Verizon Galaxy S10 gets camera Night mode with latest security update

Verizon’s latest Galaxy S10 security update comes with the dedicated camera Night mode. AT&T and Verizon released an update with the June 2019 security patch for the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+ today, and it has now been confirmed that both carriers have bundled the new camera features that Samsung introduced to unlocked Exynos versions of its latest flagships a few weeks ago.

The features include the aforementioned dedicated Night mode for the camera for enhanced low-light photography and QR code scanning functionality without the use of Bixby Vision. The June update for international models also introduced vibration feedback for navigation gestures, but it doesn’t seem to be included in the update Verizon and AT&T have released. Verizon is pushing One Talk support as well – the One Talk service lets users tie the desk phone in their office and their smartphone to one number and rings them all at the same time when a call comes in.

For T-Mobile customers, the June update does not have any of these new features; fingers crossed that will change when the July security update comes out in the next few weeks. As for Sprint, it is yet to release the June security update so there’s no telling if it will follow in Verizon or AT&T’s footsteps or make people wait another month or two like T-Mobile.

If you own a Galaxy S10 on Verizon or AT&T, you can download the update over the air from the Software update menu of your phone’s Settings app. Do let us know if the update brings vibration feedback for navigation gestures by leaving a comment down below, and also tell us how you like the new camera Night mode after you’ve upgraded to the latest software!

Galaxy S10e

• Model: SM-G970U
• Dimensions: 69.9 x 142.2 x 7.9mm
• Display: 5.8” (146.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
• Camera: 12 MP, CMOS F1.5/F2.4 (77°) & 16MP, CMOS F2.2 (123°)Ultra Wide

More specifications

Galaxy S10

• Model: SM-G973U
• 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-G975U
• Dimensions: 74.1 x 157.6 x 7.8mm
• Display: 6.4"(162.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
• 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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AI-powered ‘Samsung Mall’ shopping app bites the dust

Samsung has discontinued the Samsung Mall shopping app a year and a half after its launch. The shutdown was expected as the Korean company started notifying the app’s users since May this year that the service will no longer be available after June 30. Users opening the Samsung Mall app after June are greeted with a message about the discontinuation of the service and asking them to uninstall the app.

While Samsung hasn’t offered any reasons for the shutdown, it is most probably due to lack of customer interest in the service. Before its demise, the app had more than 5 million downloads on the Play Store, most of which were probably from pre-installations on Samsung’s budget devices. The company has now removed the app from the Google Play Store.

The Korean tech giant debuted the Samsung Mall app on the Galaxy On7 Prime in January 2018. It was an AI-backed shopping app that was exclusive to the Galaxy customers in India. The app enabled users to shoot or use an existing picture of any product to initiate an AI-powered visual search across multiple shopping sites, compare prices, and make purchases from within the app.

While the idea sounds nice in concept, it never really offered any value to the customers. Shopping directly on partner sites such as Amazon, TATA CliQ, Shopclues, Jabong, and others made more sense, both in terms of cost and convenience, than buying through the Samsung Mall app.

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Our Galaxy A80 video preview is up! Come check out the slider

The Galaxy A80 went on sale yesterday and we got our hands on a unit, which means that we’ve prepared an early video preview to briefly showcase some of the smartphone’s most striking features. As we mention in our preview, the Galaxy A80 is a very interesting device because it tries to play with the big boys even though it’s not technically a flagship.

The most eye-catching feature of the Galaxy A80 is, of course, the sliding rotating camera which you can see in action, up close, in our video preview below. For Samsung, this component represents a unique approach to the idea of creating a full-screen display without notches or punch holes. The rotating camera can be used for both selfie and landscape photography, and this means that the quality of your photos will be the same regardless of which way the camera is facing.

The Galaxy A80 detects when it’s dropped and retracts the camera

There are some concerns surrounding the Galaxy A80, particularly because Samsung is covering new ground with this device. It features a moving part after all, and only the passage of time will tell how the sliding mechanism will hold up over extensive use.

The good news is that Samsung seems to have put some extra effort towards protecting the sliding mechanism. The phone actually detects if it has been dropped, similar to the OnePlus 7 Pro. This allows the mechanism to retract automatically; hopefully by the time the phone hits the ground. We’ll test this feature safely and more thoroughly for our full video review which should go live later this month, so stay tuned to SamMobile TV.

It’s not all gravy

The Galaxy A80 does make some sacrifices in a couple of areas that some smartphone users might consider vital to their experience. Specifically, the phone lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack and expandable storage. The latter might not be too big of an issue given that the handset sports 128GB of built-in memory, but the lack of a 3.5mm jack will likely turn off some prospective buyers. And for better or worse, the headphone jack’s removal is becoming more of a common theme among Galaxy smartphones.

We’ll be taking a much more detailed look at the Galaxy A80 over the next couple of weeks in preparation of our full video review. Until next time, check out the video preview below and enjoy!

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Samsung develops new On-Device NPU tech for faster, smarter AI

As Samsung is pushing further with the development of its proprietary NPUs (Neural Processing Unit), the company has created a new high-speed, low-power On-Device AI deep learning algorithm promising 4 times more energy efficiency and 8 times more performance than existing solutions. The Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) detailed the new On-Device AI technology in a recent paper claiming that the algorithm has been successfully tested. It should pave the way for a future in which “all devices and sensor-based technologies are powered by AI.”

This increase in performance and energy efficiency has been achieved “by adjusting the data into groups of under 4 bits while maintaining accurate data recognition,” or what the company calls Quantization Interval Learning (QIL). Computations performed using the QIL process can achieve results similar to existing solutions while requiring 1/40 to 1/120 fewer transistors.

This method of compressing data into bit groups of 4 bits or lower allows for thousands of deep learning computations to be processed at the same time. It also allows for “and” and “or” computations to be performed in addition to arithmetic calculations such as multiplication.

Smartphones will become smarter and independent of the cloud with better On-Device NPUs

While Samsung hasn’t revealed exactly when this new solution will reach the market in consumer-grade devices, the company strongly hinted at its inclusion in smartphones at some point in the future. The new deep learning algorithm requires less energy and hardware, meaning that it can be adopted by On-Device NPUs “at the place where the data for an image or fingerprint sensor is being obtained.”

The Exynos 9820 chipset is the company’s first to feature an integrated proprietary NPU and it already expanded the capabilities of the Galaxy S10 series with enhanced photography and more advanced Augmented Reality features.

With a faster, less demanding On-Device solution now being in the works, we can only expect that features such as photography and AR will become smarter, faster, and more accurate with the new generation of devices.

But Samsung won’t stop at mobile chipsets. The company also revealed that it wants to apply this new deep learning algorithm to memory and sensor solutions in the near future. “We will live in a world where all devices and sensor-based technologies are powered by AI” according to the VP of Computer Vision Lab of SAIT, Chang-Kyu Choi. And the future is all about embracing On-Device AI technologies rather than relying too much on cloud-based AI solutions.

 

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Galaxy S10 series outsells its predecessor in the first quarter

The Galaxy S10 series has surpassed the Galaxy S9 in terms of sales figures for the quarter ending May 2019. According to Korean news agencies citing Counterpoint Research, Samsung managed to sell around 16 million Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+ units combined. This represents a 12 percent increase over the sales figures registered by the Galaxy S9 models in the same period last year.

Interestingly, the data shows that the Galaxy S10+ is the most sought-after model of the three. It accounted for 42 percent of sales, which means that roughly 6.7 million units have been adopted by customers. The standard Galaxy S10 is the second most popular model covering 32 percent of sales (5.1 million units). Lastly, the more affordable Galaxy S10e covered roughly 22 percent of sales with Samsung pushing around 3.5 million units.

The Galaxy S10 5G was not included in the analysis

The Galaxy S10 5G – which was released later than the aforementioned three models – was not included in the data. However, last week it was revealed that the 5G variant is already highly successful in countries like South Korea, where the device reportedly passed the 1 million mark in less than three months of availability.

According to the research firm, the success of the Galaxy S10 series also contributed to a higher premium smartphone global market share for Samsung. The company took 25 percent of the premium smartphone market in the first quarter of 2019, up from 23 percent in Q1 2018. The three flagships also boosted the company’s market presence in the US while overall smartphone sales have declined, according to an earlier Canalys report.

It’s not very surprising that the Galaxy S10 series is a hit, more so than the Galaxy S9 was. The writing was on the wall after this year’s flagship series managed to outsell its predecessor in its opening week in the United States, albeit, mostly thanks to the inclusion of the Galaxy S10e.

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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Samsung’s CalliScan app converts handwritten notes to text

Samsung has released a new app named CalliScan in the Galaxy Store. The app converts handwritten notes to text – a feature that is already present in Bixby Vision. It’s not clear why the company released a separate app when the same functionality is already available in Bixby, particularly when it desperately wants customers to use its digital assistant.

One possible reason could be that Bixby Vision is not available on many Galaxy devices and Samsung released this app to cater to those users. Or it may simply be a case of different teams working on these apps, resulting in a feature overlap. Either way, there is no real reason to use CalliScan if your device has Bixby Vision installed.

The app is barebones with a simple camera viewfinder, gallery shortcut, and an option to turn on flash. To use it, just click or import a picture of any handwritten note and the app converts it into text that you can edit or share. Do note that as of now the app supports only English, whereas Bixby Vision supports a few more languages.

CalliScan is available for download in the Galaxy Store if you want to give it a try. When I searched for CalliScan in the store, it wasn’t available under the results in the Popular tab but was present in the More tab. While I was able to download the app for my phone, I couldn’t find it in the store on my Galaxy Tab S3. I am not sure if that’s because it’s a tablet or because it runs Android Oreo.

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Daily Deal: 15% off Sony Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones

If you’re commute by public transport a lot, chances are that you listen to music or watch a TV series on the way. And when you travel, you need headphones or earbuds that are comfortable to wear, sound good, and most importantly, reduce ambient noise so you’re not disturbed by whatever’s going on around you. Sony has been making high-end noise-cancelling headphones for years, and the Sony WH1000XM3 headphones are no different.

The Sony WH1000XM3 headphones come with support for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa and can be instantly connected over Bluetooth with NFC-enabled devices. They charge quickly as well, giving you up to 5 hours of usage with just 10 minutes of charging with the optional AC adapter.

You can buy the headphones at 15% off the regular price, saving over $50. So go ahead and hit the Buy Now button below to place an order. There’s no telling when stock for the discounted price might run out, so don’t wait too long!

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Galaxy S10 finally gets dedicated camera Night mode in the US

Galaxy S10 owners in the US can finally start taking better night-time pictures with a dedicated Night mode in the camera app, at least if they are using the device on AT&T’s network. AT&T has released the June security update for the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+, and the update includes the new Night mode and the QR scanner feature.

Verizon has also released the June update with the same software version (G97xUSQU2ASF6) as AT&T, so it’s possible both carriers have implemented the new camera features. However, we can’t be sure at this time as screenshots confirming the new camera functionality are only available from AT&T-locked devices. T-Mobile, meanwhile, released the June update with a newer software version than AT&T and Verizon but without the camera features, and one can only hope the ‘Uncarrier’ will fix that with the July security update.

After all, the dedicated Night mode is very useful in tough low-light conditions, and those in the US are likely growing frustrated with all the waiting that stateside carriers are making them endure. The QR code scanner is also an excellent addition. You no longer need to use Bixby Vision to scan QR codes using the phone’s camera app – simply aim the camera at a QR code and the link or data contained within the code will pop up above the shutter button.

AT&T is rolling out the new update for all three Galaxy S10 devices over the air. You should be able to download the update from the Settings » Software update menu on your phone. As always, the rollout may not be available for every user right away as updates are released in stages. Simply check at a later time if you don’t see the update show up on your Galaxy S10 right away.

Galaxy S10e

• Model: SM-G970U
• Dimensions: 69.9 x 142.2 x 7.9mm
• Display: 5.8” (146.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
• Camera: 12 MP, CMOS F1.5/F2.4 (77°) & 16MP, CMOS F2.2 (123°)Ultra Wide

More specifications

Galaxy S10

• Model: SM-G973U
• 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-G975U
• Dimensions: 74.1 x 157.6 x 7.8mm
• Display: 6.4"(162.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
• 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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Samsung cuts jobs in India as prices continue to plummet

Chinese rivals have dealt a major blow to Samsung’s sales and margins across product categories in recent years. In China, the cut-throat competition and wafer-thin margins have pushed Samsung’s smartphone market share to less than 1%, forcing the company to close one of its two local manufacturing plants and cut jobs and production at the other.

Now with Samsung facing similar competition in India, the company is once again compelled to assess its costs and strategies in the region. According to a report in The Economic Times, the Korean tech giant will cut down 1,000 jobs out of the 20,000 in India by October as part of a cost rationalization program that will span across sales, marketing, R&D, manufacturing, finance, and other divisions in the company. It has already laid off 150-odd employees in the telecom networks division and froze recruitment since April.

A Samsung India spokesperson, however, told the publication that the company is committed to creating more jobs in the country and is actively investing in existing businesses and exploring new opportunities such as 5G networks. While the spokesperson didn’t openly confirm the job cuts, the statement “we continue to make our business more efficient and robust for long-term success” alluded to it.

Samsung dropped prices by 25-40%

The industry executives who spoke to the publication placed the blame on plummeting prices of smartphones and televisions, which has put pressure on the company’s profits in the country. The report says Samsung has dropped prices of its smartphones and TVs by 25-40% since the end of 2017 to better compete with Chinese rivals.

Apart from cost cutting, the Korean company is also pursuing an ‘India First’ strategy to improve its position in the market. The online-exclusive Galaxy M series, which made its debut in India earlier this year, was born out of this strategy and has been received well by the customers so far. Asserting the importance of success in the Indian market, Yeon Jeong Kim, Samsung’s Head of Innovation, Product Planning Group, told PTI, “India is one of the big markets for us. It is a fast-changing market. If we can win over India, then we can win over in any global market.”

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Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ get QR code scanner with July 2019 update

Samsung detailed the security patch for the month of July 2019 today. The company rolled out some camera features with last month’s update including the ability to scan QR codes using the camera app itself. That will now be possible on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ as well.

The July 2019 security update has just started rolling out for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. We’ve installed it and can confirm that the update does bring the QR code scanner to these devices. This is hardly surprising as Samsung released an updated June patch build for the Galaxy Note 8 which also came with the QR code scanner.

Galaxy S8 QR code scanner arrives with July update

The Galaxy S8 was the first smartphone with Bixby. Users could scan QR codes through Bixby Vision in the camera app. However, Samsung has now spun QR code scanning into a separate feature. So there’s no need to use Bixby Vision for it anymore.

Just fire up the camera app and point it at a QR code. The camera app will scan the code so that you can add contacts, calendar events, open webpages, and more. Just be sure to enable this feature once you install the update. Head to the camera settings and toggle the option marked Scan QR codes.

The update (G950FXXU5DSFB) has been released in France and Germany so far. You can download the latest firmware update for the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ from our database. Samsung will be rolling it out to more markets across the globe in the coming days.

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Samsung monthly updates: July 2019 security patch is now ready

The list of the Samsung monthly updates has been updated today with the particulars of the July 2019 security patch. We haven’t seen the patch being rolled out to a device even before Samsung had detailed it this time around.

That has happened on multiple occasions in the past. The July 2019 security patch is now ready to be rolled out. You can expect compatible devices to start receiving it in the coming days.

Samsung monthly updates: July 2019 patch detailed

The latest security maintenance release for July 2019 includes all of the fixes that Google has made to vulnerabilities that were discovered in the Android OS. It includes patches for 10 critical and over a dozen high-risk vulnerabilities.

The most critical security vulnerability was found in the Media framework. It could enable an attacker to use a special file to run code in the context of a privileged process to compromise the device. Google says that it has received no reports of these issues being exploited against users.

In addition to the Google patches, this update also brings patches for 13 Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE) items. They’re the vulnerabilities that were found in Samsung’s own software. One of which allowed the Gallery to leak contents in Private Mode even when Private Mode was disabled. A vulnerability in the Quick Panel which allowed for Bluetooth to be enabled and disabled without authentication in the lock screen state has been addressed as well.

Samsung is now going to begin the process of sending out the update to compatible devices. It may be a few days after the first July 2019 security patch rolls out for a Galaxy device. We’ll be sure to let you know when that happens.

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Big win for Samsung as NVIDIA picks its 7nm process for next-gen GPU

Samsung has made no secret of the fact that it wants to offset the decline in its memory business with non-memory chips. Its foundry business already makes chips for the likes of Intel but the company has scored a big win today. NVIDIA confirmed its plans to have its next-gen GPU made on Samsung’s 7nm process.

It was reported last month that NVIDIA had decided to fab its next-gen Ampere GPU architecture on Samsung’s 7nm EUV process. TSMC has long been NVIDIA’s fab partner for GPU but Samsung has won out this time.

Samsung to manufacture NVIDIA’s next-gen GPU

The market had expected that NVIDIA would stick to TSMC’s 7nm process for its next-gen GPU. However, subsequent reports suggest that Samsung had “aggressively undercut” TSMC on price. It was a bold move by the company as it continues to work hard to win over more customers from its foremost competitor.

The move has done the trick. NVIDIA Korea chief Yoo Eung-joon confirmed during a press conference today that production of the company’s next-gen GPU architecture will be carried out by Samsung on its 7nm EUV process. “It is meaningful that Samsung Electronics’ 7-nanometer process would be used in manufacturing our next-generation GPU,” Yoo said.

Yoo didn’t say just how much of the foundry production will be handled by Samsung, only suggesting that it would be “substantial.” This isn’t the first time that NVIDIA is relying on Samsung’s manufacturing. It has done that for the GTX 1050 and GTX 1050 Ti cards so this isn’t an unprecedented development. Ampere-based NVIDIA graphic cards are set to hit the market next year.

NVIDIA’s decision might also be based on supply considerations. TSMC’s 7nm node has already seen very high demand from the likes of Apple and AMD. Opting for Samsung’s 7nm process may enable NVIDIA to have more supply so that it can effectively meet demand. This agreement would certainly provide a boost to Samsung’s foundry business and enable the company to offset the decline from the memory side.

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