Samsung regains number two position in Indian smartphone market in Q3 2020

India is the world’s second-biggest smartphone market, and it is quite important for Samsung. Although the South Korean firm has been the number one brand globally for years, it has been slipping in the Indian market over the past few years. After losing its second position to Vivo in the previous quarter, Samsung has been able to regain it in Q3 2020.

According to the latest report from market research firm Canalys, Samsung shipped 10.2 million smartphones to India, up from 9.5 million units in Q3 2019. The South Korean firm’s market share was 20.4%, and it trailed behind Xiaomi, which shipped 13.1 million smartphones and grabbed a 26.1% share of the market during the same quarter. Compared to Q2 2020, when the Indian smartphone market took a huge hit due to the COVID-19 lockdown, Samsung has been able to more than triple its shipments.

The South Korean smartphone giant also regained its number two position from Vivo. According to researchers at Canalys, Indian consumers refrained from making high-value purchases during the third quarter and stuck to buying smartphones as they provide connectivity, education, and entertainment for a relatively lower cost compared to other electronics such as computers, laptops, and TVs.

Despite calls for boycotting of Chinese smartphones due to border tensions between Indian and China, Chinese firms accounted for 76% of smartphone shipments in the country. Vivo, Realme, and OPPO, all subsidiaries of parent firm BBK Electronics, shipped 8.8 million, 8.1 million, and 6.7 million devices. Apple shipped just 800,000 units in the country during the third quarter, less than 10% of Samsung’s numbers. Even OnePlus failed to enter the list of top five smartphone brands.

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Samsung lags behind LG in TV consumer survey in Australia

In a TV consumer satisfaction survey done in Australia, Samsung slipped by one spot and gave away its number one position to LG this year. In the annual survey done by Canstar Blue, a market research agency, TV brands were rated on various factors, including picture quality, sound quality, ease of use, smart compatibility, and value for money.

While Samsung received four stars in all the aspects mentioned in the survey and was ranked third. LG received five stars in all the factors, except for value for money. Overall, LG received a five-star rating, while Samsung received a four-star overall rating. Even Panasonic was rated higher than Samsung in the ease of use factor. Sony, on the other hand, received just three stars in the value for money factor but five stars in sound quality.

LG jumped three ranks compared to last year. TCL, Kogan, Hisense, and Soniq trailed behind the top four firms. The survey was reportedly conducted on 1,000 Australian adults who purchased new LCD, LED, QLED, or OLED TVs over the past two years. In terms of actual market share, though, the company leads in all important markets around the world.

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Samsung intros 85-inch Flip 2 fit for the work / study from home era

Samsung USA has announced a new addition to its interactive display/whiteboard lineup known as the Flip / Flip 2. A new 85-inch variant is joining the existing 55-inch and 65-inch models in the USA. It’s now listed online at Samsung.com but it is not yet available for purchase through the company’s e-shop, so pricing details are missing.

The 85-inch Flip 2 is actually being referred to as the 85-inch Interactive Display in Samsung’s latest press release. Unclear naming convention aside, the 85-inch Interactive Display / Flip 2 is a digital whiteboard designed for businesses, universities, corporate offices, and healthcare facilities.

A great match for the current hybrid model of education/business

The world is changing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with students and employees alike spending more time learning and working from home while communicating with their peers remotely. Samsung’s Interactive Display is the perfect match for the current hybrid model of education and business, as it allows students and colleagues to work together in real time, whether on-site or remotely.

The 85-inch Interactive Display / Flip 2 offers 4K picture quality, smooth pen-to-paper writing mode, real-time content sharing, and a six-digit lock system for teachers, managers, and/or healthcare professionals who may require safeguarding sensitive information.

The digital whiteboard is equipped with HDMI, USB, DP, OPS, and NFC technology, and it can detect up to four stylus inputs simultaneously. Head down to Samsung’s official landing page for the 85-inch Interactive Display to find out more.

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Report: Galaxy Z Fold 3 to feature thicker UTG, AES digitizer, and S Pen

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 was released last month but industry watchers are already attempting to uncover the secrets of its sequel. A new report by UBI Research cited by The Elec claims that Samsung is now considering adopting AES (Active Electrostatic Solution) digitizer technology to bring the S Pen to the next Galaxy Z Fold in the series. At the same time, the company is reportedly working on making UTG (Ultra-Thin Glass) thick enough to withstand the tip of an S Pen.

This probably isn’t the first time you hear rumors of Samsung wanting to bring the S Pen to its foldable series. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 was previously rumored to boast this technology but Samsung was reportedly unable to make this vision a reality because of technical limitations.

Firstly, Samsung’s Galaxy Note series adopts an EMR (Electro Magnetic Resonance) digitizer for the S Pen but the same technology is too rigid for foldable screens. Secondly, Samsung is said to have decided against fitting the Galaxy Z Fold 2 with an S Pen because the UTG layer isn’t thick enough to resist the tip of the stylus.

Samsung to adopt a different digitizer and create UTG that’s twice as thick

UBI Research believes that Samsung is now looking to address these shortcomings for the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3. The company may be unable to apply an EMR digitizer to a foldable panel but it might decide to adopt AES technology instead.

Both technologies have their own advantages and disadvantages, but AES generally offers better overall performance at the expense of production costs. More importantly, AES might be usable with Samsung’s foldable display technology.

Another area that Samsung is reportedly looking to improve is the ultra-thin glass. The foldable display of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a 30-micrometer layer of UTG that’s too prone to damage from the tip of an S Pen. However, the company is reportedly working on making the UTG layer twice as thick for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to allow the use of an S Pen.

Of course, it’s too early to be certain of the validity of these rumors and even if Samsung is considering adding an S Pen to the Galaxy Z Fold 3, a lot can change by the time the phone enters mass production. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we find out more.

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Samsung USA donates $76,000 worth of Galaxy A10e units for telehealth

Samsung Electronics America and Meridian have joined forces to help families and individuals living in rural and underserved communities in Michigan get telehealth with more ease. Telehealth is the distribution of health-related services using telecommunication technologies, and surveys show that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, residents of rural areas in the USA have exhibited higher mortality rates than people living in urban areas because they often lacked the proper communication tools.

The COVID-19 outbreak further highlighted the importance of telehealth in underserved areas and Samsung together with Meridian have teamed up to deploy hundreds of Galaxy A10e smartphones to select, federally-qualified health centers, healthcare providers and support organizations in Michigan.

According to Taher Behbehani, GM and Head of Mobile B2B Business at Samsung Electronics America, over a billion telehealth visits are expected to take place before the end of the year, and Samsung is committed to supporting health institutions with equipment and technologies meant to improve work efficiency. Samsung claims it is thrilled to partner with Centene and Meridian […] during this uncertain time.

Samsung Galaxy A10e comes to the rescue

A total of 425 Galaxy A10e units will be given away by Samsung and Meridian through this latest initiative. The Galaxy A10e is one of Samsung’s most budget-conscious smartphone and it is also one of the most popular devices in the USA based on sales figures.

The Galaxy A10e was Samsung’s top-selling smartphone in the USA throughout Q1 2020 as customers have been persuaded by the uncertain economic climate to shift focus from expensive to affordable phones.

Samsung USA continues selling the Galaxy A10e for $179 unlocked. This virtually means that Samsung is donating around $76,000 worth of Galaxy A10e smartphones to Meridian in support of this initiative.

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Samsung is giving away free paint that matches your lifestyle TV

Samsung UK has launched a new promotional campaign for its lifestyle TVs called LivingColour. Samsung’s lifestyle TVs boast a stylish exterior design and they’re meant to blend in with their surroundings, so the company is now addressing the latter part with its LivingColour collection of paint hues created in partnership with color expert Karen Haller.

LivingColour is a promotional campaign hosted at Samsung KX, the same place where you will find Samsung’s 5G bus. The campaign consists of a few demonstration zones at Samsung KX where visitors can experience how the company’s lifestyle TVs The Frame, The Sero, and The Serif can blend in with their environments and become digital art pieces, as long as the colors match.

Samsung isn’t selling you paint. It’s giving it away for free

Color expert Karen Haller has developed two paint shades for each of the aforementioned lifestyle TV models, while artists Kate Watson-Smyth, Yinka Ilori, and Whinnie Williams have contributed to designing the demonstration zones at Samsung KX. The primary color was selected by Karen Haller to match the frame of each TV perfectly, while a complementary color is meant to highlight each TV’s innovative aesthetics.

Frame Beige and Restful Pine were the two colors picked for The Frame, while Serif Cotton Blue and Champagne Bliss are the perfect match for The Serif. Meanwhile, The Sero seemingly looks best against a Sero Navy Blue and Bright Spark background.

Samsung UK is now offering the LivingColour paints to Samsung KX visitors for free. It’s not clear how much paint Samsung is willing to give away to each visitor but it probably is enough to paint a living room. Samsung is offering the paint on a first-come-first-served basis and it doesn’t look as if visitors have to own a lifestyle TV to benefit from this campaign. Nevertheless, supply is limited so you might want to hurry.

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Google Pay seemingly refuses to work on some Galaxy Note 20 Ultra units

Google Pay isn’t playing nicely with the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra for some users who have revealed that they are faced with an error whenever they try to perform mobile payments using Google’s service on Samsung’s latest S Pen flagship. Although this doesn’t seem to be a widespread issue, affected users can reportedly set up the service and add their cards to Google Pay, but they are greeted with a red exclamation mark that prevents them from completing payments.

The problem appears to affect both the Exynos and Snapdragon versions of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and it isn’t limited to specific markets or variants of the phone. The good news is that the NFC function seemingly works as intended and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra owners don’t have any issues using Samsung Pay, at least in markets where the service is available.

Swapping the SIM card fixes the Google Pay issue for some users

In most cases, Samsung Pay is the preferred mobile payment solution for Galaxy smartphone owners, largely because it uses both NFC and MST technology for transfers. This gives Samsung Pay great compatibility with numerous point-of-sale terminals. However, Samsung Pay isn’t available everywhere Google Pay is, so there are Galaxy Note 20 Ultra owners in the world who have to rely on Google Pay for mobile payments because Samsung Pay is not within their reach.

The good news for these customers is that the Google Pay issues can seemingly be solved by relocating the SIM card to the second tray. This could also suggest that some carrier support reps cited by affected Galaxy Note 20 Ultra owners might be correct in assuming that the problem occurs because of how Samsung’s software handles certain SIM cards and/or carrier networks.

The root of the problem isn’t exactly clear but Samsung and/or Google should be addressing it soon, assuming they haven’t done so already. One Reddit user claims that the issue was fixed by the recent firmware update carrying version N986xXXU1ATJ1, so perhaps the problem is already being addressed.

If you haven’t received the aforementioned firmware update on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and you’re facing Google Pay issues, you can skip the waiting and acquire the update from our firmware archive. Is your Galaxy Note 20 Ultra affected by this bug? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Samsung improves Galaxy S20 FE touchscreen with two firmware updates

As many of you can probably recall, last week we discussed about one flaw that marrs the Galaxy S20 FE user experience, and it has something to do with touchscreen responsiveness or lack thereof. The good news for affected Galaxy S20 FE owners is that Samsung has acknowledged the issue and has released a couple of firmware updates meant to address it.

In case you’re unaware of this, some Galaxy S20 FE units have trouble reading touch inputs accurately, resulting in ghost touches, jittery UI animations and an overall unpleasant experience. We came across these problems on one of our Galaxy S20 FE units at the office and we were hoping that Samsung can address them with a new firmware update.

Samsung has launched not one but two Galaxy S20 FE firmware updates

Samsung did just that. The company released an update last week carrying firmware version G78xxXXU1ATJ1 and the changelog mentioned stability improvements to the touchscreen as well as the camera. But that wasn’t enough and Samsung is now releasing a second firmware update which seemingly improves the touchscreen experience even further.

Firmware version G78xxXXU1ATJ5 is now rolling out in countries across Europe and although the changelog doesn’t mention the touchscreen problems, many users have reported that touch responsiveness has become even better following this most recent update. We can also confirm that our affected Galaxy S20 FE unit performs a lot more like it should.

The latest firmware update is available for both the LTE (SM-G780F) and 5G (SM-G781B) variants of the phone and it should be accompanied by an update notification. You can try to trigger the update process by opening Settings, accessing Software Update and tapping Download and install.

As usual, you can skip the steps above and visit our firmware archive, download the latest firmware update for your particular model/region, and apply it to your Galaxy S20 FE using a Windows PC.

Galaxy S20 FE review

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Samsung Smart Call now protects the Galaxy Note 20 against robocalls

Robocalls are a major problem in the United States. As many as 58 billion spam calls were made in 2019. Samsung developed the Smart Call feature to protect users against spam calls, enabling them to block and report robocallers.

Clearly, this problem isn’t going to go away. So Samsung is further improving the feature and expanding it to the Galaxy Note 20 series. The latest flagship will now be protected from spam calls. Samsung has also said that the improved Smart Call feature will be released for older flagships as well.

Galaxy Note 20 picks up powerful spam call monitoring

Samsung Smart Call is powered by Hiya, a Seattle-based company that offers caller and business profile services. The two companies have had a strategic partnership for several years and they have now extended through 2025. Hiya analyzes more than 3.5 billion calls per month to protect users against robocalls and spam calls. It will continue to provide this functionality for Smart Call.

Hiya’s real-time detection and cloud infrastructure will now be used to automatically block such calls on the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The company claims that this technology will make Samsung phones rank among the “most protected” smartphones from spam and robocalls. The new and improved Smart Call is also going to be rolled out to older Samsung flagships.

The Hiya Connect service is also included as part of this extended partnership. It’s a service for legitimate businesses who want to be able to reach out to customers through the phone. They will be able to provide their name, logo and the reason for calling customers through the Branded Call feature of Hiya Connect. Businesses will also be able to access reputation monitoring and management in order to prevent an inaccurate spam label.

Samsung’s Smart Call feature can be enabled on compatible devices through the Caller ID and spam protection menu. Just search for it in the Settings app.

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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Galaxy S20 One UI 3.0 Android 11 beta released in India today

Samsung is gradually expanding the One UI 3.0 beta for the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra in more markets. The company has started releasing the beta firmware for users in India today. The beta has already been released in a handful of markets across the globe. They include the United States, United Kingdom and Poland.

It’s now India’s turn to get in on the action. Registrations for the beta have been opened up today. There’s no wait, either. Samsung is already sending out the firmware. So if you’ve registered, you should receive the over-the-air update today.

Galaxy S20 One UI 3.0 beta out in India

Samsung confirmed through its official forums for the country today that One UI 3.0 Android 11 beta registrations for the Galaxy S20 series are now open. Anyone with a compatible device can take part in the beta program. To sign up for the beta, tap on the One UI beta program banner in the Samsung Members app.

It shouldn’t take long for the OTA update notification to arrive once registration for the beta has been completed. The beta firmware version G98xFXXU5ZTJF is now rolling out for the Galaxy S20 series in the country. It brings all of the new features that One UI 3.0 and Android 11 have to offer.

Check out our in-depth One UI 2.5 vs One UI 3.0 post to learn more about all of the new features. Those who don’t want to run the beta on their phones won’t have to wait too long for the public release. Samsung has already said that the Galaxy S20 series will get the final One UI 3.0 release before the end of this year.

There’s good news for Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra owners as well. The One UI 3.0 beta for the Galaxy Note 20 series is live now in India.

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Galaxy Note 20 One UI 3.0 beta program live in India and Germany

Samsung is now taking registrations for the One UI 3.0 beta program for the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in India and Germany, following the launch of the program in the US just yesterday. While Galaxy S20 owners outside the US and South Korea had to wait a few weeks before they got access to the beta, Samsung isn’t making Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra owners wait that long, which is great to see.

It’s possible Note 20 beta registrations are open in Poland and the UK as well, but we can’t confirm that at the moment. However, if you live in either of those markets, feel free to check the Samsung Members app’s Notices section to see if there’s a notice about the beta program and let us know down in the comments.

Enroll in Samsung Members, then download the first beta update

The One UI 3.0 beta notice in Samsung Members can be used to enroll in the program if you’re interested in testing One UI 3.0 and Android 11 ahead of its stable worldwide release. Once you have successfully enrolled, you will be able to download the first beta update by using the Download and install option in the phone’s Settings » Software update menu. The update is a 2GB download on both the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, so using a Wi-Fi connection is recommended.

If beta testing isn’t your thing but you’d like to see what One UI 3.0 brings to the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20 series, check out our One UI 2.5 vs One UI 3.0 post. We will also be taking an in-depth look at some of the new features in the coming weeks, so be sure to bookmark this page to stay up-to-date with all our One UI 3.0 coverage.

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 5G

• Model: SM-N981B
• 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 5G

• Model: SM-N986B
• 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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Samsung’s boss now on trial for accounting fraud, manipulation charges

The legal troubles of Samsung vice chairman and de facto head Lee Jae-yong seem to have no end. Over the past year, his role in a highly controversial merger between Chiel Industries and Samsung C&T has been probed in addition to alleged accounting fraud at Samsung Biologistics.

It’s alleged that the merger enabled the Lee family to cement their control over the Samsung Group. Following the probe, Lee was charged with accounting fraud and stock manipulation. The trial on these charges has begun today.

Samsung heir faces charges of fraud and manipulation

The trial proceedings began today in the Seoul Central District Court. The prosecutors and attorneys met to discuss the trial schedule and present their positions on the case. Lee was not in attendance.

The prosecutors allege that Lee was involved in the manipulation of stock prices of Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T when the companies were being merged in 2015. It’s also alleged that he approved accounting fraud at Samsung Biologistics, a subsidiary of Samsung C&T, in order to increase his control over the conglomerate.

At the hearing today, attorneys for Lee and other Samsung executives maintained that the merger between the two companies was normal management activity. They also denied charges of accounting fraud at Samsung Biologistics.

The prosecution wants the trial to proceed rapidly. They have requested the court to conduct two hearings a week, a request that the court has yet to make a decision on. The defense team have asked the court for three months to review the 190,000 pages of documents that the prosecutors have prepared. They have been granted time till January 14, 2021.

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Verizon wants Samsung to exclude Chinese components from $6.6B deal

Samsung announced last month that it had secured a major contract from Verizon. It would be supplying network equipment to the largest mobile carrier in the United States. The $6.6 billion deal was a major win for the company’s networks division as it capitalizes on Huawei’s absence from the market.

Huawei has been locked out of the US market and due to the country’s concerns regarding its practices, it appears that companies don’t want non-Chinese suppliers to utilize even components that were made in China. Verizon has reportedly made such a request to Samsung.

Verizon doesn’t want Chinese components in Samsung’s equipment

Korean media reports that Verizon has request Samsung Networks to exclude Chinese-made parts from the equipment supplied under this $6.6 billion deal. Samsung has been sourcing the PCBs for the network equipment from suppliers in China.

ISU Petasys, a Korean manufacturer of PCBs, is looking to enter Samsung’s supply chain for network equipment. The company has reportedly provided samples to Samsung that were produced at its Daegu plant in South Korea.

Petasys is already a well-established manufacturer of PCBs for communication equipment. Its existing customers include the likes of Cisco and Juniper. Industry insiders do claim that since order volume for Samsung’s communication equipment components is relatively small compared to other products, it’s difficult for domestic PCB suppliers to turn a profit.

With Samsung’s $6.6 billion deal with Verizon hinging on this contingency, the company will certainly find a way to make the arrangement worthwhile for its suppliers.

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