Does Galaxy S21 Ultra really feature a penta-camera setup?

After we exclusively reported that the Galaxy S21 series will be officially unveiled in January 2021, renders of the Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S21 Ultra surfaced. The first set of Galaxy S21 Ultra renders showcased a quad-camera setup, but the renders were later updated to include a penta-camera setup. Now, images of Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Ultra cases have been leaked, making us think if the latter will really have five cameras on the rear.

The leaked image of a Galaxy S21 Ultra case shows four cameras and an LED flash at the rear. There is a possibility that the Galaxy S21 Ultra may only have four rear cameras and an unknown sensor. Nothing can be said for sure until we see some credible press renders of the device. Out of the four sensors, there could be a wide-angle camera, an ultrawide camera, and two telephoto cameras.

Images of the Galaxy S21’s jelly case and a third-party folio case have been leaked as well. They show a much thinner cutout for the rear-facing camera, pointing towards a triple-camera setup. The Galaxy S21’s LED flash could be placed outside the glass-covered camera bump. In any case, we should get a clearer picture (and maybe specs leak) of the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra in the coming weeks.

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Samsung helps KT in deploying Korea’s first 5G SA and NSA common core network

Samsung’s network equipment division has helped cellular carriers in deploying 4G and 5G networks across the world, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, and the US. Now, the company has announced that it has collaborated with South Korean carrier KT in deploying the country’s first 5G SA (Standalone) and NSA (Non-Standalone) common core network.

To start with, Samsung’s common core will run on KT’s Mobile Edge Computing telecom centres across eight cities. Later, the technology will be used for the full commercialization of its 5G SA network across South Korea. The cellular carrier will launch its 5G SA network when 5G SA-compatible devices become available to consumers. The companies have been collaborating on 5G networks for a long time, and KT uses Samsung’s CUPS (Control and User Plane Separation), edge traffic steering, and network slicing technologies.

Samsung’s CUPS, which is defined in 3GPP standards, is a fundamental 5G SA technology that improves network deployment, flexibility, and scalability by separating the control and the user plane. It also helps carriers in deploying 5G SA services via software upgrades, without the need to build a 5G SA core. The company’s common core can support 5G SA, 5G NSA, and 4G simultaneously, so users can smoothly upgrade to faster experiences.

Since 5G SA architecture doesn’t rely on 4G, it is more efficient in terms of power consumption, this offering longer battery life on connected devices such as smartphones and tablets. Samsung has end-to-end 5G solutions, including chipsets, core technologies, 5G vRAN, and radios.

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Every Galaxy Watch 3 and Watch Active 2 model is available at a discount

The holiday shopping season draws near but you don’t have to wait until Black Friday to take advantage of great deals on Samsung products, if you know where to look. The company is now selling the Galaxy Watch Active 2 and the Galaxy Watch 3 at significant discounts in the USA, so if you’re in the market for a new smartwatch then you might be better off taking advantage of this discount rather than waiting for another opportunity later down the line.

The Galaxy Watch 3 is now available in the USA for $60 off, meaning you can buy the 41mm or 45mm Wi-Fi model for $339 or $369, respectively. Meanwhile, the 41mm and 45mm LTE model costs $389/$419, and the Galaxy Watch 3 Titanium, which is available exclusively without LTE connectivity, is available at a $100 discount for $499.

If you’re not a fan of the latest smartwatch model from Samsung or you prefer a virtual bezel as opposed to a physical one then the Galaxy Watch Active 2 remains your best choice. And with the recent discount, you can save $70 off the full retail price. The discount applies to all variants including the 40mm/44mm and Wi-Fi/LTE, as well as the Under Armour Edition and Golf Edition.

The discounts are available through Samsung’s online shop in the USA as well as Amazon.com. You can refer to the links below for more details.

Galaxy Watch 3 review | Galaxy Watch Active 2 review

• Buy the Galaxy Watch 3 at Samsung USA
• Buy the Galaxy Watch 3 at Amazon USA
• Buy the Galaxy Watch Active 2 at Samsung USA
• Buy the Galaxy Watch Active 2 at Amazon USA

Galaxy Watch 3 (41mm)

• Model: SM-R850
• Dimensions: Watch: 42.5 x 41.0 x 11.3 mm
  
• Display: 1.2 inch / 30.2 mm Circular Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9110
• Camera:

More specifications

Galaxy Watch 3 (45mm)

• Model: SM-R840
• Dimensions: Watch: 46.2 x 45.0 x 11.1 mm
  
• Display: 1.4 inch / 35.56 mm Circular Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9110
• Camera:

More specifications

Galaxy Watch Active 2 (40mm)

• Model: SM-R825F
• Dimensions: Watch: 40 x 40 x 10.9 mm
  
• Display: 1.2 inch / 30.48 mm Circular Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9110
• Camera:

More specifications

Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm)

• Model: SM-R835F
• Dimensions: Watch: 44 x 44 x 10.9 mm
  
• Display: 1.4 inch / 35.56 mm Circular Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9110
• Camera:

More specifications

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China-exclusive W21 5G is official, costs 50% more than regular Z Fold 2

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 variant built exclusively for China was officially unveiled by Samsung today. It’s called the W21 5G and aside from carrying a different moniker, the phone has a noticeably different exterior design compared to the standard Galaxy Z Fold 2. It’s also 50% more expensive despite the fact that it appears to have the same internal hardware components as the standard model.

The so-called Samsung W21 5G was officially launched today as a China Telecom exclusive device. The carrier-branded model in China has a different color scheme with a gold finish and vertical stripes, but more importantly, it appears to be considerably taller than the regular Galaxy Z Fold 2.

Samsung is selling the W21 5G for 19,999 CNY which is the equivalent of $3,005 at the time of writing. The device features the Snapdragon 865+ chipset, 12GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. The smartphone ships in a new retail box that includes a fast charger and a pair of wired AKG earbuds. The Samsung W21 5G also ships with a unique wallpaper.

Samsung W21 5G is selling like hot cakes, stocks already depleted

Even though the Samsung W21 5G in China is $1,000 more expensive than the regular Galaxy Z Fold 2 elsewhere, it looks like the foldable device is already enjoying a lot of success. At present the W21 5G is no longer available for pre-purchase online as stocks have been depleted. There seems to be enough demand in China for this $3,000 foldable phone, but then again, we don’t know exactly how many W21 5G units have been manufactured.

It’s unclear exactly why the W21 5G is 50% more expensive than the regular Galaxy Z Fold 2 and whether or not the larger footprint has anything to do with this. Regardless, chances of it going on sale outside of China are virtually non-existent so if you are looking to buy a foldable device and you don’t reside in the Far Eastern country then the standard Galaxy Z Fold 2 or the Galaxy Z Flip remain your best choices.

As for customers in China, the W21 5G is expected to go on sale on November 27. Early adopters who have already pre-ordered the device can expect the W21 5G to arrive in the mailbox on November 20.

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Galaxy S20 FE is now available for pre-order in Brazil at a discount

Samsung’s budget flagship, the Galaxy S20 FE, was released in most but not all markets a few weeks ago and some regions are lagging behind. Brazil is now catching up as Samsung is launching the Galaxy S20 FE on pre-order terms. The smartphone will be delivered to early adopters on November 11, two days before sales officially start on November 13.

The Galaxy S20 FE in Brazil is offered with 128GB and 256GB of storage for 4,499 ($788) and 4,999 Brazilian Real ($876), respectively. Pre-order customers benefit from a 449 Brazilian Real discount on the full retail price, bringing it down to 4,049 and 4,499 Real, respectively, and customers who buy the Galaxy S20 FE and sign up on the Samsung Para Voce website between November 13 and December 4 will receive a voucher worth 700 Real ($112).

Six color options are available for both storage variants

Samsung took pride in the fact that the Galaxy S20 FE is as colorful as it is and pre-order customers in Brazil will be pleased to know that the full range of colors is available to them. Samsung really did get color availability right this time and the Galaxy S20 FE is offered in six color options for both the 128GB and 256GB variants. Options include navy, white, orange, mint, red, and lavender, all of which carry the Cloud prefix.

As of this writing, the Galaxy S20 FE in Brazil is available with LTE connectivity while the 5G variant is missing from the store. This means customers in Brazil will be getting the Galaxy S20 FE variant that’s powered by Samsung’s Exynos 990 chipset and not the Snapdragon 865 model. Even so, the phone remains a great value proposition. Check the links below for more details.

Galaxy S20 FE review

• Pre-order the Galaxy S20 FE at Samsung Brazil

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Samsung is back in the ToF game with a new ISOCELL Vizion 33D sensor

Samsung has made a decision regarding its involvement with the ToF sensor segment and the company is not throwing in the towel. Earlier this year, it looked as if Samsung abandoned the ToF market segment and left Sony without a competitor, but that’s far from the truth. Samsung is now ready to fight back with a new sensor called the ISOCELL Vizion 33D. No, ’33D’ is not a typo and the sensor isn’t redefining string theory with additional dimensions either. It’s just how Samsung calls its latest ToF sensor in a bid to emphasize its powerful depth-sensing capabilities.

Samsung claims that the ISOCELL Vizion 33D sensor is optimized to provide best-in-class photography and AR/VR experiences as well as 3D scanning and video bokeh effects. The ISOCELL Vizion 33D is apparently capable of tracking moving objects with low latency thanks to a 4-tap demodulation system and 120fps support. The 4-tap demodulation system allows each pixel in the sensor to receive four phase signals simultaneously at 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees, and this means that the sensor is capable of generating a depth image with just a single shot.

Low power requirements and exceptional autofocus

Whether or not the Galaxy S21 series will use the ISOCELL Vision 33D remains unclear, however, the sensor appears to have been created for multiple applications including mobile devices. A low power requirement is essential to a mobile camera sensor, and the ISOCELL Vision 33D has a total power consumption of under 400mW for both IR illumination and the ToF sensor. Meanwhile, the sensor is also capable of assisting the main camera’s autofocus.

Technical specifications include a high resolution (for a ToF sensor) of 640 by 480, 7um pixels, and a distance range of 0.2-5.0 meters. The sensor also uses Deep Trench Isolation (DTI) technology to reduce pixel crosstalk, as well as Backside Scattering Technology (BST) to enhance the sensor’s quantum efficiency.

All in all, Samsung claims that the ISOCELL Vision 33D sensor is fast and accurate enough to enable next-level 3D facial authentication for mobile payments, which might suggest that Samsung is considering using the ISOCELL Vision 33D as a selfie/face authentication sensor in future Galaxy smartphone models. Or at the very least, the company is offering the ISOCELL Vision 33D to prospective clients looking for such a sensor.

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Galaxy S21 may drop AKG earphones, but you’ll be glad once you see why

The Galaxy S21 may be Samsung’s first lineup of Android flagships to miss out on a complimentary pair of high-quality AKG earphones since forever, but boy, will everyone be glad if that actually happens. According to a new report out of South Korea, Samsung is currently considering ditching the AKG tradition in favor of bundling every Galaxy S21-series model with the Galaxy Buds Beyond.

For the uninitiated, that’s the rumored name of the Galaxy Buds Plus sequel. Though “rumored” might not be entirely accurate – “likely” is what it really is, given the fact that Samsung already filed to trademark the moniker. And it’s extremely rare to see the tech giant not follow up on such a move with a commercial product. But don’t let that distract you from the fact the Galaxy S21-series devices might be bundled with a $150+ pair of wireless earbuds.

Not to mention how big of a statement this would be mere months after the iPhone 12 launched with no earphones, charger, or anything, really. Which was so ludicrous that not even Samsung managed to resist the call of memes.

Bundling Galaxy S21 with wireless earbuds would be unprecedented

Just for some valuable context, that “forever” mentioned above actually means “four years ago” so it’s not that big of a tradition anyway. I.e. Samsung has only been bundling its high-end smartphones with AKG-tuned earbuds since it purchased the Austrian company’s parent, Harman International Industries, back in early 2017. So, starting with the Galaxy S8 range.

This would be an unprecedented move because all customers will be able to get the wireless earbuds with the next flagship. Samsung has been offering new wireless earbuds with its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note flagships for the past couple of years. However, they’re only offered as a pre-order incentive.

If you need more time to make your decision or need to delay the purchase for whatever reason beyond the pre-order period, you wouldn’t get them. Some markets didn’t get the earbuds as a pre-order incentive at all so they will stand to benefit as well.

If the Galaxy S21 series comes with the Galaxy Buds Beyond in the box, it will enable all customers to get them, regardless of when they purchase the device. This will also mean that Samsung will offer something else as a pre-order incentive. Gaming bundles seem to be its gift of choice these days.

The latest word on the street is that the Galaxy S21 family is launching in mid-January, meaning it should already be available for purchase by early February.

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Samsung Galaxy F12 leaked, expected to feature a 7,000mAh battery

We reported two weeks ago that Samsung is preparing another Galaxy F series device. This would be the second addition to the new budget series that has been launched in India. The Galaxy F41 is already out and its basically a rebadged version of the Galaxy M31.

The device we found out about has the model number SM-F127G. It could be launched as the Galaxy F12. A new leak has surfaced which shows us the purported back panel for this device. It’s also claimed that the device will have a bonkers 7,000mAh battery.

Galaxy F12 may be a rebadged Galaxy M12

It’s already known that the device is in development in India. Since the Galaxy F series seems to be borrowing a lot from the Galaxy M series, it’s no surprise that a Galaxy M model number can be seen on this part as well.

The model numbers M127F/F127G are etched on this panel, leading to the assumption that this device may be launched as both the Galaxy M12 and Galaxy F12. If the same strategy that we saw with the Galaxy F41 and Galaxy M31 is followed, the Galaxy F12 would be missing a few features compared to the Galaxy M12. The two devices will be almost identical.

We can make out a textured finish on the back panel which also has cutouts for a quad camera setup. There are no details as yet on what this camera setup might include. No cutout for the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor can be seen. It’s claimed that the Galaxy F12 will feature a 6.7-inch Infinity-O display in addition to an impressive 7,000mAh battery.

The full technical specs are not known at this point in time. We expect them to be fairly modest as this will be a budget device, after all.

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Galaxy Note 10 Lite November 2020 security update now rolling out

Select Galaxy Note 10 Lite units have been receiving the November 2020 Android security update for a few days by now. While gradual software rollouts are nothing out of the ordinary for Samsung, this particular over-the-air release is really taking its time to get going. But if you own a Galaxy Note 10 Lite that’s still stuck on the October security update, you may want to try triggering an OTA download manually from its Settings app in the coming days.

Because the latest security patch level, dated November 1st, 2020, now seems to be making its way to unlocked Galaxy Note 10 Lite models (SM-N770F) across Europe. Well, it reached Spain, at least. The rollout picked up some pace on Sunday afternoon, so it will hopefully find some urgency in the coming days, as monthly patches for this specific Galaxy smartphone usually do.

As far as updates go, Galaxy Note 10 Lite is still in its early days

If you’re unable to trigger the download in the coming days, there’s always the option of flashing the full system images manually onto your Galaxy Note 10 Lite. After all, that’s what our exhaustive firmware archive is for. Doing so doesn’t require a lot of technical know-how, but it’s still not recommended to anyone who isn’t absolutely confident in their ability to flash Samsung’s Android firmware because things can always go wrong, though that’s why you should always create a backup of your device prior to embracing your inner tinkerer, anyway.

The November 2020 security update for the Galaxy Note 10 Lite isn’t bundled with any other changes, additions, or omissions. This particular smartphone is still fairly young, so to speak, as it has at least two more years of monthly security patches ahead of it. And yes, Samsung’s recent commitment to three generations’ worth of OS updates includes the Galaxy Note 10 Lite.

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OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi could use Samsung’s Exynos processors next year

Samsung was criticized a lot for its Exynos processors, especially in its entry-level and high-end smartphones. The company upped its game with the launch of the Exynos 980 processor, and its performance is largely equivalent to the Snapdragon 765G. Now, it is being reported that Samsung is seeking more customers for its Exynos chipsets.

According to a report coming out of South Korea, System LSI (Samsung’s semiconductor design division) plans to supply Exynos processors to OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi. These Chinese brands are expected to use Exynos SoCs in their budget smartphones. The South Korean tech giant could also gain chipset orders for mid-range and high-end smartphones in the future if it manages to showcase its technical prowess.

System LSI has reportedly reduced the supply of Exynos processors to Samsung’s smartphone division because of a lower profit margin. The company has already supplied Exynos 880 and Exynos 980 chipsets to Vivo. The upcoming Exynos 1080 chipset, which will be unveiled on November 12 in China, is rumored to debut with the Vivo X60. The 5nm processor will also be used inside the Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A72.

The Exynos 1080 chipset is made using Samsung’s 5nm EUV process, and it features four Cortex-A78 CPU cores, four Cortex-A55 CPU cores, and Mali G78 GPU. Performance-wise, the new Exynos processor is rumored to be slightly faster than the Snapdragon 865+ as it uses ARM’s new CPU cores and more advanced fabrication process.

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China’s version of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is a little bigger for some reason

Samsung is launching a China-exclusive version of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 today, and it is called Samsung W21 5G. Unlike what everyone expected, newly emerged images show that the company’s new foldable smartphone isn’t exactly similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

Side-by-side images of the W21 5G reveal that it is physically bigger than the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Unless the new phone has thicker bezels (which doesn’t appear to be the case), the W21 5G could have larger inner and outer displays. However, the phone’s TENAA certification had recently revealed a screen size of 7.6 inches. The foldable smartphone also has a flashier design compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and a different hinge color.

The W21 5G features Super AMOLED Infinity-O displays on the outside and the inside. The inner screen features a 120Hz refresh rate and QHD+ resolution, while the cover display has a 60Hz refresh rate and HD+ resolution. It features a Snapdragon 865+ processor, 12GB RAM, 512GB internal storage, and Android 10-based One UI 2.5. The phone will only be sold in one color: gold.

The phone is expected to feature a 12MP triple-camera setup on the rear and two 10MP front-facing cameras. Samsung has equipped the W21 5G with a side-mounted fingerprint reader, 5G connectivity, stereo speakers, Samsung Pay, a 4,500mAh battery, fast wired charging, wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging. Samsung is also selling the Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G in China, it needs to be seen how it manages to sell two similar phones in the same market.

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