Samsung to spend $34.1 million on 31 research projects

Samsung announced earlier today that it would spend more than $34 million on 31 research projects. These projects are spread across basic sciences, communications, IT, and material sciences. The South Korean tech giant confirmed the projects that it has finalized for the second half of 2020.

The research projects chosen by Samsung include the ones that work on cell therapy, human taste receptors, and walking robots. In 2013, the South Korean firm endowed total funding of $1.3 billion for local scientists working on futuristic technologies. Until now, the company has granted close to $700 million to 634 projects in public research institutes and universities.

Under the 15 basic science projects finalized to receive grants from Samsung in H2 2020, five projects are related to mathematics, four projects are related to life science, four are chemistry projects, and two are physics projects.

In the field of Information and Communication Technology, the company chose 9 projects, including robot control and next-generation retinal disease diagnosis equipment. Seven projects related to the medical field were shortlisted.

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Samsung AI Forum 2020 to be hosted online next month

Samsung has announced that it will conduct the fourth iteration of its annual AI (Artificial Intelligence) Forum next month. SAIF 2020 will be conducted online on November 2 and November 3, and people can watch the live streaming video feed of its event online via YouTube. Amid the pandemic, experts will share their insights on future technologies related to human-like algorithms.

The first day of the event will be conducted by SAIT (Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology) to showcase AI technologies that can change the real world. Kim Ki-Nam, CEO and head of Samsung Device Solutions, will deliver the opening keynote on November 2. The next day, Samsung Research will conduct the event under the ‘Human-Centered AI’ theme. The company will also give away the ‘Samsung AI Researcher of the Year’ award to encourage young AI scientists (under the age of 35). The winner will get a grant of $30,000 and a chance to deliver a presentation at the forum.

Samsung Research Director Seung Hyun-Jun said, “We hope that this AI forum will be a place to understand the future direction of AI technology development and how to apply it, and we hope that many people interested in AI will be able to participate this year as it will be an online event.” Last year, the company showcased powerful on-device AI translation during SAIF 2019.

You can view the complete schedule and the list of keynote speakers in the images below.

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Samsung to start production of TVs in India from December

Samsung has reportedly told the Indian government that it will start manufacturing TVs locally from December 2020. Until then, the company is seeking approval to import TVs to India to ensure business continuity is not impacted, especially during the country’s upcoming festive season.

The South Korean firm used to import display panels to India and assemble TVs at its Chennai plant. However, the Indian government had imposed import duties on open-cell display panels for TVs in 2018, and Samsung had to shut down its Chennai TV plant. The company then started importing TVs from Vietnam through the free trade agreement at zero import duties. In July 2020, India put TVs on the restricted list of imports for the first time in 20 years to encourage local manufacturing.

If any brand wants to import TVs to India, it has to get approval from the government. The Indian government has not issued a permit to import TVs to any brand since July 2020, and Samsung’s TV sets are stuck in customs. In a letter written on September 28 to India’s IT and Electronics minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Samsung Electronics said it is important to maintain current threshold volumes for setting up the domestic TV manufacturing facility. The letter also mentioned that the current import restrictions are against the ethos of doing business.

Samsung said it would restart its Chennai TV plant where the line is already present, but it needs to upgrade the equipment and workforce. The South Korean TV giant will continue to import 75-inch and larger TVs as they make up for a minuscule part of its sales. The company said in its letter that its local TV manufacturing plant would drastically reduce the import dependency in the segment. Samsung has been manufacturing some of its TVs locally in India through a partnership with Dixon Technologies.

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One UI 2.5 update is rolling out for T-Mobile’s Galaxy S10 series in USA

T-Mobile is now rolling out the One UI 2.5 firmware update for the Galaxy S10 series in the USA. One UI 2.5 was first released on the 2019 flagship lineup in early September after it debuted alongside the Galaxy Note 20 series. The highly anticipated update is now reaching the trio of flagships in the USA and the package weighs around 1GB.

The firmware update is available in the USA for T-Mobile’s Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+ and it’s identified by version G97xUSQU4ETH7. It carries the September 2020 security patch as opposed to the newer October patch but the highlight of this release is undeniably One UI 2.5.

Introducing Pro Video mode, wireless DeX, and more

Samsung’s new One UI version introduces a wide variety of new features and improvements such as wireless DeX support, Always On Display Bitmoji stickers, new Samsung Keyboard features, an SOS feature for Messages, Pro Video mode for the Camera, and better Wi-Fi monitoring and managing tools among others.

T-Mobile customers who own a Galaxy S10 model should be able to download the latest firmware update either by tapping the notification once it arrives or by opening Settings on the phone, accessing Software update and tapping Download and install. Alternatively, you can refer to our firmware archive for the Galaxy S10e, the Galaxy S10, and/or the Galaxy S10+, download the latest update on a Windows computer and install it on your phone manually.

Thanks, Tom!

Galaxy S10e

• Model: SM-G970U
• Dimensions: Bar: 142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 5.8 inch / 147.32 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 855
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S10

• Model: SM-G973U
• Dimensions: Bar: 149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.1 inch / 162.5 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 855
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S10+

• Model: SM-G975U
• Dimensions: Bar: 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.4 inch / 162.5 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 855
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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Samsung’s TV business in the USA over the past year was unbeatable

Samsung’s TV business has been quite successful in the era of social distancing and working from home. The company had topped an all-time high global market share earlier this year and Samsung’s position in the US market is now stronger than it’s ever been. According to a new report by Pulse citing market research firm Statista, Samsung took the lion’s share of the smart TV market in the USA and has distanced itself even further from its closest rival over the past 12 months.

After dominating the smart TV market for the past year, Samsung Electronics now holds 32% US market share and remains the top OEM in the region. This essentially means that one out of every three smart TVs sold in the USA over the past 12 months was made by Samsung.

The company distanced itself from the second most-influential TV maker in the USA, TCL, by an additional 1%. TCL is selling TVs under the Alcatel brand and it’s the second-largest TV maker in the USA with a 14% share. Vizio occupies third place with 13% market share.

Samsung’s expansive product ecosystem and promotions are hard to beat

Part of Samsung’s success in the US TV landscape is owed to the company’s rich product portfolio. You can buy a 32-inch 4K QLED Samsung TV in the USA for around $500 or you can get the dust and water resistant The Terrace for outdoor viewing in exchange for around $6,500. In other words, the company has a smart TV for almost everyone and every occasion, and no other OEM’s portfolio comes even close to Samsung’s.

Samsung also has the advantage of an all-encompassing ecosystem and customers can sometimes take advantage of discounts on TVs when buying products from other categories, such as smartphones. Last month the company launched the Total Home Event in the USA, allowing customers to get 25% cash back on select products including QLED TVs.

There’s no indication of Samsung’s TV business slowing down in the USA anytime soon and if the company maintains its momentum then it could increase its share even further in the upcoming quarters. Do you own a Samsung smart TV in the USA? How’s your experience been so far? Let us know in the comment section.

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Disappointed Samsung delays key Galaxy S21 feature until Z Fold 3

What was meant to be the defining feature of the Galaxy S21 series will end up boosting the already ultra-premium Galaxy Z Fold 3, according to a new report out of Samsung’s home country. Korean sources claim the unprecedented under-display camera (UDC) tech Samsung has been developing for years by now still isn’t production-ready. I.e. it won’t be ready for flow manufacturing by early January, which is when Samsung is expected to begin churning out its next flagships at the latest.

Despite extensive testing and optimization most recently conducted as part of its Galaxy S21 R&D efforts, the so-called “Hole In Active Area” (HIAA) display drilling techniques still aren’t up to the task at hand, at least not in the sense that they’re ready to revolutionize Samsung Display’s OLED lines. Samsung is said to have mulled over two variations of the laser drilling method – a single-hole punch and one achieved using multiple micro incisions. It ultimately tried its luck with the latter but ended up giving up on trying to make it work in time for the Galaxy S21 lineup’s launch in February.

An impossible smartphone design four years in the making

Furthermore, the company still hasn’t even finalized the actual sensor-lens combo meant to power its first such invisible selfie mobile camera. Samsung reportedly even explored the possibility of implementing a UDC without any drilling whatsoever but that attempt at outside-the-box thinking is even further away from bearing fruit than a new and improved HIAA iteration.

Samsung has been pursuing the ideal of a truly bezel-less smartphone for nearly four years at this point, originally announcing it with the launch of the Galaxy S8 family in early 2017. The HIAA process isn’t brand-new, either, as it was first commercialized with the Galaxy S10 family in early 2019.

Today’s development marks the second time Samsung delayed UDC commercialization this year, as it previously intended to implement it into the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The revised plans have now attached to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 roadmap, with the technology juggernaut reportedly targeting a release in the second half of 2021.

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Galaxy Note 10 and Note 20 series receive October 2020 security update

Samsung began rolling out the October 2020 security patch last week. The first Galaxy device to receive it was the Galaxy A50 but the update’s availability continues expanding to additional models. The Galaxy S10 and S20 series picked up the update earlier today, and next in line for the October 2020 patch are the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 20 series.

The unlocked Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ are getting the latest update in the USA where it carries firmware version N97xU1UES4DTI1. You can refer to our firmware archive for the Galaxy Note 10 / Galaxy Note 10+ to download the latest update for your device or you can wait for the official update notification to arrive on your phone. The update is also being released on the Galaxy Note 10 in Germany carrying firmware version N97xFXXS6DTI5.

While all this is happening to Galaxy Note 10 users, Samsung is also releasing the October 2020 security firmware update for the unlocked Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N981U1) and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (SM-N987U1) in the USA, carrying firmware version N98xU1UES1ATID.

As always, you can download the latest firmware from SamMobile’s archives directly to a Windows PC and install the update on your smartphone at any time. You can also try to trigger the update manually by opening Settings on your phone, navigating to Software update and tapping Download and install. Samsung has yet to detail the October 2020 security patch but it should disclose the changelog in the coming weeks.

Galaxy Note 20 5G

• Model: SM-N981U
• 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-N986U
• 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 Note 10

• Model: SM-N970U
• Dimensions: Bar: 151.0 x 71.8 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.3 inch / 160.02 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 855
• Camera: 16MP

More specifications

Galaxy Note 10+

• Model: SM-N975U
• Dimensions: Bar: 162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.8 inch / 172.72 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 855
• Camera: 16MP

More specifications

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Leaked Galaxy S20 FE India pricing is bad news for OnePlus

Just as the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition got its international release, its India price tag emerged online, promising even somewhat greater value for money than what the U.S. and (especially) Europe are getting. The fourth addition to the Galaxy S20 family will reportedly retail in India at Rs. 49,999, which comes down to just around $680, going by today’s exchange rate. Naturally, this is the LTE model — powered by the infamous Exynos 990 — we’re talking about, according to Samsung India’s own device page that went live last month.

At this price point, it’s frivolous not to draw comparisons between the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition and the OnePlus 8 series, another popular “value flagship” lineup in India. Samsung’s smartphone will apparently slot in nicely between the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro, priced at Rs. 41,999 ($575) and Rs. 54,999 ($750), respectively. And it may very well end up being more affordable than both the 8T and 8T which are expected to be announced later this week.

One plus eight minus eighty

So, it would appear Samsung intends to give OnePlus a run for its money this fall. Or at least, that’s what consumers should hope for. In a regular year, the Galaxy S20 FE would also likely face fierce competition from Huawei, but Trump took care of Samsung’s number one rival in the world’s number two smartphone market (and every other bar China) this time around.

In any case, today’s report unfortunately doesn’t specify when exactly might the Galaxy S20 FE hit the physical and digital store shelves in India, though that milestone is likely mere days away. And given how the keyword with this model is “value,” expect Samsung to push its digital sales channels at least as much as it did for the Galaxy Note 20 series a few weeks ago. Which is to say: astonishingly aggressively.

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Samsung killing key Bixby Vision features as AR bet falls flat

After barely three years of service, Samsung is discontinuing a good chunk of Bixby Vision augmented reality features previously touted as some of the app’s main selling points. According to a notice the company started pushing out to users late last month, Places, Styling, Home Decor, and Makeup are all on the chopping block and will begin shutting down near the end of October. However, a smaller subset of users in select markets may still be able to access them for the foreseeable future.

That last part is likely related to the fact Samsung previously started monetizing Bixby Vision through these standalone functionalities, so it may still have exposure-related or other targets to hit as part of relevant obligations toward its partners. And, of course, its latest wave of Bixby AR apps indicates it still hasn’t completely given up on its in-house computer vision tool.

What is dead may never AI

Originally intended as a launch feature of the Galaxy S8 series, Bixby Vision was fashionably late to hit Samsung’s first 2017 flagships. Its troubled development also continues to serve as a repeated reminder that Samsung’s artificial intelligence game is nowhere near its hardware output quality, especially when compared to an AI-first giant like Google.

Speaking of which, this news emerged just as Samsung decided to shutter down the remnants of its Bixby dev outreach team. And both developments lend more credence to the possibility that Samsung embraces more meaningful Google Assistant integrations in the near future. In exchange for lots and lots of currency, naturally, which is what pretty much every version of this rumor has been saying for a while now. Still, getting paid off to drop Bixby – partially or entirely – may not be such a bad outcome for Samsung and is in line with the company’s overall strategy shift that saw it start weakening its focus on proprietary mobile apps from early 2020 onward.

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Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S10 series pick up October security update

The October security patch has started making its way to two of Samsung’s flagship lineups this week. Both last year’s Galaxy S10 and this year’s Galaxy S20 series (not including the Galaxy S20 FE) are getting a new update that includes the latest security patch and, well, nothing else. The new updates for these phones are purely about security enhancements and are accompanied by firmware versions G97xFXXS9DTI8 and G98xxXXS5BTIJ respectively.

For the Galaxy S20 lineup, this is the second software update in a span of two weeks, making us wonder when the One UI 3.0 beta program is going to kick off for the public. Just a week ago, Samsung’s beta operations team had said the beta is “coming soon”, but it’s clear that the wait is going to be a little longer seeing as how general updates continue to roll out for the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

As usual, these updates are rolling out over the air or will do so soon. To check if your Galaxy S10 or Galaxy S20 series device has an update, open the phone’s Settings » Software update menu and tap Download and install. If you’re not afraid of taking matters into your own hands, you can download the latest firmware for your model and country from our archive and manually update your phone instead of waiting for the over-the-air release.

Galaxy S10

• Model: SM-G973F
• Dimensions: Bar: 149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.1 inch / 162.5 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Exynos 9820
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S20

• Model: SM-G980F
• Dimensions: Bar: 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.2 inch / 157.48 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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