.

Buy Now: Galaxy M20 on Amazon

Under the hood, the Galaxy M20 bundles a 6.3-inch near-edge-to-edge screen (1080 x 2340), interjected by a so-called waterdrop notch, an Exynos 7904 Octa CPU, a dual-camera on the rear (13MP + 5MP), an 8MP front-facing shooter and a mammoth 5000mAh non-removable Li-Po battery. The handset ships running Android 8.1 Oreo, skinned with Samsung’s Experience 9.5 UI.

If you aren’t sold on the Galaxy M20, be sure to check out our comprehensive review.

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Samsung’s next Android Go smartphone revealed in leaked press render

Samsung’s next Android Go smartphone has been revealed by a leaked press render. The Galaxy A2 Core will be the first Galaxy A series Android Go phone, and the device is already listed in the support section of Samsung’s website. The render shows the date March 22 on the lock screen, so we can expect it to go official around that date.

From the front, the Galaxy A2 Core looks pretty similar to the Galaxy J2 Core, big bezels with the Samsung logo included. The rear is a bit different, with the camera module shifted to the top left like many recent budget and mid-range Samsung phones and a speaker grill just below. We also know basic Galaxy A2 Core specs thanks to its appearance on the Geekbench website last month: It has 1GB of RAM and is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 7870 chipset.

The Geekbench listing had the Galaxy A2 Core running Android 8.1 Oreo, and while we hope Samsung launches the device with Android Pie out of the box, we wouldn’t hold our breath. And yes, like Samsung’s previous Android Go phones, the Galaxy A2 Core doesn’t come with stock Android. It will have drastically lower functionality compared to standard Galaxy smartphones, though.

We can expect the Galaxy A2 Core to be launched in India and some of the neighboring markets. South Africa should be on the list as well, as the country’s local Samsung website has support pages for the device.

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