Samsung heir could be charged for accounting fraud and stock manipulation

Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-Yong has been embroiled in legal troubles for the past few years. He is facing a retrial for his role in the alleged forced merger of Cheil Industries Inc. and Samsung C&T and the accounting fraud at Samsung Biologics. Today, the South Korean prosecution is expected to announce the results of the investigation, likely indict Lee, and charge him without detention.

Lee could be face charges related to accounting fraud, stock manipulation, and violation of capital market laws. Prosecutors suspect that Samsung Group’s current de-facto leader in a company-wide scheme to plan an illegal merger so that he could take over the control of the company from his ailing father, Lee Kun-Hee, who suffered a heart attack in 2014. Although Lee has denied these allegations, prosecutors believe that there is enough evidence of his wrongdoing.

Prosecutors believe that Lee operated a scheme to inflate the value of Cheil Industries and deflated the value of Samsung C&T before the merger. Lee was the largest shareholder of Cheil Industries, with a stake of 23.2 percent. These decisions allowed Lee to take control of the Samsung Group from his father. He was also reportedly a part of a plan that inflated the value of Samsung Bioepis, a joint venture of Samsung Biologics (a subsidiary of Cheil Industries) and US-based Biogen Inc.

The South Korean prosecution accelerated the investigation this year and called former and incumbent senior executives at Samsung over the case. Choi Gee-Sung and Kim Jong-Joong were summoned along with Lee for questioning. Kim Jong-Joong used to lead Samsung Group’s now-disbanded control tower, the Future Strategy Office.

Lee had hoped that the recommendation of the prosecution’s independent panel to drop charges citing difficulties in substantiating some of them would make the case go away. The board of fourteen members had concluded on June 26 by 10-3 that the prosecution’s investigation in the high-profile succession case was not warranted. However, prosecutors still managed to build up a case against Lee after gathering opinions from various accounting professors and management.

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Samsung Electronics collaborates with Corning to develop its own foldable glass

Samsung Electronics’ newer generation foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Flip and the Galaxy Z Fold 2, use Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) that has been developed by Samsung Display. However, the company has plans to develop its own foldable glass technology, and to that end, it has collaborated with Corning.

Samsung is at the forefront of the foldable smartphone segment, and it wants to internalize the development of key materials for such devices. Foldable glass is a critical component for foldable phones. It is being reported that the South Korean smartphone giant is developing foldable glass using Corning’s substrate. In comparison, Samsung Display’s Ultra-Thin Glass panels are made using German firm Schott’s glass substrate.

Apparently, Samsung Electronics chose Corning as Schott signed an exclusive supply contract with Samsung Display. Corning has been reportedly developing bendable glass internally, but its development started later than Schott’s. Now, the American glassmaker has received large orders from Samsung Electronics for glass substrate.

Corning’s spokesperson told ETNews that it is currently supplying bendable glass substrate to a firm, but they can’t reveal the name of its client. Samsung’s smartphone division is reportedly looking to develop its in-house foldable glass and force Samsung Display to lower the price of its panels. However, it could be difficult for Samsung Display to lower prices further as it is currently difficult to improve the yield in the substrate cutting process.

Samsung Display currently only supplies UTG to Samsung Electronics, but it is expected to diversify its client list in the future and reduce the reliance on Samsung Electronics. Huawei seems to have recently placed orders from Samsung Display for its future foldable smartphones. Samsung’s display manufacturing arm is pegged to be the number one foldable display panel supplier for a few years.

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Target’s unlocked Galaxy Note 20 5G is accompanied by a $200 gift card

The unlocked Galaxy Note 20 5G is now available in the USA at Target. Although this bit of news might not sound overly exciting at first, the retailer is offering an amazing deal wherein customers wanting to buy the unlocked Galaxy Note 20 5G from Target will receive a $200 gift card. The phone itself costs $999, so the gift card essentially gives you back 20% of the retail price to spend on other products.

Target’s Galaxy Note 20 5G deal is valid until September 5 so you’ll have the rest of the week to decide whether or not you want to take advantage of it. Keep in mind that the Galaxy Note 20 5G in the USA comes with 128GB of storage and Target is listing only the Mystic Gray variant at the time of writing.

Now, if you’re looking for ideas on what you could be doing with the $200 gift card, you might want to consider the Galaxy Buds Live. They’re available at Target in three color options for $169 so you’d even have some spare change left.

You could argue that the Galaxy Note 20 5G is not worth $999 to begin with and that the Target gift card merely brings the price down to where it should have been in the first place. And we wouldn’t disagree with you, but the reality of the situation is that the Galaxy Note 20 is still being sold for $999 so if you’re looking to buy one, there’s no reason not to look for a discount. Check the link below for more details.

• Buy unlocked Galaxy Note 20 5G from Target
• Buy the Galaxy Buds Live from Target

Galaxy Note 20 5G

• Model: SM-N981B
• Dimensions: Bar: 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Super AMOLED Plus
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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Samsung didn’t tell you this but One UI 2.5 adds sound to Motion photos

Samsung introduced One UI 2.5 along with the Galaxy Note 20 series. The latest version adds numerous new features while improving existing ones, and these latest additions have already been ported over to older devices like the Galaxy S20 series through firmware updates. But there’s one feature (at least) that hasn’t been mentioned in any of Samsung’s changelogs. It turns out that One UI 2.5 changes the way Motion photo works by adding sound to these short clips.

Motion photo exists in the Camera app for Galaxy devices running older versions of One UI, so the feature itself is not entirely new; only its sound component is. It’s an option that lets you capture a short clip alongside your new photo, and it can be enabled or disabled by tapping a toggle in the viewfinder. But with One UI 2.5, Samsung has added sound to Motion photos in case you want to convert a Motion photo to a 1-second long video.

We’re not sure why this addition was left out from Samsung’s changelog for One UI 2.5 but it does make us wonder if there are other small changes to the user experience that people may have missed. Either way, sound for Motion photos is not a Galaxy Note 20-exclusive and it is available to the Galaxy S20 series post firmware update.

As to how useful it is to have sound attached to Motion photos, that’s up to each of you to decide. Do you have any use cases in mind for this feature? Let us know in the comment section below and check our definitive guide in case you need to refresh your memory on how to use Motion photos.

Galaxy Note 20

• Model: SM-N980F
• Dimensions: Bar: 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Super AMOLED Plus
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

• Model: SM-N985F
• Dimensions: Bar: 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm
  
• Display: 6.9 inch / 175.26 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 108MP

More specifications

Galaxy S20

• Model: SM-G980F
• Dimensions: Bar: 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.2 inch / 157.48 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S20+

• Model: SM-G985F
• Dimensions: Bar: 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

• Model: SM-G988B
• Dimensions: Bar: 166.9 x 76.0 x 8.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.9 inch / 175.26 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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Samsung business still at risk, facing ‘triple threat’ at home

Between a historically low production output, steadily declining electronics sales across the globe, and “humilitating” chipmaking troubles, business hasn’t exactly been good for Samsung this year. While a lot of those issues stem from the unpredictable turn of events 2020 had in store for us, Samsung is in need of solutions, not excuses. Especially given how its top management is getting dangerously close to yet another high-profile scandal not long after Vice Chairman and heir apparent, Lee Jae-yong, managed to get his prison sentence over government bribery miraculously suspended.

Suspended, but not overturned, because South Korean officials are still mulling over whether to go after Lee once again for largely the same thing – the manner in which he consolidated his power at Samsung, tightly grasping control of the conglomerate that’s been in the family for over 80 years now.

Samsung’s trifecta of headaches: coronavirus, courts, Korean government

Lee already vowed to end Samsung’s royal line but the fact that he continues to benefit from it isn’t something Seoul officials are eager to drop. New reports out of South Korea indicate a retrial is still very much in the realm of possibilities. Another major domestic worry for the chaebol is the increased regulatory pressure that’s lately manifested in a piece of legislation outright called the “Samsung Life Insurance Act” in reference to the company’s indemnification subsidiary. If the sitting parliament manages to enact this regulative, SLI would be forced to divest itself from Samsung Electronics, still the flagship division of the conglomerate. Even after a major selloff the proposal itself prompted, SLI still owns the equivalent of almost $17 billion in Samsung Electronics and is an important cog in the machine allowing Lee to retain tight control of Samsung Group.

Then there’s the continued challenge of doing business in this new stay-at-home economy – or what remains of the old one. One silver lining for Samsung on this front is that the novel coronavirus pandemic prompted an innovation boost at its B2B division. But all things considered, you know business has been bad when a global economic crash over a highly contagious disease just barely makes it into your top three annual risks.

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Samsung’s lifestyle TV for outdoors, The Terrace, is available in Europe

Samsung added The Terrace to its lifestyle TV lineup earlier this year to complement existing models like The Sero and The Frame. Months after the original announcement, The Terrace is finally available in Germany in three different sizes and for three different prices starting at 3,898 euro.

What sets The Terrace apart from Samsung’s other TVs is that it was built primarily for outdoor use, hence the moniker. It has an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance and it can withstand temperatures between -30 and +50 degrees Celsius.

4K QLED technology and up to 4,000 nits of brightness

Its robust build aside, The Terrace offers a premium viewing experience thanks to its QLED 4K display that has an average brightness of 2,000 nits and peak brightness levels of 4,000 nits. Visibility is key in outdoor conditions so brightness is constantly adapted through Adaptive Picture Technology.

Sound is equally important and The Terrace ships with its own soundbar. It was designed for outdoor acoustics and like the TV itself, the soundbar carries its own IP55 ingress rating. Both the TV and the soundbar can be controlled using the same Wi-Fi/Bluetooth remote.

The Terrace is available in Germany in sizes of 55, 65, and 75 inches. The 55-inch model is being sold for 3,898 euro while the 75-inch variant costs 6,335 euro. The medium-sized 65-inch The Terrace will set you back 4,872 euro. Check the links below if you’re looking for more details.

• Buy The Terrace, 55-inch, from Samsung Germany
• Buy The Terrace, 65-inch, from Samsung Germany
• Buy The Terrace, 75-inch, from Samsung Germany

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Samsung diversifying Galaxy Z Fold 2 production with Brazil, Vietnam

With an expected price of $2,000, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 isn’t exactly destined to make waves in emerging markets such as Brazil. But in a way, it’s likely to do just that after Samsung decided to diversify the production of its second-generation foldable flagship. According to a new report from the Far East, the Seoul-based tech giant is shifting a major portion of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 production to its Brazilian factory, which will begin manufacturing the device next month. While the final decision on the matter happened only now, the move was likely on the cards for a while now, especially in light of Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s recent visit to the company’s Brazilian operations.

The significance of that gesture cannot be overstated given Lee’s indifference to Latin America over the last two decades.

Samsung to make $1 billion on Galaxy Z Fold 2 sales in Q4 2020

Another big chunk of Galaxy Z Fold 2 production – about 20% of it – will go to Samsung’s Vietnamese lines, industry insiders claim. That’s roughly 150,000 units, whereas the company’s overall plan is to manufacture between 700,000 and 800,000 of Galaxy Z Fold 2 models by the end of the year. Its domestic plants are expected to handle the majority of the remaining orders, much like they led the flow production of the seminal Galaxy Fold.

All of this is a pretty big indication that foldables are maturing at a steady pace because for such a major reshape of their mass-manufacture structure to happen, Samsung must already be heavily focused on optimizing profit margins. Which likely wouldn’t be a priority if the demand for the product wasn’t surging. While foldable smartphones are still a relatively nascent market, Galaxy Z Fold 2 Q4 sales are projected to be in the ballpark of 500,000. That’s $1 billion in added revenue for Samsung – not bad for an emerging product category with a historically steep barrier to entry. Not to mention all of the other difficulties 2020 had to throw the global economy’s way, which hurt Samsung as much as any other international conglomerate.

Officially unveiled on August 5th, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will get its full-fledged announcement tomorrow, as part of the so-called Galaxy Unpacked Part 2 event. Samsung’s latest high-end Android smartphone will almost certainly hit the store shelves in the second half of September following a brief pre-order period.

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Samsung Cloud gets its final expiration date as Microsoft rejoices

Samsung has been in the process of winding down its consumer cloud service for a while now, but it wasn’t until today that it detailed this effort to any meaningful extent. More specifically, the company confirmed Samsung Cloud file synchronization will be coming to an end on June 21st, 2021. The option of synchronizing your images and videos directly from the Gallery app will be going away much sooner than that, however. The Netherlands, for example, is losing it on October 5th, but pretty much every market will be affected this fall.

Users only have until April 1st to migrate their data to OneDrive, whereas the final 10 weeks will only allow them to manually download their data, after which Samsung Cloud servers will be shutting down for good, thus concluding the move that started with One UI 2.1 based on Android 10 earlier this year.

The death of Samsung Cloud a huge boon to Microsoft

Naturally, the sunset of Samsung Cloud will also spell an end to its My Files integration, with all of its synchronization capabilities being discontinued in favor of OneDrive (though Google Drive sync in My Files is still an option). All of this is part of a larger strategy shift that saw Samsung pull the plug on many of its software initiatives after concluding it would be more cost-effective to pursue key partnerships like the one with Microsoft’s OneDrive team.

Samsung’s gradual software downsizing is already so advanced that the company is reportedly even considering canceling SDC 2020. Of course, the ongoing health concerns are a major point of consideration as well. In the meantime, make sure your Gallery and My Files backups are reuploaded to OneDrive by going to the settings page of either app and tapping the Sync with OneDrive or OneDrive option.

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Galaxy S20 Ultra’s problematic camera autofocus should qualify it for refunds

The Galaxy S20 Ultra has the ultimate camera specs on paper, but we all know that the real-life experience is far from perfect. I am talking about the S20 Ultra’s camera autofocus issues, of course. Samsung’s shift to a 108MP camera sensor for its top-of-the-line flagships this year came at the cost of the camera’s focusing capabilities. The 108MP camera uses standard phase detection autofocus, which is a considerable step down from the Dual Pixel autofocus that Samsung has been using for flagship phone cameras since 2016.

But, somehow, the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s phase detection autofocus performs worse than that tech actually should. In fact, Samsung’s $1400 phone had more issues with focusing on the subject than many mid-range Galaxy devices, until the company ironed out the kinks with multiple software updates. But it’s still not perfect and probably never will be. Video recording is where the Galaxy S20 Ultra falters most, with repeated loss of focus while you’re shooting a video and visibly slow focus switching between different parts of the scene, and it all feels embarrassingly bad for a device that costs as much as the S20 Ultra does.

The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra more or less doesn’t have those issues thanks to its laser sensor, and after using it these last few weeks, I really feel Samsung should be offering refunds to Galaxy S20 Ultra owners or at least letting them replace their phone with the Note 20 Ultra without charging them anything for it.

Galaxy S20 Ultra owners are stuck with crappy autofocus until they upgrade

The reason is simple: Unless you change phones often, you will be using the Galaxy S20 Ultra and its problematic camera for a couple of years. I understand not every smartphone can be perfect, but in Samsung’s case, it really seems like improper testing is the reason why it’s messing up so often these days. We’ve talked about this before: When you’re making three flagship devices a year (four if you count the Galaxy Z Flip), you’re reducing the time you can spend on testing those devices. Or Samsung is simply not being as meticulous as it should be, or it wouldn’t have tried to get away with selling a foldable phone without testing it in the real world and hoping customers wouldn’t notice.

If Samsung had been upfront with us that its new ‘Ultra’ flagship offers fantastic zooming capabilities but can’t get something as basic as autofocus right, I wouldn’t complain too much. But the company misled us by keeping quiet about it. Or if the Fold’s initially botched design is any indication, Samsung’s engineers probably didn’t even know the S20 Ultra had focus troubles until it started selling the phone and reports started coming in.

Of course, what’s done is done, and there’s no fixing the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s underlying hardware issues, not without a recall anyway. But maybe Samsung can set things right by letting Galaxy S20 Ultra owners trade in their phone for a Note 20 Ultra free of charge, get a full refund, or perhaps announce that they will be able to replace their phone with the Galaxy S21 Ultra next year without paying a dime? Yeah, I know that’s not something the company will do, especially given the financial duress it’s under because of the coronavirus pandemic, but a guy can wish, right?

Do you have issues with your Galaxy S20 Ultra camera’s autofocus, or are you okay with how it performs? Does the idea of a no-charge replacement or a refund sound good to you? Let me know down in the comments!

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Samsung finally launches 980 Pro, its first PCIe 4.0 NVMe consumer SSD

After unveiling its first consumer-grade PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD at CES 2020 eight months ago, Samsung is finally launching it. Three storage variants of the 980 Pro SSD is now listed on Samsung Singapore’s website. It is available in 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB versions. The new SSDs were approved by the NRRA two months ago.

The 980 Pro SSD promises sequential read speeds of up to 7,000MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 5,000MB/s. However, it should be noted that a computer is required to feature a PCIe 4.0 slot to achieve those read and write speeds. Currently, only PCs using AMD’s Ryzen 3000 series CPUs with X570 chipset motherboard feature PCIe 4.0 slots. Intel is expected to launch its 11th Gen. Core processors later this year with PCIe 4.0 compatibility.

Samsung is using the Elpsis controller in its 980 Pro SSDs and supports random read/write IOPS of up to 1,000K. These devices also feature 1GB of LPDDR4 RAM for cache and V-NAND MLC 3-bit memory. With its new SSDs, the company will abandon its MLC memory that was used in its 970 EVO SSD devices.

With the help of the PCIe 4.0 standard, the company has been able to double the read and write performance compared to its previous-generation SSDs. That’s truly a generational leap forward. The South Korean firm has not announced the prices for its 980 Pro SSDs yet. However, the storage devices are expected to go on sale in various markets around the world shortly.

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Samsung’s battery manufacturing arm to continue R&D investment to bag more orders

Samsung SDI will continue to invest more in research and development so that it can drive growth and bag more orders in the future. The company is expected to invest a total of $678 million in 2020 for R&D, its highest annual investment ever. Samsung’s battery-making unit is preparing itself for the electric vehicle era with its continued investments.

According to the company’s previous reports, Samsung SDI invested $424 million in 2017, $508 million in 2018, and $601 million in 2019. This indicates that the company’s investment for research and development rose 60% in just three years. Samsung SDI has already invested $347 in R&D this year, pointing towards a total investment to reach $678 million by the end of 2020.

The company wants to develop its electric vehicle battery business as the growth engine for the future. Most of its R&D investments have been used in the development of next-generation batteries for electric vehicles. It is preparing for the mass production of fifth-generation batteries that have 88 percent nickel content based on high-nickel cathode material. This battery offers longer range and lower cost compared to previous generation batteries.

Samsung SDI began drawing attention in the international industry in 2016 after it introduced a battery that offers up to 600km of range for electric cars. In 2017, it displayed a battery that provided a range of up to 500km after just 20 minutes of charging. Recently, the company has been busy developing solid-state batteries that are being considered as a game-changer. Samsung has been in talks with Hyundai to offer batteries for the automobile brand’s future electric cars.

The battery making firm also invested in the construction of a smart battery factory in Cheonan where sensors and AI mechanisms are used for improved control on the manufacturing process. Since 2017, when Jun Young-Hyun was appointed as the president, the company has emphasized technology management and to offer the best quality and safety in the industry.

 

 

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Samsung Pay Card launched in South Korea

Samsung Electronics has launched the Samsung Pay Card in South Korea earlier today in collaboration with Samsung Card and MasterCard. It’s a physical credit card that’s specifically designed for Samsung Pay users, and it brings along plenty of benefits. Customers can apply for the Samsung Pay Card and manage it only via the Samsung Pay app.

Users can check the card number, discounts, payment amount due, and performance of the card using the Samsung Pay app. They can also block overseas payments using the app. Samsung Pay card offers a 1% discount when purchases are made in offline stores and a 1.5% discount when transactions are done on online websites.

Until December 31, Samsung Pay Card will offer a 0.5% additional discount for Samsung Pay payments. A 2% discount will be offered when purchases are made on online shopping websites. When payments are made at the Samsung Pay coupon shop, users would be eligible to receive a 3% discount. There would be a 2% discount for postpaid transportation payments.

International payments can be done with the Samsung Pay Card. The company has announced that it is offering international payments in stores around the world that have NFC terminals. When international transactions are done via Samsung Pay, the company will offer a 5% discount (limited to KRW 100,000 per month).

Samsung claims that Samsung Pay currently has over 19 million users, and they have done more than KRW 80 trillion worth of transactions as of August 2020. The company had launched the Samsung Pay Card in the UK in partnership with Curve and Samsung Money card in the US in collaboration with SoFi.

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Samsung sells dying LCD business to China for $1 billion

Just as Samsung’s LCD divestment was about to break some new records in corporate deliberateness, the tech giant suddenly shifted into overdrive by finalizing a blockbuster factory sale to China. Newly emerged reports out of South Korea claim Samsung found a buyer for its LCD plant in Suzhou. Located in the Jiangsu Province on the eastern shore of mainland China, the said plant represents a significant chunk of what remains of Samsung’s LCD business. As a reminder, the company has been actively winding down its in-house LCD manufacture since last year as part of a strategic shift to OLED products.

That endeavor is now continuing with the sale of the Suzhou factory that will net Samsung $1.08 billion, industry insiders claim. The buyer is China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT), the display division of Chinese consumer electronics juggernaut TCL. CSOT’s billion-dollar splurge was enough to secure a 60% stake in the business, while its parent reportedly purchased another 10% of the plant. The remaining third will soon be taken over by the city of Suzhou, as per the same report.

Samsung leaving the LCD industry with a bang after all

Overall, this is a pretty stellar turn of events for Samsung seeing how the Suzhou plant has been nothing more than a giant money sink for the company since spring. Which is when Samsung pretty much shut down shop in response to the initial coronavirus outbreak, laying off 1,700 people in the process. Prior to this year, the Chinese facility was responsible for roughly 27% of Samsung Display’s annual LCD output.

While Samsung remains all too happy to offload its LCD assets to anyone who asks, it’s worth remembering that 2020 actually boosted its LCD profits one final time. Given the abudance of economic uncertainty and the huge hit to forecast TV revenues stemming from the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Samsung could have hardly hoped for a better summer on the LCD front. Even prior to its last shutdown, the Suzhou factory hasn’t been consistently operating at capacity since the turn of the year. And that’s just the tip of the COVID-19 iceberg that’s been weighing down on Samsung for a while now.

As massive as this sale may be, Samsung’s deal with CSOT is far from one-sided. South Korean media hence reports that Samsung display is taking a 12.33% stake in TCL valued at $739 million as part of the same transaction.

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Samsung slips to second position in Southeast Asian smartphone market in Q2 2020

Samsung’s smartphone market share has been dropping over the past few years due to the continued onslaught from the Chinese vendors like OPPO, Realme, Vivo, and Xiaomi. Now, a new report claims that the South Korean firm dropped to the second spot in the Southeast Asian market during the second quarter of 2020.

According to a new report from market analysis firm Counterpoint Research, Samsung was the second-largest smartphone brand in Southeast Asia with a market share of 19.5 percent. OPPO edged out Samsung during Q2 2020 with a market share of 20.3 percent. Vivo (17.9 percent), Xiaomi (14 percent), and Realme (12.8 percent) took the third, fourth, and fifth spots, respectively.

This isn’t the first time that Samsung has lost its top position to OPPO, though. In Q4 2019, OPPO earned the top spot after selling more smartphone units than Samsung. However, the South Korean firm recaptured the number one position in Q1 2020. Counterpoint Research said that Samsung’s market share dropped because consumers preferred to buy affordable smartphones amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smartphone shipments in Southeast Asia dropped 22 percent year-on-year to 24 million units during the second quarter of 2020. Overall, Samsung was still the market leader in worldwide smartphone shipments during Q2 2020. However, it suffered the sharpest year-on-year decline among the top five smartphone brands.

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Galaxy S20 Fan Edition 5G’s pricing appears to have leaked

The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is expected to be launched as a spiritual successor to the Galaxy S10 Lite. We had exclusively confirmed the phone’s existence three months ago. Its design and specifications have been leaked already, and the device appears to be coming in both LTE (SM-G780) and 5G (SM-G781) variants. Now, the phone’s pricing for the 5G variant appears to have leaked alongside its color variants.

Going by a leaked image, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition’s 5G variant could cost CAD 1,148.65 (around $878). The device could debut in as many as six colors: lavender, navy, orange, red, sky green, and white. These are the same colors that were visible in an image leaked by Evan Blass (@evleaks). There’s no concrete information around the price of the LTE variant of the device and the launch date, though.

Galaxy S20 Fan Edition specs

The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition could sport a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display with Full HD+ resolution, HDR10+, and a 120Hz refresh rate. It could also feature an in-display fingerprint reader, similar to the rest of the devices in the Galaxy S20 series. It could use an Exynos 990 or a Snapdragon 865 processor, depending on the market. The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition features 6GB/8GB RAM, 128GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot.

Samsung appears to have cut some corners on the camera front. It has a triple-camera setup with a 12MP wide-angle camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. The phone could feature a 32MP selfie camera and IP68 rating. Running Android 10 with One UI 2, the phone will be powered by a 4,500mAh battery that supports up to 45W fast charging.

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Samsung foldables have kickstarted the industry’s design renaissance

Whether you love it, hate it, or you’re on the fence about Samsung’s Galaxy Fold lineup, there’s no denying that the Galaxy Fold and its upcoming sequel, the Galaxy Z Fold 2, have already changed the mobile landscape. Regardless of whether or not flexible display technology is the future, the Galaxy Fold’s arrival to the market appears to have persuaded other OEMs to think outside the box, and this is something that smartphone enthusiasts, whether they’re Samsung fans or not, have been waiting for years.

You’ve heard this before and you’ve observed this phenomenon yourselves, but the mobile market has been stagnating for nearly a decade when it comes to design, or at the very least, OEMs have stopped exploring new and interesting concepts. Every hardware and software component has gotten better over the years and, granted, even exterior designs have constantly refreshed as well but they’ve done so without straying too much from the path laid forth by the first-gen smartphones. In other words, they’ve all remained ‘candy bar’ smartphones even though they have received iterative design updates every year.

Then the Galaxy Fold became a reality

The Galaxy Fold and subsequently the Galaxy Z Fold 2 have thrown the established design paradigm out the window and their existence alone appears to have persuaded a few other OEMs to explore new designs as well. Even more interesting is that a few OEMs have been thinking outside the box to reinvent their smartphones even without the use of flexible display technology. For example, Microsoft has developed the Surface Duo while LG has released the Q8X ThinQ along with a dual-screen accessory. The latter company is now working on a true dual-screen device – called LG Wing – that features a rotating screen on top of another.

In other words, Samsung’s flexible display technology and the Galaxy devices that use it have already kickstarted a mobile renaissance. Even if they don’t have access to flexible displays like Samsung does, other OEMs are now trying to break the mold through clever and unique designs, and it all seems to have begun with the launch of the Galaxy Fold.

The mobile landscape is no longer exclusive to the candy bar form factor; instead we’re starting to see new and interesting designs cropping up even if they’re not based on foldable display technology. Granted, the candy bar form factor is still dominating the scene by a large margin, but if these other, bolder devices are successful then we can expect to see more of them in the coming years.

OEMs have been playing the mobile game too safely for too long, but now they have a reason to step outside their comfort zones and this is a winning scenario for every smartphone enthusiast who appreciates design diversity. There’s a feeling of rekindled imagination in the mobile industry, something that was missing only a couple of years ago, and I think it’s only fair to thank Samsung and the Galaxy Fold for it.

Galaxy Fold

• Model: SM-F900F
• Dimensions: Folded: 160.9 x 62.8 x 17.1 mm
  Unfolded: 160.9 x 117.9 x 6.9 mm
  
• Display: 7.3 inch / 185.42 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 855
• Camera: 16MP

More specifications

Galaxy Z Fold 2

• Model: SM-F916B
• Dimensions: Folded: 159.2 x 68 x 16.8 mm
  Unfolded: 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9 mm
  
• Display: 7.6 inch / mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Snapdragon 865+
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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Galaxy M51 is finally official and available for pre-order in Europe

Nearly half a year after we exclusively confirmed that the Galaxy M51 is in development, Samsung has finally and officially acknowledged the mid-range device without much fanfare. The Galaxy M51 is now available for pre-order in Germany in two color options, black and white, for the price of 360 euro. The phone’s estimated shipping date is September 11.

Spec-wise the Galaxy M51 meets our expectations and the mid-range phone does indeed pack a monstrous 7,000mAh battery. It’s the largest battery Samsung had ever fitted on a smartphone and it should be capable of fully charging in around 2 hours thanks to 25W fast charging.

Samsung isn’t as generous on the software side

The Galaxy M51 has plenty of hardware components worth pointing out aside from the large 7,000mAh battery, such as its quad camera setup and its 32MP selfie shooter. The phone packs 128GB of expandable storage, 6GB of RAM, a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus Infinity-O display, and an octa-core processor that remains unmentioned in Samsung’s promotional material but should be none other than the Snapdragon 730 / 730G SoC.

What is mentioned in Samsung’s promos is the software, and it’s a little bit surprising as well as disappointing. Despite earlier expectations, the Galaxy M51 doesn’t ship with One UI 2.5 or even One UI 2.1/2.0. Instead the phone runs One UI Core, i.e., a stripped-down version of One UI designed primarily for lower-end phones. It does come with Night camera mode and it might also include Hyperlapse and Pro Mode, but for all intents and purposes, the phone won’t deliver the full-fledged One UI experience.

The Galaxy M51 is now available for pre-order in Germany for 360 euro but it’s also expected to hit the shelves in India and other countries. We’ll keep you posted once we find out more.

• Pre-order the black Galaxy M51 from Samsung Germany
• Pre-order the white Galaxy M51 from Samsung Germany

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Samsung promotes Galaxy Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition in 1-minute film

Samsung partnered with New York City-based fashion designer Thom Browne earlier this year, leading to the creation of the Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition. The partnership appears to have worked out for both parties as Samsung confirmed a second Thom Browne-labeled device at Galaxy Unpacked 2020, namely the Galaxy Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition.

Exact launch and pricing details remain unknown but Samsung is bound to reveal more at Unpacked Part 2 on September 1. Until then, Samsung seemingly wants to keep the hype going with the release of a new promotional video starring the Galaxy Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition. It’s not labeled as a promo but as a 1-minute-long ‘Official Film’ called ‘A story in symmetry.’ And in true Thom Browne fashion, the video focuses less on the device itself and more on conveying a particular mood. You could say that the promo is as unique as the collaboration itself.

The Thom Browne Edition is a complete flagship package

The gorgeous Galaxy Z Fold 2 is only briefly shown in the latest promotional video but Samsung already confirmed earlier this month that the Thom Browne Edition consists of a Galaxy Z Fold 2, a pair of Galaxy Buds Live, and a Galaxy Watch 3, all of which carry the fashion designer’s Americana stripe and color scheme.

These accessories are not shown in the latest promo but they will ship along with the foldable device. This means that although the regular Galaxy Z Fold 2 is expected to go on sale for around 2,000 euro, the Thom Browne Edition will likely cost somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 euro. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 itself won’t be manufactured in very large quantities so the Thom Browne Edition will be even rarer. Given enough time, it could become a collector’s item.

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Samsung’s affordable foldable phone confirmed for Indian market

We had exclusively revealed last week that Samsung is working on a cheaper foldable smartphone and that it bears model number SM-F415. A couple of days later, the device appeared in the Wi-Fi certification database, hinting towards its impending launch. Now, the South Korean tech firm has confirmed the existence of the device and that it will be launched in India.

Samsung has listed a support webpage for the SM-F415F/DS on its website for the Indian market, confirming the foldable phone. Samsung uses ‘F’ in the model number of its foldable smartphones. For reference, SM-F700, SM-F900, and SM-F916 are model numbers for the Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy Fold, and the Galaxy Z Fold 2, respectively. The model number also reveals that the device will feature dual-SIM functionality, at least in the Indian market.

Previous rumors point towards a Galaxy Z Flip-like clamshell design for the SM-F415F. It could use the Snapdragon 7xx processor and a sub-$1,000 price tag. That’s everything that we know about the South Korean smartphone giant’s upcoming foldable device.

Samsung has already launched the Galaxy Fold and the Galaxy Z Flip in India. It is also planning to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in India next month, and the device has been listed on the company’s website. However, there’s no information about the availability of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G in India.

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Samsung starts mass production of 16Gb LPDDR5 DRAM chips at Pyeongtaek Line 2 plant

Samsung has announced that the second production line at its Pyeongtaek plant in South Korea has commenced the mass production of the industry’s first 16Gb LPDDR5 DRAM for mobile devices. These chips are being fabricated using the company’s third-generation 10nm-class EUV technology (1z).

The South Korean tech giant is the leader of the global DRAM market. It claims that its new LPDDR5 DRAM chips boast the highest mobile memory capacity and performance. Samsung’s 16Gb LPDDR5 DRAM chips are 16% faster than 12Gb LPDDR5 DRAM chips, thanks to their data transfer rates of 6,400Mb/s. 16GB packages made using 16Gb LPDDR5 chips can transfer 51.2GB of data in one second.

Thanks to the 1z process, the LPDDR5 package is 30% thinner than its predecessor. The 1y process required combining twelve chips (eight 12Gb chips and four 8Gb chips) to make a 16GB RAM package. However, the same capacity can be achieved with the 1z process using just eight chips (eight 16Gb chips). This means it becomes easier to make smartphones with 5G, foldable screens, and multi-camera setups.

Samsung is also planning to bring LPDDR5 DRAM chips for automotive applications, offering extended temperature range and reliability standards for tough environments. The facility that manufactures 10nm EUV LPDDR5 DRAM chips spans more than 128,900 square meters (over 1.3 million square feet). It is also Samsung’s biggest semiconductor production line to date.

Jung-Bae Lee, Executive Vice President of DRAM Product & Technology at Samsung Electronics, said, “The 1z-based 16Gb LPDDR5 elevates the industry to a new threshold, overcoming a major developmental hurdle in DRAM scaling at advanced nodes. We will continue to expand our premium DRAM lineup and exceed customer demands, as we lead in growing the overall memory market.”

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Custom Galaxy Z Fold 2 hinge colors revealed by Samsung itself

There has been a rumor going around for some time that Samsung is going to offer custom hinge colors for the Galaxy Z Fold 2. A recent leak had also highlighted this possibility and now Samsung has confirmed it through renders uploaded on its own website.

It’s not surprising that these media assets have been spotted on Samsung’s website. The company has its Unpacked Part 2 virtual event lined up for September 1st. The event will be entirely focused on the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

Galaxy Z Fold 2 custom hinge colors revealed by Samsung

Customization will only be available for the Hideaway Hinge, not the base colors, which include Mystic Bronze and Mystic Black. Customers will be able to select one of four different color options for the hinge. They include Platinum Silver, Rich Gold, Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue.

An earlier report has suggested that the company will allow custom hinge colors on orders that are placed on Samsung.com only. This will be a great way for Samsung to have customers purchase its latest foldable smartphone through its own sales channel. It’s unlikely that there would be an additional charge for the custom colors.

What’s not known at this point in time, though, is whether this option will be offered in all markets where the Galaxy Z Fold 2 or just a select few. This should become clear once the device goes on sale later this month. Samsung will confirm the release date on September 1, which is also when it opens up the pre-orders for the device.

If reports out of South Korea are believed, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will be released in Samsung’s home country on September 18. It’s possible that the device may also be made available in other countries on that day.

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Samsung hits out at Apple in leaked Galaxy Book Flex 5G trailer

Long gone are the days of Samsung openly mocking Apple in its advertising, but the Korean giant is still drawn to making comparisons. Even if the underlying messaging doesn’t go much further than stating that “old = bad” and “new = good.” That’s the gist of the latest video announcement of the Galaxy Book Flex 5G which just leaked online ahead of the notebook’s official announcement.

Among other things, the brief trailer that you can see below makes passing callbacks to the likes of the Apple II and Commodore 64 before concluding that the Galaxy Book Flex 5G is a vastly superior computing solution. Just in case anyone was wondering whether the last four decades of microcomputer progress amounted to anything.

pic.twitter.com/Z5s6OWWpDl

— WalkingCat (@h0x0d) August 29, 2020

‘Leave the old behind’ – says a cookie-cutter ad

All of that is underlined with a cheesy tagline-turned-call-to-action inviting you to “leave the old behind.” Which is as generic as advertising goes, but that’s par for the course here. Based on previous reports, the Galaxy Book Flex 5G will be a pretty iterative follow-up on Samsung’s existing notebooks. Meaning it’s a 2-in-1 convertible laptop with S Pen support and a 10th-generation Intel CPU. Up to 12GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, AKG-tuned speakers, and a range of modern connectivity options including one Thunderbolt 3 port and Wi-Fi 6 will be part of the package as well.

Assuming the proportions of the rendered notebook in this ad are correct, the Galaxy Book Flex 5G will feature a 13.3-inch QLED display. The original series also includes a 15.6-inch model, and while it’s quite possible the larger form factor will soon be given the same 5G treatment, we’re still waiting for confirmation on that front.

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Galaxy Z Fold 2 release date leaks alongside pre-order details

Early adopters who place advanced orders on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 may already receive their devices in the first half of the next month. Because the release date Samsung pegged for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 falls to Friday, September 18th, according to a new report out of South Korea. Naturally, this date is only certain for the Far Eastern country, but based on Samsung’s last few major launches, it’s a pretty good indication of when the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will be available globally, as well, especially since this is not the first time we’ve heard that the second-generation foldable flagship will be hitting the market on that day.

What’s more, today’s insider insight also reveals the Korean pre-order period will be a week long, running from the 11th to the 17th of September. The relatively tight window corresponds to the niche nature of the Galaxy Z Fold 2; in other words, Samsung likely expects consumers who reserve its next ultra-premium smartphone will do so as soon as possible and sees little point in trying to fish for extra interest. After all, this is still a $2,000 product we’re talking about.

Most Galaxy Z Fold 2 questions have now been answered

In the meantime, we’re still waiting for a full-fledged announcement of the Galaxy Z Fold 2. It was just yesterday that Samsung confirmed this will take place next Tuesday, September 1st. The so-called Unpacked Part 2 event will see the company follow up on its brief unveiling of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 from early August, though past reports already answered the biggest questions surrounding this flexible smartphone, including those concerning its spec sheet.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 should be the final ultra-premium device (i.e. one with a four-digit price) Samsung releases this year. With that said, high-end hardware enthusiasts can still look forward to the significantly more affordable Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, which is expected to hit the market in October.

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Galaxy Tab A7 10.4 (2020) looks unassuming in latest leak

The decisively mid-range Galaxy Tab A7 10.4 (2020) will be hitting the market in at least two color options – gray and gold. That’s according to a pair of official press renders from Samsung that known industry insider Evan Blass leaked earlier today. The premature imagery shows a pair of rather unassuming Android tablets, which is fitting for a range that’s expected to start at approximately €230 or $250 – assuming it makes its way to the U.S.

Thanks to another leak from earlier this week, we know the Galaxy Tab A7 10.4 series should at the very least release in Europe by Friday, September 11th.

Tablet screen sizes continue to grow

Four years after the original Galaxy Tab A7 line hit the market, the market for 7-inch tablets is pretty much non-existent. This new range hence offers 10.4-inch displays with an FHD+ resolution of 2,000 by 1,200 pixels. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 662 chip will be powering the show alongside 3GB of RAM, according to an untimely Google Play Store listing from late July. A 7,040mAh battery, Bluetooth 5.0 and a custom Android 10 implementation – likely One UI 2.1 – will be part of the package as well, together with either 32GB or 64GB of internal flash memory, depending on the model.

Speaking of which, the Galaxy Tab A7 10.4 will be releasing in both Wi-Fi-only and LTE-ready variants identified as the SM-T500 and SM-T505, respectively. Today’s leak confirms that the upcoming tablet series will be retaining the mundane look of its direct predecessor, complete with sizable bezels. In effect, all members of the Galaxy Tab A7 10.4 family will measure in at approximately 247.6 x 157.36 x 293.37mm.

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€2000 for three-year-old zoom camera on Galaxy Z Fold 2? No thank you

The original Galaxy Fold was, in our opinion, not that expensive for a first-ever commercial foldable phone. Sure, $1980 is a lot of money, but Samsung made sure the Fold’s spec sheet was as modern and current as it could be. The Fold shared many of its specs with the Galaxy S10+, and while I could never justify buying a phone that costs two grand, I was impressed at how Samsung wasn’t trying to peddle underwhelming hardware and putting all its focus on just the foldable aspect of the device, unlike some of the competition.

For the Galaxy Z Fold 2, I had expected to be similarly impressed once again, and for the most part, I am. You’re getting many of the headline features seen on Samsung’s mainstream 2020 flagships (such as 120Hz refresh rate), and the company has also addressed one of the biggest pain points of the original Galaxy Fold – the small cover display. And, since the Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy Fold shared their camera specs, I had expected the Z Fold 2 would at least have the same cameras as the Galaxy S20 or S20+. Alas, that’s not the case.

According to a recent leak, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will come with the same old 2x zoom camera that Samsung introduced with the Galaxy Note 8 in 2017. The main camera is said to be the same as the one on the Galaxy S20/S20+ and Note 20, but the telephoto lens is more or less confirmed to not be getting an upgrade, and that’s downright criminal in my eyes. I understand that equipping the Z Fold 2 with the periscope zoom lens of the Galaxy S20 Ultra/Note 20 Ultra would be a tall order, but a 64MP camera like the one on the S20 or Note 20 would probably be easy to implement.

But, unfortunately, it seems Samsung has decided that all of its flagships for the second half of 2020 must have some shortcomings that make you question why you should part with your hard-earned money when the product isn’t as good as it could be. For the Z Fold 2, it’s an outdated zoom camera and, as I’ve opined before, 120Hz refresh rate only on the inner display. Don’t get me wrong: The Z Fold 2 looks amazing, and I can’t wait to try one out. But it won’t be the device that makes me finally take the plunge and buy into Samsung’s foldable family, and I’ll be saving my 2000 euros for at least another year.

What about you? Would the not-so-latest cameras on the Z Fold 2 stop you from buying it?

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Weekly SamMobile Quiz 41 – Come test your Samsung knowledge!

Fancy yourself as a Samsung superfan? Take our quiz and see how many answers you can get right! This is a fun activity that we do with our readers every week to test their knowledge of the Korean giant. The quiz has a mix of easy and difficult questions that most fans should be able to answer without turning to Google.

We make a new quiz for you every weekend so we hope that you’ll participate and learn a thing or two about Samsung in the process! Don’t forget to share the results of the quiz with your friends and see if you can outscore them. A little competition never hurt anybody!

Remember, if the quiz isn’t loading properly, please access the non-AMP version of this webpage.

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New Samsung Wireless Charger Pad Trio will charge three devices at once

After two years, Samsung is at least ready to deliver a direct follow-up to the Wireless Charger Duo in the form of – what else than – an even larger accessory designed to service three devices simultaneously. The new gadget will be advertised as the Wireless Charger Pad Trio, according to known industry insider Evan Blass. The same source just shared one of the official press renders of the Wireless Charger Pad Trio (shown above). The sole fact that a high-resolution render of the gadget even exists is indicative of an imminent release.

Much like its predecessor, this next-generation product is equipped with a conventional USB Type-C port and will ostensibly ship with a fast-charging cable and USB-C power adapter. Naturally, we’re looking at yet another one of Samsung’s solutions utilizing the Qi wireless charging specification.

It’s to be expected the Wireless Charger Pad Trio will offer 15W charging support identical to that of the Wireless Charger Duo. What’s more, while the black variant of the device seen above may be end up releasing on its own, history tells us it shouldn’t be long before Samsung at the very least gives us the choice between black and white iterations.

This king-sized Galaxy accessory may already be official next week

As things stand right now, there’s no reason to believe the Wireless Charger Pad Trio is meant to outright replace the Wireless Charger Duo. That is, Samsung is much more likely to be selling both of them moving forward, together with its single-slot chargers and related accessories. There’s still no word on the price but given how the Wireless Charger Duo still goes for $99, expect to part with a pretty penny in exchange for this iterative sequel. Then again, anyone whose collection of smartphones, wearables, and other electronics with wireless charging support has been growing on the regular in recent years will know that the luxury of charging multiple gadgets from a single source is a pretty massive quality-of-life improvement.

It’s quite possible the wait until the release of the Wireless Charger Pad Trio may only last a couple more days. As a reminder, Samsung will be launching the Galaxy Z Fold 2 next Tuesday, September 1st, which is as good of an opportunity as any for it to move some unprecedentedly spacious wireless chargers.  Now, if it could only get around to making its fast wireless charging tech worthy of that moniker.

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