Samsung backs MPEG-5 EVC codec for efficient 4K, 8K video playback

Apart from the AV1 codec, Samsung will also support the newly-released MPEG-5 EVC video codec on its devices. The new video codec is designed to meet the business and technical needs of the media and consumer electronics industry. To improve the adoption of MPEG-5 in the industry, Samsung will work with Huawei and Qualcomm to promote it. The MPEG-5 Essential Video Codec (EVC) delivers 4K, 8K, AR/VR, and HDR videos with greater compression and efficiency...

Android 10 update rolling out to unlocked variants of Galaxy A20s in the US

Samsung started rolling out the Android 10 update to the Galaxy A20s in various countries a few days ago. Now, the company has released the update to unlocked variants of the phone in the US. The update also brings One UI 2.0 to the phone along with the March 2020 security patch. The Android 10 update for unlocked variants of the Galaxy A20s (SM-A207M) in the US carries firmware version A207MUBU2BTD7...

Samsung 8K TVs support AV1 hardware decoding to play 8K YouTube videos

Samsung announced its new 8K QLED TV lineup earlier this year during CES 2020. They feature an Infinity Screen design, AI-powered 8K upscaling, Direct Full-Array local dimming, and AI-powered 3D audio. These 8K TVs are also the world’s first to feature Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and among the first to come with AV1 hardware decoding. The AV1 codec is used by Google to decode and encode 8K videos on YouTube. This means that the latest 8K QLED TVs from Samsung...

Samsung adds 38 art pieces from Spain’s Thyssen Museum for The Frame TV

The Frame TV from Samsung looks like a piece of art. When they’re not watching TV, users can set it to show various paintings and photos from world-renowned artists and photographers. The South Korean firm recently added more iconic art to its Art Store for The Frame TV for free. Now, the company has announced that it is expanding its art catalog with more paintings from the Thyssen-Bornemisza National...

How the Sweeper Technology in the Galaxy Z Flip’s hinge keeps dirt out

One of the biggest challenges that Samsung faced with the Galaxy Z Flip was to design a hinge that could allow for features like Flex Mode while also being durable enough that normal exposure to dirt and grime won’t cause it to fail. So the patented Hideaway Hinge was born. It’s made up of two groundbreaking innovations, the dual CAM mechanism that Samsung has already detailed before and the Sweeper...

Exclusive: Galaxy Fold 2 to be available in these colors

Samsung fans are looking forward to the company’s next flagship launch of the year. It’s due to launch the successor of the Galaxy Fold, its first foldable smartphone. If rumors are accurate, it should be released alongside the Galaxy Note 20 in August this year. Until that happens, information about the new device will continue to trickle in. The latest we hear about the device is that it’s going to be offered in these two colors. Of course, other...

Rumor: Samsung might be developing a Galaxy Fold Lite for under $1,100

As reported earlier this year, the follow-up to the Galaxy Fold is likely to be codenamed Win2 or Winner2. A device codenamed Winner2 5G also appears to be in development, but the exact nature of these seemingly foldable phones remains unclear. However, according to a Twitter rumor that may or may not be correct, the Winner2 codename might correspond to a so-called Galaxy Fold Lite 4G instead of an actual Galaxy Fold 2. Keep in mind...

[Poll] Are you a budget/mid-range Galaxy phone user? Tell us why

Samsung’s smartphone portfolio spans across the entire market spectrum, from the very low-end budget and mid-range segments to the ultra-premium market where devices like the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Galaxy Z Flip, and the Galaxy Fold exist. In a perfect world, a high-end phone that has no match in terms of specs would be the only relevant choice for customers, but that’s not how the real world works, or at the very least, not for Samsung. Recent market...

Galaxy Note 20 base model to lack LTPO and 120Hz display

Samsung seemingly plans to draw a deeper divide between the Galaxy Note 20 base model and the Galaxy Note 20+ later this year. The LTPO backplane will be a highlight of the upcoming S Pen series, but a new leak indicates that Samsung will reserve this technology for the larger Galaxy Note 20+. The base model will use an LTPS backplane instead, and its display will reportedly lack 120Hz refresh rate capabilities. Samsung had reportedly confirmed to...

Samsung intros fashionable Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition to Japan

Samsung’s fashionable variant of its stylish foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition, is going to be released in Japan by the end of the week. The product is already listed on the Galaxy Mobile website in Japan, but online reservations will be accepted from May 13. The smartphone, or rather the bundle, will be on sale starting May 15. The standard Galaxy Z Flip is already available in...

Samsung Display rumored to be OLED supplier for 2020 iPhones

Samsung Display makes the world’s best OLED panels for phones, and it has been supplying Apple with OLED panels for all high-end iPhones. However, Apple has been trying to reduce its reliance on Samsung by switching some orders to LG Display. It was also rumored that Samsung might completely lose the contract to supply OLED screens for iPhones, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. According to information coming out of various sources, Samsung...

Samsung India will bring smartphone finance options to your doorstep

Samsung already offers home delivery of smartphones to its customers in India. Now, the company has decided to go one step further and provide consumers easy financing options to buy smartphones from the comfort of their homes. This is a win-win solution for smartphone buyers as well as the company, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown. The company has announced that it will start offering Samsung Finance+ to its smartphone buyers in India, even...

Trump administration wants more Samsung chip factories in the U.S.

Samsung may expand expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the United States at the behest of the Trump administration. Government officials are said to have already approached the Korean tech giant over the matter, but that scenario remains purely hypothetical. The incumbent executive powers are reportedly soliciting domestic chip to manufacture investments in response to the difficulties stemming from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic....

Gear S3 and Gear Sport update brings Bixby, some Watch Active 2 features

We recently revealed that starting June 1st, Samsung’s old S Voice assistant would be discontinued for good. We had also revealed that Samsung would be replacing S Voice with Bixby through a software update on at least the Gear S3 and Gear Sport. That software update has now arrived for both smartwatches and is rolling out in a couple of markets as we write this. The new Gear S3 and Gear Sport software...