Samsung website reveals the Galaxy S20 release date is likely March 6

It’s less than two weeks to Samsung’s Unpacked event where the company will officially unveil the Galaxy S20 series, not that there’s much left to be unveiled in the first place. A concrete release date hasn’t been leaked yet.

There have been hints that the Galaxy S20 may be released in the first week of March. However, it appears that Samsung just might have confirmed the Galaxy S20 release date on its own website.

Galaxy S20 release date will likely be March 6

If you head over to the official Samsung US website right now, the first thing you’ll be greeted with is a teaser for the Unpacked event. It also invites you to “reserve” the upcoming Galaxy device. This isn’t a pre-order, mind you, this is just so that Samsung can send you an email notifying you that the handset is available for pre-order once it’s formally launched. Samsung has done this for most flagship launches so this doesn’t really come as a surprise.

You just need to provide your name, email address, ZIP code and preference for a carrier the unlocked variant in order to make your reservation. Once you click on Reserve, it will show you a confirmation page which tells you to Look for an email to complete your Galaxy pre-order for March 6th delivery. Yes, Samsung has highlighted March 6 in bold on its own website. This date has only been mentioned on Samsung’s US website. While other local Samsung websites also have their own registration pages, they don’t mention any delivery dates.

This is a pretty solid indication that Samsung may announce March 6 as the release date for the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Since it tends to launch flagships in most major markets on the same day, there’s a good chance that the Galaxy S20 will be released in markets other than the US on March 6 as well.

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Galaxy S20 third-party cases delayed due to Wuhan coronavirus

Not only has the Galaxy S20 series been extensively leaked over the past few weeks, but so has the range of first and third-party accessories that will be sold separately. We’ve talked about the numerous case options before – most of which were already available for order via third-party retailer websites – but the bad news is that some of these Galaxy S20 protective case models will apparently be subjected to delays caused by the Wuhan coronavirus.

The Chinese government has reportedly extended the Chinese New Year holiday in an attempt to minimize the chances of the Wuhan coronavirus spreading. This means that factories in China will reopen for business later than usual, and third-party smartphone accessory manufacturers will face difficulties in making their products available around February 11 when the Galaxy S20 series will be unveiled. They’ve already started sending out emails to retailers, informing them of the unfortunate pushback.

Official Galaxy S20 cases should not be affected

Third-party case retailer Mobile Fun wrote a blog post on the matter and confirmed via its case suppliers from China that a variety of Galaxy S20 third-party case models won’t be obtainable around the launch of the new flagship series.

The good news is that these unfortunate events surrounding Wuhan – and other countries – are unlikely to affect the availability of first-party Galaxy S20 accessories. The company manufactures most of its accessories in South Korea and other countries outside of China, therefore, the delays caused by the Wuhan coronavirus in China should not affect the production of Samsung’s official accessories elsewhere.

The range of official accessories for the Galaxy S20 series should include the Protective Standing Cover, the LED View Cover, the Clear View Cover, and a few others. There will be fewer third-party options to choose from at launch, but hopefully, this won’t be a huge issue for the majority of people and stocks will go back to normal sooner rather than later.

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Galaxy Book S pre-orders go live in USA today, hyped by new infographic

The Galaxy Book S was officially unveiled half a year ago but it is just now making its way onto store shelves in the USA. Prospective buyers will be able to pre-order the Galaxy Book S beginning today – January 30. And with hours ahead of the pre-order window opening, Samsung has published an infographic to remind us what this 2-in-1 laptop is all about.

Ultra-slim, ultra-light, great battery life

The Galaxy Book S is one of the thinnest and lightest 2-in-1s on the market. Weighing just 0.96Kg, it crams a big enough battery in a slick 11.8mm profile to offer up to 25 hours of video playback on a single charge. That’s video playback on a 13.3-inch Full HD 10-point multi-touch display.

Easy connectivity, powered by smartphone features

The infographic further reminds customers in the USA that the Galaxy Book S has built-in LTE, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Additionally, the device possesses a bit of smartphone DNA as it comes with a fingerprint scanner and an instant touch-to-wake feature that lets users wake up the laptop without having to go through the usual Windows 10 boot and log on screens.

Other details unmentioned in the infographic include a Snapdragon 8cx octa-core processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of built-in storage. The original announcement half a year ago listed a starting price of $999 but it remains to be seen if this continues to be the case roughly six months after the fact. Samsung should clear this detail out later today once pre-orders open.

Are you going to be among the first people in the US to buy the Galaxy Book S? Leave a comment below.

Update: According to new bits of information via The Verge, the Galaxy Book S will start shipping to customers on February 13, and it will be available for purchase on the same day from Microsoft and Verizon. Sprint is going to start offering the device a day later on February 14. Samsung is also going to offer $100 gift cards – to pre-order customers, presumably – which can be used towards the purchase of new Samsung products ranging from PCs to accessories.

 

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Galaxy Z Flip tipped to feature stereo speakers, 12W wireless charging

Samsung hopes to change the shape of the future with the launch of the Galaxy Z Flip, and the company’s plan to achieve this might commence as early as February 14 when the device was last rumored to hit the shelves. Leaks will likely keep pouring until then, and the latest such unofficial report reveals a couple of new details about the unannounced Galaxy Z Flip, such as the inclusion of stereo speakers.

Galaxy Z Flip to have a ‘Focus Display’

According to the latest rumor passed along via Twitter, the Galaxy Z Flip’s small exterior panel will measure 1.05 inches and, because it’s so small, it won’t be called a Cover Display.

Instead, Samsung reportedly calls it a ‘Focus Display’ which seems to be appropriate given the panel’s function to deliver notifications and other bits of information in a condensed format.

Stereo speakers, 12W wireless charging are also said to be included

The Galaxy Z Flip will reportedly be equipped with stereo speakers, but judging by the recent renders, it’s not going to be anything out of the ordinary as far as Samsung’s devices go. In other words, there’s a dedicated speaker on the lower edge of the phone which works in conjunction with the ear speaker.

Another detail included in the recent rumor is that the clamshell foldable should have 12W wireless charging capabilities, much like the Galaxy Note 10. And again, not unlike the S Pen flagship, the Galaxy Z Flip could also feature 9W Wireless PowerShare.

The battery itself will be split into two units, and the secondary unit will have a capacity of 925mAh, as we’ve suspected all along. The other unit will have a 2,375mAh capacity resulting in 3,300mAh combined.

All in all, Samsung’s upcoming foldable device doesn’t seem to hold a lot of mysteries any more, but some of the unofficial reports so far have been conflicting. Keep a proverbial pinch of salt nearby for the time being and stay tuned for more.

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Daily Deal: 48% off the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is one of the best smartwatches out there. It comes with an excellent battery that will give you up to 3 days of usage. The display is of excellent quality as well. The 360×360 pixel resolution Super AMOLED display gives a clear image with bright colors and deep, rich blacks. This watch has a silicon strap so you will be able to fit it perfectly around your wrist, which is needed to properly use tracking functionalities like your heart rate. We’ve reviewed this smartwatch before and our verdict was excellent, so be sure to check that out here before you buy it. At almost half off, this is the perfect deal if you’re looking for a great smartwatch.

Hit the Buy Now button below to get one while still available!

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Samsung bets on 5G to improve its fortunes in 2020

Samsung was among the few companies that launched 5G smartphones in 2019. It ended up shipping 6.7 million 5G phones last year even though there were only a handful of 5G-compatible models in its entire lineup.

The company sees great potential for growth in 5G and it’s counting on that to improve its fortunes this year. Samsung is in the unique position of benefiting both from the widespread consumer adoption of 5G smartphones and mobile carriers’ shift to 5G networks as it also provides network solutions.

5G will be a key growth area for Samsung in 2020

Samsung pointed out in its Q4 2019 earnings release today that its revenues from the network business decreased compared to Q3 2019 because 5G adoption in South Korea was concentrated in the first half of the year. It was actually the first country to launch commercial 5G networks and Samsung’s 5G equipment played a significant role in enabling local carriers to launch their next-gen networks.

However, it did see 5G revenue increasing in overseas markets such as the United States and Japan. Samsung’s 5G network solutions have become more favorable as Huawei’s network business continues to be encircled by issues related to its alleged links to the Chinese government. The United States has actively been calling on its allies to shun Huawei’s equipment for their cellular networks. This has allowed Samsung to dominate the space.

Samsung rightly expects revenues from the 5G business to decline in South Korea as all major carriers have upgraded their networks already, but it’s going to expand its 5G network solutions in markets across the globe. With carriers in a lot more countries set to launch their 5G networks this year, there’s significant potential for growth in this industry for Samsung.

2020 will also see more 5G smartphones hit the market and Samsung’s chip business will cater to that by offering a wider variety of 5G SoCs. Samsung’s mobile business will launch more 5G smartphones this year, particularly in the mid-range segment, to maintain its lead as one of the top 5G smartphone vendors in the world.

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Galaxy S10 5G gets Android 10 update on T-Mobile

The Galaxy S10 series was the first to get the Android 10 and One UI 2.0 update, but that doesn’t mean the rollout has been completed for all variants by all carriers. Owners of the Galaxy S10 5G in particular have had to wait longer than those who own any of the standard Galaxy S10 models. For T-Mobile users, that wait is finally coming to an end. The un-carrier has released the Android 10 update for the Galaxy S10 5G this week.

The update — software version G977TUVU3BSL5 — was released on January 27 and should be available for all Galaxy S10 5G owners on T-Mobile by now. You can check if that’s the case for your device from the Settings » Software update menu on the phone. You can also update your phone by flashing the full Android 10 firmware on it using a Windows PC. You can find that firmware in our firmware archive.

The Android 10 update brings a number of new features, such as a choice of Google and Samsung navigation gestures, a native system-wide screen recorder, improved camera Pro mode controls, improved facial recognition, enhanced Digital Wellbeing with parental controls and Focus mode, and more. Dark mode (previously Night mode) can now darken your wallpaper, and there are also many other improvements to the user interface that you can check out at this link.

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Rumor: Galaxy Z Flip will give you last year’s camera for 1500 euros

It’s been repeatedly mentioned in all the Galaxy Z Flip leaks that Samsung’s new foldable phone will use the Snapdragon 855 processor from last year. The most recent leak suggests it will be the Snapdragon 855+, but the point remains: The Galaxy Z Flip will not have the latest and greatest internals.

And while the Galaxy Z Flip is also expected to miss out on the 108MP camera that we will see on the Galaxy S20 Ultra, it did seem like it would have the upgraded 12MP main camera that the Galaxy S20 and S20+ will be equipped with. However, according to a Twitter leakster, that won’t be the case and the Galaxy Z Flip will use the Dual Aperture 12MP camera that we saw on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 have an excellent primary rear shooter, one that has been in use since the Galaxy S9 came out. But if the Galaxy Z Flip does not have the new camera from the Galaxy S20 series, then that’s another specification that will technically be outdated on Samsung’s second foldable phone, which could make the rumored 1500 euros price an even harder pill to swallow for some folks.

At this time, no one knows what the aperture of the 12MP primary rear camera on the Galaxy S20 and S20+ will be, but rumor has it that Samsung has ditched its Dual Aperture technology for its new flagship. The Dual Aperture tech allows the camera to switch between apertures of F1.5 and F2.4 depending on lighting conditions, but with the upgraded Galaxy S20 camera expected to have a larger pixel size, it seems Samsung doesn’t deem its Dual Aperture tech to be necessary anymore.

Alas, as solid and frequent as the rumors and leaks might be getting, only Samsung will be able to tell us how it is improving the cameras for its 2020 Galaxy S lineup and whether the Galaxy Z Flip actually uses an older (but still extremely capable) camera sensor. And all will be revealed soon enough: The Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip will be unveiled in February 11 in San Francisco, USA.

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One way Samsung will benefit from being first to enter foldables market

Samsung’s launch of its first commercial foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold, was turbulent. The company overlooked an important aspect of the Fold’s design and had to delay the device’s release for nearly six months. Many believe the design oversight happened because Samsung simply wanted to be first with a foldable device on the market, and they have a point. But being first to market does have its benefits, as the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip will prove.

If the rumors are to be believed (and at this point, they can be), the Galaxy Z Flip’s foldable screen will have an ultra-thin layer of glass on top. The other clamshell foldable phone that’s launching this year, the Motorola Razr, won’t. Just like Samsung, Motorola is making sure people know that the Razr will have to be handled with care. And while that is going to be general advice for any foldable phone in the first few years, Samsung does have an advantage here.

Since Samsung has been working on foldable phones for a longer time, the folding screen on its second foldable phone won’t be as fragile as the screen on the Galaxy Fold or Motorola’s upcoming Razr. The Razr is Motorola’s first attempt at a foldable phone, and, as a result, it has exactly the same disadvantage the Fold had last year: The foldable screen, which is made of plastic, has no glass layer on top for protection.

The Razr is also priced very expensively for its spec sheet, but that’s another discussion altogether. The point I’m trying to make is that in early 2020, the foldable phone from Samsung will be more resilient than the one Motorola will sell to its customers. That wouldn’t be possible if Samsung hadn’t decided to go all in on the foldable segment before anyone else.

Sure, the company could have decided to hold off on launching a product in the market until it had the ability to put glass on top of a foldable screen, but the same could be said about Motorola. However, that’s not how it works. Every new product category has to start somewhere, and the early adopters always have to accept some risks and compromises.

In the case of the Galaxy Fold and the new Razr phone from Motorola, it’s a folding display that you have to be extremely careful with. And, for the next couple of years, those who buy a foldable device will also be paying a pretty high price even though these foldable devices have the same specs as standard non-folding smartphones.

But thanks to its persistence, Samsung will have solved — to some degree — a major issue of foldable screens before anyone else. And I can’t help but feel that’s a pretty big advantage. The Razr will probably see a lot more demand as it carries an iconic design, but for anyone looking for a foldable phone with a flip phone form factor, the Galaxy Z Flip’s glass-equipped folding display makes it a more sensible option.

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Samsung hints at more foldable devices for 2020

Samsung announced its quarterly results for the last three months of 2019 today, and in the report, the company has hinted that it will be launching multiple foldable smartphones in 2020. The Galaxy Z Flip will clearly be the first of them, and while Samsung doesn’t go into any details, it is clearly suggesting that the Z Flip is not the only foldable phone it will bring to market this year.

And that shouldn’t come as a surprise. We already expect Samsung to release the successor to the Galaxy Fold in the second half of the year, though details on that device are pretty scarce at the moment. However, there have been reports that the Galaxy Fold 2 (or whatever Samsung calls it) will support the S Pen and have an 8-inch folding display. The foldable display will likely have ultra-thin glass on top, which would make S Pen support possible and also make the display less prone to damage compared to the Galaxy Fold’s display.

Other specs can be expected to be similar to what the Galaxy S20 series will bring, like a 108MP camera, the latest Snapdragon and Exynos chipsets, and 5G support (possibly as standard in every country). Of course, it’s too early to say exactly how Samsung’s next foldable device will turn out to be, but it’s good to see the company offering some confirmation that it’s working on more foldable devices for launch after the clamshell Galaxy Z Flip.

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Samsung profits decline 53% in 2019, improvement likely this year

The earnings estimate that Samsung released three weeks ago for the fourth quarter of last year showed that the company’s 2019 full-year profit would decline a whopping 53 percent compared to 2018. That was confirmed today when Samsung published its full earnings report for Q4 2019 and the fiscal year 2019.

Samsung reported revenues of 230.40 trillion won ($193.7 billion) in 2019 compared to 243.77 trillion won ($221.6 billion) in 2018. Its operating profits for the year 2019 total 27.77 trillion won ($23.2 billion), a steep 53 percent decline compared to the 58.89 trillion on ($50.4 billion) in profit that it earned in 2018.

Total profit for 2019 is down 53 percent compared to 2018

Samsung’s Q4 2019 earnings remained almost flat compared to Q4 2018 as the company posted revenues of 59.9 trillion won ($50.7 billion), just 1 percent above the same period last year. Its operating profit for Q4 2019 came in at 7.1 trillion won ($6 billion), a solid 34 percent slide compared to Q4 2018.

It became evident in the first quarter of 2019 that it would be a tough year for Samsung. The company went on to post its lowest quarterly profit in three years after a blockbuster 2018. Its revenues and profits took a hit largely due to the supply glut in the semiconductor market. Its NAND flash and DRAM products had made an insane amount of money in the year before. Prices fell sharply when supply outweighed demand and it has taken over a year for some stability to return to the market. However, it left a significant dent on Samsung’s balance sheet.

The company highlights in its Q4 2019 earnings report that profit for the quarter fell because of the continued decline in memory chip prices as well as low demand for display panels. What helped this quarter were the solid sales of flagship smartphones and improved demand for memory chips meant for mobiles and servers.

Samsung’s mobile business brought in higher quarterly earnings because of the strong sales of flagship Galaxy smartphones in the fourth quarter as well as improved profit margins on mass-market models like the Galaxy A series. Operating profit did fall compared to Q3 2019 because the effect from the Galaxy Note 10’s launch had faded by then.

Samsung is cautiously optimistic about things improving in 2020. It continues to expect weak sales for memory chips, OLED panels and consumer electronics due to seasonality. Profit from the mobile business is expected to remain steady because new flagship and foldable models will be launched but it does caution that increased marketing costs will keep margins in check.

Conditions in the memory market are expected to improve gradually due to rising demand from data center companies and higher 5G smartphone adoption. It expects inventory to return to levels seen in previous years in the next few months which should result in prices recovering. Samsung will also be focusing on a transition to next-gen 1Z-nm DRAM and 6th Gen V-NAND chip production.

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