Galaxy S20 case options revealed, will include a Kvadrat case

Details surrounding the official cases for the Galaxy S20 series have emerged via Mobile Fun. Although it seems like the next flagship’s accessories will be similar in design (or in name, at least) to the Galaxy S10 cases, the Galaxy S20 Ultra, in particular, will receive an exclusive Kvadrat Cover Case. It will most likely be made out of textile material, given that Kvadrat is a textile company.

The Kvadrat Cover Case for the Galaxy S20 Ultra will be available in green, red, and grey, and will sell for £29.99, according to the source. It is not the most expensive case design, as that title goes to the LED View Cover Case. It’s listed by Mobile Fun along with a tentative price tag of £59.99 and should launch in black, white, grey, pink, as well as Sky Blue. The latter color option might be the same or similar to the blue Galaxy Buds+ we’ve seen in a recently leaked render.

Aside from the Kvadrat Cover Case and LED View Cover Case, the Galaxy S20 Ultra – as well as the standard Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus – can also be paired with LED Cover, Clear Cover, Clear View Cover, Protective Standing Cover, Silicone Cover, and Leather Cover cases. With the exception of the Protective Standing Cover and Kvadrat Cover cases, all of these accessories will apparently include the aforementioned Sky Blue color option.

All in all, we’re looking at a similar list of accessories as last year so there’s not much of a surprise here, except for the Kvadrat Cover Case which seems to break the monotony, at least as far as the Galaxy S20 Ultra is concerned. We’re eager to see how it will look like and whether or not it will be made available for the smaller Galaxy S20 models later down the line.

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Samsung unsure about Ballie, it might go through drastic design changes

Samsung’s small rolling robot Ballie might not be coming to the consumer market before going through drastic design changes. Following the product’s reveal at CES 2020, Kim Hyun-suk told the press that the company has yet to decide whether or not it will commercialize Ballie. However, the company will eventually release a similar product capable of connecting to home appliances.

Samsung did reveal Ballie as a prototype so this isn’t entirely surprising. But in light of this recent news, it sounds like the final, consumer version of Ballie could end up as a very different product from what we’ve seen on stage at CES. It could have similar technical capabilities but an entirely different form factor.

Samsung views Ballie as more of a hub than a robot

Ballie’s connectivity capabilities are impressive but what really pushed it into the spotlight was the ball-like form factor. However, Samsung seems to care less about Ballie’s exterior design – which might be difficult to pull off for a mass-production device – and more about the product’s IoT nature.

‘People think Ballie is a robot because it functions like a robot. But it is not. We consider Ballie a device that interacts with numerous other devices that we already have‘ said Kim Hyun-suk at the conference to underline the device’s hub-like nature. He added that the future Ballie could be a simpler device designed with ease of access in mind.

In other words, Samsung hasn’t decided if the ball-like Ballie will ever be released, but assuming that it won’t then the product’s hub-like capabilities will eventually be implemented in a different, simplified product. It might even have a different name than Ballie.

Are you bummed out that you might not be able to buy your very own BB8-like smart rolling ball this year? Or do you think Samsung should abandon the bold design and focus more on the underlying hub capabilities?

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Filmmaker Mode coming to Samsung TVs to combat motion smoothing

Samsung’s smart TVs are going to adopt Filmmaker Mode this year and do away with post-processing motion smoothing, revealed the UHD Alliance at CES 2020. The motion smoothing effect is present and turned on by default on numerous HD TVs, resulting in blurrier fast images and what the public now calls the ‘soap opera effect.’

As the name suggests, Filmmaker Mode is a viewing mode designed by the UHD Alliance for watching movies and shows. The mode disables the heavy motion smoothing post-processing effect and preserves the original colors, aspect ratios, and frame rates, resulting in an image that’s much closer to the filmmaker’s original vision.

It might not become available on older Samsung TVs

Filmmaker Mode is not a development by Samsung but by the UHD Alliance, which means that it will also become available on other brands of TVs including LG, Vizio, and Panasonic. Now, according to Variety citing these companies at CES, Filmmaker Mode won’t be coming to their older TVs and, instead, it will be reserved for their 2020 models. It doesn’t sound like Filmmaker Mode can be implemented through a firmware update.

Samsung didn’t reveal any details as to which of its TV models will have Filmmaker Mode, but considering the similar announcement from the other three companies, there is a strong possibility that Samsung, too, will skip its TV models launched in 2019 and earlier. In other words, Filmmaker Mode might become available only on Samsung’s 2020 TV lineup revealed at CES and later models, and possibly not on every one of them. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.

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Daily Deal: 34% off Samsung EVO Select 256GB microSD card

We store a lot of content on our smartphones now than ever before. This means the standard amount of storage capacity might not be sufficient to store everything you need. To expand the room for storage, you can insert a microSD card if your phone supports one. These cards are able to store a lot of data with excellent read/write speeds. This microSD card by Samsung offers a massive 256GB of storage which should be plenty for daily use. At 34% off, this is a deal that you cannot pass if you’re looking to buy a new microSD card.

Hit the Buy Now button below to get them before they sell out.

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Samsung confirms ‘Hubble’ and ‘Bloom’ codenames for Galaxy S20, Fold 2

Though already rumored, Samsung is now confirming the codenames ‘Hubble’ and ‘Bloom’ for devices coming to its Unpacked event in February. These codenames, of course, belong to the upcoming Galaxy S20 and clamshell Galaxy Fold 2 devices.

Samsung confirms ‘Hubble’ and ‘Bloom’ devices

Last autumn, rumors surfaced that the camera of the Galaxy S11 might be called ‘Hubble’. Since then, we’ve suspected that this is in fact the codename of the upcoming Galaxy S20-series, replacing the earlier Picasso codename for what was initially to be the Galaxy S11. This suspicion is now confirmed, alongside the ‘Bloom’ codename belonging to Samsung’s clamshell foldable.

In Germany, Samsung has launched a pre-registration campaign for the upcoming Unpacked event on February 11. The guys at GalaxyClub were surprised to find that the campaign’s confirmation page mentions both ‘Hubble’ and ‘Bloom’ in its URL. It is the first time these names have surfaced on Samsung’s own website, though the ‘Bloom’ device earlier made an appearance as the SM-F700F.

Galaxy S20 features according to Samsung

Aside from the revealing confirmation page, the pre-registration page itself asks users to share what they find important in a smartphone. From similar campaigns, we know all of the available points are attributes Samsung thinks fit its upcoming devices. We see items like entertainment features, high-end technology, productivity, camera, and design.

Interestingly, a long-lasting battery is not mentioned, despite the surprisingly large batteries Samsung is expected to use for the Galaxy S20 series. Perhaps the 120Hz refresh rate of the display will negate any battery life gains. Or the PR team responsible for the questionnaire simply did not want to overload users with too many choices.

We will learn all about the upcoming ‘Hubble’ and ‘Bloom’ devices on February 11, when Samsung will finally reveal both. Until then, more rumors are sure to surface, so keep checking back here regularly.

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Samsung estimates a massive 53% drop in profit for 2019

The first quarter of 2019 set the tone for a tough year when Samsung posted its lowest quarterly profit in three years. Samsung’s lucrative semiconductor business saw its revenues shrink considerably due to slow demand and falling margins. This remained the story for the entire year even as some of Samsung’s other divisions showed promise.

Samsung today released its earnings guidance for the fourth quarter of 2019. When combined with the numbers for the first three quarters, the estimated operating profit for the quarter ending December 2019 represents a 53 percent profit decline in 2019 compared to 2018.

2019 saw Samsung’s operating profit being cut in half

Samsung expects revenue for the fourth quarter of 2019 to come in at 59 trillion won or $50.5 billion. It estimates 7.1 trillion won or $6.02 billion in operating profit for the quarter, down 35 percent from the $9.2 billion operating profit it posted in Q4 2018. The company’s total operating profit for 2019 based on the latest quarterly estimates comes out to 27.1 trillion won or $23.2 billion, a steep 53 percent decline compared to the $50.4 billion it earned in full-year profit back in 2018.

We’ll get a better idea of how Samsung’s many divisions performed in the final quarter of last year when it releases the full earnings report by the end of this month. Analysts suggest that revenues from Samsung’s semiconductor division may have partially recovered in Q4 2019 while its display division is expected to have posted lower profits due to weak demand.

The company’s profits have consistently taken a hit since Q3 2018 after earnings from the semiconductor division peaked. Demand and prices for memory chips both declined in subsequent quarters, and as this division was Samsung’s cash cow, the impact was immediately visible on its balance sheet. That’s largely why Samsung made 53 percent less in profits last year compared to 2018. Be that as it may, an operating profit of $23.2 billion is still nothing to scoff at.

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Galaxy A40s is the latest Samsung phone to get Android 10 update

Samsung has released the Android 10 update for yet another mid-range smartphone, following the release of the update for the Galaxy M20 and Galaxy M30 in India last month. Android 10 is rolling out for the Galaxy A40s in China and Hong Kong today; this is the third non-flagship Galaxy phone to be getting One UI 2.0 and the sixth overall when considering the Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 9.

The Galaxy M40s wasn’t launched as widely as most other 2019 Galaxy A series phones, and that is probably why Samsung has been able to release Android 10 for it so quickly. It remains to be seen which budget/mid-range phone will get the update next. It’s likely to be the Galaxy A30, which is slated to receive Android 10 in markets such as India in February according to Samsung’s official roadmap.

The Android 10 firmware for the Galaxy A40s for China and Hong Kong can be downloaded from our firmware archive here. It should also be rolling out over the air, so if you own the device in either of those countries, you can try downloading it by tapping the Download and install option in the Settings » Software update menu of the phone’s settings.

To see what Android 10 and One UI 2.0 bring to your phone, you can check out the video below and read through our One UI 2.0 feature focus series. Keep in mind that not all features are likely to be included in the update for the Galaxy A40s and other budget/mid-range phones, although you can expect to see all of the user interface improvements and changes that One UI 2.0 brings over One UI 1.0/1.1.

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Samsung’s SmartThings app has 52 million active users worldwide

Samsung’s SmartThings app, which acts as the hub for controlling all of the company’s IoT-enabled devices and appliances, has been downloaded by 112 million people, according to Kim Hyun-suk, president and CEO of Samsung’s consumer electronics division. Out of the 112 million subscribers, Samsung says 52 million users are actively using the app.

This reveal follows soon after Samsung unveiled the latest innovation in its push for a home that’s smart and fully connected to the internet: a tiny rolling robot called Ballie that can follow its master around and help out with various tasks. Samsung also has plenty of regular home appliances with internet connectivity and SmartThings integration, such as the new 2020 Family Hub refrigerators, and SmartThings supports third-party smart devices as well, which is no doubt one of the reasons its adoption rate is so high.

IoT (Internet of Things) is also part of what Samsung is calling “Age of Experience”, which will combine IoT, AI, and 5G technologies to create experiences that adapt to each consumer’s needs. And it’s not just smart homes that are set to benefit from the marriage of the those technologies: Samsung also has a vision for smart cities which will make “city life much easier and safer”, although that’s a future that will probably take a while to materialize in any meaningful capacity.

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Here’s how many Galaxy Folds Samsung sold last year

Every time the Galaxy Fold launched in a new country last year, it sold out within a matter of minutes. However, everyone understood it wasn’t just because the foldable phone was in high demand but also because of limited stock. How many Galaxy Folds did Samsung actually end up selling, though? Samsung’s CEO DJ Koh has finally provided some concrete figures at CES 2020: The Korean giant sold between 400,000 to 500,000 Galaxy Folds last year.

Just a month ago, Samsung Electronics President Young Sohn had incorrectly revealed that the Fold had sold over a million units, a claim the company was quick to refute. Of course, even half a million sales of a first-gen foldable that costs $2000 are pretty impressive, although no one knows exactly which markets contributed the most to those sales figures. Since Samsung never releases such details, all we can do is speculate, and we’re assuming the United States and South Korea are the two biggest suspects.

Samsung’s next foldable phone will probably sell in higher numbers, as it’s expected to be priced at less than $1000. The lower price tag will probably be a result of the clamshell form factor, which doesn’t leave enough space for the device to be specced at the same level as standard flagships. The use of not-so-latest specs, like the Snapdragon 855 SoC instead of the Snapdragon 865, should also help.

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Galaxy S10 January security update now widely available

The January 2020 security update for the Galaxy S10 series is now widely available around the world. The rollout of the update started in Switzerland last week and has now expanded to many other markets, including the United States where unlocked Galaxy S10 models received the January update earlier this week.

The update with the January 2020 security patch is the first to hit the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+ after they were updated to Android 10. However, if you were expecting it to fix a few bugs that you may be facing on the stable version of Android 10, you will be disappointed, as the update seems to include only the latest Android security patch (details on which can be found here).

You will be able to download the update, which comes with software version G97*FXXS3BSL4, over the air by opening the Settings app on your phone, navigating to Software update, and selecting Download and install. If the update has been released in your country, you will find firmware for it in our firmware archive; you can install the firmware on your phone using a Windows PC to manually upgrade to the newest software.

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