The partnership between Samsung and Epic Games could continue this year as well, and the launch of the Galaxy S20 series in February might also mark the release of a new Fortnite skin.
Screenshots depicting the so-called Vivid Vision set have leaked. It’s comprised of three cosmetic items including an outfit called Iris, a harvesting tool called Pop Axe, and a back bling called Roundabout.
Fortnite players who wanted to satisfy their curiosity about the mysterious Vivid Vision set took to Twitter and obtained a response from Samsung Netherlands. As you can see, the company was unable to confirm anything about the skin but praised the design.
I've just checked and at the moment, we don't have any information about this skin, which looks good by the way. I suggest to watch the Galaxy Unpacked live stream on Tuesday, February 11. Perhaps we will announce something about a new skin, who knows.. ^Bruce
On one hand, the reply doesn’t say much and it could be just a simple invitation to watch Galaxy Unpacked regardless of whether or not a new skin will be introduced.
On the other hand, the tongue-in-cheek attitude could be interpreted in a way that hints at a Samsung-exclusive Fortnite skin being planned for release at Galaxy Unpacked on February 11 along with the Galaxy S20 series. Or at the very least, Samsung might want to introduce a new Fortnite skin even if its design may be different from the leaked Vivid Vision set. Either way, the partnership with Epic Games is likely to continue this year.
Assuming that the Vivid Vision set is real, it’s still too early to tell how it will be distributed to Fortnite players. But if it will be offered in a similar way to the Fortnite Glow skin – which was introduced along with the Galaxy Note 10 – then it should be obtainable for free by Galaxy smartphone and tablet owners through the in-game store.
It’s worth reminding that the previous Fortnite Glow skin was inspired by the Galaxy Note 10’s Aura Glow color option, but in reality, the name was the only common characteristic shared by the skin and phablet. With that in mind, perhaps the Galaxy S20 will introduce a Vivid Vision color option, but it’s a stretch and I wouldn’t advise holding your breath over it.
Work on the camera module for the Galaxy S20 series has begun and according to a recent report, Optrontech – a Sough Korea optical parts manufacturer – has already supplied Samsung with the prisms required to achieve 5x optical zoom. These components are reportedly being assembled into the final camera module for the Galaxy S20 series by Actro and Samsung Electro-Mechanics. Oddly enough, the report doesn’t mention anything about the supposed 10x optical zoom capabilities of the upcoming flagship.
No mention of 10x optical zoom for the Galaxy S20 Ultra or otherwise
There have been a lot of – sometimes conflicting – claims regarding the supposed camera configuration employed by the Galaxy S20 series. One such claim suggests that the Galaxy S20 Ultra will boast 10x optical zoom capabilities, however, the latest report from The Elec makes no mention of this. Instead, it seems to imply that the entire Galaxy S20 series will share the same 5x optical zoom module.
Then again, there’s always the chance that the Galaxy S20 and S20+ will have 5x optical zoom capabilities – as reported way back when the series was being referred to as the Galaxy S11 – while the Galaxy S20 Ultra will get special treatment and impress the crowd with the inclusion of a 10x optical zoom module. Based on the rumors so far, we should expect some differences between the Galaxy S20/Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra camera configuration, at least in terms of resolution, if nothing else.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra is rumored to have 10x zoom optics along with a 108MP main camera, a 48MP telephoto camera, and a 12MP ultra-wide shooter. Assuming that the 10x optical zoom rumor turns out to be incorrect, this would cast some doubt on the other claims regarding pixel count as well.
Until we learn more, we should keep in mind that even if the entire Galaxy S20 series will have a 5x optical zoom module, this would still represent a noteworthy upgrade over the current 2x zoom solution used by the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 lineups. Whether it’s going to be 5x or 10x, this is sort of a win-win scenario for fans of the Galaxy brand, unless 10x optical zoom would be the main and/or the only selling point for you.
Smartwatches can double as great fashion accessories. You can mix and match the bands with your outfits to truly personalize its look. Samsung sells bands for its smartwatches and there are plenty of third-party options available as well. However, we’re not quite pleased that the company hasn’t offered a metal watch band for its latest smartwatches.
Samsung may have its own reasons for not doing so, but it’s hard to deny that they look pretty good on its smartwatches. You can easily get a third-party metal watch band for the Galaxy Watch Active/Active 2 for under 50 euro. We have bought a few of them and are happy with just how great they make our Samsung smartwatches look.
It would be nice if Samsung starts offering a metal band as an official accessory. It’s going to make a lot of its customers happy if it does that. Would you be among the ones to buy one? Vote below and let us know your thoughts by dropping a comment.
[Poll] Would you buy a metal smartwatch band if Samsung sold one?
Yes, absolutely! 65%, 15 votes
15 votes65%
15 votes - 65% of all votes
No, I don't like metal bands for smartwatches 22%, 5 votes
The Galaxy A51 has big shoes to fill. It takes the baton from the Galaxy A50, one of the most successful smartphones that Samsung released in 2019. Samsung revamped the entire Galaxy A series last year to become more competitive in the mid-range segment of the market. To that end, it launched a plethora of new devices, including multiple variants several months apart.
That strategy appears to have worked for Samsung and the company is planning to continue it in 2020. It’s kicking things off with the Galaxy A51, one of its most highly anticipated budget handsets of the year. The new handset also carries the Galaxy A50’s tradition of being the first to introduce new features to the budget lineup. The Galaxy A50 brought the optical fingerprint sensor, the Galaxy A51 introduces the macro camera to Samsung’s smartphones.
There’s a lot to dissect here so let’s get right to it. How does the Galaxy A51 stack up against its predecessor, and more importantly, where does it stand on its own merits? Is it worthy of your money? Our Galaxy A51 review will answer these questions for you.
Galaxy A51 design
It’s quite easy to tell the Galaxy A51 apart from its predecessor. Unlike the Galaxy A50 which had an Infinity-U notched display, the Galaxy A51 has an Infinity-O display. The centered punch hole for the front camera allows for a slimmer top bezel. It’s made from the same “glasstic” material as previous Galaxy A devices. It doesn’t feel cheap or obviously plasticky and it’s not slippery either. The subtle curves at the back allow for a comfortable grip during prolonged use.
The new L-shaped camera setup dominates the back, which is adorned by a prism-like crisscross pattern. It’s much more subtle than a gradient finish and the light plays off of it beautifully. Full marks to Samsung for making it so easy on the eyes. The 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C port and speaker are all positioned at the bottom. Given its position, you’ll often find yourself inadvertently covering the speaker grille with your finger when playing a game or watching a video in landscape mode. It’s a slight inconvenience at first but you’ll get used to placing your finger appropriately in time.
All of the physical buttons – and there are only three of them – are placed on the right side of the frame, like they were on its predecessor. By default, if you press and hold the power button when the phone is on, it will launch Bixby. You can change it to bring up the power off menu in the Advanced features area in the Settings app. That’s also where you can configure which app you want to launch by double-pressing the power key.
Overall, the Galaxy A51 feels really well built, like it can withstand being your daily driver for a couple of years without breaking a sweat. We’ve seen all of the four colors that it’s offered in and you’ll definitely be spoiled for choice because they all look gorgeous.
Galaxy A51 display
The Galaxy A51 comes with a 6.5-inch Infinity-O Super AMOLED Full HD+ display, with 1080×2400 pixel resolution and 20:9 aspect ratio. It’s marginally taller than the Galaxy A50’s 6.4-inch panel. The bezels are a bit slimmer than its predecessor but there’s no edge-to-edge action happening here. It’s a flat panel that actually feels like a refreshing break if you’ve been using curved displays for a long time. A screen protector comes pre-installed.
Samsung pumps out exceptional OLED displays without breaking a sweat. This obviously isn’t a flagship-quality panel but you’d be hard-pressed to find a competing device with some other supplier’s OLED display that can claim to be better. It gets nice and bright with excellent viewing angles, deep blacks and rich colors.
The punch hole for the front camera is less obtrusive than the Infinity-U notch so it’s really not going to bother you. One improvement we felt that Samsung should make with the Galaxy A50’s successor was to make the chin below the display smaller. It has done just that for the Galaxy A51.
An in-display optical fingerprint sensor is also present. We had highlighted in our Galaxy A50 review that its performance was less than ideal. It’s much better on the Galaxy A51. It doesn’t struggle nearly as much as it did on its predecessor. I tried extensively, placing my finger on the sensor at an angle, just placing it dead center when the screen was off, and just lightly tapping it. The fingerprint sensor works as it should for the most part.
There’s a noticeable improvement in the sensor’s ability to recognize the fingerprint. That being said, it’s not as fast as a physical fingerprint sensor; not even the high-end ultrasonic sensors can match those. There’s a good 1/1.5 second lag between the time you place your finger on the sensor and the phone actually unlocking. That’s just how it is for these in-display sensors. You’ll be cautioned to not use a screen cover when registering fingerprints so that any false-positive fiasco can be avoided.
Galaxy A51 camera
This is where the Galaxy A51 really comes into its own element. The camera setup is the biggest selling point of this smartphone and Samsung is offering an interesting mix. The Galaxy A51 has a 48-megapixel f/2.0 primary and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide f/2.2 camera that has a 123-degree field of view. It retains the 5-megapixel f/2.2 depth camera of its predecessor. The Galaxy A51 also has the distinction of being Samsung’s first smartphone to feature a 5-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera.
The main camera doesn’t actually output 48MP photos. It uses pixel binning technology to output 12MP photos. Without going into too many technical details, pixel binning allows for more accurately exposed and detailed images as it combines 4 pixels into 1 superpixel. This superpixel contains four times the amount of data compared to a single pixel in a 48MP image.
The resulting images are nice and sharp with great color reproduction. Low-light performance is certainly better than it was on the Galaxy A50. It doesn’t tend to overexpose shots as much under artificial lighting. The Galaxy A51’s primary camera is more than capable of getting the job done when the lighting isn’t that great. It also allows for 8x digital zoom but the image will just get progressively worse with each increment.
The ultra-wide camera was a big talking point for Samsung smartphones last year, particularly when the company brought it over to mid-range and affordable budget devices. The 12-megapixel camera on the Galaxy A51 has a higher megapixel count compared to the ultra-wide cameras on recent mid-range smartphones. The increase in resolution does make a slight difference as the camera is able to capture more detail and the images turn out sharper, but it’s going to be imperceptible to those who have used the 8-megapixel ultra-wide on the Galaxy A50. It does struggle a bit in the dark compared to the primary camera, which is largely due to its f/2.2 aperture.
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It’s the 5-megapixel macro camera that most people will be interested in. That’s really what’s “new” with this device. For those who are unaware, a macro camera allows you to take incredibly detailed close-up photos of a small subject as they can focus closer to the subject compared to conventional lenses. This lets you fill the frame with the subject and thus capture more detail. Despite its 5-megapixel resolution, the macro camera is capable of taking some good close-up shots.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to get much closer to the subject than you think in order to get it into focus. The phone recommends that you should hold the camera 3-5 cm away from the subject. However, you should have incredibly stable hands, because the lack of optical image stabilization means that even the slightest of movement will result in blurry shots.
As you can see in the samples below, the camera is quite capable of capturing the flaky, buttery texture of a croissant in an indoors, low-light environment. The same goes for closeups of other small items. You can really get some great shots with it outdoors, so if you’re a nature buff who loves taking closeup photos of flowers, the Galaxy A51 is the phone for you. It’s not possible to record videos using the macro camera, though.
Is the macro camera really useful? That depends on how you normally use your smartphone’s camera for photography. Macro is no replacement for a telephoto lens and the latter would prove to be much more useful in a wider variety of situations. Samsung had cost considerations with the Galaxy A51, which is why it opted for the macro instead. Its usefulness is limited in that it can only take really closeup shots. The macro camera isn’t even that great for photographing your food since most people want to capture the whole aesthetic, not a specific part of whatever’s on their plate. It’s not going to be something that you’ll use more than a couple of times unless super closeups are your thing. Even a cursory glance at social media shows that it’s not for most people.
What doesn’t make sense is why the Macro camera mode isn’t visible in the camera UI by default. You have to hit More to access the full list of camera modes in order to drag it out from there. It’s an unnecessary step for a marquee feature of this device. A 5-megapixel depth sensor completes the Galaxy A51’s quad camera setup. Several Samsung smartphones have this sensor already, it’s the one that allows for Live Focus or bokeh pictures. It works as intended, producing reasonable background blur and providing decent separation between the background and the subject.
The Galaxy A51 has got your selfie needs covered with its 32-megapixel f/2.2 front camera. A light ring glows around the Infinity-O punch hole when you switch to the front camera. Selfies come out nice and sharp, even if a bit overexposed, but that’s probably by design. Both the front and rear cameras are capable of recording 4K UHD video.
It’s possible to create an AR Doodle in your videos. The feature works in the same way that it does on the Galaxy Note 10. You can either doodle on someone’s face or anywhere in the frame, and the camera will remember that position in space and show the doodle whenever it’s panned to that position. This is a neat little addition to Samsung’s mid-range lineup. The other camera modes include Panorama, Food, Pro, Night, Super Slow-Mo, Slow Motion and Hyperlapse. AR Emoji and Bixby Vision are present as well.
Galaxy A51 software
The Galaxy A51 is a unique device as it a break from tradition for Samsung. The company’s Galaxy S flagships previously used to be the first devices to come with the latest Android OS version out of the box. Samsung didn’t wait for the Galaxy S20 this time around. The Galaxy A51 is its first smartphone to ship with Android 10 and One UI 2.0, coming out before this year’s Galaxy S flagship. It’s covered for the next two Android platform updates.
One UI 2.0 feels more natural and visually comfortable than previous iterations. Samsung made a lot of improvements to the software and the Galaxy A51 obviously benefits from them. It does miss out on the built-in screen recorder that Samsung has included in One UI 2.0 for some devices as well as the ability to take slow motion selfie videos. Bixby Routines and Edge screen are both present, in addition to App Pairs. Android 10 itself brings many new features such as more granular privacy and location tools, Focus mode, enhanced parental controls, and Google’s navigation gestures.
Bixby Voice is onboard as well. There’s really nothing to say about it other than the fact that it exists on this device. It doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary and you probably won’t be using it much anyway. There’s also a whole smattering of other features like a system-wide Night mode, Dual Messenger, Game Launcher, Secure Folder, Always On Display, Blue light filter, Link to Windows, Scan QR code and more.
Galaxy A51 performance
The Galaxy A51 is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 9611 processor, the very same chip inside the Galaxy A50s. It’s simply a higher-clocked version of the Galaxy A50’s Exynos 9610. Don’t be confused, what this simply means for you is that the Galaxy A51’s performance is marginally better than its predecessor.
It’s an adequate setup, coupled with 6GB RAM on the variant we tested. The Galaxy A51 packs enough punch to handle whatever you can reasonably throw at a smartphone in this segment. Given that it has four 2.3GHz Cortex-A73 cores to do the heavy lifting, the Galaxy A51 will be able to support your PUBG habit at the highest graphics setting without breaking a sweat.
There are plenty of reminders about this being a mid-range device, though. There’s some lag and the odd stutter even on our 6GB variant; in some markets Samsung will offer 4GB RAM on the base model, on which the lag and stutter might be even more noticeable. This didn’t really come as a surprise as we’re quite used to seeing this on Samsung’s mid-range smartphones. It just comes with the territory. Its performance is not disappointing by any stretch of the imagination, just as long as you have the right expectations from it.
Galaxy A51 audio and call quality
I wasn’t that impressed by the Galaxy A51’s single bottom-firing speaker. The audio sounds flat and there really isn’t any oomph (bass) to it. It’s actually quite similar to its predecessor and I think this was a missed opportunity and Samsung should have improved the speaker. Your standard Samsung wired earphones come in the box, they’re nothing out of the ordinary. The handset has Dolby Atmos support for both wired and Bluetooth audio which does help improve the audio experience a bit. I faced no network reception issues on the Galaxy A51 so it’s pretty solid in this department. The call audio is generally loud and crisp so it ticks all the right boxes.
Galaxy A51 battery life
The Galaxy A51 has the same 4,000mAh battery with 15W fast wired charging as the Galaxy A50. It’s a pretty chunky battery, one that’s easily going to get you through the day with substantial usage. If your usage isn’t as intense, the battery can easily last you just under two days, particularly if you have just one SIM in the phone.
I wish Samsung had enabled 25W fast wired charging on the device. It would have made sense for the Galaxy A51 to get that upgrade. Then again, the company does have to maintain some differences between the Galaxy A series models. That’s likely one of the reasons why the Galaxy A51 sticks with 15W. Expect the battery to charge completely from 0-100 percent in around two hours.
Galaxy A51 verdict
One of the biggest reasons why the Galaxy A50 turned out to be such a roaring success is not that it was exceptional in every way, it’s that the device offered great value for money for the asking price. Samsung’s only job with the Galaxy A51 was to preserve that legacy and build on it.
In my opinion, Samsung has been able to do that very well. You’re getting a lot for ~$350. A faultless AMOLED display, cameras better than what you’d find on the competition, and solid build quality with a striking finish. Add to that the fact that it ships with the latest version of Android, and customers will sit up and take notice. Even if you own the Galaxy A50, the camera improvements alone might make you want to consider the upgrade.
That being said, the macro camera is a very niche thing. It’s not something that most users will actively be using, and I feel only those who truly feel the need for it would think about upgrading from its predecessor. The Galaxy A51 doesn’t face competition from within the Samsung family like the Galaxy A50 did when it arrived (the Galaxy A71 won’t be coming out for at least a month). In markets like India, customers who wanted a slightly less capable device at a relative bargain could skip the Galaxy A50 in favor of the Galaxy M20 and the M30 which were new at that time last year.
But Samsung has timed the Galaxy A51 launch just right. There’s little competition for it from within the family and at its $350 price tag, it’s a pretty compelling option for customers looking to buy a new mid-range smartphone, regardless of how they feel about the macro camera.
No device will ever be perfect, and there’s always going to be room for improvement. I would have loved to see a beefier processor, faster charging for the battery, a better loudspeaker, and even a telephoto camera. But these devices have to exist within their own realities and to that extent, the Galaxy A51 is quite possibly one of the best smartphones in its category.
Pros
Cons
Solid build, great finish
Limited usability for the macro camera
Android 10 and One UI 2.0 pre-installed
No increase in battery size or charging speeds over Galaxy A50
The Galaxy Z Flip is expected to hit the shelves for a price of around $850, and while we don’t have an exact figure for you, a recent rumor has attempted to narrow the price range for the device. According to South Korean publication iNews24, the Galaxy Z Flip will launch in South Korea along with a price tag of anywhere between 1 million and 1.5 million won; Or the rough equivalent of $862-$1,293 at today’s conversion rate.
The same publication mentions that the Galaxy Z Flip will only be launched in LTE flavor. As we already know, Samsung’s upcoming clamshell smartphone will be powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset. This strategy of not fitting the device with the latest and greatest components is what will keep the phone’s launch price in the $862-$1,293 range.
New smartphone buysers will have to decide what they care about the most
The Galaxy Z Flip should be unveiled alongside the Galaxy S20 series. Samsung fans looking to buy a new device will have an interesting choice on their hands. They can either go for the true and tested candy bar form factor and benefit from newer hardware components and additional features brought forth by the Galaxy 20 lineup, or they can pay roughly the same price for lesser specs and a more striking clamshell design enabled by foldable display technology.
It’s going to be interesting to see how far the scales will tip in either direction, and how many prospective buyers will be willing to give up on some technical advantages in favor of a striking new design that truly stands out in today’s monotonous smartphone market.
About a month ago we brought you exclusive news about a new tablet being developed by Samsung. For now, it’s known by the model numbers SM-P610 and SM-P615. The latter has been spotted on Geekbench earlier this week, offering a first sneak preview on some of its specifications.
According to the benchmark, the SM-P615 will be powered by the Exynos 9611 chipset. The same solution has been previously employed by the Galaxy M30s and Galaxy A50s smartphones. We’ve also known for about a month that the mid-range tablet at had should be available in 64GB and 128GB flavors, and that it could be paired with an S Pen. As expected, these details go by unmentioned by the benchmarking application.
The chipset works alongside 4GB of RAM and the tablet seems to be running Android 10 out of the box, which is definitely good news. The SM-P610 / SM-P615 shapes up to be a budget tablet and it most likely won’t be prioritized in terms of early firmware updates. It’s good to see that Samsung is keen on leaving Android 9 behind with every one of its upcoming product releases.
The SM-P615 is likely the LTE-enabled variant of the Wi-Fi-only SM-P610, but as yet, we don’t have any information as to when either one of these models will hit the shelves. We suspect Samsung will introduce this budget tablet without much fanfare, so stick around and we’ll keep you posted as soon as we learn more.
Looking to get rid of all the wires cluttering your desk and switch to wireless charging? Then you should take a look at the latest deal on the Samsung Wireless Charger Duo Pad – it can be yours right now at 39% off the standard price. The Wireless Charger Duo Pad has two charging pads so you can charge two phones at once, or one phone and one wearable device, like your smartwatch. It’s a Qi-certified charger, so you can charge your Galaxy phone, iPhone, or any other mainstream smartphone that supports wireless charging.
Hit the Buy Now button to get one for yourself while the discount lasts!
5G-equipped smartphones are going to be a big deal this year. And while there were plenty of flagship phones with 5G connectivity last year, 2020 is set to see manufacturers, including Samsung, start bringing 5G support to lower price tags. We had exclusively revealed a couple of months back that Samsung is working on a 5G variant of the Galaxy A71 for the Chinese market, and we are now seeing signs of US-bound variants of the Galaxy A71 5G.
Samsung has started development on two new A71 variants – SM-A716U and SM-A716U1. These would be the carrier and unlocked models respectively, although at this time we don’t know exactly which carriers will sell the A71 5G. The Galaxy A70 and Galaxy A70s never made it to the US so there’s no precedent to help us speculate, either. Furthermore, it’s not clear when the Galaxy A71 5G will go official. No benchmarks for the device have been spotted online yet, so its launch could be a few months away.
As we recently revealed, the Galaxy A71 5G is not the only 5G handset that will join Samsung’s mid-range lineup this year. The company is also working on a 5G variant of the Galaxy A51. It is currently in development for South Korea, but it’s highly probable that Samsung will bring it to other markets — including the US and China — as well later down the line. We’ll keep an eye on things and let you know once we learn more.
It’s been more than a year since the last Galaxy smartwatch with a physical rotating bezel was launched. The Galaxy Watch is highly regarded by those who purchased it, and many have been waiting for a proper Galaxy Watch successor to hit the market. What they got, however, were the Galaxy Watch Active and Galaxy Watch Active 2, both of which are excellent smartwatches but, as some would say, lack the charm that made Samsung’s smartwatches so special.
But could their wish finally come true in 2020? Well, we aren’t sure about that, but it seems Samsung has started working on a new smartwatch. According to our friends over at GalaxyClub, a smartwatch with model number SM-R840 is being developed. The new watch reportedly has a battery capacity of 330 mAh, but no other details are available at this time. That makes it hard to speculate whether the SM-R840 is a direct sequel to the Galaxy Watch or if it is a Galaxy Watch Active 3.
It’s also unclear when this smartwatch will be officially announced. Since we haven’t heard much about the SM-R840, a launch alongside the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip on February 11 seems unlikely. We guess it will accompany the Galaxy Note 20 in the second half of the year, and we should see more information on the new watch surfacing on the internet in the coming months.
Recent leaks and rumors have suggested that the Galaxy S20 series could feature an eSIM. For those unaware, eSIM (short for embedded SIM) is a programmable digital chip that removes the need for a smartphone to have a traditional SIM slot by allowing users to switch carriers without having to physically swap SIM cards. An eSIM is how Samsung’s smartwatches connect to mobile networks, and the Galaxy Fold is equipped with an eSIM as well.
This year, Samsung is said to be equipping all three of its new Galaxy S flagship with an eSIM, but it’s the Galaxy S20 Ultra that may end up benefiting the most from the digital SIM. Thanks to the eSIM, users might be able to use dual SIM cards and a microSD card at the same time. Dual SIM slots have been standard across Samsung’s flagship phones for a few years now, but the company has always used a hybrid slot that can either allow two SIM cards or a single SIM card and a microSD card.
An eSIM could fix that limitation on the Galaxy S20 Ultra. We say “could” instead of “will”, as there’s currently no way to know if the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s physical card tray will have separate slots for a microSD card and a SIM card. Samsung could have decided to save space and put a single hybrid slot on the phone instead of keeping its existing two-slot solution. But if it is the latter, then the Galaxy S20 Ultra could be the first Samsung flagship that can have two mobile networks active while allowing users to expand the device’s storage capacity.
What about the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+? Well, it seems neither will feature expandable storage, so an eSIM will not provide as substantial of an advantage to consumers who pick the S20 or S20+ compared to those who go with the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Yes, it’s going to be disappointing if two of the three Galaxy S20 models lack a microSD slot, though it might be dwarfed by the backlash Samsung is sure to face from long-time fans for axing the headphone jack.
Two of Samsung’s flagship smartphones are now being updated with the January 2020 security patch. Samsung has released the January security update for the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy Note 8. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ update is not based on Android 10, for those wondering. It’s a standard security update for regular users not participating in the One UI 2.0 beta program, and the timing of its release suggests there is still some time left before Samsung brings a stable version of Android 10 to beta users and starts the public rollout.
The updates for both the Galaxy S9/S9+ and Galaxy Note 8 bring only the newest security patch. The Galaxy S9 update has been released in France for users of carrier Bouygues and sports software version G96*FXXS7CTA1. The Galaxy Note 8 update is also available in only one market at this time, at least for the Exynos-powered model. It is rolling out in Germany and comes with software version N950FXXS8DSL3. The rollout will no doubt spread to more countries in the coming days; you can always check if your country has received an update by visiting our firmware archive.
To download the latest update over the air, you can open the Settings app on your Galaxy S9, S9+, or Note 8, select Software update, then tap Download and install. You can also update your phone by downloading the latest firmware from our firmware archive and installing it using a Windows computer.
Recent leaks have revealed many exciting aspects about Samsung’s upcoming flagship. One particularly interesting detail was that Samsung may be putting 12GB of RAM as standard on all three Galaxy S20 models and going all the way up to 16GB of RAM for the Galaxy S20 Ultra. While there’s no evidence of the latter being true, a benchmark listing for the Galaxy S20 suggests that 12GB of RAM may indeed be the minimum on offer no matter which Galaxy S20 model one might purchase.
The North American 5G variant of the Galaxy S20, the smallest of the three Galaxy S20 models, was recently benchmarked on Geekbench with 12GB of RAM (and the Snapdragon 865 SoC and Android 10). Considering it’s always the base models that get benchmarked before a flagship phone is released, it’s a pretty solid hint that 12 gigs of RAM will be standard across the lineup. However, Samsung could still put 8GB of RAM in the LTE variants, which are expected to be available in some markets despite 5G connectivity being an integral part of the new Exynos and Snapdragon chips.
Would you be willing to pay for a flagship in 2020 that has less than 12GB of RAM, or do you think Samsung should continue to offer variants of its flagships with 8GB of RAM to keep prices low? Let us know in the comments!
I suggest to watch the Galaxy Unpacked live stream on Tuesday, February 11. Perhaps we will announce something about a new skin, who knows.. ^Bruce
