Galaxy S20 dummies show how the three S20 models will compare in size

With the Galaxy S20, it’s more or less confirmed that Samsung is no longer interested in offering a compact flagship phone. The smallest of the Galaxy S20 series is expected to have a screen that’s 6.2 to 6.3 inches in size and the largest one is expected to go all the way up to 6.9 inches. But things may not be as bad as those screen sizes may suggest. The smallest Galaxy S20 will be equal in size to the Galaxy S10, according to the folks over at XDA Developers who managed to 3D print Galaxy S20 dummies based on design data received from a case maker.

As we have repeated quite often, the smaller bezels around the display on the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra would have easily allowed Samsung to keep the overall dimensions quite compact for the screen sizes. As you can see in the picture below, the Galaxy S20 with its 6.2-6.3-inch screen is not substantially bigger than the Galaxy S10 with its 6.1-inch screen. Thanks to the taller aspect ratio, it’s also not as wide as the S10 and should therefore be easier to hold. The reduced display curve should help on that front as well.

However, the most popular of the Galaxy S20 series might turn out to be the Galaxy S20+, which will be the mid-sized model. The S20+ is a bit taller than the Galaxy S10+, but it’s rather negligible considering the S20+ has a 6.7-inch screen and the S10+ has a 6.4-inch display. As for the Galaxy S20 Ultra, it’s just a tad taller than the Galaxy Note 10+ as these dummy models show, but the rounder edges should make it less unwieldy than the Note 10+, although one-handed use will naturally be a chore.

Check out the video from XDA Developers below, and let us know what you think about Samsung moving to 6-inch+ screens as standard for its 2020 flagship.

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Love texting? You better skip that new Samsung foldable phone!

Everybody and their dog knows by now that Samsung’s next foldable smartphone is going to be launched in San Francisco next month. Rumor has it that it’s going to be called the Galaxy Flip Z. Forget about the name for a second. What we do know is that it’s going to have a clamshell form factor, like the flip phones that we used to have back in the day.

The new foldable smartphone is obviously going to be head and shoulders above any of the old flip phones. It’s going to have modern specs and the latest in display technology. Samsung is said to be using ultra thin glass for the foldable display, making it one of the first devices to use this material.

Galaxy Flip Z won’t really be great for texting

This device is going to be a lot more compact than the original Galaxy Fold, even though it fits in your pocket just fine. However, it’s going to represent a challenge for you if you’re the kind of person who just loves texting. Since the cover display is absolutely tiny, you’ll have to unfold the device every single time you want to not only send a text but just to even see it. So if you’re sending out a hundred texts every day, that’s how many times you have to fold and unfold your device, unless you’re keeping it unfolded for extended periods of time. Just don’t sit on it accidentally, then, because you’re not going to like what happens next.

Sure, the Galaxy Flip Z is going to put a big display between the size of 6.7-6.9 inches in your pocket, but leaked photos of the device have shown that the cover display won’t be of much use besides showing notification icons. This isn’t a problem with the original Galaxy Fold. It has a 4.6-inch cover display that’s always accessible when the phone is folded. That’s obviously not possible in the first iteration of a clamshell foldable smartphone.

However, having used the Galaxy Fold as my main device ever since it was launched, even I sometimes feel that the cover display is too small for serious texting. Sub 5-inch screens don’t exist on modern smartphones so it just feels odd. I find myself having to unfold the device more often than not when I just want an effortless texting experience. That’s because I find the cover display to be too small and really don’t want the frustration of hitting the wrong keys when texting on the fly. That’s not a problem when the device is unfolded.

So, if you’ve got your eye on the Galaxy Flip Z but are someone who tends to text a lot, you might want to give it a second thought. Better yet, just get the original Galaxy Fold if you’re set on buying a foldable smartphone in the near future. As I’ve previously explained before, if you’re someone who loves calling people on the phone, then the Galaxy Flip Z is going to be just the device for you. Its flip phone vibe is going to allow for a great user experience.

We’ll bring you all of the updates from the launch of Samsung’s latest foldable smartphone on February 11 as we’ll be attending the event in San Francisco. Like many of you, we just can’t wait to see what Samsung has in store for us.

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Love calling people? You better buy that new Samsung foldable phone!

Let me state at the outset that I have been a very proud Galaxy Fold owner since the day it came out. It’s my daily driver. I have taken it with me on vacation where most people dare not take a Galaxy Fold. I really can’t imagine ever switching back to regular phones, owning the Galaxy Fold has been kind of a lifechanging experience for me.

So you can probably imagine that I’m very excited about Samsung’s upcoming foldable smartphone which it’s going to unveil next month. It’s be called everything from the Galaxy Fold 2 to the Galaxy Bloom and most recently, the Galaxy Flip Z. It doesn’t matter what Samsung ends up calling it, what matters is that it resurrects the clamshell form factor in the foldable era.

Galaxy Flip Z will offer a refreshing break from the monotony

Clamshell or flip phones were all the rage less than two decades ago. There’s something inherently cool about this form factor as it allows the handsets to be sleek and fashionable. Also, hanging up on someone by just slamming your phone shut was perhaps one of the most satisfying things ever. You can’t do that on a modern smartphone, where you just furiously tap on that red end call button.

The form factor of Samsung’s new foldable smartphone is going to have a lot of nostalgic value for many people. It’s going to put a big smile on your face as it will instantly remind you of the good old days but it’s obviously going to be much more capable than any mobile phone from that era.

If you’re someone who likes calling people, the Galaxy Flip Z will offer a refreshing break from the monotony of the candy bar form factor, by just being completely different from any smartphone you’ve owned in recent memory. Obviously, the ability to snap it shut to end the call will also be quite appealing. Even if you’re not hanging up on someone, just the act of closing your phone to end a call will trigger a sense of achievement, as it did back then. It’s just going to be a completely different vibe.

However, that might not be the vibe you get from the upcoming foldable smartphone if you’re someone who prefers to text a lot instead. In this day and age, that’s actually most people. There’s a reason why you can now have a car waiting outside for you or have food delivered to you without ever having to talk to someone. It doesn’t mean someone’s antisocial, it’s just that the world has changed significantly after the rapid advancement in technology.

If you’re big on texting, you may not be that interested in the Galaxy Flip Z. There’s actually a big reason why you may not want to buy this phone to begin with. If you feel that’s you, make sure to check out this small post on why Samsung’s next foldable smartphone may not be for you.

That being said, we’re super excited about everything that Samsung will be showing us at Unpacked on February 11. We’ll be attending the event in San Francisco so you’ll definitely be seeing detailed coverage of all new devices right here on SamMobile.

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Samsung shipped fewer wireless headsets in 2019 than Xiaomi, ranks 3rd

Samsung was the third-largest TWS (totally wireless headset) manufacturer in 2019, according to the Yonhap News Agency citing Strategy Analytics. The TWS category excludes headsets that have a neckband and account only for truly wireless earbuds.

Samsung was able to ship 7.4 million wireless headsets throughout 2019, covering 6.9 percent of the market. This wasn’t enough for the company to secure the first or even second place. Unsurprisingly, Apple took the crown, or more precisely, it took over 54.4 percent of the market after shipping 58.7 million AirPods in 2019 alone.

Samsung’s first obstacle is Xiaomi

It’s clear that Samsung has some catching up to do in order to become a real threat to Apple’s dominance in the segment. But before Samsung does that, it will have to challenge Xiaomi first. The Chinese OEM came in second after Apple, as it shipped 9.1 million wireless headsets throughout the year, and accounted for 8.5 percent of the market.

Samsung is preparing a new pair of TWS and it should be introduced as the Galaxy Buds+ next month along with the Galaxy S20 series. The company might not be able to turn the tables as far as Apple is concerned, and the lack of ANC on the Galaxy Buds+ could turn off a number of prospective buyers. But hopefully, the Buds+ will be successful enough to propel Samsung in second place on the podium by the end of 2020.

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Daily Deal: 60% off 2-pack USB-C fast charging cables

Fast Charging with a cable is the most efficient way of charging your smartphone. Your phone will have a 50% charge in just 30 minutes. Unfortunately, these cables break, especially if you use them a lot or in places like your car where you have to fiddle with them. For this reason, it’s recommended to have a couple of extra cables around to replace them as soon as they break. Additionally, you will have extra cables to use at your office and have a dedicated charging cable for the living room and the bedroom. Now available at 60% off for a 2-pack, this is the perfect time to get a couple of them in.

Hit the Buy Now button below to get them while still discounted!

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Samsung loses its top semiconductor market position to Intel

Intel had been the world’s largest semiconductor-based chipmaker by revenue for a record 24 years straight in 2017 when Samsung not only became the world’s most profitable tech company, it also ended Intel’s 24-year reign at the top. Samsung was able to do this because of memory chips. Its dominant position in the market coupled with a higher average selling price for DRAM and NAND products due to intense demand allowed the company to rake in more money than ever before.

Samsung maintained the momentum in 2018 as well by outselling Intel in the first half of the year. It’s the second half of the year that brought problems for Samsung and it’s that downturn in momentum which has allowed Intel to bounce back on top.

Samsung could end up retaking the spot from Intel

It became evident in the fourth quarter of 2018 that there was now more supply in the memory market than demand. Prices had to come down because manufacturers like Samsung and SK Hynix had flooded the market with inventory and price correction was the only way to sell it. Excessive oversupply took almost a year to correct as DRAM and NAND flash products saw a 47.4 percent average selling price decline in 2019, according to research firm Gartner.

Since the semiconductor division accounts for a large part of Samsung’s revenues, the impact was immediately visible on its balance sheet. Samsung posted its lowest profits in three years back in Q1 2019, a 56 percent decline in both Q2 and Q3, and a 53 percent predicted decline in operating profit for Q4 2019.

Intel wasn’t hit by this downturn because it’s not in the memory market. On the other hand Samsung’s memory revenue, which accounted for 82 percent of its sales in 2019, saw a 32 percent decline last year. Even though Intel’s semiconductor revenue declined by 0.7 percent in 2019, it was still able to take back its position as the No. 1 global semiconductor vendor by revenue in 2019. It made $65.8 billion in revenue compared to Samsung’s $52.2 billion.

This is why Samsung has been investing heavily to diversify its semiconductor business and wants to increase its revenues from non-memory products. It may even have won an order from Intel to manufacture its 14nm chips as Intel struggles with a CPU supply shortage. Things are also looking up for Samsung in the memory market which started stabilizing towards the end of 2019. The excess inventory is likely to clear in 2020 which should help drive the average selling price back up. So it’s still quite likely that Samsung could retake the top spot from Intel if the situation improves.

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Samsung remains the top patent filer in the US for the second year

Tech companies work on products that they may or may not release many years down the line. What’s more important for them is to obtain patents on their inventions so that they’re covered in the event they ever decide to launch a new product.

Samsung files for and is granted thousands of patents every year by the USPTO. A new report reveals that the company has remained the largest patent filer in the United States for the second consecutive year.

Samsung holds the most patents in the United States

According to IFI Claims, IBM received 9,262 patents in 2019 while Samsung Electronics received 6,469 US patents, an increase of 11 percent. IBM has remained the single largest patent filer in the United States for an impressive 27 years straight. So you might be wondering, how does Samsung come out on top?

IFI introduced its Ultimate Patent Ownership analysis in 2018 to measure patents filed across all divisions of a company. For example, patents filed by a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics would also be included in this figure. Samsung Electronics was at the top with 61,608 active patent families when this metric was first published in 2018. Samsung remains at the top in 2019 with 76,638 active patent families compared to IBM’s 37,304. Apple is in the 27th spot with 14,849 active patent families held.

It’s easy to understand why IBM is at a distant number two overall. Samsung is one of the biggest players in the consumer electronics market and as such, it has to do a lot of research and development for products. IBM isn’t really in the consumer electronics market any more so its R&D is largely focused around its enterprise and B2B activities.

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