Just one year after the development of its 5nm fabrication technology, Samsung has started the construction of 5nm EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) production lines. The company wants to defeat TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) and become the leader in the semiconductor business by the year 2030, and its plan is being carried out without any setback.
Samsung has placed orders for the necessary equipment from major semiconductor equipment makers to set up a 5nm foundry line inside its V1 plant located in its Hwaseong campus. It usually takes two to three months to install all the required equipment to fabricate semiconductor chips, and the South Korean electronics giant has already installed some of them. So, it is being expected that the company will be ready with its 5nm line by the end of June 2020.
After a semiconductor chip fabrication line is constructed, it usually takes a few months for the stabilization period, which includes testing, evaluation, and improvement in the production yield. So, industry insiders expect Samsung to be able to mass-produce 5nm chips by the end of this year or early next year. This means that the company will fall behind TSMC by six months in mass producing 5nm chips.
Samsung has been in second place in the semiconductor manufacturing segment since 2017 and hasn’t been able to defeat TSMC yet. However, the company hopes that it can receive more 5nm orders in the coming years since TSMC and Samsung are the only brands that have developed the 5nm EUV technology.
The company has also succeeded in developing the 3nm technology and is expected to set up a 3nm foundry line by 2021 and match TSMC in mass producing 3nm chips by 2022.
One thing I love about flexible display technology is that there are no corners to be cut. Manufacturers have to either fully commit to this concept, or they’ll quickly become irrelevant in the space. You can’t half-bake a flexible device and expect it to do well, which means that the flexible smartphone market has been, for the most part, free of gimmicks, even though failed but honest attempts might exist.
With that in mind, when I first heard about a foldable device called the Escobar Fold 1 for just $349, I thought it was probably being held together by duct tape. And to be honest, since the Escobar Fold 1 was essentially a rebranded Royole FlexPai, it might as well have been.
I’m being a little bit facetious, but in truth, I never gave the original Escobar Fold 1 much though because I didn’t imagine enthusiasts would rush to buy a rebranded version of an already-underwhelming device. But some tech enthusiasts, particularly YouTubers, have ordered the Escobar Fold 1 for reviewing purposes, only to be later ‘upgraded’ for free to the Escobar Fold 2 before they could ever get the first model shipped in their mailboxes. And this is where things get more interesting for us fans of the Samsung brand.
The Escobar Fold 2 is a shameless unofficial Galaxy Fold rebrand
The Escobar Fold 1 never came to be, but the Escobar Fold 2 appears to have gotten a bit more attention from the media. In part, this is because the Escobar Fold 2 is essentially a shameless Galaxy Fold rebrand. It’s shameless, but the Galaxy Fold is still miles away better than the Royole FlexPai. Another reason for this newfound time in the spotlight is that the Escobar Fold 2 actually did ship to a few customers, although suspiciously enough, most happen to be reviewers, influencers and the like. How convenient…
So how can this be possible? How can the Escobar Fold 2, which is essentially a rebranded Samsung Galaxy Fold, cost a fraction of the product’s original price? How can it be sold for just $399, or roughly $130 less than the bill of materials for the Galaxy S20 Ultra?
At first, I thought that maybe the Fold 2 is the original Galaxy Fold that’s been recalled. I thought that maybe this company which is affiliated with the Colombian drug lord somehow got a hold of some of the recalled Galaxy Fold units and decided to sell them at a much lower price.
That, however, is not the case. As seen in photos and videos floating around the web, both the Escobar Fold 2 and Galaxy Fold are essentially the same. They both have the ‘T’ shaped dust caps, and the Escobar Fold 2 has the same redesigned bits and pieces as Samsung’s final version of the Fold.
Sure, the Escobar Fold 2 has a rather offputting gold wrap hiding the Samsung branding – obviously, this device is not the result of an official collab – and a mugshot of Pablo Escobar for a wallpaper, but it would still be a pretty good deal at $399! The wrap can be removed to reveal the original design, and the wallpaper can be changed. Sounds like a pretty good deal, no?
It’s a trap! Well, more like a scam
In reality, only a fraction of the people who have ordered the Escobar Fold 1/2 seems to have received the Fold 2 in the mail. And conveniently enough, those who did get the product in the mail happen to be social media influencers, tech reviewers, etc. People who have lots of followers and who could potentially convince even more people to buy into this product.
But beware! If you don’t possess these characteristics and you decide to order the Escobar Fold 2 as a regular customer, chances of you ever receiving your device in the mail seem to be virtually zero.
This is how this whole scheme seems to be working: build some hype around ‘your’ product which is actually someone else’s at an impossible discount, rake in those orders, and honor only those orders that seem to pose a higher chance of further promoting your product and painting it in a positive light. In fact, tech YouTuber MKBHD confirmed in a recent video that the company was willing to ship an Escobar Fold 2 review unit to him in exchange for a video, which he didn’t agree on. Likewise, the company only seems to have gained an interest in honoring MKBHD’s backlog order after realizing that he has a massive YouTube following.
If something seems too good to be true then it probably is too good to be true
So to wrap this up, every bit of clue and suspicious behavior so far indicates that the Escobar Fold 2 is the result of a scam. Foldable devices are still difficult to come by, and for an enthusiast looking to get into this technology early on, the Escobar Fold 2 might sound like a great deal. That’s the whole angle. The demand for foldables is much higher than there is supply, and this newfound mobile company seems to hope that at least some people are desperate enough to risk a few hundred dollars for an early entry into the foldable scene.
But those who have received the Escobar Fold 2 have done so largely because they are vocal industry insiders or social media influencers. If you’re just a regular customer looking to acquire the Galaxy Fold for a fraction of a price, you’ll probably give your money away in support of what appears to be a sort of Ponzi scheme. Just don’t do it.
Check out the video below if you’re interested in MKBHD’s personal experience with the Escobar Fold 2, or if you want to learn more about how the company is seemingly using celebrity faces to promote their product without their consent. Or hit the play button if you just want a closer look at this rebranded Galaxy Fold. After all, you might never get the opportunity to see it in real life even if you’ve ordered one.
There are only four devices in the world running Android 10 and One UI 2.1 right now, namely the Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip. The two new lineups ship with the updated version of One UI out of the box, but they won’t enjoy this exclusivity indefinitely.
One UI 2.1 will eventually be released on other devices, a Samsung community moderator has confirmed via the South Korean portal. In fact, according to the source, One UI 2.1 is planned for release not only for the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 series but the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 as well.
We don’t have a timeframe as to when Samsung will start rolling out the One UI 2.1 update for these devices, but it’s safe to assume that the Galaxy Note 10 and S10 series will have priority over their predecessors. There are two reasons for this: one is the obvious fact that the Galaxy S10/Note 10 are newer, and the other is that the Galaxy S9 and Note 9 have only recently made the jump to Android 10 and One UI 2.0.
One UI 2.1 brings relatively few changes
Certain One UI 2.1 features that work hand-in-hand with the newer hardware, such as the option to switch to 120Hz mode, won’t be available on older Galaxy devices even after the update. Obviously, there are technical limitations that prevent some features to be ported over to older models. But other UI changes like the additional Screen Zoom options and/or Samsung Quick Share should be made available on older phones via the One UI 2.1 update.
We’ll keep you up to speed as soon as we learn more about Samsung’s rollout plans for One UI 2.1 on the Galaxy S9, S10, Note 9, and Note 10 series. We should be getting new info on the matter over the course of the next couple of months.
Do you recall how we’ve talked about Samsung betting on 5G to improve its fortunes in 2020? It’s true. As the company continues to provide 5G solutions to network operators in more countries around the world, Samsung is also looking to release 5G Galaxy smartphones in over 40 countries by the end of the year, according to The Korea Herald citing June-Hee Lee.
Samsung commercialized its 5G devices in 22 countries last year and has reportedly shipped over 6.7 million 5G smartphones globally throughout 2019. This year, however, the company wants to make 5G easier to obtain and intends on releasing 5G-enabled Galaxy devices in ‘twice as many countries.’
Samsung may or may not pull this off, depending on carrier expansion plans
Of course, it all ties in with the number of countries in which 5G is available and the expansion rate of network providers. Therefore, Samsung’s plans to introduce 5G smartphones in over 40 countries this year may or may not fully come to fruition. It very much depends on each country/network operator’s 5G commercialization schedule which, in turn, will more or less influence Samsung’s 5G release plans.
Fortunately for Samsung, the company is in a favorable position whereby it is the main 5G network equipment supplier in many regions, therefore the company’s mobile branch should have a pretty accurate idea of how much it should commit to the 5G scene throughout the year. Whatever the case may be, it’s safe to expect all of the company’s future flagship phones, including the Galaxy Note 11/20 series, to be 5G-enabled moving forward.
When the Galaxy M30s launched in India six months ago, buyers had to choose between the variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, or 6GB of RAM and 128GB of memory. But Samsung India is introducing another flavor this week, boasting 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It costs INR 14,999 ($202), or INR 1,000 ($13.50) more than the original launch price of the 4GB/64GB model. In addition, customers can benefit from a 5% cashback with HDB financial services.
The Galaxy M30s impressed us in our review half a year ago, so much so that we’ve dubbed it the ‘new value-for-money champion’ at that time. Other smartphone enthusiasts in India must’ve thought the same, as it turns out that the Galaxy M30s has greatly contributed to Samsung’s success in the country over the fourth quarter of 2019.
The Galaxy M30s is still a great device, and to celebrate its success, Samsung is releasing this new memory variant which has the potential of attracting even more customers. We probably should highlight the fact that the updated Galaxy M30s doesn’t feature any additional changes aside from the new memory configuration, so you’ll be getting the same generous 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U display, 48MP main camera, and Exynos 9611 chipset for your money.
The 4GB/128GB Galaxy M30s is going to be available for purchase in Opal Black, Sapphire Blue, and Quartz Green through Amazon India and Samsung’s online store from March 14.
We’ve known about Samsung’s plans to release a new non-flagship S Pen tablet since late last year. It turns out that the slate in question might be launched as the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, and the device has now been approved by Thailand’s regulatory agency NCC. The certificate links the SM-P610 model number and Galaxy Tab S6 Lite moniker together and indicates that Samsung is technically one step closer to bringing to product to the market.
The NCC documents are scarce in technical details but it’s worth noting that the SM-P610 model number should correlate with the Wi-Fi-only variant of the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. An LTE counterpart should also be in development under model number SM-P615. It will be powered by an Exynos 9611 chipset, at least according to a previous benchmark listing pertaining to the SM-P615, and the silicon is paired with 4GB of RAM.
True to its moniker, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite should be paired with an S Pen and related software tools for productivity distributed through Android 10. Time will tell if it’s the exact same S Pen that’s been employed by the full-fledged Galaxy Tab S6, but it looks like it will magnetically-attach to the back of the tablet in a similar fashion. Likewise, there’s no official launch date in sight just yet, but even Netflix has acknowledged the tablet’s existence in its latest HDR10 certification program, so it feels like the only thing missing now is an official announcement from Samsung.
Samsung is launching the Galaxy Z Flip in Brazil today, March 11, and if the device will be as successful as the original Fold was in the country then prospective buyers should prepare to deal with dwindling stocks and more demand than Samsung can cover.
Likewise, the Galaxy Z Flip will hit the shelves in Brazil for a higher-than-usual price of R$8,999 ($1,928), or roughly $550 more than the device costs in most other markets. It’s the same story as with the original Galaxy Fold which sold in Brazil for the rough equivalent of $3,000, while customers in other markets had to pay ‘only’ $2,000.
But if you are a prospective buyer in Brazil and you’re excited about Samsung’s second approach to foldable devices in clamshell flavor then you’re in for a treat. The Galaxy Z Flip is a surprisingly well-balanced device, as you can learn from our recent review, and it really is a bit special in today’s relatively bland mobile landscape.
Samsung Brazil is launching the Galaxy Z Flip in Mirror Black and Mirror Purple. There’s no information regarding the availability of Mirror Gold so the flavor will likely elude the Brazilian market. The black and purple variants are available for purchase today in a total of 12 stores across the cities of São Paulo, Campinas, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, and Rio de Janeiro. Are you planning on buying one? Let us know in the comment section.
The Galaxy S9 series is the latest in line to receive the March 2020 security patch via a new firmware update. The package is now being distributed to both the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in a wide variety of markets including the Nordic and Baltic regions as well as various other European countries.
The Galaxy S9 series continues to receive new security updates every month. The March 2020 security patch comes roughly three weeks after the February release and should address a variety of issues including dozens of Android OS vulnerabilities and 25 vulnerabilities found within Samsung’s own software.
The latest firmware update doesn’t seem to add any new features to improve the Galaxy S9 user experience directly, so it’s here mostly to introduce the March 2020 security patch. Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ owners can wait for the update notification to arrive, if it hasn’t already, or they can open the Settings app on the phone, navigate to Software update and tapping Download and install.
Even better, if those methods don’t work for you or if the update still eludes your market, you can refer to our firmware archive, download the latest Galaxy S9 update for your device from there and apply it to your phone manually using a Windows PC.
It’s been a few years since Samsung introduced the Gear S3 Classic smartwatch, but the device has aged quite nicely in part thanks to its physical rotating bezel and the fact that Samsung’s latest smartwatch models lack one. If you’re in the market for a Gear S3 Classic, you’re in luck, as you can now acquire a renewed model for 6% off. As a renewed product, the smartwatch works and looks like new and is accompanied by a 90-day guarantee.
The Gear S3 Classic has Bluetooth connectivity, it comes with built-in fitness features and the S Health app, and gives you the option to make online payments using Samsung Pay.
Hit the Buy Now button below to get the Samsung Gear S3 Classic while the discount lasts!
Samsung has announced that it has presented a study on high-performance, all-solid-state batteries to Nature Energy, one of the world’s leading scientific journals. Batteries based on the company’s ground-breaking technology could be used in electric vehicles. Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries that use liquid electrolytes, Samsung’s technology uses solid electrolytes.
Solid-state batteries can pack more capacity in the same footprint when compared to lithium-ion batteries. However, lithium metal anodes that are used in solid-state batteries are prone to develop dendrites, which reduce a battery’s lifespan and safety. To counter this, Samsung’s research teams at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) and Samsung R&D Institute Japan (SRJ) have proposed the use of silver-carbon (Ag-C) composite layer as the anode.
The use of silver-carbon anode has resulted in enhanced safety, higher capacity, and longer lifespan of solid-state batteries. Thanks to its smaller size (5µm), the silver-carbon anode also allowed researchers to pack a higher energy density (up to 900Wh/L) in the same size or make the batteries 50% smaller compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries.
Samsung claims that its new battery technology would allow electric vehicles to travel up to 800km on a single charge and have a cycle life of over 1,000 charges. It seems that the South Korean smartphone giant is pretty serious about making its mark in the electric vehicle market in the coming years. It has already acquired HARMAN for its connected car technology.
Dongmin Im, Master at SAIT’s Next Generation Battery Lab and the project’s leader said, “The product of this study could be a seed technology for safer, high-performance batteries of the future. Going forward, we will continue to develop and refine all-solid-state battery materials and manufacturing technologies to help take EV battery innovation to the next level.”
