Leaked Galaxy Z Fold 2 cases show no front protection

Samsung showcased the Galaxy Z Fold 2 during its Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event, but it didn’t detail the phone’s specifications or reveal information about its official accessories. Now, two first-party cases meant for the second-generation Galaxy Fold 2 device have been leaked.

The Aramid Standing Cover and the Leather Cover for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 have been listed on Samsung Bulgaria’s website. The Aramid Standing Cover seems to be available in just one color: black. The Leather Cover will be available in three colors: black, brown, and green. None of these cases offer protection for the front part of the foldable phone, leaving it open to damage. This is something buyers would need to be aware of.

The South Korean firm has included a kickstand in the Aramid Standing Cover for the Galaxy Z Fold 2, allowing the device to be set on a table to watch videos or for video calling. The kickstand can be used in both folded and unfolded modes of the phone. Thanks to the Galaxy Z Fold 2’s large screen (in unfolded mode), it can double up as an excellent device for watching movies, TV shows, and other videos.

The Leather Cover features an inside lining made using microfiber material, but it lacks the kickstand that’s offered with the Aramid Standing Cover accessory.

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Samsung reportedly developing mmWave 5G small cells for Verizon

Samsung has been expanding its 5G network equipment business after Huawei was excluded by various countries from participating in the deployment of 5G networks. The South Korean firm has already deployed 5G networks for carriers in Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the US, and other countries. Now, it is being reported that Samsung is developing 5G small cell devices for Verizon.

The company’s 5G small cells use Qualcomm’s chipsets. Verizon’s 5G small cell base stations can be installed by customers at their homes or offices for a faster and more reliable 5G network and increased coverage. The small cells are based on the 28GHz mmWave 5G technology.

Previously, Samsung made 4G LTE-based small cells for the US-based carrier since 2016, and they featured Intel’s LTE chipsets. The company’s 4G small cell is available from Verizon’s website for $249.99, and it is about the size of a tablet PC and weighs around 500g. Those who install such small cells in their homes don’t need to run any cables other than the ethernet cable.

Since the South Korean firm didn’t have any incentive to use its own chipset in 5G small cells that are made for Verizon, the company reportedly decided to use Qualcomm’s chips. Samsung and Qualcomm have been collaborating on the product since 2018. Verizon has received criticism for its mmWave-based 5G network’s performance and low coverage in the US.

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Galaxy A Quantum gets new banking app that uses quantum security chip

The Galaxy A Quantum was launched in South Korea three months ago as an SK Telecom exclusive device. It is a variant of the Galaxy A71 5G with an added quantum security chipset for added security layer. Now, the carrier has announced that the phone’s 5G quantum cryptography technology is currently being used in a new banking app.

The IM Bank app, which has been developed by DGB Daegu Bank, uses the Galaxy A Quantum’s QRNG (Quantum Random Number Generator) security chip for an added layer of security. It is the world’s first banking service to use a quantum-powered service on a smartphone, and it makes mobile transactions even more secure. The user’s personal information will be protected while making transactions through the IM Bank app using OTPs (one-time passwords) or when they open new accounts via identity verification.

The SKT IDQ S2Q00 is a quantum random number generator chip that has been co-developed by Switzerland-based ID Quantique and SK Telecom. It uses an LED and a CMOS sensor to create truly unpredictable random numbers. Based on those random numbers, the IM Bank app’s OTPs and identity verification information is encrypted. DGB Daegu Bank’s other services are being explored for the use of the QRNG chip.

Han Myung-jin, Vice President and Head of MNO Marketing Group of SK Telecom, said, “Released in May 2020, the Galaxy A Quantum, the world’s first smartphone equipped with quantum random number generator, has been drawing global attention. Going forward, we will continue to build a safer and more secure society by applying our world’s best quantum cryptography technologies to other areas, including finance and Internet of Things.”

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Exclusive: Is this the first sign of a budget Samsung foldable phone?

Samsung is going to release its third foldable smartphone next month but none of the devices that it has released so far can be categorized as “budget.” The lowest you can pay for one of its foldable smartphones right now is $1,380. Then again, the clamshell Galaxy Z Flip does have high-end specs and the world’s first ultra-thin glass display.

Budget foldable smartphones are obviously the dream and at some point in the future, there might come a day when this dream becomes a reality. However, there are already some whispers about a potential budget foldable phone. If priced below $1,000, such a device would be relatively cheaper than the cheapest foldable right now which costs as much as a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Samsung’s budget foldable could be a clamshell

We are hearing that Samsung has a new device in the pipeline and it might be a foldable smartphone. It bears model number SM-F415. Those of you who keep an eye on Samsung model numbers would already know that the “F” is what Samsung has been using for its Galaxy Z series handsets. It has used the SM-F900, SM-F700 and SM-F916 model numbers for the Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold 2 respectively.

Details are extremely limited at this time but we’re told that it’s going to be available with 64/128GB storage options and in black, green and blue colors. We can’t throw our weight behind the source of this information just yet as even though all of this sounds plausible, the evidence is largely circumstantial at best.

It’s no secret that Samsung plans on releasing more foldable smartphones in the future and it wouldn’t be surprising if a budget handset is on the cards as well. A budget clamshell foldable could be possible since it wouldn’t need a big cover display as the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Samsung could also go with mid-range specs to further trim the price. The foldable display and the hinge will be expensive components nonetheless as a compromise on durability will simply not fly.

Bringing the price down will enable more customers to take a chance on foldable phones. There may be many potential customers for this device if it’s priced between $600-700, for example. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. We’ll keep our ear to the ground for this device, hopefully it’s going to end up seeing the light of day.

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Google Play Movies now offer HDR10+ goodness on Samsung TVs

Google Play Movies is the latest Samsung TV app that’s adding support for the HDR10+ standard as of today, with the feature already being live in 117 countries the world over. By all accounts, this addition appears to be encompassing virtually every market in which Samsung is selling its smart television sets at all, which is a pleasant surprise considering how disinterested Google can act toward Europe when it comes to new service launches or major platform upgrades. In any case, if you own a contemporary Samsung TV with HDR10+ support, there’s a good chance the Google Play Movies app already updated itself earlier today.

Today’s development comes shortly after Google Play Movies started adding HDR10+ support to various versions of its smart TV app.

Another major milestone for HDR10+

Samsung co-developed HDR10+ in collaboration with Panasonic and 20th Century Fox as an open-source and royalty-free standard for encoding and decoding HDR content. The endeavor took several years but was deemed necessary in light of the fact the only other high-end standard on the market – Dolby Vision – is a paid technology that can hence never be truly ubiquitous. With standardized next-gen HDR support out of the way, content taking full advantage of modern TV displays is steadily increasing in volume.

Google Play Movies is  far from the first major on-demand video platform offering 4K HDR10+ content to Samsung TV owners. Amazon’s Prime Video has been doing the same for a while now and was the first to embrace Samsung’s standard way back in late 2017. With most major distribution platforms already on board with HDR10+, Samsung is now steadily turning its focus in the space toward more direct content partnerships.

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The Snapdragon vs Exynos Galaxy Note 20 benchmark results you expect

Anyone with an internet connection and an interest in mobile technology must be aware of the whole Exynos vs Snapdragon debate that’s been going on for a fairly long time. The gist of it is that Samsung flagship phones powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon solution are performing better than the same flagships powered by Samsung’s in-house Exynos silicon. This whole debate has been going on for years but it turned into a fiasco this year when the gap between the Snapdragon 865 and Exynos 990 chipsets widened.

As many of SamMobile’s readers know, our team members live in Exynos regions so our reviews generally reflect the performance of Exynos-powered devices and we don’t always have an easy way to compare these phones with their Snapdragon-powered counterparts first-hand. But today we got a taste of how the Snapdragon 865+ and Exynos-powered Galaxy Note 20 variants perform side-by-side when running the independent benchmark Speed Test G, courtesy of the YouTube channel with the same name.

Spoiler alert: Qualcomm wins this race by far

You can check the full video below to see how these two Galaxy Note 20 models perform, but in short, the Exynos 990 model has a head start for a few seconds after which it falls behind and never recovers. The difference in 3D graphics performance between the two models is also quite jarring. In the end, the Galaxy Note 20 variant powered by the Snapdragon 865+ chipset completed the test in 1 minute and 22 seconds, whereas the Exynos model performed the same tasks in 1 minute and 50 seconds.

Keep in mind that this is a synthetic benchmark and it might not reflect real-world performance with complete accuracy. Either way, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra should yield similar results in case you’re wondering, since it’s powered by the same chipsets as the base model.

Galaxy Note 20

• Model: SM-N980F
• Dimensions: Bar: 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Super AMOLED Plus
• 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

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Amazon makes a better-than-Samsung trade-in offer for Galaxy Note 20

Amazon USA has just made Samsung’s trade-in program a lot better than it was, at least as far as the Galaxy Note 20 series and the Galaxy Z Flip are concerned. You can now get up to $700 in credit after buying the new Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, or Galaxy Z Flip from Amazon and trading in your older device with Samsung. The company’s e-shop offers up to $650 trade-in value at most, but Amazon’s offer is simply better thanks to more than just those extra 50 bucks in credit.

This is because Amazon’s trade-in program increases the trade-in value for older phones by up to $155. For example, trading in a Galaxy S7 when buying the Galaxy Note 20 or Galaxy Z Flip directly from Samsung USA will earn you $45 credit, but Amazon’s latest offer is putting a max trade-in value of $200 on the same four-year-old device.

Amazon credit is better than Samsung credit

Adding to this improved trade-in deal is the fact that the trade-in credit offered by Samsung can only be used when buying Samsung products from the company’s online store, while the trade-in credit offered by Amazon can be spent on any products that you will find on Amazon.

To take advantage of this offer, you need to buy one of the two Galaxy Note 20 flagships or the Galaxy Z Flip through Amazon, then visit the following link to Samsung’s trade-in page and enter your Amazon order number and other details. Your Amazon credit will be added to your account after you successfully ship your trade-in device to Samsung.

Have you already pre-ordered the Galaxy Note 20 in the USA? If not, are you going to take advantage of this Amazon deal? Will you be buying the Galaxy Note 20, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, or the Galaxy Z Flip? Leave a comment below.

Galaxy Note 20 5G

• Model: SM-N981U1
• Dimensions: Bar: 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Super AMOLED Plus
• CPU: Snapdragon 865+
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G

• Model: SM-N986U1
• Dimensions: Bar: 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm
  
• Display: 6.9 inch / 175.26 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Snapdragon 865+
• Camera: 108MP

More specifications

Galaxy Z Flip

• Model: SM-F700U1
• Dimensions: Folded: 87.4 x 73.6 x 17.3 mm
  Unfolded: 167.3 x 73.6 x 7.2 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 855+
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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Samsung steps off smartwatch podium in H1 2020 but could regain it in H2

It appears that Samsung has lost some ground in the race for smartwatch supremacy over the first half of 2020. The company’s global smartwatch shipment revenue share dropped from 9.3% in H1 2019 to 7.2% in H1 2020, and Samsung was outperformed by Apple, Garmin, and Huawei, the latter two of which have pushed the Korean tech giant off the podium. Samsung had the second-largest smartwatch shipment revenue share a year ago, but the company is now on fourth place.

Samsung’s relatively poor performance can’t really be blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic, as unlike the smartphone market, the smartwatch segment has been growing even in these uncertain economic times. The wearable market is sort of booming right now, as consumers are more health conscious than ever before. This has led to a surge in demand for smartwatches by 57%, 9%, and 5% year-on-year in India, Europe, and the USA, respectively.

The Galaxy Watch 3 could turn the tables

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is a great smartwatch, as reflected in our review nearly a year ago, but Samsung’s sleek wearable was sadly outperformed in terms of global shipment volumes by products from both Apple and Huawei. According to Counterpoint Research, the first and second best-selling smartwatch models in H1 2020 were the Apple Watch Series 5 and Series 3, respectively. The third place was secured by the Huawei Watch GT2, and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 fell on fourth place.

Although the first half of the year wasn’t very positive for Samsung’s smartwatch business, market watchers speculate that the brand-new Galaxy Watch 3 could turn the tables in Samsung’s favor in the second half of the year. The Galaxy Watch 3 is a bit too expensive but it has a lot going on for itself so people might be compelled to buy it.

Galaxy Watch 3 review

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You can download the first Galaxy Z Fold 2 firmware update pre-launch

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 was first unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked 2020 but the hybrid phone didn’t get much time in the limelight because Samsung is planning a more focused launch event for the device on September 1. The company is taking this time to make any necessary tweaks pre-release, and much like the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Tab S7 series before it, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has already gotten its first firmware update ahead of the official market release.

The update should iron out any kinks that might exist in the software before release, but we don’t yet have an official changelog. In any case, the first official firmware update for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 carries version F916BXXU1ATHE and availability includes Baltic, Nordic, Southeastern and Western European countries. The update in these regions should be available for you OTA as soon as you unbox the Galaxy Z Fold 2, but if you’re waiting for the foldable device to be shipped to your doorstep and you’re looking for a head start, you can already download the firmware from the SamMobile archives.

Of course, you won’t be able to put the firmware to practical use without having the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in your hands, but the firmware is available for download if you want to have it ready before the phone ships out. Or you can simply refer to the archive link above to check if your country made the list for the first Galaxy Z Fold 2 firmware release.

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100+ Galaxy Note 20 Ultra owners report day-one camera defects

Dozens of day-one buyers of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra took to Samsung’s forums to report several distinctive camera defects with their devices. The consistency of the reports, as well as the circumstantial evidence accompanying them, indicate Samsung may have a bad batch on its hands. As of Thursday morning CET, there have been over a hundred reports of visible camera module gaps on the back of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and some early adopters even spotted dust particles and codnensation droplets appearing on the wrong side of the smartphone’s rear glass panel covering its triple-camera setup.

Both issues could point to wrongly assembled devices, but Samsung has yet to admit to any widespread issues with the first Galaxy Note 20 Ultra batch. In a statement provided to local media in South Korea, a company official said minor water condensation effects, by themselves, aren’t evidence of a manufacturing defect and shouldn’t impact functionality. With that said, Samsung is currently reviewing the reports, but if you aren’t keen on waiting, you can always have a chat with one of its customer reps to figure out if you’re eligible for a proactive warranty replacement.

These things happen, and not all known issues are global

No mass-produced device is immune to manufacturing issues, and there’s fortunately no indication that the aforementioned problems gained any traction outside of Samsung’s home country.

While the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and the regular Galaxy Note 20 have been shipping to customers who pre-ordered them for some time now, the series’ official global release is scheduled for tomorrow, August 21st. Initial reports suggest the pre-booking period was decent enough, and Samsung is still expecting the newly debuted range will provide a significant boost to its annual device sales which after a disappointing second quarter.

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Galaxy S21+/S30+ battery capacity revealed in super early leak

The Galaxy S21/S30 series may be months away from any possibility of an announcement, but new info regarding Samsung’s 2021 flagships continues to surface. GalaxyClub just spotted a new Samsung battery that appears to be destined for the Galaxy S30+, S21+, or however the direct sequel to this year’s Galaxy S20+ ends up being called. The cell’s designation – “EB-BG996ABY” – strongly suggests the Galaxy S21+ will carry the model number SM-G996, with the component also revealing its rated capacity – 4,660mAh.

For added context, the Galaxy S20+ has a rated battery capacity of 4,370mAh, which translates to a typical capacity of 4,500mAh. Assuming Samsung manages to maintain its production efficiency, this should once again result in a roughly 3% increase in typical capacity, or 4,800mAh.

The rest of the Galaxy S21 series likely to follow suit

Samsung achieved a similar capacity increase this year, as well, with the Galaxy S20+ offering a 400mAh improvement in both rated and typical capacity over the Galaxy S10+ (4,000/4,100mAh). Naturally, it’s unlikely the middle model will be the only one to offer such an upgrade, not to mention that a higher capacity doesn’t guarantee longer battery life, especially as smartphones are still getting bigger every year.

The next generation of Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphones is expected to launch early next year, most likely in February, as is customary for the company’s mainline flagships. More details on the devices are bound to follow shortly as the Galaxy S21 range is presumably only a couple of months ahead of its first prototype production run.

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