Galaxy S10 in-screen fingerprint reader is now faster than ever

In keeping with its word, Samsung has once again updated the biometrics software (V2.0.8.4) on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ to make the in-screen fingerprint reader as accurate and responsive as can be. And this latest upgrade appears to have hit the nail on the head, with one Reddit user writing: “My fingerprint reader is instant every single time now” and a handful more later concurring.

There’s no way to trigger the software update manually, however. It’s one of those frustrating server-side releases that will reach your handset in due course. From what we can tell, it’s making the rounds for the masses in Germany and Poland at the moment. There have also been some reports of it touching down on units in the United Kingdom — though we’re still yet to receive it there.

For new Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ owners, the upgrade won’t be enough to make using the in-screen fingerprint reader a seamless experience. That’s because it takes time to adjust to placing your finger in the right location, as our Editor-in-Chief explained in his recent column. Once they do, however, they’ll inevitably notice that it wasn’t quite as unresponsive as they had initially thought.

By the time they reach the point where they’re entirely comfortable with the sensor, this latest update would have kicked in and left little room for complaint, if responses to a recent thread on Reddit are to be believed. We’re keen to remain impartial until we’ve had a chance to try it out for ourselves, though, so we’ll let you know just how good it is when it reaches our Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+.

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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Android 9.0 Pie now arriving on the Galaxy Tab S4

Samsung has begun rolling out the Android 9.0 Pie update for the LTE variant of Galaxy Tab S4, starting in France. The release comes four hours after it pushed a similar upgrade to the Galaxy J8 in Russia, and three days after it reached the unlocked Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 in the US.

From what we can tell, Samsung’s Android 9.0 update for the Galaxy Tab S4 bundles the standard suite of features baked into Pie, including App Actions and Slices, as well as Samsung’s stunning One UI custom interface that has been designed to deliver a more seamless user experience.

At the moment, France is the first region to have received the Android 9.0 Pie update — T835XXU2BSD1 — for the Galaxy Tab S4. And it’s only for the LTE model (SM-T835) — it should start making its way to the Wi-Fi model, and other countries, in the not-too-distant future.

Samsung is of course distributing the upgrade in France in stages. To check to see if it’s available for your slate, head into Settings, navigate to Software Update, then hit Download Updates Manually. Alternatively, you can grab the firmware from our database for manual flashing.

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Galaxy A80 packs a mighty mid-range punch

The Samsung Galaxy A80 has surfaced on benchmark tool AnTuTu’s database and, based on the score it achieved, it could be a real contender for the best mid-range handset of 2019. In most instances, that’s a claim we’d refrain from making on the back of a benchmark result, but having used the device for a little while, we feel it could live up to the title — in some markets, at least.

Unveiled on April 10, the Galaxy A80 is somewhat of an experimental device for Samsung, introducing a new sliding and rotating camera mechanism, which rotates, after extending, to cater to the front of the handset. It’s also the first device on the market to feature Qualcomm’s brand new Snapdragon 730 CPU, which is on par with that of the Huawei’s Kirin 970, according to the benchmark.

While it’s true we’re a big fan of Samsung’s Exynos CPU on flagship devices, like the Galaxy S10, and would rather them than the Snapdragon model that makes its way to North America, we’ve said on more than one occasion that they don’t take the biscuit when it comes to mid-range handsets, feeling somewhat unoptimized when compared to that of rival Qualcomm’s Snapdragon range.

Related: Galaxy A80 Hands-On

We’ll have to spend some more time with the Snapdragon 970-powered Galaxy A80 to discern whether it’s a true contender for the title of the best mid-range handset of 2019 — even if it will only scoop that award in the handful of markets the unit will launch in. The true test will be how the device copes after a week or two of consistent use; we’ve only spent a couple of hours with it to date.

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T-Mobile confirms the Galaxy Fold release for April 26

Samsung confirmed on February 20 that it will release the Galaxy Fold on April 26, at least in the United States. T-Mobile, the country’s third-largest mobile carrier, has reconfirmed that release date. Customers on Magenta will indeed be able to get a Galaxy Fold from T-Mobile come April 26.

Samsung has previously confirmed US pricing for the handset as well. The Galaxy Fold will start at $1,980 in the United States. It’s certainly not a cheap device by any stretch of the imagination. However, the price tag does appear to make sense when you truly consider what you’re getting for your money.

Galaxy Fold release on T-Mobile confirmed

T-Mobile has confirmed that the Galaxy Fold will be available online starting 9 PM PT on April 25 and from select stores the following day. The device will connect to T-Mobile’s 600MHz Extended Range LTE which it claims provides better coverage in buildings and rural areas.

The carrier hasn’t confirmed pricing details for this device but they should arrive in the near future. It recommends that customers go online starting April 25 to purchase a Galaxy Fold or call their local T-Mobile stores to check availability. T-Mobile will sell the Galaxy Fold in Space Silver color. Customers will receive a carbon fiber case and a pair of Galaxy Buds for free.

As previously reported, AT&T and T-Mobile might be the only carriers that sell the Galaxy Fold in the United States. Samsung would sell the device unlocked as well for those will to pay almost $2,000 outright for the device. Customers in Europe won’t have to wait much longer after that. Samsung opens pre-orders for the Galaxy Fold in Europe on April 26. It will release the handset in 15 European markets on May 3.

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Samsung releases the Galaxy J6 Android Pie update

Samsung is doing a good job of rolling out the Android 9 Pie update to its non-flagship handsets this year. It has already updated a handful of devices to the latest and greatest iteration of Android and the Galaxy J6 has now joined the list. Samsung today rolled out the Galaxy J6 Android Pie update.

This follows the release of the Galaxy J8 Android Pie update. That handset received this firmware update merely three days ago. Russia was the first market to receive Android 9 Pie for the Galaxy J8.

Galaxy J6 Android Pie update rolling out

In this particular case, Italy is the first market that’s getting the Android 9 Pie update from Samsung for the Galaxy J6. The company is rolling out firmware version J600FNXXU3BSD1 for the device in the country. It’s also available for download from our firmware section.

Unlike the Galaxy J8 release, this firmware doesn’t include the latest security patch for the month of April 2019. It comes with the previous month’s patch. Other than that, expect to find all of the new features that are part and parcel of Android 9 Pie. Samsung’s new One UI custom skin is onboard as well. You can check out our One UI feature focus series to learn more about them.

The Galaxy J6 Android Pie update is now being rolled out over-the-air. It may take a while before the update goes live in markets across the globe. You can download the firmware update from our database immediately.

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Galaxy Watch Active now receiving its first update in the US

There’s a new firmware update making the rounds for the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active in the United States, which bundles some changes for the charging algorithm, according to the changelog. It’s unclear what exactly they do, however. But we aren’t going to look this gift horse in the mouth — any update that improves battery life is welcomed with open arms by us here at SamMobile HQ.

While the release is rolling out in the United States, Samsung should bring it to other regions in the not-too-distant future. We will, of course, let you know as soon as that’s the case. If you’d rather keep checking for yourself, though, you can do so in the Galaxy Wearable application on your connected handset, by selecting Download Updates Manually in the About Watch menu in Settings.

Heart attack, be gone

Announced alongside the Galaxy Fit, Galaxy Fold, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10 5G and Galaxy S10+ back in February, the Galaxy Watch Active is Samsung’s latest smartwatch, offering comprehensive health-tracking features, including an Heart Rate Alert that will notify users if it detects an abnormally high resting heart rate — one of the initial signs of an impending heart attack.

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Using Samsung Pay with Opal Readers in Australia is now easier than ever

Breezing through Opal terminals in Australia is now easier than ever, thanks to a recent update to Samsung Pay that lets commuters tap their handset on the barrier while their device is locked — which is not the case with the near-identical Oyster ticketing terminals in London, England.

Prior to the release, customers had to unlock their device before they could tap their handset on the Opal Reader. That’s far from a deal-breaker, but it is an unnecessary step when market rival G Pay, for example, lets you initiate the transaction by holding a locked device on the Reader.

Now, however, commuters in New South Wales, Australia can tap their device on any Opal Reader at any Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink Intercity, Light Rail or Sydney Ferries station to gain access to the facilities, without having to unlock it first — much like they would an Opal or credit card.

In London, England, customers have to unlock their device before they can use it to pass through an Oyster terminal. Samsung says that should change in the future, though, with Australia being the first to receive the feature that lets them tap-in, then back out, while their handset is locked.

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Galaxy S9 receiving update with April 2019 security patch

Samsung has started picking up the pace with the April 2019 security patch rollout. As expected these days, the company’s flagship devices are getting the latest security maintenance release first. Following updates for the Galaxy Note 8 and Note 9, Samsung is now rolling out the monthly update for the Galaxy S9. The update bumps the software version to G965FXXS3CSD1 in Germany and weighs 110.14MB over the air.

The new update doesn’t bring anything except security enhancements. As detailed by Samsung earlier this month, the April 2019 security patch fixes five critical and dozens of high-risk Android OS vulnerabilities. It also patches 15 Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE) items.

To update your Galaxy S9 or S9+ to the latest software, open the Settings app, go to Software Update, and tap on Download and install. Do note that updates are released in stages and may take some time before they reach every Galaxy S9 unit across the globe. You should get a notification when the update is available for you.

Have you received the April 2019 security patch on your Galaxy S9? Drop a comment below and let us know if you see any notable changes.

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Galaxy S10 5G is struggling to work with 5G, some customers say

Some Samsung Galaxy S10 5G owners are complaining that their handset is suffering from a frustrating bug that leaves them with no choice but to reboot their device in order to acquire a 5G connection after it has selected LTE as the most suitable cellular standard in the current situation.

The Galaxy S10 5G has separate 5G and LTE antennas that simultaneously maintain the network connections, combining them to deliver transfer speeds of up to 2.7Gbps. However, these customers are saying that their handset is unable to re-establish a 5G connection after it loses it.

There are a number of reasons the antenna could drop the 5G connection, ranging from the handset passing between two cellular towers — one of which had to hand off the connection to another — to the device deciding against taking advantage of the standard because the signal strength is too weak.

It’s no different to when a 4G handset drops to 3G when passing through certain areas that haven’t been armed with the required cellular hardware. That’s a rare occurrence nowadays, but with 5G being brand new, dropping to LTE is a daily occurrence in Korea where the Galaxy S10 5G is available.

The subset of owners are saying that their handset won’t reacquire a 5G connection until it has been restarted multiple times. Samsung has, however, rolled out a number of firmware updates for the Galaxy S10 5G over the course of the past week, so there’s a chance the bug has since been resolved.

Every new device has its teething issues — especially when it’s pioneering new technology. It’s down to the manufacturers to address them in a timely manner, and we have every confidence that Samsung, which has an established record of launching one-of-a-kind devices, will do just that.

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