Cheaper Galaxy Fold could have smaller cover display, water resistance

Since the launch of the Galaxy Fold, Samsung has been working on various foldable smartphones. The company launched the Galaxy Z Flip earlier this year and it reportedly has plans to launch the Galaxy Fold 2 in Q3 2020. It is also being rumored that Samsung will launch a cheaper version of the Galaxy Fold with a mix of different hardware components from 2018, 2019, and 2020.

A new patent filed by the South Korean smartphone giant reveals that it has been working on a foldable phone design that features a much smaller cover display. As you can see in the drawings below, the foldable phone seems to have a corner-notched screen on the inside and a thin strip of screen on the outside. Due to the cover display’s aspect ratio, we don’t think it could be used for anything other than checking notifications and taking calls.

There appears to be a dual-camera setup residing inside the main screen’s notch, similar to the original Galaxy Fold. At the rear, the foldable phone seems to feature a triple-camera setup, and one of those sensors could be placed behind a periscope-style optical zoom lens. The drawing also shows a side-mounted fingerprint reader, stereo speakers, and a USB Type-C port.

Future Galaxy Fold smartphone could also have dust and water-resistant design

The patent also reveals that the phone could have an IP rating for dust and water resistance. None of the foldable phones that have been launched so far have dust and water-resistant designs. If Samsung pulls off a foldable phone that is resistant to dust and water, it would be quite an achievement. This also gives us hopes of the Galaxy Fold 2 featuring an IP rating.

It is being rumored that Samsung is planning to launch an affordable version of the Galaxy Fold called Galaxy Fold Lite. It will reportedly feature 4G LTE, an internal screen with plastic film protection, a small cover display, an aluminum-and-glass body, 256GB internal storage, and a $1,099 price tag. A separate rumor also claims that the company is planning to sell a limited-edition Galaxy Fold for just $1,099.

What do you think of this possible Galaxy Fold Lite design? Would you buy a foldable phone with a small external display? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Samsung’s second-gen smartphone security chip offers even more features

The Galaxy S20 series from Samsung is equipped with a dedicated security chipset that protects the phone from software and hardware attacks to keeps all forms of user data safe. Now, the company has followed up with the second-generation security chip with even more protection and features a higher level certification.

The Secure Element chip S3FV9RR is Evaluation Assurance Level (CC EAL) 6+ certified, which is a level higher than its predecessor’s (S3K250AF) CC EAL 5+ certification. The new security chipset’s CC EAL 6+ certification is the highest that a mobile component has ever received. The standalone turnkey solution consists of the Secure Element chip and enhanced security software.

Samsung’s Secure Element chip S3FV9RR has twice the storage space

The new security solution from Samsung features twice the secure storage capacity compared to the first-generation chipset. It also supports device authorization, the hardware-based root of trust (RoT), and secure boot features. When a device equipped with the new security solution boots, a chain of trust is activated, through which each and every firmware is sequentially validated with approved keys.

Any device with S3FV9RR chip and the accompanying software is guarded against malicious attacks and unauthorized software updates. The chip also works independently from the device’s main processor and its own security performance, which makes Samsung’s second-generation standalone turnkey solution extremely versatile. It can be used in IoT devices and smartphones.

Samsung claims that the S3FV9RR security chipset meets the hardware security module requirements for cryptographic operations needed by an upcoming mobile operating system version, which is likely Android 11. Smartphone manufacturers can also use the new solution to be assured that their devices manufactured at an off-site location are not running non-authorized software.

Galaxy Note 20 series could use S3FV9RR security chipset

The South Korean electronics giant says that its new standalone turnkey solution will be available in the third quarter of the year. We expect it to debut with the Galaxy Note 20 smartphone series, which is slated to be unveiled in August 2020.

Dongho Shin, SVP of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics, said, “In this era of mobility and contact-less interactions, we expect our connected devices, such as smartphones or tablets, to be highly secure so as to protect personal data and enable fintech activities such as mobile banking, stock trading, and cryptocurrency transactions. With the new standalone security element solution (S3FV9RR), Samsung is mounting a powerful deadbolt on smart devices to safeguard private information.”

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First smartphone featuring Exynos 880 SoC goes official

Samsung unveiled its new mid-range Exynos processor, the Exynos 880, a few hours ago. Now, the first smartphone using the new 5G chipset has gone official. The Vivo Y70s is a mid-range smartphone that uses the Exynos 880 SoC and features 5G connectivity. It is the fourth smartphone from Vivo in recent times to use an Exynos chipset.

The Vivo Y70s runs Android 10-based Funtouch 10.0 software and uses the Exynos 880 processor. It has 6GB/8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1 storage. It sports a 6.53-inch IPS LCD screen with Full HD+ resolution and a punch-hole-shaped cutout towards the top-left corner. The phone has stereo speakers and a side-mounted fingerprint reader.

The new smartphone has a triple-camera setup at the rear, featuring a 48MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide-angle camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. There’s a dual-LED flash and it can record 4K 30fps videos using its 48MP sensor. At the front, the phone has a 16MP selfie camera with 1080p video recording.

Connectivity features of the Vivo Y70s include GPS, sub-6GHz 5G (SA/NSA), 4G LTE, dual-SIM card slot (5G+4G), Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, microUSB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. A 4,500mAh battery powers the smartphone and it supports 18W fast charging. Vivo also boasts of excellent gaming performance on the Y70s, thanks to the Exynos 880’s Mali-G76 MP5 GPU.

The 6GB RAM variant costs CNY 1,998 (around $280), while the 8GB RAM version costs CNY 2,198 (around $308). The Vivo Y70s will go on sale in China on June 1. Vivo also sells the Exynos 980 powered Vivo X30, Vivo X30 Pro, and Vivo S6 5G smartphones in China. It is also the first brand to use Samsung’s 50MP ISOCELL GN1 camera sensor in its smartphone.

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Exynos 880 brings 5G, AI, and improved gaming to mid-range smartphones

Samsung has unveiled a new Exynos processor that is tailor-made for mid-range smartphones. The Exynos 880 features integrated 5G connectivity and faster performance for heavier tasks like gaming. It is a trimmed-down version of the Exynos 980 that was announced last year. The Exynos 880 debuted with a new Vivo smartphone which was unveiled yesterday.

The Exynos 880 SoC (System on Chip) is made using the power-efficient 8nm FinFET process from Samsung. It has an octa-core 64-bit CPU, featuring two ARM Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2GHz and six ARM Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.8GHz. The chipset is compatible with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.1 (and eMMC 5.1) storage.

Samsung’s new Exynos processor uses the ARM Mali-G76 MP5 GPU and promises faster gaming performance. The company claims that the new chipset supports advanced gaming APIs and technologies to reduce loading times and offer high frame rates. The GPU also supports Full HD+ (2520×1080 pixels) displays.

For imaging, the Exynos 880 ISP supports up to a 64MP camera sensor or 20MP+20MP dual-camera setups. There’s support for up to 4K 30fps video recording and it supports 4K video decoding/encoding with H.265, H.264, and VP9 codecs. There’s an integrated NPU and DSP for on-device AI processing, and they both share a controller and DMA (Direct Memory Access) for faster and efficient performance.

Connectivity features of the Exynos 880 include an integrated 5G modem that supports up to 2.55Gbps download speeds and up to 1.28Gbps upload speeds over 5G NR sub-6GHz networks. The chipset’s E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity feature combines 5G and 4G LTE networks to offer download speed of up to 3.55Gbps and upload speed of up to 1.38Gbps. It appears to be the same modem that is used in the Exynos 980.

Other features of the Exynos 880 SoC include dual-band Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, FM radio, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, and USB Type-C port. The chipset is already being mass-produced, and Vivo has used the Exynos 880 in its new smartphone, the Vivo Y70s. The mid-range 5G smartphone, which was leaked a few days ago, has been announced for the Chinese market.

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Microsoft USA offers the Galaxy Note 10 series, unlocked, at killer prices

Excitement around the upcoming Galaxy Note 20 is building up with every new leak and rumor, but until Samsung introduces the series in August, the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ remain the most powerful S Pen-enabled solutions on the market. And if you’re in the market for one of these phones, you’re in for a treat, as long as you’re looking to make your purchase in the USA. Microsoft is now selling the Galaxy Note 10 series stateside, unlocked, at discounts of up to $400.

You can buy the 256GB Galaxy Note 10 in black, white, or Aura Glow from Microsoft for $699, down from $949 ($250 off). Alternatively, the 256GB Galaxy Note 10+ is now available online for $749 instead of $1,099 ($350 off). However, you can get the 512GB model by paying just an additional $50. In other words, the top-tier Galaxy Note 10+ is now available for $799 instead of the usual $1,199 price ($400 off).

The Galaxy Note 10 series remains very competitive 9 months after release. It has a slick design, good specs, a beautiful screen, and it’s arguably the best S Pen-enabled model to date. If you want to buy a Galaxy Note 10 at a lower price, this might be one of your best options yet. Of course, the launch of the Galaxy Note 20 is just three months away, so you might want to wait a bit longer if you’re not in a rush and you can stretch your budget. Galaxy Note 20 prices are unknown, but they will surely exceed the $699 or even the $799 mark. Check out the links below for more details.

Galaxy Note 10 review | Galaxy Note 10+ review
Living with the Galaxy Note 10 for 8 months

• Buy the Galaxy Note 10 / Note 10+ from Microsoft USA

Galaxy Note 10

• Model: SM-N970F
• Dimensions: Bar: 151.0 x 71.8 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.3 inch / 160.02 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Exynos 9825
• Camera: 16MP

More specifications

Galaxy Note 10+

• Model: SM-N975F
• Dimensions: Bar: 162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.8 inch / 172.72 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Exynos 9825
• Camera: 16MP

More specifications

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Samsung confirms Galaxy A31 launch date for India, coming next week

The Galaxy A31 is going to be officially introduced to India next week, Samsung confirmed through a landing page for an upcoming event scheduled for June 4. The smartphone has already been launched in a handful of markets including Vietnam, Brazil, and Australia, so hardware specifications are very well known by now. Regardless, Samsung is going to hold a launch event in India for the phone, and prospective buyers can now sign up to be notified about the upcoming event.

Galaxy A31 is Awesome and Awesome is for everyone

Since it is a part of the Galaxy A 2020 series, Samsung India is using the Awesome marketing approach for the Galaxy A31. Awesome Camera, Awesome Screen, Awesome Battery are the dominant marketing lines sprinkled across the launch notification page.

The phone’s specifications are relatively well balanced after all. The Galaxy A31 has a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 by 1080, a quad-camera setup including a 48MP (f/2.0) wide sensor, an 8MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, and two 5MP (f/2.4) cameras, one being a macro and the other a depth sensor.

The list of internal components should also include a MediaTek Helio P65 chipset paired with 4GB or 6GB of RAM. The Awesome Battery consists of a generous 5,000mAh unit with 15W fast charging capabilities. Galaxy A31 prices in India have not been confirmed yet, but judging by the phone’s price tag in other markets, it should hover around the INR 23,000 mark. We’ll find out more on June 4.

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Samsung might become Huawei’s lifeline in regards to memory chips

A couple of weeks ago, we explained how Huawei’s ban in the USA might represent a golden opportunity for Samsung. And although the latter company’s smartphone business could benefit from Huawei’s unfavorable position, the same might also be true for Samsung’s semiconductor business. According to a recent report, Huawei is looking to stock up on memory chips and has recently contacted Samsung and SK Hynix for a stable memory chip supply.

The Trump administration barred chip makers using US technologies from supplying Huawei without Washington’s approval. Although this restriction doesn’t apply to memory chip manufacturers, Huawei is reportedly fearing that the US government will eventually extend its restrictions to include memory chips as well.

Huawei wants to build a memory chip inventory, Samsung could benefit

The Korean media reports that Huawei is now preparing for the worst and intends on building a large inventory of memory chips as a safety net. To this end, Huawei senior executives got in touch with Samsung and SK Hynix to strike an agreement for a stable supply of memory chips, according to a report citing anonymous industry sources. However, representatives from Samsung have denied this report earlier today, claiming that this type of meeting did not take place.

If Samsung will help Huawei to build a memory chip inventory, it will be in the Korean giant’s benefit, as this will likely improve the company’s DRAM and NAND market share while boosting revenues. On the other hand, assuming that the restrictions set in place by the US government will eventually extend to memory chips, Samsung will probably not risk losing its favorable position in the DRAM market for a deal with Huawei. Therefore, such restrictions will hurt not only Huawei, but also Samsung, especially given that the Chinese tech company is one of its biggest clients in the DRAM segment.

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Galaxy S20 users can now disable the fingerprint ripple animation effect

It turns out that the most recent Galaxy S20 firmware update (version G98xxXXU2ATE6) has added one more feature aside from camera improvements. Post-update, the ‘Fingerprint’ settings page contains an additional option for disabling the ripple animation effect that plays whenever you unlock the phone using your fingerprint.

There are no performance gains

Judging by our testing and a few posts from Reddit users, disabling this effect won’t make the fingerprint reader faster or more accurate. For some users, the lack of eye candy might make the unlock process seem faster, but in reality, turning the ripple animation effect off doesn’t seem to have any purely-practical uses. This is another visual customization option Samsung had added, so it’s most welcomed by those of us who care about such details. Nevertheless, with no performance gains in sight, the feature’s importance will be subjective for every individual. Some users will prefer keeping the ripple effect, others will feel better with it turned off.

Whichever camp you reside in, if you own a Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, or Galaxy S20 Ultra and you’ve received the recent firmware update, you can play around with this new fingerprint-related customization option by opening Settings, accessing Biometrics and security, tapping Fingerprints, and switching the Show animation when unlocking toggle On or Off. Give it a try and feel free to share your personal preference in the comment section.

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Galaxy Note 10 Lite gets May security patch in new update

The Galaxy Note 10 Lite is receiving an update with the May 2020 security patch. Samsung has released the latest security patch for a slew of devices already, and the Note 10 Lite is now joining the party. The new update for the device is rolling out in Spain at this time and comes with firmware version N770FXXU3BTE5.

The firmware version suggests the update brings more than just security fixes, but we don’t currently have the changelog so it’s unclear what is included. However, since the Note 10 Lite received One UI 2.1 and a number of new features with the previous update, we can expect the latest update to be a minor one that more or less just fixes some bugs.

The May security patch by itself is quite important, as it fixes a critical security flaw that has plagued Samsung devices since 2014. It also brings fixes for 19 other vulnerabilities that affect Samsung’s software, including one that allowed unauthorized change of the preferred SIM card when the device was locked. The May patch also fixes 9 critical vulnerabilities discovered in the Android operating system.

Galaxy Note 10 Lite owners can expect to see a notification for the new update once it’s available in their country. If you don’t wish to wait, you can also try downloading it manually by opening your phone’s Settings app, selecting Software update, and tapping Download and install. The latest firmware can also be downloaded from our archive and installed on the device using a Windows computer.

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Samsung resumes Android 10 rollout to Galaxy A50 in India

After rolling out the Android 10 update to various smartphones and tablets, Samsung had announced last month that it would halt the updates in India due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The company said that it would resume rolling out updates to its devices after the lockdown ends in India. A few days ago, the Galaxy Tab S6 received the Android 10 update and now it’s time for the Galaxy A50.

Samsung has started rolling out the Android 10 update to the Galaxy A50 in India. The software update with firmware version A505FDDU4BTC8 has a file size of 1793.44MB. Along with Android 10 and One UI 2.0, the update also brings along the March 2020 security patch to the mid-range smartphone. We would recommend using a Wi-Fi network to download the update.

Samsung had actually rolled out Android 10 to the Galaxy A50 in India two months ago but later pulled the update after users complained of software bugs. A few users who had updated to the buggy version of Android 10 before it was pulled are also getting a 150MB update that fixes those bugs. The company firm had also halted the Android 10 update to the Galaxy A70 last month due to bugs.

The One UI 2.0 update brings various new features and UI improvements to Samsung phones, including improved Dark Mode, Google’s UI navigation gestures, smoother animations, refreshed icons, redesigned Device Care section, and more. It also shows better text over wallpapers, media and devices section in the quick settings panel, and brings Digital Wellbeing.

If you’re a Galaxy A50 user in India, you should have received the notification for the software update already. You can check for it manually by navigating to Settings » System update and tap Download and install.

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Galaxy Tab S7+ 5G nears release as Samsung obtains product certification

The Galaxy Tab S7 is moving closer to release, with Samsung just securing its first product certification for the line’s top model – the Galaxy Tab S7+ 5G. That would be the SM-T976B that’s expected to become Samsung’s first globally available 5G tablet and second such device from the company overall after its 2019 predecessor from the Galaxy Tab S6 range. Standards association Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) today published wireless certification for what’s bound to be the most expensive member of the new Android slate family which may also end up launching as the Galaxy Tab S20.

Samsung to release Galaxy Tab S7/S20 this summer

The timing of the WFA certificate’s appearance adds further credence to speculation of the Galaxy Tab S7 launching this summer. Samsung is understood to be splitting its flagship tablet line in two different sizes, possibly in order to take on Apple’s iPads more directly. More specifically, the series will offer 11-inch and 12.4-inch models, both of which will be offered in 4G LTE and Wi-Fi-only variants. As for 5G capabilities, those appear to be exclusive to the larger form factor.

Today’s certification also suggests the Galaxy Tab S7 series will be the world’s first tablet lineup to offer both 5G and Wi-Fi 6 support. With Samsung heavily contributing to both standards, it’s not at all unexpected to see it reach that milestone ahead of its rivals; not that there’s many of them left in the tablet market, mind you.

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Galaxy Note 20 series camera details leak, causing even more confusion

A new leak detailing the specifications of the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20+ cameras added even more confusion about Samsung’s upcoming Android flagships. According to newly surfaced information out of South Korea, the regular Galaxy Note 20 will have a 12-megapixel main camera backed by a 64-megapixel telephoto module and another 12-megapixel sensor sitting behind an ultra-wide lens. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Note 20+ is said to feature a 108-megapixel camera and a 12-megapixel telephoto one, together with another 12-megapixel wide-angle shooter and a laser autofocus system.

At first glance, it would make sense the upcoming smartphone lineup will offer similar mobile photography capabilities to Samsung’s Galaxy S20 range. However, the mention of a 12-megapixel telephoto camera on the Note 20+ appears to be at odds with several recent reports suggesting a periscope lens is on the cards. Unless, of course, Samsung scrapped the 48-megapixel telephoto camera of the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which would make sense if the new device will lack the former’s 100X Space Zoom.

Galaxy Note 20 to make up for Galaxy S20 camera shortcomings

Further adding to the confusion is another recent leak showcasing a periscope camera on the smaller Galaxy Note 20, which was followed by first high-resolution renders of the Galaxy Note 20+ that also suggested a square periscope module to be present on its back.

Whatever ends up being the case, it’s quite likely Samsung is looking to address the Galaxy S20 autofocus issues with the Galaxy Note 20 family, hence the numerous rumored changes (like the addition of a laser autofocus module, though this is not visible in any of the leaked renders). In fact, it’s possible the recent contradictory leaks are simply based on different prototypes Samsung had manufactured while still deciding on the exact camera configuration of the Galaxy Note 20 and its Plus-sized counterpart.

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Feast your eyes on these Galaxy Note 20+ renders!

Galaxy Note 20 leaks are beginning to show up as we race towards the phone’s official launch in August. We saw renders of the Galaxy Note 20 made their way online last week, and today, renders of the Note 20+ have surfaced online. These renders show something very interesting and, frankly, odd: The rear camera modules have a colored ring around them that looks straight from a budget phone rather than something that would fit a premium flagship device.

According to the source of these renders, the Galaxy Note 20+ will have a 6.9-inch display, same as the Galaxy S20 Ultra. The display curves are almost gone, which was to be expected after the Galaxy S20 series, and the volume and power buttons are on the right side inside of the left. The Note 20+ is said to be just 7.6 mm thick, but that’s not counting the camera module on the back, which reportedly makes for a thickness of 10.7 mm at the top. However, the same source also said the Note 20 has a thickness of 8.5 mm but didn’t say if that figure includes the upper part of the device, so there’s still a bit of confusion around the dimensions of the two models.

Like the Note 20 renders, the Note 20+ renders show the S Pen on the left side of the phone. We have seen leaks of previous Galaxy Note flagships showing such a change, only for the actual devices to have the S Pen on the right side as usual, so we are still inclined to believe Samsung won’t play around with the stylus’ placement this year, either. We guess we will have to wait and see how much in these renders is accurate – it’s early days right now so things could change in the coming weeks when more Galaxy Note 20 leaks make there way online.

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