Samsung reports strong Q2 2020 results on the back of strong chip, display sales

After it released its earnings guidance for Q2 2020 earlier this month, Samsung has announced its financial results for the quarter. The South Korean company reported that its consolidated sales were around KRW 52.97 trillion (around $44.48 billion) during the second quarter of 2020 and its operating profit stood at KRW 8.15 trillion (around $6.84 billion). The company said that its solid earnings were a result of higher memory chip and display panel sales as well as cost optimization.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, frequent store closures, and sudden breaks at its production units, the company performed quite well with the help of its extensive global supply chain, strengthening sales channels, optimizing costs, and a reduction in marketing costs. Samsung’s operating profit rose 26% from Q1 2020 and 23% from Q2 2019. The company said that it experienced higher sales of memory chips and home appliances and a one-off gain from its display panel business.

The South Korean tech giant said that its revenue fell 4% compared to Q1 2020 and 6% compared to numbers from Q2 2019 due to lower smartphone sales and other devices like TVs. However, this lower demand was more than mitigated by higher sales of memory chips, thanks to robust demand from data centers and PCs as more people worked and studied from home due to the pandemic.

Smartphone sales to gradually improve, but challenges remain

Despite weaker sales, the company’s smartphone unit reported solid profits, thanks to cost optimizations and a reduction in marketing spends. Samsung’s IT & Mobile Communications Division reported consolidated revenue of KRW 20.75 trillion and operating profit of KRW 1.95 trillion during Q2 2020.

As the company is prepping for the launch of the Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Watch 3, and newer mid-range smartphones, it expects revenue and profits to improve even further in the next quarter. Samsung still warned about risks from COVID-19 related uncertainties and the growing competition in the smartphone business.

Samsung expects higher GPU and mobile memory in the next quarter

The company’s semiconductor business posted KRW 18.23 trillion in consolidated revenue and KRW 5.43 trillion in operating profit. The company expects higher revenue from its memory business due to higher sales of mobile and GPU memory chips, driven by upcoming key smartphone and gaming console sales. Samsung has begun the mass production of 5nm chips and is developing its 4nm process node.

Samsung Display saw a one-off gain, improving profits

Even the company’s display manufacturing arm saw losses decline from larger screens due to higher sales of panels for monitors. Samsung Display also received a one-off gain (probably from Apple for missing its OLED panel order targets for the iPhone), which boosted profits even further. The display panel arm posted consolidated revenue of KRW 6.72 trillion and an operating profit of KRW 0.30 trillion during Q2 2020. It plans to accelerate the development of Quantum Dot panels as planned.

Focus on sales of premium home appliances is paying off

The company’s consumer electronics division posted higher earnings to due increased sales of home appliances such as ACs, dryers, and premium QLED TVs. It is also planning to sell more premium products such as its Bespoke lineup of refrigerators and Grande AI washers. However, it is planning to respond with a stable global supply chain for consumers. The consumer electronics division posted KRW 10.17 trillion in consolidated revenue and KRW 0.73 trillion in operating profit.

High-resolution camera sensors, 5G chips improved profits

In terms of semiconductor sales, the company will focus on expanding its business with the help of high-resolution camera sensors and 5G Exynos chips. Samsung said in its press release that it expects the demand for smartphones to recover in the second half of the year, although competition will increase.

Its connected auto and audio division HARMAN is said to have suffered quite a bit due to deteriorating market conditions of the auto industry. It suffered an operating loss during Q2 2020, but the outlook is positive going further.

In other news, Samsung has introduced Sustainability Accounting Standards Board standards for the first time in the company’s history to share what it is doing for climate change. It said that it remains committed to creating a better environment and social value to support sustainable growth.

The post Samsung reports strong Q2 2020 results on the back of strong chip, display sales appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3gc6ffX
via IFTTT

Why Samsung shouldn’t listen to Google’s request for more control

It was reported earlier today that Google and Samsung are in negotiations over giving preference to Google’s services on Galaxy devices at the expense of Samsung’s own services. If reached, such a deal would result in Google Assistant being prioritized over Bixby, Play Store achieving more prominence over the Galaxy Store, and Google having more control over web search on these devices.

Neither Samsung nor Google has confirmed what they’re talking about so it all remains a bit up in the air right now. However, none of the requests that Google has reportedly put forward seem impossible. Samsung would obviously expect something in return, with the assumption being that it would receive a substantial sum of money from Google for giving up more control.

Whatever Google is asking for it already gets, to an extent, on Galaxy devices. The Assistant is always just a long press of the Home button away, the Play Store is already the first stop for most users when they want to download apps, and Google happens to be the default search engine in Samsung Internet. Google Chrome is also hard to miss and since most people use Chrome on their desktops, they’re likely to use it on their mobile as well to take advantage of data syncing. That’s not possible with Samsung Internet since it doesn’t have a desktop version. Who can guess what’s the default search engine in Chrome?

This means that any change that comes as a result of this deal would be significant. We’d likely see Assistant being actively prioritized over Bixby, Samsung possibly toning down on promotions that incentivize users to download content from the Galaxy Store, and Google being the only search engine option in Samsung Internet. Currently, you can switch between Google, Yahoo, Bing and DuckDuckGo as the default option with just a couple of taps. Google does pay Apple billions of dollars every year just to be the default search engine in Safari, after all.

Asking Samsung to concede more ground to its services has obvious benefits for Google. Samsung is the world’s leading smartphone vendor. It shipped nearly 300 million smartphones last year. The more data it can get the more Google can improve its core services like search, ads and the capabilities of its voice assistant. That’s why it would happily pay Samsung for the access.

Google Assistant would especially stand to benefit from this arrangement. The AI and machine learning that powers this digital assistant requires massive amounts of data to continuously improve its performance. The data sets are obviously different from every market and with Samsung’s reach particularly in emerging markets where arguably most of the next billion Android users will come from, would prove to be very useful.

Such an arrangement would allow Google to collect even more voice control data and that would enable it to further improve Assistant’s capabilities over Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Echo assistants. Let’s be honest, even though Samsung has considerably improved Bixby ever since it was launched with the Galaxy S8 in 2017, it wasn’t in the same league as these assistants. Despite the obvious shortcomings, Bixby was something that Samsung had built, and Samsung has never shied away from building a parallel ecosystem of apps and services for its Android devices.

Google would happily pay it good money if Bixby was completely replaced with Assistant and perhaps that just might give Samsung a way to recoup the investment it made in the development of Bixby. If it just approaches the situation from a pure return on investment perspective, a yearly cheque from Google that gives it more money than it spent on acquiring talent and developing Bixby, I’m pretty sure the accountants at Samsung would chalk that up as a win.

As the mobile division stares at an uncertain future brought on by the pandemic, this request may not seem too unreasonable. Smartphone sales, particularly in the high-end segment, are likely going to decline and that’s going to impact the company’s bottom line. So it may not mind having an additional revenue stream. However, it can also be argued that continuing to build out its own ecosystem is also important for Samsung. Its most loyal customers wouldn’t want there to be a history of capitulation to Google.

There was a time when Samsung was investing in its own mobile operating system but it saw the writing on the wall. Its first Galaxy S flagship ran on Google’s Android and the rest is history. Bada was later merged into Tizen, Samsung’s next attempt at its own mobile OS. Tizen never made it to flagship smartphones and even the low-end phones that did run it have long been forgotten. Tizen does live on in Samsung’s smart TVs and wearable devices.

Sticking with Tizen for its wearables actually paid off for Samsung. The company’s smartwatches are very well regarded than the hodgepodge of Wear OS devices to the extent that many non-Galaxy smartphone owners opt for Samsung’s smartwatches. Would conceding at this stage embolden Google to come after Tizen wearables in the future?

Google obviously approaches any negotiations with its OEM partners from a position of strength. It owns the only other widely used mobile OS that has no competitor. Its partners have also seen with the Huawei episode just how bad being cut off from Google’s ecosystem can be for the business. As the largest Android smartphone vendor, Samsung can also throw its weight around, since it pays hefty sums in licensing fees and drives an insane amount of traffic to Google’s services. Consequently, any negotiations between these two titans of the industry are bound to be tense.

This doesn’t take away from the fact that Bixby clearly needs to be improved. The digital assistant has found it very hard to shake off its bad rap that has stuck with its since the launch. The delay in the arrival of Samsung’s smart speakers, which would have placed Bixby at the center of its smart home ecosystem, has further contributed to Bixby falling by the wayside.

Ultimately, Samsung has to make a decision. Either it needs to keep at it and maintain a clear preference for Bixby over Assistant or accept that its effort to sustain a parallel ecosystem with Android is not worth it. Loyal Samsung fans would love to keep at it, but it’s all just business in the end.

What do you think, should Samsung agree to Google’s request or should it not capitulate? Drop a comment below and let’s get a conversation going.

The post Why Samsung shouldn’t listen to Google’s request for more control appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/39HWOCz
via IFTTT

Leaked Galaxy Z Fold 2 renders completely show Samsung’s new foldable

Samsung may have done a great job of keeping the Galaxy Fold under wraps last year but the same cannot be said for its successor. Newly leaked Galaxy Z Fold 2 renders have surfaced online today and they completely reveal Samsung’s upcoming foldable smartphone.

This is the first time that such renders of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 have been leaked online. We have only seen a blurry live image previously. The renders give us a great idea of just how the design has been improved compared to the foldable’s predecessor.

Our best look yet at the Galaxy Z Fold 2

The leak from MySmartPrice reveals that the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will have significant design improvements compared to its predecessor. As expected, the new foldable smartphone has a much larger cover display and the notch that was seen in the previous model has now been replaced by an Infinity-O panel.

Removing the notch has enabled Samsung to significantly increase the display size without having to make the device larger. Fans of the physical fingerprint sensor will be delighted to see that it retains a side-mounted sensor. We can also see a triple camera setup at the back with the same circular cutouts as we’ve seen on leaked renders of the Galaxy Note 20. This is possibly a new design element that we might see being used for other Samsung devices in the future.

Earlier reports have suggested that the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will have a 6.23-inch Super AMOLED cover display in addition to its 7.7-inch foldable Super AMOLED display that’s going to have a 120Hz refresh rate. The camera setup may consist of 64MP + 12MP + 12MP sensors in addition to a 10-megapixel selfie camera embedded in the internal display. A combined battery capacity of 4,356mAh is expected with 15W wired charging support. There’s obviously going to be support for 5G. The handset will be offered in Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze colors.

Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 2 on August 5 during its virtual Galaxy Unpacked event. Reports suggest that the new foldable may be priced at $1,980 as its predecessor.

The post Leaked Galaxy Z Fold 2 renders completely show Samsung’s new foldable appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2D2WjHg
via IFTTT

Two years later, Galaxy Note 9 is still an excellent high-end phone

The Galaxy Note 9 will soon be two years old. The Galaxy Note 20/Note 20 Ultra is on the way, as the second Note flagship in Samsung’s new world order in which the Note lineup comes with more limitations than some fans would like. For the longest time, Galaxy Notes were meant to represent the best of Samsung’s smartphone game, but that changed last year when the company decided to ditch the headphone jack with the Galaxy Note 10 series.

The smaller Note 10 also lacked a microSD slot and featured a Full HD display instead of the Quad HD panel that we’ve come to expect from Samsung’s top-of-the-line phones in recent years. Those are some of the reasons why the Galaxy Note 9 may have been the last true Note flagship, as many of our readers often point out.

It was also quite an excellent phone in general, but how well has it aged in the two years that have passed since it first hit store shelves? Well, I decided to switch to a Note 9 as my primary phone to find out.

The display is perfect even today

The first thing you notice on any phone is the display, and apart from the lower refresh rate, the Galaxy Note 9’s screen holds up amazingly well even today. The colors, the deep blacks, and its ability to go extremely bright or dark are no less than what you get on the Galaxy S20 series. The Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra probably won’t change that, and one thing is certain: Whether you pick up the newest Galaxy flagship or one from 2-3 years ago, a great viewing experience is guaranteed.

The S Pen is free of the Air Gestures gimmick and isn’t any lesser for it

The S Pen had remained fundamentally unchanged over the years, with Samsung more or less simply introducing new software features to go along with the stylus with each new Note. That changed with the Galaxy Note 9 – it was the first in the series to come with a Bluetooth-enabled S Pen, letting users remotely control some functions, such as playing or stopping music or capturing photos in the camera.

With the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+, Samsung also introduced what it calls Air Actions, which are gestures made possible by a gyroscope built into the stylus. The Galaxy Note 9 doesn’t have them, but that doesn’t take anything away from how useful it is. The remote functionality was the last truly major update the S Pen received, and the Note 9 also has all of the software features that were introduced on the Note 10 and Note 10+ thanks to the One UI 2.1 and Android 10 updates.

Performance has held up well, but it isn’t perfect

The Galaxy Note 9 is a powerful phone even today, but there are a few times when it doesn’t respond as quickly as you would like. For example, I saw the splash screen in apps like WhatsApp when opening them more often than I would like, suggesting the phone was killing them in the background. That’s probably because it has just 6GB of RAM, though, instead of a fault of the Exynos 9810 under the hood.

All the latest games run without any hiccups, and I have to say that despite the slowdowns here and there, performance on the Note 9 is still top notch. I do need to point out that I reset the phone before I started using it, so I can’t say how well the performance will hold up over time. But if you have been using a Note 9 for the last year or two, I’d love to know what your experience has been like in that regard.

Not a versatile setup, but the Note 9’s cameras hold their own in 2020

No matter what Samsung might tell you, the reality is that the quality of pictures taken by the main camera on its flagships hasn’t really changed much over the last 2-3 generations. The Note 9 takes great photos in all kinds of lighting conditions – they aren’t as good as the photos phones released in 2020 can capture, but you’d only really notice the difference in a side-by-side comparison. And thanks to One UI 2.1, it has all the latest camera features — such as Single Take — as well.

The zoom camera has also held up well, but the limited zoom capability can feel, well, limited. But even worse is the lack of an ultra-wide camera. I’ve gotten used to having one on every device, because an ultra-wide camera has become commonplace on Galaxy phones in the last year and a half. But the Note 9 is a product from a time when ultra-wide cameras weren’t a thing, and it’s one of the major concerns I’d have if I were to buy the phone today.

I love the physical fingerprint reader and iris scanner combo

I’ve talked before about how I miss Samsung’s iris scanning tech from its older flagships now that wearing masks has become a lifestyle. After using the Galaxy Note 9 again for a couple of weeks, my opinion has been reinforced. The iris scanner is great for unlocking the phone without taking off my mask, and it also acts as a secondary way of unlocking secure apps such as Samsung Pay, which isn’t possible on newer Galaxy phones because they only have a fingerprint scanner as a properly secure biometric feature.

It was also liberating to use a physical fingerprint reader after so long. Despite a year and a half of using phones with in-display fingerprint readers, I still haven’t warmed up to them and probably never will. Physical fingerprint readers probably aren’t coming back, though, because fancy features are what drive the smartphone market today, and there’s nothing fancy about physical sensors. They’re just perfect in their speed and accuracy, but hey, who cares about those, right?

The battery lasts until bedtime, thanks to the mostly at-home use

The 4,000 mAh battery on the Galaxy Note 9 was the biggest ever on a mainstream Galaxy flagship at the time, and it’s still more than enough to get you through the day on a single charge. However, since I spend most of my time at home and have access to my PC, the phone never saw any real heavy use, so I can’t say if the battery life would hold up if everyone wasn’t cooped up at home because of the virus that’s ravaging the planet.

While battery life wasn’t an issue, I did miss the 25W fast charging you get on newer flagships, even though I don’t technically need it because of all the time I spend in the house. 15W fast charging just feels archaic now, and I’m glad Samsung is making 25W charging more and more mainstream as time progresses.

No software update future is what makes Note 9 hard to recommend today

Thanks to One UI 2.1, the Galaxy Note 9 feels quite fresh, especially thanks to the new camera functionality that I mentioned earlier. I did miss having Bixby Routines at my disposal, as I have plenty of automated tasks set up in Routines on my Galaxy S20 Ultra. But the one thing that would really stop me from recommending this phone if someone wanted to purchase it today is that it is no longer going to get any major software updates.

People are hopeful Samsung will provide One UI 2.5 to the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case. Even One UI 2.1 for these phones was unprecedented and came as a surprise, and it’s probably what they will be stuck at going forward. It’s a shame, really, because the Note 9 is fully capable of running the next couple iterations of Android and One UI, and maybe one day Samsung will extend the number of major software updates it provides to all of its flagships. Until then, all we can do is keep hoping.

---

Are you using a Galaxy Note 9? Are you happy with the phone, or are you looking to upgrade to the Galaxy Note 20 or Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in the coming weeks?

The post Two years later, Galaxy Note 9 is still an excellent high-end phone appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/39Ducu6
via IFTTT

Samsung highlights rugged tech as key for post-Brexit UK business

Not many consumer electronics companies dabble in ruggedized products, but Samsung just officially upgraded its already optimistic forecast for this niche. That is, the British arm of the Korean juggernaut today signaled the firm will continue pursuing such extraordinarily durable devices, describing them as one of the rare few gadget categories that are yet to truly take off despite oozing potential. In a bid to illustrate that point, Samsung commissioned a market study from London-based Ketchum Research and Analytics, a… research and analytics company.

Ketchum’s researchers and analysts found that today’s professionals in sectors like transportation, manufacture, construction, utilities, and even retail are overwhelmingly in favor of implementing such unique products into their daily workflow, often due to past positive experiences with the same tech. Combined with the fact that nearly half of the interviewees said they still often rely on their personal devices for work, it’s no wonder they’d be thrilled with the idea of any employer-issue handset, let alone a nearly indestructible one.

A self-fulfilling prophecy

In effect, Samsung UK is currently pitching devices akin to the recently released Galaxy XCover Pro and Galaxy Tab Active Pro to various businesses in the country. No wonder, considering about 60% of its respondents predicted rugged technologies will massively gain in importance within their respective industries over the following two years. In other words, Samsung seems to be approaching these findings as a self-fulfilling prophecy, of sorts.

The survey ultimately encompassed more than 1000 professionals from numerous industries, all of which were interviewed on various aspects of today’s ruggedized tech, their experiences with such creations – whether in terms of nature or mere frequency – and the likelihood that they’ll advocate for their wider enterprise applications.

While it’s not that either Samsung or Ketchum are planning to submit this study as their master’s thesis in statistics, their 1,202-strong sample actually survives some light scrutiny in terms of selection bias. That is, the sample was evenly divided between high-ranking officials – decision-makers – and relative newcomers to their respective fields, so it appears to be somewhat relevant to one’s understanding of the market and its projected course. Which isn’t to say it’s to be taken as gospel as of course Samsung is inherently biased toward presenting the smartphone business as a still-snowballing sector eyeing its potential zenith, not an oversaturated market that wouldn’t have taken long to pass its nadir regardless of any global happenings.

Still, it will be interesting to see whether Samsung truly attempts revitalizing its coronavirus-stricken mobile unit with a stronger focus on rugged gadgets, or if all this talk is merely meant to put investors’ minds at ease.

The post Samsung highlights rugged tech as key for post-Brexit UK business appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/333COco
via IFTTT

Samsung India launches three new reward programs to boost online sales

Samsung India Senior Vice President Asim Warsi revealed today that the company aims to grow its Online Store business by 10% for mobile products and consumer electronics alike. To reach this goal, the company has now revealed three new programs designed to give customers more reasons to purchase products online rather than through offline retail channels.

The Korean giant has launched the Samsung Referral Program, the Samsung Student Program, as well as the Samsung Shop 29K Advantage Program. Designed to boost online sales, these initiatives further cement the fact that the retail landscape in India is changing, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Offline retailers may be displeased by Samsung’s recent focus on consolidating its online business, but the company has also offered a helping hand to offline retailers who may want to relocate to the online space. As for Samsung’s own plans to grow its Online Store, here are the three new programs explained:

Samsung Referral Program

As the name implies, the Samsung Referral Program allows existing customers to recommend online purchases to friends and family. The program is designed to reward both parties. Referrers can earn vouchers of up to INR 1,500 ($20) for each successful transaction completed by their friends, while those making the purchase can benefit from discounts of up to 8% on premium smartphones and consumer electronics bought online. The aforementioned vouchers are applicable on more than a dozen Galaxy devices, ranging from smartphones to wearables.

Samsung Student Program

The Samsung Student Program is described as a first-of-its-kind online student-specific storefront. It consists of a special catalogue of products offered at special prices, including smartphone, tablets, wearables, and accessories.

Students who may want to take advantage of the program can gain access to this unique online storefront by using their official college email ID or through validation by an authorized student credentials verification agency.

Samsung Shop 20K Advantage

Last but not least, the Samsung Shop 20K Advantage initiative rewards Samsung Shop App users willing to register their contact details through the app. These customers have an opportunity to unlock 10 shopping vouchers worth up to INR 20,000 ($267) each. The vouchers are valid for 365 days and can be used towards the purchase of various products including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and accessories, as well as home appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, and microwaves.

Through these new programs, Samsung India hopes that its online shop will become the shopping destination of choice in the country. Will you be taking advantage of them? Let us know below.

The post Samsung India launches three new reward programs to boost online sales appeared first on SamMobile.

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

Samsung will make 5G even cheaper in 2021 with the Galaxy A32 5G

As reported nearly a year ago, Samsung appears to have already made up its mind in regards to the naming scheme of its Galaxy A-series for 2021. The company had applied for trademarks on a variety of monikers including the Galaxy A32, and we have now learned from our friends over at GalaxyClub that Samsung intends to release a 5G version of the same budget device.

5G will become the new norm in terms of mobile connectivity, just like LTE has become ubiquitous over the years, so it’s only natural to expect Samsung to bring 5G in the hands of more customers next year. Samsung had already introduced 5G to non-flagship buyers with devices like the Galaxy A51 5G – check our review if you want to find out if it’s worth your hard-earned money – but next year the company will be even more aggressive in its approach to democratize this new technology. The Galaxy A32 5G could end up being the most affordable 5G Galaxy phone in 2021, followed by the Galaxy A42 5G.

Some Galaxy A32 5G camera details emerge

The same source had also shed some light on the Galaxy A32 5G’s camera configuration. It could include a 48-megapixel main camera that might be assisted by a 2MP depth sensor. The ongoing Galaxy A31 has a 48MP main shooter paired with a 5MP depth sensor, so at least as far as the pixel count goes, the Galaxy A32 5G might suffer from minor downgrades in the camera department.

However, it must be stressed that although the Galaxy A32 5G is very much certain to be released next year, its camera configuration remains subject to change. Either way, the Galaxy A32 5G will likely carry model number SM-A326 and could be launched in the first half of 2021.

The post Samsung will make 5G even cheaper in 2021 with the Galaxy A32 5G appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/39GxfSC
via IFTTT

Google might be offering Samsung billions to promote Assistant over Bixby

Samsung has made considerable improvements to its Bixby digital assistant over the past few years. However, most of its customers still avoid using Bixby. The company did try to push it hard initially. It equipped devices with a dedicated Bixby key that couldn’t even be remapped for the longest time.

Its more recent devices have dropped the hardware key but Bixby remains a permanent fixture. It exists alongside Google Assistant that’s baked into the Android OS. If ongoing talks between Google and Samsung work out, we might see Assistant being favoured over Bixby.

Samsung could potentially earn billions of dollars

Bloomberg reports that Samsung and Google are negotiating a major deal that would provide Google’s services with a more prominent role on Samsung’s smartphones. The talks revolve around providing Google with more control over the web search experience on Samsung smartphones globally. Priority is also being sought for the Assistant and the Play Store over Samsung’s Bixby and Galaxy Store, respectively.

Samsung has always maintained a parallel ecosystem of apps and services even when they overlap with Google’s offerings that are baked into Android. This ecosystem covers apps like web browsers and email clients, the Galaxy Store for apps and the Bixby assistant. It would require a lot of convincing and possibly monetary incentives for Samsung to start giving more prominent real estate to Google’s products.

Google obviously sees a lot of value in having such an agreement with Samsung. It’s the world’s largest mobile vendor, shipping close to 300 million devices across the globe every year. Google certainly stands to benefit a lot from this massive scale but Samsung won’t allow access to that for free.

While the report doesn’t mention the terms of a potential deal, it does highlight the fact that Google pays Apple billions of dollars every year so that it can remain the default search engine on the iPhone’s Safari browser.

Samsung may not have considered such a deal earlier but with mobile sales expected to decline as a consequence of the COVID19 pandemic, scaling back its services to prioritize what Google wants in exchange for a hefty chunk of money would certainly help boost its balance sheet.

What would a potential deal mean for the future of Bixby? Samsung would probably keep it around for the time being even if it decides to take Google up on its offer. A spokesperson for the company told the scribe that “Samsung remains committed to our own ecosystem and services,” and that “At the same time, Samsung closely works with Google and other partners to offer the best mobile experiences for our users.”

The post Google might be offering Samsung billions to promote Assistant over Bixby appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3091Apx
via IFTTT

Fresh Galaxy Buds Live renders offer a closer look at the wingtip design

Samsung’s upcoming wireless earbuds don’t hold many secrets after the recent wave of leaks, but new high-quality Galaxy Buds Live renders have now emerged on Twitter to offer one of the most complete sneak previews yet. The renders show the Galaxy Buds Live in Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze from literally every angle and offer a better look at the new wingtip design that was sketched out in Samsung’s leaked user manual.

Needless to say, the Galaxy Buds Live have a unique design, and with it comes a redesigned charging case. While the charging case for the Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds+ had a more pill-shaped exterior, the Galaxy Buds Live charging case has a squarer footprint. But as you can tell from the renders below, the basic principles remain the same, i.e., the earbuds recharge inside the case through pin connectors and the case features an LED indicator that glows red, yellow, or green depending on the charge level and other factors.

Is this a one-off design or an innovation? Time will tell

The earbuds have been referred to as the Galaxy Beans before, and for good reason. They are kidney-shaped and required a bit of ingenuity from Samsung’s part to make them fit all shapes and sizes. This is where the new wingtip design comes into play, but evidently, time will tell how comfortable they truly are or how effective they’ll be in making Active Noise Cancelling work as intended.

The Galaxy Buds Live will be officially unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked 2020 next week along with the Galaxy Watch 3, the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Tab S7 series’, as well as the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Until then, feel free to let us know your thoughts on this new earbud design from Samsung in the comment section below.

The post Fresh Galaxy Buds Live renders offer a closer look at the wingtip design appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/334JvuJ
via IFTTT

Leaked Galaxy Note 20/20 Ultra prices underline widening feature gap

The starting prices of the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra leaked mere moments ago, confirming Samsung opted for quite a passive-aggressive product strategy with its latest high-end smartphone series that doesn’t amount to an absolute cost increase. The company is still quite bold given how its raising the prices on the other end of the series while a global pandemic is still ravaging its sales in every price range.

More specifically, Galaxy Club reports that the Galaxy Note 20 will retail at €949, same as its direct predecessor, whereas the Galaxy Note 20 5G will start at €1,049 but can’t be directly compared to the 2019 handset preceding it. Finally, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will go for €1,299, a notable increase over the €1,099/€1,199 level of the Galaxy Note 10+.

Of course, the top model should lack an LTE-only configuration this time around, at least in Europe so it should realistically only be directly measured against the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G. This structure is almost identical to the one Samsung used for the Galaxy S20 line this spring, except that the bottom part of the range is €50 more expensive. Naturally, both figures are being reported in the context of the Netherlands, but the Benelux country has a pretty standard VAT rate of 21%, so these prices are likely in the ballpark of what can be expected from the rest of Europe.

Samsung continues to widen flagship feature gap

The reasoning behind this ambivalent approach to pricing likely comes down to the fact that Samsung can no longer afford to ignore growing criticism of its consistent yearly price hikes, especially seeing how that unpopular practice has lately been accompanied by incrementally smaller technological improvements, i.e. the only thing that could somewhat universally justify the costly trend. At the same time, enough people are obviously still buying the most expensive configurations of the ultimate luxury smartphones Samsung manages to deliver every year.

Well, enough to justify Samsung’s intent to continue testing the limits of consumer goodwill. This time around, the introductory price is identical to the Galaxy Note 10 range, but the base Galaxy Note 20 model will be at a much more significant disadvantage compared to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Making this quite a passive-aggressive move on Samsung’s part, particularly given the aforementioned uncertainty over how widely available the cheapest Galaxy Note 20 version will end up being.

The Galaxy Note 20 series is scheduled for an official announcement exactly a week from today – on Wednesday, August 5th.

Galaxy Note 20

• Model: SM-N980F
• Dimensions: Bar: x x mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

• Model: SM-N985F
• Dimensions: Bar: 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm
  
• Display: 6.9 inch / 175.26 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 108MP

More specifications

The post Leaked Galaxy Note 20/20 Ultra prices underline widening feature gap appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/308V3v5
via IFTTT

Google gaffe confirms Galaxy Tab S7, S7+ specs a week before launch

A premature developer specification released by Google mere moments ago essentially confirmed all major rumors regarding the Galaxy Tab S7 series’ specifications. Thanks to one or four early device compatibility listings, there’s no longer any doubt regarding what kind of Android tablets is Samsung planning to make official next week. More specifically, the tablet family will consist of two distinct models – an 11-inch Galaxy Tab S7 and 12.4-inch Galaxy Tab S7+ – both of which will be available in two secondary, not-as-easily-distinguishable variants.

In accordance with Samsung’s established product practices, the iterations of individual models will primarily differ in terms of mobile network support, or lack thereof.

Galaxy Tab S7 only missing a ‘Lite’ label

Comparing the two devices is a whole other story, however; the smaller Galaxy Tab S7 lags behind the Galaxy Tab S7+ in so many aspects that it’s about halfway between succeeding last year’s Galaxy Tab S6 and the much more recently released Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. Reportedly, it ditches an AMOLED panel for an inferior LCD alternative, though it fortunately retains a QHD+ resolution, not to mention one of the main selling points of its larger sibling – a 120Hz refresh rate. In other words, the Galaxy Tab S7 range may finally place Android tablets on par with iPads, at least as far as seamless UIs are concerned.

Both slates feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+, which is a 5G-ready chip, though its next-gen X55 modem will only be enabled on the Galaxy Tab S7+. Only the Galaxy Tab S7+ subseries is listed as sporting up to 8GB of RAM, whereas the smaller models will be capped at 6GB. The most affordable of the bunch will have 128GB of storage and support microSD cards up to 1TB. The Galaxy Tab S7 is somewhat more disappointing when it comes to battery capacity, but it remains to be seen how much worse it will perform than the Galaxy Tab S7+ in real-world scenarios.

The Galaxy Tab S7 series will launch exactly a week from now, with Samsung planning to formally unveil it at an online-only Galaxy Unpacked event. The happening, whose first official video teaser debuted this Monday, should also feature the announcement of the Galaxy Note 20 lineup.

Galaxy Tab S7

• Model: SM-T870
• Dimensions: Tablet: 253.8 x 165.4 x 6.34 mm
  
• Display: 11 inch / 279.4 mm Super AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 865+
• Camera: 5MP

More specifications

Galaxy Tab S7 Plus

• Model: SM-T970
• Dimensions: Tablet: 285 x 185 x 5.7 mm
  
• Display: 12.4 inch / 314.96 mm Super AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 865+
• Camera: 5MP

More specifications

The post Google gaffe confirms Galaxy Tab S7, S7+ specs a week before launch appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/33aZ6Jr
via IFTTT

More Galaxy Tab S7, Galaxy Tab S7+ press renders leak ahead of launch

The Galaxy Tab S7 and the Galaxy Tab S7+ are going to be Samsung’s next flagship tablets, and they’re going to be officially announced in the next few days. However, their design and features have been leaked in full. Now, some more press renders of the devices have appeared on the internet, showcasing some of their best features.

Noted leakster Evan Blass (@evleaks) published five new press renders of the Galaxy Tab S7 and the Galaxy Tab S7+ on his Twitter account. The images showcase the tablet lineup’s keyboard dock, S Pen, and the ability to stream Xbox games via Microsoft’s Project xCloud service. The ability to convert handwriting into text is also shown in one of the leaked images.

We had exclusively revealed four months ago that the Galaxy Tab S7 features an 11-inch screen, while the Galaxy Tab S7+ has a 12.4-inch display. The screens on both tablets have a 120Hz refresh rate. The smaller sibling will feature a capacitive fingerprint reader, while the larger tablet will sport an in-display fingerprint reader.  The S Pen is said to feature a latency of just 9ms, offering a real pen-like feel.

Both tablets will come equipped with the Snapdragon 865+ processor, 6GB RAM, 128GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot. Samsung has equipped both its upcoming high-end tablets with an 8MP selfie camera and a 13MP+5MP dual-camera setup at the rear. They also come with an AKG-tuned quad-speaker setup with stereo audio and Dolby Atmos.

Connectivity features of the tablets include A-GPS, dual-band Wi-Fi ax, Bluetooth 5.0, and USB Type-C port. Some variants of the tablets will come with LTE, while 5G connectivity is limited to select variants of the Galaxy Tab S7+. Other features include Wireless DeX, Air Gestures, 4K video recording, and console-quality gaming via Project xCloud.

Galaxy Tab S7

• Model: SM-T870
• Dimensions: Tablet: 253.8 x 165.4 x 6.34 mm
  
• Display: 11 inch / 279.4 mm Super AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 865+
• Camera: 5MP

More specifications

Galaxy Tab S7 Plus

• Model: SM-T970
• Dimensions: Tablet: 285 x 185 x 5.7 mm
  
• Display: 12.4 inch / 314.96 mm Super AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 865+
• Camera: 5MP

More specifications

The post More Galaxy Tab S7, Galaxy Tab S7+ press renders leak ahead of launch appeared first on SamMobile.

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