الغريب: 03/20/19

الأربعاء، 20 مارس 2019

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge now receiving March security update

Samsung has started rolling out this month’s Security Maintenance Release (SMR) for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in a number of markets, including Argentina, Brazil, India and the United Kingdom, bringing them in line with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+.

To be a little more specific, our firmware database shows the update has begun making the rounds for the Galaxy S7 in India, Russia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, to name but a few of the most significant markets, and in Argentina, Brazil and the United Kingdom for the Galaxy S7 edge.

It patches a number of high-risk vulnerabilities

The March SMR plasters over eight critical and dozens of high-risk vulnerabilities in the Android OS, and an additional eleven that are exclusive to Samsung’s firmware, known as Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVEs) — a number of which have been classified as high-risk.

Samsung is rolling out the upgrade in stages, region by region, which also means the software version differs for each device depending on the market it’s destined for. To see if it’s available for your handset, head into Settings, navigate to Software Update, then hit Download Updates Manually.

Alternatively, you can grab the firmware for manual flashing from our database:

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Samsung allowed Bixby key remapping to prioritize user convenience

Samsung introduced Bixby alongside the Galaxy S8 and S8+ in 2017. It has since developed into a powerful digital assistant, and so has the Bixby key on Samsung’s flagship smartphones. The Galaxy S10 series, in particular, introduced the all-new ability to customize the dedicated key.

Evolution of the Bixby key

Earlier, a single press of the Bixby key would open Bixby Home, while a long press would pull up Bixby Voice. But now, Samsung is presenting you with one more option, the ability to launch Bixby Home with a double press of the key. This new ability minimizes the possibility of Bixby opening up due to accidental pressing of the key while in the middle of a task, as users are not likely to press the Bixby key twice by mistake.

You can also remap either a single or double press of the Bixby key to open any third-party app you like. The ability was first enabled on the Galaxy S10, and is now available on Samsung’s older flagships as well.

Another useful function of the Bixby key is the Bixby dictation feature. This feature comes really handy when typing long messages, or when your fingers are wet. Simply open the keyboard, press and hold the Bixby key, and start dictating your message. Bixby will have your message typed for you. As simple as that.

The decision to offer this ability is in pursuit of prioritizing convenience to users, said Eui-Suk Chung, Executive Vice President and Head of Software and Artificial Intelligence at Samsung. “Our top priority is to offer our consumers the best possible experiences,” he said. Samsung will continue to evolve Bixby in the same way.

Many would have appreciated if Samsung had offered this from the start. It constantly got flak for now allowing users to remap the dedicated key and even prevented third-party apps from doing so. No wonder so many people wanted to know how they could disable Bixby altogether.

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How to fix distortion in Galaxy S10 ultra-wide camera photos

All three models of the Galaxy S10 come with an ultra-wide camera at the back, allowing users to take photos that can capture more of a scene without having to move back. The ultra-wide camera has a field of view of 123 degrees, which is considerably higher than the 77-degree field of view of the primary camera. However, the outer corners of ultra-wide photos can have some distortion that’s widely (no pun intended) known as the fish-eye effect.

The fish-eye effect can be highly noticeable in some scenes or be minor enough to not be a concern in others. Examples of the former include photos that have buildings in the corner of the frame, which can look quite distracting. Don’t worry, though: The Galaxy S10 comes with a built-in shape correction feature to fix that distortion.

← SLIDE →

How does it work? Well, once enabled, the shape correction feature crops out a part of the photo at the edges. Basically, the distorted edges are simply cut out of the frame, leaving you without the fish-eye effect. Check above to see how the corrected image looks vs. the non-corrected image (slide right for non-corrected image and left for the corrected version).

Shape correction for the ultra-wide camera is disabled by default, so let’s look at where you can find it on your Galaxy S10.

How to fix distortion in Galaxy S10 ultra-wide photos

Step 1: Open the Camera app on your S10e, S10, or S10+.

Step 2: Tap the gear icon on the top left of the camera UI to go into camera settings.

Step 3: Under the Pictures section of the settings, tap Save options.

Step 4: Here, enable the Ultra-wide shape correction option.

That’s it. Every ultra-wide shot you take will have the distortion on the edges automatically removed after you have taken a photo. And it’s best to have the option enabled at all times, as cutting out the distorted edges rarely has an adverse effect on an ultra-wide photo’s usefulness.

Did you know your Galaxy S10 can also take photos that take up less storage without sacrificing any quality? We have details on that and more Galaxy S10 tips for you to check out so you can get the best out of your new phone!

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 A8 (2018) starts receiving the Android Pie update in Europe

Samsung is expanding its Android Pie rollout for the Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) to more countries. After Russia and India, the update has now hit the European continent. Germany and The Netherlands are the two new markets where the Galaxy A8 is receiving the Android Pie update.

The Galaxy A8 (2018) was Samsung’s first mid-range phone to receive the Android Pie update. The update brings Samsung’s One UI interface, which comes with tons of new features, though not all of them will be available for the A8 and other mid-range phones.

Galaxy A8 Android Pie update reaches Europe

The update weighs around 1400 MB and is available over the air. The software version is A530FXXU4CSC6 (it may vary from market to market). The update in Europe also packs the March 2019 security patch. In Russia and India, the update came with the February 2019 security patch.

To download the Android Pie (One UI) update for your Galaxy A8 (2018), go to the settings on your phone, tap Software update, and then tap Download updates manually. We’ll update this article once we have the firmware for the update available in our database. Note that after updating to Android Pie, you may need to update some apps individually.

Have you received the Pie update on your A8 (2018) or A8+ (2018)? Do let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Samsung Galaxy A90 might get a smaller battery than the A50, A70

With more and more new Galaxy A series phones seeing the light of day, the Galaxy A90 remains one of the less-leaked devices. However, information about the device’s battery might shed more light on some of its details.

With the Galaxy A20, A30 and A50 packing a meaty 4,000mAh battery, and the Galaxy A70 battery rumored to come with 4,400mAh capacity, expectations for the Galaxy A90 are justifiably high. However, new information might shed a different light on what is presumed to be this year’s Galaxy A flagship.

Over at Galaxy Club, information has surfaced that the Galaxy A90’s battery carries product code EB-BA905ABN and has a capacity of 3,610mAh. It is not entirely clear if this number refers to the typical or the rated capacity, but either way, the final number should be around the 3,600 to 3,700mAh mark.

Sliding camera mechanism could impact Galaxy A90 battery size

The somewhat modest size of the A90’s battery does have one or two possible explanations. A first possibility is simply that the phone is, in fact, quite a bit smaller than the 6.4-inch Galaxy A50. However, we should not rule out the option that the rumored sliding camera takes up more space in the device’s body, leaving less room for a battery.

This last scenario would leave intact the idea that the Galaxy A90 is indeed the A series’ flagship device for 2019. After all, Samsung did mention the phone as an ‘ultimate gaming device’, akin to its Galaxy S10 series. We expect to learn more on April 10, when Samsung will host an event dedicated to its A series. The Galaxy A90 is one of the devices expected to be unveiled on that day, alongside some of the other unreleased models like the A70, A20e or even the A40, despite its early reveal by a retailer, yesterday.

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I thought I wasted money with the ceramic Galaxy S10+, until I dropped it

When my ceramic Galaxy S10+ arrived and I opened it up, I was disappointed. The ceramic model is heavier than the regular one, but that’s not an issue compared to the fact that the ceramic version is considerably smoother at the back and, therefore, more slippery. Since I was always going to use it with a case, I wondered if I should have saved money and gotten the regular S10+ instead. That was until I dropped my ceramic S10+ and it came out of the ordeal unscathed.

Well, it didn’t come out completely undamaged. The drop dented the top left corner of the metal frame ever so slightly and chipped the paint off almost exactly at the opposite end of the metal frame. But that’s about it. Maybe I was lucky, and the fall did take place from just around a two feet height, but when I found the glass on the phone hadn’t cracked on the front or back, I realized that the damage may have been worse with the regular Galaxy S10+. Again, perhaps this was just good luck that the glass didn’t crack, but it made me feel slightly elated that I purchased the ceramic Galaxy S10+.

And the ceramic back is stronger for sure, as the folks over at CNET found in their drop test. Does it warrant putting in extra money, though? Well, if you’re someone who uses their phone with a case, I don’t think the ceramic model is worth it. If you don’t use a case, then the ceramic model may be a good choice. Of course, everyone should be using a Galaxy S10 with a case considering how the phone isn’t very easy to repair and how things like screen replacement will cost a pretty penny, but the ceramic model certainly makes sense for the courageous kind who use a $1,000 phone without protection.

Don’t forget: Samsung is only selling the non-ceramic S10+ with 128GB storage, so case or not, anyone wanting the S10+ with 512GB or 1TB of storage automatically gets the ceramic benefits as well. Have you purchased the ceramic Galaxy S10+? How are you liking it and how much did it cost for you? Sound off in the comments and do check out our Galaxy S10e review and our Galaxy S10+ review if you haven’t already!

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This app is all you need for free Galaxy S10 cutout wallpapers

A new app released on the Google Play Store allows Galaxy S10 owners to download wallpapers that hide the camera cutout from a single location. The app’s called Hidey Hole and it basically grabs cutout wallpapers published on a Reddit thread to make it easier for Galaxy S10e, S10, and S10+ owners to check the wallpapers out. While the wallpapers come from Reddit, the developer of the app has added some excellent customization options that you can use to modify a wallpaper before applying it on your home or lock screen.

The most useful option is the ability to increase or reduce the brightness of a wallpaper. Anyone who changes wallpapers regularly is aware of how some wallpapers can overshadow the text and icons on the home screen and make them hard to read/notice, and the brightness slider in Hidey Hole allows you to customize just how bright a wallpaper will be before you apply it. Wallpapers can be sorted by category and by device (S10e, S10, or S10+), and the app also has a link to the Reddit thread from which the wallpapers are obtained.

Every wallpaper can be applied directly from the app or saved to your device, and new wallpapers are added every hour so you shouldn’t see yourself running out of choices anytime soon. The best part is that these wallpapers are free, unlike the ones Samsung is offering in the Galaxy Themes store. Do keep in mind that you will need to disable the Motion effect setting when applying any of these wallpapers or they will not properly wrap around the display cutout.

Download Hidey Hole from the Play Store here.