Samsung has highest number of granted 5G patents, study reveals

Samsung makes not only 5G smartphones and 5G chipsets but also network infrastructure equipment for 5G connectivity. The company has been working for years on various 5G communication technologies, and as per a new report, Samsung has the highest number of granted 5G patents in the world.

According to a joint study conducted by IP (intellectual property) research firm Iplytics and the Technical University of Berlin in January, Samsung Electronics has the most 5G patents that are granted by at least one of the patent offices in Europe (EPO), the US (USPTO), or the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The South Korean firm has 1,728 granted 5G patents, while Nokia, LG, and Huawei have 1,584, 1,415, and 1,274 granted 5G patents, respectively.

The granted patents are those that are enforceable, which means that Samsung has exclusive rights to 1,728 of its 2,795 5G patents. Samsung has 905 patents which are filed in at least EPO, PCT, or USPTO. The company also has 162 patents that are declared in the 5G patent families. You can see the complete graph in the infographic below.

The joint study, which was cited by Samsung, was commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) in Germany. Samsung has been working with various cellular network operators in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, the US, and various other countries in rolling out 5G networks to consumers. It was recently unveiled that Samsung will use Xilinx’s chips in its 5G network equipment for beamforming technologies.

The company has also launched various high-end and mid-range smartphones with 5G connectivity and plans to launch even more 5G products, including the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, in the future.

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Samsung is using AI to improve sound quality of its TVs and AV products

Samsung is the biggest TV brand in the world, and it makes some fantastic QLED TVs. To match the impressive video quality of its TVs, the company now turned to AI (artificial intelligence) technologies to improve the sound quality of its AV products. The South Korean firm has explained some of those technologies on its website.

With its 2020 lineup of 8K QLED TVs, Samsung has raised the bar of audio experience through Object Tracking Sound+, Active Voice Amplifier, and Q-Symphony.

To recreate a movie theatre’s multi-channel audio experience inside a living room, the company’s audio engineers Object Tracking Sound+ technology. Samsung TVs that come with the audio technology follow onscreen movements in real-time through six built-in speakers. For example, when a car is moving from the left to the right on the screen, the sound is recreated similarly through the TV’s built-in speakers.

The company managed to add four speakers to the traditional TV audio setup to expand the sense of sound. Two speakers were added to the left and the right, and two speakers towards the top and the bottom. This creates a fuller and wider sound when compared to conventional TVs. Despite using six speakers, Samsung’s engineers managed to keep the TVs extremely slim. The audio processing recreates the location information from the original signal and then redistributed among the TV’s six speakers.

The AVA (Active Voice Amplifier) technology takes into account the external audio and then adjusts the level of vocals from the TV so that you don’t have to adjust the volume frequently. The latest TVs from Samsung come with sound sensors that measure the audio coming from the TV and the ambient noise. The AI technology then compares the sounds and then selectively raises the TV’s volume. That way, if a mixer is turned on in the kitchen or if there’s a loud thunder, you don’t have to raise the TV volume manually.

Until recently, Samsung’s TV and soundbar teams used to work separately. However, since the inclusion of six speakers in the company’s new TVs, both the teams developed the Q-Symphony feature. It uses the speakers on the soundbar as well as the TV to work simultaneously for a fuller, more vibrant, and wider sound. It is an industry-first achievement, and the South Korean firm was awarded the Best of Innovation Award at CES 2020.

Apparently, this technology was harder to develop than it seems. Since the quality and tuning of speakers on the soundbar and the TV differs, playing audio from both the devices can do more harm than good when the technology is not optimized. Engineers were able to separate the main soundtrack, including dialogs, from the entire signal, and assign different soundtracks to the TV and the soundbar.

Samsung’s Audio Lab, which is based in the US, is working closely with Samsung Research’s R&D Centers, startups, and universities to improve the audio quality even further.

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Samsung facing patent lawsuit from healthcare firm for Samsung Health

Samsung is facing a new patent lawsuit from a US-based healthcare firm Fat Statz, LLC. The company has alleged that the Samsung Health app, which comes pre-loaded on some Galaxy smartphones and most of the South Korean firm’s wearables, uses its patented technology without authorization.

The patent lawsuit by Fat Statz was filed with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The California-based company claims that its patent, which revolves around technology to provide immediate motivational feedback and reward for following a diet and for exercising, is being used in Samsung Health. The technology allows a user to compare their activity, food, and fitness data in real-time with others. It also places users into various ranks.

Fat Statz claimed, “Our patents are used in generating user comparison data based on genders, ages, heights, time zones, and so on to motivate users. The Samsung Health application provides similar features by infringing upon our patents.” Samsung was served with the complaint on April 15, and it has to answer on May 6.

The company says that the Samsung Health app comes pre-loaded on various Galaxy A, Galaxy Note, Galaxy S, and Galaxy Z series smartphones as well as on Samsung’s fitness bands and smartwatches. Fat Statz alleges its patent is being used by the South Korean tech giant in its Health app. It is seeking a judgment in its favor and asking Samsung to pay for damages.

It is interesting to notice that most other consumer tech firms, including Apple, Fitbit, Garmin, and Google, use similar features and technologies in their apps where users get motivational feedback and can compete with other users.

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T-Mobile starts rolling out One UI 2.1 update to Galaxy S10 series

Earlier this month, Samsung had announced that it would roll out the One UI 2.1 update to the Galaxy S10 series. The update was first released to the international variants of the devices and then to unlocked variants in the US. Now, T-Mobile has started rolling out the One UI 2.1 update to the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and the Galaxy S10+ on its network in the US.

The One UI 2.1 update for the Galaxy S10 series on T-Mobile’s network also brings the April 2020 Android security patch. New firmware versions for the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and the Galaxy S10+ are G970USQU3DTC9, G973USQU3DTC9, and G975USQS3CTC9, respectively. The update is 1.5GB in size, so you may want to connect your phone to the Wi-Fi network before downloading the update. The update is based on Android 10 and brings bug fixes as well as performance improvements.

Samsung has included a lot of Galaxy S20 features in the update, including Easy Share, improved Night Mode, Night Hyperlapse, Pro Video mode, Quick Share, and Single Take. Another important feature is the ability to record Full HD and 4K videos at 60fps using the selfie camera. There are Custom Filters in the Camera app, and the Gallery app now includes Clean View and Quick Crop features. Other features include AR Zone app, Tips app, and power off icon in the quick panel.

If you’re a Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, or Galaxy S10+ user on T-Mobile’s network, you should’ve received the update notification already. If not, you can check for the software update manually by visiting the phone’s Settings » Software update menu and tapping Download and install.

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Samsung could be ditching this camera sensor for the Galaxy Note 20

Despite all that’s going on in the world, Samsung appears to be soldiering on with the development of the Galaxy Note 20. Rumors and reports about the new flagship have picked up pace in recent weeks.

The latest out of South Korea suggests that Samsung might be thinking about removing one particular camera sensor from the Galaxy Note 20. The low utilization seen on existing flagships that have it may have compelled Samsung to make this decision.

Galaxy Note 20 may ditch the ToF sensor

According to a new report out of South Korea, Samsung is thinking about removing the Time-of-Flight (ToF) camera sensor from the Galaxy Note 20. At one point, the company was apparently thinking about introducing it even to non-flagship smartphones, but it appears to have changed its mind.

It seems that users aren’t really getting any mileage out of the ToF sensor. This may have compelled Samsung to ditch its plans to bring the ToF sensor to other devices, and now it’s reportedly considering removing it from the Galaxy Note 20 as well.

For those who are unaware, the ToF sensor is a 3D Depth Camera that judges depth and distance. It measures distance by using the known speed of light, basically measuring the time that it takes for a reflected beam of light to return to the camera sensor.

Some of the features that rely on this camera include Quick Measure and Live focus video. In the latter, the ToF sensor enables you to add background blur to the video in real-time. Live focus video is available on both the front and rear cameras.

As we’ve highlighted before, this camera sensor isn’t really needed for bokeh videos. The same effect can be achieved with software as well, something that Samsung already does on certain devices that don’t feature a ToF sensor.

If this report is anything to go by, it seems like Samsung is seeing that customers aren’t really using these features. If that really is the case, Samsung could bring down the bill of parts for its next flagship by removing the ToF sensor altogether.

This isn’t confirmed right now so there’s a possibility that things might change down the line, but it’s not implausible for this to happen. Samsung hasn’t said anything about the Galaxy Note 20’s launch so far but reports suggest that in light of the pandemic sweeping the globe, it could opt for an online launch come August.

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It might be impossible to fix this one Galaxy S20 Ultra autofocus issue

The Galaxy S20 Ultra’s ambitious camera system has been marred by autofocus issues ever since it was released, and while the company has largely addressed this with early firmware updates, one particular issue might not be as easy to fix.

Taking photos of close objects with the Galaxy S20 Ultra can lead to mixed results, and in the worst case scenarios, the camera fails to autofocus, leading to blurry shots. A Samsung moderator on Samsung members recently talked about this problem in a post on the Korean forums and revealed that it might not be possible to fix it with a firmware update.

The focal length is determined by the lens specifications

According to the Samsung moderator, the increased size of the S20 Ultra’s sensor results in a shallow depth of field and longer focal length of 10cm or more, therefore, it may fail to focus when photographing objects up-close. More importantly, because the focal length is determined by the lens specifications, this shortcoming is difficult to correct with software.

In other words, autofocus should no longer be an issue for the Galaxy S20 Ultra in general applications, but loss of focus can still occur at close range due to the focal length being longer than usual (the Galaxy S20 and S20+ have a slightly shorter focal length as they use a different main camera sensor). Basically, it’s a physical characteristic of the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s 108MP camera that owners of the device will have to live with.

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ZENS Liberty Wireless Charger Glass Edition review: Worth the price

There’s really no shortage of wireless chargers out there and while most of them seem to get the job done, there are only a few that are truly unique and offer functionality that you don’t necessarily get on other chargers.

The ZENS Liberty Wireless Charger Glass Edition is certainly an exception to that rule. It’s extremely well built, looks really cool with the glass design, and offers 30W output (2×15) with support for Samsung Fast Charge.

ZENS Liberty Wireless Charger Glass Edition review

Most wireless chargers require you to place your phone in the “sweet spot,” in that if you don’t position your phone on the charger just right, it won’t start charging. That’s not a problem that you’ll face with the ZENS Liberty. It has 16 overlapping charging coils that provide you complete freedom of placement. Just drop the phone anywhere on the surface of the charger and it will start charging wirelessly thanks to the maximized active charging area.

The glass panel at the top lets you look at the actual coils, it’s a pretty cool design element. There’s also a fan inside the charger to keep things cool, you can definitely hear it but it’s not too loud so you won’t be disturbed if it’s placed beside your bed.

The maximized active charging area and 16 charging coils make it possible for the ZENS Liberty to charge two devices simultaneously. So you can choose to charge two Samsung smartphones at the same time or one smartphone and a pair of your favorite Galaxy Buds. Do keep in mind that it’s not possible for Samsung’s smartwatches to be charged using this wireless charger. That’s more on Samsung, though, since it hasn’t opened up the wireless charging functionality of its smartwatches to third-party chargers. However, there is a USB port on the charger that can be used for wired charging of your smartwatch.

You’d think that given all that it has on the inside, this is going to be one chunky charger. The ZENS Liberty is really not that thick for what it offers and it does look a lot better than some of the wireless chargers that Samsung has put out so far. You can’t go wrong with it, and seeing as how it offers support for 15W charging, supports charging for two devices simultaneously, and looks like a futuristic piece of tech, it’s well worth the price tag.

It is pricey, though. The ZENS Liberty Wireless Charger Glass Edition is available from our SamMobile Shop for €209,99. If you’d like all of the same functionality but without the glass, there’s a cheaper option as well which replaces the glass with a fabric cover. It costs €159,99 and is also available from our shop. We offer free worldwide delivery with tracking.

There’s good news, though. For a limited time, you can get 10% off any ZENS charger, and indeed any other product in our shop, by using the code STAYATHOME at checkout. SamMobile will also send you a surprise gift with every purchase of a wireless charger, it can include a 128/256GB microSD card or up to a 1 year premium subscription to SamMobile (worth €40).

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Samsung smart TVs are the world’s first to get Apple Music, available now

There’s been a lot of smart TV-related news lately, but this one is probably the biggest in recent weeks. Starting today, Samsung smart TVs get their own Apple Music app, offering access to one of the biggest music streaming services in the world, with over 60 million songs, curated playlists, live radio, and more.

Apple Music isn’t the world’s biggest music streaming service, as Spotify still has the lead by a few tens of millions of subscribers. Nevertheless, Apple’s platform had around 60 million subscribers in late-2019 according to Statista, and a large number of them are likely to own a Samsung smart TV.

Samsung’s TVs are the first non-Apple TVs to get the service

While Apple Music was already available on Apple TV, the music streaming service was limited to the Cupertino-based company’s hardware, up until now. Samsung’s smart TVs are the world’s first non-Apple TVs to offer Apple Music, giving the Korean tech giant another leg up on its competition.

Apple Music is compatible with Samsung smart TVs released in 2018 or later, and the app can now be downloaded from the App Store on your TV. If you’re not already subscribed to Apple Music and you want to join the platform through your Samsung TV, you can benefit for a 3-month free trial on an individual, family, or student subscription.

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Daily Deal: 6% off Seagate Barracuda 1TB External SSD

Seagate is known for producing high-end storage devices. This portable SSD drive is no exception. It has a nice minimalistic design with a green led status light. With boosted solid state storage, it can reach read/write speeds of up to 540 MB/s which will transfer your files fast. You can use this portable SSD with PC, Mac, Xbox and PS4 making this the perfect all around SSD. Now available at 6% off, this Seagate product just got affordable.

Hit the Buy Now button below to get one before they’re out of stock!

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Surprise: Note 20+ will have LTE-only variant as well, at least in Europe

In case you were wondering whether Samsung will abandon 4G with its upcoming top-tier flagship phone, i.e., the so-called Galaxy Note 20+, the answer is no. Our colleagues at Galaxy Club were able to confirm Samsung is currently developing a Galaxy Note 20+ LTE along with the 5G variant. The former carries model number SM-N985F.

As usual, the Galaxy Note 20/+ LTE should have a lower price

Although 5G continues to expand and become available to more consumers around the world, the rate of adoption differs from one market to another. The need for LTE phones still exists, and besides, the Galaxy Note 20+ LTE will have a lower price compared to the 5G variant – something that at least some prospective buyers will be looking at if Samsung is going to push the price bar as high as it did with the Galaxy S20 series and the S20 Ultra in particular. Either way, the Galaxy Note 20+ 5G is known by model number SM-N986B.

Meanwhile, the SM-N985F model number indicates Samsung is now developing the Galaxy Note 20+ LTE for the European market at the very least. But even across Europe, availability for the Galaxy S20 LTE and 5G models differs from one country to another. Therefore, it’s too early to predict exactly which European markets will be getting the Galaxy Note 20+ 5G and/or the LTE variants.

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Duo Video Call now available on Galaxy A71 with new firmware update

Samsung is rolling out a new firmware update for the Galaxy A71 (SM-A715F), carrying version A715FZHU2ATD3. According to the changelog, the firmware update improves the device’s security with the April 2020 security patch, but also introduces a new feature, namely Duo Video Call.

The Galaxy A71 was unveiled in December 2019 and released in January running Android 10 and One UI 2.0. The smartphone has received a total of three firmware updates since its debut (including the new A715FZHU2ATD3 firmware). The previous two releases introduced monthly security patches of their own, along with improvements to the Camera app’s stability. The Galaxy A71 will soon be joined on the market by a 5G model, and in South Korea, SKT is even releasing a custom Galaxy A71 5G variant boasting a quantum RNG chip.

As for the existing LTE model, the Galaxy A71 is getting the new firmware update in Hong Kong and Taiwan, at least at the time of writing. Galaxy A71 owners in these countries should be able to download the update by tapping the notification once it arrives, or they can open the Settings app, access Software update, and tap Download and install to trigger the process. As usual, we also offer firmware through our website, and eligible Galaxy A71 owners can check our firmware archive, download the new release, and install it to their phones using a Windows computer.

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Alchimie brings 40,000 hours of VODs to Samsung TV Plus in Europe

Samsung TV Plus keeps getting better. Alchimie, the content aggregation and distribution company has partnered with Samsung to bring its VOD channels to European countries including France, Italy, Spain, and the UK through Samsung TV Plus.

Samsung TV Plus gets up to 12 new channels in each European country

Alchimie’s library boasts 40,000 hours of content spread across differently-themed channels. Through Samsung TV Plus, Alchimie will deliver up to 12 new local channels in France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. The list of programs covers MMA TV (mixed martial arts), Sports, Lifestyle, Music, Special Interests, Humanity, and more.

Alchimie CEO, Nicolas d’Hueppe, cited by Advanced Television claims Samsung’s TV Plus is a great partner, connected TV viewing is increasingly popular and Alchimie has the library of premium multi-language content, the portfolio of channels and the editorial expertise to ensure that Samsung’s TV Plus will be able to offer a range of channels to its growing European audiences.

Earlier this week, Samsung also partnered with Wurl Network to deliver Fashion TV to the Samsung TV Plus platform. As a reminder, Samsung TV Plus is available on Samsung Smart TVs released in 2016 and later as a free-of-charge ad-supported streaming service. It’s a Samsung exclusive and our sources tell us the company is developing a TV Plus app for mobile to extend the content’s reach to millions of additional Galaxy customers.

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Galaxy A21s deals with FCC formalities, might be releasing soon

After visiting the Wi-Fi Alliance a couple of weeks ago, the Galaxy A21s made its way into the FCC database this week, signaling what might be an impending market release. Two model numbers have been certified by the FCC, specifically the SM-A217F and SM-A217M.

The FCC documents reveal that the Galaxy A21s will measure 163.7 x 75.3mm. Sadly, the FCC entries don’t shed any more light on the internal specifications, such as the mysterious Exynos 850 chipset spotted at Geekbench a few weeks back.

Is the Galaxy A21s launch around the corner?

The recent Wi-Fi Alliance and FCC entries indicate the Galaxy A21s should be drawing very near to its release. However, regulatory approvals are not always indicative of a phone’s availability. The Galaxy A21 has yet to be unveiled by Samsung, and we can safely assume that the A21s won’t beat it to the market.

Samsung hasn’t kept a strict annual release schedule for its Galaxy A series of smartphones, but the Galaxy A20s was introduced in September 2019, whereas the standard A20 went on sale in April 2019. If this is any indication of Samsung’s launch plans for the Galaxy A21/Galaxy 21s’, the latter might still be a few good months away from an actual reveal. But nothing is set in stone yet and anything can happen. We’ll keep an ear to the ground and let you know as soon as we find out more.

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Samsung rivaling LG in high-capacity, AI-powered washing machine segment

Samsung is one of the biggest home appliance brands in the world, and it has created a complete ecosystem of smart ACs, microwaves, refrigerators, washing machines, and other such products. The company is now looking to expand its washing machine lineup by introducing models that have AI technology and high capacity to compete with rival firm LG.

According to a new report from Business Korea, Samsung and LG have introduced their new 24kg washing machine in South Korea around the same time. Apparently, both the firms are targeting users who want to wash a lot of clothes at once or clean big blankets in their homes. There seems to be a steady demand for such high-capacity washers.

Samsung’s new ‘Grande’ lineup of washing machines can detect the weight of the clothes and their contamination levels to automatically adjust the amount of detergents and softeners. Then, the washing machine selects an appropriate time on its own for washing and rinsing clothes. It also includes an all-in-one function that can operate a dryer using the washing machine’s control panel. It also features an AI-determined drying course.

LG has a lineup of ‘Tromm’-branded high-capacity washing machines with similar features, including laundry weight detection, AI-powered washing course recommendation, and synchronization with the dryer. Both LG and Samsung are introducing washing machines with similar features and targeted towards the same users. It will be interesting to see if their duel goes the same way when the two brands locked their horns in 2012 over large-capacity refrigerators.

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