Galaxy Xcover Pro launched with 4,050 mAh removable battery, IP68 certification

Samsung has silently launched the Galaxy Xcover Pro, its latest device in the Xcover series of rugged smartphones, in Finland. The Xcover Pro will be available in the country from January 31 with a price tag of €499. According to the folks over at WinFuture, the Xcover Pro should also hit other European markets, like Germany, sometime in February.

The Galaxy Xcover Pro is the first phone in the series that uses modern design elements like a 20:9 punch hole display with small bezels and an ultra-wide rear camera. It also has a feature that has gone missing on smartphones these past couple of years: A removable battery despite the IP68 water and dust resistance and MIL-STD-810 ruggedness certification. As with other Xcover phones, this one comes with two programmable buttons (one on the left, and one on the top) in addition to the volume and power buttons; the power button also doubles up as a fingerprint reader.

The Xcover Pro has a 6.3-inch LCD display with a resolution 2400×1080 pixels that can be used with wet hands and gloves and is powered by the octa-core Exynos 9611 SoC, which also powers the new Galaxy A51. The battery capacity is 4,050 mAh and 15W fast charging is supported. There’s 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a dual rear camera setup consisting of 25MP wide and 8MP ultra-wide cameras, and a 13MP front-facing camera. Unlike other recently launched Galaxy phones, the Xcover Pro runs Android Pie but should be eligible for the Android 10 update.

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New Digital Cockpit 2020 teases revamped Bixby in the car at CES

Samsung brought its Digital Cockpit 2020 at CES to demonstrate its vision of a smart vehicle powered by 5G. The new cockpit was developed by Samsung and its subsidiary HARMAN International, and it’s packed with technologies.

This includes facial recognition for biometric authentication, eight displays, eight cameras, as well as an Exynos Auto V9 SoC. It also features a “revamped Bixby in the car” as well as Dex for vehicles, and the system runs Android 10, providing easy compatibility with Samsung’s other devices.

Revamped Bixby in the car becomes smarter with 5G

Not unlike the 2019 concept, Samsung’s new Digital Cockpit is capable of two-way connections with your home, office, and other places using 5G networking. For example, Bixby in the car can leverage SmartThings to detect visitors at home and notify the driver accordingly. Likewise, the revamped Bixby in the car can make various suggestions for other connected devices, ranging from home appliances to lights. It may suggest to turn on a certain device in your house while you’re on your way home.

In addition, Bixby in the car has a Driver Monitoring System which can make suggestions to improve the driver’s mood. For instance, it can detect whenever the driver is getting tired during a long-distance drive and suggests ways to combat fatigue, such as playing music. Bixby in the car can also actively monitor the vehicle’s various components and parameters. It can read engine oil levels provide alerts for when the car might have to visit a maintenance shop.

But car monitoring through Bixby is not new and it’s not entirely clear if the revamped version can read additional parameters.

A closer look at the displays

Samsung’s Digital Cockpit 2020 is filled with displays, as you would expect. There’s a Center Information Display that can provide information such as tasks and schedules once the driver is authenticated via facial recognition or a connected smartphone’s fingerprint reader. The same panel provides access to documents via Samsung DeX for vehicles.

Then there is the Front Display which offers navigation information. It features QLED Local Dimming technology and a split-screen mode for passengers.

Visual notifications and alerts are delivered through the Dashboard Display located under the aforementioned Front Display. Meanwhile, the Console Display offers a variety of settings for the vehicle and the infotainment system as a whole.

Interestingly enough, the two displays you see mounted in the back (on the front seat headrests) are not part of the Digital Cockpit 2020 per se. They are regular tablets that can be attached to the headrests by passengers. Once connected to the Digital Cockpit, these tablets can offer controls for in-car ambient lighting, the speakers, and air conditioning.

To make the experience that much more pleasant for passengers, the rear seats come with their own speakers embedded in the headrests. Passengers can also connect multiple mobile devices to the Digital Cockpit, and unlike the 2019 Cockpit showcased more recenly at IFA last year, the new 2020 model handles all of these connections wirelessly.

Safety features and a bonkers microLED tail light

Samsung’s Digital Cockpit 2020 is enriched with a handful of safety features, the more striking of which is the large 53.7-inch microLED Tail Display. Funnily enough, it isn’t part of the cockpit itself and, instead, it runs across the back of the “car.” It’s powered by V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication technology similar to the 2019 concept, except it’s now paired with a new Tail Display. It can provide information to other traffic participants and show warnings for “road work ahead” or “accident ahead”, for example.

As one might expect, there are no conventional side mirrors in Samsung’s vision, just like there were no mirrors in the 2019 concept. Instead, the Digital Cockpit comes with two 7-inch displays on each side of the dashboard, acting as digital mirrors powered by external cameras. But there’s more to it. The system monitors the vehicle’s surroundings (in areas adjustable by the driver) to assess the risk of accidents while parking or driving.

Finally, there’s the new Cabin Talk feature which allows drivers to talk to back seat passengers without having to turn their heads. Samsung didn’t go into many details but it likely leverages the interior microphones and speakers to do the trick.

We might never see this exact configuration of tech and interior design in a commercial vehicle, but Samsung’s Digital Cockpit 2020 acts as a demonstration of what car manufacturers can achieve using Samsung and HARMAN technologies. It’s also a demonstration of how the 5G era could change the way we interact with our cars.

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Heart rate icon returns to Galaxy Fit e in new update, rolling out in India

The Galaxy Fit e is receiving a new firmware update weighing 1.81MB and bringing with it a couple of fixes. A vibration error that could occur when receiving calls has been patched, and the latest firmware also fixes an issue that was introduced with the previous Galaxy Fit e update, whereby the heart rate icon would disappear.

The latest firmware carries version R375XXU0ASL1, not to be confused with firmware version R375XXUOASF1 which was released roughly 7 months ago in a similarly sized 1.80MB package. The new update is reportedly available only in India as of this writing, but availability should expand to other markets sooner rather than later.

The Galaxy Fit e remains one of the most affordable fitness wearables with heart rate monitoring, so it’s refreshing to see that Samsung continues to support it with new firmware updates. It was even bundled with the Galaxy A80 as a pre-order freebie in some markets.

As usual, Galaxy Fit e owners can update their wearable by opening the Galaxy Wearable app on their phones and tapping Update band software. Once again, the firmware appears to be rolling out only in India for the time being, but make sure you check your Wearable app even if you live in other countries. It could become available at any moment.

Galaxy Fit e

• Model: SM-R375
• Dimensions: 16.0 x 40.2 x 10.9mm
• Display: 0.74” (18.7mm)
• CPU: MCU Cortex M0
• Camera:

More specifications

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Clamshell Galaxy Fold 2 might use Snapdragon 855 SoC to lower its price

The clamshell Galaxy Fold 2 might be powered by the Snapdragon 855 SoC, same as the original Galaxy Fold, according to MySmartPrice citing its sources. The report also mentions that the clamshell’s front-facing camera will have a resolution of 10-megapixels and that it will possibly be borrowed from the Galaxy Note 10 series.

In addition, the clamshell Galaxy Fold 2 will reportedly be equipped with the Snapdragon 855 SoC worldwide, meaning that there will be no Exynos version anywhere. This is good news for fans of Qualcomm’s solution and it could result in faster software updates; albeit the single-SoC decision doesn’t seem to have helped the original Galaxy Fold in this regard. We’ll wait and see if the company will treat the clamshell model any differently.

It makes some sense for Samsung to use last year’s hardware

The Galaxy Fold is an expensive device and I’m sure you’ve heard this numerous times before, but it’s important to keep in mind that the clamshell Galaxy Fold 2 is supposed to lower the entry-level barrier for foldable devices at the cost of some components and features. It’s not quite a true successor to the original Galaxy Fold, and if you’re looking for such a device while disregarding costs then you might have to wait until the second half of 2020 when a true Galaxy Fold successor might be released.

With that being said, it only makes sense for Samsung to equip the clamshell foldable with slightly older high-end hardware that’s still very capable. Using the Snapdragon 855 chipset is a decent compromise if it results in a considerably lower price tag.

On the other hand, both the Galaxy Fold 2 and the Galaxy S20 series will be unveiled on the same day – February 11 – and the Galaxy S20 should employ the newer, more powerful Snapdragon 865 solution instead. Therefore, if the clamshell Galaxy Fold 2 will have a much higher price tag than the S20, it might be a difficult pill to swallow. Hopefully, the previous rumors will turn out to be true and the clamshell Galaxy Fold 2 will launch for under $1,000.

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Samsung unveils NEON, the artificial human-cum-hype machine

NEON, the AI-powered avatar developed by Samsung subsidiary STAR Labs – or a proof-of-concept of it – was officially introduced at CES 2020. Unfortunately, we’re left with more questions than answers. We’re not sure exactly what NEON is truly supposed to be, as it’s ‘not an AI assistant‘ or an interface to the Internet. They call it an ‘artificial human‘ or ‘a computationally created virtual being‘ but it’s unclear in what way it’s supposed to reach the consumer market.

Disappointingly, what has been confirmed via The Verge and through the official teaser images is that the scenarios shown at CES and in promotional content ‘are fictionalized and simulated for illustrative purposes only.’ This likely means that the recently leaked NEON video doesn’t give us much of an insight into what STAR Labs’ ‘artificial human’ is all about or how these avatars will look like. The people shown in that video (and the images below) were actual actors and weren’t computer-generated images or the real ‘NEONs’ as the company calls its virtual avatars.

NEONs can’t be exact copies of an existing human being. They can share some similarities with humans but a NEON will never be an exact replica. The company claims that ‘each NEON is a unique, individual artificial human, with his/her own unique personality, just like us.’

NEON is a hype vector for now

Checking the official NEON webpage might get you all hyped for the future, but that seems to be by design. However, you don’t need an overly-critical eye to realize that there’s barely any concrete information there. The webpage is filled with buzz phrases such as ‘Inspired by the rhythmic complexities of nature‘ or ‘Virtually, Real. 100% visually real, like you and me. Existing among us from all walks of life.’

The most ambitious statement of all might be that the so-called NEONs are indistinguishable from real humans. ‘Introducing lifelike reality that is beyond our normal perception to distinguish.’ In other words, NEONs can easily pass the Turing test, according to STAR Labs, and that is quite a bold statement to make for a product that, so far, has only been ‘fictionalized and simulated for illustrative purposes only.’

But who knows?! Maybe this really is the beginning of a new era and we will be truly impressed once NEON will be ready for the masses. It’s just that, for now, STAR Labs hasn’t given us enough information to sell us on this rather confusing non-assistant AI concept. For the time being, it looks like NEON is a vision of a future enhanced by AI and powered mostly by hype.

A look at what the NEON artificial human could become

NEONs are supposed to show emotions and intelligence, with each avatar being customizable for different tasks. In STAR Labs’ vision ‘In the near future, one will be able to license or subscribe to a NEON as a service representative, a financial advisor, a healthcare provider, or a concierge. Over time, NEONs will work as TV anchors, spokespeople, or movie actors; or they can simply be companions and friends.’

Idealistically, NEONs are life-like computer-generated AI avatars indistinguishable from human beings. Exactly how they would reach the consumer market is unclear. We don’t know if they will be streamed to your smart devices from the cloud or if they would require prospective customers to purchase special local hardware.

They are, however, powered by STAR Labs’ Core R3 and SPECTRA technologies which remain somewhat of a mystery. But in short, Core R3 is a proprietary technology that can computationally create lifelike reality, while SPECTRA is an upcoming tech that will lend Intelligence, Learning, Emotions, and Memory to Core R3, according to the company. So, SPECTRA – the brain of the AI if you will – is not yet ready, but the company was confident enough to claim that it (together with Core R3) can pass the Turing test.

NEON beta is planned for release by the end of 2020

STAR Labs claims that NEON is ‘fundamentally different from deepfake or other facial reanimation techniques.’ What NEON isn’t, according to STAR Labs, is an AI assistant. It’s not an interface to the internet, not a music player. It’s ‘simply, a friend‘ and it can ‘speak it all, from Spanish to Hindi, from Japanese to English.’ NEON artificial humans are ‘more like us, an independent but virtual living being.’ Just how independent a NEON can be? We don’t know, but we might find out later this year.

It sounds like the technology is not yet ready for deployment and we don’t have a concrete launch date for the time being, but STAR Labs plans to release a beta version of NEON through select partners by the end of 2020.

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Samsung Health is coming to TVs in 2020 to provide unique fitness content

Samsung took the stage at CES 2020 to introduce a handful of enhancements to its Samsung Health platform, and only briefly mentioned how the improved app is capable of switching your TV on ‘to heart-pumping programs’ in the morning. The company didn’t elaborate, but it appears that Samsung Health will be coming to Samsung’s TV lineup this year.

@ambermac wrote in a recent tweet that Samsung Health is coming to the company’s TV series later in 2020. The official @SamsungTV account followed up with a reconfirmation, but once again the company didn’t go into many details. It did confirm that the platform will provide unique fitness content from Fitplan, Jillian Michaels, Calm, and more.

TVs are not wearables, obviously, so it’s logical to assume that Samsung Health on TVs will be used primarily to offer information and training instructions. The TV itself most likely won’t track your activities because it lacks the necessary sensors to do so (unless this will change with future models), but it should communicate with your smartphone and/or smartwatch through the Samsung Health platform to provide health-related content on the big screen.

It remains to be seen which Samsung TV models will get Samsung Health integration and whether the release will take place globally or in select markets. An exact time frame has not been given so we’ll have to wait and see how the story develops in the coming weeks or months.

That’s right, the #SamsungHealth platform not only tracks & syncs results from your mobile, it will also provide unique fitness content from @calm, @fitplan_app, @jillianmichaels, and more.#Samsung #SamsungTV #CES2020 #AI #Innovation https://t.co/gDpQNFG5pN

— Samsung TV (@SamsungTV) January 7, 2020

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Daily Deal: 46% off Logitech M510 Wireless Computer Mouse

When you’re working on your PC or laptop a lot, you want your working station to be ergonomic. Having a good desk and chair will keep your posture good and will prevent back pain. You also want an ergonomic mouse to prevent RSI, caused by making a lot of tiny movements with your mousing arm. This mouse by Logitech is ergonomically shaped and comes with soft rubber grips that conform to your right or left hand to be naturally comfortable. It can run for up to two years with just a single set of two AA batteries! At 46% off, this is the perfect time to upgrade your office setup and get yourself a reliable mouse.

Hit the Buy Now button below to get it while still discounted.

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This Galaxy Fold 2 concept looks close to actual design, only better

With leaked images having shown us the clamshell Galaxy Fold 2 in the flesh, there’s no longer any room for concept images and videos envisioning the possible design for Samsung’s next foldable phone. And that’s something the maker of a new concept video for the Galaxy Fold 2 completely understands, as they set out to make a concept that closely resembles the real thing but makes it look considerably better.

We say better because the Galaxy Fold 2 we saw in those leaked photos looked rather plastic and far less premium than the Galaxy Fold. And because this concept shows us the device in a video that may as well have been created by Samsung itself. Samsung’s official promotion video for the Fold 2 will only make its debut at its launch event in February (unless someone gets their hand on it and publishes it on YouTube to spoil the company’s surprise), and this concept video may be all we have until then.

Check out the video yourself and let us know what you think!

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Samsung finally provides a timeline for the Galaxy Home Mini release

Samsung showcased the Galaxy Home Mini in the flesh for the first time outside South Korea at the Samsung Developer Conference 2019 in October. That’s also where we got to see it in action for the first time.

Unfortunately, Samsung didn’t confirm at that time when the Galaxy Home Mini release would take place. The company revealed today that it’s planning to release the Galaxy Home Mini in early 2020. The timeline was provided by Hyunsuk Kim, who is the CEO of Samsung’s consumer electronics business.

Galaxy Home Mini release slated for early 2020

It’s important to mention here that Samsung has given vague timelines for the release of its smart speaker before as well. The Galaxy Home Mini was initially said to arrive in the mid-second half of 2019 but that didn’t happen.

Forget about the Galaxy Home Mini for a second. Even the Galaxy Home, which was unveiled alongside the Galaxy Note 9 in 2018, has still not been released. Samsung has given multiple launch timelines for that as well but we’ve yet to see the Galaxy Home hit shelves.

Kim made no mention of the speaker today, which may suggest that the Mini might be the only one to be released, even if there’s some evidence to suggest otherwise. Samsung’s vision for the Galaxy Home Mini is to make it the best device for controlling its other smart devices and home appliances. Kim told Bloomberg that he’s testing the Galaxy Home Mini in his own home, where it’s connected to 63 smart devices that include lights, curtains and other third-party gadgets.

It recently emerged that the Galaxy Home Mini has a neat little feature that not many smart speakers do. It has four infrared remote transmitters and receivers to cover all ranges. This means the Galaxy Home Mini can also control any non-smart gadget and appliance that uses an infrared remote. “No other speaker in the world can control gadgets as much as Samsung can,” Kim highlighted.

Samsung is evidently taking a different approach so that the first smart speaker it puts out isn’t just lost in a sea of other smart speakers. Perhaps that’s why we haven’t seen the Galaxy Home yet. The Bixby-powered Galaxy Home Mini is much more capable of controlling both smart and non-smart devices.

Kim didn’t say precisely when the Galaxy Home Mini will be released. Early 2020 suggests that it should be made available in the next couple of months. Perhaps its release will be timed with the Galaxy S20 in February? We’d definitely like that.

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