Android’s Nearby Share feature starts rolling out to Galaxy devices

Google has officially started rolling out the Nearby Share feature to some Android devices, including Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones and tablets. It is the successor to Android Beam and is quite similar to Samsung’s own Quick Share feature and Apple’s AirDrop feature. It will be available on Android devices from other brands soon.

Using Nearby Share, you will be able to share images, videos, documents, links, tweets, and much more with compatible devices nearby. The feature, which appears in Android’s share menu, needs Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to work. The Nearby Share feature is compatible with almost all devices running Android 6.0 or newer. Samsung’s Chromebooks will receive this feature as well.

Google started testing this feature in June 2020 and then started rolling it out to devices starting last month. However, it had a bit of a hiccup, but it should be rolling out to millions of smartphones and tablets over the next few weeks. It will automatically become available through a Google Play Service update in the background, so you don’t need to install any additional app or firmware update.

You can set your preferred visibility of Nearby Share to all, some, or stay hidden. This privacy feature will help you in avoiding obscene or unwanted files. Google says that it will try to bring Nearby Share to other platforms, including iOS, Mac, and Windows, in the future.

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Samsung could sell 500,000 units of Galaxy Z Fold 2 this year

The Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event hasn’t even started yet, but almost all the devices that are meant to be officially unveiled during the event have been fully leaked. Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Buds Live, and the Galaxy Watch 3 during its virtual launch event. Now, it is being reported that the South Korean firm could sell more Galaxy Z Fold 2 units than the original Galaxy Fold.

According to a new report from market tracker firm Counterpoint Research, Samsung could sell as many as 500,000 units of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 by the end of 2020. If the company manages to sell these many units of its new foldable smartphone, it would be a 100,000-unit jump from the Galaxy Fold from last year. The Galaxy Fold launch was delayed to September 2019, and it was eventually sold in 60 countries by the end of last year.

The South Korean firm had faced supply issues related to the screens and hinges last year, but it may not face similar issues this year. It means a steady supply chain and probably higher sales. The upcoming foldable phone is also expected to feature a sturdier body, larger outer and inner screens, faster processor, and better cameras. All of these factors could lead to higher sales of the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

Counterpoint Research also mentioned that it expects the Galaxy Note 20 to sell lower than the Galaxy Note 10. The market research firm said that Samsung could sell 8.5 million units of the Galaxy Note 20 series phones this year, which would be 500,000 units lower than the Galaxy Note 10 series in its debut year. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, 30 percent of consumers are expected to spend lower on their phones this year.

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Samsung brings Galaxy A51 5G to the US this week

Four months ago, Samsung had announced that it will launch its Galaxy A series 5G smartphones in the US. In June, the company launched the Galaxy A71 5G in the country, and now, it has announced that the Galaxy A51 5G will be available in the US later this week.

The Galaxy A51 5G will be available in the US for $499.99. It can be purchased via Samsung and T-Mobile from August 7. Verizon will start selling the Galaxy A51 5G UW, which supports the carrier’s mmWave 5G network, from August 13. It will also be available through Metro, but the company has not revealed any release date yet. The mid-range 5G smartphone will be available in three colors: Prism Cube Black, Prism Cube White, Prism Cube Pink.

Galaxy A51 5G specs

The South Korean smartphone giant’s new 5G smartphone sports a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display with Full HD+ resolution and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The phone runs Android 10 with One UI 2, and it comes equipped with the Exynos 980 processor (Snapdragon 765G in the Galaxy A51 5G UW), 6GB/8GB RAM, 128GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot.

The Galaxy A51 5G specs include a 32MP selfie camera on the front and a 48MP+12MP+5MP+5MP quad-camera setup on the rear. The 48MP sensor acts as the primary camera, while the 12MP sensor sits behind an ultrawide-angle lens. The two 5MP sensors are used for depth sensing and macro shots. The phone can record 4K videos as well.

In terms of connectivity, the upcoming mid-range smartphone features A-GPS, 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, a USB Type-C port, and a headphone jack. The Galaxy A51 5G is powered by a 4,500mAh battery and supports 15W fast charging. It also features an under-display optical fingerprint reader. If you want an even larger screen, you can have a look at the Galaxy A71 5G, which is priced at $599.99.

Galaxy A51 5G Review

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The one Galaxy Note 20 ‘downgrade’ I hope is real (it probably is)

The regular Galaxy Note 20, as the rumors have shown, will not make people happy. Except for the camera setup, the Galaxy Note 20 won’t have a lot of meaningful upgrades over the Galaxy Note 10. The Note 20 is expected to miss out on a 120Hz display and microSD slot and it’s even going to have an older version of Gorilla Glass protecting its screen.

That’s not all: While the Galaxy Note 10 used Gorilla Glass 6 on the back, the Galaxy Note 20 is said to be equipped with plastic, which is something we haven’t seen on a flagship Galaxy smartphone for a long, long time. But while I feel the Galaxy Note 20’s rumored asking price is a bit too much considering all the things it doesn’t have, I’m glad that plastic has made a comeback (no pun intended) to Samsung’s high-end phones.

Yes, I say high-end because the Galaxy Note 20 just doesn’t feel like a proper flagship – it’s got some specs that are poorer than even the base Galaxy S20 model. Still, I love that one of the ways Samsung has cut costs is switching to plastic for the rear panel.

Plastic’s not as premium as glass, but it doesn’t shatter upon impact

Glass backs are great for adding a premium feel to phones, but plastic backs are infinitely less worrisome to live with. The reason is simple: Plastic backs don’t crack if your phone falls to the ground without a case on. One already lives in constant fear of breaking their phone’s display, and a glass back makes things even worse, necessitating a case if you aren’t one of those ultra-careful people who never, ever drop their phones.

I’m not exactly careless, but there have been times when my phone has slipped out of my grasp, and the thought of having to spend money on getting the glass on the phone repaired means I always use flagship phones with a case. I don’t do that with mid-range and budget phones that I often use in order to review them, and it’s precisely because those tend to always have plastic rear panels.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Samsung will start using plastic for all of its flagship phones. Maybe the cheapest model in next year’s Galaxy S lineup and the Note 20’s successor, but otherwise, glass is most likely going to be Samsung’s material of choice for its top-of-the-line phones for the foreseeable future. And that means I won’t actually be getting any relief from phones covered by glass on both sides, because I don’t see myself ever buying the non-Plus or non-Ultra variant of any Galaxy flagship.

What do you think? Would you be okay with paying upwards of $900-1000 for a phone with a plastic back, or do you prefer the more premium feel that you get with glass? Let me know down in the comments!

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Take a look at Samsung’s upcoming convertible fast wireless charger

If an insane number of phones, tablets, and wearable devices wasn’t enough, Samsung is apparently preparing to introduce some new accessories as well in the near future. One of them, a convertible version of the 15W fast wireless charger stand Samsung launched last year, has now been leaked by @RolandQuandt, who released images of the new wireless charger showing it from every angle in addition to its retail box.

This particular charger — model number EP-N3300 — has a kickstand at the back so it can be used horizontally or vertically for increased convenience, but it’s a downgrade when it comes to the charging speed. Called Wireless Charger Convertible, the new charger will charge devices at 9W. That’s still technically ‘fast’ wireless charging, but it’s going to be slow compared to the existing charger. It seems to be yet another example of Samsung bringing products that feel more like sidegrades than upgrades, though the company will likely continue to sell both variants for some time.

The pricing for the Wireless Charger Convertible hasn’t been revealed, but that should change soon. The new charger is said to be launching alongside the Galaxy Note 20 series, so we can expect it to go on sale in late August. However, as is often the case with Samsung’s accessories, it’s possible you won’t be able to buy the Wireless Charger Convertible in every market, at least not initially.

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August 2020 security update hits unlocked Galaxy S20 models in the U.S.

The August 2020 Android security update reached the Snapdragon variants of the Galaxy S20-series devices in the United States, with Samsung’s first deployment wave beginning just yesterday. Naturally, this over-the-air release only concerns unlocked members of the flagship family, i.e. those identified by model numbers SM-G980U1, SM-G985U1, and SM-G988U1 which denote the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra, respectively.

Identified by build number G98xU1UES1ATG3, the said software upgrade contains nothing beyond the newest security patches. As for those, it was actually only moments ago that Samsung detailed its August 2020 maintenance update for One UI smartphones and tablets.

Newest software patch gradually reaching Galaxy S20 models

In any case, Samsung appears to be on top of its software support game seeing how this OTA release comes hot on the heels of the August security update’s international debut targeting Galaxy S20 devices that leverage the company’s own Exynos 990 chip.

As per usual, owners of eligible smartphones can expect the new security patch to be up and running on their devices in a matter of days, assuming that isn’t already the case. That is, if they weren’t among the lucky ones encompassed by the initial rollout which happened overnight. You’re always free to attempt speeding things up through the Settings app, i.e. its Software update section found near the bottom of the main menu that allows you to attempt initiating a manual installation. If all else fails and you’re confident in your technological savviness, SamMobile‘s firmware archives will has fullsfull images for all eligible Galaxy S20 units available for download.

Galaxy S20 5G

• Model: SM-G981U1
• Dimensions: Bar: 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.2 inch / 157.48 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Snapdragon 865
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S20+ 5G

• Model: SM-G986U1
• Dimensions: Bar: 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Snapdragon 865
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

• Model: SM-G988U1
• Dimensions: Bar: 166.9 x 76.0 x 8.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.9 inch / 175.26 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Snapdragon 865
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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Samsung monthly updates: August 2020 security patch details released

Samsung has been rolling out a new security patch level — dated August 1st — to its Android devices for several days already, and the Korean giant finally got around to detailing the actual contents of the over-the-air release. The company hence revealed this month’s set of fixes addresses no fewer than two critical Android OS vulnerabilities, as well as over two dozen software flaws rated as high-priority risks.

As always, Samsung’s newest maintenance update combines the company’s One UI security patches – 39 of those in total, to be exact – with general Android security improvements from Google. Since not all of those fixes are hardware-agnostic, the actual download size of this month’s update will depend on the exact smartphone or tablet you’re using.

From USB exploits to Galaxy S20 bootloader vulnerabilities

Regarding non-critical vulnerabilities, Samsung disclosed this newest security release eliminates a minor data leak risk associated with a USB driver exploit affecting all still-supported code bases, going as far back as Android 8.0 Oreo. The patch also plugs an NFC chip-shaped hole in the Galaxy S20 series’ bootloaders which posed a potential threat to device performance and stability – on account of providing a reliable method for corrupting device functionality on a kernel level – but wasn’t an immediate security risk.

The August security update for contemporary Samsung devices is already available on a limited number of smartphones. In accordance with its established software support practices, Samsung’s deployment efforts are currently prioritizing the company’s mainstream flagships, including the recently released Galaxy S20 series, as well as some popular mid-range phones like the Galaxy A50.

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Galaxy Z Fold 2 leaks in full high-resolution glory ahead of launch

Yet another handful of Galaxy Z Fold 2 press renders appeared online today, providing us with one final look at Samsung’s next foldable smartphone ahead of its official announcement taking place tomorrow, August 5th. And what a look that is, indeed: the high-resolution images featured herein come from well-known industry insider Evan Blass, aka @evleaks, aka the person who already leaked pretty much the entirety of this week’s Galaxy Unpacked event.

Combined with some other extensive reporting efforts, including our own, we have a pretty good idea about what to expect from tomorrow’s online-only happening.

No folding back

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will share the spotlight with the Galaxy Note 20 range – arguably tomorrow’s main act – and the Galaxy Tab S7 lineup. On the wearable front, Samsung is expected to officially announce the Galaxy Watch 3 family, as well as the Galaxy Buds Live wireless earbuds. The company’s even sitting on a potential wild card in the form of the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition 5G, but it’s still dubious whether that particular device ends up making an appearance tomorrow.

Then again, it’s not like Samsung will be holding back this time around seeing how the next Galaxy Unpacked event is essentially its all-in moment as far as the second half of the year is concerned. And given everything that 2020 has been throwing at it so far, Samsung really needs a win or two. That’s precisely what the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is expected to deliver, being a remarkably improved version of last year’s Galaxy Fold. Of course, that’s irrespective of Samsung losing the plot in the product naming department with yet another ludicrous moniker.

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