Samsung Galaxy S7 gets January 2020 security update

January is already over, and Samsung is already sending the February security update to its devices. But plenty of the company’s smartphones and tablets are still getting the January security update as well, and the latest one to receive is the Galaxy S7. Come March, the Galaxy S7 will have completed four years on the market, but Samsung continues to keep it updated.

The previous security update for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge brought the December 2019 patch, though as is the case with such old devices, that update wasn’t released everywhere. The January security update has been released for users of the Galaxy S7 on UK carrier O2, and we will have to wait and see if the same update will be rolled out in other markets. As you would expect, the update brings no new features or enhancements other than the latest security fixes.

The update is currently out only for Galaxy S7 owners but should soon be released for the Galaxy S7 edge as well. It sports firmware version G930FXXS7ETA7 and can be downloaded over the air from the phone’s Settings » Software update menu. You can also update your phone by downloading the firmware for the new update from our firmware archive and installing it using a Windows PC.

Are you still using a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge? Have you received this update on your phone or any other update in the last couple of months? Let us know down in the comments!

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Samsung monthly updates: February 2020 security patch detailed

Samsung has already released the February security update for a couple of devices, including its latest flagships, in some markets, and the company has now published details of the new security patch. As usual, the latest Android security patch for Galaxy devices bundles fixes for both vulnerabilities in the core Android OS and for vulnerabilities that only affect Samsung’s software.

The February patch fixes two critical vulnerabilities in the Android operating system, along with a slew of high-risk vulnerabilities and a couple of moderate ones. The Samsung part of the patch is considerably larger – fixes for 30 Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE) items are included in the patch. They’re all pretty technical so we won’t go into detail, but the bottom line is that the new security patch further enhances the security of eligible Galaxy devices.

We should see the February 2020 security patch making its way to more Galaxy phones and tablets in the coming weeks. As always, you will be able to find out if your device has received a new security update here at SamMobile, both through our firmware archive and through the news articles we publish about security updates. You can also check manually if an update is available from your device’s Settings » Software update menu.

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Samsung launches industry’s first third-gen HBM2E Flashbolt memory

Samsung has announced that it is launching the ‘Flashbolt’ HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) memory in the market today. It is the third-generation HBM (HBM2E) technology, and this DRAM will be used for high-performance computing in supercomputers, GPUs, and various AI-driven tasks.

One year after releasing the HBM2 ‘Aquabolt’ memory, the South Korean chip giant had initially announced the Flashbolt HBM memory last year during Nvidia’s 2019 GTC (GPU Technology Conference). This memory technology will likely be used in upcoming high-end GPUs from AMD and Nvidia. Late last month, JEDEC (Joint Electron Tube Engineering Council) had published an updated revision of the HBM2 standard.

Samsung’s HBM2E memory can reach maximum data transfer speeds of up to 3.2Gbps per pin. Up to eight 8Gb DRAM chips can be vertically stacked on top of a buffer chip to achieve 16GB package capacity. The company is manufacturing these chips using its 10nm (1y) fabrication technology. The memory bandwidth per stack is 410GB/s.

When overclocked, these HBM2E memory chips can offer up to 4.2Gb/s data transfer rates per pin and a memory bandwidth of 538GB/s. In comparison, the second-generation HBM memory from the company offered 2.4Gb/s bandwidth per pin, 307.2GB/s bandwidth per stack, and 8GB total capacity.

Samsung says that these DRAM chips will go into mass production in the first half this year. The South Korean firm will continue to offer HBM2 Aquabolt memory to its ecosystem partners.

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US unlocked Galaxy S10 and Note 10 get February security update

Samsung USA seems to be putting a lot of focus on pushing out software updates to unlocked variants of its flagships this year. We saw unlocked Galaxy S9 and S9+ units getting the Android 10 update in record time in the country, and now, we are seeing the same happen with the February 2020 security update for both the Galaxy S10 series and the Galaxy Note 10 series.

It was just four days ago that the February security patch was released for the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ internationally, and the update has now made its way stateside. As for the Galaxy S10, the US is the first market where Samsung is rolling out the latest security patch for the soon-to-be-succeeded flagship series.

Both the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 updates come with just the February 2020 security patch as far as new features and enhancements are concerned. The February patch has not yet been detailed by either Google or Samsung, so what security fixes it brings to the table is a complete mystery at this time. However, we should see that change within the next couple of days.

You can download the new software update over the air on your Galaxy S10e, S10, S10+, Note 10, or Note 10+ from the phone Settings » Software update menu. If you can’t download the update that way, you can grab the latest firmware from our firmware archive and install it on your phone using a Windows computer.

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T-Mobile pricing for Galaxy S20 series leaks

Samsung isn’t left with much to reveal about the Galaxy S20 series during the Unpacked 2020 event on February 11. All the Galaxy S20 phones and their variants have been leaked already, along with press renders, detailed specifications, and launch dates. Now, T-Mobile’s pricing for the Galaxy S20 has been leaked as well.

According to YouTuber Jon Prosser, T-Mobile will sell the Galaxy S20 in the US for $999. The pricing for the Galaxy S20+ and the Galaxy S20 Ultra on the carrier’s network could be $1,199 and $1,399, respectively. Moreover, he says that all the Galaxy S20 series variants on the network would ship with support for at least Band 71 for 600MHz 5G. The phones would most likely be released through all the popular carriers in the US.

Previously, the pricing of the Galaxy S20 series for the European markets and the US was revealed. The Galaxy S20 is pegged to be priced at $990 (€899) and $1,100 (€999) for 4G and 5G variants, respectively. The S20+ 5G, on the other hand, is expected to be priced at $1,200 (€1,099). The Galaxy S20 Ultra, which could only be released in a 5G variant, could reportedly carry a price tag of $1,500 (€1,349) and $1,700 (€1,549) for 128GB and 512GB variants, respectively.

Samsung is stepping up its game considerably with the Galaxy S20 series, with all of the variants featuring 120Hz AMOLED screens with punch hole selfie cameras. All of them feature Exynos 990 or Snapdragon 865 processors, depending on the market, along with at least 12GB RAM and 128GB storage. The Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra could be powered by 4000mAh, 4500mAh, and 5000mAh batteries, respectively.

In terms of imaging, the Galaxy S20 is expected to come with a 12MP+64MP+12MP triple-camera setup. The S20+ will add a 3D ToF camera to the S20’s camera setup. The S20 Ultra gets a considerable upgrade, featuring a 108MP primary camera, a 48MP 5x optical zoom camera (with 10x hybrid and 100x digital zoom), a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 3D ToF sensor. All the phones will feature 8K video recording.

The Galaxy S20 and the Galaxy S20+ are expected to feature 10MP selfie cameras, while the Galaxy S20 Ultra is pegged to come with a massive 40MP selfie camera. All the phones could record 4K 60fps videos using their front-facing cameras. Other features include Android 10 with One UI 2.1, IP68 certification, stereo speakers, and wireless charging.

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Samsung’s Xi’an memory plant is in full production despite the coronavirus

Although numerous businesses in China have been affected by the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, Samsung’s memory chip factory in Xi’an has been operating according to plan, reveals a Reuters report citing a Samsung Electronics spokesperson.

Despite the Chinese government extending the Lunar New Year holidays amid the coronavirus outbreak, Samsung told Reuters that the Xi’an memory plant’s schedule hasn’t been affected in any way. In fact, the spokesperson confirmed that production did not stop at all during the holidays and that the plant continued operating as normal.

Not every business in China is as lucky, evidently, and not even Samsung has been spared on all fronts. Only earlier today we’ve reported on the company’s biggest Experience Store in China shutting down temporarily due to fears of the coronavirus spreading. Samsung’s partners have also seen some shortage in production, and third-party cases for the Galaxy S20 lineup will arrive on the market later than originally planned.

China is one of the biggest economies in the world, and countless consumer electronics and products are being manufactured there. So far, the unfortunate events surrounding the Wuhan coronavirus haven’t affected Samsung’s roadmap in any significant way, and hopefully, things will get back to normal soon and without further casualties.

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The Gear S2 is getting Watch Active 2 UI via surprise firmware update

Believe it or not, the Gear S2 smartwatch is getting a new firmware update. Version R730AUCU3CQK1 is rolling out as we speak, according to Tizen Help, and it brings the Galaxy Watch Active 2 UI along with it. The update also improves battery life and security, and all of these new goodies come wrapped in a 6.79MB package.

This is quite an unexpected turn of events. A couple of years have passed since the Gear S2 has last seen a firmware update, and not only is the smartwatch approaching its 5th anniversary – which is quite a long time on the market to receive new firmware – but Samsung went the extra mile to include the new UI. It should breathe fresh life into the wearable, even as the launch of a new Galaxy Watch seems to be looming.

At the moment, it’s not clear where exactly the new update is rolling out and how long it will take to reach your device, wherever you may happen to reside. But, as usual, you can check for new updates by launching the Galaxy Wearable app on your connected smartphone, accessing Watch software update, and tapping Download and install if applicable.

Have you received this update on your Gear S2? Better yet, are you still rocking your Gear S2 or have you retired it? Join us in the comment section below. Feel free to let us know if you’ve noticed any new additions and/or changes with this release.

Gear S2

• Model: SM-R720
• Dimensions: 49.8 x 42.3 x 11.4mm
• Display: Circular 1.2" (30.2 mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 3250
• Camera:

More specifications

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US unlocked Galaxy S9 gets Android 10 update in record time

Owners of factory unlocked Galaxy flagships in the United States have long complained about the tedious wait they have to suffer before major firmware updates are rolled out for their devices. They usually had to wait until all carrier-locked units got the update before it even began rolling out for US unlocked units.

That’s changing with the Android 10 update. The US unlocked Galaxy S9 has received its Android 10 update today. That’s merely six days after the first stable Galaxy S9 Android 10 update release in Germany. Some carriers in the US haven’t even released it yet.

US unlocked Galaxy S9 has received its Android 10 update

This has been an incredible change of pace from Samsung and one that’s certainly going to be much appreciated by customers who purchase its unlocked units. Just last week, it released the Android 10 update for the unlocked Galaxy Note 9 six days after carriers started rolling it out. The unlocked variant of both these devices has received the Android 10 update in record time.

It’s in stark contrast to the almost two-month wait last year between the time that the first stable Android Pie update for the Galaxy S8 was rolled out and when it was finally released for the unlocked variant in the United States.

Samsung is now rolling out firmware version G965U1UEU7DTA5 for the unlocked Galaxy S9 in the United States. The 1.8GB update brings everything that’s part and parcel of Android 10 and One UI 2.0. You can check out our One UI 2.0 feature focus series to find everything there is to know about Samsung’s new custom skin. The update also comes with the January 2020 security patch. It’s currently rolling out over-the-air and is also available for download from our firmware section.

Those who haven’t received the update notification on their handsets already should expect to do so in a few hours. They’ll most certainly be very happy that Samsung isn’t making them wait for too long in order to get the latest Android update.

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Galaxy S10 Lite is so good I didn’t immediately switch back to the Note 10+

The launch of the Galaxy S10 Lite raised eyebrows. People wondered why Samsung made this new Galaxy S10 nearly a year after the Galaxy S10 flagship was released. Many scoffed at the odd mix of flagship and mid-range specs on the phone. But, as it turned out, the Galaxy S10 Lite is actually a very good phone, one that I praised in our official review for the flagship-like experience it provides in many departments.

When I’m not reviewing any phone, I’m generally using the latest flagship from Samsung. When I finish a review, I switch back to that flagship because, let’s face it, if you have a Galaxy flagship in your possession, you wouldn’t stick to any of the budget or mid-range Galaxy phones that Samsung sends us, no matter how good they might be for their segment. But, once I finished reviewing the Galaxy S10 Lite, I realized I didn’t feel like going back to the Galaxy Note 10+.

In fact, I don’t think I would be switching back to the Note 10+ at all until the Galaxy S20 arrived if Samsung had not sent over the Note 10 Lite, which is the device I must now use so I can tell you whether it’s worth your hard-earned money or not. The Galaxy S10 Lite is just that good, and while it has shortcomings, they are mostly minor issues when it comes to day-to-day use.

Performance and battery life are the main attractions

There are multiple reasons for why the Galaxy S10 Lite feels excellent in day-to-day use. The display is pretty much of flagship quality, and so is the performance thanks to the Snapdragon 855 processor (it’s also the first Galaxy device I’ve used with a flagship Snapdragon chipset because Samsung sells Exynos variants of its flagships in India). Battery life is outstanding thanks to the big 4,500 mAh capacity, and charging is crazy fast with the 25W fast charger.

The main rear camera isn’t that great in low-light conditions, but as I said in our review, the presence of hardware-based optical image stabilization makes the main camera a lot more like a flagship phone camera compared to the cameras on Samsung’s mid-range phones. Specifically, I can use Night mode on this phone without getting a blurry photo thanks to the image stabilization, so the nighttime performance isn’t a major concern.

And daytime photos come out great thanks to the 48MP main sensor. There is no telephoto camera on this phone, but it does have an ultra-wide camera, which I use a lot more, so it’s not a major concern. That said, I would still like a telephoto camera instead of a macro camera, as I don’t take pictures of my food or closeups of other things. Telephoto cameras are much more versatile, and I would have liked to see one on the Galaxy S10 Lite.

Then there’s the software. The Galaxy S10 Lite doesn’t have S Pen support, but it does have most of the other features that you get on flagship Galaxy phones so I didn’t really miss the Note 10+ while using the S10 Lite. Having Android 10 and One UI 2.0 out of the box is another benefit, though I’m doubtful how quickly Samsung will bring major Android OS updates to this phone, as it’s not a proper flagship smartphone.

It’s not perfect, but it’s surprisingly good overall

What I’m trying to say is that the Galaxy S10 Lite is an excellent phone all things considered. It lacks in many aspects – there’s the absence of Samsung DeX support despite the Snapdragon 855 processor, there’s no headphone jack or stereo speakers, and the lack of a telephoto camera is a notable limitation, as I mentioned earlier. But for daily use, it’s impressively well stocked and comes close to offering an experience similar to the flagships.

I hope Samsung will make more such devices, though hopefully with a more attractive price tag in Europe. The Indian pricing for the Galaxy S10 Lite is, frankly, amazing and quite surprising, since Samsung isn’t making the phone locally, which is what helps the company price its flagships and some budget phones so competitively in the country. But in Europe and some Asian countries, it’s priced too close to the very flagship device it has been spun off from, so it may be overlooked by some customers who are in the market to buy a new smartphone.

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Samsung wants to supply key players with coin cell wearable batteries

Samsung’s presence in the wearable device market is growing, but so are its ambitions as a supplier, according to a recent report by The Elec claiming that Samsung SDI wants to become a supplier of wearable earphone micro-batteries for key clients before the end of the year.

More specifically, the company is looking to supply the market with coin cell-type batteries and wants to provide these solutions to major IT and audio manufacturers, including those in China, begging the question of whether Xiaomi is one of these clients.

Xiaomi is Samsung’s closest rival in the totally wireless headset (TWS) market. It sits second on the worldwide podium, behind Apple and ahead of the Korean tech giant.

Samsung SDI could achieve a 70% on-year climb in revenue

Samsung SDI’s decision to become a supplier of coin cell micro-batteries appears to have been made at a key moment, as market analysts predict coin cells to surpass the popularity of pin-type batteries by the end of the year.

CounterPoint Research expects coin cells to cover 57% of the battery-for-wearables market in 2020. Meanwhile, Samsung SDI estimates that revenues generated by its battery business should increase by 70% on-year thanks to this new undertaking.

Of course, Samsung Electronics could be one of SDI’s clients alongside customers from China, and – wishfully thinking ahead – the Galaxy Buds+ could sport these in-house batteries as well. One of the advantages of coin cell batteries is that they are easier to replace and recycle. The ongoing Galaxy Buds use coin cell batteries made by other companies including Varta.

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Samsung was the biggest Android tablet brand worldwide during Q4 2019

Samsung turned out to be the biggest Android tablet brand in the world during the fourth quarter of 2019. However, things don’t appear so rosy when you have a look at the complete picture. Apple continues to be the dominant player in the segment, leading the overall tablet market share.

According to a new report from International Data Corporation (IDC), Samsung shipped 7 million tablets worldwide during Q4 2019. Its market share in the global market was 16.1 percent. In contrast, Huawei managed to sell just 4 million tablets during the same quarter. Amazon and Lenovo sold 3.3 million and 2.5 million tablets, respectively. Apple was the biggest tablet maker, though, successfully selling 15.9 million iPads and capturing over one-third (36.5%) of the global market.

When you consider shipment numbers for the whole year, Samsung sold 21.7 million Galaxy Tab devices, capturing 15.1 percent of the global market. Huawei, Amazon, and Lenovo sold 14.1 million, 13 million, and 8.5 million tablets during the whole year, capturing 9.8 percent, 9 percent, and 5.9 percent of the market, respectively. Apple, on the other hand, sold 49.9 million iPads, capturing a 34.6 percent share of the market.

Compared to the fourth quarter of 2018, Samsung’s tablet shipments fell 7.4 percent, from 7.6 million to 7 million. Its sales for the whole year fell from 23.4 million in 2018 to 21.7 million in 2019, which shows a year-over-year drop of 7.2 percent. The South Korean firm has at least one tablet with an S Pen in the pipeline, so sales numbers could rise again.

Samsung makes the best high-end Android tablets (read our Galaxy Tab S6 review) in the world, and it has a whole range of mid-range and entry-level tablets. It even makes some rugged tablets for industrial use and special variants of tablets for kids. It also launched the 5G variant of the Galaxy Tab S6 recently.

 

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Daily Deal: 14% off AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable

HDMI cables are quite versatile in that they allow you to hook up many of your gadgets together. You might need a couple of extra cables to use while traveling so you can use them to hook up your laptop to the TV in your hotel room. These HDMI cables by Amazon are of excellent quality and support Ethernet as well so you can use them to share an internet connection without the need for a separate cable. They are now available at 14% off so be sure to get a couple of them in if you need them!

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

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Samsung shuts down Experience Store in China due to coronavirus

Samsung is temporarily shutting down its flagship Experience Store in Shanghai, China, as a precaution against the spreading of the Wuhan coronavirus, reports South Korean outlet Yonhap News Agency.

The publication mentions that the flagship store should be open for business again on Sunday, February 9. At least that’s the intention, but it isn’t a guarantee, as Samsung added that the operation of the store will depend on the situation in China. In other words, the Samsung store could remain closed for a longer period of time if the Wuhan coronavirus situation in China calls for it.

Global smartphone shipments could be affected as well

The Wuhan coronavirus poses a threat to OEMs and ODMs in China, many of which have had their manufacturing schedules scrambled by a prolonged Chinese New Year holiday. Various third-party Galaxy S20 case manufacturers have already informed retailers around the world that their products will be delayed and won’t be available at the new flagship’s launch.

The problem could extend beyond accessories and affect the supply of some smartphone models as well. According to Yonhap News Agency citing Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments could drop by 2% this year because of the Wuhan coronavirus.

The good news for Samsung and fans of the brand is that the company no longer manufactures smartphones in China, at least not directly. Samsung’s last factory in China was shut down last year, however, certain Galaxy smartphone models – like the new Galaxy A01 – are still being manufactured in China under ODM contracts, not to mention that various hardware components are supplied by Chinese companies. If ODMs run into production issues then some budget ODM Galaxy phones could be in shorter supply than usual. Other than that, most (if not all) of Samsung’s 2020 smartphone portfolio should be relatively safe from an availability point of view.

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Snapdragon 439-powered Galaxy A01 will launch in Vietnam this week for $120

The Galaxy A01 is finally hitting the shelves and the first country to get it appears to be Vietnam. The Galaxy A01 will become available for purchase in Vietnam in just a couple of days on February 6, and prospective buyers will be looking at a VDN 2,790,000 ($120) price tag.

The moniker and price tag should be big-enough clues that the Galaxy A01 is an entry-level smartphone. It’s supposed to be an even cheaper alternative to the yet-to-be-announced Galaxy A11, featuring a dual rear camera setup comprising 13MP and 2MP sensors, and a 5MP front-facing shooter.

The Galaxy A01 is powered by the Snapdragon 439 SoC

Samsung didn’t disclose much about the choice of silicon when it revealed the Galaxy A01 a couple of months ago, other than it will have an octa-core configuration with CPU clock rates of up to 2GHz.

The recent announcement in Vietnam sheds more light on the smartphone’s hardware configuration and, as it turns out, the Galaxy A01 doesn’t use an Exynos SoC at all. Instead, it is equipped with the Snapdragon 439 chipset. This is the first time when a Samsung smartphone employs this particular solution from Qualcomm, but the Snapdragon 439 has been a popular choice for various other OEMs – including VIVO and Xiaomi – and their budget phones.

Other details pertaining to the Galaxy A01 include a 5.7-inch TFT Infinity-V display with a resolution of 1520 by 720, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage, and a 3,000mAh battery.

The Snapdragon-powered Galaxy A01 will launch in Vietnam in black, blue, and red, as shown in the image gallery above. It will be available in various retail stores across the country beginning February 6, and it will likely launch in other markets soon after. The Verizon and T-Mobile versions of the Galaxy A01 have been approved by the FCC a couple of weeks ago so the device is very likely to go live in the United States and other markets very soon.

Galaxy A01

• Model: SM-A015F
• Dimensions: 146.3 x 70.9 x 8.3mm
• Display: 5.7" LCD
• CPU:
• Camera: MP F2.2, 2MP Depth F2.4

More specifications

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Codename reveals Samsung is working on a true Galaxy Fold successor

Evidence that Samsung’s next foldable device (after the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip) will be a direct successor to the Galaxy Fold has emerged today thanks to a report from our friends over at GalaxyClub. Samsung used “Winner” as the codename when it was developing the original Galaxy Fold, and the company has apparently codenamed the Galaxy Fold 2 “Winner2”.

The codename is said to be either Winner2 or Win2, and there is a separate 5G variant of the device in the works. That would suggest Samsung will release an LTE-only variant in many markets. Considering these foldable phones can be quite costly, it would be sensible for Samsung to have both LTE and 5G variants. However, not having 5G as standard in late 2020 might put off some potential buyers, especially since the Galaxy S20 Ultra is going to support 5G connectivity in every market.

A few months ago, it had been rumored that the Galaxy Fold 2 would have an 8-inch screen with S Pen support. Unfortunately, no information about the potential features of the Galaxy Fold 2 has made its way online since then, so what upgrades the device will bring over its predecessor are a mystery. We should learn more about it in the coming months; for now, we have the Galaxy S20 and the clamshell Galaxy Z Flip to look forward to. Both phones will be unveiled on February 11, with the latter expected to go on sale soon afterwards.

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Galaxy A50 gets February 2020 security patch in new update

Samsung has now released an update with the February 2020 security patch for the Galaxy A50. This is the fourth Galaxy device to be getting the February patch. Samsung first released the February update for the Galaxy Tab S3 last month, followed by the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Note 10 just three days ago.

As is always the case when Samsung pushes out new security patches ahead of time, we have no idea what the February 2020 security patch is about, but Samsung and Google will probably release details by the end of this week. The Galaxy A50 update is rolling out in nearly 15 European markets, including Germany, France, the Netherlands, the UK, Italy, Greece, and Switzerland, and comes with software version A505FNXXS4ATB1.

The letter ‘S’ in the software version before the last five characters indicates the update does not bring any new features or enhancements except for the February security patch, which is also supported by the update changelog. Android 10 is still a couple of months away for the Galaxy A50 – Samsung is aiming to release the Android 10 update for the device sometime in April, along with a slew of other mid-range smartphones.

If you own a Galaxy A50, you can download the new update over the air from the phone’s Settings » Software update menu. You can also download the latest firmware from our firmware archive and install it on your phone using a Windows PC.

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Samsung reveals Galaxy Home Mini release date before taking it down

Is Samsung finally ready to let people buy its Bixby-powered smart speakers? That seems to be the case: Samsung published an article on its Korean newsroom earlier today that revealed the Galaxy Home Mini’s release date but was ultimately taken down. The Galaxy Home Mini will hit retail shelves on February 12, but you might want to hold your excitement.

Samsung’s newsroom post says that release date is only for Korea, so it doesn’t look like the Galaxy Home Mini — which will feature an IR blaster — will be widely available on that date. However, it’s good to see that the company has finally decided to release its smart speaker, even if it’s not a worldwide launch. The US will likely be the next market to get the Galaxy Home Mini, though we will have to wait for availability details from Samsung to find out when the company aims to bring the smart speaker to markets outside its home country.

While Samsung may have taken down its newsroom post, there is a solid chance the release date for the Galaxy Home Mini really is February 12. Samsung had said before that it will be launching the speaker in early 2020, and what better time to make the necessary announcements than at its Unpacked event on February 11, where the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip will be unveiled? Fingers crossed that’s actually the case and Samsung doesn’t have any more delays of its Bixby-powered speaker in the pipeline.

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Samsung’s new patent hints at smart speaker with a rollable display

Samsung is yet to make any of its smart speakers available for sale, but the company has some exciting ideas to make such devices more useful. Going by a patent filed by the South Korean electronics giant, it has plans to cover cylindrical smart speakers with rollable displays.

The company has acquired a patent for an audio accessory with the Korean Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS). Supporting documents show a cylindrical-shaped speaker which can be fully covered using a rollable screen. When needed, the screen can be fully unfurled mechanically using its supporting arms.

If such a device hits the market, you can use it as a smart speaker and a smart screen, depending on the need. When the screen is rolled, it won’t take up much space in your living room. When it is opened, you can watch videos, read the news, see important updates, control Bixby-supported smart home products with the touchscreen, and more.

It can automatically (or manually) switch from a Google Home-like smart speaker to a Google Nest Hub-like smart display, acting as a two-in-one device. It is, of course, just a patent, and there’s no guarantee that such a device will ever hit the market. You can have a look at the proposed design of a possible Bixby-powered speaker in the image below.

The Bixby-powered Galaxy Home was unveiled back in 2018, but it hasn’t hit store shelves yet. A smaller version of the speaker, the Galaxy Home Mini, was unveiled last year. It is slated to be released in the next few weeks. Samsung may launch it alongside the Galaxy S20 and the Galaxy Z Flip during the Unpacked 2020 event.

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Galaxy Z Flip appears on Geekbench with Snapdragon 855, 8GB RAM

The Galaxy Z Flip has finally made its debut on the Geekbench benchmark database, following its appearance in a leaked video over the weekend. As expected, the Galaxy Z Flip is powered by the Snapdragon 855 processor – some rumors have said it will feature the Snapdragon 855+, but there’s no way to tell whether the device has the 855 or 855+ under the hood from the benchmark, as Geekbench uses the same codename and architecture name for both chips.

That’s because the Snapdragon 855+ is simply a higher clocked version of the 855, with theoretical gains of up to 15% in GPU performance. Samsung has only used the Snapdragon 855+ in one device till date – the W20, which is a rebranded Galaxy Fold for one of China’s big carriers. It remains to be seen if the Galaxy Z Flip will use the 855 or 855+, though it won’t be long before we find out. Samsung is set to unveil its new foldable phone at its Unpacked event in San Francisco in less than two weeks.

The Galaxy Z Flip has 8GB of RAM, according to the Geekbench listing, and it runs Android 10. There probably isn’t any variant of the phone with 12GB of RAM, and we likely won’t see one with 6GB of RAM, either. The Galaxy Z Flip is expected to cost around 1500 euros, and while much of the high price is no doubt a result of the foldable design, Samsung would be foolish to sell any phone with a 1000 euro+ price tag with less than 8GB of RAM as standard.

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Android 10 update out for unlocked Galaxy Note 9 in the US

Android 10 began rolling out to some carrier variants of the Galaxy Note 9 in the US less than a week ago, and Samsung has now released the update for unlocked units of the phone. The Android 10 and One UI 2.0 update for the unlocked Note 9 comes with software version N960U1UEU3DTA5 and includes the January 2020 security patch.

Galaxy S9 owners in the US are likely wondering when they will get the Android 10 update. It will probably a few weeks before Samsung and carriers in the country release Android 10 for the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The update for the international Exynos-powered models started rolling out just last week and isn’t available very widely yet, so it could take some time before the update makes its way to the US. Once it does, you can be sure we will let you know right away.

If you own an unlocked Galaxy Note 9, you can download the nearly 2GB update over the air from the phone’s Settings » Software update menu. You can also update your phone by flashing the Android 10 firmware on it using a Windows PC; you can download the relevant firmware from our firmware archive here.

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