Samsung’s Exynos 980 chipset ends up in one more Vivo phone

The Exynos 980 is Samsung’s first chipset with a completely integrated 5G modem, and it was first used in the Vivo X30. Now, the chipset has been used in one more Vivo smartphone, the Vivo S6 5G. It’s a mid-range phone Super AMOLED screen and 5G connectivity.

Vivo announced the S6 5G for the Chinese market earlier today. It features a 6.44-inch Super AMOLED screen with HDR10, a U-shaped notch for the selfie camera, and an under-display fingerprint reader. The phone runs Android 10-based Funtouch OS 10 and is equipped with the 8nm Exynos 980 processor, 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, and 128GB/256GB UFS 2.1 storage.

The Vivo S6 5G has a quad-camera setup on the rear, consisting of a 48MP primary sensor (F1.8), an 8MP ultrawide camera (F2.25), a 2MP macro camera (F2.4), and a 2MP depth sensor. It supports 4K video recording. At the front, the phone has a 32MP selfie camera with an F2.0 aperture.

Other features of the phone include SA and NSA 5G connectivity, dual-SIM card slot, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Vivo S6 5G is powered by a 4500mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. The phone is priced at CNY 2,698 (around $380) and comes in black, blue, and white colors. It will go on sale starting April 3.

Very few mid-range chipsets offer an integrated 5G modem with SA and NSA compatibility and support for sub-6GHz technology, and the Exynos 980 is among them. No wonder, the chipset is seeing attraction from other brands. Interestingly, no Samsung has yet been released with the Exynos 980 chipset, but we know that it will be used in the Galaxy A51 5G and the Galaxy A71 5G.

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You can now easily enable 96Hz refresh rate mode on Galaxy S20

The Galaxy S20 series features 120Hz refresh rate mode for the screen, and the experience of using a high refresh rate is downright amazing. Everything feels fast, fluid, and smooth. However, it also consumes a lot of power and ends up affecting the battery life. What if you want a high refresh rate experience without depleting battery by a considerable margin?

Well, the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra feature a hidden, 96Hz refresh rate mode. The 96Hz mode should theoretically offer a reasonable middle ground between high refresh rate and battery life, but Samsung hasn’t enabled the option yet. You can still change your Galaxy S20’s refresh rate setting to 96Hz via ADB, but there’s an easier way that doesn’t require you to hook up your phone to a PC and run some commands.

Set Galaxy S20’s screen refresh rate to 96Hz using this app

XDA forum member SatySatsZB has created an app that places two toggles—96Hz and 120Hz—in the Galaxy S20’s quick settings panel. You can easily switch between those two modes without having to restart the phone. Similar to the 120Hz mode, 96Hz mode is limited to Full HD+ screen resolution.

No one has tested if the 96Hz mode actually offers better battery life than 120Hz mode, but it should be the case unless Samsung has done something wrong. You can download the app from here. Some users who tried out the app on the Exynos variant of the Galaxy S20 have reported issues with the unofficial 96Hz mode, but others say that it is working fine on their smartphones.

Since this is an unofficial workaround, we advise you to try it out at your own risk. We wish Samsung had offered a 90Hz or 96Hz setting officially, but the company may be working on the feature already with newer software builds. The company is also reportedly working to offer 120Hz refresh rate mode with QHD+ resolution.

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Galaxy S20 Ultra to reportedly get a new color soon

Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S series phones usually come in four or more color variants. Then, the company goes on to release additional color variants of the phones over the next few months. The Galaxy S20 Ultra is the most boring Galaxy S series device from Samsung in years in terms of colors. The phone comes in two colors—Cosmic Black and Cosmic Grey—and both of them are quite boring.

Now, it is being reported that Samsung could introduce the Galaxy S20 Ultra in a new color. Ice Universe, who has an excellent track record in predicting information about upcoming Samsung products, has tweeted that a new Galaxy S20 Ultra color will be launched soon. However, he hasn’t revealed the color, but we think that consumers won’t have to wait long.

If you were thinking of getting yourself a Galaxy S20 Ultra but were unhappy with the color options, we suggest you wait a little longer and see if the upcoming color makes you any happier. The Galaxy S20 and the Galaxy S20+ are available in Aura Red, Cloud Blue, Cosmic Grey, Cloud Pink, and Cloud White, and it is possible that one of these colors would be released for the Galaxy S20 Ultra as well.

Which color do you want Samsung to bring for the Galaxy S20 Ultra? Let us know in the comments section below. I would want Samsung to introduce the S20 Ultra in Aura Glow, Aura Red, or Cosmic Blue.

S20 Ultra new color, coming soon…

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) March 31, 2020

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First Galaxy Note 20 leak reveals major hint about its design

Samsung is due to launch another flagship smartphone later this year, it will be the successor to last year’s Galaxy Note 10. Initially believed to be called the Galaxy Note 11, seeing as how Samsung has jumped straight to the Galaxy S20 branding, there’s a good chance that its next phablet may be launched as the Galaxy Note 20.

This Galaxy Note 20 leak has dropped a major hint about its design, particularly that of the top-tier Galaxy Note 20 model. Who knows if Samsung ends up using the “Ultra” branding for that as well.

Galaxy Note 20 leak drops a big design hint

Tipster @rquandt has posted some images of a mold for an inlay of the Galaxy Note 11+ (possibly Note 20 Ultra) LED View Cover. The LED View Cover is a staple accessory for Samsung’s flagships so it would make sense for the company to offer one for the Galaxy Note 20 as well.

The aspect ratio could be off, he cautions, but that’s not what stands out here. The massive cutout for the camera housing is impossible to ignore. It appears to be very similar to the one on the Galaxy S20 Ultra. That’s not surprising, given that we already expect the top-of-the-line Galaxy Note 20 model to boast the same camera specs as the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

This mold also has the hardware buttons on the right side of the frame, a design choice that has been consistently used in Samsung’s recent handsets. It will be completely opposite to the buttons on the Galaxy Note 10 which were all placed on the left side.

It’s far from being the only Galaxy Note 20 leak as we will surely see more in the months to come. However, given the state of the world right now with the pandemic and everything, it remains to be seen if it’s going to be business as usual around the Galaxy Note 20’s expected arrival in August this year.

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Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are still getting security updates

It was almost exactly four years ago that the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge went on sale in markets around the world. The S7 and S7 edge stopped getting major Android updates with Android 8.0 Oreo, in keeping with Samsung’s software update policy for Galaxy devices. However, the Korean giant continues to support the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge with security updates to this day, and it has released the March security patch for the two phones in quite a few countries in the last week or so.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge continue to be in the quarterly schedule for security updates four years after launch, though there’s a good chance that will change starting next month. That’s because Samsung’s policy dictates that every flagship get monthly security updates for three years and once every three months in the fourth year. From the fifth year onward, security updates only arrive when a critical security vulnerability is discovered and needs fixing.

The March 2020 security update is rolling out for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge in a slew of markets around the world, and you can find out if it’s available in your country from the phone’s Settings » Software update menu. You can also check the Galaxy S7/S7 edge section in our firmware archive, where you can also download the latest firmware to manually install it on your device.

Thanks for the tip, Arif!

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The one major reason I don’t use Samsung Internet

I’ve been using Galaxy devices since 2010, when Samsung launched the first Galaxy S. Android, and many Android apps, were an unoptimized mess in 2010, but the Samsung Internet browser stood out as one of the most polished apps back then. Samsung’s browser app ran amazingly smooth thanks to its use of hardware acceleration (i.e.: it offloaded graphical tasks to the GPU for better performance) at a time when the Android OS didn’t officially support hardware acceleration, and that meant Samsung Internet ran better than every other browser app that was available at the time.

But, just a couple of years later, Google launched Chrome for Android devices, and with the popularity the internet giant’s browser had been gaining on desktop computers, it wasn’t long before many shifted to Chrome on their Android smartphone as well. I was one of them, and I’ve stuck with Google Chrome on both my desktop PC and my phones for more than half a decade. Samsung Internet has continued to be awesome all these years, and it also offers some unique features, like support for extensions and a built-in ad blocker, but it has lacked a key feature that keeps me sticking to Google Chrome.

Cross-device sync is the name of the game

It’s a feature that no doubt keeps a lot of other users on Chrome as well, and it’s the fact that you can sync everything from bookmarks and saved passwords between Chrome on Android and Chrome on a desktop PC (whether it’s running Windows or Mac). Samsung has a Chrome extension that lets you copy your Chrome bookmarks to the Samsung Internet app on your phone, but for me (and many like me), only having bookmarks synced isn’t enough.

I need my passwords saved in Chrome as well (yeah, I know this isn’t a very secure thing to do), and I like how quickly everything syncs between my phone and PC every time I set up a new Galaxy phone (which I do often for reviewing Galaxy devices) and fire up Chrome. With Samsung Internet, that’s not possible, as there is no Samsung Internet browser for desktop PCs. And Samsung probably won’t ever make one, as it’s a mobile-first company that makes most of its profits from selling mobile devices and making the parts that go into smartphones, both from Samsung and other manufacturers.

Samsung could make a Chrome extension that copies more than just bookmarks across Chrome and Samsung Internet, but there probably isn’t a way for extensions to access saved passwords and send them to other apps. Well, you can export passwords from Chrome (and mostly any app/software that saves passwords) as a text file and import it into other browsers/apps, but that’s not an automatic process and doesn’t serve the purpose of syncing that I require.

However, considering Microsoft’s Edge browser is now based on Chromium, maybe Samsung can use its partnership with Microsoft to cook something up that solves the syncing problem for me and others like me? Maybe it can, maybe it can’t – I’m not really sure. But until something like that comes out, I don’t think I will ever be able to use Samsung Internet on my Galaxy smartphones (or any other third-party browser for that matter), despite some of its excellent features and functionality.

Do you use Samsung Internet, or do you stick with Chrome because of the lack of cross-platform syncing on the former? Do you have other reasons for sticking to Samsung Internet or Chrome? Let me know in the comments below!

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Daily Deal: 23% off Anker Bleuthooth Wireless Headphones

Wired headphones had a good place in the personal audio space. However, since more smartphones come without a headphone jack, wireless headphones have become more popular. Their battery life has become good as well with these headphones by Anker giving you up to 10 hours of playtime on a single charge. They’re lightweight and have a perfect fit so you can even use them during your workout or run. They’re IPX 7 waterproof so you don’t need to worry about sweat or rain damaging your headphones. They’re now available at 23% off making this the perfect time to get them in.

Hit the Buy Now button below to get them before they’re out of stock!

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New Galaxy S20 update brings improved camera, April security patch

The most recent firmware update that was released for the Galaxy S20 series brought much needed improvements to the autofocus performance of the Galaxy S20 Ultra camera, and it also included some general camera improvements for the other two Galaxy S20 models. Now, Samsung has released a new update for its latest flagship in Hong Kong and Taiwan, once again targeting camera optimization.

The update sports build number G98x0ZHU1ATCT and, in addition to camera performance improvements, it packs the April 2020 security patch. Now, it’s worth mentioning that the updates Samsung releases for its flagships in markets like China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are often different from what it releases in the rest of the world, so it’s unclear if this new update will also make an appearance in other markets. The April patch will no doubt arrive at some point for all countries, but we will have to wait and see if the camera improvements will be included in the update for those countries as well.

As usual, we will be keeping an eye out and letting you know once – and if – this new update starts rolling out internationally. For now, if you reside in Taiwan or Hong Kong and are rocking one of the three Galaxy S20 models, you can download the update over the air from the phone’s Settings » Software update menu. You can also download the latest firmware from our archive and install it manually on your phone using a Windows PC.

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Galaxy A50 receiving March 2020 security patch in the US

Although Samsung started rolling out the Android 10 update to the Galaxy A50 in India and some other markets, users in other regions such as the US are not so lucky. Today, the South Korean firm has released the March 2020 Android security patch to the unlocked variant of the Galaxy A50 in the US.

The OTA (over the air) update has a file size of 128.34MB and it bumps up the firmware version of the Galaxy A50 to A505U1UEU5ATC1. Apart from the March security patch, the update also brings the usual assortment of bug fixes and stability improvements. Unfortunately, the update is still based on Android 9. We had hoped that the phone would receive the Android 10 update this month, but it looks like users would have to wait just a bit longer.

The March 2020 security update was released to the Galaxy A50 in various markets, including Israel, earlier this month. If you have an unlocked variant of the Galaxy A50 in the US, you should be able to see the update notification on your phone’s screen. If you haven’t received the update already, you can manually check for it by heading to Settings » Software update and tapping Download and install.

Samsung has improved a lot over the past year in releasing Android updates and security patches to its phones. It first released the Android 10 update with One UI 2.0 to the Galaxy S10 series and then to the Galaxy Note 10 series. Various other high-end and mid-range smartphones started receiving Android 10 updates over the past couple of months.

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Samsung to end production of all LCD panels by the end of 2020

After announcing its plans to close one of its two LCD production lines in South Korea last year, Samsung Display has now announced that it will end the production of all LCD panels. The company will close all of its LCD manufacturing facilities in China and South Korea by the end of this year due to falling demand.

Samsung’s display manufacturing arm mentioned that it would fulfill all the current orders for LCD panels by the end of 2020 and supply the panels to its customers without any issues. In October, the company had announced its plans to invest KRW 13.1 trillion ($10.72 billion) to upgrade its LCD production lines to make QLED panels.

While Samsung plans to upgrade both of its dedicated LCD plants in Korea to QLED plants, nothing has been said about the company’s plans for two LCD panel manufacturing facilities in China. The company has been investing in the research, development, and production of Quantum Dot OLED panels to compete with LG in the TV space.

The South Korean display giant’s rival firm LG has also announced to shutter the domestic production of LCD TV panels by the end of this year to focus on QLED and OLED production.

Samsung introduced Micro LED TVs last year and expanded its lineup during CES 2020 earlier this year. This technology offers brighter panels, better colors, deep blacks, and lacks any burn-in issues. Apple will reportedly switch to Micro LED displays for iPads and Macs as soon as this year, and Samsung Display would be wanting to be one of the suppliers.

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Samsung’s AKG N400 wireless earphones feature ANC, water resistance

It was long rumored that the Galaxy Buds+ would feature ANC to compete with Apple’s AirPods Pro, but they didn’t. Now, Samsung’s AKG sub-brand has released new true wireless earphones that bring active noise cancellation. On top of that, they also offer water resistance, something that the Galaxy Buds+ are lacking.

The AKG N400 first made a surprise appearance in South Korea, but they have now been officially announced. They cost KRW 230,000 (around $190) in South Korea, which is 30% higher than the price tag of the Galaxy Buds+, but they also bring additional features. They use 8.2mm drivers that have a frequency response of 10Hz-20KHz, an impedance of 16 ohms, and a sensitivity of 96 dB SPL.

AKG N400 feature ANC, wireless charging, companion app

They use a Bluetooth 5.0 chipset, which supports SBC and AAC codecs. The new true wireless earbuds come with a bunch of ear tips, including Comply foam tips. The active noise cancellation feature is excellent for blocking out ambient noise. The level of noise cancellation can be controlled using the Ambient Aware feature, and you can use the TalkThru feature to know what’s going around you.

There are two microphones on each earbud, and AKG has implemented beamforming technology for better audio quality during voice calls. The AKG N400 TWS earphones have capacitive touch controls on each earbud for music playback and volume controls. You can even summon AI voice assistants such as Bixby, Google Assistant, and Siri on paired smartphones.

Each earbud weighs 7.7g, and the case weighs 65g. The earbuds feature an IPX7 rating for water resistance, which means they can very well sustain sweating while you’re working out. The earbuds last 6 hours on a single charge (5 hours with ANC turned on), and the case can charge the earbuds once one, taking the total battery life to 12 hours. A companion app helps in customizing audio, ANC level, and touch controls.

The AKG N400 can be charged via the USB Type-C port or through wireless charging, and they come in three colors: black, blue, and navy. The Navy colored variant of the earbuds come in a dual-finish paint job with gold accents. We expect these true wireless earphones to be released in other markets soon. AKG, which is owned by HARMAN International, also tunes audio on Samsung’s Galaxy Buds lineup.

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How much is the Samsung Galaxy S10 now and is it worth it in 2020?

The Galaxy S20 series represents Samsung’s best ‘candy bar’ smartphone solution to date, which is something you’d expect from a brand new flagship. But if you’re wondering if the Galaxy S10 series has any place on the market after the new model’s release, the answer is ‘yes,’ if you’re aware of the implications.

There’s no denying that the Galaxy S20 lineup is more powerful on paper than its predecessor in virtually every way, but that’s not to say the Galaxy S10 is obsolete. And with the Galaxy S20 now stealing all the hype, you may be able to find attractive discounts on the Galaxy S10 series. You may have thought how much is the Galaxy S10 these days if you’ve been slightly discouraged by the pricing for the Galaxy S20. The good news is that one of Samsung’s most robust lineups is now within reach of more customers than ever before.

Is the Galaxy S10 worth it in 2020?

Samsung’s 2019 flagships remain quite powerful by today’s standards. Granted, you will see a difference in synthetic benchmark scores when comparing the Snapdragon 855 and 865 SoCs side-by-side (or their Exynos equivalents in different markets), but you can expect Qualcomm’s 2019 flagship chipset solution to be very competent in handling day-to-day tasks in 2020.

You will get more RAM with the Galaxy S20 5G variants in the US, but that’s mainly because 5G requires more RAM in general. The LTE models, which are not available in the US, come with 8GB and 12GB of RAM instead.

You won’t lose anything in terms of storage, either. Much like the Galaxy S10 series before it, the Galaxy S20 base models have 128GB of built-in storage, even though the Galaxy Note 10 had 256GB as standard.

Another thing to consider is that the Galaxy S10e, in particular, remains Samsung’s most compact high-end phone on the market. It does have a weaker camera setup even compared to the Galaxy S10, but if you’re willing to give up on the telephoto sensor in favor of a smaller footprint, it’s probably your best choice.

And finally, if you’re not ready to move on to USB-C or wireless headphones, and the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack is important to you then the Galaxy S10 lineup is the only way to go.

The Galaxy S20 series is more futureproof and a better 5G choice

Since it’s a newer flagship, it should be obvious that the Galaxy S20 is more future proof than last year’s model. One UI 2.1 is now a part of the Galaxy S10 experience following a recent update, but keep in mind that the S20 lineup will receive one additional major Android OS update and it will be supported with security patches for the next four years.

Furthermore, the entire Galaxy S20 series in the United States has 5G capabilities, so if this is an important factor for you then you’re probably better off buying the newer model than the Galaxy S10 5G, which continues to sell for $1,299, or $1,199 if you activate it with Verizon on the day of your purchase. Therefore, the Galaxy S20 is a cheaper way to get into the growing 5G scene.

You’ll also miss out on the new Space Zoom camera feature on the Galaxy S20, should you decide to buy one of the S10 models instead. Likewise, the S10 lineup has 15W fast charging, while the Galaxy S20/S20+, and S20 Ultra benefit from 25W and 45W super-fast charging, respectively.

Last but not least, the Galaxy S20 lineup is the company’s first to boast a display with a refresh rate higher than 60Hz. But while the 120Hz display is impressive, sticking with 60Hz won’t hurt your user experience, and you might end up using the 60Hz display mode even on the Galaxy S20. It’s up to you to decide if the 120Hz panel is worth it (and you can check our poll on the matter, by the way), but one thing to keep in mind is that the transition from 120Hz back to 60Hz is more noticeable than when switching the other way around.

We live in the real world, and pricing is a factor, after all

Unless you have a spare flagship lying around and you’re willing to take advantage of the ongoing trade-in deal for the Galaxy S20 series in the US, you’re not going to be able to buy the new flagship for an equal or lower price than that of the S10.

Wondering how much is the Galaxy S10 series available for nowadays? The Galaxy S10e, S10, and S10+ are now available in the US at a discount. Oddly enough, you can get either the Galaxy S10e or Galaxy S10 for $599, while the Galaxy S10+ will set you back $699. There’s quite a difference between them and the Galaxy S20’s $999 starting price, so this is obviously a great time to take advantage of these Samsung Galaxy S10 deals.

In closing, there are reasons to want to buy the new flagship series, as detailed above. But if you don’t want to spend $1,000 or more, you can live without certain features, and/or you want a 3.5mm headphone jack (or a very compact device with a flat screen, in the case of the S10e model), the 2019 lineup remains a good choice. Especially if you can buy one at a discount. And if you don’t reside in the USA, make sure you check Samsung’s portal for your market and you might find similar Galaxy S10 deals. You now know how much is a Galaxy S10 and that it still represents a great value despite not being the latest flagship. The only question is, are you going to buy one?

Galaxy S10e Review | Galaxy S10/10+ Review

• Buy the Galaxy S10e from Samsung USA / Best Buy / Walmart
• Buy the Galaxy S10 from Samsung USA / Best Buy / Walmart
• Buy the Galaxy S10+ from Samsung USA / Best Buy / Walmart

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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First case of coronavirus confirmed at Samsung’s semiconductor plant

The first case of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) at Samsung’s semiconductor manufacturing plant in Yongin, Seoul, was confirmed earlier today, according to Yonhap News Agency.

This is the first case of a Samsung employee at the Giheung semiconductor factory in Yongin to test positive, but it is not the first SARS-CoV-2 case to have been reported within the factory’s perimeter. Roughly one month ago, a cafeteria worker at the Gigeung plant had also tested positive, but this was an employee of a contractor firm.

As yet, there’s no news on whether or not the plant will be shutting down

Samsung’s employee is in his 20s and he’s a resident of Hwaseong. He began showing syndromes last week. According to the source citing the Hwaseong city government, the worker tested positive on Sunday. Samsung immediately sent his colleagues home and disinfected the workplace, but as yet, it’s unclear whether the company will shut down its plant.

The company may have found itself in a difficult spot. While smartphone sales are expected to drop this year, with the Galaxy S20 series standing as proof of that, the company’s semiconductor business is expected to grow even amid the coronavirus pandemic. Having to shut down its chip production lines would probably set the company back in one of its most hopeful business sectors during the economic fallout.

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I’m seriously impressed with the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s charging speed

The battery capacities on Galaxy phones in all price segments have received a massive boost this year. From the budget-friendly Galaxy M11 to the $1400 Galaxy S20 Ultra, Samsung has released quite a few phones that have a 5,000 mAh battery in recent months. The Galaxy S20 Ultra, despite some power hungry features like a 120Hz display refresh rate and a nearly 7-inch screen, lasts really long on a single charge thanks to the size of its battery. More than that, however, I’m impressed at how quickly it goes from 0 to 100% with the supplied 25W charger.

I have been using the Galaxy S20 Ultra for around three weeks at this point and was using the Galaxy S20+ prior to that. All three Galaxy S20 models support 25W super fast charging, but Samsung seems to have tuned the Galaxy S20 Ultra to charge the fastest, or at least in a similar time as the Galaxy S20+, despite the difference in battery capacities. An hour of charging gets the Galaxy S20 Ultra from 0 to 100%, and that’s particularly impressive when you consider that just six months ago, the Note 10+ was the charging speed champion, with its 4,300 mAh battery going from 0 to full in around 65 minutes.

The reason is simple: With any fast charging technology, the power received from the charger begins to taper off once you cross 50-60% charge, but that probably isn’t happening as much on the Galaxy S20 Ultra as it does on other Galaxy phones. And it’s great to see Samsung didn’t just slap a big battery on the top-end Galaxy S20 model and call it a day. The S20 Ultra can last a full day with considerably heavy use, even with 120Hz refresh rate enabled (and I’m never disabling that feature on my phones), and when you need to, you can top it up in an hour and be on your way again.

Of course, there’s plenty more to like about the Galaxy S20 Ultra, and you can read all about that in our review of the phone. Also check out our Galaxy S20+ review, which is the Galaxy S20 model we recommend for most people.

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New fashionable Galaxy Z Flip Special Edition is available in Thailand

Samsung has launched the Galaxy Z Flip SIRIVANNAVARI BANGKOK Special Edition in Thailand. This is the result of Samsung’s first collaboration with a fashion house post-launch, with the Thom Browne Edition being a part of the original Unpacked unveiling.

Samsung’s partnership with the Thai fashion brand was announced almost a month ago, and now the Galaxy Z Flip SIRIVANNAVARI BANGKOK is finally available for purchase online for 47,900 Baht ($1,465). For the price, customers receive the Galaxy Z Flip, a limited edition protective case and wallpaper, and a retail package boasting the SIRIVANNAVARI BANGKOK brand.

This Special Edition Galaxy Z Flip consists mostly of a unique case

Unlike the Thom Browne Edition, the Galaxy Z Flip contained in this new retail package hasn’t received special treatment outside of a wallpaper featuring the fashion house’s stylized peacock logo. Instead, the standard Mirror Purple model is paired with a pink and purple Special Edition case, while Mirror Black model’s case features similar prismatic patterns in blue and turquoise.

The Galaxy Z Flip is half a technical marvel and half a fashion statement, and the latter characteristic seems to be quite fitting for a collaboration with a fashion brand that has a peacock as its logo. The Galaxy Z Flip becomes more impressive when unfolded, revealing a flexible display that’s very likely to impress gadget enthusiasts and casual smartphone users alike.

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Galaxy Z Flip finally releasing in Australia & New Zealand on Friday

The Galaxy Z Flip is finally releasing in Australia and New Zealand on Friday, April 3rd, six weeks after Samsung brought it to the United States and the United Kingdom.

Prospective buyers in Oceania still have until Thursday to pre-order the newest Galaxy foldable, priced at $2,199 AUS and $2,399 NZD, respectively. Interest-free financing is also on the table, albeit only over a two-year period in Australia, whereas the plans offered by Samsung’s New Zealand division go up to 36 monthly installments.

Galaxy Z Flip is Samsung’s best foldable yet

New Zealanders can also benefit from Samsung’s local trade-in program allowing them to knock down the price of the Galaxy Z Flip by up to $740 NZD, in addition to receiving a $200 NZD cashback on top of that. Naturally, that’s assuming they trade one of the more expensive versions of the extremely recently debuted Galaxy Note 10+. A more realistic scenario wherein they’ll be parting with a two-year-old device like the Galaxy S9 will yield savings of around $500 NZD.

Despite the steep price tag, the Mirror Purple variant of the Galaxy Z Flip is already out of stock in Australia, leaving only the Mirror Black model available for advanced orders. Across the Tasman Sea, consumers can still pre-order either version. There’s still no word on whether the Mirror Gold or Thom Browne options will be eventually launching in either country.

The promising pre-release performance dovetails Samsung’s efforts to improve upon last year’s Galaxy Fold in almost every respect with the Galaxy Z Flip, starting with the main selling point of this novel form factor. Namely, the Galaxy Z Flip’s screen isn’t just bendable but can also be kept open at multiple angles, which many reviewers are describing as nothing short of a game-changer.

Combined with better battery life, more intuitive interfaces, and a plethora of other advancements, the Galaxy Z Flip has largely been touted as a massive step forward in this nascent space.

Besides Samsung itself, the Galaxy Z Flip will also be carried by Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone in Australia. As for New Zealand, the unique Android smartphone’s also set to be distributed by Noel Leeming. Alternatively, local branches of Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi will begin retailing the Galaxy Z Flip in both countries starting this Friday.

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Daily Deal: 10% off AUKEY Full HD Webcam

Pairing your desktop PC/notebook with a webcam is essential if you’re working from home and you have to attend conference calls over Skype or similar apps. It’s equally important if you plan on doing gaming live-streams, so if you’re in the market for a webcam and you don’t want to spend a small fortune, the AUKEY FHD Webcam might be the way to go.

It can live-stream in 1080p resolution at 30fps with fixed focus (up to 3m/9.8ft away), it’s plug-and-play with Windows XP / Mac OS 10.7 / Android 4.0 and above, and it’s now available for 10% off.

There’s been a higher-than-usual demand for webcams over the past few weeks as more people are stuck working from home, so hit the Buy Now button below to get one while it’s still available and the deal lasts!

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Galaxy S8 firmware update rolls out bringing April 2020 security patch

Samsung has yet to officially publish the April 2020 security patch details as of this writing, but some Galaxy smartphones have already received it, including the Galaxy S10 and Note 10. Now it’s the Galaxy S8 series’ turn (SM-G950F/SM-G955F), as a new firmware update is rolling out in numerous countries, and although this OTA release doesn’t push the phone’s Android OS version beyond Pie, it does include the April 2020 security patch.

The new firmware update’s version number varies from G95xFXXS8DTC1 to G95xFXXS8DTC6, depending on which country is receiving it. And there are numerous countries in which the update is now available, including but not limited to France, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Romania, Germany, the UK, the Czech Republic, Greece, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Hungary, and other Southeast European, Baltic, and Nordic countries. The roll-out will continue to expand into more regions over the coming days.

It’s been three years since the Galaxy S8 lineup was introduced, meaning that this is the last year in which it will receive monthly security patches. The series will switch to a quarterly update schedule next year, and Samsung will cease to support it in 2022. Until then, you can rest easy that the company will continue to address software vulnerabilities and keep your phone safe from malicious attacks and exploits.

You can download the latest Galaxy S8 firmware update OTA after receiving the notification, or you can download it from our SM-G950F / SM-G955F archives and install it manually using a Windows PC.

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You’ll be able to buy the Galaxy M21 in Vietnam on April 1

Less than two weeks have passed since Samsung unveiled the Galaxy M21 to the world, and now the company has officially confirmed that the budget smartphone will be available in Vietnam from Samsung’s website starting the day after tomorrow, on April 1. Prospective buyers get to pick between the Midnight Blue and Raven Black color options, and they’ll be looking at a VDN 5,490,000 ($233) price tag.

A huge battery on a budget

The 6,000mAh battery powering the Galaxy M21 is one of the phone’s biggest selling points. It isn’t the only Galaxy smartphone to be equipped with a 6,000mAh unit, but it is as high as you can go with a Samsung smartphone, regardless of the price range.

Samsung claims that the Galaxy M21’s 6,000mAh unit holds enough energy to get you through one day of watching movies, nearly two days of talking, or up to five days of music playback on a single charge. 15W fast-charging is also on-board, so you won’t have to spend too much time waiting for the 6,000mAh battery to reach 100% charge.

Another 6.4-inch Galaxy phone enters the arena

There are quite a few Galaxy smartphones that feature a 6.4-inch display, and the Galaxy M21 is not an exception. The Super AMOLED panel has a resolution of 2340 by 1080 and borrows the Infinity-U design, not unlike the Galaxy M31 which is another budget smartphone to consider. It was released in Vietnam last week for an additional $45-50 compared to the Galaxy M21’s price (or VND 6,490,000).

Other specs include an octa-core Exynos 9611 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage expandable via microSD by up o 512GB, and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. In the camera department, the Galaxy M21 has a 48MP main shooter (f/2.0), an 8MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), and a 5MP depth camera (f/2.2). Selfie enthusiasts get a 20MP wide sensor with an f/2.0 aperture.

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Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9 One UI 2.1 update might not come

It was reported a few weeks ago that the Galaxy Note 9 and the Galaxy S9 may also receive the One UI 2.1 update. This is the latest iteration of Samsung’s custom Android skin that first shipped with the Galaxy S20 lineup and the Galaxy Z Flip.

A community moderator on Samsung Korea’s forums had mentioned the possibility that the update may also be released for the 2018 flagships. However, it appears that this may not be the case and these devices may not get the update.

No plans for a Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9 One UI 2.1 update

It was clear that Samsung would eventually release the One UI 2.1 update for the Galaxy S10 and the Galaxy Note 10. This was expected to happen in April but the company pleasantly surprised everyone by releasing One UI 2.1 for these devices last week.

One UI 2.1 brings some of the best Galaxy S20 features to the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10. These include Quick Share, Music Share, Pro Mode for Video, Single Take, improved Night mode, Night Hyperlapse, Clean View, Quick Crop and more.

The expectation was, particularly after the moderator’s post, that the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9 may also get One UI 2.1. A notification sent through the Samsung Members app in South Korea suggests that there may not be any plans right now to bring One UI 2.1 to the Galaxy Note 9. This would ostensibly mean that the Galaxy S9 won’t get it as well.

The most recent firmware for the Galaxy Note 9, N960FXXU5DTC5, does include the latest March 2020 security patch but it’s not based on One UI 2.1. Also, when taking Samsung’s record with rolling out such updates for older flagships into account, it seems all the more unlikely that the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9 will get One UI 2.1.

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Amazon prematurely reveals the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite release date

Samsung has yet to unveil the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite but the Android tablet’s arrival now seems all but imminent after its apparent release date prematurely appeared on Amazon.

Over the weekend, the device was listed on Amazon Germany where it’s been promptly spotted with a €428.44 ($473) price tag, as well as an availability date of April 2nd – this Thursday. While it’s possible the date in question is just a placeholder, such fillers are rarely assigned to something other than the first or last day of a given month.

Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is Samsung’s new budget tablet

SamMobile exclusively reported on the existence of the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite way back in December, revealing Samsung has at least two models in the works: the SM-P610 and SM-P615. Based on the company’s numbering practices, the latter’s likely to be an LTE variant of the device.

Its official moniker became known thanks to a Bluetooth SIG certification from late February. The Android mid-ranger finally revealed itself the following day, having appeared in a product render depicting a largely bezel-less slate with an S Pen.

Another render showing both sides of the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite and its stylus surfaced two weeks ago. Around the same time, Samsung successfully certified the device in Taiwan and the U.S.

Even Netflix joined in on the premature listing fun by publicly certifying the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite for HD streaming. That particular development also revealed the model numbers of every single member of the tablet line: SM-P610, SM-P610X, SM-P615, SM-P615C, SM-P615N, SM-P617, SM-P617V.

As if that’s not enough, a massive leak from last week detailed the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite in almost every respect, indicating the product will use a 10.4-inch (2,000 x 1,200) LCD screen, 4GB of RAM, and Samsung’s own Exynos 9611 chipset. According to the same source, the base model will pack 64GB of storage, while some countries will receive units with twice that capacity. Every version is expected to sport a microSD card slot, a 5-megapixel front camera and an 8-megapixel module on the back (without flash). The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite should run One UI based on Android 10 out of the box, in addition to leveraging a 7,040mAh battery.

Based on all of those accounts, it appears the upcoming tablet is meant to serve as a more budget-conscious alternative to the Galaxy Tab S6, Samsung’s most powerful Android slate to date. It’s hence a de facto follow-up to the Galaxy Tab S5e, even though it doesn’t adhere to an identical naming scheme.

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Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ & Galaxy S20 Ultra Wireless PowerShare guide

In many respects, the Galaxy S20 series is the culmination of mobile technologies Samsung has been iterating upon for over half a decade. Wireless charging is no exception as with the Galaxy S20’s Wireless PowerShare feature, Samsung allows you to wirelessly charge other devices with your phone.

Samsung’s 2019 flagships were the first devices to come with Wireless PowerShare and the company has retained the feature for the Galaxy S20 lineup as well.

Samsung Wireless PowerShare explained

Much like its name suggests, Wireless PowerShare allows the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra to reverse wireless charge other devices. The feature isn’t just limited to Samsung-made handsets and gadgets. Devices that support the Qi charging standard can be wirelessly charged using these handsets.

Be that as it may, Samsung’s always quick to point out that Wireless PowerShare has been specifically designed for its select few products, primarily the Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Galaxy Buds+.

Even in ideal circumstances, the solution can’t really compare to contemporary fast wireless chargers which support speeds of up to 15 watts. In contrast, the wireless charging coil found inside the Galaxy S20 line delivers less than half of that performance, which makes the functionality not something to rely on an everyday basis, but it’s nice to have the option should you need to add some juice to your Galaxy Buds+ when you’re on the road.

How to use Wireless PowerShare on the Galaxy S20

Samsung’s proprietary implementation of reverse wireless charging can be accessed from the Settings app, but the easiest way to enable it on any Galaxy S20 model is from the notification panel. Pulling down twice on any screen should do the trick, presenting you with the relevant toggle on the first shortcut page.

Tapping the icon will prompt the phone to start acting as a wireless charger. Do keep in mind that your phone needs to have at least a 30% charge for this to work. With the feature enabled, simply set a compatible device on top of your Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, or Galaxy S20 Ultra’s rear panel to start charging it. By default, Samsung’s flagships will signalize the start of a wireless charging connection via a notification prompt.

On the other hand, interacting with the “Wireless PowerShare” text will lead you to a Settings page dedicated to the service. Choosing the latter lets you tap on “Details” where you’ll be greeted with a short tutorial. This screen is also where you can manually set the battery limit for allowing Wireless PowerShare, ranging from 30% to 90%. There’s no way to go below the 30% limit.

Even if you’re running a custom launcher on top of One UI, the Wireless PowerShare toggle should still be sitting in the notification shade by default. On the off chance that’s not the case, just open the Settings app and look up the feature using the search bar at the top.

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Galaxy A9 (2018) Android 10 update rolling out

The Galaxy A9 (2018), Samsung’s first ever phone with four rear cameras, is now getting its second major Android OS update. Android 10 is rolling out to the A9 (2018), almost exactly an year after the phone was updated to Android Pie. The Android 10 update is available in Poland at this time and should soon be out in other markets. It comes with software version A920FXXU3CTCD and the March 2020 security patch.

Galaxy A9 (2018) Android 10 update is a go

The full changelog is currently unknown, but you can expect all the major Android 10 features, such as Google’s navigation gestures, improved Digital Wellbeing, new parental controls, and more. One UI 2.0 also brings a slew of new functionality, in addition to making tons of improvements to the user interface, all of which we detailed in our One UI 2.0 vs One UI 1.x comparison a few months ago.

As noted above, this is the second major Android update for the A9 (2018), and, as Samsung’s policy dictates, it’s also the last. The device will, however, continue getting security updates every three months for at least another year, following which it will be moved into the ‘other regular security updates’ category, in which security updates are released only when critical security fixes are needed.

If you own the Galaxy A9 (2018), you can update to Android over the air by opening the phone’s Settings app, selecting Software update, and tapping Download and install. The Android 10 firmware for the device is also available in our firmware archive for those who don’t wish to wait for the OTA release.

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Developers can now test their apps on Galaxy S20, Galaxy Z Flip using Samsung Remote Test Lab

Samsung’s recently launched high-end smartphones—Galaxy S20 series and Galaxy Z Flip—are now available in the company’s Remote Test Lab (RTL). Developers can now test their apps and games without buying these phones. The South Korean firm’s test lab also offers free access to previous-generation smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets.

Developers can reserve the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Flip in the Samsung Remote Test Lab to test their apps or games via a web browser. With more people now working remotely due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, developers will be glad that they will be able to run and debug their apps from the safety of their homes.

Anyone can sign up to access the Remote Test Lab for free, select the preferred phone, and test their app before they publish it on the Galaxy Store or the Play Store. The Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip phones are available in Samsung’s Remote Test Lab in Poland, South Korea, and the US, but they can be accessed from anywhere across the globe. Developers can even share the screen of the device with their fellow teammates or partners during testing.

Samsung provides 20 credits to each developer every day, and one credit can be used to access the Remote Test Lab service for 15 minutes. The minimum reservation time is 30 minutes (2 credits), and developers can spend as much as 40 credits to get access to devices for 10 hours every day.

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Galaxy M11 goes official with triple-camera, Infinity-O screen

Samsung has finally made the Galaxy M11 official, and it is listed on the company’s UAE website. The pricing and the availability date of the entry-level smartphone haven’t been revealed yet, but the device will be available across retail stores in the country. After we had exclusively revealed the existence of the device four months ago, the phone’s images and specs were leaked last week

The Galaxy M11 has a plastic body, and it comes in three colors: black, blue, and violet. The phone features a 6.4-inch LCD Infinity-O screen with HD+ resolution and a punch hole in the top-left corner. While the website hasn’t revealed the name of the processor, it was earlier reported that the phone will be equipped with the Snapdragon 450 chipset. It has 3GB/4GB RAM, 32GB/64GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot (up to 512GB). The phone runs Android 10 with One UI 2.0, but some of the features of Samsung’s latest software will be missing from the Galaxy M11.

The triple-camera setup on the phone consists of a 13MP (F1.8) primary sensor, a 5MP (F2.2) ultrawide camera, and a 2MP (F2.4) depth sensor. At the front, the phone has an 8MP selfie camera. The Galaxy M11 can record 1080p 30fps videos using both front and rear cameras. There’s a fingerprint reader on the rear for user authentication.

In terms of connectivity, the phone features GPS, 4G LTE, dual-SIM card slot, single-band Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There’s no NFC on this phone, which means that contact-based mobile payments won’t be possible. The device weighs 197g and is 9mm thin. A large, 5000mAh battery powers the Galaxy M11, and it supports 15W fast charging. We expect Samsung to launch the phone in other markets as well.

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