Galaxy Book Flex alpha is around the corner as pre-sales go live in Korea

About four months ago, Samsung took the veil off the Galaxy Book Flex α (alpha), and it seems like the company is finally getting ready to release the product. That is, at least in South Korea, where Samsung has prepared a pre-sale event between April 24-28.

It should launch in the USA in June at the latest

While the Galaxy Book Flex alpha pre-sale event will likely remain limited to Samsung’s home country, the clock is undeniably ticking and the laptop is technically two months away from a market release in the USA, at the very latest.

This is because Samsung’s original launch schedule for the Galaxy Book Flex alpha claimed the 2-in-1 notebook will be released in the USA in the first half of 2020. We’re four months in, and the wait must be nearly over.

The Galaxy Book Flex alpha is a sub-$1,000 QLED 2-in-1

The Galaxy Book Flex alpha is a budget-friendlier version of the full-fledged Book Flex, and it’s expected to go on sale in the USA for $829. This sum of money secures you a 13.3-inch QLED FHD display, a 10th generation Intel Core processor, Intel UHD Graphics, 256GB of storage expandable by up to 1TB, a fingerprint sensor, and a 54Wh battery, to name a few.

The landing page for the Galaxy Book Flex alpha is already live in South Korea, albeit there are no options to purchase the product at the time of writing. This will likely change very soon. We’ll keep you up to speed as the story develops.

The post Galaxy Book Flex alpha is around the corner as pre-sales go live in Korea appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2Y1K0mU
via IFTTT

One way Galaxy Note 20 might not fall behind some competing flagships

Qualcomm has no intention to manufacture a Snapdragon 865+ variant this year, according to a recent report citing the head of Meizu Technology Marketing, Wan Zhiqiang. And although this may be disappointing news for tech enthusiasts, it could actually work in Samsung’s favor.

Samsung’s H2 2019 flagships including the Galaxy Note 10 lost a bit of ground to the competition. The S Pen device was equipped with the Snapdragon 855 SoC, whereas many rival flagships launched around the same time boasted the Snapdragon 855+ chipset instead. And although some rumors from the Twitter sphere claimed that the Galaxy Note 20 will have a Snapdragon 865+ chipset, early benchmarks suggested otherwise, and so did Samsung’s H2 2019 strategy, if that’s any indication of how things will turn out in the later part off 2020.

This could also mean the Galaxy Fold 2 won’t make use of an upgraded Snapdragon 865 SoC in some markets. As a reminder, the original Fold was updated with a Snapdragon 855+ in China. Similarly, the direct sequel to the Galaxy Z Flip might not use a Plus spinoff of Qualcomm’s silicon solution, but that’s another matter for 2021.

Samsung’s foundry business could benefit as well

The Snapdragon 865 is manufactured by TSMC who is Samsung’s biggest rival in the foundry business. Logic dictates that if Qualcomm has plans to release a Snapdragon 865+ this year, it would also be made by TSMC.

However, if Meizu’s head of Technology Marketing is correct and Qualcomm won’t be developing a Snapdragon 865+ this year, this would mean less business for TSMC. While it’s conjecture at this point, less business for TSMC could benefit Samsung in closing the gap between it and its biggest rival.

The post One way Galaxy Note 20 might not fall behind some competing flagships appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2VVxd2I
via IFTTT

Verizon-bound Galaxy S20 5G leaks with major implications

The Galaxy S20 5G bound for Verizon leaked earlier today, with the development carrying several major implications for both Samsung and the U.S. telecom giant. Back in February, it was confirmed this particular model won’t support mmWave connectivity, unlike the 5G variants of the Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra. That’s pretty much the only reason why it wasn’t available to Verizon customers from day one. After all, the company’s original plan was to ignore low-band 5G spectrum in favor of higher speeds offered by mmWave tech.

In other words, it wasn’t thrilled with the idea of selling a high-end handset that can’t even fully use its high-end network.

Verizon running late to the low-band 5G party

The only thing Verizon has been saying since then is that the Galaxy S20 5G won’t be coming to its network prior to Q2. After known insider Evan Blass leaked the flagship in question earlier today, Verizon finally narrowed down its launch window for a bit. More specifically, it confirmed that best-case scenario, stating the Galaxy S20 5G will become available to its customers by June.

The leak itself also substantiates Verizon will at the very least offer the smartphone in Cloud White. As for the wireless carrier’s comments, they suggest the sub-6GHz expansion of its 5G network will be happening by the end of June as well.

In the meantime, the Galaxy S20 5G became the first smartphone to benefit from T-Mobile and Sprint’s merger, gaining support for both companies’ networks. While the theoretical peak of mmWave 5G is significantly higher, low-band tech will remain much more practical for the foreseeable future as it offers better coverage, i.e. faster deployment.

The post Verizon-bound Galaxy S20 5G leaks with major implications appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2VAbaiQ
via IFTTT

Pokemon GO is no longer broken on the Galaxy S20 after latest update

We reported two weeks ago that Pokemon GO was broken on the Galaxy S20 series and it wasn’t Samsung’s fault. An update for the game released at that time had a bug which prevented it from running normally on the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

This meant that there wouldn’t be a fix for the problem until Niantic, the developer of Pokemon GO, released an update for the popular game. That has finally happened and as a result of the latest update, Pokemon GO is no longer broken on the Galaxy S20.

All is now well with Pokemon GO on the Galaxy S20 series

The reports about Pokemon GO not being able to run on Galaxy S20 devices first emerged on Samsung’s official forums. Users were complaining that the game would freeze as soon as it finished loading, making it impossible to play Pokemon GO on these devices.

Niantic later confirmed that it was looking into the issue, it mentioned that much on the known issues page on its website. The developer said it was investigating reports of increases crashes and freezes when using Pokemon GO on Galaxy S20 devices, and that a fix would be released in an upcoming update.

It has since updated the known issues page to confirm that the issue has been resolved in the latest update. Pokemon Go version 0.173.2 is now available through the Google Play Store and Samsung’s Galaxy Store. The fix has been verified, Pokemon GO now runs as it should on the Galaxy S20 lineup.

Those who have been unable to play the game on their devices for the past few weeks due to this issue can now rejoice. All they need to do is just update Pokemon GO and they’ll be good to go.

The post Pokemon GO is no longer broken on the Galaxy S20 after latest update appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2xJLasx
via IFTTT

Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9 One UI 2.1 update is now in development

Amid mixed signals from moderators on Samsung’s official forums for South Korea, there’s now some clarity about whether or not the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9 One UI 2.1 update is going to be released.

The latest update from a moderator on the forum reveals that Samsung has reviewed the One UI 2.1 support for the aforementioned devices and the firmware is now under development. This suggests that Samsung may have finally made up its mind about supporting One UI 2.1 for these devices.

One UI 2.1 for the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9 enters development

There has been confusion about the One UI 2.1 update for the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9 because Samsung never really clarified if it will release the update for them. A notification was later sent via the Samsung Members app in Korea to inform users that Samsung currently did not have any plans to release One UI 2.1 for the Galaxy Note 9.

Later, a moderator from the sofware team revealed that they were in the process of figuring out which features could be added to One UI 2.1 for these devices to ensure optimal performance. With the Galaxy Note 10 Lite receiving One UI 2.1 and with it some of the best Galaxy S20 software features, there’s little reason to believe why the Galaxy Note 9 shouldn’t get them all as well, considering the fact that it and the Galaxy Note 9 use the same Exynos 9810 processor.

A forum moderator from the Galaxy Note software team now claims that One UI 2.1 is in development for the Galaxy Note 9 and the Galaxy S9, adding that test builds should be available soon. We can get cautiously optimistic based on this, but given that there has already been so much back-and-forth over this update, we’d only truly believing its coming once the actual firmware builds start showing up.

We can talk about a dozen different reasons why this update should be released and there’s one very good reason why the Note 9/S9 should absolutely get One UI 2.1. Let’s just hope Samsung follows through for the countless users who are looking forward to One UI 2.1.

The post Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9 One UI 2.1 update is now in development appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2Kz4Q4Q
via IFTTT

Galaxy A51 5G nearing European release as Samsung tips hand

The European release of the Galaxy A51 5G appears to be imminent, even though Samsung has yet to attach an official date to the smartphone. Two weeks after announcing its latest Android mid-ranger, the company tipped its hand by the way of some early accessory listings. More specifically, Samsung will be launching an S View case alongside the device, available in Black and White.

The protective accessory will be priced at around €40 ($45), according to a pair of premature product pages put up by Samsung Switzerland. It’s likely this won’t be the only first-party extras Samsung releases alongside the aggressively priced handset.

Why Samsung has high hopes for Galaxy A51 5G

The tech giant is reportedly highly invested in the second generation of 5G smartphones. According to recent industry rumblings, Samsung believes it can revitalize its dwindling mobile sales through affordable 5G devices. The Galaxy A71 5G is also part of that strategy, though it’s still unclear whether that particular model will be releasing in Europe as well. Samsung is at the very least considering a wider launch, as SamMobile exclusively confirmed earlier this year.

American consumers will be able to get their hands on the said mid-ranger for $499.99. Its introductory price in Europe should hbe in the €450-€500 range, as well. Compared to its LTE-only predecessor, the latest Galaxy A51 iteration leverages a newer chipset (Exynos 980) and 6GB of RAM, which is a 50% improvement. What remains to be seen is whether these premature listings are hinting at a broader European release or not.

The post Galaxy A51 5G nearing European release as Samsung tips hand appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3az2iOX
via IFTTT

Verizon Galaxy Tab S6 Android 10 update out, doesn’t bring One UI 2.1

Samsung released the Android 10 update for the Galaxy Tab S6 three weeks ago. The international variant of the device jumped straight to One UI 2.1 with the update. That’s not the case for those who own this tablet on Verizon.

The Verizon Galaxy Tab S6 Android 10 update has started rolling out. While Samsung updated the Wi-Fi only variant to One UI 2.1 with the update, the Galaxy Tab S6 on Verizon is only updated to One UI 2.0.

Verizon Galaxy Tab S6 Android 10 update is rolling out now

Aside from this minor discrepancy, the Android 10 update for this tablet brings all of the features that are part and parcel of the major OS update. They include features like Smart Reply, Live Transcribe, Gesture Navigation and more.

One UI 2.0 adds its own set of improvements such as Dark mode support for the home and lock screen, a much more refined user interface and overall tweaks. Samsung Daily replaces Bixby Home on the tablet, it’s still accessible with a right swipe on the home screen and shows personalized content like news, weather, appointments and more.

Verizon is now rolling out the T867VVRU2BTC4 firmware update for the Galaxy Tab S6 on its network over-the-air. It’s going to take a little while for the update notification to arrive on everybody’s devices.

It may eventually bring One UI 2.1 to the tablet as well. The latest iteration of Samsung’s custom Android skin adds even more features and makes further refinements to the user interface. One UI 2.1 features like Quick Share and Music Share will be very useful additions to the tablet. It’s too soon to say at this point in time when that might happen, though.

The post Verizon Galaxy Tab S6 Android 10 update out, doesn’t bring One UI 2.1 appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2KutLa3
via IFTTT